Keila walked out of the elevator, knew something fishy was going on but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She scanned the parking lot for all of the cars but couldn’t account for one convertible Donovan usually went out with. There was a gap where the silver convertible should have been.Panic welled up inside her, and she rushed over to the empty parking space. The cars usually went for servicing often but that particular one just came back from the shop after Donovan had decided to change the skin to silver.Keila stood there, her mind racing through the possibilities. Donovan was the only one who had access to that car, one of his priced possessions. She doubted he loved her the way he did that car. He came to pick her up without it.She was certain if she asked him where it was he would reply with, “Give it a rest Keila, do you want to learn how to drive?”“Stupid!” she cussed under her breath.Her anxiety began to heighten. She quickly remembered she hadn’t taken her medicatio
Catherine hadn’t seen Donovan for a week. She felt like she was going to die but wondered if he felt the same way. Of course he didn’t. How can you claim to love someone but stay so long without seeing them?This was the first time in a while she had seen Kenny also. Everyday, she would visit Donovan’s office and personally clean the table and chair so it would be shiny when he returns. She took it upon herself like it was her only duty.The next morning, she came in really early by 6am and found herself a miracle. Kenny had com win to take some documents from the office and that’s when she curbed him.“Kenny, at least say something,” she pleaded.“I’m sorry but that’s out of my jurisdiction,” he explained.“Why is everyone treating me like a fucking stranger!” she yelled. Kenny felt some things drop inside his chest, it was his heart. He had hit rock bottom but knew no matter how much she said anything to pull him emotionally he had trust, Donovan’s trust and wasn’t willing to betray
“Wait Catherine,” his voice was shaky. She couldn’t tell whether it was just her but it sounded like he was pleading. What had hurt him so much? “Are you, okay?” she asked with so much concern. “No, I don’t think I am.” If he stayed there any second longer, she was certain he was going to break down. She walked towards him and shifted his glass backwards signaling the bar man that he was done. Catherine grabbed his arm and made way to one of the private suites. “Okay, now you can cry,” she said. “I don’t want to cry Catherine, why are you making me feel so mushy?” he pouted. “Real talk, what’s the matter Dono—” she tried to ask but he cut her off.“My father’s back Catherine,” he said flatly. “From the grave?” she asked. “I’m sure something in you could tell that I lied,” he had a remorseful tone. “Yes, of course. I’m not that stupid.” “You’re not stupid at all,” he stayed quiet. “I lied about my father being dead. He’s not dead, Catherine. He left.” He paused, “he left becau
Donovan sat his desk reviewing financial reports and contracts. His brow furrows as he notices inconsistencies and discrepancies in the data. He can’t shake the feeling that something is amiss.“This doesn’t add up. What’s going on here?”Donovan meticulously combed through the financial statements, analyzing each line item and transaction. He discovered huge irregularities, unaccounted expenses, and missing funds. His heart rate quickened, and a sense of concern creeped over him.“Vera, can you come in here, please?” entered into the office, her expression mirroring his concern.“Is anything the matter sir?” “Come closer,” he said. With hesitant steps, she sauntered towards the table. Look at these numbers, Vera. There are discrepancies and irregularities all over the place. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”“That’s strange Sir. I’ll have the accounting team review it immediately,” she had a sense of urgency in her tone. Clearly she knew nothing about it because her shock
The whole family decided to gather for a barbecue on a sunny day. The atmosphere is a little tense as the whole family, begin to reconnect. It had been really weird since Stanford’s confrontation.“I’m really sorry about what happened earlier with Mr. Stanford, you know how he can be.”“It’s okay, Dony. I brought it upon myself.”Rachel brushed it off, “It’s been so long, Davis. We’ve missed you terribly.” This was the first time Donovan had seen his mother show any emotion in years. “Can we talk about what happened and how you disappeared?” Keila asked. “I know I made a huge mistake stealing from the family company. I was ashamed and didn’t know how to face you all. I left, hoping to fix things on my own,” Davis said to Keila. By now he knew she was well aware of everything. “We’ve struggled without you, Dad. But it’s not about the money; we missed you, and we want to rebuild our family,” Keila said. “I’ve regretted my actions every day since I left. I’ve been living as a shadow
Stanford sat on an opulent leather sofa, sipping a glass of scotch. His daughter, Rachel, paced back and forth, clearly upset. “Again Rachel, again!” Stanford shouted. Rachel cupped her face in her hands, embarrassed by the discovery. “Is this how you wanted to inherit my company and my fortune. I told you time and time again that bastard wasn’t good for you. You insisted that I stay out of your business. Now you let him back in after everything…?”“The first mistake you made was letting him into my company. He’s a liability! He’s already tried to steal from us once, and now he’s at it again.”Donovan, stood nearby, his face clouded with anxiety. Hidden in the shadowy corner of the room, Donovan strained to eavesdrop on the suddenly hushed conversation between his mother and grandfather. They spoke of a secret that had been long buried and was now being unearthed. The words they exchanged hinted at a revelation about Donovan’s paternity.Donovan’s heart raced as he listened to their
The Island was full of influential men and women. They were so wealthy that they had a private island. The sight was very familiar as Catherine reminisced about the fundraiser for Nigel’s campaign. He was back, and so was his massive ego. He promised not to tell Stanford that Catherine was around and working for Donovan, for obvious reasons. His presence still irked her. Breathing the same air as him was a horrible experience for her. Catherine was still grateful and hoped for the best. Donovan had finally asked her to be his girlfriend, “focus on the good parts Cathy,” she whispered to herself. “Brace yourself,” Donovan’s voice pulled her out of her reverie, “it’s going to be a long day.”“I’ll try my best. What’s the plan?”“Well for starters, try to talk to as less people as possible. Keep your distance and have fun Cathy, you deserve it,” he pleads knowing how rigid she can be around new people. Of course none of the people present were new to her but they weren’t friends either
“Run, run,” that was what the voice in her head whispered anytime something went wrong. Solitude was always the solution for everything. This time she decided to run to a more familiar location because running from work wasn’t going to be a practical solution to her problems. She still had a contract with her boss and definitely couldn’t afford getting sued. The job she did came with benefits and a steady paycheck was one of them. It had been long time since she had been back. In fact Catherine never imagined a day where his would return to her home town. “Will I run into her?” Catherine wondered as she pulled her luggage through the vast airport. There was no way on earth she could run into her mother at the airport the day she decides to come back. In no world would that be a coincidence. It could definitely be her father trying to get them to talk again. Ever since Catherine learnt how to talk, she’s been her own captain sailing her ship wherever she pleased. Her mother was the
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