"I only just wanted to invite you to a picnic dear sister," Olivia said sweetly.Ria frowned and stared at her sister with brows that were raised high on her forehead in question. "A picnic?""Yes," Olivia said before clasping both of her hands together. Ria instantly thought that she was being really suspicious. "Why?""Well," she began. "I may have publicly bragged a little to my friends about how my dear sister is married to Adrian Blake.""And so?" "They did not believe me and so they dared me to bring you over." Olivia sighed, her expression pleading. Ria felt torn between decisions."I will just need you to come with me, just this one time. Please?"Ria’s eyes narrowed into slits. "And why should I?" She asked because she needed a solid reason to say yes. She could not get over all of the things that Olivia had done to her these past few days.Olivia pouted. "Oh, come on now Ria. This is so important to me. You do not have to be so difficult about it please," she snapped at
Well, about forty minutes later, Ria was standing in front of the full length looking glass in her bedroom and struggling to pin her long hair into a neat bun. She adjusted the strands time and time again in a bid to make it look presentable for the picnic outing when Olivia casually strolled into the room.Ria turned to look at her, taking in her outfit. Olivia seemed to have outdone herself in getting dressed. Her fashion sense was obviously far from Ria's.Olivia stood at the door, halting. She took one rather long look at Ria and proceeded to sigh dramatically. "Oh, Ria, you are really a fashion disaster, do you know that?" she asked her before she shook her head in disappointment.Ria, who was used to being chided by Olivia about that, simply asked, "What is wrong with my outfit this time?""You definitely can not go out with me looking like that," Olivia declared before grabbing her wrist. "Urm, why?" Ria frowned."You, Ria, are the star of the show. My friends are all waiti
The entire gathering was quiet.Olivia dropped the champagne in her hands onto the table and took a seat with her legs crossed over another. She stared at the three women.Her expression was calm on the outside even though deep inside, she was immensely satisfied. Why would she not be when everything was playing out exactly as she had planned. She had orchestrated this entire moment, and now, it was time for her to play her final move on Ria. It was fun.She turned sharply towards her so-called friends, the once that she had hired. She spoke to them with a voice that was laced with controlled anger. "I won’t tolerate this disrespect. How dare the three of you insult my sister like that," she snapped, her eyes flashing.The three women exchanged uncertain glances because this was not a part of the script that they had been asked to play."But Olivia—" the blonde started but Olivia cut her off."I do not want to hear any of this Clarissa, at all. The three of you should apologize ri
"Ria!" Olivia's impatient voice echoed through the house. "If you don’t get down here in the next five minutes, we’re leaving without you!" Ria sighed softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face as she adjusted the delicate lavender dress she had chosen. It was modest, with soft lace sleeves that rested just below her shoulders and a flowing skirt that brushed her knees. She paired it with simple silver flats and a necklace that had once belonged to her late mother. "Coming!" she called back, descending the staircase with a steady grace. At the bottom of the stairs, Olivia stood, tapping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently. Her fiery red dress clung tightly to her figure, with a dangerously low neckline and a slit that ran high up her thigh. She looked every bit the seductress, a sharp contrast to Ria's understated elegance. Olivia turned, her gaze narrowing as she saw Ria. "What are you wearing?" she asked, her tone laced with disdain. Ria glanced down at her dress and
"That’s Adrian Blake," Olivia said, her voice brimming with excitement, snapping me out of my daze. "What?" I asked, barely registering her words as my gaze stayed glued to him. "I said that’s Adrian Blake, the host of this party," Olivia repeated, still staring at him like a hunter eyeing her prey. "No... that’s Knight," I muttered, my voice trembling as the name escaped my lips. My heart raced, memories flooding back like a tidal wave. "What did you say?" Olivia asked, confusion flickering across her perfectly made-up face. "That’s Knight—my childhood friend I told you about," I repeated, my voice a mix of awe and disbelief. My chest tightened, a strange combination of anxiety and excitement coursing through me. After all these years, I never thought I’d see him again. Without thinking, I took a step forward, intent on crossing the crowded room to reach him, but Olivia’s firm grip on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. "What are you doing?" she asked, her sharp eyes narrowing
Ria froze mid-step, clutching the edge of the wooden staircase. Her chest tightened as the words seeped through the cracks in the dimly lit hallway. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the conversation between Olivia and her stepmother, Mrs. Carter, was impossible to ignore. "She’s delusional, Mother," Olivia continued, her tone dripping with mockery. "Ria thinks Adrian is hers. Poor thing doesn’t even know I’ve already taken her place." Mrs. Carter chuckled lightly, a sound that made Ria’s stomach churn. "Good. Keep playing innocent, my dear. Men like Adrian are easily fooled by a sweet face and gentle words. That stupid girl is no match for you." Tears pricked Ria’s eyes as her heart cracked a little more with each cruel word. She clenched her fists, willing herself to stay silent. The betrayal cut deep, especially coming from the two people she had trusted and seen as family. "But what if Ria tells Adrian the truth?" Olivia asked, feigning concern. "She won’t," Mrs. Carter repl
Ria had returned home broken after the humiliating encounter with Adrian. She headed straight for her room and shut the door behind her. Soon enough she heard a soft knock on the door and Olivia walked in, her expression soft and compassionate as she sat beside her.“Ria,” Olivia began, her voice calm but tinged with emotion. “Do you remember that time when you had that accident? When the doctors said you wouldn’t survive without an immediate blood transfusion?”Ria stiffened, her hands clutching the blanket. How could she forget? That memory had haunted her for years.But why is Olivia bringing that up now? she knows she doesn't like remembering that incident. She had lost her mother from that accident and Olivia had almost lost her life too trying to save her.“I didn’t even think twice when they said my blood matched,” Olivia continued, her voice trembling slightly. “I was terrified, Ria. I thought I’d lose you. But I did what any sister would do—I gave you my blood because I could
Ria stood outside the door of her father's mansion, her heart thundering in her chest. Her lips were dry, her fingers trembling as she gripped the doorknob. The night before felt like a hazy nightmare—one she desperately wished to wake from. Her heart was pounding as dread settled in her chest. She knew what awaited her inside. She knew Olivia wouldn’t let it go easily.Drawing a shaky breath, Ria pushed the door open.She barely had time to close the door behind her when a hot, stinging slap landed on her cheek. The force sent her staggering back, her hand instinctively flying up to her burning face..“How dare you!” Her father's voice thundered, his face flushed with rage. “Is this what you’ve reduced yourself to? Betraying your own sister?”“Dad, I—”“Don’t you dare call me that!” he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her. “I leave this house for one business trip, and this is what I come back to? Shame! Absolute shame!”Across the room, Olivia sat in her mother’s arms, her fac
The entire gathering was quiet.Olivia dropped the champagne in her hands onto the table and took a seat with her legs crossed over another. She stared at the three women.Her expression was calm on the outside even though deep inside, she was immensely satisfied. Why would she not be when everything was playing out exactly as she had planned. She had orchestrated this entire moment, and now, it was time for her to play her final move on Ria. It was fun.She turned sharply towards her so-called friends, the once that she had hired. She spoke to them with a voice that was laced with controlled anger. "I won’t tolerate this disrespect. How dare the three of you insult my sister like that," she snapped, her eyes flashing.The three women exchanged uncertain glances because this was not a part of the script that they had been asked to play."But Olivia—" the blonde started but Olivia cut her off."I do not want to hear any of this Clarissa, at all. The three of you should apologize ri
Well, about forty minutes later, Ria was standing in front of the full length looking glass in her bedroom and struggling to pin her long hair into a neat bun. She adjusted the strands time and time again in a bid to make it look presentable for the picnic outing when Olivia casually strolled into the room.Ria turned to look at her, taking in her outfit. Olivia seemed to have outdone herself in getting dressed. Her fashion sense was obviously far from Ria's.Olivia stood at the door, halting. She took one rather long look at Ria and proceeded to sigh dramatically. "Oh, Ria, you are really a fashion disaster, do you know that?" she asked her before she shook her head in disappointment.Ria, who was used to being chided by Olivia about that, simply asked, "What is wrong with my outfit this time?""You definitely can not go out with me looking like that," Olivia declared before grabbing her wrist. "Urm, why?" Ria frowned."You, Ria, are the star of the show. My friends are all waiti
"I only just wanted to invite you to a picnic dear sister," Olivia said sweetly.Ria frowned and stared at her sister with brows that were raised high on her forehead in question. "A picnic?""Yes," Olivia said before clasping both of her hands together. Ria instantly thought that she was being really suspicious. "Why?""Well," she began. "I may have publicly bragged a little to my friends about how my dear sister is married to Adrian Blake.""And so?" "They did not believe me and so they dared me to bring you over." Olivia sighed, her expression pleading. Ria felt torn between decisions."I will just need you to come with me, just this one time. Please?"Ria’s eyes narrowed into slits. "And why should I?" She asked because she needed a solid reason to say yes. She could not get over all of the things that Olivia had done to her these past few days.Olivia pouted. "Oh, come on now Ria. This is so important to me. You do not have to be so difficult about it please," she snapped at
Olivia was stretched out lazily on the large but soft bed with her famous satisfied smile playing on her red lips. She had been clad in the warmth of Adrian’s arms all throughout the night. It had been a comfort and also a reminder that she was exactly where she belonged, by his side. Olivia was assured that though Ria still held the nonsensical title of Mrs. Blake, she had already taken her place in reality.She sat upright with a big yawn and reached for her phone which was lying on the nightstand.She unlocked it and punched in a series of numbers. Then she dialed the number. The call had barely even rang twice before it was answered by a female."Is everything ready?" she asked her while keeping her voice low."Yes, ma’am," the lady responded on the other end. "I have made all the necessary arrangements for it to go smoothly."A smirk instantly spread slowly across Olivia’s face at her words of assurance. "That is good. I want you to make sure that there are no mistakes whatso
Ria stayed standing in the living room with her heart throbbing from the pain that gripped her firmly.Her tears shamelessly dripped down from the corners of her eyes. She stared at the stairs for a while before she stormed back to the breakfast table with anger and hurt fueling her movements. She lifted herself and sat down on the chair to continue eating the breakfast that Adrian had made. She forced herself to eat with the hot tears continuously blinding her and her palms repeatedly swiping them away.She could no longer taste a single thing.Meanwhile, upstairs, Adrian guided Olivia with care into his study room and shut the door behind her. The moment he clicked the door shut, Olivia stepped into his arms and hugged him tightly with a sigh, taking him by surprise."Oh Adrian," she squeezed him. She felt really warm against his body. "I missed you so so much," she voiced out.Adrian stood still, staring down at her. He noted that her hair smelt really nice, like a garden of red
Ria who had opened the door was surprised to see Olivia standing there with a broad saccharine smile on her face. "What are you doi-""Get out of the way!" Olivia snapped at Ria with impatience just before she could say anything more.Ria stared in shock as Olivia sidestepped her and walked into the house with the heels of her black stilettos clicking against the tiled floor as she moved."Beautiful," Olivia mused softly."What are you doing in my matrimonial home on the first day of my marriage?" Ria asked her with a voice that was laced with annoyance as she closed the door.Olivia turned to her while tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "And can I not visit my sister at her home even though she had gotten married to my man?" She sneered with a sly smirk.Ria scoffed in disbelief amazed by her glaring audacity!"Your man,?" Ria said to her before crossing her arms over her chest. "You know very well who Adrian really belongs to."Olivia laughed, a high pitched sound that annoy
Adrian’s body tensed the instant Ria mentioned Olivia’s name. Ria swallowed hard while already beginning to regret all of her words. She should have probably waited for a better moment. She should have softened her approach. But there was no taking her words back now at this moment."What exactly are you trying to say, Ria?" He asked her in a calm voice that still sounded dangerous. It sent chills down her spine.“I just…” Her fingers tightened on her thighs where she had placed it. “I just think that you deserve to know the truth.”Adrian let out a short, bitter laugh. “Truth? And what lies— sorry truth do you want to reveal now?” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "It is not lies Adrian," Ria said. It is the truth I promise." She blinked.“And what truth would that be, exactly?”Ria took a deep breath and prepared herself to speak to him. "You do know that Olivia has been lying to you this whole time? Adrian, it was never her, it was always me," she tried
When Ria was done with dressing up, she sighed. She sat on the bed and stared down at her suitcase. She needed to unpack it.She wondered how she was going to bathe with her leg in a bandage. She needed to also clean her teeth too. She gritted her teeth in frustration while she berated herself for her clumsiness that had caused her to fall on the stairs.She slid down the bed, taking care with her legs and settled on the floor close to her suitcase. She opened it and searched for her toothbrush. It was bad enough that her childhood sweetheart turned husband hated her to the core. She did not want to add mouth or body odor to the list of things that made him detest her so much.She found her electric brush.She raised herself up gently till she was sitting on the bed. She then stood on her feet, avoiding putting her weight on her injured leg. She skipped on one leg to the bathroom, bursting into laughter at what she was doing. It amused her. The interior of the ensuite bathroom wow
Ria stood.She wondered why he had asked her to sit on the bed. She opened her mouth, about to ask him the reason when he spoke again."Did you hear me? Or does pregnancy make you deaf?" He asked in a harsh voice.She did not need a seer to tell her that she was grating on his nerves. She did not even want him to keep speaking with her because she felt as if everything that came out his mouth was a sword that was meant to use to hurt her.She complied, lowering herself slowly unto the soft mattress. Adrian picked up the first aid kit and came up to her. She watched him with sad eyes as he undid the buttons on his wrists.She looked away as he drew the sleeves up to his elbows, exposing the skin of his arms and those sexy veins running along it.He knelt on one knee before her and carefully lifted her injured foot. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he stared down to examine the ankle that she had sprained. She noticed that it was already beginning to swell."It does not seem brok