Emma was in the middle of her room dressed in a beige fitted gown. Mrs. Adams, accompanied by some maidens, attacked her voluminous hair from every angle.“ I think it's better laid down.” One of the maids said.“ No. Then her beautiful cheekbones wouldn’t be prominent. Let's throw it up, a messy bun?” The other suggested.“ I think it's best to seek the opinion of the one who gets to rock the hairstyle, don’t you think?” The ever-regal Mrs. Adams opined, effectively shutting them up. “ What do you think darling? It's your show after all.” She added, seeking input from Emma who was now seated on a stool facing a vanity mirror.Emma wasn’t too keen on having her hair down. Due to the formality of the meeting she was headed to, she didn’t feel like having anything be a bother or a form of discomfort to her.“ A bun will do.” She said politely.“ You heard the queen, get to work, we have a few minutes tops.”With that, they immediately got to work and in two minutes a flawless bun was pro
The room was silent, deathly silent while Emma waited for him to speak. She couldn’t imagine the clause that made him appear so frightening. “ If by any chance, you betray me, Emma Steele, I promise to make your life a living hell,” Asher said, staring at the pale woman seated before him.Emma didn’t know what to make of the information she’d been given. “ You mean, all that was for this?” She asked in bewilderment. “ You are a drama king, Mr. Braxton.” She remarked with a smile, hoping to clear the air. “ That I am, and more. Tell me, Emma, do you agree to my conditions? Are you ready for this?” He asked with an odd smile.“ Yes. Unless you have more hidden agendas, I believe we are good to go. Where do I sign?” Emma picked up a black pen situated on the table, ready to get it all over with.“ At the last page.”That was it. Emma signed the papers and switched copies with Asher who also signed his name on the paper. At the end of the action, they stared at each other, one looking f
“ Marry me?”It was weird being proposed to with a pen but Emma took it regardless. It wasn’t like it was some real proposal anyways. Asher was trying to dramatize the situation as usual. She couldn’t deny the fact that her heart fluttered at the gesture. She read the heading of the paper, confirming it was indeed a marriage registry, and proceeded to do the needful. He went through leaps and mounts to get it signed so conspicuously and her signature was the only thing left. Again, she wondered about the need to come out so early if they were going to sign it in the car anyways. She didn’t voice out her opinion though.Asher watched with keen eyes as the documents got signed. They were officially man and wife, no going back now. He took time to inspect it and after the fast exercise, the documents were sealed in an envelope, going into his possession.“ This has been fun, dearest. But I must take my leave now. Barley would ensure you are back home, safe and sound. The other aspects o
The room was deathly silent as they all adjusted to their seats, desperate to get to the conclusion of this nightmare.“ I know that you might feel like the shit right now, but unless you have a valid proof of your continued position as the CEO of Braxton International, You have no right to interfere in this meeting.” The director continued, having gone too far to stop now.“ Audacious. A trait I am yet to find in the three years you worked under this company.” Asher remarked, far from pleased. “ I’m curious to know what gave you this boldness. The impetus, I must say.”“ This isn’t a place to fuel your silly games, Mr Braxton. Dare I say, this is very insensitive on your part, having caused the downfall of the company from its most glorified state to this, and still, hindering the effective and immediate address of the situation, Even going as far as chasing out potential hands, able to resurrect nd reposition Braxton International at the forefront of our esteemed shareholder’s mind
The entire room was silent. No one moved nor uttered a word as they watched the men get escorted out of the building. Their fear for Mr. Braxton had efficiently tripled. How fearsome was this man?! He even made a supposed dead woman come to life to achieve his goal. He was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. In their heart of hearts, the others thanked God they weren’t stupid enough to have dared the almighty Asher Braxton.Amongst them, some still nursed reservations about the validity of everything playing out before them. How was he able to achieve such a feat within one week? One week! That fact was fearsome as much as it was spectacular. Once again, Asher proved just how thorough he was when it came to the matters of the company. He left no stone unturned and performed in such a way that shook his audience, every single time.“ I would’ve had your neck if you didn’t show up with something, boy.” One of the top shareholders spoke, holding back a smile. “ Now, you get back t
Emma and Mrs. Braxton headed for the most expensive perfume stall in the city, which they were one of the store’s most favored customers given the uniqueness of their reception.She looked around the sea of luxurious scents, deciding she might find something she fancied but was quickly driven away by the price tags.What in the world?! Emma was stunned at the exorbitant prices and as a result, called Mrs. Adams with a little voice, hoping she didn’t already do something that’d put them in debt. She was so broke that she couldn’t take chances with the little money she expected to turn the tides over for her. She felt convinced that any little mishap could send her entire plan and foreseeable future to hell. Someplace she wasn’t quite fond of.Mrs. Braxton spotted a gesturing Emma, wondering if she saw something she liked already. She walked over to her with a kind smile, expecting to see the little gem that caught the attention and heart of Emma within minutes of entry.“ Which is it
Emma wasn’t stupid enough to enter the devil’s lair. She was currently in the clear, having been declared dead but didn’t deem it wise to blow off her cover just yet.There was a need for her to be steps ahead in her plans before finally revealing herself. At that moment, she was reminded of her need to ensure Asher was in line. That is, to ensure he didn’t do anything that could doom her chances at achieving her goals. “ I heard this is the latest Talia Steele design! Such a beautiful masterpiece! She’s such a talented designer, creating her path and line with the family business.” One of the women, not allowed to enter the Steele store, gushed to another who stood beside her.“ What’s so great about it if it doesn’t serve its purpose? We need to cancel these people already. They are taking the common people for granted!" The others protested, unhappy with the treatment they received.“ Of course, it's serving its purpose! You are sore because it doesn’t fit your price range. The St
“ This woman must be crazy! Is she blind? How does one insert himself into such trouble?” A woman beside Emma said, too focused on the confrontation to see the death glare from her supposed gossip partner.“ She is doing what we ought to have done. How do you feel watching such injustice unfold on that woman?” She asked instead, causing the woman to turn in search of her face.“ Can’t you see or are you also blind? This woman is poor and unable to afford the new and improved Steele Shoes. Why is she causing a ruckus and demanding the impossible? She even spoke of involving a lawyer, Ha! As IF she’d be able to foot the bills incurred after losing to such a big-shot company.” Emma hissed, she couldn’t oppose the fact that if that woman decided to sue Steele Shoes for defective products, the chances of her winning such a suit were similar to none. Steele Shoes was a big fish, she was aware of the millions that went into savings for situations like these which always ended up being judg
For the first time ever, Emma was outside her room. Led through a dark staircase, she tried and failed to get a feel or look on anything but the floors. They got to the dining room and a long king sized table stood in front of her. " Finally! Come sit." Kaden said from the head of the table, " We can't have you missing breakfast."Emma jittered towards him. The doctor attended to the bruises that formed through her body earlier this morning but she still felt pain at every turn. Her biggest concern remained on the health of the child that grew within her- a topic that posed a taboo when she brought it up to the doctor." Oh don't be afraid, I'm in a good mood this morning! Sit, we have a whole day ahead of us." Kaden spoke like he didn't abuse her the day before, one would think his memories from the day before were washed and a demon possessed him to do the evils he did.Emma sat down with her head bowed, the maids immediately got to serving breakfast. In no time, their plates were
Inside a dimly lit room, a sea of heads and computers depicting the various streets and spots of the city covered the entire room with little space for easy access. Jason noticed Asher come in and headed with information garnered since their last meeting. " Any news?" Asher spoke first, eyes fixated on the organized chaos before him.Jason stood beside him, " A lot. We have to talk, privately." He led the way to a little room by the corner.Asher entered and took a seat behind the motherboard. " What do you have for me?" " We narrowed our focus on Kaden," He started, but immediately felt Asher's disapproval, but continued anyways." After his reveal, we decided it was best to uncover things about this man, and we weren't wrong."" Get to the point."" Kaden somehow managed to have contact with Rebecca, Cole, Emma and her Step-Mother." Asher's eyes widened, " not just that, but he met these people at the same period of time. Coincidence?"By now, Jason had his full attention, " Do we
Jason followed the trail of the car that took Emma into the outskirts of the city. He slowed to a stop where he found the vehicle used to perpetuate the act seated on the highway- clean of everything that pointed at the situation at hand. It took a moment before he realized that he led a wild goose chase- one that seemed intentional on the part of the people who left a brand new vehicle opened and waiting for his arrival. “ Shit!” He kicked the tire, hard enough the car skipped a beat from its impact. Jason headed back to his car feeling played. Before starting up the car, he texted Asher, reported the situation and angrily informed of his immediate return. On the other hand, Asher sat in his home office, a place he hadn’t left for the longest time, corroded with thoughts that kept his eyes opened and in search of answers. Unknown to Jason, while he made his way back, his movements were monitored. The moment he went back to the city, Kaden received feedback of his unfruitful searc
Emma gripped the steering wheel like her life depended on it. And it actually did. If there was one thing capable of killing her, it was the thought of her designs burning to ashes, months of hard work vanishing into thin air. She needed to save her work, and fast! Her phone rang non-stop, every single call received a text behind, all of which she knew came from her husband. Her very worried husband. A screeching sound filled the air and it took a moment before Emma realized that her tires were giving out. “ Oh shit!” She cussed, forcing the car to a halt and stepping out. Her tires were ruptured, all four of them. How she didn’t notice it from before was a mystery. Impatient, Emma looked around in search of something. Anything that would get her out of the situation. The hairs on her body stood and she felt a presence loom over her. A rising dread course through her veins but before she could turn around, the sting of a needle pierced her throat. The more she felt its liquid cont
“ What do you mean?” Asher asked Jason over the phone.“ Her body was discovered in the early hours of the day. Investigations on the cause of death is ongoing.” He informed, “ You need to lay low for the meantime, both of you. At least until we uncover the details behind her death.” Asher felt distraught, “ What is the state of events? Any leads on her killer?” “ I’m afraid not, whoever did it, did a clean job. Dumped her into the river with a body cleaned of trails.” He answered, sighing afterwards. Emma walked into the room, and straightaway, noticed the atmosphere. “ What’s going on?” She mouthed.“ I’ll call you in a minute.” Asher ended the call with a huff, her eyes narrowed in concern.“ Who was that?” “ Jason.” “ And?”“ Rebecca is dead.” He declared without missing a beat.“ Oh my goodness! What happened?” She asked, face aghast. “ Murdered. I don’t have the details yet but I will soon. For the meantime, stay home. I don’t want you moving an inch out of this house, unt
“ Surprise!” Chara and a couple others yelled when the door opened. “ What in the world?” Emma tried to stabilize her breathing.“ I’m sorry we startled you.” Chara said and a chorus of agreement followed, “ This is your party, Emma. Don’t be shy!” She urged her into the living room. Emma took in the lounge party in awe, slow music played in the background and there was a light chatter in the air. “ Excuse me everyone,” the public address system caught the attention of the people, “ Can we raise our glasses to toast our beloved Emma Braxton, the strongest woman I know.” She remarked and the intimate congregation clinked glasses and cheered.Asher, watching the event from his home office, joined the party, raising a glass to the one person he figured didn’t want to see him at the moment. After thorough checks of the footage, he discovered he didn’t sleep with Rebecca. He was out of it and even defenseless to her motives but something made her retrace her steps and take some pictures
“ Hey! It's not what it looks like..” Asher caught her arm, but she struggled.“ Let me go! This is a fake marriage so you don’t have to explain, this isn’t real.” Her words cut deeper than expected and he let go, burned.“ Oh really? This is what it's about, huh?” His tone turned cold, “ You still aren’t allowed to parade yourself in a disgraceful manner, Emma.” He lashed with blazing eyes, “ Don’t think I don’t know of your shenanigans!”Emma recoiled, a sore taste in her mouth, “ I got blackmailed with those pictures from my past. I will clean up my mess.” Asher watched his wife leave the house, unable to speak. He threw her scandal in her face and felt like a dog about it. What sort of husband wouldn’t know their wife was getting threats? His anger fizzled and all that remained were regrets.Jason appeared in his line of sight, wearing a calm demeanor, no doubt he heard their little scuffle and ached to use the infamous line- ‘I told you so.’Meanwhile, Emma spoke into her phone w
Asher returned to a house void of his wife. He marched into his room, dialing her number to no avail. He muttered some curses under his breath and immediately made way out of the house. On his way out, he bumped into Rebecca. “ Asher.. what’s going on?” Her tone doused with concern, “ Are you alright?” “ Goodnight.”He made to leave but her hand held him back, “ I’m sorry. Just..please don’t walk away.” His eyes narrowed on his arm and she immediately let go, “ I promise I mean no harm.”Asher didn’t speak, but his countenance didn’t seem like he wanted to kill her anymore.“ We can have some wine,” She suggested, “ Catch up on old times.” Without waiting for a reply, she immediately headed to the cellar, wining her waist as she went. A few minutes later, she returned holding a bottle of expensive wine and two glass cups. She handed over its filled content with a smile, “ Tell me, what is this I hear about your company expanding into Africa?”“ Just another business move.” He shrug
Mrs. Steele stepped down the stairs with a smug look on her face. It was finally time to meet with her long, lost and awaited step-daughter. Their eyes connected and a triumphal smile ushered its way through her face. “ Trouble in paradise?” She corked an eyebrow and took a seat. Emma held a permanent scowl,“ I see you haven’t changed.” Emma remarked curtly, her tone took her by surprise.“ I see you’ve grown teeth.” Mrs Steele raised her hand and a glass of water was brought to her, “ What do we owe to this...unscheduled visit?”“ Don’t act dumb. Take responsibility for what you did.”“ I think you are mistaken." She circled the tip of her cup, “ This is my house and I will not be disrespected. If you are here to do so, I suggest you leave.”“ Take the pictures down!” Mrs. Steele let out a short laugh, “ Leave us.” It didn’t take a soothsayer for the employees around to scramble away, giving the women some much needed privacy. Mrs. Steele got up on her feet;“ I’ll forgive you be