Chapter 55Lorraine The party was in full swing by the time we arrived. Several couples trooped in with smiles on their faces; most of them were fake apart from mine which stemmed from the sense of fulfillment I felt in torturing Dexter. Each time our eyes met, he didn't bother to mask how much he wanted me. Unfortunately, I wouldn't give in. He needed to have a taste of his own medicine. "Can you fill me in on the details of the party? I need to be able to make easy conversations, you know." He explained the purpose of the party with hesitation, scowling at everyone who took a second glance at me. "You shouldn't have worn this. Now I'd have to constantly remind these men that you are with me." He whined. "You don't have to go through the stress, dear husband. It's not important." I said as a waiter passed us with a tray. I picked up a glass of white wine and downed the whole contents. "Let's talk later." He was clearly shocked by my new attitude, but if I had to act this way t
Chapter 56Lorraine My eyes were filled with tears but I willed them not to spill. Not in front of these people who enjoyed my humiliation and even added to it. I was chill; too stunned to speak or yell at them to stop playing the video. I couldn't even imagine who would have taken a video of me and Victoria in our most vulnerable states. Dexter stormed forward as the guests cleared the way for him. I didn't bother to call him back as I anticipated his next line of action. He collected the microphone from the host of the party and cleared his throat. His steel gaze trained on everyone of us. With my eyes fixed on him, I could see how hard it was for him to control this temper. "Good evening, everyone." He began with a cold tone. "I was invited to this party by a friend and honestly, my wife and I have been enjoying it until now." My heart melted as he publicly called me his wife and that statement emboldened me as I ignored the snide remarks that were thrown at me. "Someone ou
Chapter 57Lorraine I gasped, palming my lips as I darted my gaze around the guests who stared at me expectantly. They'd never forgive me if I gave a negative response though I didn't have plans of doing that. "I'm giving this one more shot, Dexter, so I'll be your wife, but have it at the back of your mind that you just signed up for a whole new coaster ride with me." I giggled and the guests began to chant ‘say yes’. Since there was no ring, all he had to do was get up from his feet and hug me. I felt at peace in his embrace, just the way I used to feel years back. He had always been my savior and now he'd proved again that he would always be there for me. "I didn't expect today to turn out this way but I'm so glad to have you fully as my wife." He held me tightly as I blushed. "I think I'm happier than you are." "Are you?" I wriggled my brows. He loosened his hold around me. "I'm starving right now and there are only two things that can satisfy me: You and your meal." I tap
Chapter 58Lorraine "Wakey Wakey." Dexter sang loudly as his side of the bed dipped when he climbed on it. "Rise and shine, your majesty." He clapped. I rubbed my eyes slowly, the sun rays bursting through the window and reflecting on my face. I opened my eyes quickly to find a tray on the bed with a plate of omelette, bacon, two slices of pancakes and freshly made orange juice to go with it. My lips stretched into a smile as I snatched the tray from him. "This looks so delicious. When did you have the time to make all of this?" My mouth was already watering as I couldn't wait to dive into the meal. While I slept like a baby, my man kept himself busy in the kitchen. How good it was to see this adorable part of him all the time. "Thank you for breakfast, Dexter. Have you had anything to eat?" I asked and he shook his head. "Don't bother about me, your satisfaction is my priority." He stood up, duffed an invisible cap, then gave a mock bow. I giggled as I bit into the hot pan
Chapter 59Dexter I tried to slam the door on her and walk away but Lorraine stopped me, silently begging me with her eyes to hold on. Emilia palmed her hands together, her orbs getting misty as she blinked hard. "Please, just let me in. I promise I won't take your time. " She employed the most pitiful tone that was already getting to Lorraine. Who cares if she stayed for just a minute? Her presence was already irritating me because I knew what she was up to. How could she come out of the blues and begin to plead with me on her knees after everything she had done? “Dexter, please, let her in. I think she has something important to say." Lorraine requested weakly. I raked through my hair in frustration. Couldn't she see through the pleas and fake pitiful expression that it was all for show? I didn't know what it was yet, but I intended to find out. "Let her in then." I agreed. "But I won't be here for whatever nonsense she has to say. " I walked away, leaving both of th
Chapter 60Lorraine I nearly flung myself at Victoria, who was standing in front of the café's entrance when we saw each other again. After going on two rounds of lovemaking earlier this morning, Dexter suggested that we visited his sister and I didn't hesitate in agreeing. I could imagine how lonely she'd be now that her freedom had been taken from her. "How have you been?" I held her tightly, caressing her hair as she sobbed on my shoulder. She sniffed and cleaned her eyes. "Lonely," She replied just as I expected. "But I didn't expect you guys here. It's such a wonderful surprise." She giggled. Dexter stepped closer to us and pulled his sister in for a hug. I gave them some space, watching their public display of love. Dexter, who looked troubled on his way here, became relaxed. We all sat down after the exchange of pleasantries and a waiter came to take our order. "How's the place like? Do they treat you badly? Does any part of your body hurt?" I threw the questions at her,
Chapter 61Lorraine It felt so good to prepare for the main runway show. Despite the obstacles that caused me some distractions, it didn't stop me from getting the job done. The new designs were mind blowing and I couldn't wait to put them on. I could own all of them if I wanted, all I needed to do was make a demand and it will be settled. As soon as the artist finished with my face, Dexter barged in with a bright smile, his eyes blaring with adoration for me. I liked it when he looked at me that way, like he wasn't tired of being with me. Ever since the video about my marriage with Dexter hit the internet, my colleagues stayed away from me and changed their attitude. Marianna, who disliked me with passion, went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable when I came this morning. I guess they were all scared of losing their contracts with the agency. "You look so stunning, baby. I can't wait for you to climb that stage and show them who the boss is." He said, hyping me wi
Chapter 62Lorraine I found myself at the beach the next day which was the location the skincare brand wanted me to model for them. The demand was impromptu because the other model that I'd replaced backed out on the deal, and it was mandatory that the shoot should be held today. Dexter offered to tag along, but I didn't allow him as I wanted him to focus on his job. So I was here with just Stella who was asked to accompany me, and Drake who Dexter had turned to my bodyguard. "Good morning, miss. You're quite early." The director commended me after I'd dropped my bag on the table and was about to go in search of the crew. A satisfied grin rose to my lips. "It's a principle, sir. I like to be punctual." "That's good, because we thought that we would have to wait for a long time for you to come. The other models do that." He sounded disappointed and if I was in his shoes I'd feel the same way too. "Well, now that you're here, the concept of the shoot will be explained to you and
Chapter 160ONE YEAR LATER "You look so ravishing," Mrs Gonzales cupped my made up cheeks and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Thank you, aunt." I beamed with a smile as the veil was set on my head while she left the room to attend to something else. Aunty Rosa, as I fondly called her, had become a part of the family. I made her the CEO of my company as she was more than capable of being a leader, and also, I wanted to compensate her for everything she did for my mother. I was fine with being a consultant and when she was ready to retire, I'd take over. Since we moved to Colorado, my life with Dexter had been all shades of fun. The happiness I craved for after losing my mother was restored, and never did a day pass without me thanking the universe for granting me my wishes. And today, after five months of having my twins; Nyla and Brian, I was ready to walk down the aisle and experience what a beautiful wedding felt like. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at how wel
Chapter 159Melissa I peered down at Dexter's sleeping face and sighed. Doctor Luca had constantly assured me that he would be fine, but I was yet to understand why he hadn't woken up already. If Leonardo had succeeded in killing him, I'd have resurrected his dead body and murdered him myself. Actually, I low-key wished that I was the one who shot him, but it didn't matter anymore because he was dead and gone. Staring at the tubes connected to his body caused goosebumps to cover my skin. He was in the situation because of me. My mind wandered as several thoughts filtered in and out of my head. Lilly had come earlier with Mary to visit him, but even her presence couldn't stir him up. No! He couldn't remain this way forever. He had to wake up. I took one of the chairs in the ward and sat beside him, entwining our fingers while I used my free fingers to caress his face lightly. He was still the most handsome man I'd ever seen, even in unconsciousness. "Cupcake, how are you
Chapter 158Melissa Blood drained from my face as the bullet went straight to his chest, causing him to slump on the ground. Leonardo pushed Lilly away and tried to break into a sprint, but he was gunned down by the cops who opened fire on him until his body was filled with bullet holes. If Dexter wasn't lying on the ground in the pool of his own blood, I'd have been rejoicing that the source of all my troubles was dead, but the sight of him in a lifeless state snuffed out any trace of happiness within me. "Get the ambulance, please!" I roared, my heart plummeting as blood gushed out from his mouth. I held his hands, my tears forming a wet mask on my face as I caressed his head. His eyes were shut, but I refused to believe that he was dying. I sat on the ground and placed his head on top of my neck, then I tore the hem of my dress and dabbed his chest with him to reduce the rate of the blood flow. All the while I did that, my heart skipped several beats and my fingers trembl
Chapter 157Dexter"You need to come back home now, sir, Leonardo is threatening to shoot the madam." Mary, my nanny, whispered with a note of urgency as if she was being restricted from talking. At the mention of his name, my heart skipped a beat and my palms became clammy with sweat. Not because I was scared of him, but with him in our house, my wife's safety wasn't guaranteed. I'd gotten her message so there was no need for us to keep talking. I dropped the call and put inspector James on the line. As the minutes passed, my anxiety skyrocketed, threatening to hit the roof. My previously distracted mind was transcending into a state of frenzy and I couldn't do anything about it. He picked up after what seemed like eternity, and if he wasn't a noble police officer, I'd have thrown a punch at him. "Hi, Mr Hemingway. How are—" I cut through the pleasantries with clenched teeth. "I'm not fine, inspector James, Leonardo is in my house right now." "What? How is that even possible?
Chapter 156Melissa The sun shone brightly, the atmosphere bubbly and charged, but my feelings were the direct opposite as I worked on packing the rest of my clothes. It was past one pm, and it gradually dawned on me that in less than three hours, I'd be leaving California to Mexico. Mexico was a nice country, but I wasn't sure it would be nice to me if Dexter wasn't there. What could I do about it? Nothing! The doorbell jingle, so I dropped the last pair of black shoes I'd selected as I didn't know what event I might be attending, even though I planned to stay indoors throughout my visit there. My chest tightened since I wasn't expecting any visitors, then I shook away my suspicion, reminding myself that if it was Leonardo he wouldn't be coming directly through the door. I took a peek at the peephole and found a man standing beside a bike with a box, causing me to frown. It was strange to see him because I didn't make an order and I clearly wasn't expecting anything from some
Chapter 155Melissa He came in, his expression glimmering with pure exhaustion. My eyes intently followed his sluggish movement as I tried to overcome the barrier between us so that I would welcome him properly. "You didn't tell me that you'll be coming back this late. I've been waiting." His eyes darted to his wristwatch, then he palmed his forehead with a sigh. "I'm so sorry. I lost track of time. Today was really hectic, several things had to be put in place and I wanted to oversee some of the activities by myself." He explained calmly, while I peered at him, my jaws slackened in surprise. We were supposed to be having a beef, but here he was, explaining how his entire day went even though his body screamed for rest. Strings of guilt gnawed at my chest as I fiddled with my fingers. I'd been completely selfish, and that was why I couldn't notice that my husband was slowly losing his mind because of my problems. I wasn't even making things easier for him. "Can you come over to
Chapter 154Melissa It was over a week since Leonardo managed to outsmart the cops and ran away, and I'd admit that I lost my peace of mind ever since. He could be lurking around, patiently waiting for the right time to strike and I wouldn't know. I wanted it all to end. I wanted to live happily with my family, take a long break from work and just reap all the fruits of my hard work, but all of my wishes wouldn't happen with Leonardo running freely while his daughter was behind bars. Dexter came into the room with a brown envelope in his hands. Once he heard that Leonardo had escaped, he lost his peace as he aided the cops in searching for him. He had become a shadow of his handsome self, as he was more interested in keeping Lilly and I safe. "Hi, cupcake, how was your day?" I asked as he sank on the bed and kissed my lips lightly. His hands moved to my abdomen which he caressed fondly. It was still flat as the pregnancy hadn't gotten to three months. It was a good thing becau
Chapter 153Melissa Seeing that everyone was already seated in the boardroom, including Leonardo and the rest of the staff, I stood up to address them. "I'm sure you are all wondering why I called for this impromptu meeting. It's because we have an important announcement to make, but before that, I'd like to appreciate everyone who is working tirelessly to ensure that Hills Jewelry is back to the top again." I said and they followed my speech with an ovation. I spoke to them with an air of confidence, passing glances at Leonardo who tried to hide his frown. If only he knew what I had in store for him today, he wouldn't be present at the meeting at all. But I found a way to lure him here, promising him that I was going to help him return to his former position. "You all showed me love and unwavering support, and in these few days of working together, we have been able to convince Troy Golds to partner with us. The partnership will be more beneficial to us because of their influenc
Chapter 152DexterMy heart thudded faster as I waited patiently in Doctor Luca's office for him to come with the DNA test result. I knew that Liam claimed to be Lilly's father and he had several ways of proving it, but for some unknown reasons, I hoped that a miracle would occur and the result would be in my favor. The door made a creaking sound as Doctor Luca let himself in. I searched his face for a clue, but as usual, his face gave away nothing. He sank onto his seat and said nothing for some seconds, then he inhaled and fixed his gaze on me. "The result is ready." He announced like I didn't know already. "Can I have it?" I asked curtly, getting cranky by the minute. He passed a brown envelope to me which I opened. A white paper fell out and I opened it, unwilling to drag the tension further. I scanned through the information, unable to make out what it meant until I got to the end and saw the statement of the result. My heart plummeted when I read that the probability of my