“Mr. Ranya Windsor,” Damian said confidently as he walked towards Ranya, his face no longer masked with anger but replaced with a smile. Ranya looked up from the system as the well-dressed man in a blue suit approached his table.
“You’re not kidding me, are you?” Ranya asked, gesturing towards the system on the table. “This is a cafe, not your office.”
Ranya scoffed loudly, shaking Damian’s outstretched hand, and whispered, “The last time I checked, we were supposed to meet for work. I agreed to this cafe meeting because I know you brought him with you. I can only avoid unnecessary drama by choosing to meet in public.”
Damian laughed and took a seat across from his friend. Damian Lillard was Ranya’s cousin, and he chose to work for him due to his political agenda. Being the Prime Minister’s personal assistant had many advantages for a politically minded person like Damian.
“I see you’re avoiding questions about Vivian,” Damian remarked, staring intently at Ranya, whose expression turned cold. Ranya detested discussing his relationship with Vivian.
“Conversations about Vivian are off-limits, Damian,” Ranya replied coldly, returning his gaze to the system. “My decision to be with her is no one’s business.”
“But you’re only hurting yourself with those decisions, Ranya,” Damian persisted. “What makes you think she won’t hurt you again? She’s clearly back because she wants something from you. Vivian is after gold, and you know it.”
Ranya chuckled, typing on the laptop. “It’s my gold, Damian. Enough of spewing nonsense. Tell me why you’re here instead of the convict. You’re not running these baseless errands for him, are you?”
“No,” Damian replied, scanning the environment. Everything in the cafe exuded wealth, just like the man sitting across from him. “Nice choice of hangout. It looks like your taste, and I see it’s new.”
“It’s new because I just opened it. Now, back to business,” Ranya said, clearly eager to move on.
Ranya had always wondered how Damian could hold any political office with his high level of distraction. He disliked seeing this man during working hours, as he always found reasons to waste time.
“You own this place?” Damian asked excitedly, earning a nod from Ranya. “When and how did you do this without telling anyone?”
Ranya groaned and stood up, ready to leave the conversation with Damian, who seemed to have nothing meaningful to say.
“Fine,” Damian said reluctantly, understanding Ranya’s intention to leave if the conversation was not productive. He had come for business and to convey an important message from the Minister to his son.
“Anthony’s sex tape got leaked, and the opposing parties got hold of it,” Damian began, adopting a serious tone. He was diligent when it came to work, but couldn’t help acting childishly around Ranya.
Ranya’s face twisted into a mocking smile at the news. Damian sensed the mockery in his eyes but quickly shifted to a stern look as he typed the information on his system, his legs crossed regally.
Damian coughed and handed Ranya some pictures from a file. Ranya’s face furrowed at the explicit images of his stepbrother.
“He’s captured shamelessly with a blonde,” Damian said, joining Ranya in a mocking laughter that momentarily broke their serious facades.
“This is not a criminal case, Damian,” Ranya said, his lips free from a smile but his eyes still filled with amusement and mockery. “I believe this can be settled without involving me.”
“Well,” Damian started, finding it hard to suppress his laughter. “We need a lawyer to shut them up. That’s why you should at least read the news. It’s everywhere, and a lot of damage has been done.”
“It’s affecting the Minister, isn’t it? Good for him,” Ranya replied, glancing outside. For a moment, his breath caught as a woman walked past the cafe. He couldn’t quite place her as she quickly disappeared into a cap. She looked so much like Calista.
He shook his head, closing his eyes. He must be imagining things. Calista couldn’t be the woman he just saw, but the thought of her made his heart race.
“Yes, and we fear he might lose the presidency because of the news,” Damian said, bringing Ranya back to reality.
Ranya turned his gaze back to Damian, trying to refocus on the work he had left his office for.
“So?” he asked, fighting the urge to look back at where he had seen her. But he couldn’t resist. The car had already left.
“That’s where you come in, Ranya. You’re good at convincing people. You proved yourself three years ago when you fought against your father for a commoner.”
For some reason, Ranya’s eyes darkened at the term “commoner.”
“Did you just refer to my clients as low status?” he asked, surprising Damian. “You seem to have forgotten that my firm caters to an elite clientele.”
Ranya knew he was only angry because it involved Calista. It was unfair to label someone who could afford his services with such a term.
“Well, I’m sorry,” Damian apologised, still looking confused.
“Go on,” Ranya urged, returning to his typing.
“So, we want you to tell the court he’s not involved. You have to make them pay for trying to ruin our reputation.”
“This is evidence, Damian. If I’m cleared, you want me to claim he photoshopped these obvious pictures of him with a blonde?”
“Well, lawyers are liars,” Damian replied curtly. “You know how to manipulate that.”
“If that’s the case,” Ranya said, closing his laptop and standing up, “you should find a lawyer skilled in deception to help him out of this mess.”
Damian followed suit, still looking confused.
“You’re not taking this case?”
“I should sue you for wasting my time,” Ranya replied as he entered his car. He turned to Damian, who was eager to know if he would take the case. “I’ll have Valerie send you a file. They’re good lawyers recommended by me.” With that, he closed the car door and drove off, leaving Damian in a state of confusion. He hadn’t even been able to deliver his betrothed’s message to Ranya.
As the car pulled into the underground parking lot, Ranya made his way to the elevator. His secretary approached him, handing him an envelope.
He furrowed his brow, wondering why she hadn’t brought it directly to his office. “I would have delivered it directly, but the lady insisted on giving it to you personally,” she explained as they walked towards his office.
“A lady?” Ranya asked, opening the envelope. “Vivian?”
“No, sir,” she replied as he pulled out a card and a note. It was his home card with a brief message.
“She’s the lady from last time... Miss...” Valerie tried to recall her name. “The lady with brown eyes... Miss...”
“Calista,” Ranya said simply, making her nod in recognition. A fresh floral scent filled his nostrils as he brought the note closer. There was nothing written on it, and it smelled... he brought it closer to his nose and twitched, handing it to Valerie with a look of confusion and surprise.
“Did she sanitize this?”
“Did she sanitize this?” Ranya asked, wearing a puzzled look as he stretched the empty paper towards Valerie. She took it and brought the blank sheet to her nose.She coughed slightly, perceiving a deeper scent than expected. “It’s sanitized, sir. The card is too,” she replied, handing the sheet back to him.He accepted the blank sheet, bewildered by why she would send it along with his keys.“Sir, are there any threats of any kind? Should I inform the police?" Valerie asked, watching her boss intently. She couldn’t help but wonder what business he had with the lady in shades.She did not say anything when she arrived because Mr. Windsor had already informed her that a lady would be returning his card, and she was to take it.“I thought I gave her a week?” he asked, walking into his office, scanning through the sheet in his hands to see if she left any hidden message. Valerie watched her boss walk away with surprise overly written on her face. She had never seen that look on him befor
“Is your heart made of stone, Calista?” he mumbled to himself, hastily finding his way into the empty home. It wasn’t completely empty, as he had presumed. The house still looked luxurious and well-fashioned, but the things Calista had bought to make the house less cold and frightening were gone. She had brought colors to his home, and her absence made the whole place feel extremely out of place for him. It felt quiet, making it look less like home.With his heartbeat pounding loudly against his chest, he roamed the entire house seeking something connected to her—a single item she must have touched or something he had gotten for her—but he found nothing.He walked through the rooms, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The apartment was filled with memories of moments shared and emotions felt. He searched for any sign of her presence but found nothing. No lingering scent, no personal belongings. It was as if she had never been there.Before she came, his home was void of colors. The
“Mr. Windsor,” Valerie called, her breath shaky and her eyes avoiding him. Ranya’s face furrowed in displeasure as a web of inquiries filled his mind.Despite his internal conflict, he was determined to meet with Vivian to address and resolve any misunderstandings, knowing he had to confront his inner turmoil to prevent further harm.“What, Valerie?” His voice was cold and dismissive. “What is it?”“I’m extremely sorry, sir, but while you were away, the Prime Minister came.”“What?” Ranya asked, casting a dreaded look at her. “Did you?” He stared at her and then at his office door. “You’re not saying you let him wait for me?”“I couldn’t stop him, sir,” she replied, following closely behind him as he walked faster yet calmly into his office, anger visibly exuding from his entire being. He opened the door to his office, and there he was, standing elegantly, watching the view of the city, his broad shoulders turned away from them.Ranya’s angry eyes bore deeply into Valerie, causing her
“California isn’t all bad, really,” Willie MacQuoid said, munching on a ramen burger. Ever since they arrived in Los Angeles, she had fallen in love with the city’s unique culinary delights. “You all just said California; nobody told me we’re coming to LA.”“I told you,” Mr. MacQuoid replied, sitting across from her at the dining table, his eyes on the magazine gifted to him by a friend he met on the plane. “I’m good with locations.”“Dad, you need to try this. No one will believe how magically delicious it is until you have a bite,” she persuaded, pushing the burger towards him with an encouraging smile.Mr. MacQuoid forced his eyes away from the magazine, nodding his head while eyeing her emphatically. “There’s no way I’m eating a burger made of noodles.”A long, throaty laugh escaped Calista’s throat as she walked into the dining room holding a dish filled with chicken-fried steak, its sweet aroma filling the whole room.“Don’t feed Dad those crispy things. We left Texas, but we sh
“You are the rude brat from the airport,” Willie interjected stubbornly, despite the glares from her mother.“I remember you,” his husky voice laced out, walking closer to the family. “How am I having just limited people here? I asked for twenty, and I have just four.”Mr. MacQuoid stared, stunned by his extreme arrogance. But having worked with such people, he knew how good they could be. He squinted, trying to identify where he had seen the cute face before.Anthony turned to Mr. MacQuoid, displeasure evident on his face as he watched him intently. “I bet you’re their leader since you’re the eldest. Where are the rest of you? And please make sure she...” he pointed at Willie, “...does most of the cleaning. Now get to work.”Calista stared, her lips partly open as he walked to the sofa, sitting comfortably while he rubbed his temple in agitation.Willie scoffed loudly, her eyes staring daggers at him. Mrs. MacQuoid seemed to be tongue-tied, as a slight smile played across her lips.T
“Ranya?” Vivian squeaked from the bathroom, her legs clashing against the marble floor as she approached him. “Why wouldn’t you let me fix this house? It looks so lifeless to me.”Ranya sighed, turning slightly towards her, the coldness in his expression easing as he gazed at her. “The house looks perfectly fine, Vivian.”“Why won’t you let her fix it, Ranya? What are you scared of?” Ranya thought.“No...” she blurted, grabbing his tie, attempting to help fix it, but he stepped back, a forced smile on his face. “I can handle it.”Her lips parted slightly, trying to say something, but her lips wouldn’t budge.Since she moved in a month ago, she had noticed his changed demeanor. He seemed to be pushing her away, despite his skilled attempts to hide it from her, not wanting her to feel unimportant. She knew he wasn’t the loving Ranya she had once known.She released the tie and observed him adjusting it around his neck. Her gaze lingered on his eyes, noticing the absence of the warmth th
Damian’s eyes widened in shock at Ranya’s proposition. How was the almighty Ranya Windsor asking for a favor with pleading eyes?“What?” Ranya asked, his voice deep, with a hint of displeasure. “You can’t go?”“No... not really,” Damian replied, blinking his eyes repeatedly. As expected, whatever emotional gaze Ranya had on a few moments ago disappeared like it had never been there in the first place. How Ranya was able to do that remained a mystery.“I think this is bullshit anyway,” Ranya groaned, igniting the car. “I shouldn’t be here in the first place.”Damian furrowed his brow, confusion laced across his face. “You’re giving up already? Aren’t you here to see someone you obviously don’t have the balls to face?”Damian knew saying those nasty words meant little or nothing to Ranya; in fact, not a bit of his ego was bruised, but he couldn’t help giving in to his rising curiosity. Firstly, who was Calista MacQuoid, and what business did he have with this cold personality?One good
“It’s not his, and you know it.”Vivian stared at the message before her, unable to comprehend it. What on earth was she saying? How did she even find out about it?She paced around the empty house, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.“How do I explain this to Ranya without him kicking me out of his house? Since I returned, we’ve only had sex once, and he didn’t even finish!”Ranya wasn’t foolish; he was observant. She couldn’t pin a child on him without him suspecting her. She had to find a way to make him believe whatever lies she would weave. She had to make him give in; she would ensure it!“What about Yang?” she muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on the message sent by the woman who threatened to ruin her life if she didn’t comply.Her phone rang suddenly, making her jump in fear as she nervously picked it up. It was an unknown number, but she knew who it was.After much hesitation, she answered, placing the phone to her ear.“You know better than to ignore t