"Move away from her and don't show your face here again until she gets well." Bella yelled at her."Oh come on, Bella, you should give her a break or something. She's clearly sorry, and she's apologizing to you. Why can't you just put the past behind you and forgive her?" Desmond let out.Luckily Desmond was the only one in the room who blindly believed that she was apologetic, and that was all that she needed. She didn't care if Mrs. Elizabeth and Bella didn't believe her, as long as Desmond did—she was good enough with that."You do not understand...." Bella let out, but Desmond cut her short."Just look at her, she's truly sorry. Why can't you just accept that?" Desmond said."Desmond!" Bella said, getting up from her seat and walking over to where Desmond stood. "We are really sorry for pushing you towards Daniella, but please, she's no good for you.""What are you talking about?" A scowl settled on Desmond's face, keeping his intent gaze on his sister."What I'm trying to say is t
"Are we going home now?" Daniella said to Desmond when she approached him."Home? When have I not spoken with my mother?" Desmond replied."I thought you were angry at them." She said, looking up at him."I may be angry, but that doesn't mean I will leave without talking with my mom.""But she's not awake.""I know. I will wait till he wakes up."Daniella left, leaving Desmond in the hospital. Desmond waited till evening, but she didn't wake up. He gave Bella some cash and credited her account."When Mother wakes up, tell her that I came. Take good care of her." Desmond said before leaving....Desmond walked into the room and dropped the car key onto the counter, then proceeded to remove his clothes. As he reached for the hem of his shirt, he heard Daniella's voice behind him."So honey, when are we going to fix our wedding? You know, it's the only thing remaining for us to be officially together.""Wedding?" Desmond asked and turned to her. "How will you be talking about wedding wh
"She never talks about weddings. Why did she suddenly bring it up and even want it urgently?" Desmond asked himself when Daniella left. His mind was telling him she was up to something, but he couldn't tell her exact motive. They were together because of his family and her pregnancy, and things have never been the same ever since Anabel left.Though he believed with time he would start loving Daniella, but her recent character was not something he could just ignore. She blocked her sister and his mother on his phone. And why would she be talking about wedding when the coast was not clear enough? He was losing contracts, coupled with the fact that his mother was sick.At night when they got ready for bed, Desmond couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. He had been looking forward to a romantic evening with Daniella, but now it seemed like that was not going to happen.As they lay in bed, Desmond reached out to Daniella, hoping to rekindle the spark that had been missing that even
Desmond couldn't believe he was about to sleep without sex. He has never been in that situation. He was angry, but he couldn't do anything. He doesn't want to force her, and he can't possibly fix the wedding because she was denying him her body.Daniella was expecting him to dance to her tune, but he turned, facing his back at her. Daniella was disappointed. She thought he would fix the wedding date if she denied him sex, but it failed.Desmond didn't say anything again, leaving Daniella unsettled. She wanted to change her mind and reconcile with Desmond, but she couldn't. At this point, she needed to maintain her sneeze.Both slept off afterwards. The next day, Desmond woke up and got prepared. He didn't even talk to her.As he was about to leave, he heard Daniella's voice from the back, "You are leaving without even talking to me?""Why will I talk to you? Can you let me be? Can you?""Is it about last night? I...I'm sorry. I....I overreacted, and I'm sorry.""I don't have time for y
"I'm not a public food. I'm reserved for rich men like you. I'm sure I'm more endowed than the woman in your house. Men like you eat flesh and not bones.""I'm still not interested.""You don't know what you are about to miss.""I'm not missing anything. I have a pregnant woman in my house. You want me to cheat on her? Will it be fair? Remember she's a woman like you." Desmond said, trying to play emotional counterstrategy."It's not a big deal. Men cheat on their pregnant wives. I once had sex with a man whose wife was about to deliver. He was speaking with her on the phone while I was busy riding him. So you won't be the first.""And you think it's normal? They probably don't love their wife. I won't try that.""I can see you are not a real man. Real men cheat on their wives. They have fun with multiple women, something they won't get from their wives. I will leave you and wait for real men. Your loss." She said and stood up, then sauntered off, swaying her immaculate ass from side t
"Well, you are bold. I will give you that. But I'm not the type of man you think I am. I will appreciate it if you leave my sight." Desmond said and continued with his drink."Stop talking as if you often get a hot woman like me chatting you up." She said, and Desmond chuckled. He couldn't tell if she was joking or if she actually thought she was something special."As old as you are, you are still feeling yourself as if you are anything special. I think you have the wrong idea about who you are talking with.""No, you are the one who is mistaken. All I know is that at the end, you and I will be leaving together. We are going to know each other very well. I mean...very well. And by that. I mean, we are going to my place. We are going to get naked and have lots of sex.""I... I... what?" Desmond stammered, shaking his head. He was lost for words. He was baffled. Was she joking or what? Was she pranking him? How could an old woman like her presume that a handsome, rich guy like him would
(Few Days Later. In a conference meeting)As Anabel was giving her speech, Sylvester, a medium-profile businessman, was sitting at the back of the auditorium with his arms crossed. The conference had drawn in some of the most brilliant minds from the state, and Anabel was one of them.His eyes were fixed on the stage, watching Anabel's speech. She was taking the podium with a confident stride. Sylvester found himself captivated with her excellent command of speech. Not just by her ideas, but by her very presence. There was a certain spark in her, an undeniable energy that commands attention.Ever since she witnessed Anabel's action on Zacklid's group launching day, he had been looking forward to meet her, which was the main reason he came to the conference meeting. He had done research about her and had gotten all the information he needed. HER REAL IDENTITY. Thanks to his boys, who worked it out without wasting time.When the event came to an end, Sylvester made his way to the front o
"I don't think it's necessary. If you are here to talk about love, then we have to call it a day." Anabel said."It's okay. But can we be friends? I will like to be a friend. We can get to work in the future. Like collaboration or something like that." Sylvester said, and Anabel stared at him. He looked rich and smart, qualified to have her personal number."I will give you my number, but don't disturb me. I'm a busy person." Anabel said and gave him her number. Sylvester smiled, he have taken a step to get Anabel. He knew he wouldn't fail.Days passed and he began to send love messages. Anabel would read and ignore. She didn't want to give him any chance...A week later, Anabel's father handed one of his companies to her. "You will become the acting CEO. If you survive, you will have the company." It was an automobile company. An electric car that was working with an advanced driver's assistant system, just like Zacklid group. She was happy and ready to move it to another level..
Without wasting any time, the dad asked, “Why did you reject Reuben? You can't tell me you are not ready for marriage because that is what you need now. A man that will take good care of you and your child.” Anabel let out a sigh and leaned back against the headboard. “I don’t like him," she said flatly. “I’m not just interested in him.” She answered, and her father crossed his arms as he gazed at her. “That doesn’t matter much. What matters is that he loves you. Reuben is a good man. Ever since I knew him, he never caused trouble. All you need is a man that will love and take good care of you. You can start loving him after marriage. You think all those successful marriages started with love? No—commitment comes first, and love follows.” Anabel shook her head, standing her ground. “That’s not how it works for me, Dad. My heart isn’t in it.” Sir Orton exhaled slowly as he sensed frustration creeping into him. He wasn’t angry—not yet—but he was growing weary of Anabel's choices.
Her father continued. “I’ve told him everything. About your first marriage and your divorce. I also told her about your pregnancy, and he still accepted.” Anabel’s lips parted slightly in surprise, but she quickly composed herself. Reuben was a very cute guy, but looking at him, she doesn't see herself gisting with someone like him. She shifted in her seat before speaking. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Father. And I thank the Johnsons for coming.” Sir Johnson smiled faintly, observing her with an unreadable expression. Reuben remained unmoved as he continued to watch her with silent interest. Anabel took a breath and continued, “Under normal circumstances, I might have asked for time to think it over because we have never talked about it. But there is no need for that.” Her father leaned forward slightly and asked. “And why is that?” "I don't know how this will sound, but I am not interested in marriage now.” She answered, and the room went silent. No one was expecting
Anabel got back home and stepped out of her car. Her mind was still occupied with thoughts about her hospital visit. The conversation with Desmond had stirred something in her—an unease she had tried to push aside but couldn't fully ignore. As she walked toward her father’s grand villa, she noticed two luxurious cars parked neatly in the driveway. She slowed her pace slightly, and her brows knitted together as she took in the unfamiliar, expensive cars. She tried to recall if they were expecting visitors, but nothing came to mind. She tried to recognize the cars, but she couldn't. One was a gold Bugatti, and the other one was a gray Rolls Royce. The latest and the most expensive car in the country. Even though her father was known to have high-profile associates, these cars weren’t ones she recognized. The insignias, the vip plate number. They belonged to people of significant wealth, people who rarely made unexpected visits. Anabel straightened her posture and entered through
Desmond glanced away, knowing that it wasn't even his problem at the moment. His main problem was that someone was about to extort a big amount of money from her. He couldn't stand it. "Yeah, I know, but that’s not my problem right now." He said with a weak voice. Bella raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked. "What do you mean it’s not your problem? What’s going on? Which other problem do we have here than winning her back?" Desmond hesitated for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "There’s a man. Her so-called new boyfriend." "Does she have a boyfriend?' Bella asked. "Yeah, but the problem is that he's deceiving her. He’s about to extort a huge amount of money from her." Mrs. Elizabeth and Bella both stared at him in shock, but Bella was the first to speak. "A huge amount of money?" "How much money are we talking about?" His mom asked with a voice tinged with disbelief. "I know you guys won't believe this, but this man is about to extort three million dollars from her.
Desmond's mom let out a long sigh and let her shoulders sag slightly. "I don’t blame her, though. She has every right to be angry. After everything we did, after how we treated her... I wouldn’t stop to listen either." Bella, who was standing a few steps away, folded her arms tightly across her chest. "But she should at least hear us out," Bella muttered. "Why would she do that? I mean, we are trying to apologize. We are trying to make amends, aren’t we? It’s not like we are asking for much. She could have rolled down the window for a second. Just a second." Mrs. Elizabeth shook her head gently and glanced at her daughter. "Bella, don't say that. She's angry, and she should be. This is not about what we think she should do. We pushed her away. We hurt her. She doesn’t owe us her time, not after the way we treated her." Bella huffed in response and said,. "Yeah, okay, we were wrong. But if she doesn’t let us talk, how are we supposed to make it right? She should have just let us tal
Desmond turned and walked briskly through the hospital corridors. His thoughts were tangled and heavy.As he got closer to his mother’s doctor’s office to collect her medication, he couldn’t stop replaying his encounter with Anabel. Her coldness, her denial, and the sharpness of her words had left a mark he couldn’t shake. She had insisted the child wasn’t his, calling him impotent. A word that hit like a dagger, even though he refused to believe it. Deep down, he was sure the baby was his, but doubt lingered at the edges of his mind. Could she be right? Could there be truth in her statements? The uncertainty gnawed at him as he tried to focus on what he came to do.Meanwhile, Anabel stepped out of the elevator into the bustling hospital lobby. She hasn't stopped thinking about what Desmond said.Desmond’s words about Vanessa’s surgery played on a loop in her head, rattling her confidence in Sylvester and Vanessa’s story. She hated to admit it, but the seed of doubt he had planted w
Her words stung Desmond, but he took a deep breath, refusing to let them dissuade him. He stepped closer and spoke up. "Anabel, everything that happened... everything that came between us... It was because of my mother and my sister. They drove a wedge between us, and I've already admitted that I'm stupid for allowing them. This time, they will treat you differently. They’ll treat you like the precious treasure you are. They regret what they did. They are longing to have you back, Anabel." Anabel’s lips curled into another bitter smile, and she folded her arms tightly across her chest. "I'm not a kid, Desmond. I know exactly why they want me back," she retorted. "It’s not about treating me like a treasure or making amends for their wicked character against me. They want me back because Daniella disappointed them. They want me back because they didn't get what they wanted from Daniella. They want me back because they heard I’m pregnant. Let's say my tummy is still flat, they won't wan
"Hey! Mind your words. Sylvester is not a scumbag, but you are. You are the scumbag here. And...you don't have any right to tell me where to spend my money or ask me how I will get it. Whether I have the money or not is none of your business. And if I decide to borrow, that’s my choice. Stop acting like I'm going to borrow it from you. Stop pretending like you care." Anabel said, even though she was already seeing some signs. She just wanted to get on Desmond's nerves. "I do care, Anabel. I care about you, and I care about the choices you’re making. And if you borrow that kind of money, you will spend the rest of your life paying it back. Is that what you want?" "You really think you know me, don’t you? You really think you can stand here and judge me? But let me tell you something, Desmond—you don’t know me at all. You never did. If you think I can’t handle this, then you’re sorely mistaken." "I know you are now rich, even though you are trying so hard to hide your real identity f
"Anabel, I know you will not believe me. You may say I'm jealous, which I won't deny, but I can boldly tell you that you are actually single. I mean, very single." He said while looking at her in the eyes. She could see how mean he was. "Sylvester is not who you think he is. You are dating yourself, stressing yourself over someone whose only intention was to gain financial assistance from you. You are single." He finished, and Anabel struck him with a sharp glare, then crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Single?" She echoed with a disdainful voice. "Is that what you think, Desmond? Let me be clear—I am not single. You are the one who is single. Don’t confuse my situation with a pathetic one like yours." Desmond frowned as her words hit him with an unexpected force. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "At least I didn't lose anything to her. But you… you are about to lose everything you have. I will still warn you. Sylvester isn’t who he says he is. He’s just usin