Anabelle burst into the room, a bucket of ice-cold water clutched tightly in her hands. Without a moment's hesitation, she upended the bucket, splashing the freezing liquid onto Juliette's sprawled body on the bed. Juliette snapped out of her dream world and back into reality, her heart pounding with shock, fear, and discomfort caused by the chilling water."What the hell?!" she screeched, glaring at Anabelle.Anabelle's face contorted into a furious mask as she hollered back, her voice cracking with fury, "What are you doing with my man? Why are you sleeping with him?!""Ryan isn't yours anymore," Juliette fired back. Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "Can't you see that I'm pregnant with his child?""All I see is a pregnant woman lying naked in bed with her baby daddy's younger brother!" Anabelle shrieked, her words laced with bitterness.Juliette's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced around, her realization dawning upon her. She was indeed naked, lying next to Linc, who to
"So I am making this video to explore the world of bondage sex. It's my first time, so it won't be too serious," Adrienne's voice came from the video. She wasn't speaking; it was more like a voiceover while the video showed her in a state of complete nudity, with her hands and legs bound apart by four different chains. The camera panned across her body, capturing every detail, including her breasts and even her genitalia.Adrienne covered her mouth in shock as the video continued. Richard had to pull the car over to the side of the road, quickly grabbing the phone from her."I can't let you watch the rest of this video," he said. Adrienne looked at him, her eyes filled with tears."I shouldn't have shown it to you in the first place, let alone let you see the comments," Richard said remorsefully."I didn't say any of those things in the video. I don't remember saying anything like that," Adrienne insisted."It sounded like you, but it's been edited. That's why they used a voiceover
"You can't go in," a security man firmly halted Linc's progress towards the room."Should I fire you? I am the CEO of Haven!" Linc seethed with anger, his voice dripping with authority."It hasn't been officially announced, but you can enter," Ryan interjected calmly."Official or not, I've been holding that position for over a week," Linc asserted as he confidently stepped into the room."Well, well, look who decided to grace us with their presence. Evelyn shows up to hear Michael's will being read, yet she couldn't find the time for her own husband or grandson's burial," Linc sneered, casting a disapproving gaze towards Evelyn."Why should it concern you?" Ryan interjected sharply."Enough with the banter. Sit down and let's get this started," Ryan snapped, his impatience evident."You're acting all high and mighty, thinking that Michael left the majority of his inheritance to you just because you're the older sibling, aren't you?" Linc smirked knowingly."Shut your mouth. I should
Adrienne's car arrived at her once beautiful factory, now a grim display of rubble and debris. The remnants of the building formed a haunting skeletal structure, with twisted metal beams and shattered glass strewn about. The familiar scent of freshly made skin creams that once permeated the air had been replaced by the acrid smell of smoke and devastation.As Adrienne stepped out of her car, her heart sank at the sight before her. Tears welled up, threatening to spill over, as she struggled to comprehend how her thriving factory had been reduced to ruins.A small group of reporters, positioned strategically with their camera crews, shrewdly captured every angle of the destruction. Spotting Adrienne, they rushed over, hungry for a story."Miss Adrienne, your factory exploded, trapping members of the FDA, three days ago. Why have you just arrived at the scene now?" a reporter fired."There are speculations that you intentionally set the factory to explode. Over a thousand workers were
"Hey, where are you?" Juliette asked Linc anxiously on the phone."In my house. What is it?" Linc questioned impatiently."We really need to talk," Juliette insisted."I'll text you my address," Linc replied curtly before abruptly ending the call and tossing his phone onto the bed."Who was that?" Annabelle inquired."It was Juliette. She said we have to talk. Go get the things I asked you to," Linc said, a touch of impatience in his tone."Don't do anything stupid with her. Don't let her seduce you," Annabelle cautioned sternly as she prepared to leave the bed. Linc couldn't resist slapping her bare butt cheeks as she descended, causing a mischievous glint to flicker in her eyes.Once alone, Linc retrieved his phone and texted Juliette his address.Still fuming from the recent will reading, the anger in Linc's mind thrived.How could Michael leave him absolutely nothing? Before fleeing the country, he needed to teach Ryan a lesson, knowing that Ryan would pursue revenge.And with Ric
"Trying to distract you from what? I have no idea what you are talking about," Annabelle chuckled nervously.There was a black box tucked away behind the door, catching Ryan's curious gaze. Before he could even extend his hand towards it, Annabelle hastily crawled towards him and blocked his path."It's not yours, don't touch it," Annabelle warned, but Ryan callously pushed her aside.Ignoring her pleas, he pried open the box, revealing an assortment of money, jewelry, and wristwatches. Ryan couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight."So, you burgled the house and didn't expect me to return early, huh?" he taunted."Linc sent you?" Ryan questioned, and Annabelle reluctantly nodded, her eyes cast downward."Please, just let us take this money. We won't disturb your life again. We're planning to run away," Annabelle foolishly pleaded with Ryan."If you suddenly find yourselves in need of money, that means Linc must have little to no savings," Ryan retorted, his tone laced with
"Richard, I... I don't know what to say," she stammered, her voice quivering with a mixture of shock and joy. The sight of the stunning ring rendered her speechless. Her mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts, grappling with the enormity of Richard's proposal.Richard gazed up at her, his eyes filled with hope and love, his palms damp with anticipation. He held his breath, anxiously awaiting her response, afraid of the possibility that she might reject his proposal. The gravity of their situation weighed heavily on his mind - becoming parents together had been unexpected, and he feared she might not desire a lifetime commitment after the tumultuous journey they had traveled, marked by the pain he had caused her in the past."Richard, yes," she whispered, her voice bringing him back to reality, shattering his doubts."Yes, I will marry you," she said happily, her heart soaring with newfound certainty.A radiant smile spread across Richard's face, a mix of relief and joy. Slowly, he
"I'd appreciate it if you please stopped coming here," the director firmly said to Adrienne. Her tone reflected a combination of disappointment and concern."What? You believe everything the media is saying about me?" Adrienne's voice trembled with hurt. She couldn't understand how her actions outside the orphanage affected her charity work."You have to understand my decision. We appreciate all that you've done for our orphanage since day one, but we can't ignore the fact that you aren't the role model we thought you were. I am deeply disappointed, and I'm also sorry," the director explained, her voice filled with regret."I can't believe even you guys believe that nonsense. What does any of that have to do with my charity at this orphanage? You know how much I love it here, and you can't just send me off like that," Adrienne tried to reason, her voice laced with frustration."I'm sorry. I don't want to risk giving the orphanage a bad name," the director sincerely apologized, though
"Lincoln is dead."Adrienne was shocked."He is dead? Just like that? Why? How?" She asked.Richard was silent, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw the answers to her questions."You are responsible for this? You had him killed?""I'm sorry. I had to do it for Juliette. I know I should have told you, but I didn't want to," Richard said.Adrienne was speechless. She closed her eyes, trying to piece together exactly how she felt about the situation."I should give you some time to yourself." He wanted to leave, but Adrienne pushed him back, making him lie on the bed.She climbed over him and grabbed his chin."Why should I be mad at you? He deserved to die," Adrienne said softly, lowering her head to kiss him.Richard was so relieved, and he kissed her back passionately.She moved her lips to his jaw, his neck, and his chest and traced a path down to his waistline.She gazed at him with a sultry look in her eyes as she slipped her hands into his pants and set his excited member f
"Prison? What the hell?" Adrienne's voice quivered."Juliette gave that document to the police. She wanted to hurt me after I refused to take her side. The document had evidence of my illegal arms deals," Richard said."Arms deals? That's how you got wealthy, right?" Adrienne asked and Richard nodded."The Chief offered me a deal. He said he would give me the video Rosa sent to the police if I let him arrest me as a 'big criminal' to boost his promotion chances," Richard explained."What? No, that's a terrible deal! That's like trading a bread factory for a loaf of bread. You didn't agree to that, did you?" Adrienne said."Of course not. Rosa's video was useless to us. But I thought about it. I would get caught sooner or later if someone found out, or one of my partners got busted, or someone dug into my past. I know the Chief, so he's being easy on me. He could end our 'relationship' and arrest me with what he has. Luckily, that's not the case. If or when he gets promoted, there
"Boss? He hasn't called himself that in a while," Adrienne thought, smiling shyly.She sniffed the roses and they smelled lovely. She hoped there was a note inside, but there wasn't.She remembered the last time he sent her flowers with a note. It was months ago and the note only had 'I' on it."Where did I put it?" She wondered, searching her drawers. She finally found the note and looked at it for a few seconds."He never finished this sentence," Adrienne said.She set it aside and put on the dress.The dress was black with a strap and a sweetheart neckline and a ruched bust. It had mesh inserts at the waist with vertical lines and draped fabric that wrapped around the midsection. The slit on one side was indeed dangerously high."I am sure he can survive a little skin," Adrienne thought as she admired the dress.Wait. Where are we meeting? Adrienne wondered.She read the note again and he didn't say where they were meeting, he just said 'wear this tonight'.Does he want to meet at
"Hello, Adrienne," he said.She spun around and saw Ryan. Her eyes widened in shock."You're the witness? You're testifying against me?" she exclaimed."What witness? I'm here to watch the trial. What are you talking about?" he asked, puzzled.She snorted and turned away. "Whatever," she muttered, crossing her arms.He sat behind her, still taken aback by her coldness.The door opened again, and this time, the footsteps were that of a stiletto. It was a woman.Everyone turned to see who it was, and it was Annabelle.Adrienne scoffed. "She didn't tell me she was coming to Nigeria for the trial."As Annabelle got closer, Adrienne waved at her, but Annabelle ignored her and went straight to the witness stand.Adrienne's jaw dropped. Annabelle was the witness? After everything she had done for her?She glared at her as she swore the oath."You're in for a rude awakening," Annabelle whispered as she sat down.Adrienne felt her heart pounding, her forehead sweating, and her throat tighten
Adrienne felt a surge of anxiety as she entered the courtroom with Richard by her side. The day was finally here; Linc's trial.She glanced at the defendants' table, where Lincoln sat with his lawyer. He looked smug and confident, as if he had nothing to worry about. He met her gaze and smirked, making her shiver. It brought back memories of the nights she was locked up in that old farmhouse.She squeezed Richard's hand, grateful for his support. He had been her rock throughout this ordeal, always there to comfort her, protect her, and encourage her.The judge entered the room and everyone stood up. The trial began, and Adrienne listened as her lawyer presented the charges and the evidence against Lincoln. She felt a surge of hope as she saw the jury's expressions of shock and disgust. She hoped that they would see Lincoln for what he was: a monster who deserved to rot in jail.Then it was Lincoln's lawyer's turn to speak. He stood up and cleared his throat, looking at the jury with
Linc's body was thrown out of the car and onto the sidewalk as the car speedily drove off. He groaned in pain on the floor. A concerned stranger rushed to Linc's side to help him up, but Linc aggressively pushed the man away. This made other passersby ignore Linc and cross to the other side of the road. Despite the pain, he managed to stand up on his feet, his whole body hurting. As he looked around, trying to decipher his exact location, his eyes spotted a police station, and a smirk etched onto his face."They think they can get away with treating me like this," Linc said maliciously as he limped to the police station. Richard had given him a really bad beating, and he couldn't even walk properly. Every breath Linc took hurt him in his chest because of the impact of Richard's punches. "Darn you, Richard!" Linc cursed.As he entered the station, he collapsed onto the floor, putting on a show. "Help me, please. Help me. I was kidnapped by the Oh so famous Adrienne Davison and her
She hesitantly opened the files, and a flood of videos and photos appeared on the screen."That's a lot," Richard observed.Adrienne clicked on the first video, which showed Linc and Juliette having sex."Huh? Why would she send me this? I thought she promised something life-changing?" Adrienne rolled her eyes in frustration and flung her phone aside."You've been quick to lose patience over small things lately. Could it be the pregnancy hormones?" Richard inquired, concern lacing his voice."Ugh!" Adrienne exhaled in annoyance.Sensing her irritation, Richard extended his hand to soothe her by gently patting her back."Why don't we take our time and carefully review everything on the card?" he suggested."Okay. I'm sorry for snapping," she said with a soft, apologetic tone."That's better," Richard said, smoothing her hair affectionately."Come here," he gestured.Richard picked up the discarded phone, settled back on the bed, and Adrienne snuggled up to him, resting her head on his
Adrienne and Richard kissed passionately while Adrienne gently rode Richard on the bed. It was a slow and intimate dance as Richard’s hands caressed and worshipped her curves.He had arrived at the hotel and their brief conversation turned into a passionate encounter. After their lovemaking, Adrienne laid her forehead on Richard's."That was beautiful," he said, softly caressing her left cheek with his thumb.He then gripped her waist firmly and quickly flipped her over, hovering above her now. He looked at her deeply, still enjoying the afterglow of their passion."Why did you do that? I didn't want you to come out of me yet. I'm feeling hollow now. Empty!" Adrienne whined playfully, feigning annoyance.Richard chuckled. "Come on. We need to shower, and we have to be careful. I don't want to accidentally bump into Amelia. Look how quickly she's growing inside you," he said, rubbing Adrienne's belly."It's Ethan, and I wasn't even moving, so there's no way you could have hit him," Ad
Adrienne had cried herself to sleep and woke up in the evening. She checked her phone and saw tons of missed calls and messages from Richard."Why didn't you say anything?""Are you okay? Did something happen?""Please call me."Those were some of the texts from Richard. She didn't know what to say or how to explain her feelings and instead of replying to his texts or calling him back, she texted Lisa. She made a list of things she needed Lisa to bring and sent it along with the address.Then, Adrienne washed her face, went downstairs, and got into her car.***"What's going on? What are we doing here?" Lisa asked Adrienne as she followed her, carrying two big bags in her hands.Adrienne ignored her and walked quickly towards the entrance of the building. It was a large, white mansion with a sign that read "Joygood Memorial Park". Lisa had a bad feeling about this place. It was a private cemetery for the rich and powerful, where they buried their secrets and scandals, not just the