Stupid. So stupid to have gone there! Emma beat up herself for thinking something positive could come out of seeing Colton. Of course it was about him, now that she thought of it, he never did anything If it didn't benefit him one way or the other.Being a person who preferred to avoid adding to her already long list of regrets, she made it a point to try and fail rather than refusing to try. An attitude that got her disappointed, time and time again. She ended up sitting through four minutes of hell with the devil himself.Yes. She was counting.They sped through the familiar route that led to the Mansion and her phone started ringing. A string of curse words left lips, ready to let out a piece of her mind, before actually realizing it was her husband calling. " Hello?"" Where are you?" Asher's tone was hard and curt." On my way home? What's got your panties in a twist." She retorted with more sass than intended. Apparently, someone was in a bad mood too, no surprise there.Ash
Asher watched his wife with fond eyes. After their little tiff, he couldn't help but notice they grew closer. Evidently so as she soundlessly slept in the cradle of his arm.His eyes swept through her face; perfect, everything was made for him. Somehow, his palm, fleetingly found its way to her brows, then her eyes, down to her lips; her soft, silk lips.Enjoying the privilege of being so close to her, the need to spend more time with her presented itself. Since their marriage, they hadn't spent time together for the sake of it. They didn't even get a freaking honeymoon getaway.Gently, he untangled himself from her hold, ensuring she felt comfortable and deep in sleep while he headed to rectify the situation.The next morning, Emma woke up to smoldering kisses. Smiling, her eyes fluttered open, and a bare chested Asher graced her sight." Get off, I want to sleep." She complained, already feeling warm at his bold display of affection." Get up, we have a flight to catch." His tone he
" Breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking, Emma." Asher's eyes spoke before his mouth moved. " Thank you." She held her golden clutch tighter than required, then quipped, " You don't look too bad yourself."Asher raised an eyebrow in reply; she blushed abashedly." Shall we?" She took his hand and they walked out of the building with meaningful silence. Asher dressed in a tux, one that was a sight for sore eyes, his appeal remained unchartered and she couldn't help but notice his fit arms.Her husband's arm consistently put every other to shame and oftentimes, she wondered how he stayed in shape, especially with his demanding job and tight schedules." Why am I not surprised?" Emma said when she caught sight of the black Limousine parked in front of the house. " Couldn't we use something less conspicuous?" A suited man opened the door and Asher urged her in, following sharply behind her. " Trust me, this is less conspicuous." He said, drawing her closer to himself. " It's going to b
“ Do you know who I am? Who the hell is the designer behind your collections?!” Talia screamed at Chara. “ I’m sorry but that is information, too sensitive to be shared.” Chara replied curtly. She recognised Talia, but refused to let her walk over her.“ How much would it cost?” Talia asked in a huff, and pulled out a wad of cash from her designer bag, “ Just spill it.” She seethed.“ I’m sorry ma’am. We do not sell out our partners or clients at Soul Shoes.” She gritted, annunciating every word. Gesturing to the door, she added, “ If that is all, I’d like to get back to my duties, please.” “ Are you asking me out?” Talia couldn’t believe her eyes. She took off her shades, trying to prove a point. “ I am Talia Steele. The head designer of Steele-Shoes. Are you sure you want me out of your shabby office, Chara?” She asked again, reading off her name in a distasteful tone.There was only so much one could take, Chara could feel her disregard and it didn’t sit quite well with her. “ I
Returning back to New York posed a hassle. Emma didn’t feel like leaving the mini-haven she created but she’s learned that even good things came to an end. Their flight back was spent in light conversations, intertwined hands and wine glasses.“ When do you think they’ll be leaving?” She asked, shying away from his intense eyes, “ Are you suggesting I throw my sister’s family out of the house?” Emma turned aghast, “ Of course not! I love Bianca, Rooney and Jason! Don’t say that.” She defended.“ Then Rebecca? Is this about Rebecca?” Asher stated more than asked. He could tell where the conversation headed from the beginning but loved to watch his wife squirm in discomfort. There wasn’t any method of escape, she might as well be plain about it, “ I honestly don’t feel comfortable having her around. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t nurse any sort of toxic emotions towards her and I respect that she’s been a major part of your life growing up,” she tried to gauge his reaction but his count
“ What nonsense is this?!” Colton yelled from his chair, throwing the paper presented to him.“ I apologize sir, we are currently trying to reach out to them, it has to be a mistake.” The project manager tried to conceal his fear but failed woefully. How could he explain the fact that they were suddenly blacklisted without context or reason?“ A mistake? A mistake?! What sort of mistake-” Colton got on his feet, unable to speak from the growing pain in his forehead. “ Just get out! Don’t come back until you have reasonable feedback and if you don’t, be sure to clear your desk.” The project manager stilled, he knew in his guts that this was the end of the road for him. He prided himself on his capabilities and connections but when it came to the Braxton’s, there was only so much he could do.“ Thank you.” He bowed his head, and with a sullen look, left the office, headed to clear his table. Colton paced around, “ That woman thinks she’s special, huh? She wouldn’t know what hit her. I
Two weeks and no one caught sight of Asher in the house. The entire mansion became unusually dull and quiet, safe for the presence of Rooney who brought colour to the house by being himself. Rebecca went everywhere, hoping to occasionally bump into him on one of the occasions but to no avail. As the time progressed, it became clear that there was trouble in paradise. Emma hid herself inside, refusing to socialize and avoiding the questions being thrown her way.It felt disappointing to be in the dark on your supposed husband's whereabouts, so she settled for the barest human interaction possible. Rebecca strode into the hinder parts of the Mansion. She saw Emma leave the house and figured it was the right time to familiarize herself with their shared house. Maybe find something that pointed out that she wasn’t crazy to stay here. The house came into view, and with carefully calculated steps, she walked into the house, making sure she wasn’t seen by anyone.For a moment, she awed at
“ How do you explain this?!” Talia threw a newspaper at Colton’s face. “ While I thought you were hurting and tried my best to be patient, you were screwing her?!” “ I can explain. It's not what you think-” Colton squeaked, “ What is it, Colton? Please wake me from this nightmare and explain what I’m supposed to think about my fiance impregnating his fucking assistant!” She yelled, “ Do you know what people are saying? You’ve turned me into a laughing stock and you are here, sitting in this damned office like nothing happened?!”“ I tried to stop it, okay?! I tried to curtail the news and get it sorted but those damned Braxtons caused it!” Colton stood on his feet, unable to help himself, “ Emma did this, they did this to us. She’s so jealous and upset-”“ Stop with the lies already, Colton!” She bellowed, feeling sick to the stomach, “ She didn’t direct you to fuck your stupid assistant. You did that shit all on your own and you still can’t see past your egoistic complex!”“ If I’
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