"What are you doing? I thought you were going to stay at your office all night. Don't you have a meeting to be at?""I finished early," he answered all of Belle's questions. "I planned to spend the night with my sister." She thought to inform him."Change of plans then," he put the flower behind her left ear to accessorize her hair. With a smile, he continued."I want to take you somewhere.""Where?""Midnight.""Is that a place?""Yes. Let your sister know you are leaving."****Zina was the one driving Ben and Belle today while the other convoys followed. Belle didn't know where she was been taken till the car they rode in came to a stop.Belle saw a small but bright signboard with an inscribed name on it. It read: MIDNIGHT. Belle quickly recognized that they were outside of a nightclub. She stopped looking outside her window and turned to Ben with surprise."Are we at a club right now?""Yes." She heard him reply before he came down from the car after Zina held the door open for hi
In the car."Do you really love me?" Belle asked once Ben joined her in the car from the other side."What do you think?" "I don't know...my sister doesn't believe it. She probably thinks I was joking when I told her you love me." She shrugged and crossed her leg over his thighs to sit on them while facing him."But I know you love me, I don't think you would say you love me if you didn't." He smiled. Belle leaned in to kiss below his jaw; near his ear. She felt his budge beneath her grow so she laughed in a low voice that could displace him."O my goodness, you are so big, I can feel it.""Thanks to you," she found his voice to be much more hoarse than before."You make me want to ride it right now but no, we are still talking." She readjusted her seating position still on him before staring at him dreamily for some seconds."You are one handsome man, you know?" She smiled."I wonder what day you would love me more than I love you."Ben laughed. He knew she was drunk so he just liste
Morning.Belle's face was buried in the pillows when she heard the sound of a vibrating phone. She lifted her head to see a missed call notification on the screen of the phone.She saw Alex's name on the screen and immediately knew the phone that just rang wasn't hers, it was Ben's. The door to the bathroom opened so she closed her eyes because she didn't want him to think she was going through his phone.Ben walked round the bed to near where she lay. He took his phone from the bed and left for the changing room with it. After he left, Belle opened her eyes and lay there in bed debating if to ask him about Alex because she remembered seeing a call from her once before when he was with her.When Ben returned from the changing room, he was dressed in a grey suit, his tie loose and unknotted. Belle had closed her eyes again to pretend to be asleep till she saw how he struggled with his tie.She went and joined him where he stood in front of the mirror. Placing her hand over his, she stop
Alex sat in the driver's seat of her car with her hands on the steering wheel while she waited for the red traffic light to turn green.She wasn't crying out loud but warm tears streamed down her cheeks. She was trying to stop herself but she couldn't. She wanted Ben and was used to getting whatever she wanted and it didn't matter what or who.She remembered the first few times she started to have an interest in Ben. She was seventeen, he was twenty one. She remembered it was during the holidays and he was taking Jenna to her favorite place but she tagged along.Jenna had forgotten her purse and went to get it back so she was alone in the car with him. From the back of the seat she had called him."Ben?" He had turned his head to her from the driver's side."Do you uhm have a girlfriend?" She remembered hearing him laugh shortly because of that question of hers."No." He had answered."Why are you asking?""I like you." She was a confident girl."You're seventeen.""Doesn't matter," she
The next day. Brie's apartment."So you're telling me that supermodel, Jenna, asked you to be one of her bridesmaids?" Cherry asked Belle."When you put it like that," Belle laughed."I mean it sounds different when you say Ben's cousin asked me to be one of her bridesmaids.""Brie should be here to hear this." Cherry wringed her lips."And I can't wait, I have to be at Jenna's by one pm so I'll have to leave soon." Belle said and tapped on her phone's screen to see what time it was. Doing that, she saw a message notification pop in. It was from an unknown number.She unlocked her phone to see what was sent to her. It was a video. She was about to d******d and view it when her phone rang in her hands. It was Randy. Ben had asked him to go with Belle to Jenna's so he was calling her to let her know that he was downstairs waiting to pick her up."Alright Cherry, gotta go." She stood up and headed to the door."Tell Brie that I will come see her some other time, I might forget to call her.
Jenna's wedding reception. Jenna was sitting beside Jason, her husband while they chatted and giggled with each other on the stage set for the newly married couple.Belle watched them been happy with each other and an unconscious smile appeared on her lips. Meanwhile Ben stared at her from where he sat far from her. They couldn't sit together. Alex had come up with the idea that all of Jenna's bridesmaids have a special seat near the stage and everyone agreed.Belle was talking with one of her fellow bridesmaids when Randy came and squatted next to her."Ma'am," Belle turned in her seat when she heard him."Mr Larkson wants you to join him at his table.""What? Is that why he sent you?""Yes ma'am.""Tell him that I can't come join him at his table!" She whispered loudly."..." Randy paused for a while before talking."Ma'am, he asked me not to leave this place till you stand up to come meet him." "He said that?""Yes, ma'am."Belle looked in his direction and got a smile from him but
"Son?" Belle heard a feminine voice call through the phone. "Mum, is there a problem?""No. It's just that I bumped into a friend of mine and her daughter...""Really?" Ben acted surprised like his mother hadn't done something similar before. He was very sure that she didn't bump into that friend of hers. He was sure that his mother had asked her friend to bring her daughter along for Jenna's wedding so they could be introduced to each other."Listen to me," his mother insisted."I am listening, mum.""Remember you made me a promise. I only agreed to dissolve my anger that day because you said you would make it up to me.""What do you want me to do, tell me." Ben sighed when he remembered that day. His mother was going to harm herself when she found out that he was his father's biological son from another woman, and not adopted like she was told. He had to find a way to calm her down so he made her a promise."You are still in the venue, right? Or did you leave, I can't see you in the
"Ben?" Alex tried to talk to him but wasn't walking on calculated steps so she almost fell and he caught her. Some cameras started to click when he stopped her from falling because Alex had once lied in an interview that ‘they have a thing for each other’. He helped her back on her feet and wanted to leave the place before any more pictures could be taken but she held his arm and brought herself closer to him; taking advantage of the information she wanted to relay to him."Ben," she called and hugged him."What's this you're doing, Alex?" He became angry when she wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go."I'm scared," she sniffed and hugged him tighter. He wanted to push her away but what she was doing had brought attention to them."Alex, stop this, let go." "Can't you hear me? I'm scared." She repeated and waited for him to ask why, else she wouldn't tell him about Belle and what happened in the restroom."Are you scared, or are you just drunk?" "Yes, I might have drunk
"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