MELISSA’S POVWhat!" I exclaimed, the remote I was holding, slipping from my hands. My stomach twisted as I watched the photos displayed on the screen. Who the hell did this? A tight knot formed in my throat as I stared at the images of Listowel and I replayed continuously on the screen. I bet these photos were taken last night.Examining them from afar I could attest that they indeed looked intimate! Some of the photos had Listowe vividly pulling me tight to his chest, while the others had him, petting my hair, while the rest were shot when we were standing outside of the bar.Did Listowel intentionally had this released? I mean, that man is unpredictable and can do anything. But why would he do this?" anxiety gnawed at my brain as I tried to connect the dots.No, come to think of it, everyone knows of his engagement with Wendy Macinni, so he can't possibly do this.My heart pounded heavily in my chest as I paced up and down in my room, trying to find answers to my numerous questi
WENDY'S POV A few minutes after joining the main road, I got stuck in a traffic jam. “Why is everything not going my way today?” I shouted, frustration evident in my voice. I reached for my phone which I had tossed aside earlier and started browsing the internet as I occasionally glanced at the traffic, impatiently wishing that there was another route other than this to use to my destination. Truly, Listowel's name is at the top of the trending news. More and more articles, write-ups, and videos circulated on the internet and the comments were an eyesore. I so much hate these people who call themselves fans! They cheer you up after an achievement and treat you like a literal goddess but when something bad circulates the air, they suddenly have something mean to say. I don't even blame them. The only person I blame is Listowel. I am his fiance for Christ's sake? How could he allow these photos to linger on the internet especially when there are already articles on his encoun
LISTOWEL'S POVThe constant ringing of my doorbell jolted me awake from my sleep. A groan escaped my lips as I lay down, the sharpness of the noise threatening to tear my earlobe."Who the f**k is that?" I cursed under my breath, I unwrapped myself from the blanket, pulling myself up. Pain coursed through my entire body as I tried to lift myself.The light rays from the chandeliers hit my eyes as soon as they flared open. It was after my eyes fully opened that I realized I had passed the night on the bare floor. "How did I end up here?" I asked inwardly as l attempted to recall how l came home last night. But the consistent ringing of my doorbell irritated my ears, distracting my thoughts.The coldness of the floor caused me to sit up on the sofa as it seethed through my body. It was after, I sat up that I realized I had passed the night on the floor. Rubbing my eyes, I made my way toward the door to check who in the world had the guts to disturb my slumber like this. My head thr
Listowel's POVGazing intently at her, I blinked hard and jolted back from my trance. It was just an imagination. Wendy has been getting under my skin but the last thing I would do is lay a hand on a woman. Although I so much wish I would go against my principles and press her against the wall and with the same deadly glare, warn her not to disrespect Melissa again."You know what? Just leave, I will get this sorted," I said, trying as much as possible to get her out of my sight.I guess she was keen on her decision to not move even an inch out of my house until the issue at hand was resolved because she grabbed one of the chairs in the dining and sat on it, her arms crossed to her chest as she stared into thin air.I resumed to the phone and dialed my butler's number. Kevin is the only one who can take care of this as he has even the tiniest details of all the companies in Aphrodite at his fingertips. The line rang twice before Kevin's calm voice came through."Good day, sir? You'
LISTOWEL’S POVI sat behind the long, dining table at the Grodon’s mansion. This mansion is where I grew up with both my parents and grandparents. Memories of my childhood filled my mind as I sat behind the table. As I darted around, admiring the artifacts, furniture, paintings, and other wares in the mansion that harbored my childhood memories, my heart gleamed with delight. But the heavy, suffocating air that engulfed the hall masked the delight within me. It has always been like this ever since my grandfather and parents died, leaving me with my grandmother and stepbrothers. My grandmother sat at the head of the table, her sharp eyes staring into her. The aura exuding from her was powerful and regal even in her old age. Beside me sat my stepbrothers, Daniel and James who were fidgeting in their seats, their lips tempting to break the loud silence. I hate being in the same room as them. My father had cheated on my mom with their mom. I never liked them because of their greedines
LISTOWEL’S POV The room fell into another tense silence. From the sides of my eyes, I could see grandma’s shocked face gradually darkening. Disapproval drawn all over her, but my expression remained straight and unbothered. I had been wanting to break the news to everyone for several years now. But I had to stop myself countless times from breaking it because I was afraid. I was afraid grandma might discard me and the company I worked so hard to grow will fall into the hands of my brothers. But now that Melissa was back, I was willing to risk it all. Besides, I’ve made my feelings and intentions clear to Wendy years ago,but she insisted she would win my heart again and forced herself to stay. For the past years, she's been trying to get me laid while she's messing around with other men but I've been acting oblivious. She had managed to get into grandma’s good books so bringing up talks of calling off the engagement would have disrupted my relationship with her. You know, im
MELISSA'S POV I could hear his long deep sigh on the line. “I'm sorry Melissa" For a moment my heart fluttered, but l instantly felt like he was genuine and that he was telling the truth. "Will it be possible for us to meet?" he asked. But the pity I was developing for him immediately got masked with contempt. My lips curled in disgust, an empty laugh echoing through the park as it left my lips. "Meet? You've got to be kidding me! Do you want to see me so you can fill me with your lies? No thanks, darling, I've outgrown your silly games”. Without waiting for his reply, I hung up the phone, my fingers trembling in anger. How dare he lay out such a request? Did he think I needed his comfort? Did he think calling me would unmake the harm done already? I tossed my phone inside my bag as I sprang up to my feet to take a walk. I was still stroking in the park, enjoying the breeze, when I felt a shadow loom over me. I couldn't even check to see who it was when a big muscled a
MELISSA’S POV “Seriously?…, is it my eyes or you really are on your knees right now?! Listowel, I don’t know if anyone has told you this before but you are very pathetic!”. “Does your fiancee know you are here pleading to get your ex-wife back? Is she aware that the man she will be marrying sooner or later is here crying to another woman to be accepted?” I asked, my bloodshot eyes glaring at him in disgust. I stood still, lost in my thoughts, wondering if Listowel had always been like this. A two-timer? “Yes…, she does. She knows you are the only one I love”, he replied as he raised and stood on his feet. Another loud laughter escaped my lips. This time, it was real and humorous. I've seen so many sides of Listowel but never this. “You're really hilarious, Mr. Gordon. I guess you still see me as a gullible teenager, who would believe anything and everything you say. What do you actually want? Huh? When we were together, you were in love with Wendy. You couldn't wait for h
MELISSA’S POV Listowel kept the fork he was holding down and leaned back into the chair. He narrowed his eyes at me and simply asked, “Why Not?” “Because it was a mistake?” was my response. I busied myself with cutting the steak in front of me. In a deep gentle tone, “Look at me….” he demanded. As if I were a robot who could be controlled, I lifted my gaze from the plate to meet his. His pupils dialed, and his eyes widened as soon as our gazes locked. “For me. What happened between us was not a mistake. I cherish everything we shared.” I couldn't help but scoff at his words. Even though deep within myself I wanted to believe his words, a part of me couldn't help but scoff. I have to admit. It has become very difficult for me to let go of the past and trust him again. A part of me wants to give it a shot especially now that he's no more with Wendy but a part of me also dreads this decision most. Leaning forward, he moved his hands across the table to hold me. I instin
MELISSA’S POV The soothing sound from the fountain at my far right was the only thing that could be heard amidst the clatter of plates and in the restaurant where Listowel and I were seated. To disguise ourselves, Listowel had on a cap while I covered half of my face with a scarf. We made a stop at a boutique nearby to buy it because Listowel thought it would be awkward if we both came to the restaurant wearing a mask. A black mask to be precise. Thankfully, when we walked in, there were very few people here. Even the few people around were also busily eating, chatting, or having a meeting with their colleagues. No one seemed interested in who we were. Despite this, I requested that we sit at the secluded side of the restaurant and the manager was very kind to allow us. A few minutes adterfettubg seated, a slim petite lady who from the black mini dress with a white collar and tie she was wearing; hinted that she was a waitress, stridden to our table. Listowel on the
MELISSA’S POV “Back off…” I sneered. “What if I don’t?” He asked in a low whisper, his hot breath, fanning against my face. I inhaled sharply and rolled my eyes before muttering in annoyance, “Then I will be forced to—“ Before the words could fully leave my lips, he shut me up with a kiss. I pushed back slightly but his firm grip on my neck weakened my effort. I couldn’t understand why Listowel was being so careless. Was he not aware that any slight mistake could land us over the news? I closed my eyes and kissed him back for a while but as soon as I realized his hold on me had loosened, I bit him hard on his lips. “Ouch…,” he winced and I couldn’t help but let out an evil smirk. “Serves you right…” I remarked, trying hard to suppress myself from laughing at the face he had made. “Did you have to bite me?” he retorted, but I didn’t say anything. I only pulled up the nose mask and stared straight ahead. He didn’t push further. He turned on the engine and started the
MELISSA’S POV My mind wandered to Listowel as soon as the call ended. He was the one who handled everything that night so it was not too out of the ordinary that I was feeling obligated to call him. But as I finished putting in his contact number, my thumb hovered on the screen while I contemplated whether I really had to call him or not. Thinking aloud, “Should I call him or not? Won’t it be too awkward if I call him at any little inconvenience? Besides, Melissa… why are you acting like he’s your guardian or some sort? Since when did you start depending on people? No. You don’t need to tell him. Just go to the station, give your statement, and come back home. Simple. “ I battled with my thoughts as I put down the phone and headed back to the dining area. I had settled on the idea that I would be going to the station alone until something crossed my mind. Listowel still needed to know that the police called since he was also at the crime scene. I’m sure he
MELISSA’S POV Listowel had called out after me several times, probably confused at my reaction. But I paid no heed to him. I threw and sunk myself onto the bed. Even as I pressed the pillow hard against my ears, I could still hear him calling my name and asking if he said anything wrong but I didn't bother explaining anything to him. I could only thank my stars he was still oblivious and had not suspected anything. ****FLASHBACK ENDS*** Something flickered in me as soon as my eyes fell on the pink sticky note on the dining table. It bore Listowel’s handwriting. Yes, I still remember his handwriting because since I worked with him. Back when I was working at Gordon Inc., all my work projects had to be approved by him before any other proceedings so I pretty much recognize it. A broad smile formed on my face as I read the message. It read; “Hey, you had a good sleep? I made your favorite breakfast. I know I’m not the best cook but make sure you finish everything.
MELISSA’S POV A soft yawn escaped my lips as I sat up on my bed. My eyes darted, searching around for only God knows what. I live alone so it was so unusual for me to wake up and dart around like this. It felt as if I was expecting to see someone. Slightly lifting my hands, I stretched myself before rising up and heading to the living room. As I opened the door that separated my bedroom from the rest of my apartment, I was greeted with an appetizing aroma. My brows knitted together as I tried to process what was happening. Halting in my tracks, I squinted my eyes as I tried to figure out if what I was seeing in the dining area was real. To make sure I wasn't daydreaming, I rubbed my eyes a couple of times but as the savoring aroma that had engulfed the room filled my nostrils, no one had to tell me that whatever I was seeing was real. Yes. For the first time in months, since I moved into this apartment, there’s an actual breakfast on my dining table. My eyes flicke
KEVIN’S POV The thick silence that engulfed the car was too loud to ignore. For a split second, I thought the boss was ignoring me and probably didn't want me to disrupt what he was doing on his tablet so I kept my lips shut and drove out of the garage to hit the road. Listowel usually listens to the early morning news on his way to work so I turned on the radio and lowered the volume to a level that helped balance his attention on both the tablet and the radio. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. It's been a few minutes since we hit the main road but Mr. Gordon had still not asked me to continue with what I was about to tell him earlier nor has he made any sound. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. Suddenly, “What was it that you needed to tell me?” his deep commanding voice echoed from the back seat. He removed the glasses he had on and
KEVIN’S POV My head throbbed as I sat on my bed this morning. The hard liquor I had consumed yesterday was definitely the cause of the pain. Yes, I had threw up the one Wendy made me drink while we sitting at the counter so it was so odd for me to have felt this way. But the truth, I went back to drink more last night. My chest tightened with fury as I tried to recall the events of the previous night. A pang of guilt washed over me as I also recalled my indifferent attitude towards my boss these past few days. I felt mad at myself for doubting him and believing that Wendy deserved better. I couldn't help but replay the scene I had witnessed last night. Wendy, whom we all knew to be obsessed with Listowel was tightly entangled in another man’s arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating so I got off the car and hid closer to have a proper look. It was indeed her. Even though she had on a scarf which had covered most o
KEVIN’S POV“Ouch..” Wendy let out a loud shrill cry, as she clutched her stomach. “Why what is it?” Her cry caught me by surprise, making me spring up to my feet. I sprinted to her side and assisted to get up on her feet. “My…. my tummy. It aches. I need to go to the washroom now,” she answered, although her tone sounded a bit dramatic to me. I attempted to hold up and maybe escort her to the washroom door but she yanked my hands away. “Thanks but I can go by myself. It isn't really a big deal. I think I just had too much to drink.” she said, making me confused as to what she meant. “Alright… easy there,” I said, letting go of her hands. “I'll be waiting for you here then. No. No need to wait. You can take the lead.” she shouted as she made her to the ladies. “Woww…” I said, taking out money from my wallet and placing it on the bill. The harsh cold breeze greeted me as I stepped outside the bar. I shook vigorously my head in anticipation of getting the influence of the alcoho