Hana stood on her toes, her body shaking from hunger and tiredness. Her feet ached from making the long journey from the alley she slept in to Kyle’s company. Standing in front of Tech Valley for too long hadn’t also helped. Each day she came here hoping the result would be different, but it was the same.
Security had refused to let her inside to see Mr Kyle McKenna. It must have been her dress or face that scared them. As much as she had tried to clean herself up in the hospital’s restroom before leaving that day, she could still feel dry blood on her dress. Her hair was also tangled from the many times she had run her fingers through it.
She left her hair down to hide the bruise on her cheek. She didn’t know Baba could hit that hard. Now she understood why Mama always did everything to avoid another hit.
Cars drove past the building, honking as they went. A few entered and drove out, but she didn’t recognise any to be Kyle’s
Calvin waited until Hana was snoring softly before sliding off the bed. His one-night experience with her made him able to tell if she was really asleep. Unlike that night, she was more relaxed. He pushed strands of her hair out of her face and placed a kiss on her temple. Before he could walk away, his eyes fell to her cheek.Someone hit her.Someone hit his angel.It wasn’t an accidental hit. It was deliberate and meant to leave marks. What was Angel into? His mum was right about him giving up so much for someone he didn’t know so well. What if she was involved in illegal dealings? Could he handle that? He ran a finger through his hair and grunted. KJ was in the living room waiting for him, but he didn’t look forward to that meeting. After one final kiss to her cheek, Calvin grabbed his phone and entered the kitchen.He needed a doctor to check Angel to be sure she didn’t have any internal injuries but he couldn’t ask their family doctor to show up. For now, he didn’t want to involv
It had been hours since the doctor left, but Hana could still feel his touch on her skin. He had applied some ointments to her back and given Kyle a list of other things he could get to make sure the marks didn’t leave any scar. All attempts from both of them to find out the source of the marks were futile.Two days ago, she had been too tired to do anything but sleep. And yesterday, they had spent the day indoors, eating pizza, getting a doctor to attend to her, enjoying each other’s company even if she didn’t say much. Kyle hadn’t picked up any of his calls and when she asked if they weren’t important, he told her she was his highest priority at the moment. Even now, the thought made her blush. Her cheeks were warm and her insides mushy with affection.She whimpered as Calvin’s arms tightened around her from behind. She didn’t know she could love sharing a bed with a man this much. She wanted it to be a permanent fixtur
The man scoffed, and the beautiful woman by his side held onto his arm to calm him.“The real question is, who are you?” Turning to his partner, he retrieved his phone from his pocket and shook his head. “I can’t believe he’s bringing them to his house now.”Them? Who was them? Did Kyle make a habit of bringing different women to his place? The butterflies in her stomach dispersed. The man tried to walk past her, but she stretched out her arms, keeping both of them outside.“Where’s Calvin?” the woman asked.“Inside?” Hana coughed. “He’s inside.”“We need to see him,” she stated.Hana looked over her shoulder. If they were strangers, she couldn’t let them in. But she also didn’t want them to be uncomfortable in case they mattered to Kyle. She avoided the man’s harsh gaze and smiled at the lady.
As soon as Angel left, Calvin’s parents turned to him. “Why would she think we would hit you?” his father asked. Calvin shook his head while trying to process everything. He couldn’t get that image of a teary Angel out of his mind. “Did you tell her—”“No,” Calvin cut in. He didn’t know what his dad was about to say, but the answer was an automatic no. Angel’s reaction didn’t come from anything he had told her. It must be from her own trauma with another person. “I didn’t. I know you don’t support my decision, but I must go to her.”“You have my support,” his mum chirped.“Baby,” his father called, looking at his wife in shock. “We already talked about this.”“That was before we met her,” his mum said. Calvin’s shoulders sagged in relief. He had planned to leave so they would lock the door on the
Calvin was still pissed. No, he was furious, a volcano of anger waiting to erupt. What kind of father raised his hand on his child? That too, with a belt. Angel might have thought it okay, but it wasn’t, and he had to remember to tell her that. His phone rang, and Charles’ number showed on the screen, but he didn’t pick up. He waited until the phone stopped ringing and called Destinee.He had to be at work today after already missing two days. But he wasn’t looking forward to leaving Angel alone in the house. He hadn’t even wanted her to cook. He could do that himself. Plus, he had someone whose job was to cook for him.Walking back into his room, he placed a kiss on Angel’s temple and rushed into the bathroom for a quick bath. Angel was awake when he returned. She sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she watched him dry his hair with a towel. Another towel hung from his waist. When he caught her gaze trailing down, he winked. S
Hana twirled in the bathroom, her grin spreading from corner to corner. Camilla’s sundress was perfect for her. The length was slightly shorter than what she was used to, but she didn’t care. It was perfect for her and even had pockets. If at all she had any concerns, it would be with the bust area.But she could manage that.Calvin returned home late last night with a duffel bag filled with new clothes. Hana was convinced he went shopping on her behalf until he mentioned it was his sister who stopped by the office with it. She even added new underwear. But Hana didn’t put any of them on. It would restrict Kyle, and she wanted him to be free with her body.Speaking of Calvin, he was waiting for her in the room. This was the second dress she was testing out, and he wanted to see all of them. Today was a Tuesday, but he took this day off to be with her. They had all day to themselves. She pulled the square hem of the dress over her bo
Camilla was a big spender. They had only been in the store for less than an hour, and Kyle’s sister had taken more things than she needed. Camilla pushed a stroll beside Hana while she held onto her basket. There was only a pack of tampons there. She didn’t want to overindulge herself. Camilla looked at Hana’s basket and emptied some of the chocolates into it. Hana tried to protest, but the lady gave her the famous McKenna look.“I don’t want you to spend all your money on me,” Hana explained when they stopped in front of a shelf. Camilla looked through cookies, dumping some in her trolley and others into Hana’s baskets. She liked everything Camilla put so far, but she didn’t have the money to pay for them. Hana tapped her on the shoulder. “Camilla? Are you listening?”Camilla nodded. “Oh, honey. We are not spending my money, it’s Calvin’s. Take what you want. Come on.” Hana could
By Saturday morning, Angel was feeling much better. Calvin chuckled as she danced to a music in her head. She picked up a dress from the closet and held it to her chest. He gave her a thumbs up to show he liked the green dress. She grinned and scurried to the bathroom. He had told her they would stop by the family house if her cramps were gone, and she shot out of the bed with the speed of a cheetah. He was relieved to know both parties were happy to see each other. His parents had asked when she was visiting them, especially Mum.Calvin shed off his clothes, standing in only his boxers. Angel returned to the room and spun in a circle. “Beautiful as always, Angel.”“Thanks. What are you wearing?”“Don’t know yet.” Stretching out his hand to her, he said, “Come pick out something for me.”Her gaze strayed to his boxers and back up to his face. He wasn’t going to tease her, but seeing h
Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly her
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.Camilla May McKenna could do it. She could handle the simple task of taking pictures of a cheating lover and prove to her best friend that Vanya, her boyfriend, was a scum. KJ, her youngest brother, always told her evidence was key. He was the same one who told her men hated shopping and never went on that adventure without a woman unless sex was involved. So, the second Vanya walked into the boutique, she had rushed to the bathroom to call her best friend Faye. If Vanya was at the boutique, then he was with someone else. Faye was in class. All she had to do was get evidence, so Faye would leave the cheat.Retrieving a tube of pink lipstick from her purse, she reapplied it and fluffed her hair. From the mirror, her hair was flat on the sides from her consistent touching. Wasting no more time in the bathroom, she smacked her lips and walked out. Vanya hadn’t met her. He wouldn’t recognise her, so there was no need for her to use a disguise. Cold air r
Sweat rolled down Calvin’s forehead. He hid a frown as he dabbed on the evidence of his anxiety. This was a regular date with his wife. He shouldn’t be nervous, but unlike other dates, this one was special. Different. It was an anniversary date. Last month was the one-year anniversary of meeting Angel on that rainy night. His wife had suffered an abrupt illness, so he couldn’t take her out. They had rescheduled it for today, making sure it fell on the same day. 10th day of the month. Instead of celebrating a one-year anniversary of knowing each other, it would be a thirteen months celebration. Calvin adjusted his suit in front of the mirror and ran a hand over the front of his jacket. He had no reason to worry. Life was good. His babies were fine. His wife was awesome. The cast of season two were already getting ready for production. A smile took over his lips as those thoughts solidified even more.The bedroom door opened, and Calvin stopped fussing with his tie. Angel strutted in,
Calvin waited in the car while his wife and sister-in-law visited their mother’s grave. His fingers drummed on his knee as the seconds went by. He couldn’t understand what they felt. Losing both parents would drive him insane. But the ladies had taken it in stride. Cara seemed to be the most affected.It was only a few days after the new year. Cara had spent it with them but returned to school the next day. These days, she spoke more often without prompting. The cast of season two had already been selected, but he wanted to give her a spot as an extra.IfLance agreed. But Lance would have to.Browsing through his phone, Calvin sat up when he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up to see Cara and Angel. Cara’s eyes were red with tears, and Angel looked to be consoling her. They stopped a few feet from the car and Angel hugged her sister. He waited behind, not sure his presence would be wanted in such moment.Soon, both lad
Christmas was a big deal for the McKenna family, but that wasn’t always the case with Hana. She adjusted her dress a few times, and her husband scooped her up before she could tug on her sleeves one more time.“Baby, you need to stop that,” Kyle warned. She hugged his neck, her eyes closing as she let out a breath. “Everyone already loves you, there’s no need to be nervous.”“Well, yeah, I guess.”Hana’s stomach grumbled. He frowned and placed a hand on her stomach. “Hungry?” “No. Just a bit nervous.”“Don’t be, okay?” he said in a patronising voice. “I love you, and my family loves you.”Hana wasn’t only nervous for herself, she was for her sister too. It was the first family dinner with Cara, Hana, and the entire McKenna clan. After her discharge from the hospital, Cara had gone cold. Or should she say,
Night rolled by without Kyle showing up to the guestroom. Hana curled under the sheet, her eyes filling with tears. Should she have been upset about the loss of their child? Yes, she was. She was hurt. Her heart was shattered for their child, but at no point did she blame her husband for that.If any one should be blamed or punished for it, it was Baba. But Kyle was driving a wall between them with his constant self-blame. They lost a child and should grieve together not push each other apart. She meant what she said about not wanting a fight with him. She had missed him too much to let what was supposed to be a shared suffering drive them apart. He was seeing it as a loss, but she saw it as a gift.Maybe others wouldn’t see it that way, but that was her. Baba pushed her. She fell on her belly but lost only one baby. What if she had lost all? She had so many more positives to be thankful for. One, her sister. Two, her babies. Three, her husband. He mi
Calvin should be a happy man since his kidnapped wife was back home, but he hadn’t gotten the courage to tell her about the babies. He also couldn’t get rid of the guilt that had taken over his chest. No matter what anyone told him, it was his fault. His stubbornness brought them here.Someone tapped him. He looked up, and a fake smile took over his lips. It was his wife.“What are you thinking?” she asked.“Nothing. Just getting ready.”Angel placed a hand on her waist. “Really?”Calvin hadn’t heard his beautiful wife enter the bathroom. She must have caught him staring into space. He tended to do that more often these days. They were getting ready to head to the hospital for their evening checkup. Cara was still there, but she was feeling better than she did last week. His wife had formed a habit of reading a chapter from her favourite romance book to her sister.
Hana’s eyes peeled open slowly. She had gotten so used to her new home that the change had her shutting her eyes again to be sure this wasn’t a dream. This… this didn’t look like where Baba kept her.Where was he? Where was Cara? Each time she tried to remember everything that could have led her to this point, her head throbbed. Someone squeezed Hana’s hand. Groaning softly, she turned to the side and saw Kyle. A minute or two passed. That, that couldn’t be real. Was she dreaming? Was this heaven?“Baby,” he whispered, his fingers brushing her cheek. He was real. Wait, were both of them dead? Did Baba kill her? How did he get here? The heart monitor beside her beeped out of control, and Kyle palmed her cheeks. “Hey, princess. Relax, it’s me. Your dragon prince.”“Kyle?”“Yes. Yes,” he whispered. “I’m here.” Hana winced as she tried to sit up. Her h
They found her. It had been a week since Calvin’s mother gave them the tip about the tracker in the pendant. In that time, they had all worked tirelessly to find Calvin’s wife. Within that time, Calvin experienced too many breakdowns to count. This ordeal wasn’t one he would wish on anyone, not even people he loathed. He sat in his wife’s office, phone in his hand, waiting for a call or something that would take him to her. His heart was broken and hollow, and had stopped beating right a long time ago.This was pain. This was torture.Coming to the office wasn’t actually for him to work. Her absence was driving him insane because her scent was everywhere. He was tired of his whole family fussing over him, so he had promised them he would show up at work to use it as a distraction. That didn’t work. Because he found himself in her office, sometimes just touching all the things she touched, staring into space or pacing the