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
Belle waited patiently all through the day as the girl had a good time sleeping, she didn't think she meant it when she said she would sleep till it was evening time.She was about to fall asleep herself when she saw the girl walk through the beaded curtain with a short towel around her neck which she used to clean her wet face and hair."Look who decided to take a shower," she smiled at Belle when she saw her."Hope you ate something?" Belle didn't give an answer so she smiled more."I would recommend you feel at home, eat whatever you want and you have the bed to yourself while I am at work tonight.""What do you mean tonight, you are taking me to a good hotel right now, aren't you?""Ohhhhh, did I say I would do that?" Belle felt her insides boil with anger when the girl said that."You said you would take me when you were done sleeping," Belle reminded her calmly."Yeahhhh, about that, I have to be at work in the next ten minutes, I'm actually behind time, so that wouldn't be happen
"Are you okay?" Jenna asked her when she noticed she was acting somewhat different."Yeah, it's just..." Belle stopped and sighed. "Can I tell you something?""Yes girl, I'm all ears.""Well, you see..." Belle sighed once more after sitting next to her on the sofa in the living room."I thought and thought but couldn't get Ben a good gift. He got me those cars outside and all I could get him was tickets to go see a movie with me. I realized that I couldn't even go out to see a movie with him because he's him, you know. I feel bad but I'm trying not to because he was so excited gifting me the cars.""You got him tickets?" Jenna laughed after listening to her say all she had."Yeah?""Three of his houses in city S have private cinemas in them." Jenna couldn't stop laughing."Awwww, that makes me feel worse." Belle almost sobbed."I'm sorry. It's just funny but don't stress about it. I used to feel that way years back but then I realized he really didn't care what it was I bought, he only
Back in city S.Belle woke up and didn't see Ben by her side so she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to check for him but when she didn't see him, she decided to just do her morning routine of brushing her teeth and cleansing her face.After that, she decided to go to the balcony to check if he was there because lately, he was there using his laptop whenever she woke up late.She got there and didn't see him but she saw something surprising. There were seven cars parked downstairs. She turned around to go look for him but saw him just there, he had been behind her while she counted the cars."Good morning, my queen," he told her with a smile."Good morning," she held his face and kissed his right cheek."And happy birthday," she got on her tippy toes and hugged him and felt his arms go round her waist."You're finally awake, I've been waiting and my excitement almost died while waiting." He laughed after the hug."The cars?" She didn't know how to react though he was laughing."T
Larkson mansion.I"Aww, she has such a pretty face." Mrs Larkson said after some silent minutes of admiration.Belle looked up from her dish and smiled at the woman sitting opposite to her on the dining table. Things were great since she came by unlike all she assumed. Mrs Larkson didn't ask the many questions she assumed she had to prepare for so things were alright till she said:"My grandchildren will be so cute, I can already imagine." Belle almost choked on what she was about to swallow when Mrs Larkson blurted that out.Ben stood and filled a glass of water, rubbing Belle's back slowly while bending to speak to her as she had her head down."Water?" He proposed and she took the glass from him and took a big sip. While Belle was drinking water, Ben took the chance to give his mother a questioning look about what she just said.Belle returned the glass to him and he kept it on the table and sat back down. Mrs Larkson didn't say anything else; she didn't mean to make Belle uncomfor
Morning, the next day."Did you think about it?" Ben leaned against the wall with both his hands in the trouser pockets as he watched Belle arrange her hair."Think about what," she dropped her hairbrush and turned to him."Please tell me you gave a thought to what I told you last night.""Be direct, we talked about quite a lot yesterday," she started to put lipstick on her lips while facing the mirror again."..." Ben scratched the back of his neck and bit his lips because he knew that she remembered what he was talking about."Alright, I'm ready." She stood up from the chair in front of the mirror."Will you drop me off at my sister's or will someone else take me?" She asked, walking past him after picking her purse and hoping he followed like she wanted but he didn't. Ben pulled her back by her waist and he did it so easily, it made her wonder if to do a weight gain diet so he couldn't do that anymore."Please?" Be didn't let her go after bringing her back to himself. His arms around
"Hey man, come take a look." Belle watched as one of the men assigned to be with her called to the other after collecting her ring from her ring finger."Is it original diamond?" The man who was called asked."What do you think? Of course, it is, can't you see?" The first man held it up to the light."She's wearing a ring that's probably worth an amount I've never touched in my entire life.""Are we going to sell it?" The second man asked."We? Did you just say we? I'm the one who noticed it on her finger first...""Guys," someone came in while panting loudly."Yeah?" "I was upstairs..." The man stopped to pant for some seconds."I was upstairs, and I saw these vehicles...""Is the boss back?" The first man asked, putting the ring in his jacket pocket."I don't think so, he usually comes alone. When I said that I saw cars, I meant that there were at least seven of them.""Seven?" The second man asked."Yeah," the informant nodded."I would be far off if I had started to run when I saw th
Richard was now being tied up in her living room while she watched alongside Ben. She was excited at first, that Ben came to her rescue then realized sooner that he came solely for Richard."What did he do?" She asked Ben but didn't get a reply. "Search for it," she heard him order instead. The men started up her stairs."Search for what?" She asked again but got no reply. She saw Ben go over to one of the sofas opposite to where Richard was tied up to take a seat. She saw a look on Ben's face that she saw the day he came by and injected her with an overdose of the drug that landed her at the hospital. It was a masked look because he seemed calm but she knew he was angry and unhappy at the same time.When she got a chance, she moved to where Richard was and decided to ask him what she asked Ben earlier, hoping for a response."What did you do, Richie?" She asked and got a glare from him that made her move back."Where is she?" Richard's eyes turned from Alex to Ben when he heard the q
Alex was starting to get scared of Richard's presence when they heard her doorbell ring downstairs."Are you expecting someone?" He asked her."N...yes!" She lied and left him for downstairs before he could hold her back. Happily opening the door to at least be free from him, she saw Randy."Ma'am, I was sent by Mr Larkson..." Randy saw that she was in a towel and looked away immediately."Randy, thank goodness it's you." She pushed him outside and followed, closing the door behind her."Ma'am I...""Shhhh. I need you to help me okay? There's someone in there whom I am currently not very comfortable with," she started and when she saw that he was listening, she continued."I want you to act like we planned to leave together and that you came to pick me up. Can you?""I was actually sent by Mr Larkson to...""Aren't you listening to me?!" She whispered shakily."I need your help, someone broke into my house.""I'm not the police, ma'am." Randy remained polite though he didn't believe what
11:49 pm Cherry returned from the restroom and saw Brie seated on the bed, not sleeping. She lay on her side of the bed and pulled the blanket over herself to go back to sleep but couldn't, not when Brie was awake."You are overthinking shit again, aren't you?" She sat and joined Brie."I just have a bad feeling. It's been two days since Belle went to that wedding, I find it weird that she hasn't called or come over to tell us about what happened that day. You know how excited she gets, she should have come by to see us, you know.""Urggh, Brie, really? Is that why you are not sleeping?""Is it not a good enough reason?""No, it isn't. Get some sleep, Belle is FINE. She's probably cuddling in bed with him right now and you're here, worrying your ass over nothing.""I'll call her tomorrow morning, please remind me?""Yeah, sure. Can we return to sleeping now?""Okay." Brie rested her head on the pillows."Oh wow, that was actually easier than usual, you agree to go back to sleep. Good
Weeks later.Late night.Alex's heels made some noise as she walked into the quiet house. It woke Richard up; he had been sitting and waiting for her till he fell asleep."You're finally back, I've been waiting for you. Why didn't you pick up your calls? The least you could have done is answer the goddamn call and let me know if you're busy, you fucking left me worried.""You didn't see my text?" Alex raised a brow."I didn't.""Well, I sent you a text to let you know that I would be visiting Doctor Dan to fix an appointment for my abortion.""What? I thought we talked about that, we're keeping the baby, aren't we?""I changed my mind," she shrugged."You changed your mind? Seriously? Tell me you're joking, Alex.""Do you see me laughing right now? Look, Richie, I'll be honest with you. I went out with my friends after seeing the doctor and I'm as hell as I speak so please let me just go have a good shower so I can get some sleep." She started to walk towards the stairs."You can't mak