DAHLIA
It had been a few days since we had visited Devin in the hospital, yet still we were unable to track Kendra down. Although Dane did tell me that there was a high chance she may be dead. I just hoped it wasn’t the case, for Devin at least. Malcolm had tried to find more details on Kendra’s birth father, but he wasn’t even mentioned on the birth certificate. There were a few places Malcolm went to ask around, people who knew her mother, but he had drawn another blank.
Tonight, Dane was taking me out. He had said it had been a while since we got a break and just a change would be good for us both. I was excited about it. I had taken some time to pick out a crystal-encrusted mini dress, which I wore over a nude bodysuit that emphasised my curves. The dress had a high collar and shoulder pads, which only had more tassels. It was probably the shortest dress I’ve worn, the dangly bling strands just about covering my behind, but it felt right. I paired it with silver
Thank you for reading! It was an extra long chapter today, I hope you enjoyed it please do vote and review ^.^ clothing aesthetics on on my In.sta
DAHLIA My heart was racing as he spoke those words. Dane was proposing. My chest rose and fell as I tried to speak. My throat felt dry and I got choked up. He reached over and took the ring from my fingers. His gorgeous dreamy hazel eyes looking into mine for an answer. I couldn’t reply, so I nodded. Breathing deeply as I held my hand out. A devilish sexy smirk crossed his lips. "Use your words, princess." He purred teasingly. I poked my eyes at him. "Yes, I would love to." I whispered, holding my hand out to him. He took it, kissing it softly before he slipped the stunning ring onto my finger. "I love it, and I love you." I said, cupping his face as he stood up and pulled me into his arms. I kissed him passionately, hoping he could feel all my love for him in that kiss. He moved away when I gasped for air and I smiled at him. "Love you too, princess." He said running his fingers through my hair.
DAHLIA It had been a few weeks since Kendra’s body had been found and Dane had stayed true to his word. Emily would not get away with it and the doctor who had attended to Aria had given his statement. I was officially free from Warren completely and I couldn’t be happier. Dane’s relationship with his family had been strained, but regardless of that fact, I had invited them to our engagement. I knew deep down, they were still his parents, and I also knew they would treat Aria well. They had treated her well before too. I just hoped one-day things would work out. Family was not always pleasant, and many of us had parents who made mistakes, but that does not mean we should immediately disown them. I just hoped with time things would work out and they would realise what they were missing, because I would love it if Aria had more family around. The news of my engagement and pregnancy was swirling around, but we had not confir
DAHLIA I didn’t know where he had taken me or why he had the sudden need to come out with his true identity. We hadn’t driven far when the van stopped and I was being dragged out of it, all I could see was it was some sort of car park. My stomach sank as he pulled me into the darkness and down the ramp to the lower floor, I couldn’t see anything much and I did my all not to stumble whilst Joaquin didn’t seem to care. There were a few dim lights but for the most part, it was dark here. He pushed me against a post and began tying me to it roughly, I winced when the rough rope singed my skin. "I’ll make quick work of this." He muttered. My stomach twisted in fear, what was he planning? Every worst-case scenario flitted through my mind and I just felt sick. Maria… Zara… Amal, who was carrying his child… Kendra, who could have been his daughter… The moment he removed the cloth from around my mouth I thought of what I could say.
TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER… DAHLIA "Careful there Cain!" Dane’s mother scolded her grandson despite the smile on her face. "You will get your mother's clothes dirty." She kissed the chubby little boy on his cheek. He pouted as he tugged at her necklace. I smiled watching them, my little boy with his large grey eyes like mine and his hair was the same as his father and sister. "Let me fix that for you." Amanda said adjusting my veil that Cain had just tugged. I looked in the mirror, I was dressed in a stunning white wedding dress with jewels and beads. My hair that now almost reached my waist, was open and in its natural curls, pinned back in an elegant puff. The scar on my face was faint and I didn’t hide it any longer. My face glowed with the dewy makeup my stylist had applied, and my jewellery glittering. Today was the day I was to marry the love of my life. Dane. Life had changed so much since the day we ended Joaqui
DAHLIA “Aria! Where are you?” I called out to my 6-year-old daughter. Looking around the foyer of our mansion I could not see anyone but one of the house staff, Maya arranging flowers in a vase in the centre of the hall. She lowered her head to me politely. “Ma’am, Aria is hiding in the master's office.” She said politely. “Thank you, Maya.” I said, shaking my head as I made my way through to my husband's office, my smile that I had taken years to perfect no matter how upset I may be inside threatened to falter.Aria was not my husband's daughter and because of it I know he disliked her going into his office no matter how much he tried to hide it, I often saw the irritation or annoyance on his handsome face. “Aria my darling?” I said entering the room, how did she know the code? A light giggle drew me to the desk and I shook my head crossing my arms. “Hmm it seems Ari isn't here, that’s fine I shall go have pancakes by myself
DAHLIA “How dare you!” I shouted, pain and anger consuming me. I looked at the coffee that the cheating slut was offering me, and whacked it out of her hand not caring when she screamed, the burning hot coffee spilling over her. It wasn’t enough, the pain within my chest was suffocating me. “Dahlia!” Warren said as he grabbed some tissues patting Kendra’s shirt. My eyes stung with tears, how dare he! How dare he do this to me? What was I lacking? I pushed him away, knocking him into the tray that stood on the corner of his desk. Grabbing Kendra’s arm, I slapped her hard across the face. The resounding echo, loud in the now quiet room. She just stood there, whimpering in pain and fear as if she didn’t even know what she had done wrong. “Darling, listen to me, what is the matter?” Warren asked. I could hear the fear and worry in his voice. I turned angrily to him. “How dare you ask me that! You cheated on me! You gave her t
DAHLIA Two weeks had passed since the scandal had hit the Nazari Empire, the stocks had taken a blow when the world found out about the collapse of my marriage. I had applied for a divorce on the basis of infidelity. My failed marriage was plastered on the cover of every newspaper and business magazine, every assumption and every remark were only adding salt to the already deep wounds that Warren had left me with. But I was still trying to remain strong and composed. True to my words I had appointed Dane Altaire as CEO, although the official signing was to take place very soon. I was not going to move from my decision although the board of directors were trying to break my resolve at every meeting. On top of that my father had summoned me, he had been abroad on a holiday when everything had happened but had returned home swiftly when he realised what had occurred. My chauffeur Markus now drove through the gates of the huge Nazari estate, the place was
Dane Three Days had passed since my dinner with Dahlia, or should I say the spoilt princess. She was partially a mystery to me; at times she didn’t seem to care that her husband had cheated on her and then at other times I thought I saw the sadness behind those alluring grey eyes. I frowned, stopping my train of thought. She was nothing more to me than a stepping stool to get to where I wanted. I stepped out of the bedroom of my small apartment in the busy city, it wasn’t too big but it was well kept and decorated with a modern interior. I had only recently moved out of my family’s small apartment and if I was going to do this then I didn’t want to draw too much attention to who my parents were. Tonight was the party in my honour, celebrating my new status as CEO of the multi-billionaire company. I looked in the mirror, the suit I wore was well-tailored in a dark navy shade, underneath it I wore a red shirt, a few buttons
TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER… DAHLIA "Careful there Cain!" Dane’s mother scolded her grandson despite the smile on her face. "You will get your mother's clothes dirty." She kissed the chubby little boy on his cheek. He pouted as he tugged at her necklace. I smiled watching them, my little boy with his large grey eyes like mine and his hair was the same as his father and sister. "Let me fix that for you." Amanda said adjusting my veil that Cain had just tugged. I looked in the mirror, I was dressed in a stunning white wedding dress with jewels and beads. My hair that now almost reached my waist, was open and in its natural curls, pinned back in an elegant puff. The scar on my face was faint and I didn’t hide it any longer. My face glowed with the dewy makeup my stylist had applied, and my jewellery glittering. Today was the day I was to marry the love of my life. Dane. Life had changed so much since the day we ended Joaqui
DAHLIA I didn’t know where he had taken me or why he had the sudden need to come out with his true identity. We hadn’t driven far when the van stopped and I was being dragged out of it, all I could see was it was some sort of car park. My stomach sank as he pulled me into the darkness and down the ramp to the lower floor, I couldn’t see anything much and I did my all not to stumble whilst Joaquin didn’t seem to care. There were a few dim lights but for the most part, it was dark here. He pushed me against a post and began tying me to it roughly, I winced when the rough rope singed my skin. "I’ll make quick work of this." He muttered. My stomach twisted in fear, what was he planning? Every worst-case scenario flitted through my mind and I just felt sick. Maria… Zara… Amal, who was carrying his child… Kendra, who could have been his daughter… The moment he removed the cloth from around my mouth I thought of what I could say.
DAHLIA It had been a few weeks since Kendra’s body had been found and Dane had stayed true to his word. Emily would not get away with it and the doctor who had attended to Aria had given his statement. I was officially free from Warren completely and I couldn’t be happier. Dane’s relationship with his family had been strained, but regardless of that fact, I had invited them to our engagement. I knew deep down, they were still his parents, and I also knew they would treat Aria well. They had treated her well before too. I just hoped one-day things would work out. Family was not always pleasant, and many of us had parents who made mistakes, but that does not mean we should immediately disown them. I just hoped with time things would work out and they would realise what they were missing, because I would love it if Aria had more family around. The news of my engagement and pregnancy was swirling around, but we had not confir
DAHLIA My heart was racing as he spoke those words. Dane was proposing. My chest rose and fell as I tried to speak. My throat felt dry and I got choked up. He reached over and took the ring from my fingers. His gorgeous dreamy hazel eyes looking into mine for an answer. I couldn’t reply, so I nodded. Breathing deeply as I held my hand out. A devilish sexy smirk crossed his lips. "Use your words, princess." He purred teasingly. I poked my eyes at him. "Yes, I would love to." I whispered, holding my hand out to him. He took it, kissing it softly before he slipped the stunning ring onto my finger. "I love it, and I love you." I said, cupping his face as he stood up and pulled me into his arms. I kissed him passionately, hoping he could feel all my love for him in that kiss. He moved away when I gasped for air and I smiled at him. "Love you too, princess." He said running his fingers through my hair.
DAHLIA It had been a few days since we had visited Devin in the hospital, yet still we were unable to track Kendra down. Although Dane did tell me that there was a high chance she may be dead. I just hoped it wasn’t the case, for Devin at least. Malcolm had tried to find more details on Kendra’s birth father, but he wasn’t even mentioned on the birth certificate. There were a few places Malcolm went to ask around, people who knew her mother, but he had drawn another blank. Tonight, Dane was taking me out. He had said it had been a while since we got a break and just a change would be good for us both. I was excited about it. I had taken some time to pick out a crystal-encrusted mini dress, which I wore over a nude bodysuit that emphasised my curves. The dress had a high collar and shoulder pads, which only had more tassels. It was probably the shortest dress I’ve worn, the dangly bling strands just about covering my behind, but it felt right. I paired it with silver
DANE Was she a woman or an angel? She was so selfless that here she was willing to help the brother of her ex-husband's mistress… I had seen her looking around the hospital earlier with a frown on her face. "I haven’t got the money for the bills, and the doctors said they can’t keep me on dialysis-" "Devin. I’m here. Don’t worry. I’ve paid the bills on Kendra’s behalf. No one will bother you. Calm down." Dahlia said, placing her hand on the boy’s shoulder. He noticed the cuts on her hands and looked at her sharply. "What happened to your hands?" "I… was attacked." She said, giving him a small smile. "Oh… I’m sorry…" "It’s ok, I’m alive. That’s the important part…" Dahlia stated with a gentle smile, "Is it ok, if I take a seat?" "Of course, any friend of Kendra’s is a friend of mine. I mean… I don’t really have friends, so…" "Do you get to go out?" "Yeah, if someone takes me, but Kendra’s busy… Sh
DAHLIA It was several days later and luckily, it seemed like that was the end of Emily. There was nothing she could do to us or try to claim Aria. There was plenty of proof of her neglect, after all the doctor had seen the state Aria was in when I had taken her to the hospital that night. Thanks to the cold that night I had fallen ill too. We had to go through legal terms to register her as there was no proof of any child being born in any hospital in the city that was unaccounted for, there was no way she could do anything. Today, Dane and I had decided to head to Maria’s old apartment. We had planned to ask them if there was anything they saw or heard before Maria was killed but we had drawn a blank. Maria’s friend had passed away and her son had renovated the entire building and had a shop built in its place. "Another dead end." Dane said, tapping the steering wheel as we drove away. "Dane, shall we visit The Hope Trust Hospital? Kendra’s brothers
DANE There was only one Emily I knew, and for her to be here… felt unreal. I was done and dusted with her, so why now? I didn’t need her, nor did I want her anywhere near Aria or Dahlia. I looked towards Dahlia, who was standing there looking stunned. Her large eyes were full of emotions, her chest heaving. "One moment…" I said to the watchman. Closing the door, I walked over to Dahlia. I was about to pull her into my arms when she stepped back, sending a stinging pain through me. Her breathing was heavy, and I could tell she was beginning to panic. "Don’t worry… She cannot come between us… or Aria. If she thinks she can worm her way back in, then she has another thing coming." I said quietly, tugging her by the elbow. I pulled her into my arms forcefully. I didn't care if she wanted to or not, I needed this. "Have faith in yourself beautiful, and in me… No one can mess this up." She nodded, but I could still feel her shaking. I didn’t
DANE We had just arrived home when we heard Aria laughing as she and Hadid sang some Arabian song. "Finally home…" Dahlia said with relief. I was glad she was feeling better now. "Home indeed, speaking of which… I have a few things I wanted to show you." "Sounds perfect." She said. "Mama!" Aria said as she hurried over. Dahlia hurried forward worriedly. "Careful Ari." She scolded lightly catching her carefully and kissing her head. "Mama, Grandpapa and I are singing songs!" She said. "That’s lovely, now how about you go and enjoy yourself? Mama will go shower and then we will join you all for some pizza?" "Oo yummy! Takeaway?!" "Yes." Dahlia laughed. Aria gave me a hug before she walked off to tell Hadid. Dahlia stood up, smiling as she turned to look at me, taking her coat off slowly. If only she realised how enticing that move was… "Mind ordering?" "Not at