Ben was just done with an early meeting. He stepped out of the elevator that led to his private suite. Opening the door to his room, he took off his suit jacket and wore it on the arm of the mini sofa present in the room. He was taking off his wristwatch when he saw the shadow of a person behind the light curtains on the large balcony.He walked over there and uncovered the curtains that were used to prevent too much bright light. He saw Alex. She smiled widely when he pulled on the curtains."Ben," she uttered to his annoyance."Who let her in here?" Ben questioned after he had called for Randy and the other heads of security and they stood in a spread-out line."I did," Randy spoke up and got an immediate ‘on whose permission’ look from Ben."She came here with your sister, sir, so I let them both in," Randy explained, hoping he didn't get punished for it."Is Jenna here?" He turned his look to Alex and she nodded slowly."Where is she now? Where did she go?" "She liked this place s
She was still staring at her reflection when the door behind her opened. She turned to see Ben walk in. She thought the woman would return with him but she didn't.Ben's eyes fell on Belle first thing as he walked in. His lips curved upwards with admiration. He approached her even though he thought she was acting unusual still."Wow," his one word surprised her."You like the dress?" She thought she should ask."You look stunning, it looks magnificent on you." He told her and circled his hands around her waist to pull her closer to himself."So you don't have a problem if I want to wear it to the event?""No," he snorted, "If it's what you want to wear, why would I have a problem with it? Hmmn?" He leaned in and kissed her exposed neck then her shoulder."I thought you wouldn't be pleased by it," she tilted her head to the left when she felt his lips against her skin."The last time, you said not to wear anything too revealing.""If I am not by your side," he completed something she ha
A new piece of jewelry was brought to the stage and unveiled. It was a diamond piece. All the ladies in the room had their eyes on it immediately its covering cloth was taken off it. Ben turned his eyes to catch Belle also staring at it; he finally found something that she liked or so he assumed...but she had to like it, everyone in the room had their eyes on it. He smiled lightly before asking:"Do you like it?" Belle grinned a little shyly."I mean, it's beautiful." She replied with a shrug."I will get it for you." He saw her eyes light up with unhidden excitement when he told her."But what if someone makes a higher bid?" She asked but heard him snicker. He didn't say anything afterward, he just took her right hand in his and rubbed on it slowly and gently."Twenty million!" The auctioneer announced the first amount received as entered for him to see. Ben snickered and Belle noticed it."Forty million!" a new amount was announced in a few seconds."Fifty!""Fifty-eight!""Ninety
"But it's not his fault," she whimpered with fear for Nathan. When Ben didn't say anything after her, she decided to expatiate what she meant."I...I was the one who seduced him, this is not his fault, None of the things that happened were his fault, it was all me." She didn't try to look at him while she spoke."I had too much wine and I did something stupid, he was just visiting so none of this would have happened if I never seduced him.""Why are you trying to save him?" She looked at him now."I'm just saying what really happened and...""Nothing you say would stop me from making him suffer, Belle. He ate from the same dish as myself and that is very unacceptable to me.""But it's not his fault, it's mine," she repeated what she believed was true."There is no fucking way you seduced him, I'm not going to believe that." He wouldn't."But I did, Ben. It was my fault, I am telling you.""Why the hell was he with you anyway, when did he start to visit you, I asked you to stay away fro
The next day, Belle got ready for work even if she still feared that something might have happened to Nathan. Ben didn't return to her last night but she didn't call, she didn't want to have to face him again.She got to the office and everything was normal, The few faces she knew were all bubbling with energy for the day, and even Eric kept on using the photocopying machine with her, so she assumed Nathan was in the office and just doing as she asked; giving her space.It made her feel less of the heaviness deep down because she was no longer worried.*****Meanwhile, Alex had just returned to City S from City N. It was some hours since she returned and was just done resting when her cleaner informed her that he was ready to leave.A few minutes after he left, and she was about to head back upstairs, she heard her doorbell go off. Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she returned to the door, ready to scold the cleaner but was surprised by who she met at the door."Ben?" She uttered to show
When Belle went to her workplace the next day, she saw that everyone seemed to be extra busy. After she entered editor Khan's office, he gave her some prints to arrange and put in order. When she didn't move from where she stood as quickly as he expected, he had to scold her."What are you doing?! Get moving, there's a lot to do, come on." It was then she started to do what she was asked.While sorting out the prints, she saw that they were different top headlines, all of which she had to put in place. She picked up the first print and saw herself on it and an unconscious gasp escaped her lips but she was quick to put a hand over her mouth.It was a picture of her and Ben at the charity event. The headline read;“Mr. Larkson seems to be angry at plus one whom he got the priceless piece for at City N." Belle was only glad that she had a mask on that day as she watched the pic of Ben grabbing her. Keeping it, she picked up another and saw another of her picture, but it was taken on the
It was late evening, almost night. Belle sat in her bed at home, her knees up to her chin as she sobbed non-stop. Ben walked in and saw her that way, he felt a somewhat piercing pain inside when he saw her crying like that so he went and joined her on the bed. "What is the matter? Who hurt you?" He began to stroke her hair backward but got an unexpected reaction from her as she sat up so suddenly."What did you do to him?! Where is he?!" He heard her question and now knew what she was crying about.He looked at her, unremorseful and his lashes not blinking but said nothing in response."I just found out today, that he has been missing since yesterday. Is that where you were the other day? What about the cut on your lip, where did that come from?!""Too many questions, Belle." He finally addressed what she was asking."Too many questions? What? You expect me to sit back and fold my hands and not ask any questions?" Belle blinked some of the tears in her eyes away."All through today at
Weeks passed, and no one who knew Nathan heard anything from him, neither where they any lead brought to the media's notice from the police.Belle had to deal with listening to her workmates discuss about Nathan every time she went to work, and didn't know how to stop the guilty feeling that kept on recurring so one night, she made a big decision.She packed some of her clothes, together with some cash she had withdrawn earlier, and she decided to leave City S. No words to her sister, Brie, not even Ben, she just left first thing in the morning as the sunset. Leaving her phone behind so no one could reach her, she headed to a small town not so close and not so far from City S. ****"Heyy!" Someone tapped her on the shoulder after she got off a bus that just reached its final destination. She turned around and saw a girl about her age, at least that was what she assumed."You dropped this," the girl handed her purse which she had put all the money she had at the moment into back to h