**Third person** Adam pulled his dick out, remnant of his cum dripping. He shoved it into his pants and zipped up, his eyes shifting to his wife. “Karen, I'm sorry,” he murmured, his voice lacking the remorse of a man who'd just been caught fucking his wife's friend in his office. Karen didn't say a word and instead, her gaze shifted to Layla who was now fully covered, her face beaming with an innocent expression like she hadn't been bent over that desk just a few minutes ago. “It's not what you think,” Layla began, even when she had literally been caught in the act. “I just…” Before she could complete her statement, a sharp slap echoed through the office as Karen's palm connected with her cheek, the force of it enough to make her head snap back. And without giving Layla a chance to react, two more equally forceful slaps followed, leaving a stinging mark on her cheek. “You're a fucking whore,” Karen spat, her voice filled with contempt. “I should have known.” Layla clutched her
**Third person**Once Layla got home, she allowed her tears to flow freely while she took off her clothes. The confrontation with Karen had pushed her to her breaking point. How naive of her to think that things would be different with Adam if they had sex.Slumping on the bed, she allowed her mind to reel with the events of the day.Just then, her phone rang. It was the handwriting analyst.“Good day, ma'am. The result is ready; you could come over and…”Layla's eyes sparkled, and she wiped her tears off immediately. “Just tell me the results,” she sniffed, cutting him off.”“The handwritings are a hundred percent match,” he revealed.Layla’s jaw dropped. She stood up and paced to the door. “That's not possible,” she countered. “There's no way it's a hundred percent match.”“I don't know why you think so, but I'm certain that both samples were written by the same person,” he stated calmly. “Mr. Simon, you're renowned for your expertise. Please don't make me begin to second-guess you
**Valerie**It was lunch break already. My meeting with Layla last night kept on replaying in my head, even as I sat at the cafeteria downstairs.My gaze and Layla's locked as I reluctantly took my seat. She smiled and then settled down too.“Why are you in hiding though? You can tell me, we're friends after all.” Layla's smile was too wide, her eyes too knowing.I shifted uncomfortably, the silence stretching between us. "It's personal,” I mumbled.“Hmm, okay, fine,” she raised her hands dismissively. “Whatever the reason is, that's your business; I won't pry.”“So what do you want?” I sighed out.“Don't worry, it's nothing too hard for you,” she answered with a sly smile.“Okay…?” I raised a questioning brow, waiting for her to continue.“Well, just five million dollars." Her voice was almost a whisper.My jaw dropped. “Five what??!” “Relax. I mean, it's nothing for someone like you, right?” “Someone like me, or someone like Ashley?” She shrugged but didn't say a word. "Listen, La
**Valerie**“Is that the ‘thank you’ I get?” Layla asked back in a calm tone. “I just helped you solve an issue that seemed too big for you.”“What's wrong with you??” I snapped. “That wasn't the deal we had.”“Oh, yeah, it wasn't." She chuckled lightly. “This one is way better. I told him the amount was five million, and he gave me an extra five to not bother you again.”“What?” I blurted, shocked. “I must say, you've really landed a jackpot with this one,” she praised.I lowered the phone from my ear; my lips still parted in shock. And then I hung up, not wanting to hear anymore from her.“Is everything okay?” Matt asked me as soon as I dropped the phone. “Lucas paid Layla the money,” I blurted out. His eyes widened. “A million dollars?”“Apparently he paid her ten,” I sighed, standing up. “Rich prick,” Matt scoffed, his voice barely audible. “How rich is he anyway?”“Filthy rich!” The words echoed in my mind.We both knew the answer to that question, but neither of us said a wo
**Valerie**The pizza box dropped to the ground as he lifted me, placing his hands under my butt and hooking my legs together behind his back.Shifting my singlet to expose my breasts, his mouth took my nipple. I gasped as he began sucking and biting one nipple after the other before his lips found his mine again and began devouring them.He broke the kiss briefly. “Where's your bedroom?” He breathed. “The door by the left.” I pointed to my room door.He turned the knob and then kicked it open, our lips and tongue still locked in a passionate kiss.Once inside, he tossed me on the bed, his dark eyes burning with desire. And then yanked his clothes off quickly, his hard length coming to view. I pulled off my clothes too. And in an instant, he was kneeling before me, his head aiming for between my legs, but my hand stopped his head. “I want to taste you first,” I suggested.He smirked and then stood straight. Goodness, he was so beautiful... so thick and so long.My tongue swirled on
**Third person**When Valerie's eyes opened, she noticed Lucas was missing from the bed. She rose to her feet, but her legs immediately buckled, reminding her of the passionate night they had just shared.Biting her lip for a few minutes, her mind replayed the events of the previous night, and she hugged herself tightly.After a quick shower, she stepped out of her room and was instantly enveloped by the savory aroma of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee. Her stomach growled in anticipation as she descended the stairs.Lucas stood in the kitchen, his broad shoulders and chiseled physique straining against the apron that seemed to be struggling to contain him. His piercing blue gaze locked onto hers, sparkling with mischief and warmth. "Good morning," he greered, his deep voice tinged with a playful tone. "Slept well?"Valerie's cheeks flushed as she took in the spread before her: fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice. "You didn't have
**Third person**Layla's fingers danced across her phone's screen, typing out a message to her private lab contact. She attached a photo of the package containing Valerie's saliva and Karen's hair."Rush order. Compare these DNA samples and confirm match." She hesitated, then added, "Discreetly."The response came swiftly: "Understood. You'll get the results within 24 hours.""Great! I'll swing by in an hour and drop them off.”At Harrisons Enterprises, Valerie sat at her desk, her gaze fixed on the computer screen. "You’ve been smiling all day," Tessa pointed out with observing eyes.Valerie gasped at Tessa's words, her eyes widening defensively. “Me?” "Yes, you,” Tess replied, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Something good happened last night?""How does Tessa know something happened last night with Lucas? Was it that obvious?" She thought."And smiling has nothing to do with Lucas, of course. Wait, I wasn't even smiling to begin with," she reassured herself internally.Then her
**Valerie**A sense of uneasiness filled me as I emptied my drink in hand and placed the glass on the table. “I should probably head home and rest; I still have work to submit by Monday,” I lied. My eyes were a bit heavy just after a few glasses.“Val,” she placed a hand on mine, her eyes piercing into my skin. “You won't have to.”Something about the way she said it sent shivers down my spine. And strangely, Amelia's words echoed in my head. *You'll find out soon enough. Let's just say you won't be a problem for much longer.*I just considered Amelia a blabbermouth. But now that I think about it, could there be more to her statement?I looked at Tessa's hand and then her face, and I saw a tiny smirk on her lips that seemed more off than usual.“Ohh,” I mumbled, pulling my hand away from hers. I did not want to ask her what that statement meant; I was scared to. I was scared of the next words that might come out of her mouth, so I decided it'd be best to just leave.Standing to my fee
**Lucas**“Valerie!” I shouted as I watched the taxi drive away with her.“Fuck!!” I yelled. I ran a palm across my face, my heart pounding as I pulled at my hair. Why do I keep fucking things up? Just why??!I groaned and then jogged back to the garage, deciding to drive to her house. “I hope she's headed home,” I muttered frustratedly.How was I supposed to explain things to her when I clearly know how this looks? But how do I convince her? I'm quite sure that nothing happened. Even though I was drunk, at least I'd remember bits and pieces of the sex afterwards—that's if it did happen—but there was nothing at all. Nothing.Just as I approached my car, Angela blocked my path. “What are you doing?” she asked.I shrugged, moved away from her and took another route, but she was quick to block my way again. “Why are you going after her when I'm here?”“Angela. Move,” I gritted out slowly, my patience wearing thin.“Why? I'm the one who loves you. I can make you happy.” Then her eyes dil
**Valerie**“Karen?” I echoed, my heart racing, and he nodded.“Just be quiet,” he whispered and gave me a reassuring look before stepping out.After he left, I moved to the door and pressed myself against it, my ears straining to eavesdrop on their conversation.“Hey babe, what do you say about lunch?” I heard him say to Karen.“Lunch?” Came her response.I imagine her face was twisted into a scowl because he continued, “I don't know why you think that about me. I'm sorry, okay? I'm not behind those pranks.”A pause. Then, “Why are you acting so strangely right now?" Karen's voice asked. "You didn't give a shit that I thought you were responsible for the pranks. So why are you apologizing all of a sudden?”“That's not it,” he chuckled, but I could hear the tremble in it. “I thought your meeting ended a while ago. What are you still doing here?” I heard the clinking of heels get closer and closer to the door. Then it stopped.“Let's talk things over. Let's go for lunch, okay?” I ima
**Valerie**I was sitting across from Tessa at work, my mind wandering and a thousand thoughts trooping in.So they're not my parents? Explains everything.Or did Karen just say I'm not her sister to make her seem less bad?But if they're not my parents, then who are they? Are my real parents still alive? Where are they?“Val?” Tessa's voice snapped me out of my daze.I blinked rapidly to suppress the tears welling in my eyes before I looked up at her. “Uhm, yeah?”She studied my face for a moment. “You good?”I nodded. “Yeah, sure." I tried to make my voice seem cheerful. "What's up?”She side-eyed me, her face screaming, ‘I know you're not fine, but it's okay if you don't want to tell me what's wrong.’ Then she pushed a document over to me.My face lit up, my eyes shifting from the document that was now in my hand to her face. “Is this what I think it is?”"Who knows?” She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Check it out."My hands got to work immediately, opening the envelope
**Valerie**“Wait…” He paused, processing my words. Then a proud laugh ripped from his throat. “That was intentional?”I smiled but didn't say a word. I just allowed him to take his time and catch his breath until he spoke up again.“But doesn't that mean you'll lose Adam as an ally?” He asked with a thoughtful expression.I shrugged. “I don't have use for him anymore,” I replied sincerely.“Fucking bastard is getting what he deserves,” Matt seconded with a nod. There was a brief pause on the other end before he spoke again. “There's something I want to tell you about that Gary Miller. How does the weekend sound? It's not urgent.”“Yeah, there's that guy,” I sighed out. “Weekend's fine for me, Matt.”“Okay, good, I'll see you then.”“Yeah, bye.”The line went dead, and I placed my phone away, my mind shifting to the bug in Adam's bedroom and what new recordings it must have acquired.After the bloodbath yesterday, Karen must have had some things to say. Actually, not ‘some’... She mus
**Third person**Karen let out another loud laugh. Her tone was filled with mockery and amusement. “I should have known something was wrong when ‘Ashleeey’ didn't come for you.” She air-quoted the word ‘Ashley,’ disdain resting on her tongue.Then she paused, her smile vanishing completely and replaced with a fierce look. "If Ashley's ghost was truly roaming around, you'd be the first one she attacks!” She spat. “After all, you're the son of a bitch who killed his pregnant wife!”Adam recoiled, taken aback by Karen's words. He scoffed, disbelief clouding his features. How could she put it on him? When she was just as bad.“You must be delusional,” he snarled, facing his wife head-on. “Why do you think she wouldn't have come for you? Aren't you the whore of a sister who was sleeping with her man?!” He let his disgust-filled eyes rake over her. “Plus you fucking killed her too!”Karen lounged forward, her face contorted in rage as her palm flew in the air, aiming for Adam's face. But Ad
**Valerie**Adam's eyes caught mine for a brief moment, and I could see the anger beneath his calm facade. I swallowed and looked away, not wanting to figure out what he was thinking. I wasn't scared, though. I shouldn't be. I couldn't be.Lucas reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. I smiled and looked up at him, grateful for the support he didn't even know that I needed.I held onto his hand for a few more minutes, just enjoying the warmth and comfort his touch brought. My gaze roamed the emptying hall, my eyes catching some members of security rushing up to the stage with towels in hand.“Maybe we should leave now,” I suggested to Lucas after a while.At this point, they'd carried Mr. and Mrs. Harrison off stage. The hall was basically empty, save for Adam and Karen, who remained in their seats, and a few workers still roaming about.Lucas seemed to search my face for a moment before speaking. “We could take our time if you want.”Take our time?“Why?" I blurted out with
**Valerie**Even Adam gasped. I watched his shoulders sag in what I believe was defeat.The man’s eyes scanned the room slowly, searching for last-minute bids. Though his eyes lingered on Adam for a while, perhaps expecting him to counter the offer.I rolled my eyes at him. Really? He should end this already.“Pièce de résistance has been sold for twenty million dollars,” the auctioneer shouted, his face beaming.The room erupted into applause as Lucas was declared the winner. I leaned over, my voice barely audible. “Twenty million dollars?”Adam's defeat was satisfying, but I didn't like the fact that Lucas had to spend so much money in the process.Lucas smirked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he leaned forward. “I told you I'd get it, didn't I?” he muttered casually, more of a statement than a question. So I didn't answer; I just shook my head slightly.“Our next piece for tonight is the exquisite ‘Midnight Mirage’ by Alexis LaRue,” the auctioneer announced, shifting our focu
**Valerie** My brows furrowed in confusion. How? Why would he say that? He doesn't even know that I'm married. But before I had any time to process his words, he turned to Freya. "This is Valerie Thorne. She's the most beautiful woman in the world, and she's my girlfriend." He brushed my hair slightly with his free hand, the touch sending a shiver down my spine. Most beautiful woman in the world? My cheeks turned a bright shade of red as I extended a hand to her. The woman didn't take my hand. Instead, her smile faltered, a flicker of disdain crossing her features. "Oh, you're his girlfriend?" she echoed, the words laced with a chilling disbelief. Before I could respond, Lucas cut through the awkward silence. "Yup. And nice catching up, but we should get going." His tone was firm, effectively brushing off her condescension. A surge of pride and satisfaction coursed through me as I watched Freya's smile vanish completely, replaced by a look of stunned disbelief. We moved a
**Valerie**Saturday night,My eyes caught my parents, and I felt the air knock out of my lungs. Mrs. Harrison, my mother, was looking as elegant as usual. She was wearing a sleeveless ball gown, her hair styled into a fringe and ponytail, and her arm locked onto my dad's.My dad, ever the charmer, was laughing with a man I recognized. He was one of the big investors at the Harrisons' company.I could imagine what Dad was saying to the man. ‘We’re on the verge of a revolutionary breakthrough, and with your support, we can make it happen.‘ It was his typical way of luring new investors or encouraging old investors to invest more.Then suddenly, his eyes met mine. I reached for a glass of wine from a passing tray and gulped everything at once, the liquid doing very little to calm my frayed nerves.“Are you okay?” Lucas, who was standing beside me, asked.I tore my eyes from Peter Harrison, my gaze sweeping across the room, taking in the grand ballroom shimmering like wonderland. It was