MELISSA’S POV The cab ride to the airport felt like the longest twenty minutes of my life. Every bump on the road jarred me, not because of the roughness of the ride, but because of the weight of my thoughts. Leaving Aphrodite again felt like the only option. This time I wasn't leaving as a broken woman. But as a woman who had something to protect. I wanted to protect myself and my daughter Crystal. The fact that Wendy was able to hire someone to come and hurt me even when he was still with Listowel, I can’t imagine the kind of thoughts she could have now that Listowel has broken up with her. I will not sit here and wait for something bad to happen again before I take action. Although I have no intention of letting Listowel know about Crystal, if Wendy manages to know just like how she got my address; she might lose her mind and hurt my daughter. Nothing could be as dangerous as a scorned woman. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “ Are you okay, miss?” I no
AUTHOR’S POV The bar was loud, throbbing with music that vibrated in the whole building. James and Daniel, Listowel’s half-brothers, were enjoying themselves as their bodies swung rhythmically with the music . “James, you’re unbelievable!” one of the women said, her high-pitched laughter cutting through the noise as James whispered something into her ear. Daniel, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand, smirked as he watched his brother work. “Save some for the rest of us, huh?” he teased in a mocking tone. “Relax, Danny,” James shot back, throwing an arm around the woman. “There’s plenty to go around.” James raised his glass, his voice cutting through the loud music. “To Listowel’s downfall!” Daniel joined in, raising his drink. “May his stupidity finally give us the chance we deserve.” They clinked glasses, laughter spilling out as they downed their drinks. “Breaking off the engagement with Wendy?” James scoffed, slamming his empty glass onto the table. “it would have been better
LISTOWEL’S POV The conference room was suffocating. The air hummed with tension so thick it was almost palpable, and every gaze in the room seemed to be aimed at me. I leaned back in my chair, outwardly calm, though my chest felt tight. I’d been through a hundred board meetings in my time as CEO, but this one was different. This one wasn’t about strategy or projections; it was about survival. I scanned the room, noting the familiar faces of the board members, most of whom avoided meeting my eyes. At the head of the table sat my grandmother, her icy glare directed straight at me. James and Daniel were to her left, their smug expressions irritating me more than they should. They whispered and chuckled to each other, completely at ease. Mr. Maccini, seated next to Grandmother, maintained his usual unapproachable demeanor. His presence alone was a threat. With his shares and my grandmother’s influence, it was clear they had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to have me impeached as
Wendy’s POV My Grandpa had been doting on me evet since I tried to kill myself. I had cut my wrist and was lying down in a pool of blood when the maid came out of nowhere and shouted for me to be taken to the hospitalZ Since then, my grandfather has been trying to feed me, and even put me to sleep. The warmth of the food on my tongue didn’t soothe me; I pushed the plate away. “I’m not hungry,” I muttered, staring down at the half-eaten food. “Stop this, Wendy,” Grandpa said, his tone firm but laced with concern. He was always so damn concerned about my well-being, but never once had he asked about my heart—about how Listowel had thrown me aside. “You can’t keep on punishing yourself like that” I shot him a bitter look. “I’m not punishing myself. I’m trying to figure out what’s left of me,” Grandpa sighed heavily, his brow furrowed in thought . “We’ll fix this, Wendy. You just need to pull yourself together. You need to go back to Italy and clear your head. Go to sch
Listowel’s POVIt's been three days since the meeting was held. I still held my position as CEO. But I hadn’t slept in two days. Two damn days. And it felt like the world was spinning slower, dragging me with it. I’d been to Melissa’s house, again and again, hoping, praying, that this time she’d open the door. That time, she wouldn’t turn me away.But nothing had changed.The silence from her side of things felt like a rejection I couldn’t escape. Every time I approached her house, I was filled with this aching sense of defeat, as if she had put a wall around herself that I couldn’t break through.I had thought I could live without her. But now, I wasn’t sure I ever would.The sound of my phone buzzing on the desk cut through my thoughts. Kevin’s name flashed on the screen. I answered it, not even bothering with pleasantries. “What is it?”“Sir please, I’ve got something,” Kevin’s voice was steady, but there was a tension in it. “We’ve been able to track down the guy who did the att
I sat in my dimly lit room, my fingers nervously tapping against the wooden desk. The silence felt suffocating, and the weight of everything going wrong pressed down on my chest. It seemed like everything was falling apart, and I couldn’t see a way out. Then, my phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. It was Clinton. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to breathe slowly before picking it up. “Clinton,” I said, my voice low and shaky. “Wendy,” he replied, his voice calm but tense. “Listen, Tony has been arrested. Listowel traced and got him. This is bad. Really bad.” My heart clenched. Tony. He was the one who poured the acid on Listowel. He was supposed to be my tool, my ally in getting revenge. And now, he was in custody. The thought of losing him made my stomach turn. I couldn’t let that happen. Not after everything I’d done to get here. “What do you mean, they’re onto us?” I asked, trying to keep my panic in check. “Listowel knows that you and I are i
MELISSA’S POV I had been sitting by my laptop for hours, staring at the screen, trying to keep my mind occupied. But my thoughts kept drifting back to the same thing: my decision. I needed to leave Aphrodite City, leave everything behind—leave him behind. Listowel. The man who had once been my husband. The man who had destroyed me then tried to put me back together only to tear me apart again. The one who had used his influence to get me to work for his company. The one I could never forget, no matter how much I hated him. But this time, I was doing it for myself. I was doing it for Crystal. She deserved a fresh start, a life without the constant reminders of the toxic mess that had been my marriage. She deserved a life away from him. I’d already looked into apartments in the U.S. I had found a few options, but nothing felt final, nothing felt right. The uncertainty made me uneasy, but I had no choice. I was determined to go. I scrolled through job listings on my laptop, glan
MELISSA’S POV I pulled up at the parking lot of Legalstone Solicitors. As expected of an infamous company like Legalstone, the interior and ambiance screamed luxury. From the model of cars parked here, no one had to tell you the employees of this company are filthy rich and well-to-do. Well, it isn't anything unexpected because eighty percent of the attorneys who work here come from wealthy generations. The other twenty percent are also self-made business moguls, who ventured into law probably for the fun of it. That's why someone like me never dreamt of working for Legalstone Solicitors. I've not even once imagined myself working here. Never. But here I am today, clutching an envelope and some files in my hands, riding the elevator to the 18th floor, where the interview is to be scheduled. The ride was smooth yet slow. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I leaned my back on the horizontal pole in the lift, anticipating for the door to chime open soon. While wai
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