Donovan was playing to win her. She couldn’t tell if it was a chivalrous act or just downright disrespectful. “Best two out of three?” Ahmed asked. Donovan nodded in affirmation. “Dealer, shall we begin?” He said to the dealer. The game started on a low note for Donovan and ended with both men losing to the dealer. The second round ended with Ahmed as the winner and third, Donovan. It was a tie. “Let’s have a tiebreaker,” Ahmed suggested. “On one condition,” Donovan said. “What?” Ahmed asked. “We’ll multiple the bets by 10,” Donovan declared. Stanford gave him an apprehensive look. Was he willing to lose 30 million dollars in one day? “Fine.” He raised his right hand to summon his uncle. After a few minutes of whispering, one of his goons appeared with a bag, throwing it on top of the table. The dealer unzipped the bag to reveal a huge of money. Donovan smirked, completely unfazed. He dipped his hand into his suit pocket, opened his brown leather wallet and pulled o
It was 6pm, finally they were on land. Catherine loathe the experience and wished it would never repeat itself. Luxury boats were not her cup of tea. Clutching her heels and dress, she gathered her things from the cabin. Her appearance was similar to a bride who had been stood up by her groom on her wedding day. Her ruined makeup did not quite help the situation. She didn’t even mind the deadly stares that followed her. “Catherine,” Mr. Stanford called out from where he stood. He was having a conversation with Najib. “Yes, sir,” she answered, walking in his direction. He stared at her bare feet, but she obviously didn’t mind. “Here,” he said, handing her a check. She stared blankly. He handed her a check and she wondered whether to feel grateful or irritated.? “Thank you for the flawless job you did with today’s fundraiser. You deserve at least a day off,” he added, still stretching out his hand. Catherine gripped her tongue. “A day?” she mumbled. Stanford’s attention had s
After the drama that took place the previous day, Catherine decided to start the new day with a quick run. She knew very well the area she lived, but at that point she really didn’t care. Whether she ruined her new running shoes with dog poop on the side on the road was none of her business. She needed to clear her head and get her priorities in check. After downing her regular ginger and lemon shot, she was ready to begin her day. Catherine stared at the check that laid on her nightstand. After careful consideration, she picked it up. She deserved to spoil herself after all she had been through. Regardless of the situation, she woke up with a huge smile across her face and planned to keep it that way. Her plan was cut short and her smile gradually faded when she remembered the text she got from Ruby. She took out her phone to re-read it. It read; “Hey Catherine, I’m having a little dinner tomorrow night. It’s a girls’ night and we’re basically discussing wedding stu
Catherine laid in bed for a while. A knock from the door got her up. Her eyes immediately went to her phone. It was 12:56. “Hello,” Kenny said as she opened the door. “Hey,” she said, grabbing the bag he held in front of his face. “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I practically got everything,” he said referring to the bag of food that was now in Catherine’s hand. He opened his backpack and pulled out some binders, dropping them onto her island. “What’s all this?” she asked. “Homework,” he responded. “Huh,” she said with a puzzled look on her face. “Campaign homework. You need to know your politics, Cathy,” he explained. “But I do,” she pouted. He stared at her for a while before asking, “What are focus groups?”. Catherine stared blankly. “A small group of people whose response to something is studied to determine the response that can be expected from a larger population,” he answered his question. “You need to be indispensable, Catherine, so they’d the less of a reason t
“What? This really has to stop happening,” she said, holding her head tightly. The room just wouldn’t stop spinning. “Urghh,” she groaned in pain. The headache worsened with every move she made. “You’re not doing yourself any good,” a voice spoke from the door frame. “Stop moving,” he said, walking towards her. She jumped a little, startled. The alcohol had blurred her vision but her other sensory organs functioned properly. “Donovan?” she called out as if taking a guess. She was in his apartment again, but in another room. “Yes Candace, it’s me,” he responded, dropping a glass of water on the drawer beside the bed. “Were you expecting someone else?” It seemed like he expected an answer.“Here,” he said, recklessly dropping a pill into her palm. “Take this or die of a headache, I don’t care,” he growled, sizing her up and leaving the room. Catherine struggled a little but was finally able to get her eyes open. “Arrogant bastard,” she cussed after regaining full consciousness. Why
HERMAN INT. RESTAURANT An upscale restaurant it was. Fine dining, perfectly defined by the exceptional service. Dimly lit, slow classical music playing in the background, everything that made a high-class establishment what it was. Catherine stood beside him, brooding. She waited patiently for the guests they were to entertain this time. The sound of glasses clinking and forks scraping on plates made her feel a little uneasy. After all the warm greetings from the staff and customers, they were finally ready to take their seat. Donovan pulled her chair back, waiting patiently for her to seat down. Catherine examined his demeanor for a while before finally taking a seat. He opened his suit button, flinging his suit stylishly into the air before sitting down. “Why are you so skeptical about everything?” he sighed. “I have my reservations about you,” she hissed. He paused, adjusting himself in his seat till he was in a comfortable position. “I’m not even trying to get into it with y
Two weeks had passed and Catherine still wasn’t able to shake the effects of Donovan’s action in the restaurant off. He was so brave. Standing up to that bully finally put him in her good books, for the moment at least. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought. Her phone chimed. It was a text from Donovan, it read; “Start coming”. She held onto her phone for a while recalling the night with Ruby and her friends. “But I didn’t call him,” she whispered. Another text from Donovan; “Fast,” was the only thing he said. She picked up her bag from the bed and gave herself a reassuring nod. She had a flowing dress and sandals on. Her outfit for the day had really neutral colors. Catherine had finally taken Kenny’s advice on becoming an indispensable part of the senatorial campaign. She solely planned her first charity event: A breast cancer enlightenment and fundraising campaign in the name of the Smith’s. The event was to be held today. They had cute T-shirts printed and lots of promotional m
“Why was she so upset?” Donovan paced his room for a while as he recalled how Catherine broke her clipboard in half and stormed out of the facility. It wasn’t his nature to beg or chase after a girl. Normally, he was unfazed by everyone’s actions and inactions. What could it have been that made her so upset? He suddenly felt a vibration coming from his pocket. His phone was ringing. The caller ID said Candace. She was one girl he had to date when his mother launched Smith cosmetics a couple of years ago. Candace was a pawn. He used her to get her mother’s support in approving their products for circulation without proper testing. The brand had been on everybody’s lips since then. Donovan ignored the call, but that didn’t stop her from calling again. She was always do relentless, that was her worse quality. He tossed his phone across the room. It landed safely. He had a great arm because he played baseball in high school. He was a phenomenal pitcher. He grabbed a comfortable positi
Thomas had helped them a great deal. After the words “I have it,” that he spoke to Lily over the phone, no one had heard a peep from her in months.Her baby was found on his doorstep alongside a note that he didn’t bother to read.Donovan was certain it was a confession of her lover for him. He beat himself up for a long time for not being able to recognize that she was obsessed with him. Life had been good, quiet. It didn’t take Catherine very long to get acquainted with his niece. Her father was, indisposed.They became more open with other people, family, friends, business partners, they learnt to forgive right after buying up all Zenith shares with the help of the ghost partner and replacing the entire board. It was a sigh of new beginnings for everyone.Lily was discovered later at a rehabilitation center in a foreign country. Now it was clear where she had gotten her evidence to plant. Kenny was released from prison almost immediately. He and Teresa finally became official. They
After everything, the meeting ended in a deadlock. There was no amount of money Donovan offered them that picked their interest. Lily’s goal was to get him locked up as revenge for what he did. The dimly lit room didn’t quite help. Shadows danced on the walls as they were cast of a horror movie. There were series of questioning which was the interrogator practically putting words into Kenny’s mouth. It was such a horrible sight. Donovan tried his best to keep his calm but some part of the interrogation became unbearable. He slammed his hand on the steel table when it got to unbearable. He was escorted out afterwards. “We’ll get through this. Stick to the legal advice, and we’ll do our best to protect Kenny.” His legal representative tried to pacify him. He had tried his best but they so resolute. Donovan was clueless as to how to get through his current situation. Donovan nodded in acknowledgment knowing fully well that the only person who could solve this issue was Lily. He had t
The Donovan woke up with a splitting headache. He had to make Lily pay one way or another. After all the time she had lied to him, it was the least she deserved. Just a little social buzz had made her quiet. Public exposure was the least he could do. This was the worst betrayal he had ever experienced. With all this he couldn’t bring himself to look at the girl he called his daughter differently. She was his niece anyway and he still had a responsibility towards her. Donovan was struggling and in deep thought when he was alerted by Janet that he had a visitor. He wondered whether Lily had come to back the rest of her things. She made an entire soap opera, rolling in the floor and begging him. She claimed it was the first time and she did it because she felt lonely. That was understandable, but Donovan had to confirm for himself. Not surprisingly, the CCTV footage said otherwise. His punishment for Lily came with a bit of backlash anyway as the online attention was quite excessive.
Thomas sat down glancing at his watch from time to time. He held his iced latte sipping on it slowly. If Lily didn’t show up he was going to leave. The ambiance of the place was nice, and the coffee, even if it was expensive still hit the spot.He spotted her from afar. There was no way to miss her. Even with her elaborate disguise, you could sense her elitist spirit from afar. The Gucci scarf and Versace glasses gave her away. Social media has been buzzing with the news of her infidelity.The backlash on Nigel wasn’t easy either, he was now the official black sheep. Failed career, no steady relationship. The pair did a number on themselves. Cause of injury- self-inflicted. She walked in sweating and panting like she had run a marathon, and failed.“Are you okay?” he asked examining her demeanor, “Should I get you something to drink?”“No, I’m fine. I just need your help, it’s not going to be a long one.”“What do you need?” he furrowed his brows.“You know what I need,” she was getti
Donovan was burdened by guilt and wrestling with his thoughts. He just had to go home. He was in a daze. Multiple scenarios and reflections play out in his mind, amplifying the weight of his past assumptions and the impact on Catherine.“I messed up. I can’t believe I thought she betrayed me,” he said muttering to himself. Lost in his thoughts, he barely registered his surroundings. “Mr. Donovan! Are you alright? You’ve been standing there for ages.” Donovan was pulled out of his reverie, looks around, realizing the passage of time.“I… I’m fine. Just lost in my thoughts.”Janet was concerned. She observed Donovan’s troubled demeanor , “Is everything okay, sir? You seem really upset.”Donovan managed to force a smile, “I’ll be alright. Just a lot on my mind.”Janet was unconvinced but just had to respect his privacy. She left Donovan to his thoughts. There was a strange atmosphere that followed. He was burdened by Catherine’s revelations, it took an emotional toll on him. He handed
Thomas battled a fever throughout the night, Catherine couldn’t bring herself to leave him in his state. Conflicting emotions added another layer of discomfort. She wanted to be compassionate and supportive, but everything that had happened so far made it challenging to offer solace without judgment. “I’m sorry Catherine.” Thomas tossed and turned. “I know you are, but you’re not well. Let me take care of you.” Underneath her caring gestures, is an unconscious judgment that she had already passed on him. There was a struggle to reconcile the person she thought Thomas was with the actions. Catherine tried her possible best to navigate between empathy and her own feelings of hurt. It was morning, Catherine faced Thomas who was lying on the bed. There was definitely a need for a conversation about what happened. Even though he was unwell, the situation called for immediate concern. The atmosphere was fragile. She just couldn’t trust him again, not after all the lies and secrets. Who
The way Thomas had been on the phone recently was unnerving. He obviously was discussing things related to work but the intensity of the conversation caused even Damien to be unsettled. The baby would turn in his sleep, causing Catherine to worry. It was morning. Thomas was on his regular routine. Catherine, feigned interest in a magazine, subtly adjusting herself in the soft cushion. She needed a compostable position if she was really ready to eavesdrop on Thomas’s increasingly intense work conversation. These days, he was too immersed in work and put in extra hours. She wondered whether he was doing it to stay away from her. The distance was good, at least he wasn’t breathing down her neck anymore, it helped her think but now, the house started to feel a bit empty even with all the helps around. The hushed tones and cryptic discussions fueled her curiousity, leaving her unable to shake the nagging feeling that he might be involved in something off. She was very interested in whate
Why did he do that? The overwhelming jealousy and need to control had caused him to blurt out something so stupid, ‘I’ll call you?’ really. Donovan brushed his hand across his face as he best himself up. That was on of the most foolish things he had done in a long time. All because of Catherine. He wondered what people might think of him and how many people heard him. The car ride seemed to have become longer than he recalled it was when they departed. The car took an abrupt turn barging into his concentration. He faced the driver sternly, “I thought you do this for a living, how do you make money when you cannot do your job properly?” The driver stared back at him with pursed lips and an apologetic look on his face. “Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Lily asked. Immediately, he collected himself, “I’m sorry,” he apologized. The driver gave an assertive look and continued his journey. He couldn’t wait to go and wash all the shame off his body. He was upset, why did Catherine run off l
“Shit!” he punched into the sofa. Anger and sadness took a hold of him in that moment. Even though his meeting Catherine outside was extremely coincidental, Thomas emerging from his hotel room in that exact moment wasn’t something he expected.The only thing his presence did was create unnecessary tension and angst.“Donovan,” Lily said rubbing eyes with both hands. “What’s wrong?” she whispered. He didn’t put his sleeping child into consideration before his tantrum.“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said slumping into the sofa.“You’re upsetting Lily,” she protested.He sighed, “I’m sorry, I’m-” Donovan shot out of his chair and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.He walked to the sink and opened the faucet, throwing water aggressively across his face. He wasn’t still satisfied with the result. Donovan let the later run in his palm till it flowed over. He vigorously washed his face again. Why did Thomas have to come?In that moment, Donovan thought about a number of ways t