Olivia ~•~“Mama, you look so beautiful.” Rowan gushed over me as I stood in front of the mirror. “Your dress looks like it belongs to a queen.” “Yes, I’m so happy for you,” Riley added, her eyes filled with admiration. “I love you, Mama.” I opened my arms wide and my babies leaned into my body. I forced myself to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall out because I didn’t want to ruin my makeup. The makeup artist had spent a lot of hours working on my face because Alexander told her that he wanted everything to be perfect. He made sure to go to great lengths to see that my day was perfect. I had told him about the dream I had some days back and he promised me that nothing like that was going to happen. I believed him and I wasn’t worried about anything going wrong. Everyone I invited was already present at the venue. I had about twenty minutes before I headed downstairs. As I waited for my brother to come to the hotel room, my mind wandered back to the day of my fi
Olivia ~•~Everyone had finally left, it was just me and Alexander at the fountain side. The kids and Maya were also present but they were at their hotel room. Maya was spending the night at the same hotel, so she insisted on sharing a room with the kids while I spent time with Alexander. “I have something for you,” Alexander whispered in my ears as he stood behind me. I turned around with a wide smile plastered on my face. “What is it?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. Alexander smiled and pulled out a small box from his pocket. Inside was a beautiful silver necklace with a small crystal pendant. “I wanted to give you something special to remember this day.” He said, his voice filled with genuine emotions. I was impressed by his thoughtful gesture and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Alexander. I love you.” I turned around and he wore the necklace over my neck. It was so beautiful and I was never taking it off again. “I love you, too.” He whispered, his hot breath fanning my e
*TEN YEARS LATER* Riley Burke ~•~ “Miss Burke, what do you have to say about your father’s company?” “Is it true that the beauty products are causing cancer?” “Why haven’t they made a press release about the issue yet?” I clenched my jaw as I maneuvered through the swarm of reporters outside my dorm. Their cameras flashed like a thunderstorm and their relentless questions buzzed my ear. It took everything in me not to wave my middle finger at them. I was tired of the constant harassment from the paparazzi. I was already exhausted from my long classes and the last thing I needed was a bunch of annoying reporters bugging my life. They followed me everywhere whenever there was a scandal involving my family. I was tired of them and should’ve just listened to my parents when they asked me to go home in the meantime. I finally passed through the crowd and made my way to my room. By the time I slammed the door behind me, it felt like I’d just escaped a war zone. I
Riley Burke ~•~“Is Harper in love with me?” Rowan asked in a cocky tone as we walked together to the car. “Why does she always act that way whenever she sees me?” He added with a scoff. I rolled my eyes at him. “Don’t flatter yourself, she acts the same way with everyone else.” I was lying but I didn’t want him to know that Harper had a huge crush on him. I found it disgusting because why would anyone be interested in my brother? By the way, Rowan was already in a relationship with Bella, his high school girlfriend. “I know you’re lying! She’s clearly in love with me.” Rowan bragged and I pushed him away. “You wouldn’t understand because you’re single.” He added, mocking my love life. “Just shut up and drive me home, chauffeur.” I teased with a chuckle as we got to the car. I knew how to drive but I hated driving, so Rowan automatically became my designated driver. He always complained but he had no choice but to drive me home. “Did you know those silly reporters harassed me
Olivia ~•~Alexander and I have been receiving threats for a while. There had been a lot of rumours and lies about the company and we had no idea how to stop it.At first, we brushed it off as mere gossip. But as the days turned into weeks, the rumors and the threats escalated, and we then realized it wasn’t just an ordinary rumor.Someone had deliberately set out to destroy the company’s reputation and we had no idea who was behind it. I knew it had something to do with a rival company. They’d stop at nothing to sabotage us because the company was thriving more than ever. They even went as far as to record false testimonies against the company. Alexander even had a meeting with his production team and they reviewed all the chemicals to make sure none of it was toxic. But still, the lies were spreading like wildfire. It wasn’t a good look for the company because people would be reluctant to purchase the products. Alexander and his team were trying their best to fix the situation.
Riley ~•~Throughout the ride to the hospital, my mind was racing with different thoughts. My parents wanted Rowan and me to stay back but we refused. I needed to be sure that Jason was okay. Why did anybody have to go after him? Everyone was panicking but my parents tried to keep it cool. Their composure was reassuring, but I could sense the worry beneath.One of the drivers always dropped Jason off at school and picked him up after because my father was meticulous about his security. Unlike us, Jason didn’t have a problem with the security. Yet, someone still managed to target their car. My heart sank at the thought. Why Jason? He was the last person who deserved this. The ride to the hospital was a short one but it felt like an eternity. As soon as my dad pulled up in the driveway, Rowan and I rushed out of the car. While growing up, we had no idea that Jason wasn’t actually my father’s biological son. But even when we found out about it, it didn’t change the fact that we lo
Mason Craig ~•~My friends always asked me what I saw in Riley. I know it’s cliche, but I’d say that it was love at first sight. The first day I set my eyes on her, I knew I wanted her in my life. I wasn’t the one to approach girls but I couldn’t help myself. It wasn’t just her beauty, though her long black hair and blue, confident eyes were enough to make anyone look twice. It was the way she moved—graceful, self-assured like the world couldn’t touch her. From the moment I saw her, I knew I couldn’t let her go. Father always said I needed a confident and strong woman by my side. She exuded the kind of presence my father always talked about. We only spoke in class, and even then, our conversations were brief, polite exchanges. I wanted more. I wanted to take her on a proper date and show her who I was beyond the lectures and group projects. But every time I tried, she brushed me off. I wanted that to change. It was even a hassle before she agreed to give me her phone number.
Riley~•~I had no idea how I had slept off the previous night. As soon as my eyes fluttered open, I climbed out of my bed and ran outside my room to Jason’s room. I wanted to check if he had returned from the hospital. But as I got there, his room was unlocked and there was nobody inside. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I went to check my parent's room and I still saw an empty room. Then, I decided to check Rowan’s room. I knocked on the door multiple times before he finally responded. “Hey.” He whispered in a slightly groggy voice as he opened the door. “Did you hear from Mama yesterday? Is Jason okay?” I asked, my voice laced with a mixture of fear and curiosity. “I had no idea when I slept off, I wanted to wait until they arrived.” Rowan let out a deep sigh, running his hands through his hair. “Jason is doing fine but he still needs to stay at the hospital for a while to undergo some treatment.” I let out a relieved sigh as I heard Rowan speak. “Mama called yesterday but you d
Mason Craig ~•~My father was really pissed when Big Mama called him and asked to do want the Burke’s company wanted. He was even more pissed because he knew we were the ones behind it but he couldn’t do anything about it. After he agreed to make an apology post, he called all his staff for a meeting. My father didn’t want to completely taint his image, so he asked one of the staff to take the fall. One of them agreed because they were going to be compensated. They wanted to lie to the public that my father didn’t have anything to do with it and was just realizing the person behind it. I felt bad for the people who volunteered themselves, but some people had financial problems and would do anything to make some extra cash. It was a good thing he didn’t force anybody. The meeting ended and they recorded an apology post and also debunked the rumors. But they had to send it to Riley’s father for approval before releasing it online. A part of me was relieved because everything was
Riley Burke ~•~I felt better after Amelia and Harper called to check up on me. It was the weekend and we weren’t having classes, so they had gone back to their respective houses.Our group conference calls always lightened up my mood. After we rounded up the call, I made my way downstairs for dinner. Caroline volunteered to make dinner. For someone who barely cooks, she was a great chef and I was excited to try her food. As I stepped into the dining room, the aroma of roasted chicken filled the air and my stomach growled in response to the scent. I was hungry and couldn’t wait to eat. Everyone was already sitting on the table. “You’re finally done with your phone call?” Rowan asked as I sat beside him. A few minutes earlier, Rowan came to tell me that dinner was ready. I told him to hold on because I was on a call with my girls. I nodded. “Of course, I am.” My family and I engaged in a light conversation as we ate our meal. Every bite I took tasted heavenly and I couldn’t he
Mason Craig ~•~I had tried calling Riley earlier when I saw her calls but she didn’t respond. Initially, I felt she was upset because she felt I was ignoring her, but I chose to believe that she was asleep. I was washing my face in the bathroom when I heard my phone ringing. I had been expecting Riley’s call, so I rushed outside to take my phone. As I saw Riley’s name flashing across the screen, I let out a relieved sigh. “Hey.” She greeted me with a low voice. I apologized for missing her call and told her about how I tried calling but she didn’t respond. Surprisingly, she was not upset and was okay with it. Before I could ask her about the reason she called, she started talking. She wasn’t happy with the fact that my father refused to debunk the rumors and wanted me to convince him to accept her father's terms. Apparently, that was the only way she would believe that I wasn’t part of my father’s schemes. The call was a brief one because she hung up as soon as she passed her m
Chapter 230Riley Burke ~•~We were talking about random stuff, and then out of the blue, she stared at me and asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while. Have you met someone new? Are you seeing anybody?” “Emm… huh? Wha….” I stuttered as I tried to form a coherent sentence. I had no idea why I found it difficult to answer her question. It wasn’t like I ever kept my love life a secret from my mother, her question just caught me off guard. My mother was always the first to know whenever I got into a relationship or met someone new. But this time, her question felt like a trap. What if she knew about me and Mason and was just asking to see if I would tell the truth? But there was actually nothing going on between Mason and I. I mean. We hadn’t even gone out on a date. I wasn’t even sure I really liked him or wanted to date him. He just talked to me and sent me a gift basket. I let out a deep breath and cleared my throat. “I’m not seeing anybody,” I replied, my voice st
Riley Burke ~•~I called Mason’s phone severally but he didn’t answer. I was upset for a moment but I decided to calm down. I figured he would be busy with his family, due to everything that was happening. Or he could be asleep because the day was already dark. After tossing my phone on the bed, I decided to rest my head for a few minutes. But the next time I opened my eyes, I saw that it was morning. Sunlight streamed through the window, making me realize I hadn’t closed the curtains before I slept off the previous night. I blinked repeatedly as I tried adjusting to the brightness coming through the window. Letting out a loud yawn, I sat upright on the bed and reached out for my phone on the scattered sheets. As I picked up my phone, I glanced over the screen to see what time it was. But I realized I had gotten a lot of calls from Mason. I was deeply asleep and didn’t hear when the call came in. I contemplated returning the call but it was too early. I decided to wait for a l
Mason Craig~•~A few moments later, I heard a loud bang on my door, followed by my mother’s angry voice. “Mason Craig! Why did you choose to betray our family?” I had no idea how long I had been asleep for but I jerked back to reality after I heard those words come out from my mother’s mouth. I stood up from my bed immediately and walked to the door. My mother had a disappointed look on her face as the door swung open. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my brows etched in confusion. “So you decided to tell your little girlfriend about what we did? You decided to snitch and betray your family?” She questioned, her voice laced with disdain. My eyes were still thick with sleep and it took me a minute to process what she was talking about. “What do you mean? What girlfriend? I didn’t say anything to anybody.” I responded, my tone defensive. “Oh please!” She waved her hands violently in the air. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Follow me downstairs, your fa
Riley Burke ~•~After I was done talking to Mason, I went to meet Rowan because he asked me to meet him after my class. We were meant to go back home together. He was waiting for me in the driveway. I settled down in the front seat of the car and fastened my seatbelt. As we drove back to the house, I contemplated telling Rowan about the situation with Mason. But I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. Rowan would be so upset and probably tell my parents about it. I didn’t know if I wanted anybody to know what I knew Mason personally. It was best if I kept it away from them for a while. After an exhausting drive, we arrived at the house. “Is Belle still pissed at you?” I asked Rowan as we both stepped out of the car.He shook his head. “Yes, I messed up big time and I’m not sure she’ll forgive me easily,” Rowan admitted, running his hands through his hair. My lips parted and I blinked. “What? How did you mess up?” My curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t resist asking him
Mason Craig~•~After Riley left, I remained in the office for a few more minutes. I needed some time to think and clear my head. I was certain that Riley didn’t believe anything I said and I had no idea how to make her see that I was being completely honest with her. Even if she eventually comes around, things will still be weird between us because of my parent’s behavior. After meeting so many shallow people, I finally found someone worth starting something with again. But it was already crumbling before it could even start. I didn’t have any other classes, so I decided to head back home. I locked the office and made my way back to my car. My uncle was a professor at the university, so he gave me a spare key. He asked me to go there whenever I needed a break from the crowd. He was one of the reasons why my father allowed me to attend Columbia University. He wanted me to go to a different country for college, but I didn’t want to go far away. Most times, I do regret my choice. I
Riley Burke ~•~I was already pissed when I saw Mason walking into the class. But his stupid text only fueled my irritation more. He still had the guts to ask if he did something wrong. Whenever I was upset and couldn’t do anything about it, my legs automatically started shaking. Liam noticed and tried his best to calm me down.I hated the fact that I was about to crash out in public. At first, I didn’t want to respond to his text. But out of annoyance, I responded to him and then blocked his number afterward.I didn’t want him to contact me anymore.After what felt like an eternity, the class was finally over. At one point, I even wanted to walk out of the class, but Liam persuaded me to stay. As everyone left the class, I wanted to rush out before Mason could get the chance to speak to me, but he was faster than me. I knew I wanted to have a conversation with him to demand answers but I wasn’t interested anymore. My daddy was going to take care of everything. “What do you want