Avery's gaze softened, her voice filled with warmth. "You take it one step at a time, Irene. Rebuild those relationships slowly, with open communication and understanding. And remember, you don't have to face this alone. Lean on the people who love and support you."" Irene,are you done?" Suzy called from behind making me clean the tears on my face quickly before turning back at Suzy." Yes I am ready to leave." I said to her.As we walked towards the exit of the mall, I turned to Avery and said, "Hey, Avery, why don't we exchange our contact information? We can continue this conversation later, and maybe you can help me figure out what to do next."Avery smiled warmly and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, Irene. I would love to be there for you and support you however I can."We exchanged our phone numbers and promised to reach out to each other soon. I felt grateful for Avery's presence in my life again and hopeful that she would be a source of strength and guidance.As we appr
Irene —-"Benjamin, it's not that I don't appreciate your support," I said, my voice filled with sincerity. "But right now, I need to focus on my own well-being. I need to find my own strength so that I can be the best mother to Sofia."Benjamin let out a sigh, his expression filled with resignation. "Alright, Irene. I understand. Just know that I will always be here for you and Sofia, whenever you're ready."Tears streamed down my face as I watched Benjamin walk away, a mix of relief and sadness flooding through me. It was painful to push him away, but I knew it was what I needed to do for now.As I entered the house, I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. Sofia came running towards me, her eyes lighting up with joy."Mommy!" she exclaimed, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist.I scooped her up into my arms, holding her tightly. "Oh, Sofia, I missed you so much," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks."Mommy, why are you crying? And why did daddy leave like that …. E
I blushed, feeling my cheeks heat up as I tried to find the right words to respond. "Suzy, it's complicated. We have feelings for each other, but you know he's engaged and I have to be careful."Suzy raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk on her face. "Feelings, huh? Isabella, everyone in this office can see the way you two look at each other. It's undeniable."I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. Suzy was right. We couldn't hide our feelings forever, especially not in such a small, observant office."But what about his fiancee?" I asked, my voice filled with concern. "I don't want to be the other woman. I don't want to cause any more pain than I already have."Suzy placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, her expression serious. "Isabella, you can't control who you fall in love with. And Enzo, well, he's a grown man. He has to make his own choices."I nodded, understanding Suzy's point. "But what if he chooses me? What if he le
Benjamin—-"I will be on my way now, I need to pick out clients up early in the morning tomorrow, so I can't stay up late." I lied before heading to the door and till I left she never made the motion to stop me.The next day I tried my very best to avoid her in anyway. After picking up the clients from the airport and taking them to their hotel suit, I returned to the office.As I walked through the company hallways, I consciously avoided Irene's desk, not wanting to face her yet. I couldn't shake the fear and uncertainty that had settled within me after our conversation yesterday. The thought of losing her, of hurting her, was too much to bear.But as I made my way towards my office, I couldn't help but glance towards Irene's desk one last time. And what I saw made my blood boil.Miguel stood there, leaning against her desk, whispering something in her ear. Irene appeared uncomfortable, her body language tense. My instincts flared, a surge of protectiveness washing over me.I quicken
I felt a surge of gratitude and relief wash over him. I knew that I had a long way to go to earn Irene's trust, but this small step forward gave me hope.Irene led me into her apartment, her movements cautious. The air felt heavy with unspoken words as we entered Sofia's room. I placed the gift box delicately on the bed, admiring the way the dress looked against the white sheets."I hope she likes it," I said softly, turning to face Irene. "And I hope...well, I hope you know that I genuinely care about both of you. I want to be a part of your lives, Irene. But I understand if it's too soon or if you're not ready."Irene didn't say anything at first, but her eyes softened as she looked at me. "I appreciate the gesture, Benjamin," she finally replied. "But there are things...things from my past that I need to address before I can fully open up to you."I nodded, My heart sinking slightly. I knew that there were still barriers between
Benjamin —-How could this be possible? Should I ask her about this picture?I can't do that, I can't invade her privacy and still ask her about it. That won't be right.I dropped the photo back inside her wallet and walked away. But my mind wasn't at rest at the thoughts that they knew each other, that would explain why Irene always avoided Aurora in anyway possible.I sat on my desk going through some files with one of my workers at my front when I sighted Irene returning back to her seat. I tried my best to hold in urge to tell her name out loud and demand for an explanation but I won't do that, it is obvious that they are school mates and from how different Irene looked in the photo."Mr Benjamin." The lady beside me called out to me, making me come back to my senses. I was actually writing rubbish on the piece of paper documents she gave to me."Oh
Irene —-As I led Benjamin towards Sofia's bedroom, I couldn't help but feel a knot of apprehension forming in my stomach. I knew that what I was about to tell him wasn't going to be easy, and I could only hope that he would understand my reasons.Benjamin seemed so happy to see Sofia, his little daughter who had been asleep during his arrival. I watched as he whispered to himself, expressing his longing for her. It broke my heart to see them apart and I knew that Sofia missed him just as much."She misses you too but one thing always keeps her hope high," I finally spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. Benjamin looked at me quizzically, wanting to know what I meant."And what's that?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity."Tomorrow, I promised her that she would be by your side all day long if she could just wait till tomorrow," I explained. "Funny enough, that's the main reason why she slept so early today so tomorrow could fast approach."Benjamin chuckled at Sofia's clevernes
Irene —-I still couldn't believe my eyes, Aurora had seen me and she looked even more surprised, the crowd continue to cheer my name while I tried my very best to hold on to the mic given to me by the host, Benjamin walked towards Aurora with a wide smile before planting a kiss on her cheeks and then hugging her tightly, could it be that he planned this? Was he aware of our relationship? Those were the questions that ran through my mind as I stared at both of them. Aurora waved at me with a devilish smirk, how much I hated that smirk of her's. She was back to taunt my life.Despite the tension and discomfort of seeing Aurora in the audience, I managed to compose myself and focus on giving my speech. I expressed my gratitude to the foreign guests for accepting my contract and acknowledged their support in making the event a success. However, all the while, I could feel Aurora's piercing gaze on me, her eyes filled with mockery and amusement.As I continued, I tried to ignore her pres
AURORA——“Ugh!!!! That bitch!!!” I exclaimed after making sure I was far from the ward.“ and what’s wrong this time?”Hugh asked from behind making me jerk up in scare.“Have you been standing here waiting for me since then?” I asked making Hugh chuckle.“I felt like strangling that Benjamin’s right hand man or whatever…I wanted to see Benjamin’s miserable face in that condition.” Hugh said before laughing evilly again.“Don’t dare talk about Benjamin in that manner.” I warned Hugh while pointing my hands straight at his face. He unexpectedly pulls e to his chest with the same finger I pointed at him.“Ouch, Hugh you are hurting me.” I begged but he still didn’t let go.“Don’t you forget that the chances of Benjamin coming back to you depends solely on me.” Hugh whispered to me through grunted teeth.I winced as Hugh's grip tightened around my wrist, his words sinking in. He was right. Benjamin's recovery and his memory of me depended on Hugh's ability to manipulate the situation. I c
Irene—-“Benjamin almost died!!!” I yelled like it just happened, “Calm down Irene… it was really critical but we got a hang of it and that’s why you saw Benjamin.” Alex assured me as I tried to keep a fake smile on my face.“You don’t have to keep trying to look happy if you are breaking down inside Irene.” Alex added while I continued to stare at Benjamin who was still lying still on the bed with his eyes wide opened.“ I missed him so much and was expecting him to come back to me in good health but he didn’t.” I whispered to myself.As I stood there, staring at Benjamin lying motionless on the hospital bed, my mind began to wander. I had imagined his return so differently. I had pictured him walking through the front door, a smile on his face, his arms open wide to embrace me and our child. I had imagined him healthy and strong, ready to take on the world with us by his side.But reality had shattered those dreams. Benjamin had come back to me, but not in the way I had hoped. He w
Irene—-As I was about to ask Alex about any updates, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from the doctor, informing me that Benjamin had opened his eyes. Excitement and relief flooded through me, and I rushed to his room, eager to see him awake.But when I entered the room, my heart sank. Benjamin was lying there, his eyes open but devoid of recognition. He stared blankly ahead, unable to move or speak. It was as if he was trapped in his own body, unable to communicate with the world.Tears welled up in my eyes as I approached him, gently taking his hand in mine. "Benjamin, can you hear me?" I whispered, my voice filled with hope.There was no response. Benjamin's gaze remained distant, his body still and unresponsive. It felt like a cruel twist of fate. He had opened his eyes, but he was still so far away from me.The doctor entered the room, his expression grave. He explained that Benjamin had suffered a severe brain injury during the attack, which had resulted in his current co
Irene—-“ yes she had full access to Benjamin for goodness sake she was Benjamin’s personal doctor all through his time healing.” Alex said to me with regrets written all over his face.“Why couldn’t you force him to come back home immediately this happened to him and again why were you two rushing to come back, you do know I can actually take good care of myself without your guidance and I was doing that perfectly for more than month.” I said to Alex who tries his very best to avoid my gaze.“ I am really sorry Irene but he is your fiancé, you know how stubborn he is and he doesn’t want you to see him in this state and secondly he was so fucking worried that barnabas got to you before he knew.”“Why is he so scared of barnabas… one thing I know about barnabas is that he is never scared of anyone no matter how you threaten him?”I asked Alex who murmured few words to himself.“ Alex, speak to me.” I said with a demanding tone to Alex.“ barnabas is more of an anonymous person in the ma
Irene—-Benjamin's expression softened, and he gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "I'm sorry, Irene. I never wanted to be away from you for so long," he replied, his voice filled with regret. "But I had to ensure your safety and deal with the threat that was looming over us. I couldn't risk putting you in danger."I nodded, understanding the weight of his words. As much as I had missed him, I knew that Benjamin had made the right decision. Our love was strong, but it couldn't protect us from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.Benjamin took a step closer, his hand caressing my cheek. "I promise, Irene, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. We'll face this threat together, and we'll come out stronger on the other side," he said, his voice filled with determination.“Where is Sofia?” Benjamin asked, teasing my lips with his hands.“ in school.” I replied, trying my best not to blush.“She needs to stop going to school and attend private school at home to
Irene——“Welcome Mrs Ferrari.” Few workers said to me as I marched in with a few guards by side and my dad behind me and Hugh opening the elevator for me before I got there.“Thanks Hugh, I hope you are enjoying the company on your first day?” I asked Hugh who nods with a weird smile and for some reasons I can’t point out he avoids my dads gaze…..where could aurora possibly be?“Your office?” Hugh asked about to press the elevator buttons.“Yes .” I replied.I entered my office and quickly settled in, checking my emails and going through my schedule for the day. Just as I was about to start on some paperwork, Miguel, my assistant, knocked on the door."Irene, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's an urgent meeting with all the staff. It seems important," Miguel informed me.I sighed, realizing that my plans for the day were about to change. "Alright, let's go," I said, grabbing my notebook and pen.As we made our way to the meeting room, I noticed my dad following closely behind. I turn
I groaned as I opened my eyes, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains. My body felt heavy with sleep, and I could hear Sofia's voice urging me to wake up. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sat up and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was later than I usually woke up, but I reminded myself that I didn't have to rush off to work like everyone else.Aurora was already dressed and ready for work, sitting beside me with a teasing smile on her face. "Good morning, sister. Is this how you always sleep in and wake up late, despite having to go to work?" she asked, her tone playfully mocking.I chuckled, ruffling Sofia's hair as she climbed onto the bed with me. "Well, I don't have to adhere to the same schedule as everyone else anymore," I replied, my voice filled with amusement. "Besides, I've handed all your resumes to Miguel. He'll handle it from now on, so you're no longer under my wing."Aurora's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a breath of relief. "Oh,
As Alex drove us towards the airport , the tension in the car was palpable. The rain poured heavily, obscuring the road ahead, and thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. The weather seemed to mirror the turmoil in my heart as I desperately tried to reach irene, only to be met with a constant "call failed" message.The worry gnawed at my insides, threatening to consume me. What if something had happened to irene and Sofia? What if Barnabas had already gotten to them? The thought sent a surge of fear through me, making it difficult to breathe."Benjamin, we have to stay calm," Alex said, his voice filled with concern. "We can't jump to conclusions. irene is strong, and she knows how to protect herself and Sofia."I nodded, trying to take comfort in Alex's words. He was right. irene was a force to be reckoned with, and she had shown time and time again that she could handle herself. But that didn't stop the fear from gripping my heart.We continued on our journey, the rain pouring do
Benjamin —-It's been more than two weeks and I still haven't been able to return to Irene, what if she loses hope on my return. Those bastards!!! Barnabas and co, they would all pay for this.I won't forget the attack they planned on me and immediately I got to my warehouse. They blew it up, shooting me three times. They would pay for ever crossing paths with Benjamin Ferrari.I groaned in pain as the memories flooded my mind. It had been a peaceful day at the warehouse, or so I thought. Alex and I were going about our usual business when suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupted, shattering the silence.Bullets flew in every direction, shattering glass and tearing through walls. Alex and I dove for cover, trying to avoid getting hit. The attackers seemed relentless, their aim deadly accurate. I knew we were outnumbered and outgunned.As the chaos ensued, I could hear Alex yelling at me to stay down and take cover. But I couldn't just hide while they tried to take me out. I had to fight