"I've told you countless times that you're wasting your time. I'm not interested in any of this...""Fuck it! I said, "Fuck!" He yelled, cutting me off and springing up from the floor.""I've said it before: you never change. You're still the Zayn I know."At this point, we were already yelling at each other as I was unable to hold back any longer.He paused, gritting his teeth as he thought for a moment. "So what are you going to do? Are you going to deny my proposal?" He asked, a bit scared."Of course. Have I been blabbing all this time? I'm not one of those who go back to their vomit," I said firmly, a smug grin tugging at my lips as I walked out of the office, heading to mine.To my surprise, as I walked out of Zayn's office, I met the management staff in the corridor next to his office, waiting for me to provide them with feedback."It didn't work," I said to them, sighing weakly.Their expressions darkened. "So what do we do now?" A lady among them asked, her tone laced with tir
The entire weekend seems to be the worst phase of my work. I never expected it to be this hectic.I would go to bed late, around 2 a.m., and wake up at 5 a.m. I barely eat because of this project, even though I had said that no work could make me do that.I was trying to deliver it by Monday morning so I could free myself from the Zech Holdings project. However, I had already lost interest in what I was doing as the work had lost its main value. While trying to implement those unnecessary policies Zayn requested, it lost its original look and value.I paused what I was doing and started to rethink my decision. The stress was much more than I expected.I sighed in frustration and gazed at the ceiling of the apartment, which is where I was staying. I had been so devoted to this project that I couldn't even spend some time with my daughter through video calls or normal calls.I couldn't even call her the day I intended, and when I finally did, the call didn't last—we had a brief conversa
The drive from where I was staying to Zayn's residence was about seventy kilometers.I took a deep sigh as the driver halted in front of the compound, knowing that I was about to go and meet Zayn, whom I had sworn a few years ago not to have anything to do with for divorcing me for his fling.I alighted from the cab and paid the driver, then turned, facing the building."Been a while," I muttered, referring to the house. Immediately, all the memories I had about that house hit me like a hurricane, and I tried to hold back my emotions.Without much delay, I walked up to the entry gate and knocked. About two minutes later, the security man walked out and opened the gate."Good evening, Ma'am. Please, are you Zora?" He questioned, and I nodded in affirmation.He was a new person, not the former security man we had then.Perhaps Zayn had already told him about me, as if he already knew that I'd one day find him."Please come in." The security man remarked, extending a warm smile."Thank y
Zayn let out a smile. "Well, I'm glad you could see that everything is still the way it was when you left. I made sure I did not change anything."I chuckled lightly. "I bet you know it's sickening hanging a picture of someone you've parted ways with everywhere in your sitting room. I think you need to see a doctor," I said, thinking it would provoke him, but he made fun of it."No worries, doctors won't even be able to cure the syndrome I'm suffering from. You're the only one capable of doing that, and that is when you...""Enough. I don't know when I suddenly became a doctor," I said with a sigh, passing my hand across my face, as I felt intimidated by his dominating aura. Pretending I was removing something from my face."Are we going to stand up discussing? Why not take a seat, dear?" He said, gesturing towards a chair in the sitting room. I went and got seated."How about I get you something to drink? At least to calm the stress you experienced, driving all the way from your apar
"But why the sudden imposition of conditions? I'm the one who is supposed to be doing that because you want a favor from me. You want to make your company proud and bring in bigger contracts for them.""You want to get the money involved in this project so you could provide what your daughter deserves, as you had earlier said. You want to...""Enough, Zayn. You're the one I'm doing a favor for because you have been clinging and disturbing me even when this project hasn't started. You want me so bad, don't you?" I asked him, giving him a seductive look, capable of making him lose his senses and do everything I demanded."Are you going to have me walk away without fulfilling your all-day wish, which is to have a taste of my lips once more?" I added, waiting for his reaction.I could see from his face that he's already drowned in my words. His eyes went from my eyes down to my mouth, and it stopped. I could tell he is lost in imagination. Perhaps, imagining his lips locked with mine and
ZAYN—I stood there watching Zora as she left the compound with my mouth open. I felt really bad. It was as if I was watching a precious treasure vanishing in front of me.My eyes didn't depart from her until she was out of sight, and I felt empty. I staggered and slumped on the couch, exhaling a deep sigh. Mad frenzy engulfing my mind."Fuck. I can't believe this was reality," I said inwardly, licking my lips so I could feel her taste once more on my lips.I hadn't imagined the kiss would go that way because of Zora's body reaction at first and the imposition she brought up. Never did I think she could respond to the kiss, talk more, or caress my body.I chuckled with satisfaction. "She still loves me. I can say that boldly that she loves me from the way she kissed me back and even allowed me to fumble her breast. She's just playing hard to get." I said in my thoughts, confident about it."Shit!" I exclaimed, feeling like cursing the person who was calling her during the beautiful mo
"Of course, it did. Trust me," I remarked, my head swelling up with pride."Bad guy. You really enjoyed yourself because she is now the epitome of beauty, and her body has set perfectly the type you want it. Figure eight."I was smiling as he was blabbing all that. Blake's wife always sees him as an innocent, God-fearing guy. Only if she knew how corrupt his mind is. Mind you, I'm not insinuating that he cheats on her."So after all that, she fell for you. Letting you hit. Ladies indeed do follow their emotions and don't have a mind of their own," he remarked, sounding a bit disappointed in Zora."Well, we never did that. Although we could have, it's just that something erupted.""So what's all the excitement for then? Why did she visit? What did you end up benefiting from her visit?" Blake was laughing."We just had a kiss. But trust me, it's worth it.""Really? What then stopped you from having your way since it's worth it?" He asked, his tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.I sigh
PAIGE— "I don't want this particular designer outfit. It's outdated. Let me see the other one over there," I said to the sales personnel in the clothing store. I had come here with my new catch—my influential boyfriend, Stormzy, to purchase some outfits for the grand tour date I'll be going on with him in Paris. Stormzy is one of the city's hot boys. He's loved by many ladies, and they're willing to do anything to have him. However, I was shocked the day he approached me and told me he had interest in me. I felt I was daydreaming until he took the game to the next level. Stormzy told me he's a hundred percent single and that he's ready to live the rest of his life with me because I'm the woman meant for him. I never told him I'm married because I thought he might lose interest in me if that happens. However, when the rumors reached the people of Southampton City, a man approached Stormzy without Zayn's notice, and he told Stormzy that I'm a married lady. He even showed him my dat
Jason —Two years laterI was in my penthouse in South Carolina, sipping my wine and admiring the beautiful city view when my fiancée Clara called my name from inside."Babe, your phone is ringing," she said, rushing over to hand it to me."Who's calling?" I asked curiously, not expecting any calls that day as I had decided to take a break from work."It's an unsaved number, but Truecaller says it's Zora," she replied, handing me the phone.I felt disappointed at the mention of that name. I thought I had blocked her, so how was she able to reach me?I hesitated to answer the call, but Clara had made the effort to bring me the phone, so I reluctantly accepted it to avoid devaluing her efforts or raising suspicions of infidelity."Speak," I said as soon as I accepted the call."Um, good morning, Jason. I'm really sorry for everything. I just hope you can find a place in your heart to forgive me, even though it may be difficult," a weak, feminine voice cried from the other end of the lin
ZORA—"Hello, Zayn," I said as soon as I answered the call. My voice was so cold that it was enough to let him know I was not happy with him."Hello, baby. What happened? Is there a problem?" He asked inquisitively, trying to soften my mood as he knew he had upset me."Are you pretending not to know what you did? Okay, setting that aside, why didn't you pick up my calls?"He gasped and asked, "When? Oh, that must have been when I was in a meeting with some of our collaborators.""I'm really sorry," he added, sighing."It's okay. Actually, I wanted to ask about your close friend Blake. Have you been in touch with him recently?""Of course, I just spoke with him this morning. Is there an issue? Is he okay?" His concerned tone indicated he was starting to worry."Well, Daisy and I have been unable to reach him. He's unreachable while Daisy is undergoing the artificial insemination procedure. We're concerned that something may have happened to him, but since you said you spoke with him th
ZORA—I was at the office when I lied to Daisy on the call, telling her that I was off to work. Thankfully, there was nothing else to do in the office, as the board of directors had canceled the meeting that was supposed to happen in a few minutes.I went home, picked up my daughter, and drove to the hospital where Daisy is doing the artificial insemination.Upon our arrival at the hospital, she was already in the operating room, so we had to sit in the waiting room and pray for her safe operation."Mommy, where is Aunty Daisy? I thought you told me we were coming here to see her?" Daisy asked with a worried look on her face."Of course, darling. We're here for her, and she's here. She's just inside the operating room, so we have to wait for her," I explained calmly, caressing her hair with a smile on my lips."But what happened to her? Is she sick? I don't want her to be sick because she promised me to give birth to a girl I could go to school with.""Absolutely. That's the main reas
DAISY—"Really? I can't believe Paige came to your house. But I thought she was in prison. How did she escape?" I asked Zora in astonishment after she told me about her recent encounter with Paige."Honestly, dear. I couldn't imagine what might have happened if I did not show up at home by that time. The fact that I saw her carrying Daisy and that she was sitting comfortably on her thighs makes me want to throw up, gosh." I could hear her voice as she sighed. She was traumatized by the experience."Calm down, Zora. The most important thing is that you were able to save your daughter from her, and I hope you have taught her not to embrace strangers at all unless you approved her to do so.""Of course I did a long time ago. That was why I was stunned. I think Paige was using a sort of voodoo on my household. First, it was Zayn, and now my daughter." She said this with a pathetic voice."Oh, dear, don't think those things. What matters now is that your daughter is fine, okay?" I said, tr
ZORA—"When you do, come back to drive this lady out of my house."Amanda's facial expression changed instantly. She gave me a worried look, but she dared not question my authority."Come on, Zora, why are you causing a scene? Your daughter Daisy likes me, and that's why she was comfortable with me. You should let her go up when she wants to," Paige said with a disdainful tone, rising to her feet to leave and avoid embarrassment."I'd rather punch a rock than leave my daughter with a demon like you," I remarked, hissing with irritation on my face.Thankfully, Daisy and Amanda were already halfway upstairs, so they couldn't hear us exchanging words. Nevertheless, I would still scold Daisy later for feeling too comfortable with someone she barely knows to the point of snubbing me when I called her to embrace me."Well, thanks to the universe, you saw with your own eyes that I did not force your daughter to be with me. She was enchanted by my beauty just like her father was.""Beauty att
ZORA —"Well, I don't have an answer for that right now," he replied, releasing me and turning away, heading to the room to avoid further questions, unwilling to reveal what he was keeping to himself.I let out a deep sigh, gazing at him for a few seconds, and I shook my head with a faint smile on my lips. "Now it all makes sense," I blurted out, but he only winced in response.After washing my face, I went to his kitchen to prepare a meal for both of us and one for him to keep in the refrigerator. Surprisingly, he kept checking on me in the kitchen, assisting with cutting vegetables and other tasks to speed up the food preparation, something he had never done before.Usually, when he was at home, he would either be reading or watching football.Once the meal was ready, we sat down to eat, and Zayn was delighted, expressing his wish for me to cook for him every day.After we finished eating, he offered to drive me home, which I accepted, as it would also give him a chance to see Daisy
ZORA —"Could you tell me why you mostly felt absent-minded yesterday?" Zayn asked, hugging me from behind and sniffing my neck as we lay on the bed.It was early morning, and we were already in his mansion, specifically in his bedroom, which I couldn't explain how we ended up there. His sweet words were always irresistible.I was scrolling through my contact list trying to call the lady I hired to babysit my daughter yesterday when he asked the question, so I couldn't answer.I needed space to think over the question so I wouldn't say something I'd regret later. Therefore, I pressed the call button, and fortunately, Clara answered on the first beep."Is there a problem with Daisy? I hope the babysitter can take proper care of her," Zayn said with a worried look."Yeah. Daisy is fine. I was just checking up on her," I said to him after speaking with Clara."Oh, you don't have to worry so much about her. After all, she has her phone and could dial any of our numbers if she faces troubl
ZORA—It was about six o'clock in the evening when Zayn and I met at a grand five-star hotel in Southampton City.During the afternoon, we discussed, and he pleaded for me to come alone with a promise not to initiate sex.I had told him about my plan of coming with Daisy because I've been troubled about sleeping with him when we're not yet legally together."You look elegantly beautiful, dear. This dress fits perfectly on you," he commented as he welcomed me to the hotel."Really? Thank you. I wore it to look good for you," I replied, smiling as we walked inside the building while holding hands like couples.Zayn went to the receptionist and collected a room key. Not going to lie, this instilled fear in me.The restaurant is somewhat a combination of a hotel and a restaurant because it has some potential rooms for booking and other necessities required in a hotel.I wanted to question the need for the key, but I maintained my composure, deciding to refuse or raise an alarm when he took
ZORA —"Zora, I don't like your sudden decision to go back to Zayn, but..." Daisy exhaled a sigh and continued, "Who am I to question your decision?" she added with a solemn expression.It happened that she was on furlough today, so I asked her to accompany me shopping. I wanted to buy some new dresses for the dinner tonight—I wanted to look unique and different to Zayn and not wear one of the outfits he's used to."No worries, Daisy, I'm being careful with him. After all, we haven't officially reunited because the divorce documents have to be disqualified," I replied, patting her shoulder with a chuckle."It's fine. I'm only looking out for your best interest," she shrugged off, sighing."Yes, dear. So tell me about the latest update. Are you going to proceed with the artificial insemination procedure we discussed?" I asked her, wanting to change the topic.She had told me earlier about the recent issues she had been having with her husband regarding their childlessness, which I sugg