“What the hell is going on?” Ryan asked Ivy after the doctor attended to her. Guilt crept into him as he looked at the bandage on her forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why Larisa has changed. She used to be so kind.”
When he went to the parking lot, he thought he saw Larisa pulling Ivy out of the wheelchair. He got so nervous that Ivy would get hurt.
After all, she hurt her legs because of him. He wouldn’t want her to get hurt because his wife got jealous.
“I hope you can forgive her. She usually doesn’t get worked up,” Ryan added.
They were in a VIP hospital room with Ivy lying on the small hospital bed since they had left her wheelchair.
Ivy smiled and grabbed Ryan’s hand, saying, “Hey, don’t get it wrong. This is not Larisa’s fault. I fell on my own… it seems my wheelchair has some problems.”
Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. He asked, “Are you saying Larisa didn’t push you?”
Ivy shook her head, biting her lower lip. She replied, “No, she didn’t push me. Please don’t blame her for this. I don’t want the two of you to have a misunderstanding because of me.”
Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He recalled how he had roughly pushed Larisa away. He didn’t even turn to see if she had hurt herself when she fell on the ground.
Who knew he had misread everything and blamed her for something she didn’t do?
Guilt crept into him. ‘Come to think of it, I overreacted without finding out what happened,’ he mused.
“I had no idea…” He murmured.
Ivy gave him a sweet smile and said, “You should go to her and clear up the misunderstanding.”
Ryan glanced at Ivy. He thought Ivy was still as considerate as she used to be. Nodding, he uttered, “I’ll go and see her but first, let me take you home. We left your wheelchair at the company. I’ve called someone to get you a new one since that one is faulty.”
“Ok… I can wait alone though… don’t leave Larisa alone for too long,” Ivy remarked.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain to her and she will understand,” Ryan replied.
…
Meanwhile, Larisa met her best friend at a cafe before going home.
“What? You’re pregnant?” Bianca’s eyes widened into saucers. “That’s incredible news!”
A sad smile crossed Larisa’s lips. She said, “I don’t know if it is… you were right about last night. The man you saw was Ryan. It turns out the woman he was with is the woman he has always been in love with.”
“What the hell?” Bianca hissed. She clenched her hands into fists and asked, “Is he cheating on you with his old love?”
“I don’t know. I always knew there was no love between us but it hurts to confirm it. Perhaps I should do what I have been delaying to do all this while,” Larisa responded, her heart clenching.
“Are you crazy? Why would you leave your marriage? Especially now that you found out you’re pregnant? Being a single mother is tough, hun. I say, get rid of that homewrecker. You’re the legal wife here!” Bianca proclaimed. “If you can’t tell her off, I can do it for you.”
“And then what, Bee?” Larisa shook her head. “You should have seen how worried he looked when he thought I had pushed her. He didn’t hesitate to push me for her sake. I don’t think I can handle seeing him defend her… moreover, I can only keep a man who wants to be kept.”
Bianca felt bad for her friend. She nodded and remarked, “Try to tell him about your pregnancy. I’m sure the temporal excitement he’s having at seeing his old love will disappear once he knows he has a child on the way.”
Larisa placed a hand on her belly and caressed it slightly. She recalled how hard Ryan had pushed her away. He didn’t even try to check on her to see if she was ok… what if he didn’t want to have a child with her?
He may end up asking her to get rid of the baby so that he could be with the love of his life.
Shaking her head, Larisa said, “I’m not going to tell him about the pregnancy. He never wanted to marry me in the first place… I’m sure having a child with me is the last thing he would want right now. I’ll only get in the way of his happiness.”
Bianca sighed heavily. She realised that Larisa had made up her mind, so there was no use in talking her out of it.
“I’ll support whatever decision you make, hun. Just know that I want you to be happy,” she remarked.
...
A little while later, Ryan returned home and found Larisa waiting for him in the living area. Looking at her, he recalled how he treated her earlier and his heart was completely filled with guilt.
“Larisa, look, about earlier, I’m-”
“I’ve got something to tell you, Ryan,” Larisa said, cutting off Ryan’s words.
She had a look of determination on her face as she got to her feet and gave Ryan the documents she had in her hands.
Ryan frowned in confusion as he looked at the documents. He asked, “What is this? Is it work? Can’t it wait till tomorrow? I wanted to us to talk about-”
“No, it can’t wait. These documents are my resignation and divorce papers. Let’s part ways, Ryan. It’s been long overdue,” Larisa proclaimed. "Let's get a divorce."
A divorce?Ryan couldn’t believe his ears. That wasn’t a word he was expecting to hear coming out of Larisa’s mouth. He took a look at the documents in his hands and sure enough, they were divorce papers and Larisa’s resignation letter. He glared at Larisa and questioned, “Are you throwing a tantrum because of what happened earlier today? Is that why you’re giving me these documents?”Larisa shook her head and replied, “It’s not that. I’ve been wanting to have a divorce for a long time now. Now that Ivy is back, you can freely be with the woman you love.”Ryan scoffed. He tore the documents in half, making Larisa gasp. “Why did you do that? You don’t love me, why won’t you divorce me?” She yelled. There was a desperation in her voice that even she was aware of. Her heart was racing and aching at the same time.This was because, in their three years of marriage, Ryan never loved her. He had never opened up to her or showed her any affection.Larisa was madly in love with him and t
Larisa woke up and found herself tied to a chair. It looked like she was in an abandoned warehouse. She recalled having been hit by a sharp object before she lost consciousness. Could she have been kidnapped?Immediately, fear crept into her. She yelled, “Where am I? Help! Help me!”“Larisa, calm down. Shouting won’t help… trust me, I tried,” A familiar voice reached Larisa’s ears. She turned her head to the right and found Ivy tied to a chair just like her. Her eyes widened in horror. “What’s going on here? Why have we both been kidnapped?” Larisa asked, her heart racing wildly in her chest. In her heart, she was worried about the safety of the baby she was carrying in her womb. If anything bad happened to her, she could lose her child. “Good question,” a man’s voice echoed in the warehouse. Larisa turned to the source of the voice and her heart raced when she saw four thugs approaching them. One of the thugs who looked like the leader stepped forward. He had a bald head and
Six years later…The Moonstone City’s most prestigious events center was buzzing with activity.This was because the owners of the biggest jewelry company, Davis & Co, had returned to the country to introduce their long-lost daughter to the world.Jack Davis, a renowned jewelry designer, was a powerful man who had built his family's jewelry business and created wealth for himself. He had always led the fashion trends in the jewelry world. People were always raving about the jewelry he designed.However, he went abroad with his wife some years ago. People regretted that they lost the opportunity to form connections with the Davis family. Finally, the Davis family announced their return.Many of the distinguished men and women of Moonstone City wanted to rub shoulders with Jack Davis, the CEO of Davis & Co. They showed up in luxury cars and brought expensive gifts to impress the family. A reporter from KB Entertainment stood in front of the camera as she live-streamed the event.“Ladi
Ryan was stunned. Everything about the woman on the stage reminded him of his dead wife. Her face, her body, her voice... there was an uncanny resemblance between the two women. He frowned as he watched Lora Davis give her speech. ‘Larisa, is that you?’ He asked in his mind and a complicated look crossed his face. Lora Davis finished her speech and got down the stage. The MC then announced that she was to open the dance floor with her male companion, Jason Anderson, a mysterious young man who appeared to be a handsome new face in Moonstone City. He was tall with a lean body and he had sandy brown hair with brown eyes. The man, dressed in a three-piece gray suit, walked towards Lora with a charming smile. In front of everyone, he held out his hand to Lora and asked, “May I have this dance, Lora?”Lora smiled and placed her hand in his. They moved to the dancefloor and began to dance to the music. Jason glanced at Lora as they danced. He smiled at her and remarked, “Congratulati
Ryan’s words hang in the air. He looked deeply into Lora's eyes like he was searching for something and his heart was pounding violently against his ribcage. After a few seconds, Lora glanced at him and asked, “Are you referring to me? Didn’t you get my name earlier? I’m Lora Davis.” “I know… it’s just that you look like someone I know. You have the same face but a different name and identity-”“I think Mr Kingsley mistook me for someone else. This is my first time coming to Moonstone City and I’ve never met you before,” Lora replied calmly. Deep down, she sneered coldly. Yes, she is Larisa. She is also Lora Davis. She is back. She hated the man before her with a passion. He was so ruthless back then and left her in the warehouse to die six years ago… no matter how kind Ryan looked at the moment, Lora knew him well. He was her heartless husband who chose to save his ex and left her to die. Even though she hated him and wanted nothing to do with him, she had no choice but to act
“What did Ryan Kingsley want? I saw him grab your arm,” Jason asked as he drove Lora back home. He had a gentle smile on his face, but deep inside, he was seething. Lora and him had met while she was abroad six years ago and he had been pursuing her ever since. Jason had been there for her and helped her out whenever she needed a friend or someone to lean on. However, Lora hadn’t rejected him and neither had she accepted him. Since he never openly spoke about his feelings, she never said anything about it either. Seeing another man get interested in her made him a bit anxious. Lora sighed at Jason’s question. That encounter with Ryan made her feel unpleasant. She gave Jason a sideways glance and replied, “A partnership.” “Did you accept?” Jason asked in a low voice. Without realising, he tightened his hold around the steering wheel as he anxiously waited for Lora’s answer. His knuckles turned white from how tightly he gripped the wheel.“I told him I’ll think about it…” Lora said
“Good morning, Miss Lora." The staff greeted Lora warmly. "Good morning," Lora responded with a smile.Lora arrived at the Davis & Co. company to take over from her father. She wore a light blue feminine business suit with high heels. Her hair was left to flow down her shoulders, giving her a boss lady vibe. “Miss Davis, you’re needed in the conference room,” her assistant, Hannah Collins, reported. She then moved closer and whispered, "All the board members are here and they don't look happy." Lora frowned. She knew why they wanted to see her. How bold of them to show their disapproval of her on her first day of reporting. “I knew this would happen, that’s why I came prepared,” she remarked and smirked. They wouldn't get rid of her that easily. “.......No offense, Mr Davis but your daughter came out of nowhere and you want her to take over the company? I know she’s your family but aren’t you being too careless? How can I be sure that my investment is safe in this company?”Lora
“Ivy, what are you doing?” Ryan asked when he returned, his voice bringing Ivy back to the present. His eyes lowered to the file in Ivy’s hand and she placed it back on the table before smiling at him. She had wanted to go through it but Ryan returned before she could. “Ryan, can I work in your new jewelry company?” Ivy requested. Ryan frowned. He took a seat on his swivel chair and said, “Ivy-”“You’ve always been taking care of me… I’m a jewelry designer too and I would like to be of help to you.”When Ivy said that, the folds between Ryan’s eyebrows tightened. He thought about her condition and a complicated feeling crept into him. “Do you think I can’t manage to work in my condition?” Ivy asked in a soft, pitiful voice. Guilt filled Ryan’s heart and he didn’t know how to say no to her without making her feel bad. He cleared his throat and answered, “Of course you can work. You can join the company as one of the designers.” Ivy’s eyes lit up when he agreed. She smiled and rep
Hello, lovely readers, We have come to the end of this book and I'm so grateful for the support I've received. Please if you can, support this book by leaving comments in the chapters and showering it with gems. It will help to make it get noticed faster. If you're new to my work, you can check out my other books on my GN profile, I'll highly appreciate it. I will be coming back soon with a new book. I hope you continue to support me even as I challenge myself as an author. Please find me on my socials using my penname. We can interact and get to know each other, haha. Thank you once more and I hope you like my next book. Love you lots. Kisses. Natie.
Months later… “Is it ok if we leave the children with you?" Ryan asked his family. It was the weekend and Ryan and Lora had decided to take the children to the Kingsley mansion so that they could spend time together. Charles Kingsley was already holding little Lucas while Miles was holding Riley. The twins had grown so fast and could now toddle around all over the place. “I don’t mind staying with them if they are this cute,” Charles remarked while making funny faces at little Lucas. Ella and Ethan were already following Diane around, asking her to take them shopping. They seemed not to care that their parents were going to leave them there. Ryan and Lora shared a look before laughing. Lora said, “It seems we are not needed.”“That’s because they know they are in safe hands,” Ryan replied. He called out to Diane, “Sis, you can use my card-”“Come on, I have my own money to spoil my niece and nephew,” Diane replied. “Besides, the only friend I have went abroad and is yet to be ba
Three months later... Adan carried Bianca into their villa. They had just arrived at the place they would spend their honeymoon at and Adan wanted to carry his wife into their villa. He went upstairs and placed her gently on the bed. Looking down at her, he grabbed her left hand and kissed her wedding ring. “I’m happy to be here with you, Mrs Nicholson,” he said in his deep velvety voice. Bianca’s face flushed pink. The last couple of weeks had been nothing but wonderful. Adan had taken her on several dates, they spent a lot of time together and had grown closer during that time. What was supposed to be an arranged loveless marriage turned out to be a marriage that they both wanted, the contract long forgotten. They held a grand wedding in the city and after the reception, they immediately got on a flight, not wanting to delay their honeymoon. After all, tonight was the first time they would make love to each other. Biting her lower lip, Bianca remarked, “I’m happy to be you
Bianca stood face to face with the woman who had run away earlier. She gulped, feeling a lump in her throat as she studied Serena Pierce’s facial features. Bianca had to admit she was beautiful. She had dark brown hair with captivating brown eyes and her body was to die for. “How can I help you?” Bianca asked, sounding a little stiff. She had no idea why the woman who had run away earlier was suddenly in her ward, so she had her guard up. “Are you worried that I’ll steal Adan away from you?” Serena answered with a question. "I heard you're having an arranged marriage."Bianca frowned, irritation flaring through her. She glanced at Serena and replied, “Look, if this is a confrontation about me staying away from Adan then please, save yourself the embarrassment and leave my ward. I don’t want to fight with you. After all, your parents saved my life.” “Do you love Adan?” Serena suddenly asked. "Or are you marrying him because you were forced to?"Silence fell over the place. Bianca
“Say that again,” Adan requested, looking into Bianca’s eyes. His heart was racing at a thousand miles per second and he could feel electric currents coursing through him, an aftereffect of the passionate kiss they just shared. Bianca’s face reddened. She bit her lower lip and sheepishly said, “I have feelings for you.” Adan felt like his heart had jumped out of his chest and soared high up into the sky. A grin formed on his lips, his eyes lit up with joy and he pulled Bianca in for a hug. “I know it will take some time for you to fall in love with me. But I’m willing to wait…” Adan remarked. The two continued to share a hug until someone at the door cleared their throat. “I see you lovebirds are getting closer.” The two pulled away from the hug and glanced at the door to see Lora and Ryan walking into the ward. Lora wore a smile on her face. She looked at her friend and was genuinely happy for her, knowing Bianca already had a crush on Adan but she didn’t want to accept it beca
"What?" Bianca blinked, her heart racing in her chest. Of all things, she didn't expect Adan to ask her such a question. "Didn't you say I wasn't your type?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows despite the millions of butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach. Adan chuckled. He cupped Bianca’s face and replied, "I lied. Why wouldn't you be my type? You're gorgeous. You're the most beautiful blonde, green-eyed goddess I've ever seen."Bianca’s face flushed pink. She bit her lower lip and said, "I now know why you're a playboy. Your game is smooth... if I didn't know you, I would have fallen for your charms."Hurt flickered through Adan's eyes. He sighed and replied, "I'm not a playboy. That's just what I made everyone believe." "What?" Bianca laughed. "Come on, Adan. I'm back and ok now. You don't need to come up with lies because you feel guilty for what happened. I already know why you never wanted to get married." "Bee... I don't know how to say this," Adan responded. "
Hours earlier. Bianca felt like she had been hit by a truck. Every cell in her body hurt. Breathing felt like she was swallowing molten lava. She hadn't eaten in the last two days, so she was very low on energy and her injuries were taking long to heal. "Have some soup. You're going to feel better and gain some strength," the elderly woman who had been taking care of Bianca offered. With difficulty, Bianca propped herself up and accepted the bowl. She then ate the soup quickly and the elderly woman watched her with a warm smile on her face. Bianca’s face was still swollen and bruised and it was hard to make out her facial features. "Thank you," Bianca said when she was done, her voice hoarse. "Oh don't mention it," the woman remarked. "My name is Rita Pierce. The man who saved you is my husband, Josaphat Pierce. Don't worry, you're safe here. We live with our daughter, Serena and our three grandchildren." Bianca nodded, looking around and realising she was in a modest bedroom
“Sir, we've found something.” Adan’s heart jumped to his throat at those words. He turned sharply to face one of the IT men, asking, “What did you find?” “Although we can’t see the kidnapper, we can see Miss Jones being forced into a second car on a camera near the blind spot. The license plate was fake, but we are working on tracking the make and the model to know who owns the car,” the IT man reported. “What about the thing I asked you to look into?” Adan inquired. He was referring to the background check he had ordered on Cheryl. “Yes, we did find something,” the IT man replied. “She had withdrawn about a hundred thousand dollars from her savings account two days ago. However, since she didn’t use digital transfer, we can’t trace where the money went. We just have to wait until we find the owner of the second vehicle.” Adan’s jaw clenched and Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder before squeezing it. He said, “We are going to find her, bro.”“I swear, if Cheryl has anything to do
“Are you telling me none of you were able to find my fiancee?” Adan yelled. “Then what the hell am I paying so much money for?” “We are working on it, Sir,” the IT man said. “We need time-”“Time? Does my fiancee have the luxury of time? Each second that she’s out there, she’s in danger. I need to find her as soon as possible,” Adan hissed, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. It had been two days since Bianca went missing. Two days since the one who had tampered with the CCTV at the club disappeared and two days without any news about Bianca. Adan was going crazy. Who would dare kidnap his fiancee? He didn’t remember having any enemies recently. Could it have been someone with an old grudge? Grudges were not a new thing in the business world. The competition was stiff and winning certain projects meant being hated by the others who wanted the same projects. Adan hired the best hackers in the city to track Bianca. However, they were only able to find the first vehicle she was t