"Where are you coming from dressed like that, Lorena?" Her father asked, stomping his cane hard on the ground. Lorena jerked up and began to tremble. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, she settled for covering her body with her hands."What is the need for that when the world has seen you naked!" His whole body vibrated as he pointed the shaky cane at her."See, I told you not to do it. Now you're in trouble." Her sane voice mocked."Now is not the time, silly!"She shut her eyes tightly to wade them off. She needed to think quickly. Her father was not supposed to find out about her shoot like this. Her plan was falling apart, and she couldn't even get herself to speak. Also, she wondered what was taking Markris so much time to get inside the house."Signor Cicero, Verona is on the phone. She wants to speak with you." A voice interrupted. As soon as the person became visible, Lorena breathed a sigh of relief."End the call. I don't feel like speaking to her
Lorena found herself on her bedroom floor the following day, wrapped in a blanket. It took a few minutes before she could remember how she ended up there in the first place. She remembered leaving the bathroom and just wanting to sleep. The bed had been uncomfortable, so she sat on the floor momentarily. She must have slept off after that. But the duvet? She didn't remember wrapping herself with that. A knock sounded on her door. She stretched and yawned lazily. Her tummy grumbled, but she felt more relaxed than she had been."Well, don't just stand there. Come in." She said, getting up.The door pushed open, and Tanika came in, followed closely by Roselina. Lorena frowned when she saw the duo together. Tanika was way too sweet to be hanging out with Roselina. But then again, maybe Tanika did need a Rose to be more confident in herself."My lady." Roselina did a mocking bow with a smirk on her face. Tanika's eyes bulged, taken aback by her audacity."Good morning, my lady." Tanika bo
"Anything for you, αγάπη μου." Markris's father said, with a big grin on his face.Lorena felt like she was living in an alternative universe where everything seemed unreal. Still, she wanted to hear the point of this gathering as quickly as possible. She picked up a piece of chicken, suddenly feeling hungrier than before."So Lorena, how do you like working with Lauren?" Cicero asked. The question caught her unaware, causing the chicken in her mouth to go down the wrong pipe. She began to cough. Her eyes immediately turned red. Markris quickly poured water into a glass and handed it over to her. As she collected the glass, their hands brushed momentarily, and she shuddered again. Once again, he caught on to her reaction. His brow raised as he watched her gulp the water down. When she was done, she dropped the glass and turned her face away from him."Why can't you watch your manners, Lorena? Why do you have to be so embarrassed?" Her father frowned, the irritation evident in his voi
Markris was on a business call with Jorginho when he heard a soft knock on his door. He closed his laptop and sat straight. Judging from the lack of force, his father was not standing outside."Tell the clients to come around tomorrow. I should be in the office.""Yes, sir." Jorginho laughed."And Jorgi?""Yes, boss.""I'm talking to you as a friend now and not your boss. Drop the sarcastic formalities."Jorginho laughed loudly, never in a bad mood to piss off his friend. "Okay, talk to me.""I need you to look into someone for me. I'll send you the details shortly.""Will do. I need to run now. I have a meeting.""Yeah, right." Markis rolled his eyes and ended the call.The only meeting Jorginho had, was on the sheets of a woman's bed. He shook his head, always amused by his friend's stamina when handling women. He had lost some of his interest. He couldn't remember the last time he had been with a woman. Scratch that. He could remember but was too ashamed to admit it. All he knew wa
"You!" Lorena turned around slowly, with her trembling hands pointing at Markris. "You caused this!""What?" He shook his head, looking around him. Indeed she was talking to someone else and not him."The wedding was pushed forward because of you!""Me? What did I even do?" He placed his hands on his chest, grimly crossing his face."You had to talk to your father rudely, didn't you? You love to be the center of attention so much that you played the hero, and now it has backfired." Her chest heaved, and her breathing increased."I was defending you!" His voice raised a pitch higher. He squeezed his face, thin wrinkles forming along its lines."I never asked you to, though. Every time you intervene in my business, everything goes to shit! Why can't you leave me alone!" She said, her voice breaking down. Her eyes began to twitch, but she fought the tears. She had cried enough. She couldn't let Markris see her tears too."You know what? You're right. I don't even know why I bother with y
Markris strode into his company, keeping a straight face. He had substituted his usual business attire for a more business-casual one. The sleeves on his white shirt were rolled up a bit to give more room for his hands to stay in his pants pockets as he walked freely. He ignored the greetings from everyone around, not in the greatest of moods today. Some had worked in the office for over five years but still managed to be fascinated by him. His look was a blessing, but on his worst days, it was his curse. As soon as he stepped into his private elevator, Jorginho forced his way inside before it closed."Stalking me now, are we?" He said, without so much as an expression on his face."I wish I was that obsessed with you." Jorginho pouted, then smirked."Why are you in such a hurry?""So you saw me gesturing for you to wait, and you ignored me," Jorginho said, his mouth falling open. Just then, the elevator stopped.Markris shrugged and stepped out of it. Yes, he had seen Jorginho runni
Markris's eyes went from his father's piercing gaze to Ariana hurled behind him, shivering. This image transported him back to a time he had thought he would never have to remember again. The last time he saw his mother or the idea of the mother, he had it in his head because he had forgotten what she looked like. No, he pretended he didn't remember what she looked like. It's why his looks were a blessing and a curse. It's why his father was so harsh on him. He looked like the woman that broke his heart.He remembered that day like it was yesterday. His little six-year-old self heard raised voices in a heated argument from the living room. He remembered hiding behind the curtains, watching his father boil in anger. The look on his mum's face was like Ariana's now—fear mixed with uncertainty about the future. The only thing his little brain could piece together, judging from their words, was that someone had cheated. He didn't know what that meant. All he knew was that he woke up t
Her day started the same way every other day did. Her mother looked down on her with her unique smile, which deepened her dimples. Her hazel eyes reflected love. Her soft hands stroked her hair gently. Her sonorous voice hums a song repeatedly. On that day, something was slightly different. Her mother's voice had sadness to it. She was only a child, so how could she have sensed it? But looking back through the lens of an adult's eye, she could tell. You can almost guess the exact period even the strongest person you know gives up. It could be the way their eyes shine brighter than usual. It could be them telling joke after joke. The way their mood switches when they think they're alone. Everyone has a breaking point, and that day was her mother's.She lost the only parental love that came from a real place, and not because of greed that day. She would never know what it felt like to embrace the womb your life sprung from again. The day her mother died was the day Lorena Cicero's desti
A gentle breeze triggered rustling leaves beneath the feet of the somber crowd as they gathered in numbers to pay their respect to the dead. It looked like the sky was in cahoots with the mourners, with the cloud covered in hues of dull grey. The circle formed by the one percent of Milan had a freshly dug grave in the middle and a casket adorned with the finest golden ensemble carefully lowered into it.By the side of the cemetery filled with the remains of historical, unimaginable wealth stood a choir band. Their voices, backed by the wind, spurred the deepest sadness even in the hearts of a crowd like this. A gathering filled with a bunch of people with questionable wealth. These people had their heads bowed and their souls in a temporal state of disarray.As the priest stood beside the casket to give an eulogy, a black Jeep Wrangler pulled over at the cemetery entrance, and the car doors flew open. The little distraction drew everyone's attention to the arrival. A woman dressed i
"Put me down, Markris. We'll not escape without being noticed if you're carrying me."He moved his lips to argue but saw reason in her point. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips as he put her down. "Okay, we need a plan before we burst out of this room," He snapped his fingers, his feet tapping against the floor. "Got it!" He slapped his palm against his thigh. "Take off the veil." He ordered, and she quickly did what he said. The sight, from her face down to her stomach, momentarily took his breath away. She looked even prettier, and he couldn't help the barrel of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him."Markris?" She waved a hand across his stunned face. "Markris!" She snapped her fingers, and he jerked up."Yeah, as I was saying. I'll call Jorginho to round up the car to the door of the room we came in through. We have to pass through the chaos without being spotted.""The door you came in through? I came in through an escalator. Is there a separate exit?" She asked, already t
"This costume makes me feel like a middle eastern bride about to be sold into a marriage of convenience." Lorena hissed, tempted to yank the veil off her face. For her, very few things were worse than being made to wear a veil. A stupid veil that served no purpose to her personally."I'm sorry gorgeous. You said you didn't want to wear a mask, so the veil was the other alternative." Marcelo responded."Still hate it, though." She muttered under her breath."Here, take my hands." He said, stretching out his hands, and she reluctantly accepted it.As they entered the building, her heart began to beat faster. It wasn't enough that the whole environment was creepy but then they had to get into an escalator that took them down. Further down they went until it suddenly came to a stop."Where exactly are we going to, Marci?" She asked, with panic in her voice.He smiled and held her hands firmly in his. "It's an underground party. Kinda extremely exclusive." He explained vaguely.This did no
"Are you happy Lorena?" He asked, cradling her in his arms. The day had lost its spark, as a golden pale light formed a ring in the sky. A gentle breeze blew, bringing along with it the smooth fragrance of olive, and rose. The two love birds sat at the edge of a cliff, staring down the depth of water far beneath them.She turned her head to look at him, a smile on her beautiful face. There was nothing that gave her more security than being in his arms just like this. With him, she felt safe and loved. "I am, but are you?" She asked, stroking his face gently."You are my happiness. You, and him." He chuckled, rubbing her belly."Oh please," She rolled her eyes and playfully swiped his hands away. "What if it's a girl? I want a girl." She pouted.He couldn't help himself, as he stole brief kids from her lip. "It can be anything, Lorena. As long as you're are their mother, and my wife.""When did you become this romantic?" She laughed, turning her attention back to the water."It's you,
When Markris drove into his mother's compound, he felt exhausted. Still, he jumped out of the car and walked straight into the house. He was about to open the door when it pushed open from inside."Mark?" Jorginho's eyes bulged as he stared from head to toe at his friend. "Is that you?"He hissed and pushed him out of his way. "Ignore the hair, man. Where is Lorena?" Soon as he stepped in, he came face to face with a host of eyes just watching him in awe.His eyes traveled around, doing a quick headcount. He still refused to believe Lorena was missing. It was all a prank. Any moment from now, they would bring her out, and he would hold her in his arms again. He'll sniff her scent, and everything will be alright."Son?" Madam Sapphire got up and slowly walked towards him. "Is that you?" She asked with tears in her eyes."Of course, it's me." He scrunched his face, throwing his hands out wide. "Why does everyone keep asking that, and most importantly, where is my wife?""It's the hair,
A car drove roughly into the gate of the Andino mansion and came to a halt. The gatekeeper peeked from the security cam to see who it was before pushing the buttons. The gate flew open, and the car roared to life again. Driving with force and then parking haphazardly, it came to a stop. A man jumped out of the car and went straight into the house. He took the stairs, and in two leaps, he was up. Going straight for Urso Andino's room, he pushed it open, but no one was in there. He checked a couple of rooms before slowly retreating to the art room. Soon as he pushed the door to the room open, he spotted the man he was looking for."Who is th..." Soon as he whipped his head around to question the intruder, he felt a hand around his neck, lifting him from the ground up and throwing him against the wall. As he struggled to breathe on the floor, the man approached him and placed a heavy boot on his stomach."You pathetic son of a bitch!" He spat on him, his eyes filled with disdain. Twisti
Lorena whistled, her eyes doing a quick one-eighty. "You know when you told me life has been good? I wasn't expecting a mansion." They had arrived at Marcielo's house, and from what she could see, he was doing more than okay. One year she had changed a lot. A whole lot."I guess I got lucky." He laughed, picking up her bag. Banging the car door shut, he ushered her into the house."Luck?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Common Marci, you can't be modest about something like this. Your hard work has finally paid off, and there's nothing wrong with boasting a little."He chuckled, recalling he was dealing with a perpetually optimistic woman. "Okay, Belle, I'm glad my hard work paid off.""Much better!" She smiled."Come, I'll show you to your room." He said, gesturing towards the stairs.They climbed up the stairs past several rooms before finally arriving at a particular space."How many rooms are here again?" She raised a brow, looking around."Six, I think. I wanted something smal
As the dark clouds parted ways to streams of light, the birds came out to play. They flew around the sky, chirping heartily. Tired of laying on the hospital bed, Lorena strolled through the garden. The smell of antiseptic wafted through the hospital corridors, mixing with the scent of the blooming flowers. She took a deep breath as her bare feet tingled from the caress of the grasses.Just last night, her father and Verona had seen her. Her dad was more interested in the fact that she had lied about her pregnancy than anything else. When she mentioned her plans to leave Markris's house, he blatantly told her not to return home. The thought of those words alone made her scoff aloud. Like she wanted to return to Paolo Cicero's house, she realized it was time to take her life into her hands. Her dad would never change, and she was honestly done with caring about anything anyone said.As she moved through the garden, she sighted a sculpture that fascinated her and decided to check it ou
The sun started losing its spark as a gentle breeze announced the unset of the evening. A Lexus drove to an intersection, stopping where another car parked, blocking the road. The man in the Lexus stepped down and hurried over to the parked car. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he pulled the passenger door open and slammed it shut."You plan on destroying my car?" Hermes rolled his eyes, his hands casually resting on the steering."Why'd you block the road, bro?" Jorginho ignoring his question, pulled the review mirror closer to his face.Hermes' face scrunched as he stared at Jorginho, fixing his face like they were en route for a model casting. "What, you don't have mirrors in your house or car?"He hissed and gently pushed back the mirror to its proper position. He turned to face Hermes, a frown on his face. "Hop off my dick, bro. Why are you being so mean to me?" He said, pouting."You're so..." He muttered between his teeth."So what?" He tilted his head to the side, his