The realization struck hard at Mallory. What the hell?! What did she do?Clam chowder was indeed, his favourite. What she didn't realize was that getting it for him would raise suspicions. She was used to getting him what she knew he liked. It happened effortlessly.But... How did he remember Clam chowder was his favorite? If he'd forgotten her, wasn't he supposed to forget that as well?"Miss Harrington?" Wilder called when she kept mute.She dropped her gaze to the floor immediately, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.God! She wanted to say it to him. She wanted to tell him she was aware it was his favorite because she had learnt how to make it just for him. She wanted to tell him it was a meal they'd walk for hours just to get at Curry-N-Spritz. And oh! Those evenings they'd sit under the moonlight and have naughty discussions while scooping some of it. She'd give anything to go back to those moments.She parted her lips to speak, but the opening of the door interrupted her.
Mallory arrived home to meet Ronan playing with the kids. They were under the shed of the house, the kids giggling as they jumped all around him, putting ribbons on himNoticing her, they stopped."Mummy!" They chorused and scuttled to her for a hug. She gave them that."Hey, darlings. How was school today?" She tousled their hair."It was boring!""Great!"They gave different answers at the same time, making Mallory chuckle.She shifted her gaze to Ronan who was still seated and smiling."Hi." She muttered to him."Mum, Uncle Ronan said we'll all go for dinner when you get home!" Lyra beamed, having to tilt her head back to look into Mallory's face.Mallory's brows furrowed as she shot Ronan a hard stare. She softened her gaze when she looked at the kids."Uh... I'm afraid that cannot happen. Mummy's very tired and still has some work to do," she cooed, playing with Lyra's bristle.A frown crept into the children's faces."But, mum...""Come on. Why don't you go in and wait for me?"
His eyes narrowed, then that deep expression of anger and irritation crawled in.Mallory was befogged. Why was Wilder in that mood?She looked at Ronan and found him equally angry. Both men looked like they'd be throwing punches at each other if they were locked up in a room."Hey," Ronan cocked his head. "Long time no see."Wilder glared without uttering a word. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to Mallory."How're you associated with someone like him, Miss Harrington?" His voice held irritation, it caused Mallory's brows to crease."She's actually my woman." Ronan put his hand around her waist, screaming dominance.Mallory stiffened instantly, her heart beating loudly in her chest. What in God's name?!Guiltily, she looked at Wilder and saw hate in his eyes."Your woman?" He scoffed and nodded. "It's ironic, isn't it? The good ones always meet the bad ones. Or perhaps, she isn't the good one."Mallory nearly gasped at his words. No No No. How could Wilder even say that to her face?Ronan
Mallory managed to fix her hair just before she got into the cab with the kids. She dropped them off at school, then proceeded to the company. The whole time, it had taken her a lot of effort not to shed a tear.She hated Isla for her words that morning. But she wondered if she was feeling so bad because most of them were true. Maybe she really was badluck to the family. Her parents died because of her. For years, Mallory had tried to bury the painful memory of how unfortunate her life had been. How difficult it had been. When she got to the company, she had to force back the tears that rimmed her eyes. She got to her floor and hurried pass their Chloe's station, not being in the mood to laugh with any of them. On her desk, she rested her head and remained that way until she heard footsteps. She lifted her head to find Wilder coming forth, with a man behind him holding his briefcase. In that fleeting moment, the chaos within her stilled. A sense of serenity washed over her, suffus
Mallory assisted Wilder with all he had to do for the day. But it was extremely sad for her that he barely looked her way. She could feel it. He was mad at her. When it was time for her kids to leave school, Mallory hated the fact that she had to call Ronan for help. Her workplace was very far from her kids' school. And since it was still work hours, it was against the rules for her to leave the company. She had no other person to call for help except Ronan who was a boss of his own and could easily send someone off to pick them. When she called and told him, he was glad to help. She knew he'd be. Seated on her desk, she stared at Wilder from the transparent glass. She wondered what his reaction would be if he got to learn of the kids. Would he accept them? Perhaps, he'd go to pick them up from school himself. She closed her eyes and fantasized on how perfect her family would be with Wilder. Hopefully, it becomes a reality. She was going to wait for Amy's feedback before acting o
"What were you saying?" Wilder asked, getting rid of the distraction. Mallory swallowed tersely around the lump in her throat. "Um... I was just... I mean, I wanted to ask if I should include any of the current amendments in your speech." She was so thankful her voice didn't make a crack by the time she finished."You can." He replied. "Okay, sir." Mallory dropped the call as quickly as she could. She didn't know how shs was still breathing, because her lungs felt like they'd stopped working. She took a very deep breath and a moment to calm herself. Then, she forced herself back to work. ....Although Mallory had become hurt and weak, and had to force herself to finish with the speech. As soon as she was done, she retired to the room where her kids were sound asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed and with a wistful smile, watched as they slept peacefully. It hadn't been easy having to bring them up without their father. Two years ago, it had been even more complicated as Cas
Mallory felt like beating herself up.For years, she'd done a good job hiding the pictures from them. How could she be so careless in one night? She had been too overwhelmed the previous night, she didn't realize when she slept off holding them to her chest. How were the kids up before her?She perked up and grabbed the pictures from them. Pain squeezed her heart as she gazed at the pictures.Not knowing what to say, she stood up and went over to the locker to put them away."Mum?" Lyra called."It's... it's nothing. Alright? He's just an old friend of mummy," she forced the words out, lowering her gaze to the floor.An awkward silence stretched between them."Come on, why don't you go in and get your teeth brushed? I'll just hurry to the kitchen." She led them into the bathroom.Al
"Hey," she propped her hands on the table, titling towards Mallory. "You're...?""Miss Harrington," Mallory tried to keep a neutral face as she answered. Did she do something wrong?"No. I meant your first name." Kreeya smiled. Although, the smile looked as fake as a puppet's grin, it got Mallory confused she'd even bother. "Oh. It's... It's Mallory." "I see. How's the job going, Mallory?" The conversation was too unreal, Mallory couldn't conceal the amusement on her face.Kreeya was a mean bossy lady. She had no reason to be kind to Mallory. "Work's going just fine, ma'am. Thanks." She answered, anyway, her gaze beginning to fall. "Oh, it's nothing." She reached for a pen and paper from the table and scribbled down some numbers on it. "I'd really want us to be cool, Mallory. So... what do you think about chatting me up sometime? Let's say... when you have something interesting to tell me? I could be really generous."Right then, her intentions became clear to Mallory. She h
It was a nightmare for Pemberton Synergy.Mallory headed to work, looking and feeling very sad. She knew it was going to be the saddest workday of her life. The new decaffeinated drink was the talk of the country. On that very day of the launch, cartons of it had been pushed and supplied into the market. And since then, everyone's been talking to about it. Even in the cab Mallory had boarded on her way to work, the passengers couldn't stop singing the praises of TeraFusion."My husband has always been scared of taking caffeinated coffee as a result of his heart rate even though he had reasons to take it due to the nature of his job. But yesterday, he took three bottles of the decaffeinated drink, and man! He was so energized, didn't get a wink of sleep," One of the women had said joyously."I'm telling you, TeraFusion is a lifesaver. Especially that Sybil girl. She spoke with so much respect and regard for her consumers." Even the driver had noted. An ache of heartache gripped Mall
Mallory was very anxious. The launch had started and in the meantime, they were just having work presentations going on. Her TV was already on with her kids with her in the living room. She couldn't help the panic that filled her heart. Of course, it wasn't the first time TeraFusion was launching a new product. But they'd always given a hint on the details of the product before time. This was different because there was no hint. So, Pemberton Synergy didn't knew what to expect and hence, were very worried. Mallory was anxiously waiting in the living room when she noticed Zara had been gone for too long. They had been together in the sitting room when she got a call from someone, telling her to meet outside. Zara claimed it was her friend, but she had been gone for more than thirty minutes. Mallory decided to check up on her. She went out of the house and found her farther away with some strange guy. The guy was just like Zara looked - a wild hairstyle with so many piercings. She c
Mallory chuckled nervously and looked away, not knowing what to say.But the Wilder she knew would never try to take advantage of someone. The question was - was he the same Wilder?"I don't think so, sir." She forced herself to reply. "But so far, you've been nothing but committed to the affairs of the company, I'm sure you small matters like that are of no importance to you. Besides, you have a fiancee, and I'm sure you love her very much."She lifted her gaze to meet his at the same time he was staring at her. Their eyes got locked for a stretched moment, causing a wave of heat to wash over Mallory.In that fleeting moment, she wondered if she'd said the truth. Did he really love Safiya?Wilder broke the contact by redirecting his gaze back to his food. Suddenly, Mallory felt stupid for her last statement. Maybe, she shouldn't have mentioned it. He wouldn't be engaged to her if he didn't love her.For the rest of the time, nothing else was discussed between them until Wilder's phon
The air became so dense with tension, it felt like a suffocating fog pressing against her voice.Wilder turned around and wrenched himself away while Mallory stared at the complimentary card in front of her."I'm... I'm sorry, sir. Not to sound disrespectful, but this isn't allowed." She replied, inclined her head and turned around to catch up with Wilder.Mallory could feel her heart racing heavily as she walked beside Wilder. What the hell was wrong with that crazy man?! Of course, she's had clients stare and smile at her during meetings, but none of them had ever had they nerves to approach her in the tjr presence of her boss. Mr. Landon sure had some balls.The guards who had been attending and waiting at a distance, joined them as they walked to the car."Book a reservation at Grand Oak for lunch. Tell them I need the rooftop," Wilder said when they were close to the car.Mallory was relieved. At last, he was talking to her."Okay, sir."Settling in the car, she turned on her lap
Safiya burst through the door like wildfire, her fury igniting the air around her. The intensity of her anger seemed to crackle and smolder, threatening to engulf the entire house in flames. The maids and house boys scurried out of her path as she walked through, neither of them wanting to be a victim. She went right to the corner she knew her mother would be that morning - the second living room upstairs. She stormed in to find her talking and laughing over tea with someone. "It didn't work, mum! It failed!" She let out before her head could register the fact that her mum wasn't alone. She didn't care either ways. Pomella was a little offended that her daughter didn't mind her guest. But above all, she was worried.With a forced smile, she turned to the elderly woman beside her."I am so sorry. Can you give me a minute?""Sure. Take your time."Pomella stood up afterward and led Safiya out of the room, taking her to her own room. "What is going on, Safiya? Do you even know who
Mallory groaned as she regained consciousness in bed. Time seemed like a tricky puzzle, leaving her unsure of what had really happened while she slept. Her hands were tangled in her unruly hair, aching to soothe the throbbing in her head. What happened to her? What time was it?Directing yer eyes to the wall clock, she was shocked to discover it was mid day. What in God's name?! How did she sleep so early?She hurried out of the bed, her kids in mind. Was Zara able to prep and take them to school? How come no one even bothered to wake her up?She went downstairs and found Zara and Isla playing a drought game. "Hey, sis! You up at last," Zara waved at her, smiling widely. As expected, Isla only spared her a glare before looking away. "Why didn't you wake me up, Z? How about the kids? Did you take them to school?" Mallory asked, making Zara scoff. "Are you being serious? The only thing I didn't do trying to get you to wake up was probably to hit you in the head. You were sleeping
With the persistence of Zara, Mallory got clad in a pair of jeans with deliberate distressing at the knees, adding a touch of edgy flair to her outfit. Completing her look, she paired the jeans with a crop top, showcasing her impeccably toned midriff. The distressed jeans hugged her curves in all the right places. Mallory couldn't remember the last time she's had to dress that way. It was so strange, she unconsciously dragged the tip from time to time to cover her exposed tummy. Zara had brushed her hair to fall freely on her shoulders. And even if she was a little uncomfortable, she knew she was damn pretty. Her gold necklace was revealed and rested on her shirt."Woah! You a damsel, baby! I sure deserve some accolades!" Zara clapped happily. Afterwards, she got dressed and they left for the party together.......It was Mallory's first time going to a club in seven years. She'd missed the fun of it - the booze, the life. It also brought back memories of she and Wilder 'cause he
Until it was evening, Mallory didn't leave the room. When the kids got home from school, they were equally surprised to find her home. "Mummy, are you alright?" Cassius asked, climbing into the bed with his uniform. Mallory had to force herself up. "Yes, baby. How was school today?" She asked feebly, fondling with their hair. "School was fine." Lyra answered. The children's mood became down as well, noticing something was seriously wrong with their mother. And they knew no mater how hard they tried, she'd never tell them about it. "Why don't you shower and go play with aunt Zara downstairs?" She said dismissively and was relieved when they complied. In a matter of minutes, she had the room all to herself again. It was seven in the evening when Lyra ran in and told her Ronan was there to see her. Mallory sighed disgruntledly. All she wanted was to be alone. But she knew Ronan. He was never going to leave without seeing her. Tiredly, she left the bed and that was when she rea
The tech guy handling her computer looked at Wilder, like he was waiting for some kind of approval. And when he got it, he turned to Mallory."Yesterday, I got notified that some customer databases had been released to one of our rivals - the Wyatt Enterprise. I ran a search and..." He angled the computer to face Mallory. "... turns out it'd been sent from your system."Mallory realized fear had been a stranger to her until that instant. It gripped her like an icy hand, halting the rhythm the of her heart and disconnecting her feet from the ground. Shock rendered her speechless, her jaw slackening and her gaze moving from one person to the next. What the heck?"Wh... What're you talking about? I never sent that email." She wagged her head. "But the evidence is glaring, Miss Harrington. The email was sent from your computer, as you can clearly seen." The tech guy pointed at the screen. Mallory felt as though, the world was crumbling in her very eyes. "No. This is not possible. I'v