"Alright. At least you had a great time there. But I don't want it to repeat again. You are not living alone. You have a man." Desmond said, and Daniella smiled, seeing that he had bought her lies."No problem. It won't repeat again." She said and hugged him again. "I will go now and prepare breakfast for you." She added with a warm smile.As she turned to leave, Desmond pulled her back and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest, you just got back. I don't want you to start stressing yourself out." Daniella's smile faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. Desmond was quite easy to be fooled. "I'm not weak, Honey. I can handle it. Don't worry about me."She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Desmond couldn't help but smile.As Daniella was cooking in the kitchen, the aroma of the food wafted through the air, making Desmond's stomach growl with anticipation. She was cooking his favorite food. Soon, she was done. She served the food and called Desmond.But when
After eating, he cleared the table and went to meet Daniella. He got into the room and found her crying. "You are crying?" He went and sat down behind her. "Are you crying because of the wedding?""You don't know what I'm passing through. I can't stand all the insults from my friends. They are calling me baby mama. Some are saying you will kick me out the way you kicked Anabel, and I can see it's true.""You don't need to be listening to them. You know what? I will inform my mom, and we will fix the wedding date.""Your mom? You know she hates me now. You can just fix the wedding and inform her later." Daniella said. She knew that Mrs. Elizabeth may not approve it."Don't worry about it. I will sort it out. Stop crying." He wiped her tears and kissed her forehead. "Thank you. I love you so much." "I love you too, baby." Desmond replied. "I will be going for Mayor's auction tomorrow.""But......" Daniella was about to talk, and he interrupted. "I know what you are about to say. It's
As he approached Anabel, she noticed him and leered at him."Hi, Anabel, How are you doing?" He greeted, and Anabel looked around, acting as if she were searching to know who he was talking to. "Are you talking to me?'"I'm talking to you, Anabel. How are you doing?" Desmond, repeated."Ohh! As you can see, I'm fine. I haven't come back begging you. What do you want?""Please, can we talk for a moment?" Desmond asked, trying to keep his voice steady.Anabel crossed her arms. Her gaze was cool but distant. "Talk about what exactly? Do we have any business?"Desmond hesitated, then gestured towards her rounded tummy. "I couldn't help but notice... Are you pregnant?" Desmond asked, and Anabel let out a dismissive laugh. "So you approached me to ask me if I'm pregnant. So you came to mock me?""No, I didn't say so. I was...curious. I saw your tummy, and it seemed like....""The last time checked, I was called a barren woman. What business does a barren woman have to do with pregnancy?""I.
"Don't you hear her? She said you should excuse her." Sylvester said when Desmond hesitated."I will go but I won't give up. I still believe you have something that belongs to me." Desmond said and turned to Sylvester. "And I won't allow you to take it. I'm watching you." He said and left with Daniella. Daniella was murmuring. She wasn't settled with what Desmond said.Anabel turned to Sylvester. "Thanks for acting along. You are so smart.""Anything for you." Sylvester replied. "Though i'm hoping you will give in to me soon. We can actually make a nice couple.""Yeah, but I still need time to think about it." Anabel replied. ..."I need to tell you something, Daniella." Desmond spoke up when they walked some distance away from Anabel and Sylvester "What is that?" She asked "Remember i told you i didn't come to bid on the auction. But now that Anabel is here, I know you will be moved to challenge her. I don't want you to compete with her. Once she's involved in any bidding, don't
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the auction to begin." The host began. "Our first item up for bid is a stunning diamond bracelet, and it's starting at five thousand dollars." The crowd murmured with interest, especially the women, as the host held up the exquisite piece of jewelry. Its diamonds were attracting the light and sparkling brilliantly. "Six thousand dollars." One of the women in the crowd raised her bidding paddle. "Ten thousand dollars." Anabel raised her bidding paddle with a confident smile. She didn't bother to look around to gauge people's reaction. Though she was expecting Daniella to react. She wanted to show Daniella what she was capable of. Daniella's heart flared up in jealousy as she saw Anabel bid. She took a deep breath to calm herself down but she couldn't. Desmond had warned her to avoid Anabel and never compete with her but she couldn't stand it. Unable to resist the urge to compete, she raised her paddle and called out, "Twelve thousand dollar
Daniella didn't know what else to do. All eyes were on her as if she committed a crime. Everyone was looking forward to see her pay."It's like she can't afford it." She heard on girl whispering to her friend."But why will she mention an amount she couldn't afford. She should pay up quickly." She heard the friend reply. Soon, the room began to heat up."I'm waiting for you, Miss Daniella. How will you pay?" The host asked. At this point, he was loosing his patience. "I'm sorry sir, Just a minute." She answered and quickly tested Desmond. "Please help me out and pay. This is so embarrassing. All eyes are on me."She sent the text and looked at his direction. Desmond got the notification and opened the message. He frowned and looked back at Daniella. He shook his head and began to type.Immediately, Daniella got a massage. She opened it and felt flabbergasted. Desmond texted that she should find a way and sort it out by herself, that It's non of his business."Miss Daniella. You are t
"Ladies and gentlemen," He began with a serious voice. "It appears our bidder for the bracelet could not pay. Therefore, as per the rules, she is hereby fined one thousand dollars."Daniella felt the weight of the room's eyes upon her, and the murmurs of the crowd grew louder. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.She could hear someone whisper. "I'm sure she can't even pay for the penalty fee."Deep down, Daniella knew that the person was saying the truth. The fact was that she didn't even have the money for the penalty fee, let alone fifty thousand dollars for the bracelet."Isn't her fiance supposed to be wealthy? Maybe he had gone broke." Another person added.Desmond began to feel embarrassed. Daniella was about to ruin his image in front of everyone. He knew how bad it would be if he don't react. He stood a chance of loosing investors if he doesn't act. They would think he had gone bankrupt. He had warned her earlier but she choose to drag his feet out.To avoid future shame
After the auction, Sylvester escorted Anabel out and offered to take her to a nearby hotel for a relief. "Maybe next time. I need to get back home." Anabel turned him down.."What about coming to my house? You know....you have never visited my house.""Is it necessary?" Anabel asked."I think so. You know.... we've been friends for a good time now. So i think it will be nice to spend some time together in my house. At least, you will know where I'm living." Sylvester replied."Alright, i think you are right. Just send me your address. I will check my schedule for this week and make out time." Anabel replied."That's great. I will send my address once I get back to the house." "So, I will be going now." Anabel said and headed to her car. Sylvester watched her enter and her driver drove away. Once she was out of view, he smiled, "Just a few steps to have you for myself." He said and walked up to his car....Anabel got home and her mind flashed back to Sylvester. She didn't trust Sy
"That’s not true, and you know it! I was the one who stayed up all night working on the system. You left, leaving me here all alone." Kane said, but unfortunately for him, no one could stand up for him. Mr. Barnard and Kane were the last persons to remain in the office. No one knew the person who slept and the one who stayed behind. This morning , they came to work and met both of them in the office and also learned that everything has been fixed. "Kane, let’s not make this more embarrassing for yourself. The truth is, I’m the one who restored the system functionality. I’ve been monitoring the situation closely, and it was my intervention that resolved the issue. You are new here, and clearly, you know you are not even qualified to handle something like that. You are just here because the CEO employed you." "That’s a lie!" Kane shot back in frustration. "I was employed here because you couldn't handle all the tasks. I've saved your ass a few times, and you know it. Yesterday, you
Kane stood up slowly to defend himself. "I think there has been a misunderstanding here." He began. "I didn't know when I slept off. Besides, I wasn’t sleeping because I’m lazy. I’ve been working all night to restore the system after it was attacked by hackers. I finished fixing it very early this morning and must have dozed off." He finished, but Daniella crossed her arms to show she was unimpressed or even buying his stories."Do you really expect me to believe that excuse? Sleeping while work is going on is unacceptable, no matter how you try to spin it. Your incompetence is very clear, and you are done here.""I don't think so. This company needs me here to function properly. Mr. Desmond needs me. You can't just fire me like this. I stressed myself to restore things to order, and you want to pay me back by kicking me out? That's ruthless.""Do you want to tell me you are better than everyone here? Just pack your personal belongings and leave. I won't repeat myself. Leave when you
Daniella seemed entirely unfazed by the attention. That was what she was expecting. She love the way people stared at her. In her mind, she was already the CEO, and these employees were her subjects.The whispers grew louder as she continued down the hallway. "Isn’t that Mrs. Daniella?" one worker murmured to a colleague, trying to hide his voice behind his hand. "Why is she here?" "I thought she was just the CEO’s lover." Another worker replied quietly. "Why is she walking around like she owns the place?" Daniella overheard some of their conversations as she passed by and smirked to herself. She was enjoying the subtle power of being at the center of attention. It was clear that Daniella’s unexpected arrival had sent ripples through the company. Even at that, she remained entirely focused on her mission. To assert herself and make her presence felt. For her, every gaze was a silent acknowledgment of the authority she believed was already hers. Tomorrow, once Desmond signed t
As he was walking closer, his eyes were darting between Daniella and the security man.When he got to the entrance door, Daniella spun around to face him. Her demeanor shifted slightly as she realized someone in authority had showed up. Someone who may know who she is. "Finally," she said with exaggerated exasperation. "Someone who I know will have some common sense."The deputy manager frowned slightly as he looked at Daniella. He has not seen her physically before. Desmond has once shown them his woman on the phone."You must be Mrs. Daniella." He said cautiously. "The CEO’s wife.""Exactly! I know you will know who I am." Daniella snapped and pointed her finger at the security guard. "This man has been keeping me from entering the building, treating me like some kind of intruder!""Are you serious?" The deputy manager asked."Why will I be standing here if not that he's blocking my way? I went on to explain myself to him, and he went on to threaten that he will kick me out." Danie
She stared at him from head to his shoes before saying, "Who are you to ask me who I am?" "I'm the security officer here. I need to know who you are, or rather, an identification, before you can enter the building."Daniella stopped abruptly. She couldn’t believe the words she had just heard. "Identification?" she repeated. "Do you even know who I am?" She asked, and the guard shook his head. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t. That’s why I need to see some ID or confirmation of an appointment before I can let you in. It’s standard protocol for security purposes.""Standard protocol? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Daniella asked. "Anyway, let me tell you who I am because it's obvious you don't know who is standing before you. My name is Daniella, Desmond's wife and soon-to-be ex-wife. But more importantly, I am the new potential CEO of this company. This building, this business, it will all be mine by tomorrow." Daniella finished, but the security guard’s expression didn'
Vanessa smiled faintly but didn’t respond immediately. She took another slow bite of fruit before speaking. "It’s been... hard. But I’m trying to stay positive. I just want to get better." "You will," Anabel assured her. "You are strong, Vanessa. And you have me and Sylvester here to take care of you. Just make sure you adhere to the doctor’s instructions and don’t push yourself too hard." Vanessa nodded again. "I will." For the next several minutes, Vanessa continued to eat the fruit salad slowly, pausing every so often to adjust her posture or to make it seem as though she was in discomfort. Once it was ten minutes, Vanessa slowly dropped the food and laid back on the bed. "Sorry, you will be fine." Sha said and gave Vanessa’s hand a gentle squeeze before turning to Sylvester. "I will be going now. Take good care of her," she said and turned to Vanessa. "Remember—no overdoing it. Rest as much as you can." "I will." Thank you for everything, Anabel." Vanessa replied.
Few minutes later, Anabel got to the hospital and made her way down the bright hospital hallway. She was carrying the fruit salad she had bought for Vanessa. She believed it was what she needed and that it would help her recover faster. It was a way of showing how concerned and how caring she was. The few staff members that saw her the other day were confused. Some were assuming she was the billionaire lady look-alike, while others were believing it was the same person. When she reached Vanessa's hospital room, she hesitated only briefly before pushing the door open. She had grown comfortable enough during her visits to skip knocking. Besides, she was her cousin's girlfriend. When she stepped into the room, the sight that greeted her made her pause in her tracks, her brow furrowing in confusion. Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her legs were dangling loosely, and she looked more comfortable than she had expected from someone who had surgery the previous day. She wasn't
Anabel couldn't help but laugh at Daniella's words. "This is so funny. I didn't know you were a comedian.""What's funny about what I said now? You should be thanking me for informing you on time. You should be grateful to me for letting you know." Daniella said."I’m not sure where you are getting your ideas, Daniella, but let me make one thing clear. I don’t need Desmond in my life anymore. I've found a man who will be a better father to my unborn child. I'm even wondering why you left the man you snatched from someone. He's no longer taking good care of you?"Well, let me give you the full picture, since you are clearly out of the loop." Daniella began. "I never wanted to marry Desmond and live with him forever after. My intention was to marry and divorce him, then take half of his wealth, and it worked. I never loved him, and he's not even the father of my baby.""You must be joking.""I'm serious. I have a boyfriend, and he's the father. We just used Desmond, and soon, we will be
"Like I've said, I’m getting tired of this. I can’t keep doing this. Sitting in this hospital bed all day. It’s exhausting. I need to leave. I’m done." Sylvester leaned forward. "Vanessa, I know it’s hard, but you have to have patience. We are so close to pulling this off. Anabel believed everything today. We just need to keep up the act for a little longer." Sylvester said, and Vanessa rolled her eyes and set the spoon down with a clatter. "I’ve been lying here for days, Sylvester. I’m stuck in this bed. My body is seriously paining me. I can’t move freely, and every time someone comes in, I have to act like I’m about to die. Do you know how mentally and physically draining that is? I’m getting exhausted. I want to get out of here." She said, and Sylvester sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get it, Vanessa. I do. But we can’t afford to mess this up now. If Anabel even gets a hint that something isn’t right, it’s all over for us. You just need to hold on a little longer.