"A blind date?", asks the journalist, Alyssa is her name. She jumps right on it, without hesitation she bites into my slip, alert as hell.
"That can be arranged, no problem".
She chuckles as if she just won the lottery, already envisioning a creamy story. I could hit myself on the forehead, I feel so stupid. These vultures are always out for anything to make life difficult for celebrities like me, only to bring in a hot topic for their medium.
"Aahhh, it was just a joke. The man is married, and I don't think his wife will appreciate her husband going on a blind date with a beautiful single woman. If you were in her place, you wouldn't want that either, would you? I don't want to be a homewrecker".
I try to limit the damage, knowing beforehand that it will be in vain.
She's got her teeth deep in this soap and won't let go. Sensational headlines not only benefit her
magazine, but also earn her a hefty commission.
Like a rooky, I fell in her trap. And right at this moment when I've decided I should stay away from
Dordrich. "Well, I don't think so. His wife knows he's a public figure and exposed to a lot. We'll explain to her what's going on."
"And what exactly is going on?", I counter back. Because the purpose of the blind date is not yet clear to me. Maybe this is my escape. I thought!
Devilish as she is, she plays out her plan perfectly.
"We have a segment on one of our TV channels where we link celebrities for a good cause.
The sponsors of the program then donate to a charity organization aimed at women and children. Celebrities like to participate in this because it means extra exposure and improves their image. I'm sure that you and Mr. Fellogan like to do something for underprivileged women and children," she increases the pressure on me to keep me from slipping out of her trap, and emotionally blackmails me into joining.
She knows I regret my unfortunate joke, but that is just what those journalists like the most. They
just make their living from other people's misery.
I take a deep breath and throw my personal card on the table, in a final attempt to get rid of my appearance in this useless show. "I don't actually date married men. I don't really want to be connected to them, is my personal code," I say, shaking my head. She smiles as she looks at me intently.
"Loraine," she emphasizes my name, "Why do I have the feeling that your objection is with Mr. Fellogan and not with the fact that he is married? Everyone knows that these programs are fictitious, and the date only serves social causes. You protest too loudly. Is there more between you and Mr. Fellogan?".
"Hey, don’t take this too far. I saw the man for the first time last night. I don't do any business with his companies either. And like I said, I don't have affairs with married men, at least as far as I do get involved in relationships," I strongly deny. She doesn't elaborate on it, but I can see from her face that she won't
stop there.
"That's taken care of. I'll send you an official invitation to the show. Just make sure you're there when we need you. It was your own proposal, by the way", she packs up, clearly pleased with the result achieved with this interview. As she walks down the hall to the front door, I see her looking meaningfully at the
roses. She bends over and inhales deeply on one. Deliberate and provocative.
She then turns and looks at me with a beaming dubious face. "Beautiful, expensive roses", she responds with raised eyebrows. We greet each other
and she leaves, whistling. That bitch.
Troubles ahead, I know right away. But for later care, I think.
As I walk to my room, I can smell the roses all over the house, they totally upgrade my mood. After a
final inspection of my make-up and clothing, I walk back to the kitchen where I store my car keys. Today I choose my latest Bugatti sports, superfast, enough to blow the wind through my system.
I grab the keys and decide to go for a joyride before reporting to work.
I jump behind the wheel and let the heavy engine run dominating. When I hit the accelerator, it roars like a bull, impatient to go full force. With a smooth drive, I am out of my garage, heading
for the highway. I quickly run the road, releasing my emotions until a relaxed feeling takes over my body.
After an hour long ride, I turn into the underground of my business premises and park my car in the space reserved especially for me. When I’m out, I arrange my pitch black hair in the car window, a daily routine of mine.
Suddenly I feel like I'm being watched. I don’t panic at all, I know that all areas in this building are heavily secured and as the CEO, the guards keep a close eye on my arrival. So if anyone is present in this parking lot right now, it must be a top staffer arriving at the same time and it’s therefore safe. To be sure, I look around and see no one. Without any fear, I grab my coat and bag and walk to the elevator with my hips swaying.
On my way to my office, I greet some workers and chat here and there with some of them. As a CEO you have to appreciate your personnel if you want to get the best out of them, and I already see how happy they are with my personal contact. Such a small investment for a big result.
When I enter my office, to my great surprise, I see ROSES! Lots of them. The same as delivered
to my home..
"Kaylah!", I yell to my secretary.The despair can probably be heard in my voice, for I see her rushing in hastily. Bewildered she looks around, as if expecting to meet a murderous beast in my room."Tell me, where do so many roses come from? Don't tell me you wasted my money to surprise me with thousands of dollars’ worth of flowers," I warn her. That's just a statement because Kaylah exactly knows her limits when it comes to petty spendings. I am not stingy, but I also do not tolerate unnecessary shopping sprees that do nothing to the productivity of the company."No, I'm not that crazy. These roses were delivered early this morning by the most expensive florist in the region. I asked for a card from the generous giver, but all the supplier could say is that they are intended for Miss Loraine Windrug, nothing more."With raised eyebrows she looks at the sea of flowers and then back at me."Do you know who sent them, Loraine? Do you
"Loraine, what did you put yourself in this time? A date with Dordrich, really? I thought our circle was closed. We didn't agree on you messing with another man." Danner is clearly frustrated by what he's read in that tabloid.With a slight feeling of irritation I listen to him, since when do I owe him an explanation about my sex life? He is crossing the line more and more. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Danner. You don't have exclusive rights on me. You were dating a fashion model last year, did I tell you anything about that? You're free as long as you're safe, and that's how it is with me." I know him coldly.I certainly don't need a possessive lover now, Danner is starting to get overconfident. Yesterday he had no problem with Alex joining, but today he is angry with Dordrich being associated with me. Perhaps he considers him a serious rival? Letting go of Danner is not something I would want to do, but his behavior is really unacceptable. ? Letting
Still in a haze of desire, I step back into the elevator to my office.Leaning against the wall, I think back to what happened in the parking lot.Dordrich is really a warlock, never before has a man robbed me of my senses, aroused my desires with a snap of his hand. When I open my door I see Kaylah standing by my bookcase."Back already, Loraine? Didn't your appointment go through?".I look at her sideways. "Go do your job, please. Try to get Danner on the phone and bring me the file of the new mall," I command her. Unfazed, she leaves to return later with the requested file in her hands. I go through them with her and set up a staff meeting for two hours later. When Kaylah is out of my room, I open a well-concealed door on the side. It goes to my private penthouse, where I usually stay overnight when I work late.After a refreshing bath, I change into a new suit and am ready for the meeting.Sitting at the head of the table and looking over the
Of course I declined Aziel's offer.He’s trying his luck, wanting to make the most of a single opportunity. In order not to make my rejection seem harsh, I gave him a dry kiss on the lips as compensation. If only you could see him beaming, like when you surprise a child with a toffee. Just pathetic.Now driving to my bungalow on the edge of town, I plan to take a rejuvenating sauna followed by a hot tub splash, and go to a nightclub later in the evening. I don't have any friends, so I go on my own as usual, never had a problem with that. My garage door zooms open, and my Bugatti's powerful engine drives me inside. I pack my things and unlock my front door.Once inside, the lights come on automatically and my house is plunged into an attractive twilight. This is the greatest idea the architect came up with for this bungalow, when he presented this feature to me in the design of the house I was moderately enthusiastic. I don't like to step into a dark house, but I couldn'
My entrance at the opening of the mall is going exactly as I imagined it.Aziel came to get me home early, I wasn't even out of bed yet. He made breakfast for us in my kitchen and after we had eaten it quickly, we drove straight to the mall. Of course we were half an hour late, so we can make a great entrance.In front of everyone's eyes, Aziel held me tenderly around the waist and escorted me to our reserved seats in the front row. The cameras followed us explicitly, Aziel sits proudly next to me. This could also mean an upgrade for him in case he aspires to a higher, better-paid job at a bigger company than mine. That's what most men who date me are about, upgrading.I look at him sideways and immediately decide that I will cash out my winnings from him today, right after this event actually. I remember he wasn't bad at it, his physical condition often let him down but overall he was worth my time. With Danner out of the picture now, I might as well try out someone el
You want to marry me Satisfied I watch the news about the opening of the mall in the evening. And just what I had thought, Aziel and I are prominently featured. So, my business planning of events is successful, see if I also have success privately. If everything goes according to plan, Danner should be at my door in minutes. This morning when we got back to work, I didn't have time to follow the social media posts. I immediately went into a meeting with my staff about a possible takeover or investment sharing in the mall project. It got hectic, and at the end was mentally exhausted. My staff is very driven and focused, so it was definitely a fruitful meeting. We have put in place all kinds of strategies to approach current shareholders, but also kept the option open for
Whattt! I don't even realize that I shouted out this word. I stare at Danner in horror, I can't believe my ears. Did he really just say I want to marry him? God help me, since when did I make him aware of that or at least make him feel like I want him as my husband? Danner clearly sees things flying! Listen, he is a drop- down gorgeous guy, his sex is heavenly, and, in his arms, I feel safe and at home. I've built my life around him, given him immensely profound privileges in my personal and business life, but that doesn't bind me to anything. And yes, Danner is definitely husband material, but not for me. I don't want to marry Danner. My feelings for him are not deeply enough to consider a marriage with him. Life still has too much to offer me, I'm barely 22, the future has a lot more in store for me. Why should I commit myself to one man when several can make me happy? Nope, not me. I'll let t
‘Another coveted bachelorette off the market!’ ‘The Conquest of Loraine!’ I should have known that Danner wouldn't waste any time letting all the tabloids know about our engagement. The headlines vary but are definitely spicy. One assumes Danner has won my heart after chasing me for four years, others claim I'm pregnant, some buzz that I fear for my position in his life and demanded a ring. They are all so far off. If they only knew how Danner kicked me into this engagement that will never end in marriage, they'd edit their stories completely differently. My phone is red hot, acquaintances and relations want to congratulate me personally or have their questions answered. Nobody saw this coming, and understandably so. Just a few days ago I left a ball with two men, after staring lustily at another woman’s husband. And then only yesterday I was right on the TV screen in the living room of half the world, flirting with a staffer abou
Finally!Mrs. Loraine Aziel Renegade. Nice to meet you all out there.Aziel has just sworn his undying love for me in front of a hundred-strong crowd here in the Protestant congregation. Before the God we serve, he promised to always be there for me in good and bad times, share all my sorrows and joys, and never again hide his struggles from me.Yes, we've had a rough time.We both went through a deep hell, but God had mercy on us, we are resurrected and have overcome. And today we start a new episode in life. I’m Mrs. Renegade, the title I aspired to, dreamed of for a long time. And today it has all become a reality. I am the lawful wife of that wonderful, gorgeous man I saw standing by the pulpit waiting for me, who pulled me tenderly by the hand beside him. I love him, have told him so many times. There's only one secret left to share with him, and I'll do it tonight.We are now walking into our reception, Kaylah has organize
When we are inside the room, we indeed see Aziel lying on the bed. It's like he hasn't bathed or shaved in days. He lies there snoring like a sailor.Damian grabs him by the shoulders. “Aziel, Oooh My God! No, man, no!” he exclaims. He gently shakes Aziel until he opens one eye. He looks at Damian blankly and closes his eyes again. “Aziel, we're here, you can't sleep any longer, wake up!” Damian insists. And another eye opens. A hand goes up slowly. “Damian? Aren't you a dream?” he asks hoarsely.I quickly get a glass of water and give it to Damian. He puts it against Aziel's lips. “Drink something, it will make your throat feel less coarse”, he encourages the obviously absent-minded Aziel. There's a sip and another. I go to the other side of the bed and help Aziel sit up straight. “What have you done to yourself? Why didn't you come to me like you always do, Aziel? Running away from problems doesn't solve t
Fellogan's Rolls Royce now comes into view. Little can be recognized of the expensive car, it is a total wreck. Obviously, he flew into the guardrail lost control of the wheel. The paramedics are quick to respond, as is the fire brigade. Because emergency workers are running to the spot, there is little to see of the accident for a few seconds on tv. Until the journalist on-site announces that they have managed to get Fellogan out of the vehicle and he is still alive.“Yes, the assholes in this world have seven lives,” Archer curses. We see Fellogan being transported to the helicopter on a stretcher. His face is bloodied, his head is supported with a clamp. It's clear he's in a lot of pain, but he's holding his ground.We drive on. "Let's hope this doesn't become another obstacle in our friends' relationship," Damian sighs. “Those setbacks always follow each other. What the two need is peace, in their relationship, in their life.”
“Man, this is bad. How did we lose sight of them? This was inevitable, Aziel simply succumbed”, Damian sighs. “We should have been alert when they arrived. Ever since the funeral, we should have forced him into therapy.”We look at each other with guilt.“These two clearly belong together. And that Fellogan also pulled some tricks, which certainly didn't work well on their relationship. Why do I feel like that idiot did it all on purpose?” Archer grinned. “I never liked him. A cheater can never have high morale.”We're going at high speed, the speed cameras have already caught us a few times. But that's for later concern. Virginia is our target and we want to get there as soon as possible. “Archer, turn on the television. I want to see what the media has made of Loraine's case," I ask him. He zips some channels until we do see breaking news. The reporter tries to get the medical staff to talk an
What follows is total chaos.Somehow the press learned that Loraine would be transported by ambulance and amassed outside the house within minutes. Fortunately, her garage is covered, allowing the ambulance to be ushered in and cut off from the outside world. This way we can protect her privacy as much as possible.Meanwhile, Damian and Kenjal have arrived.Kaylah and I ride in the ambulance with Loraine while the others follow with their own transport. The paparazzi follow behind us, it's a madhouse. “Kaylah, would we rather not have transported her per helicopter services? This is crazy!” I ask distraught. The paramedics gave Loraine first aid and placed her under anesthesia. She's pretty weak, she's been on the bed for days, the nurse said. I hit myself on the forehead, why didn't I act sooner? I never thought Aziel would leave, I thought he had the situation firmly in hand. Not so.“We'll handle this, don’t worry.
Andre's POVBoth Loraine and Aziel are out of reach.Their phones are off, they haven't been seen in the workplace for days. Lorrich also asks about his parents, I can't give him an appropriate answer why they haven't called him these days.This is a bizarre situation. In any case, they would have told me if they were leaving the country, even if it was on a business trip. Nor have this couple ever neglected Lorrich, even now that he lives with me. Since we arrived in New York, the two have been struggling with serious relationship issues, and Loraine got her memory back. Attempts by me to mediate failed hopelessly, Aziel could not vent his heart towards me. And as it turns out, not with Loraine either. This won't end well, I can feel it coming at my toes.I have avoided alarming our other friends about what’s happening these days. I know how emotional Kaylah reacts to everything Loraine regards, Rick and Kenjal are Aziel's buddies. No
I have been very restless all day.Yes, I am sexually frustrated, Aziel has been sleeping next to me for days without touching me. But that's not my biggest problem.Aziel is not only physically inaccessible to me but also mentally. He shuts me out completely, when I want to lean against his chest as usual, he turns away from me, when I reach out my hand to touch him, he keeps himself out of my reach.Mentally I'm broken too. What is certain is that we cannot continue like this, we have to solve tense between us ourselves. We can't live without each other, breaking up is not the answer to our problems.Dordrich is to blame, I swear!Very finely, he set up the plan to separate Aziel and me. It already started right at my return at the airport by completely ignoring Aziel. He clearly had a hand in the screenplay set up there. And the news items where I'm in his company are broadcast longer and more often from an angle where we seem to b
Aziel's POVI meant what I said that night.The debacle of my children, the rape, the kidnapping of Loraine and everything that happened after that could have been prevented if I had been more alert. It's all my fault, period!And that Fellogan keeps peddling it in the press, he’s on a mission. I hardly dared to look Loraine in the eye for the past few weeks at home. She noticed the change in me, I see that she suffers a lot. Late at night I even hear her crying next to me in bed.After my confession, everything in the house has changed.Even Lorrich sensed it, he was having a hard time dealing with the changed atmosphere. Andre has come a few times to persuade me to discuss what is troubling me. But I'm not ready to talk about it yet, I have to come to terms with myself first.I feel Loraine's pain, but there's nothing I can do to ease it now. She's mentally too far away from me. We hardly communicate, just sitting at th
The memories return in full force when Loraine enters the house with Lorrich on her arm. She quickly falls on the couch and holds her head. The last days leading up to her amnesia, the stress of Aziel's lawsuit, distraught watching Aziel suffer from the attacks from the media, everything resurfaces.Also, the day she was lured from the hospital by the head nurse and Danner who was waiting for her in the parking lot. “Mommy, what is it?” Lorrich asks concerned when he sees her pained face. She looks at her son, she knows he is too young to understand the evil ways of adults. Aziel, who has just entered, sees Loraine's gray face. "Angel, are you feeling well? You look terrible" he asks concerned. She beckons him to sit next to her and buries her head in his chest. “Everything is back. I have my memory back, my head is pounding", she whispers.A stabbing headache begins to set in, she massages her temples in the hope that it will pass. Quickly, A