ChaosJack’s POV“How dare you? You think you can use me to get what you want and then dump me like I mean nothing, huh? Answer me!” she retorted, her face creased in a frown.I glared at her with so much resentment and horror. “You don’t tell me what to do; I call the shots here,” I snapped, my anger intensifying. “I decide what should be done and take measures to ensure it’s right.”“No, you got it all wrong! Need I remind you that I did all of that?” She placed her hands on her chest, clutching it hard. “I did. I single-handedly handed over the documents to you. I did all the inner work and spent nine years of my life doing that, taking all the stunts and hoops, and here you are taking the glory! Gosh, you are dumb!” she spat, and my rage grew more. A thunderous slap landed on her face in a blink of seconds. “You don’t spit at me. Don’t ever do that!” I covered the space between us in rage.“You dare lay your filthy hands on me, Jack?” Her hand rested on the left cheek where the sl
Creepy occurrencesCeline’s POVYou would see it coming. It better be a glitch or a joke. Each occurrence playing tricks in my subconscious as I mingle with the scenes in my heart. I watched them, I saw them, and I knew exactly what was happening; however, I will play it cool to this game as it unfolds, fully ready for their antics and shows all the way.Sitting in the office, I couldn't let go of my thoughts, my mind playing riffling games with my head, and the thoughts conflicting in a demanding way. Becky, Jack! Not really.“Ma'am, the client from Triffins is demanding a meeting with you, ma'am,” her voice pulled me out of my reverie. Talk of the devil herself. Calm, tender on the outside but sneaky, evil on the inside. I glared at her with disdain written all over my gaze, and she marvelled, uncomfortable, standing as if chasing dead ends.“Ma'am,” she called out once more, this time her tone wavering, my legs gradually trembling. “Have I done anything wrong?” she asked, her palms
TwistedDropping the phone to get back to what I was doing before the call, my heart wandered to what my decision would be. Contrasting thoughts swarmed my mind, and clues led me back to Jack, who I knew would always want to interfere in my dealings. But then, I had no evidence against him.Sliding the screen of the phone, I made a call to Detective Alloy. I never wanted to involve Levi or anyone else any longer. Bent and determined to uncover every bit of the truth myself this time, the troubling content of the message kept clouding my thoughts, making it hard to concentrate on the work of the day. Checking the deadline on the top of the folder, which was set for a week, I selected the files. I reached for the office line to make a call, but then I was restrained halfway.Becky was supposed to handle these files if I couldn't, but I couldn’t trust her with delicate documents pertaining to the company anymore. I had my suspicions and reservations about her. No one could be trusted unt
Unexpected surpriseThe drive was once again a reflective moment, storming with thoughts of what the worst-case scenario would be if she came clean to Jack. I had known Jack to be a bad person from the beginning, but my mind never stopped calculating all possible scenarios and outcomes. My gaze narrowed intermittently at Levi through the rearview mirror. He seemed more focused on the drive and paid little to no attention to whether I was observing. He was engrossed in his hands, tightly gripping the steering wheel.Stepping out of the car, I picked up my bag sluggishly, my gaze landing on the stack of files I had brought back from the office. A hiss escaped my lips. I never thought that after such a strenuous day of brainstorming and thinking, I would still come back to sorting through files. I couldn’t help but curse in my heart. Becky should be blamed for this extra workload. She was supposed to help relieve me at a time like this, but no, she chose to make herself an object of susp
Not againHow was I supposed to explain that he had already seen his dad? Or where do I even begin to explain that his dad was actually the man he met the previous day, the one responsible for the incident that kept him at home for almost a month, missing school and social activities?It was shocking how things had turned out, but I definitely wasn't ready to reveal all this—certainly not now, and not anytime soon. I had nothing to do with Harry anymore. Thanks to Evelyn's persuasion, I think I freed him from all the charges. He should move on, get a better life, and pick up the broken pieces of his existence, turning them into something meaningful and worthwhile.“Mum, you're not responding,” Henry popped in, snapping me out of my thoughts almost instantly. My gaze fixed on him. “Dad wouldn't want to meet with you now,” I said, a frown suddenly creasing his forehead. I bit the inside of my lip, hard. “Not like that, sweetheart. Dad isn’t in the city right now. He’s far away, as I’ve
Never alone“Darling, why would you say such a thing? Or is there something I’m missing?” Evelyn asked, her eyes narrowed at him.He shrugged, dropping his cutlery in frustration after a long stretch of silence. “Nothing really. I thought about the whole scenario all through the night, and after hearing from him, I said to myself it would be best if you listened to his side of the story,” he paused, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. “You know,” he narrowed his gaze toward me, “you never judge a book by its cover without reading through its contents. I know you had your past experiences with him, but don’t let them define your today and the future ahead.” He finished, raising his gaze toward me, his expression unreadable, as I tried so hard to contain the anger I felt seething inside.How could he think that after all those years of pain, I would still consider hearing Harry’s side of the explanation? What was there to explain aside from his mischievous acts? Wasn’t it enoug
NervousHarry's POVSeated in the vehicle, my heart bled even more than anticipated. It felt as if a dagger had been stabbed into it and refused to be removed. What hurt the most was hearing her little son speak to me with such disgust, so derogatorily. Something in me died at that moment. I still had that familiar feeling whenever I set my eyes on him, but I couldn't decipher it. I never knew how to handle it, misery shredding my already broken heart into pieces.If I hadn't confirmed my suspicion years back, I would probably think he was my child. The resemblance still baffles me, but each time I think about it, the saying that a child could resemble an enemy pops up in my head. No doubt, Jack hated my guts and everything about me, which is why his child took after my looks. However, something deep down in my subconscious was still uncertain.If Jack was truly Celine's son's father, then he would have come looking for her a long time ago. From all the information I've gathered so fa
A glimmer of hopeCramping through the rough floor with my shoes, I took the direction she pointed to, and soon I was standing at the door of the office as described. I took a deep breath and opened the door.A young lady, probably in her late twenties, greeted me, and for once, my doubts were debunked. I had expected to see an older woman seated in the office, not a young lady."How may I be of help to you, sir?" she inquired, gesturing for me to take a seat, which I did, my eyes still fixed on her. "I want a report, or rather, a case file from seven years ago," I piped up. For the next few seconds, she stared at me intensely. I knew that look, but I wasn't giving up. "I would do anything and probably pay for it. It's as urgent as an emergency, please," I spouted."Well, sir, what you seek is not in my hands to deliver.""What do you mean?" I asked, a bit perplexed."You see, accessing old files is not my duty, and what you're asking for is impossible.""How so?""Because the owner o
Dungeon Celine's POVWalking past the hallway, I gasped, holding my breath as I took in the surroundings. A tiny pang pulled at me, but then a surge of determination suddenly took hold of my being. I wasn't used to places like this, yet I snapped back to focus as I stepped into the lounge.“Ma'am, what do you need?” a waitress asked, walking toward me. I glanced around, taking in the sight of the place. It revealed a more intense environment, a mix of individuals. Some had a dreaded appearance, wearing rugged, torn jeans or disheveled suits. A few others, more decently dressed, were all engrossed in their activities and fun.I found an empty table at the other end of the hall, away from the cramped seats and the litter of bottles beneath many of the tables. “Just give me water,” I said curtly, and the waitress hurried off to fulfill my request. My heart raced wildly, but I knew I had to end all of this once and for all. The leader of this particular group controlled the other organiz
ForbiddenQuickly brushing my hands off, a cool shiver ran down my spine. In a moment of clarity, I realized what had just happened, which jolted me. I reached for her hands, tapping gently, but there was no response.“Gosh, what have I done?”I hastily pulled away from her and stroked her hair, letting my fingers trail down the side of her neck. It was instantly cold, and I jerked backward in shock. My body broke into a cold sweat despite the chills running through me. This can’t be happening. No!“Mum!” I called to her, but there was no response. My body trembled slightly. I raised her hands gently, but they dropped slowly, and that was when the true reality struck me. No! No! What have I done? I slammed my hands hard on the couch, making a reverberating noise that echoed through the entire room. Amidst my worries and misery, I still realized that I had just done something I shouldn't have.“Mum!” I called again, my eyes fixed on her face, which was still innocent, her eyes slightly
Her deathHarry's POV A surge of relief washed through me as I anticipated her call. I had sent her another gift just yesterday and hoped she had received it.Morning had already come, yet I hadn’t heard from her; not even a text. The earlier relief was gradually fading away. She was right to treat me the way she did; I had tried so hard to absorb that truth. Still, I couldn’t shake off the urge to go see Mum. She had given me false information about Dad’s death, but Louis had advised me to calm down before confronting her. That advice, however, had lingered long enough.It had been two days of intense worry and sorrow. Each time there was a glimmer of hope, it drowned in an ocean of grief and bitterness. I doubted if I could hold on any longer; I couldn’t heal unless I sorted things out quickly. I pulled my phone out of my breast pocket and hesitated for a moment before typing a text to Celine.Countless texts had been sent over the past few days, yet none received a reply. Still, I
Another Battle?My heart wandered to what Sharon had said earlier, and I couldn't shake off the urgency I felt to meet her. She sounded too serious, and whatever important information she had to disclose, I knew it was related to the past. As much as I never wanted to revisit my past, I still needed to know what it was all about.I had the urge to call Evelyn, but I restrained myself. There was no need to burden her with my issues anymore. I tried to grasp sleep throughout the night as I awaited the morning, but all my efforts proved futile, and I was already giving up in frustration.I reached my hand to the head of the bed where my podcast device was. I tapped to play the popular music streaming on it, tuning it to a lower key and pitch before slumping back onto the bed. I carefully freed my mind from all worries, and soon, the music synced with my heart. Slowly, I closed my eyes, and soon, I drifted off to sleep.*****Sitting in this popular resort at the far-right end of the larg
Intriguing SuspenseCeline’s POVMy heart shattered even more as I watched his reactions and flimsy flirting excuses, which he thought would win me over. I felt like I was losing it. He had taken something precious from me in the past, and as if that wasn’t enough, he still had to hide it from me; an act I despised so much.“I never want to see you near us again,” I cursed, looking intensely at his derailed expression, masked with even greater pain and hurt.“Please, for the…”“Just go,” Henry cut in, and he swallowed hard. I hated seeing my son angry, just as much as I felt the pain of a reopened wound. If my mum were alive, I wouldn’t have gone through the torment I endured. I doubted I would have faced the ridicule and humiliation his singular action caused me. Glaring at him, still crouched on the floor, I felt like strangling the life out of him for taking what was so precious and priceless to me, yet I tried so hard to restrain the urge.“Why are you still pleading? Take your di
BrokenHarry's POVI felt a shiver run down my spine the moment she pointed to the diary on the floor. My heart skipped a beat; or thousands. I distinctly remembered tucking the diary into the shelves, so how did it end up here, on the floor in this room?"How did you get that?" I asked, the perplexed look on my face betraying my confusion.She scoffed, shooting me a deadly stare that set my entire body aflame. "You still have the nerve to ask that? Isn't it your handwriting on it? You're just so pathetic," Evelyn spat, and I winced."Just get out of here this minute!" Celine barked, and my heart sank even more. Her pained expression and the tears on her cheeks tugged at something inside me. I tried to reach for her, but Evelyn slapped my hand away, rolling her eyes derisively."Never try that again," she snapped. Celine said nothing, her head buried in her hands, her face a picture of intense disdain.I crouched low, dropping to my knees. "Please, I'm so sorry for whatever you saw in
ExposedCeline's POV“Get the things ready and well arranged in the car while I quickly change into something perfect,” I instructed the new driver who had just started working.“Alright, ma,” he responded, turning to leave as I headed towards the staircase.“Ahh, girl, I’m so happy for you!” Evelyn chimed in from the door, hobbling towards me with a smile plastered all over her face.“Please calm down. You know you don’t need to walk fast in your condition. Slow and steady,” I teased, and she scoffed.“So, I shouldn’t walk fast anymore? Where is it written?” she snapped.“In your antenatal instructions, of course.”“No, you could have just called me a little child that should crawl instead.” She finally reached me.“You aren’t dressed yet.”“Yeah, but I’m going upstairs to get dressed now. Aren’t you coming over to help me with buttoning up?” I asked.“You should have just taken me along with you. It’s obvious you were actually waiting for me, pretending not to care,” she teased, com
AcceptedHarry's POVI could feel her breath heavily against mine as I deepened the kiss, my tongue savoring every drop of sweetness from her lips. I only pulled away when I realized she was out of breath.My gaze fixed on her intensely; I could see the fire and sparks buried within her eyes. I wasn't going to let go. I had long desired this moment, but somehow, I was denied it by the circumstances that followed thereafter.I kissed her again, enjoying every moment as she groaned, feeling the tingling sensation in her body. Her hands strayed to my back, her fingers digging deep through my shirt. I kissed her even more, lifting her to sit on the table while keeping our lips locked. My hands moved through her long, flowing gown, sliding up from her knees to her thighs. Her groans intensified, stirring my desire to continue. I could feel myself getting hard, not wanting to stop anytime soon.Just then, a bit of sanity struck me, hitting me hard enough to reset my senses. I stopped in my
Tingling SensationCan't believe he said those words. Wasn't he supposed be glad if I gave him a second chance in our lives. Or was he just putting on an act to get at me?“Why did you say that?” Evelyn asked, her eyes widened in shock as well. I silently thanked her in my heart for speaking up.“Because it's not the right time for that. Besides, my top priority is to ensure she's in perfect condition and not the other way around.”“Alright, if you say so,” Evelyn exclaimed.“But Dad, I can't wait for us to be one happy family again. Besides, Mum isn’t complaining about it, is she?” He turned to ask me, and I froze in place.“Mum!”“Yes, cutie, not really,” I replied, and he grinned.“You see, Mum isn’t complaining.”“Can we drop this issue for now? There are many other things to deal with right now.”“See, there is,” I replied, feeling utterly relieved at that moment. I wasn’t going to face any tough questions, even though I knew Henry had many to ask.*****Two months laterI steppe