The words hung in the air between them. He didn’t miss the sadness in her voice when she said it. He didn’t want to push or pry. He wanted her to open up to him of her own free will, so he waited. The emotions danced around her face as she battled with the idea of opening up.
Finally, she exhaled and looked up at him, “Until the woman came and Christmas was never the same again...” She paused, “My dad suddenly had to be at work every Christmas morning, and every other holiday. The first year, my mother and I had Christmas on our own...” She shook her head, “It wasn’t the same, but we held out hope for the next year...”He nodded.“Of course, my mother found out earlier, and she let me believe the lie that he was working and he couldn’t make time for a couple of years...” She dryly chuckled, “I was so dumb.”He took her hand in his, “No, you weren’t.”She glanced at their linked hands, grateful for the warmth they provided her, “I found oJaxon gently tugged at her hand as they walked out of the office and into the elevators. He was fighting the urge to yank her violently down the hallway. His grip around her wrist was tight, and yet he managed to flash a smile at a few persons who recognized him. He waved at the security man at the exit and led her to the car park. He opened the door for her, helped her in, then turned around, got into the car, and shut the door.They sat in silence for a while. He rested his head against the steering wheel while she sat impossibly stiff, scared that if she moved, he’d flip.Her heart pounded in her chest. The silence that stretched between them was agonizing. “Jaxon...”“You slept with your boss at the office!” He yelled and slammed the wheel, the horn going off, startling her.What would she answer to that? Was there a correct answer to his question? The truth would anger him, and the bigger truth, well, she hoped she never had to tell him. She couldn’t imagine what he would do.She
“Good day, Miss Jasper, I’m here to pick up Levi,” Scarlett greeted with a smile plastered on her face.Miss Jasper looked up at her, “Hello, Miss Knowles,” she waved at her, “Levi’s dad was here for him…”All the color drained from Scarlett’s face. NO, NO, NO, she chanted in her head.“He was here not too long…” Miss Jasper trailed off when she saw the look on her face, “Are you okay?” she reached forward to touch Scarlett’s arm, making her shudder involuntarily.Cameron couldn’t be here, could he? If he had come here, everyone would be going bunkers, she thought to herself. They still had the agreement to keep things between themselves, so how could he come here and introduce himself as Levi’s dad. More importantly, how did the school authorities let him through…“Where’s my son? Where’s Levi?” she asked frantically, “Who took him?”Miss Jasper had a fearful look on her face, “A man, he was tall, she showed an ID, they couldn’t be far gone,” she rambled and pointed in the direction
He could guess who it was, the moment she didn’t open the door wider or usher them in. And then he heard that ear-scratching voice. “Hello, Scarr...” It irked him that her boss had a nickname for her and he didn’t have one for his own girlfriend. What kind of relationship did they even share? Were they already fucking?“Hello, Mr. Grayson...” Her words confirmed Jaxon’s suspicion. However, nothing prepared him for the next words that were said. Not his active mind that was always putting two and two together, nothing. Nothing at all.“Yeah, Mr. Grayson, all right. I’m here for my son.”A deafening silence ensued. It took him a long while to make sense of that sentence. Son? I’m here for my son. Son? Levi? Cameron Grayson? The words were spinning in his head in circles.Meanwhile, Cameron was staring at her intently, she was acting out of it. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was still rooted to the spot. He reached forward and cupped her cheeks. “Are you okay? Is everything alrigh
“So, he’s Levi’s father?” Jaxon asked.She turned around to look at him, her heart racing in her chest. She was really considering making a dash for the door. “I was going to tell you...” She lied through her teeth, “I tried to. We were keeping it a secret...”“You have a son with Cameron...” He let out a dry chuckle, “I should have known, I guess. Your relationship was quite odd, but of course, I brushed it off. I told myself it couldn’t be. Scarlett wouldn’t do that...”“Jaxon, I...”“I mean, I love you,” he confessed. He truly did, “I have known that for the longest time now. I fell in love with you from the very first day I laid my eyes on you.”She held his gaze, unsure of what response to give. What could she say? He had confessed his love to her, and it didn’t bring butterflies to her belly, neither did it make him seem less threatening than he looked right now, sitting on the couch, that half-smile on his face.“I’m sorry, Jaxon...” tears welled up in her eyes.His smirk deepe
Warning: Sexual abuse.Tears streamed down her cheeks as she saw the crazed look in his eyes.“I’m not going to let you go,” he released his hold on her throat. She buckled over, clutching her belly and coughed hard. He laughed at the irony of the situation, “Well, I’m not going to let you go so you can go and date that bastard, Cameron. I don’t care what you guys share...” He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her up, “I don’t care what relationship exists between you two, you are mine now!”She whimpered in pain.“You’re mine to do as I please, you’re not going to be able to get away from me, Scarlett. I want you to think hard and long about that. I found Levi...”She shook her head and began to sob aloud, “No, no, no...”He smiled maniacally, she already got the drift. He didn’t doubt that she would, she was a smart woman. He brushed his thumb against her cheeks and wiped away her tears. “Now, now don’t you cry, my love. I haven’t even done anything to you. I promise, I haven
Scarlett felt like a shadow as she walked into the office. Her attire mirrored her mood. She had picked up the first long black dress her hand could lay on and paired it with black flats. She had on black shades to conceal her puffy eyes, she had stayed up for most of the night crying her eyes out and could barely get a wink of sleep. As soon as Jaxon left, she rushed and shut all the doors and windows, fearing that he would show up at her house again and hurt her. She soaked in the bathtub for hours, hoping she could scrub herself clean of Jaxon and his vile touch.“Good morning, Miss Knowles. How are you?”It was the security guard, Craig. She was slightly taken aback; she didn’t expect him to greet her as he was always uptight. “Fine, thank you, Craig,” she answered in a strained voice and mustered what she hoped was a friendly smile. The last thing she wanted was people worrying about her.Craig gave her a curious stare. “Mr. Grayson is in, if you care.”She smiled, despite her mo
Lucious glanced at her first and then back at him, “There is a news report...” He trailed off.Cameron grabbed the phone from him and peered at it, the smile on his face was slowly replaced by a frown.Scarlett began to surf the Internet.There were pictures of Hadley and Cameron’s mother in different places. The first was at a bridal shop, the second was with a celebrity wedding planner. Of course, the media was amok with obvious speculations that Hadley and Cameron were making wedding plans. His grip on the phone tightened, his eyes narrowed as they scanned through the reports. Cameron loved his privacy, as someone who was always getting media attention. He thoroughly enjoyed the breaks, the period where it looked like everyone had completely forgotten about him. Yet somehow, Hadley and his mother had awakened it. He knew this was done purposefully, the angle of the pictures was telling, and well, Hadley was involved. He couldn’t put anything past her. H
Cameron flung the car door open and stepped out. He marched towards the house. One of his bodyguards shut the door after him. Another one rushed ahead and opened the doors in front of him. He walked on, and there they were, his mother and Hadley, sitting in the living room of his family home and chatting excitedly.“What the hell did you do?” He thundered.Hadley was startled at his entrance. She dropped the glass of champagne in his hand and rose to her feet, “Cameron…”“What are those reports?” he yelled, “What have you done?”His mother, Belinda, didn’t move an inch. She was unfazed by his yelling. She had grown accustomed to it. She remained seated, cross-legged, a glass of champagne in her hand as she scrolled through her phone.Hadley, on the other hand, was worried. She had conceived the idea and brought it to Belinda Grayson. It had been hard to stare into those sharp eyes and tell her she had a plan that involved lying and would
Lucious arrived fashionably late, as always, for Mrs. Grayson’s birthday celebration. Through no fault of his own, his flight had been delayed. He rushed in when the party was already underway, grabbed a glass of champagne, and blended in with the merry crowd. His eyes searched the room for familiar faces, and then he spotted her: Scarlett Knowles.She looked beautiful in the blue and white floral dress she was wearing. He rushed towards her, grabbed her shoulders from behind, and exclaimed, “Hello, Scarlett!”She turned around sharply, her eyes widening in excitement. “Lucious! You got here late. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come anymore!”He rolled his eyes. “I had the most hectic flight, you won’t believe it…” He let out a big exhale and fanned himself with his hands. “The flight got delayed, and we encountered some difficulties on the way here. I should have just listened to Mr. King's advice and flown private…”Scarlett gave him a knowing gaze. “Mr. King, huh?”Lucious g
“Happy birthday to you...” Everyone's voices rose together in a slightly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday."Belinda beamed, glowing as her family and friends sang together for her. They were all gathered at a hall in the resort. Her birthday celebration was a small, cozy event. At the end of the rendition, everyone stepped forward to personally wish her a happy birthday and hug her.Her husband, Mr. Grayson walked up to her, beaming with smiles. He opened a jewelry box and revealed a diamond necklace. “I had one especially made just for you, there’s only one special gem, just like you...” He leaned close and kissed the top of her head.There were a lot of "aww's" from the crowd.She shut her eyes. “Thank you, my love.”Her grandchildren, Loretta and Levi, had brought gifts for her: handmade cards and letters. It was the cutest thing. Levi’s gifts were mostly illegible scribblings, while Loretta’s were more meaningful, but she loved and appreciated every one of them.Cameron and Va
Vanessa walked into the lounge, her hands folded across her chest, “Cameron! Cameron!” She yelled aloud as she walked in.He rolled his eyes, “Nessa, it says relaxing lounge for a reason,” he gestured towards the sign at the door.She glanced at it and back at her scruffy-looking brother, “Yes, I can see that it clearly says relaxing lounge and has a no alcohol policy so what’s that about?” she pointed at the half-full bottle of whisky by his side.He exhaled, “Does it matter? We bought out the whole place. The rules don’t apply anymore.”She walked up to him, “I don’t think that’s how rules work, but you’ve never been one to abide by any rule ever, so I can’t say I’m surprised.”He groaned, the last thing, okay maybe not the last thing. The second to last thing he wanted to hear was his sister’s bickering. The last thing was definitely his mother's voice chiding him for something, “What are you here for, Vanessa?”She gave him a long look. He lay on the couch, his hair overgrown, spo
Cameron bit down on his lips, liking the way she called out his name softly. It made him rock hard. “I want to bend you over right now, right here, and make love to you until your body shakes in excitement. I’d like to hear you cry out my name as you beg me to make love to you, knowing no other man will ever give you pleasure like I would, knowing it will never be enough…”Scarlett let out a small squeak. He spun her around until she was facing him and pulled her close. Her breasts were pressed up against him, almost spilling out of her dress. He stared at them with a burning look of desire in his eyes.Jaxon was fuming where he stood. Somewhere in the middle of the song, he had stopped pretending like he wanted to dance. He just stopped and stared at them. His hands were clenched into fists. Cameron’s hands were roaming, whispering into Scarlett’s ears, and she looked like she was enjoying it, every bit of it. Her eyes were shut, and she was leaning into Cameron. She had no fear for
It was going to be fun, alright! Cameron gulped down two more shots, loving the burn of the liquid as it trickled down his throat. This was what he needed. He turned around to leave. Jaxon finalized their order before he left.Cameron was only halfway towards Scarlett and Hadley when a familiar song came on the speakers. He stopped in his tracks to listen, his lips curling into a small smile. He looked up to meet those bright blue eyes staring at him with flushed cheeks. He knew exactly what she was thinking about at the moment. He walked up to her and grabbed her, “Shall I have the first dance, Scarr?”Scarlett looked around in worry.Hadley opened her mouth in protest, “Cam—”“Oh, it’s only an old-fashioned dance, love,” he cut in. “It will be good for us, remember?” he used her exact words against her.Hadley frowned.“What the hell, man?” Jaxon protested when he saw Cameron was holding hands with her.Cameron spun around to face Jaxon, still holding onto her. “Oh, it’s only a danc
As they got out of the car, Hadley leaned forward, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him, “This will be good for us.”Cameron stared at her hesitantly.“I promise.” She leaned into him, grabbed his hand, and put it around her waist, “You’ve been stuck up all day, overthinking, worrying...” She pulled at his cheeks, “You’re beginning to have worry lines. You’re in need of a good rest…”He gave her a look.She burst into soft laughter, “Yes, you need rest and you’ll rest later tonight. You’re also in need of some fun. I don’t think you have enjoyed any bit of our trip here. You can’t keep wallowing in your problems, let loose and let’s party!”He glanced at the neon flashing sign; it read Club Dazzle. They had driven a long way to find the club. Apparently, it was a hotspot for tourists. He could easily blend in without being noticed, and maybe that was what he needed. A night without Scarlett, a wild night drinking and dancing might just be enough to stop thinking about her. He hardly beli
Jaxon peered into the room with a frown on his face, “Are you sure the petals are enough?” he asked.The young brunette girl nodded, “There isn’t a lot to work with here. The twin-sized beds don't really help..."” She trailed off.His frown deepened, “Have you checked with the staff? Are there no available rooms?”She nodded, “This resort is fully booked by the Graysons. The neighboring lodges are fully booked at this time of year. The nearest hotel room is two hours away…”Damn you, Cameron! Jaxon cursed under his breath. His plans to take Scarlett to bed were getting frustrating each and every day. He hated sleeping next to her yet unable to touch her. She usually slept with her back to him and a blanket covering her head. It was like she was taking extra care to get further away from him as she possibly could. There were no other rooms available, and he had no car to make the two-hour journey.He had to improvise and make do with what he had. He couldn’t continue to hold back, it w
Cameron stepped out for a walk, and this time he truly needed the time alone and the fresh air. He needed to settle with his thoughts and clear his head. He had walked for a long distance, without his phone or his headphones, and then a thought hit him, Levi! He had been so caught up in his life falling apart; he hadn’t given his son much thought. He walked straight to the suite he shared with Ms. Sharma, and to his amazement, Scarlett was there.She stared wide-eyed at him when he walked in. She was sitting on the bed, with Levi in her arms. Ms. Sharma was giggling about something she said; she stopped when she saw him.Cameron took in her appearance. She was wearing a pale pink robe, her hair was tied up in a messy bun atop her head. Her suite was not far from Levi’s, so she had probably made a quick stop. He had hoped to catch her alone since the first day he spotted her at the airport. He had memorized a long list of questions he hoped to ask her when he did, m
Hadley stared at her reflection in the mirror, her blonde hair styled to perfection and cascading in waves down her back. She reapplied her bright red lipstick and admired her reflection in the mirror. She had on lacy lingerie that left next to nothing to the imagination. Of course, it was bright red lingerie. Red was Cameron's favorite color, something she had learned only a few hours ago, which was pathetic. But she wasn’t going to put herself down, not today. Today was great, she and Cameron had gotten a lot closer. She had half-expected him to push her off when she started kissing him earlier, but he didn’t. He let her, all of that in front of Scarlett. She would be dumb not to get the message that Cameron was hers and hers alone.As if on cue, the doors opened, and he walked in. He froze and stared at her. For some unexplainable reason, she was unnerved by his piercing stare. She had done this a couple of times. She was a model, being seductive was her job. S