I sat in the luxurious room my husband called his study, sunlight filtered through the stained window panes; around me, almost every piece of design here was gold, the mosaic on the wall was gold, the shelves had golden handles and golden design, the chair I sat in, and other furnitures and accessories in here. I sighed my husband is a wealthy, multi-billionaire CEO, who had companies all over the world, (including Africa), but here I sat, resentful, even with all the splendor around me.
I had been married to my husband for a month now, we slept in the same room, on the same bed, but kept reasonable distance, not that he is bad-looking or anything, in fact he is a sight to behold, I had never seen a man as handsome as he is, is just that I had been married to him, by my parents, who would never want to miss an opportunity to get their daughter married to a wealthy CEO “Good morning” came a deep voice, I whirled towards towards to the sound of the voice, there he was. Standing at the wall was none other than my husband, Arthur Stone, at twenty-five, Arthur Stone was the epitome of a well-endowed man, his dark hair fell to his temples and he raked a hand through it, his blue eyes were like a calm sea, he had good lips. I nodded choosing not to reply, Arthur didn’t utter any more word, he opened the glass that led to the balcony and stared at the bustling city of Los Angeles. I watched as the wind tossed his long dark hair, he leaned against the railing staring ahead. This was how our marriage had been, we acted like strangers forced to stay together, and in some way that was true. Arthur shoved his hand into his pocket and fished out his phone and made a call, I watched him give series of nods, then he cut the call, and turned, he brushed past me and slammed the door closed. I frowned, he was acting weirdly lately, he rarely came home and when he came it would be very late, I closed the novel I was reading and went to my room, we had our rooms, why we were sleeping in the same room? I really don’t know, maybe it was because of our parents threat to give them grand children after three months, I was already prepared to lie that I was barren, but a test had been conducted on me and Arthur and we were confirmed okay to have children. I changed my clothes and brushed my hair when a knock on my door made me jump, “Come in” I yelled and Arthur’s butler Pedro, came in, he lowered his head. “Someone is here to see you Ma’am” he said and walked out. I sighed, I really didn’t want to see anyone. I walked to the enormous hall to see my mother waiting, her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Morgan, look how you have changed, you look more like a woman, I guess Arthur is taking care of you” she said and I rolled my eyes, yes I was provided with luxury clothes and almost anything I want at my disposal, but I hated it. “Mom!” I complained, “What are you doing here” “Where is the baby?” She asked, ignoring my question and i scowled. “Not yet?, what did I tell you?, don’t tell me you’ve not done it before, Morgan, I know you” my mom said. “It’s none of your business, mom” I retorted, “And we are not ready yet” My mom glared at me, studying me, trying to see any falsetto in what I just said. “Fine, I will have a word with Mrs. Stone, where is your husband?” My mom asked. “Out” I replied curtly, and my mom stared at me before walking out. I clenched my fists, stormed to the bedroom and crashed onto the bed, my hand touched something and I picked it; it was a note: Just bought a new Tesler, if you feel like cruising, you can use it, it’s yours anyway I glanced at the note again, surprised. Arthur had bought me a new Tesler? The dude was way too nice, I got up from the bed and skipped happily, I loved flashy cars, and he, buying a car for me, made my view of him change, I tapped in the code on a panel and the garage opened, sitting among the fleet of cars was a brand new red Tesler, I grinned and grabbed the car keys from a compartment on the wall beside where the car was parked. I opened the door and slipped in, I started the engine and the car roared to life, grinning I spun the wheel and sped off. * * * When I came back, it was already dark, I entered the bedroom to find Arthur on his side sleeping, I frowned, Arthur was never usually this early, I sat opposite him and took of my shoes. After a steamy shower, I came out of the bathroom to find Alex dressing up, he took of his shirt and I stared in awe. Alex had never took of his shirt in front of me, his chest was well defined and chiseled, his stomach was flat and had their complete eight-pack, he caught me staring and quickly put on another shirt, he brushed back his long hair and headed for the door. “Are you going out this late?” I asked and he stopped at the door, his hand on the door knob. “Yes, I have something to attend to” came his deep voice. “Business?” I pressed, he turned and raised a brow, his blue eyes darkened, “When did you start asking questions?” I stood up and glared at him, “I deserve to know” “You deserve to know?” he barked out a laugh, “Really? Who do think you are?” He said coldly, his voice laced with ice. I almost blurted out “your wife” but held my tongue Fine! Go to hell I mused as he slammed the door, I lay back on the bed and stared at the door. The usual warm bad felt drafty and cold, sighing I turned off the lights and fell asleep. * * * I woke feeling weary, I turned to the other side, the bed was still empty, sighing I stood up walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower. I did my hair into a ponytail and wore a back and gold designer dress, I stared at myself in the mirror and scowled, the figure staring back at me was looking too expensive for my liking, my blond hair shone from the hair cream I put on it, on my neck was a golden, diamond studded necklace which would have probably cost millions, the dress I wore was the latest trend and from a famous brand too. I put on hiking boots and walked to the garage, my Tesler sat at a corner, looking spotless, I had ordered Pedro not to wash the car, I wanted something to look normal not flashy here, for once, but the stupid butler had went ahead to wash it, I checked the compactment on the garage wall for the keys and brought it out and opened the car and started the engine, it roared to life and I drove off slamming my foot on the gas, I hated slow driving, I was all about fast and furious, I parked in front of my best friend house, since I got married to Arthur, I haven’t visited my friend, she sure would be preparing some cheeseburgers now, grinning, I knocked on the door, no one answered, I raised my hand to knock again when the door swung inward and the grinning face of my friend came into view. “Jeez Morgan, you didn’t tell me” she said and I smiled. “It wasn’t necessary” I said and she stared at me like I was crazy. “It wasn’t necessary?” She echoed, do you know who your husband is, he is one of the richest business man in the whole of America, come on girl let’s go in, and we’ll gist more” she said and I smiled when we walked into her modest abode. Her house made me remember my own home, I hated ever splendor and the shine of gold that greeted me when I returned to our house. “So” Brielle said, “Did you guys have sex” she asked and I glared at her in shock. “Jeez, Brielle, I don’t like him, he is so arrogant and cocky” I said and Brielle raised a brow. “He just bought a Tesler for you” Brielle noticed and I shrugged. “Out of obligation, maybe?” I said “Maybe!” Brielle repeated, “Why don’t you ask for a divorce if you so hate your marriage” I glared at her, “It’s too early Brielle, give me a year, I can assure you that I will work my way out the marriage” I said. But I was so wrong .I sat in the study, proofreading the new novel I was writing, beside me was a bottle of ice soda, yes! soda gives me inspiration when reading, besides me, on the floor, lay Arthur’s pet Rottweiler, the dog had nearly tore me off, the day it saw me, Arthur had to calm it down, I don’t know if Arthur explained to the dog that I was his wife, because the next day, the dog had sauntered up to me and wagged it’s tail, it quickly became friends with me. “Jeez! Flint I don’t even know what to write” I said and Flint whined and stared at me, sometimes I think the dog understood a lot, he jumped into my lap and used a paw to close the book as if telling me to forget about writing for now, I laughed and rubbed his head, he jumped down and I walked out of the study with he on my trail. I entered the large hall and met Arthur standing, his back facing me as he grabbed a bottle of beer from the bar, he poured it into a glass. So he was back, I wanted to quietly slip back into
I stared at my laptop, researching on how to win a man’s heart, but all of them were useless, after last night at the grave, Arthur’s attitude had become worse, he rarely talked to me and he just completely ignored me, he looked scared, anytime I told him, I wanted to tell him something, I knew he didn’t want my love, this should have discouraged any normal woman, but instead I fell more deeply in love, I would sit for hours picturing him kissing me, telling me he loved me, the most crazy thing now was I would imagine him making love to me and any time he comes, I would peek through the door watching him undress himself. Once, he had suggested we have separate rooms but i quickly told his mom, who came and ordered him to call the idea quits, Arthur had given me the stink eye and ignored me. I picked my phone, a brand new iPhone 13 and dialed Brielle’s line. She picked at the first ring. “Morgan!! What’s up? How’s Arthur” she asked and I smiled sad
We got home and Pedro rushed out and opened the door for us, I smiled at him and walked in, Arthur tossed Pedro a huge wad of money. “Give it to your momma, tell her I said hi” Pedro grinned. “Thank you, sir” he said and Arthur nodded and strode to the bedroom and I followed suit. He opened the door and sat on the huge bed. “So, who was that man?” I asked, and Arthur frowned, he looked cute when he frowned. “He is an old enemy, he sees himself as my rival” Arthur said, he tossed his hair back, the move was so sensual that heat pooled between my legs, my breath caught. “He was kinda looking at me weird” i confessed and Arthur eyes filled with fire, he stood. “Be careful of that creep” he growled and I smiled, suddenly becoming bold. “Are you concerned?” I teased and Arthur scowled at me, he stepped closer but I was done being intimidated, he needed to know my feelings. “I love you Arthur Stone,”
The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed as usual and I wondered how someone who slept so late could wake up as early as my husband Alex did and it was kind of frightening. The only thing that seemed to sit well with me as the fact that though he was a morning person and an early riser, he wasn't grumpy unless he wanted to feign it so he didn't have to talk with me which I had already gotten used to anyways.I got out of bed immediately and went to the bathroom, turning the faucet on, I scooped water and poured on my face, washing my face and at the same time trying to fully wake myself up.The bathtub was kind of heated and warm which made me know that he had probably taken his bath and was preparing for work. After washing my face, I walked out hoping to see him in the parlor but he wasn't there either and it made me all the more worried.This was clearly few minutes to seven am so there was no way he had already gone to work right?That was when I heard the soundof his car engin
Heads swiveled as all eyes turned to stare at the outsider who had just interrupted the meeting as I heaved heavily due to the adrenaline rush and all the running to this place which was actually worth it.“I'm sorry, sir. We would take the deranged lady out.” One of the security said as they rushed in dragging me out while I locked eyes with Alex who had his gaze fixated on me with shock.“You left the briefcase at home, I saw it contained some documents that you might need so I rushed over immediately.” I said whilst the guards dragged me out stretching forth the briefcase that I held in my arms like a newborn.“Liam, take your hands off her.” Alex growled and everyone left me immediately as he stood from his seat and approached me while other members stared in confusion as to what was happening.Of course, they didn't know I was his wife since we had a low and private wedding and I don't know if he was ready to let that public know of our marriage though it was arranged.Covering t
“I believe you heard my question!!” Arthur stated, punctuating each word with aver in his voice and I couldn't help but think of when he stated doing things that were in my best interest.As a matter of fact, I was trying to do my best to please him and get his mind off his late lover but this man seating across the dinning table, definitely isn't my husband. When did he transform that I don't know of?“Your secretary.” I finally said and he sat back resignedly on the chair. After staring at me for some minutes like he was studying me, he picked up his phone and punched in a few numbers.At the second ring, the recipient picked up the call and he bellowed into the speaker;“Tell Miss Kira to clear out her table before I get to work tomorrow and put up a vacance for—” He was instructing them to fire his secretary and no matter how that made warmth spread all over my chest, I didnt want the turn of events to be that way especially as I already mapped out a plan.“No, Arthur. You're not
“Yes Kira. I just calls her Mrs Stone. Ma'am, I think you're in the best position to hold on to this file.” The guy who Arthur had briefed me as his right hand man, Liam walked over to me as he placed some documents in his hands and I smiled shortly.“Liam, we are in the company so right I'm just another of your colleagues.” I stated but this time ut was supported with a bright smile and he just scratched the back of his head, probably wondering how he was supposed to do that.“You both are very ridiculous. I knew this was your plan all along, to hook with Mr Arthur, the only part I didnt quite catch was that Liam was in on it. But let me make something clear, you can never ever qualify to be Mrs Stone. Not in this life and not in the next.” She warned, each note dripping off with a lot of sarcasm to the dge.“Yes ma'am, if you say so.” I just said stopping Liam from saying whatever it is that he was about to spew out while I walked out of the office.“Hey…” She called and I swerved
Something about his presence made the while room tense up and I could feel goosebumps fill my skin up. I tried my vest to remain poise and maintain control as I forced a smile.“Good day sir, nice to see you again.” I greeted as I flashed my set of white, perfectly arranged teeth. Trust me, my teeth is perfectly arranged; Believe me when I say that.“Its such an honor to meet you again considering we didnt spend much time the last time we saw. Is your husband in?” He questioned and is suddenly became protective of Arthur. After all, Arthur had looked like he drank a pail of poison the first time Vladimir tried talking time“Unfortunately, I think this is bad timing. The CEO isn't in at the moment, is there any message you would like to leave for him? I'd make sure it reaches him.” I said clenching and unclenching my fist underneath the table."Oh that's such a shame. I would prefer to deliver my message to him in person so permit me to sit by and wait for him to return." Vladimir said
Sage arrived unannounced, her presence instantly changing the atmosphere in our home. I had never met her before, but I knew of her. Arthur had spoken of her a few times, in that casual way you mention an old friend from childhood who had drifted away over the years. But now, seeing her in person, I could feel something wasn’t right. She didn’t come here just to catch up.She was beautiful, of course. The kind of beauty that seemed effortless—sleek dark hair, sharp green eyes, and a certain confidence that came with knowing you could get what you wanted. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t just here to say hello.Arthur greeted her with the usual politeness, but I could sense the awkwardness in the way he stood, the slight stiffness in his movements. He didn’t seem thrilled to see her, and I wondered why.Sage smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Arthur,” she said smoothly, “it’s been too long.”Arthur nodded, stepping back to let her inside. “Yeah, it has,” he replied, his
When the police arrived and dragged Vladimir away, I could barely stand. My legs felt unsteady, and I leaned against the nearest wall, my mind spinning. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling at that moment—relief, exhaustion, or just pure shock. But I was safe, and that’s all that mattered now.Arthur was beside me in seconds, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. His face was tense, and I could see the worry in his eyes, but his presence helped calm the whirlwind in my head.“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, his voice rough from the earlier fight. He had never looked so worn out, but there was a softness in the way he looked at me that made me feel a little more grounded.I nodded, not trusting myself to say much. The events of the night were still swirling in my head, and my body ached from the struggle. Vladimir’s twisted words echoed in my mind, but I shook them off. He was gone now, arrested, and wouldn’t hurt me again. At least, not physically.Arthur wrapped his arm around me, pul
I had been locked in this dark room for what felt like hours, maybe even days. The walls were cold and damp, the air heavy and thick with silence. I could hear nothing from the outside, no sound of cars or people, just my own heartbeat drumming in my ears. I had no idea where I was. All I knew was that Vladimir had me, and Arthur wasn’t here to protect me. The fear gnawed at my chest, but I fought against it. I had to stay strong, had to believe that Arthur would come for me. He always did. But right now, that felt so far away. The door creaked open, and my heart raced. I saw Vladimir standing there, his eyes cold and calculating as he stepped into the room. His presence made the air feel even heavier. I backed up until I was pressed against the wall, every instinct telling me to run, even though there was nowhere to go. Vladimir smirked at me, that same sick grin I’d seen before. “You look so scared, Morgan,” he said softly, almost mockingly. “You didn’t think it would come to
I had been locked in this dark room for what felt like hours, maybe even days. The walls were cold and damp, the air heavy and thick with silence. I could hear nothing from the outside, no sound of cars or people, just my own heartbeat drumming in my ears. I had no idea where I was. All I knew was that Vladimir had me, and Arthur wasn’t here to protect me.The fear gnawed at my chest, but I fought against it. I had to stay strong, had to believe that Arthur would come for me. He always did. But right now, that felt so far away. The door creaked open, and my heart raced. I saw Vladimir standing there, his eyes cold and calculating as he stepped into the room. His presence made the air feel even heavier. I backed up until I was pressed against the wall, every instinct telling me to run, even though there was nowhere to go.Vladimir smirked at me, that same sick grin I’d seen before. “You look so scared, Morgan,” he said softly, almost mockingly. “You didn’t think it would come to this,
It was just supposed to be a normal day.I had meetings lined up back-to-back, all centered on the business expansion, the kind of thing that normally took my focus. But ever since Vladimir had started lurking in the shadows, my mind wasn’t where it should be. Even when I was in those boardrooms, listening to presentations, signing off on contracts, my thoughts were somewhere else. My thoughts were with Morgan.I hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, not even for a few hours, but she had insisted. “Arthur, you’ve got work to do. I’m fine. Besides, the security team is here.” Her smile had been soft, reassuring, but it hadn’t eased the knot in my chest.But now, as I sat there in the middle of another meeting, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced down at it, expecting it to be a routine email or a message from one of my assistants. Instead, my heart stopped.It was a text from one of my security guys.**Morgan is gone.**I didn’t even bother with an explanation. I stood up, ignoring the
The air felt thick with tension, even though I was sitting in our cozy living room, sunlight streaming through the windows. I could tell something was off the moment Arthur walked in. He didn’t have to say anything—his jaw was clenched, and the way he was pacing made it clear. Something was wrong."Arthur," I called softly from the couch, my hand resting on my small but growing belly. “What is it?”He stopped, turning to look at me. His face was hard, but his eyes softened when they landed on me. Still, I could see the storm brewing behind them. “Vladimir knows,” he said simply, his voice low and tense.I froze. The name alone sent a chill down my spine. “Knows what?”Arthur’s gaze dropped to my belly, and that was all the answer I needed. My hand instinctively tightened around my bump, protectively.“How…?” I asked, though deep down I knew it didn’t matter. Vladimir had eyes everywhere. Of course, he would find out. I just wasn’t ready to face the reality of it.Arthur sat down besid
It hit me like a wave—a slow, creeping realization that didn’t make sense at first, but then everything suddenly clicked. The nausea, the exhaustion, the weird cravings… and the missed period. I sat there, staring at the little test in my hand, the two lines clear as day. Pregnant.I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, just staring, but it felt like time had frozen. My heart was racing, and a hundred thoughts were running through my head. I wasn’t ready for this, was I? I mean, Arthur and I had been through so much already—fighting assassins, dodging Vladimir’s endless schemes, and barely managing to stay alive some days. And now… a baby?The front door creaked open, and I quickly shoved the test into my bag. Arthur walked in, his eyes immediately locking onto me. He was always so attuned to everything I did, like he could read my emotions even before I knew what I was feeling. Today was no different.“Morgan?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Are you okay? You look pale.”I tried
Everything felt off. Even though we were back in the city, the tension hadn’t eased. In fact, it had gotten worse. Every shadow seemed to move, every sound felt like a warning. Arthur and I couldn’t relax. We were always looking over our shoulders, waiting for something bad to happen. The last few days had been a blur. We barely had time to catch our breath after escaping the forest. Vladimir had already sent his assassins after us once, and now we were back in the city, knowing full well he wasn’t going to stop. The man was ruthless, and he wanted Arthur gone.We holed up in the small apartment Arthur’s friend let us stay in. It wasn’t much, but it was safe. For now, anyway. The apartment was plain, with a couch and a small table, but the important part was that it wasn’t our place. Vladimir wouldn’t know where to find us here. At least, that’s what I hoped.But the fear never left me. Every time I heard a noise outside the door, my heart would start pounding. I kept thinking back t
We finally broke free from the thick trees, stepping out onto a dirt road that would eventually lead us back to the city. The forest had been our hiding place for what felt like forever, but now, as the city’s skyline loomed in the distance, all I felt was relief. The glow of the streetlights and the faint hum of traffic were a reminder of the world we left behind days ago.“We made it,” Arthur said, his voice strained with exhaustion. His hand was still gripping mine tightly, like he was afraid to let go. It had been our lifeline during this whole nightmare, and right now, it was the only thing keeping me from collapsing. I gave him a small nod, too tired to speak. My legs ached, and my feet throbbed in my sneakers. The past few days had been a blur of running and hiding from Vladimir’s assassins. They had been on our trail nonstop, hunting us like animals. But somehow, we had survived. Arthur glanced at me, concern written all over his face. “How are you holding up?”“I’m fine,”