Despite being new to everything happening in her life at the moment, Arah tries to keep up. She and Luther, under one roof, and living as lovers is her biggest adjustment. They were once married but they never had so much interaction unlike now. During their arranged marriage, they never make love before sleeping. They don't eat breakfast together like they were doing every morning now. Well, of course, Luther cooked and prepared them. And tonight after her busy day, she went to attend Steel Corporation's company dinner party. And though she was quite late, she was readily ushered to the Steel family table. Helen and Eric welcome her while Tim left his circle to greet her. Only Luther remains with some associates, seriously talking. Though their eyes fleetingly met no one noticed. "You're looking great, Amara. Stunning as always" Helen speaks with a gentle smile. She could see the exhaustion on her face but she dare not mention it. "Thank you, mom. Even if I look like a mess, you
After Luther's statement, no one speaks. Even Arah was surprised and at the same time confused. She was expecting it as a joke but after turning to him, she found him looking dead serious while staring back at his mother.Helen heaves a sigh, feeling lost. To give them privacy, she dismissed everyone at their table, which was readily obeyed. Tim on the other hand, slowly leans on the backrest of his chair, alternately staring at them. Gauging their disposition, especially his brother. "A joke, son?" Eric chuckles, trying to abate the tension."I'm not fond of jokes, dad, you know that" he responded while averting his gaze toward him. Another silence rules amid the hushed murmurs from afar. Coming from a group of women who had gathered with a common purpose."Jazz has been avoiding invitations from me and the company" Tim mumbles. "I haven't prohibited him in anything about your friendship or the company. Personal matters should not affect our business relationship" Luther mutters,
Staring at Luther, Arah anxiously waits for his response. But after a while, she got none, instead, he chuckles. A vague reaction to the President's inquiry. And though she tries not to get affected, she felt a slight pang of disappointment."A great man deserves a great woman" President Trevor added despite not getting a reply from Luther. "Yes, indeed, Mr. President" Luther readily agrees while pulling her to him. And she become more apprehensive when he locked her in his arms and places a firm kiss on her forehead. She was never used to a public display of affection, more so in front of the first family. They are hugging in front of the highest ruler of the country and are witnessed by all the guests of tonight's dinner banquet. "Well, take care of your fling, CEO Steel" President Trevor pat him on the shoulder."I will, Mr. President. And thank you for grazing our event" with polite seriousness, he extended his hand to him for a handshake. "We will go ahead. Thank you for the
Arah did not hear what he said but the women did. A look of disbelief adorned their faces as they follow him with their eyes. They heard him clearly and were somehow astounded. Whatever he means it would surely not be good news for them. "You've gone long enough, Doctor. You need your rest" he speaks upon reaching her side. He gently prodded her face toward him, checking her with his gentle gaze. Mesmerized, Arah hold his gaze while a faint smile grazed her pinkish lips, bare with any shade of lipstick."Let's go home" he whispers, which was responded to by her gentle nod. Holding her hand, he walks ahead toward the path the ladies had previously created for him. But he abruptly paused upon reaching the door and pulled Arah by his side. "I detest this ever happening again. Anyone of you has no right to corner Dr. Rechner and bombard her with irrelevant matters. Anyone who dares do this again will answer to me. And I'm not an easy foe" with a clenched jaw, he mutters while sharply
"Dr. Rechner" her secretary knock and eventually went inside, holding a beautiful bouquet of white roses in a round box."Another flower delivery from Flora" she smiles while handing Arah the box. Though she was tempted to tease the beautiful doctor, she contain herself. "Thank you, May" she mumbles, accepting the package with awe.Yesterday she also receive a bouquet with a different color of roses from the same shop. And it's displayed on her desk now.After she was left alone, she open the envelope to read the card."Thank you for a lovely morning, my fling. Have a great day and don't tire yourself so much""Missing you, your fling" a chuckle escape, reading the last part while caressing his handwriting. As expected, it came from Luther again. A sweet smile graces her face as she stares at the magnificent fresh flowers."Yeah, you're my fling, Ther. The dearest fling I will only have" she whispers while feeling the softness of the pearls against her fingertips. "I might get used
"Has CEO Steel stopped playing?" one of the women in the group whispers while watching the newly arrived entourage.The entourage of the famous CEO and his family. But a distinct figure caught everyone's attention. The beautiful and elegant woman in the CEO's arm, Dr. Amara Rechner."It's been weeks since they are both spotted in public together. And the CEO has not taken anyone since then""So, are they together? Like a couple?""Most probably, look at them" gesturing at the pair afar, all eyes turn to see."He has been acting possessive with Dr. Rechner. Sending his limo and securities to her" the woman continues, scoffing. "So you think, it's serious?" with a tone full of distaste, one woman asks."Maybe, but who knows? CEO Steel was never serious with anyone. He just wants to play""So let's wait until when he will get bored of her""Yes and surely that won't be long""She may be beautiful but so is us. She can't be special" Scoffs sounded as they watch the subject of their conv
After the brief program, a cocktail party commences. Luther, with all his responsibilities as CEO, has become busy with investors and associates. Together with his parents, they strolled around the venue to speak with guests. While Arah stays with Tim. However, Luther hasn't gone far before he walked back to Arah."You're coming with me" he whispers, rounding his arms around her waist."Tim, talk with other guests" before Arah could respond, he turns to his brother."Of course" Tim just nodded before turning away, leaving them alone. He is still perplexed by Arah's thoughts and he has no courage to ask more. There are times he fears how her brain works and today is one of them. Without another word, Luther pulled her with him. Making sure she stays by his side the entire time he talks with guests.Some were awed by her presence beside the CEO, while some remained gauging, and some were bold enough to ask."Does this mean, CEO Steel is off the market?" a middle-aged man playfully as
Luther remains nailed on the floor, gaping at Arah whose stance stays elegant as she always does despite the tears streaming down her face."Will love prevail if I become like my whore of a mother? Will love be enough to make me stay? Will love preempt me from being unfaithful like her?" smiling bitterly, she softly asks."What are you talking about, Arah?" he was baffled. Arah never talks about her mother. Whatever they knew about their family came from her father, Dr. Rene Rechner. The old man has been bitter about his unfaithful wife but they only knew fragments of it. They understood she was too young to remember what happened. And though their incomplete family affects her perspective on a lot of things, she wasn't vocal about the details. "You were a jerk, screwing different women. Playing a game that women were willing victims" she casually said while wiping the dampness on her face. Though she struggles to blink away the persistence of her tears, she succeeded in controllin
"You're such a menace! Wait until the CEO and Dr. Steel know about this. They will surely return you to the orphanage. Where you should belong!" "Enough and leave, Madame. You're scaring her" Zack, the head of security of Amari, grimly mutters while hugging the already crying girl. "How could you tolerate such behavior? Are you informing the CEO of her menace here in school? You should tell him so they would know how to deal with her. You are just conforming to the brat's whim" ignoring Zack, the woman continues. "She is a disgrace" with pure disdain, she declares. "Stop it, madame or I will throw you out" Zack angrily warns while trying to avoid Amari from hearing what the woman has been saying. They have an order not to intervene in any school dealings but Amari got into a fight with her classmate in primary two. Unfortunately, the mother was outside and the moment she knew of what happened to her daughter, she angrily confronted Amari. Zack and his men have to intervene af
"I heard he is a famous playboy abroad""No doubt about that. Look how gorgeous he is" "Can you see his package? Huge. That's heaven inside his black swimming shorts""I could imagine how he will fill me inside" dreamily, someone added."Not to mention the rumors about him being a billionaire""Yes, I've noticed several security around him when he arrives. He must be very rich""I need to be acquainted with him""I need to have him tonight. I can't let this moment pass without having that stunning man""But I've noticed a ring around his ring finger. Could he be married?" "I don't care if he is married. The hell I care about his wife. Anyways, she won't know I tasted her husband" snickering, the woman haughtily raves. "Men as gorgeous as him should not be kept for one woman alone. He should be shared""But the real battle is how you could approach him without being thrown away. A lot had already tried and they were not even halfway to him when security appears to stop them" with a
Flashback: Night of the graduation ball.Then...She never had thought that she will be having the man that every woman covets at the party. Before she and Tim left, he was with Stacey. And whatever the reason why he was in her room, she no longer wants to ponder deeply. He was drunk and he might have mistaken her for Stacey after he entered the wrong room. "You have mistaken me for Stacey" she whispers. It somehow hurt her but she tries to cast it aside. She doesn't want to ruin this night. So with a determined will, she let Luther Steel worship her body. The pleasure he is bestowing her is mind-blowing and all she could do is moan and grunt. Despite it being dark, she could imagine their act like it was being flashed in her very eyes. Luther, in between her slender legs, doing wonders that are making her writh in pure pleasure. While his hands are exploring her nakedness. Playing with her twin peaks. "Ahhn..." she lewdly moans, arching at the bliss of his relentless lips and t
Arah looks around the place that is very familiar to her. It has undergone some renovations but it's still the same place as she remembers. But she cannot understand why Tim ask at this time to talk to her. It was her wedding night and what was more surprising was when Luther let her come with his brother. Though he had a valid reason to make sure the children were settled at home before spending their wedding night away from home, something is not adding up. "What is this all about, Timmy?" chuckling, she asks the quiet man beside her. They are at the bar waiting for their drinks. "Don't overthink. I just want to spend time with my best friend. It's been a long time since we had this time alone" playful, he responded. "Yeah, we both got busy" quite guilty, she mumbles. These past months have been a mixture of setbacks and feats. "It's understandable. Your family is growing and you should prioritize them" he fondly smiles while she responded with the same fondness. "Thank you f
"Mama... "One word that made Arah gasp before bursting into tears. It was a softly spoken word but reached her ears. However, not only her heard the small voice. Luther's eyes widen in disbelief while his mother has the same predicament as Arah. Their eyes brimmed with tears as they all stare at the calm orbs staring at the bride. "My little dove...yes Amari, mama is here" cupping her face, she tenderly speaks to her daughter. "Mama..." And there it is again, making her laugh with pure happiness while tears freely stream down her face. Unconcerned about the light makeup she wears. "Yes, my little love" she quivers. "You're giving me the greatest gift on my wedding day, Amari" she happily exclaims while scooping her from Helen. Amari just look at her for a moment, seeming to be memorizing her face. And Arah let her while watching her gray orbs trailing her face with her calm gaze. They waited for her next word. Though Arah was already contented hearing her speak a single word.
Three months after she gave birth, Arah is now ready to walk the aisle with scattered rose petals.Her wedding day. The day she will officially be Mrs. Luther Steel.Wearing an all-white gemstone embellished wedding gown, she stands in front of the closed door that would lead her to the altar. A tearful smile carves her face upon hearing the wedding music from outside. And on the other side of the door, she knows her mother is waiting for her together with Riley. Riley will accompany their mother to walk her to the altar where Luther is already waiting. It was supposed to be her father but until this morning she got no confirmation from him.The thought of not having her dad on her wedding day made her heart heavy. But she can't allow her mood to be dampened. Taking several deep breaths, she calm herself and plastered a smile on her face. Trying to tear herself away from depressing thoughts, she slowly shakes her head and thinks of people who love her.Outside, Luther and their ent
"We cannot find anything about the child. The two adults with her are also unknown. They are not in any records. They may not be from here, sir. No relatives even friends" one of Luther's men reported. Arah looks at Luther, worry reflecting in her eyes. They are trying to help locate the relatives of the child she helped from the accident. It's been a month but no one visits her. Even the dead bodies of her parents remain unclaimed. The city has no choice but to just bury them in one of the public cemeteries. "We suspect they are illegal immigrants. We don't have a name for the three victims. We also find nothing in their belongings to help us with their identity" the man continues. "Then expand the investigation to other countries. I want to know where she came from. She can't be a Jane Doe. Somewhere, someone knows who they are" Luther dismissed. He doesn't like to be at a dead end. "Yes, sir. We will immediately report once we got any information. The team is moving now. Sir Ba
If the outside was magnificent, the inside is perfection.With uniformed maids lined on both sides of the entrance, they are welcomed by the head steward. Indeed, she feels like a queen even without a crown. Everything is pure grandeur. "Welcome home, Dr. Rechner. Young master, Zebastian"Fond smiles adorned everyone's faces while looking at the asleep baby in Luther Steel's arm."This is Roel, he manages the household staff" Luther introduce the man to Arah."Nice meeting you, Roel" smiling, she offers her hand, which he readily accepted."It's my great honor to serve your family, CEO Steel, Dr. Rechner" Roel sincerely responded.After their polite interaction, Roel introduces the fifteen household staff to the couple. People who will their family.Awed by the beauty of their new home, she continue to gawk with teary eyes."How long did it take to construct this?" she softly asks. He is curious about the timeframe. "The structural plan has been with me for years. The landscape ha
"Boss"George and Levy barge inside. Immediately, they found Luther on the bed looking disoriented and disheveled from sleep."Son, what's wrong?" Eric worriedly asks while closely following behind. His eyes furrowed upon seeing him in a state of disorientation.Even the medical team dashes inside to check out the commotion. "Arah? Where is Arah?" still disoriented, he raves in panic. He has been scorching the spot next to him, seeming to find something in space.But before anyone could respond the bathroom door opens."Ther? What's wrong?" Arah, who is supporting herself on the doorknob worriedly asks.All eyes turn in her direction and immediately, the medical team ran to help her. While Luther gapes at her in surprise, dumbfounded.George and Levy heave a sigh of relief upon seeing her. They are on guard for the possible danger that may come upon the couple though the place is highly secured. "What's wrong, Ther," she asks again after getting no response. Slowly, she was led bac