Annie leisurely strolled out of the bustling mall, with the wheels of her shopping cart gliding smoothly across the pavement.
As she approached her mother's reliable nine-year-old Toyota, she carefully began to unload the contents of the cart into the car's trunk.With the task complete, she gently guided the cart back to its designated spot under the shade, joining the others in an orderly row.Just as she was about to step into the car, a sudden force yanked her back from behind."I need a moment with you," Owen's unremorseful voice sounded.Annie turned to see Owen and fumed. "Are you raving mad? Why the hell did you pull my hands with such force?""Sorry about that. Can we talk?" Owen replied, unperturbed."No, we can't. As you can see, I'm heading home. Try again some other time."Owen held her by the arm again. "Please," he pleaded."No," she replied.He rubbed his head with both hands. "Listen, Annie, I've been following you arouGregory Johnson and his daughter took their seats at the glossy, rich mahogany dining table. The smooth, silky surface of the furniture glistened in the warm glow of the dining room lights. The walls painted a sparkling white, reflected the soft light, creating an inviting and elegant ambience. The purple damask curtains, with their intricate patterns, added a regal touch to the room, perfectly complementing the exquisitely carved dining chairs. Angelina took a refreshing sip of water while the aroma of the freshly served meal filled the air. The set sun cast a gentle, golden hue across the barely visible window panes."Dad, you need to be there with me. I need you for moral support." Angie told her father as Mrs Dee finished serving their meal. She took a quick bite of the grilled chicken on her plate and nodded with satisfaction before turning towards her father. Gregory smiled as he met her gaze."What happened to 'I plan on making it myself, I don't
"Thank you." Angelina smiled. "Imagine having them mention my brand on most of their social media posts, It's like a different kind of audience finding out about me," Angie explained. "Imagine mentioning their brand on most of your social media posts, Angie. They will be blown, my Darling. They will be very lucky to have you." He added. "I see where you're coming from though, but I don't think you should pressure yourself too much. You are doing so great already, at your age. There are only but a handful of twenty-six-year-olds that have achieved as much as you." "There is really no pressure from my end, papa. I just want to expand my audience. I would like to explore more sales avenues as well, and that will mean reaching out to an audience at several geographical locations. That is where Lofair comes in. I hope to be a Billionaire just like you when I grow up." She said, smiling so hard that a part of her white teeth shone. "Very well, then," Gregory
"Rosie, I'm not opposing your relationship. I'm just worried about you." Evelyn sighed and sat down.Rosie walked up to her and sat beside her. "I'm fine Mom. I'm happy, and properly loved. This is all me.""Baby, are you sure?" Evelyn asked, hoping for a solid assurance. "I want your happiness.""Yes, he makes me happy. I want to be with him." Rosie replied.Evelyn cleared her throat, "Tell me about him." She said."He's a widower, he has two kids. A daughter and a son. His daughter is more about art exhibitions, fashion, and charity. His son is in Med school."Evelyn nodded, fighting so hard to accept her daughter's words. "If he makes you happy, then it's fine. But if you ever feel that he's not what you want, at any point, please, promise me you'll walk away.""I promise," Rosie whispered, smiling victoriously.............Rosie and Tessa arrived at the Orion restaurant, hoping to have dinner and catch up with some celebrity gist wh
The new month started on a Saturday and Rosie paid a visit to Gregory at his residence. She exited the kitchen with a stuffed plate of home-baked biscuits by Mrs Dee.Placing the snack on a side table, she took a seat beside Gregory and rested her head on his chest. "How has your weekend been so far?" He surfed through the channels and stopped at Judge Rudy, a crime series he realized Rosie loved a lot."So far, so good. Nothing much has happened. Aside from being here with you, my weekend has been bland and uneventful." She lay her head on his lap and raised her legs on the chair.Gregory adjusted to accommodate her, ensuring her comfort. "How about we change that? Say we go to the club, dance till we're exhausted."Rosie started laughing. "That's insane. Clubs open at night, not during the day.""Exceptions can always be made, Angel." He winked.A clearing of throat above the stairs informed them of Angelina's presence. "Welcome Rosie." She greeted the
The master suite was an open space, with only two support columns to break it up. Bouquets of red roses, white tulips, and lilies covered nearly every flat surface, and some even sat on the floor in strategic areas. The bed was massive and covered in white satin, which made Rosie think of a bridal suite, an impression reinforced by the black-and-white photo of a filmy scarf or veil blowing in the breeze hanging over the headboard. She looked at Gregory. "Have you been here before?" She asked. He reached up and freed her bun. "No. What reason would I have to come here?" "Right." She closed her eyes wearily as he ran his fingers through her hair root. "You can take your clothes off, Angel. I’ll start the bath for you. Or do you want me to bathe you?" He magically drew closer and placed his lips directly on her ears. "Yes..." She said before she could stop herself. Gregory backed up and she opened her eyes and c
His embrace was the most wonderful feeling in the world. His hands stroked the length of Rosie's spine, gentling her. "I won’t lie. I want to beat the hell out of any man who’s ever hurt you. If there's anyone else, you'd be smart not to tell me and to keep them the hell away from me." Rosie tightened her arms around his waist, giving comfort and acceptance. And gratefully accepting both in return. The white silk robe she found hanging in the closet was gorgeous. It was lined with the softest linen and a soft lace sewn into the cuffs and base. She loved it, which was a good thing since the likes of it were the only option she had for sleeping. She dug into the wardrobe and found white strapless dresses and silky jackets. She watched Gregory pull on a pair of black silk pajama pants and tie the drawstring. "Why do you get real clothes, as in pants and I get strapless short gowns." He glanced up at her. "Because I’m the one who arran
The lovebirds napped the rest of the morning away. Rosie enjoyed the feeling of sleeping right beside Gregory, with her head pillowed on his chest, her arm draped over his rock-hard stomach, and her legs tangled with his. When they woke shortly after four in the evening, she was starving. They headed down to the kitchen together and to her delight, she found that the pantry was fully stocked. There was no need to leave the house for anything. They went the easy route and made noodles and boiled eggs, which they took into the living room and ate together, sprawled out and cross legged on the couch facing each other. Rosie was halfway through her meal when she caught Gregory watching her with a grin. "What?" She asked, around a bite. "It’s so much fun watching you eat." "Shut up." She giggled and his grin widened. He looked so carefree and happy that it made Rosie's heart hurt. "How did you find this place?" She asked him. He shoved an egg in h
They went for a walk on the beach. Rosie put on a pair of Gregory's pajama bottoms and one of his shirts. "I must have died and gone to heaven," he pronounced, seeing Rosie in his clothes as they strolled along the shore. She bumped her shoulder into his. "How do you go from mind-blowing romantic to crude in the space of a few minutes." "It’s one of my many talents." His gaze dropped to the shirt Rosie was wearing. He squeezed her hand and gave an exaggerated happy sigh. "Heaven with my Angel. It doesn’t get any better than this." "I have to agree. I'm glad we're doing this together for a week." She replied. The beach was beautiful in a moody, untamed way that reminded Rosie a lot of the man whose hand she held. The water was cold on her bare feet, and the wind whipped her hair across my face. It had been a long time since she'd ever felt so good, and she was immensely
Rosie hesitated for a moment before slipping her finger under the flap and pulling out the contents. Her eyes widened with curiosity as she saw a stack of neatly typed pages. As she began to read through them, her breath caught, shock, surprise registered on her face immediately. The papers were house ownership documents for the lake house Gregory rented for her birthday celebration. The same lake house they were in, when he had asked her to marry him. But what shocked her the most was that her name was listed as the new owner of the property. With trembling hands, she looked up at Gregory, unable to believe what the document was implying. “Greg, what… What is this? You bought the house?” Gregory shrugged casually, as if it were no big deal. “You said you liked the house, so I decided to buy it for you,” he explained. “I realized I hadn’t actually gotten you a proper birthday present yet, so… this is my birthday present,
Mrs. Dee quickly disappeared down the hallway, leaving Rosie to soak in the comforting familiarity of the space.Moments later, Gregory appeared at the hallway entrance, surprise and delightful joy spread across his face. He looked at Rosie, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, relishing in the joy of her visit. Then, with a few quick strides, he crossed the room and pulled her into a tight bear hug, lifting her off the ground slightly. Rosie giggled cutely as she spun her slightly.“I can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured into her hair before pulling back just enough to capture her lips in a deep kiss.Mrs. Dee, who had been watching from the hallway, glowed with joy and she did a little happy dance. Sensing that it was time to give them some privacy, she quietly slipped away, leaving the couple to themselves.The kiss between them started slow, as they locked their lips, but then, it gently escalated into something more passionate, demandin
Owen laughed, letting out a harsh, unremorseful sound. “Always acting like the useless clueless saint, always." He spat out. "You had it coming, though. Do you think you can just toss me aside, mess up my career, join a rival firm, cart away most of my clients, and everything will be fine? You deserve everything that happened to you, do you fuckin hear me?” He banged his hands on the table between them and became immediately calm when the policemen in the room rushed at him.Hearing his painful, venomous words, Rosie lost every hope she had of hearing or seeing him sound or act remorseful. It dawned on her that he didn't regret any of the things he did. Unshed tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry. “You’re a bitter, selfish, and wicked man,” she spat at him, her voice very steady and clear. “I hope you rot in hell for what you did.” Owen started laughing mockingly, still seated, held down by the police. Without waiting for a response, Rosie turn
As soon as Gregory and Angie left, Rosie turned to her mother, "Well?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.Evelyn took a seat, looking at her warmly. "I always want your happiness, Baby," she began. "Gregory is a good man, he's proven that. And he loves you. It's also very clear that he makes you happy as well. You two would make a good couple. I've gotten past the bad blood between us, and you should do the same."Annie chimed in, "I think someone is going to get back her engagement ring pretty soon because you don't even have a choice. Not with how smitten you look.""You think?" Rosie blushed."I know," Annie replied.Rosie took a deep breath, then confessed, "You are right. I love Gregory Johnson so much that I don't think I could survive perfectly without him. I love the way he loves me."Everyone in the room smiled, feeling the warmth and love shared between them. They all came together for a family hug, embracing the second chance at happiness
A few days after being rescued from her kidnappers, Gregory and his daughter, Angelina brought Rosie home from the hospital, where she spent several days in recovery. Annie let them into the living room and went to inform her mother of their arrival. Evelyn, who was busy in the kitchen, making dinner, hurried out to the living room to welcome her daughter home.Pulling Rosie in a hug, all smiles, she held her a little longer. Annie offered Gregory and his daughter a seat and they settled into two of the empty sofas in the room."Thank you so much," Evelyn said to Gregory when she finally released Rosie. "Thank you for everything." She added."You know I'll do even more," he replied with a smile. Then he turned to Rosie, who was now settling in her seat. "I thought about taking her home to care for her myself, but I figured it was best to bring you home to family first."Annie smiled warmly. "Thanks for being so thoughtful," she said sarcastically. Everyone laug
Disguised as farmers, local traders and fishermen, the police infiltrated the community close to the location where Rosie had been held hostage the night before. Kick-starting an undercover mission.The next morning, their rescue mission commenced. Dressed in rags, a couple of police officers scaled the poorly built fence surrounding the isolated building and quietly entered the compound with cautious and well-calculated movements.As they combed through the house, they found no one else inside. Exposing their trousers, two out of the officers present pulled out their guns with silencers already in place. They followed the signal from Rosie's wristwatch, and it led them to a room with two packed boxes and a mask. A purse was emptied on the bed, and its contents exposed some cash, two debit cards and Rosie's wristwatch. But, there was no sign of Rosie. Their eyes quickly fell on a door at the end of the corridor. Weapons pointed at the door; they approached it
As soon as he ended the call, Gregory put his Bank account officer on speed dial. Without waiting for confirmation, he just knew that the location would lead him to Rosie's kidnappers.So there was no time for sentiments. He needs to start getting things ready, and that would start from his bank. Once his account officer picked up, Gregory barked into the phone. “Damon." He called, "I need $350,000 arranged immediately,” he barked, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. He had already decided it's either try the option of giving the abductors their request and hoping that Rosie would be released to him, safe or involve some of his trusted friends in the force and have them ensure Rosie's safety while he went ahead to give in to the abductors request.Damon agreed, “That can be arranged, sir." He said. "But, I’ll need you to come to the Bank in person. There are certain procedures involved that would require your signature.” He insisted.Gregory’s frustratio
He immediately turned and hurried out of the room with his mind still making several calculations on the next few steps to take. He had to save Rosie, no matter what it took. And in this case, all they want is money, which he has and is willing to offer. However, he wasn't certain about her life. If he were to provide the needed money, would she live, or would she still end up dead? That was a question he had no answer to.As the call to Gregory ended, the scar-faced guy left the room, murmuring inaudibly. Then, the masked one, among her abductors, entered the room.His mask concealed his face completely, leaving only little holes for his eyes, nose, mouth and ears. And when he asked her a question, "Are you hungry?" There was something about his voice that sent chills down her spine. It was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She swallowed hard, trying to convince herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her. But the more she thought ab
"If the location shows the wristwatch is here, or at the apartment she shares with her flatmate, then we'll be sure that she didn’t go out with it. But if it points to somewhere else… then we might have to check the location out." Gregory replied. The room fell into absolute silence. They were all on edge, silently praying and hoping that the wristwatch’s location would give them a clue to Rosie's current location. Evelyn, who had been quiet for most of the time, spoke again. “She has to be okay...” her voice trembled. Gregory nodded, forcing a positive smile, but the fear in his eyes betrayed his attempt to push a positive message. They were all thinking the same thing, even if they didn’t say it out loud. Everybody knew without being told that something was terribly wrong. As they waited for the tracking information, Annie and Gregory continued trying Rosie's number, while Evelyn, who was terrified to her bones, sat down and started whisper