BellaI stared at his outstretched arm for a solid minute, wondering if I should take it or not. I couldn't trust him. This could be another trap and I just couldn't tell what the man seated before me was thinking. I studied his eyes for a moment, trying to find truth in them. Nope. It was just the same dark expression. I decided to take it. I didn't have much of a choice. It was either we lived in peace for two years, or I lived in total pain for the same two years. I couldn't back out. A deal was a deal.I let out a slow exhale before extending my hand.“Friends,” I muttered under my breath and I saw him smile—a kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes. He stood up immediately, dropping the basket on my bed.My stomach rumbled and I grabbed it quickly as if to stop the sound from reaching his ears. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when he didn't say anything about it.“Your maternity leave from work begins today. I don't want to see you anywhere in and around the office. Is that
Bella I saw my mother in her default state: coffee in one hand, legs crossed, and her free hand stroking the cat on her lap in her rocking chair. “That is so not the face of someone who's mourning her dead husband, is it?” I thought to myself ignoring the noise of my heels clicking on the tiled floor, echoing across the quiet house. I didn't take off my sunglasses because my eyes were still quite swollen and it was the last thing I wanted them to see. “Hey baby!” She said excitedly upon seeing me walk in, smiling so brightly. I wished I could pretend to have not heard those words because I almost puked at the sound of it. “I am not your baby!” I uttered harshly, still standing at the door. “Where's the funeral?” I asked, looking around the house with my brows knitted. “Where's Beth?” I knew that this woman was definitely up to something. They have always been schemers from the start and that day was certainly no exception. “Calm down, my darling,” she carefully placed t
BellaMy legs moved forward a little and my body tilted in their direction. I wanted to do something— run to her and help her off the ground. My heart ached as I saw her wince in pain, holding onto her sprained ankle.She looked at me and I saw bitterness thriving in her gaze. I entered the car and the driver zoomed off. Through the mirror, I saw Hardin walk away and leave her there, wriggling in pain.My car was fast becoming a place to clear my head as I recounted everything with my eyes closed. “Will Beth be okay?” I hated her but not as much as to want her dead or disabled. A part of me was thankful that she took Hardin away from me. Who knows? It could have been me on the bare ground.“Bruce,” I let out a sharp breath as I remembered that I hadn't spoken to him since the incident.I wanted to turn around to go pay him a visit but immediately decided against it when I thought about what Xander could do to him if he found out.“Hey cutie,” I typed, trying to sound sweet. “How are
BellaIt felt like things were finally starting to look up. Xander and I made peace, Bruce was feeling better, Beth was probably crying her eyes out and I woke up to apples by my bedside, again.Don't tell Xander this but I was starting to get tired of the apples and my baby wasn't interested either. I had been giving them away to Mary and the other housekeepers around.I felt like the universe was finally smiling at me but you know what they say, ‘variety is the spice of life’ and all I got were bitter spices.“Good morning, Ma'am. I came to ask you what you feel like eating today and what fruits you would love, since you haven't been eating your apples.”I had grown to love Mary and accept her creepy smile. She took care of me like I was an egg and I loved it.“Erm…I'd love to have lasagna this morning. Is that healthy?”“We can make it as healthy as possible; just right, for you and your baby.”She had noticed. The little Rivera growing inside of me was starting to show off himself
XanderI knew Bella was very mad after the meeting with Lilian. I wanted to run after her but I'm Xander Rivera. I couldn't be seen running after a woman in the streets. “Besides, how do I explain to her that what she saw was Lil’s personality on a normal Tuesday?” I pondered within myself as I watched Lilian nibble on her burger.She was excessively clingy and it always wore me out. I couldn't get rid of her— she was like a fly around poop; fucking persistent and yeah, she was kind of fun to be around so, I just couldn't!“Will you like to go bowling with me tomorrow? I heard there's a new place not too far from my house and if you want, we could…take a cold shower right after.”Yep! She had been trying to get me into her bed for the longest time. Truly, one couldn't deny that she was a snack to the eyes— pretty from head to toe but…I also wondered why she kept on trying even after it was all over the news that I had a wife now. She wasn't in town when it was trending but she shoul
Bella The surprise turned out exactly how I had expected— terrible. I lay down in bed, unable to let out the emotions I was feeling. I knew I didn't have any right to be upset. We had to stay away from each other's business…but did we? I'm his freaking wife and he's my husband. It was a contract marriage but we still had terms to uphold, right? “Where's that fucking contract?!” I jumped off my bed and scattered through the drawers looking for the document. “We’ll know who's incompetent now,” I said, rubbing my hands together as I grinned mischievously, cunning satisfaction dancing in my eyes as I found it. About three thousand words and a headache emitting from my eye strain later, I completed my task. Why the hell were the words so tiny? I didn't realize how many terms were in that thing. Although I didn't understand most of it, I did find what I was looking for. We weren't allowed to have sex or have other relationships outside of our marriage. The fact that we weren
XanderI couldn't hide the desire in my eyes as I looked into hers. I was tired of playing games. I wanted her to know how much she made my heart race but she'll leave eventually.I wanted her to trust me. I didn't lie when I said I didn't do women. I had sex a couple of times before meeting her at the wedding but it was only to let off steam when I needed it and I paid those women to go far, far away from me.I never forgot to use condoms but with her, I didn't.I remember thinking what a lucky bastard Hardin was as I stood behind the bushes, watching the ceremony, until, the rest they say is history.I'll say fate wanted her to be mine, even if it was just for two years.I never believed in love at first sight but I couldn't take my eyes off my brother's wife-to-be after seeing her for the first time.Why didn't I do women, you ask? There were no intense reasons attached. I just hated the drama that came with them. I needed to protect my estate and my life but this one…I wanted her
Bella I left his room with my head down, regretting what I had done. “Did I mess up?” An inner dialogue began in my mind as I found myself lost in deep contemplation. “Nothing,” I told him in response to his question without thinking. I did have other ways to thank him! Like… “Okay. You can go now. See you tomorrow then," was his stupid response. Couldn't he convince me? Try to make me stay? Seduce me? Xander had way too much self control for someone who fucked a total stranger on the first day they met. I don't know what I expected when he asked me to marry him but it wasn't this. Maybe he didn't want to touch me because of the baby. But a man of Xander's abilities should know that at the early stages, it could still happen. I think I'm just a crazy ass lunatic! All you need to know is, I messed up real big; an opportunity of probably forever. I couldn't do those things girls in Hollywood movies did— the usual, wear a bikini or those rope-like things that held your th
Daniel Scarlet Vine loomed before us as we stepped out of the car, its neon sign pulsing in the night like a heartbeat. A club for the elite, it was said that a night with one of its infamous escorts could cost more than a middle-class man earned in six months. Courtney slipped her arm through mine as we approached the entrance, her touch light but possessive.“Please protect me from the men in there, Tom Cruise,” she teased, her voice laced with irony.I ignored her, keeping my eyes ahead. We navigated through the throngs of dancers on the floor. A tall man in dark glasses materialized without uttering a word. He nodded for us to follow, and we did, threading our way through the maze of bodies until he led us to a secluded game room.The room was empty, save for the remnants of someone else's night—a pool table with a triangle of balls still in place, a table tennis setup with the net discarded, and empty cups scattered across the surface, the aftermath of a game of beer pong. Anoth
Daniel I pulled away the moment the car started moving, scrubbing my lips against my sleeve as if it mattered. The woman beside me, who I'd just kissed, was smiling widely, her eyes dancing with amusement."Don't even think about saying anything," I snapped, but I knew she wouldn't care."You really know how to put on a good show," she chuckled, her voice light, teasing."Oh, shut up.""Is that how you treat a woman you just kissed so passionately?" she mocked, her expression exaggerated, almost playful.I didn't respond. Instead, I turned to the window, watching the city blur by in streaks of neon and darkness. It was a Friday night, after all. People were pouring out of office buildings, heading to bars, clubs, wherever they could lose themselves for a few hours.But I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the office. About that text from Bella.Bella had texted me earlier, asking me to come by. I wasn't planning to—there were more urgent things on my mind. The text above h
Bella I spun around just as the door flew open, and the sight before me made my heart drop. There she was—Lilian—bound and gagged, struggling to speak but only managing muffled, frantic noises. A huge man with a buzzcut was dragging her inside, his muscles bulging as if they could snap her in half. He was trailed by a much smaller, wiry man, nervously shifting his weight from one bony arm to the other, his tank top a strange choice for someone so frail. “Here she is,” Buzzcut announced, tying Lilian to a chair with a roughness that made me wince. Xander slipped his phone back into his pocket, nodding in approval like this was the most normal thing in the world. “What’s... what’s the meaning of this?” I stammered, confusion and horror swirling inside me. “Why is she... Oh my God, is that her bone sticking out of her leg?” I gasped, the sight turning my stomach. “She’s the one who sabotaged my dad’s company,” Xander said, his tone cold. I shot him a glare. “You mean my compa
Bella“What are you doing here?” My voice came out in a breathless whisper, shock rendering me immobile.Xander was in my apartment, perched on a chair as if he'd been waiting forever. His disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes told a story of their own. He was still wearing the shirt from earlier, now stained with sweat, as if he’d thrown it on in a rush after our... encounter. But if he was in such a hurry, why hadn't he followed me? Why was he here now, looking like someone I barely recognized?He didn’t answer. Instead, he toyed with a loose thread on his sleeve, eyes cast downward.“Answer me, Xander!” I demanded, my voice rising. I wasn’t in the mood for one of his games, but there was something off about him. Something... different.Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “As you were running after David, I asked you something. You never gave me an answer.”My shoulders relaxed, just a little. “His name is Daniel.”“And I don’t give a fuck what his name is,” Xander snapped, his voice sud
Bella“You pushed me away like you always do, Xander. You make me feel like I’m someone to you, then trash me. I’m a woman and I have needs. I want surprise flowers and a new dress with a note that says, ‘Dinner at nine’. Daniel was there for me. It’s the least I can do.” I said all of that in one breath before dashing out. I made for Daniel’s house, speed walking without taking a single moment to see how Xander reacted. I kept scratching my hair like I had lice. The rain wasn't helping either. I was drenched but it didn’t matter. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him when I found him. I just wanted to look into his eyes and feel them.I didn’t have to walk too far. I stopped at the glass doors to the popular bar. I watched him take a huge gulp of his cheap beer before yelling at the bartender to get him three more. What had I done? I broke him.“Daniel, I didn’t know you drank,” I said in a low voice, standing a little away from where he sat at the bar counter. He didn’t look
Bella“Ma’am?” Rita, Xander’s assistant, called out to me, and it looked like she had been watching me for a while but I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice. “What are you doing here? You have someone here as well?”Thank goodness she gave me the sweetest lie ever. All I had to do was nod slowly in agreement. Nana was someone to me too so it wasn’t really a lie.I gave off a sigh of relief. I should have known Xander was never one to give away flowers to random women. I gave her a quick smile and turned to leave. I couldn’t face Nana after lying on her grave and I didn’t have any flowers to offer too.“You’re leaving?” Rita called out. She clearly wasn’t someone who knew how to mind the business that paid her and that was to drop off the flowers.“Yeah, I remembered that I left something really important at the office. I’ll need it tomorrow. You know how the boss gets.”I didn’t really forget anything at the office but I wanted space and I didn’t want to go home. Lately, the a
Xander“Hi Xander,” the private investigator I had hired two days ago, said over the phone. “We have found the person who sabotaged your wife’s company. What should we do with her?”A woman, huh? I didn’t think it would be a woman. I pulled the phone away from my ears slowly. “Maybe Beth?” I thought, peering out the window. I thought it was Hardin for sure. I guess I judged too quickly.Whoever it was, I decided that I had to teach her a lesson. Just a small one to teach her and everyone else, to stay away from my woman. “You know what to do. Hand her over to my men and they’ll take it from there."I hung up the phone and dialed another number immediately. “They’ve found her. I want her alive but in a state that will please me. If she can still walk, you’re fired.”I was about to leave the office when Hardin pushed the door open and walked in. He appeared furious but I really didn’t care. “What?” I asked him, grabbing my keys off the desk. I had somewhere to be and I could sense that
Bella"You're late!" He roared when I got to the company three minutes after eight. "This is why your company's struggling. Work starts by eight. What are you teaching your employees?"What the..."It's only a few minutes after—""It doesn't matter. I see you grew lazy when you stopped working for Versa Link. I'll have to teach you discipline, again because I won't have you acting however you want in my company." His company? Isn't it our company? I ignored curious glances from everyone as I walked to the board room for the introductory meeting. I took my seat at the designated area and took a deep breath.I was about to open my laptop when the doors opened and he walked in. He was late by a minute. I squinted my eyes at him but I couldn't afford to let my emotions show so I fixed my face."Good morning everyone. You are all aware that Versa Link now has control over Rivera group. I look forward to working closely with you all."I noticed exaggerated giggles and smiles from some of th
Bella His name is Daniel! I shouted in my mind but that was the least of the current problems. “Unless of course there’s a reason why you can’t?” He continued, leaning towards me. What was he trying to get out of me? “He’s one of the best people on our team.” I really hoped that was going to cut it. “He’s hardworking and intelligent and—” “I have a head of operations myself and as you know, I don’t employ lazy or unintelligent people. Mine will serve excellently.” Damn it! “Unless there’s another reason why—” “I can’t, Xander. He has been loyal to the company. He stuck with us through the good and bad. I can’t just kick him out. That will be utterly unfair.” My palms were already sticky from the sweat I produced in the well ventilated room. This man drove me crazy. How do I tell Daniel that he's fired from the company? I hope Xander changes his mind and there’s some humanity in that broad chest. He stood up and buttoned his suit. “I have a meeting soon so make this quick.”