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 that’s why she agreed to marry him, hoping that if she was devoted to him and loved him unconditionally, he would learn to love her.
Alas... three years had passed and Ryan’s heart was still as cold as ice. No matter how much she tried, Larisa couldn’t make her husband love her.
“Please, Ryan. Let me go so that you can be happy,” Larisa added in a low voice, her eyes watering with tears.
“Never. Divorce? You want a divorce?” Ryan sneered. “After ruining my life you think you can just wake up and demand to divorce? In your dreams, Larisa.”
“Why? Don’t you want to be with Ivy? Isn’t it why you spent the night with her last night?” Larisa couldn’t help but yell.
“Ah… so this is what this is all about? This is no time for unnecessary jealousy, Larisa. I didn’t do anything with her… Ivy wasn’t feeling well after her welcome party and I had to stay with her in the hospital. She was discharged in the morning,” Ryan explained.
Larisa clenched her hands into fists. She spat, “I don’t care about your explanations. There’s no love between us. It’s better to end this marriage.”
Ryan got closer to Larisa and grabbed her chin. Tilting her head up to stare into her hazel eyes, he declared, “I’m the one who’s going to say when this marriage will end. I don’t ever want to hear you speak about divorce, you hear me?”
“The woman you love is back and it’s clear you will never fall in love with me, why delay the inevitable?” Larisa questioned, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Her heart ached.
She felt like someone was squeezing it with a metallic hand.
Ryan didn’t love her but he didn’t want to let go of her regardless. It was hard to tell what he really wanted. He wanted to be with Ivy, right? Isn’t that why he rushed to her the moment she returned?
Ryan’s eyes softened when he saw the tears in Larisa’s eyes. He cupped her face and wiped them away with his thumbs before saying, “No one is getting a divorce. Grandpa loves you. Let’s not worry him with petty issues.”
Larisa was about to reply when suddenly, she smelt a pungent smell emitting from Ryan’s suit. It was a female perfume that she assumed belonged to Ivy Williams.
The perfume was repulsive, accompanied by the knowledge of who it belonged to, Larisa heaved and clamped a hand over her mouth.
She pulled back from Ryan and rushed to the kitchen since it was the nearest.
At the same time, Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He followed Larisa and found her puking her guts out in the sink.
“Are you ok?” He asked as he approached her and helped to hold her hair back as she vomited.
When she was done and rinsed everything off. Her heart raced… she didn’t know if Ryan had realised she was pregnant.
“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly vomiting?” Ryan asked again.
“Um… I had some spoilt food earlier today,” Larisa made an excuse.
Ryan narrowed his eyes down at Larisa. “You’re always careful with what you eat, Larisa. Are you hiding something from me?”
Larisa’s heart pounded hard against her ribcage and her stomach formed knots.
‘Has he found out?’ She asked in her mind.
Ryan studied Larisa for a minute. He could tell that she was pale and she looked like she had gained a little weight.
His eyebrows creased as he remarked, “Wait… are you-”
Larisa let out a sigh of relief when Ryan’s phone suddenly rang, interrupting his words.
Ryan frowned and answered the call, “Hello-”
“Mr Kingsley, Miss Williams is missing!” The voice said on the phone.
Ryan’s eyes widened in shock. “What? I’m coming!”
He didn’t even spare Larisa a glance and before she knew what was happening, he had already dashed out of the house with a look of worry on his face.
Larisa laughed at herself. ‘And here I thought he didn’t want to divorce me because he had some feelings for me. Turns out it’s my wishful thinking.’
At the mention of something happening to Ivy Williams, Ryan almost flew out of the mansion just to go and look for her.
Larisa wondered if Ryan would have that same look on his face if she were the one who was missing.
She left the kitchen and was about to head upstairs to the master bedroom. However, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and was plunged into darkness.
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.“Lad
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, “Congratulat
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 ac
“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 sai
“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 re
“How did you know about this place? Aren’t you new in this city?” Lora looked around the fancy restaurant and asked.Jason smiled. “I asked around about the best place to bring a beautiful lady on a date,” he remarked. Lora froze and her eyes slightly widened. When Jason saw her expression, he laughed heartily. He said, “Look at your expression. I’m just joking. I wanted to bring you here to celebrate your first partnership.” Lora came back to her senses after Jason clarified. She secretly let out a sigh of relief and replied, “Thank you, Jay. You’re always good to me… whether it's out of the country or here. I’m so grateful.” “It’s not for free… after this meal, you will owe me dinner too,” Jason uttered. Lora giggled. She shook her head before promising, “Of course, I’ll treat you to dinner next time.” The restaurant had dim lighting with some soft music playing in the background. It was giving off a calm but romantic vibe which was somewhat relaxing. As they continued to ea