DAHLIA'S POV I am in the kitchen, making dinner, when Carlton's call comes in. It was shocking at first, why would Carlton call me by this time. Why would he even call me at all? As far as I know we've finalized all our plans for our classes. Except he has some new ideas, there's no reason for him to call me. I contemplated between answering the call or not. I was reluctant to answer it, especially since I didn't want to be caught off guard with what his reason might me. I did tell him about his mom's investigation. What if he's calling because she found something and he wants to query me. I let the phone ring for a while, weighing my options. It will be suspicious if I don't pick and I do have to go to work so whatever it is, he'll still find a way to ask me. Taking a deep breath, I swiped on call and put the phone to my ear. To my surprise, Carlton asked to speak with my kids for the sake of Andre. I was both relieved and agitated at the same time. But my kids will be sp
DAHLIA'S POV Why does Tristan have a picture of me when I was pregnant? He did say he kept tabs on me while I was in jail. But why is he showing me this? Did something happen?“Where did you get these?” I ask, picking up the pictures to examine them. I don't know what to think. Yes, these are pictures of my very pregnant self but why would anyone want these, let alone Tristan. “I got them from the investigator, Mrs. Stewart hired” He says with a satisfied look on his face. If only he knows how much he's comment is making me panic. My palms get sweaty and the pictures feels sticky on my hands. I drop them back on the counter and wipe my hands on my dress. “Wh…why would she want it? What is she doing with it?” I am stammering now. I stammer when I'm nervous or anxious just like every other person and Tristan notices. “Relax Dahlia. Remember I told you she was investigating your kids?”“Oh my God,” I gasp, interrupting him. That sneaky woman. Why can't she just let me be? “I int
DAHLIA'S POV Carlton and I get down from his car and make our way to the restaurant. I received the text if the address 30 minutes ago from Mrs. Stewart. The moment in the car was a bit awkward since none of us uttered a word. So I used that moment to check out the restaurant online. I mean, the woman could have arranged for us to meet a cafe, or Starbucks. But a Michelin star restaurant? I almost scared of what she wants to say now. What's the point of meeting a fancy restaurant like that? Well, Mrs. Stewart has always been one to flaunt her money so I'm not surprised. The exterior of the restaurant gives off an old 90’s vibe. As we move closer I can see the extravagant and expensive cars parked in the restaurants own car park. Valets are everywhere catching tossed keys and all. This looks like a restaurant for extremely wealthy people and from the look of things ngs not many people are inside. I mean, it's not a restaurant that just anybody can afford. We reach the
CARLTON'S POV The sound of sirens blaring seems all too familiar to me. I've been here one to many times, but now it's for a different purpose. A different person. I had received a call from my Father, he was breathing heavily and when he finally spoke, he said something no child will ever want to hear. “Your mom got into an accident, we are at the hospital,” he had said. It felt like my whole world was crumbling. Dahlia insisted on following, and frankly I wanted her too, I need her support, emotionally and physically. Dad didn't explain the nature of the accident. So I'm just panicking because I don't know if it's mild or chronic. Dahlia and I run quickly through the door of the hospital, passing my a few patients who are being rolled in with stretchers. I scan the room looking for any medical personnel I can find. Thankfully I see a doctor in scrubs and I quickly rush to him, with Dahlia following me every step of the way. “Mrs. Stewart, what room is she admitted in?” I a
DAHLIA'S POV My legs hurt, and they are giving in. I can feel the pain everywhere. If I don't stop now, I'll collapse. But I can't. I keep running, away from everything, away from my past. Why did I think things would change? I will always get blamed, I will always be the bad person. They will never accept me. Soon my feelings transit from hurt and pain to anger and frustration. I know I despised them for what they did to me in the past. But deep down I thought things would be different. But I was wrong. I can't keep running anymore, I stop by the reception and look around at all the commotions. My thoughts are all over the place I can't stay here. I push through a door and I continue running down a quiet passageway. After a while my legs give in and I fall to the floor. Then the tears come pouring down like a flood. I don't wipe them, I just let them fall, to remind me of this day and why I need to get my revenge on that family. Even after all these years they still hurt m
DAHLIA'S POV The sound our doorbell is even louder than my alarm. I roll over on the bed and groan when I try to raise my head off the pillow. I must have cried so much last night my head is spinning now. I pick up a glass of water from my nightstand and some Aspirin from the drawer. After taking the pill and drinking the entire glass of water, I glance at the wall clock in my room. “Shit!”The time says, 7:26. I overslept. The kids should be prepared for school, they should be eating breakfast by now. I usually wake them up and now I've overslept. The sound of the doorbell still ringing makes me jump to my feet. I hurriedly put on my night robe and run to the living room. As I draw closer, I can hear noises. Children's voices and a woman's voice as well. I enter into the living room to see my kids backing their books into their bags. I peep into the kitchen and Sunny is responsible for that ethereal smell. How long and deep did I sleep that I didn't hear them moving aro
CARLTON’S POV Tristan Martinez. I've heard a lot of things about this man, before and after I knew him. Before today, I'd never seen him up close. He always has a dark aura around him. Not that I am scared of him, but I'd prefer not to involve myself with him if he's going to be trouble. But here I am, standing eye to eye with him. He flexes his jaws and I can see the anger in his eyes but he immediately masks it and forces a smile. “Mr. Stewart, good to see you here,” he extends his hand for a shake. I accept the handshake, which is unusually firm and brief. Clearly he isn't very happy to see me here. “I'm sorry about your mom, I wish her a quick recovery,” he adds. I'm not surprised he knows. Dahlia told Sunny so she has probably told him too. Besides, it's all over the internet and the news. Except he lives in a cage there's no way he won't know about it. Since he knows, that probably explains his anger earlier. My father is trying to sue Dahlia for m
DAHLIA'S POV The smell of the car is making me nauseated. I normally don't react to it, but with the way my senses have heightened lately, it's no surprise. Tristan and I are sitting in his car. We just dropped my kids off at school. He is about to head to the office when I stop him. “Can you take me somewhere else instead? I want to meet a friend of mine who is a lawyer.” He looks at me skeptically before replying, “Why?” “I need her help because I'm going to sue Mr. Stewart for defamation of character. I can't seat back and wait for the police to come searching for me. I need to take action too. He thinks he can just sue anyone he suspects of foul play, well I can easily sue him too. I let them walk over me in the past, I will not let that happen again.” And I mean every word of what I said to Tristan. This must stop. I won't let them ruin my life again. Tristan however doesn't seem to agree with me. “Don't make any rash decisions Dahlia. You don't want to be inv
Dahlia I wake up to an empty room not having any clue of anything. But just as I’m beginning to adjust to the setting, the door creak open making me snap my head towards the door to meet Carlton walking in. I react with a frown and then it clicks, i and Carlton had slept together in the lodge. “The sleepy head is finally awake,” Carlton sing-song, A radiant smile plastering his face as he approaches me. He’s carrying a tray of food in his hand. A yawn escapes me and I stretch out while rubbing my sleepy eyes. “Jezz! What are you doing?” I asks as I watch Carlton drops the food tray daintily on the bed, just beside me. “Where did you get this from?” “Breakfast in bed honey.” He muse and throw a wink at me that makes him look so cute. For a flicking second he dissolves into the Alluring face of my husband and to crown it up, he’s offering me breakfast just as he use to do in the early stage of our marriage. Christ dahlia! do you really have to think of that now? You are long g
Carlton My hutch didn’t fail me. The rain had continued increasingly and didn’t stop. In fact from the way it’s still pouring outside, thunder rocketing through it every now and then, I’m sure it’s going to span till the next day. However the Owners of the entertainment resort had made the lodge preparations for every occupants in the Museum. Dahlia and I were given one apartment as the lodges were limited. I have never seen dahlia in her most disoriented phases unlike the one I just experienced few moments ago. She was just panicked about her kids safety and nothing I said to her made sense. Worst, the School’s call line wasn’t pulling through, we kept trying until they finally respond and they assured us of the kids safety. That’s when dahlia finally relaxed. “So, what are you going to do about the scandals going on about marigold?” Dahlia’s voice pulls me out of the brief reverie I’m in. Currently, I’m standing before the glassed window. Hands tuck in my pockets as I’m obse
arlton’s POV, I was supposed to be giving dahlia a lift but when I arrived at the Address dahlia sent, which turned out to be an Entertainment complex, plans changed. The ambience is cozy and a pretty good place to clear my head so I had to plead with dahlia to join me in exploring the place. Turns out she and Tristian were the ones initially here together before he got an Emergency call. The knowledge of that awfully didn’t sit well with me but I tried my hardest not to make it obvious. Right now, I can say we are having a fun-filled Tour around the Aqua gallery. Dahlia seemed to have a bunch of knowledge about everything here as she’s a fan of Animal Documentaries. “Funny how we’ve never done this before.” I blurts out of the blue, withdrawing my eyes from the pretty View of the Aquarium to face dahlia. I honestly don’t know if I’m referring to mine and dahlia’s past or our present day. However dahlia shrug and with her gaze not leaving the host of fishes swimming in the Aqua
Tristian’s POV, “Now how do you intend to get Casandra off your back?” Benjamin Asks, his voice barely Audible as the club music is blaring so loud. After surveying my company, Benjamin and I Decided to hang out somewhere. It’s been a while. I fetch myself another round of whiskey and take a sip from it before responding to Benjamin’s question. “I won’t do much. I’ll just let her do her thing but as far as I know, I’m not responsible for her pregnancy.” I spits out aggressively. Benjamin looks at me like I’ve just said something out of the ordinary. I ignore him with a snort, my eyes gazing above him and it lands on the stripper performing on the stage. She’s making sensuous moves which is evoking intense Arousal in the atmosphere. I watch as she makes seductive trail around the pole, and then she pause. With her hands still gripping the pole, she slowly raise one knee up against the pole and pulls back till she’s hanging against the pole. Her naked nipples pointed upward an
stian pov“What the hell Casandra?!” I fire, my eyes seeing nothing but blood red. My muscles are rock stiff and my veins are threatening to tear out. I’ve never had this degree of anger for a very long time now… The intense heat radiating around me can burn hell. Infact, the only thing stopping me from strangling this woman before me is because I needed explaination. Why the hell she would pull this expensive stunt with me. My warehouse wasn’t in a fucking flames. It was all Cassandra’s little plot to get me to L.A and even coming to L.A isn’t completely my problem. It’s how she had effortlessly lure me to her house and I had no idea. Few minutes ago, When I arrived at L.A, The first thing I do was call Benjamin, my Agitation at its peak. I could drive straight to the warehouse myself but I needed to know which one in particular as I had quite Alot. When Benjamin picks, I rush him with questions at once but he gave me a different story. He told me that he was kidnapped and he
Tristian’s POV, “Why have you been ghosting my calls Tristian? You’ve to come to LA immediately. I’m pregnant with your child.” After reading the Text that just dropped from Cassandra, my blood freeze in my veins and I’m pretty sure it drained off my face. My muscle stiffen as my pulse paused. Im not shaken by the Text exactly but I just got thrown off guards for a moment. Like I’ll expect every silly antics from Cassandra but pregnancy? “What’s that?” Dahlia’s voice jolts me to reality, making me realize we are two here in the car. I immediately comport myself and turns towards her. She has a concerned and questioning look on her face, as she ask again. “What’s wrong?” A little pause. I stare at her for a brief seconds like I can’t make sense of she asked then I gyrate with a laugh that sounds so fake even to my hearing. “It’s nothing serious dahlia.” I adds anyway, now smiling. “It’s Just a message from Benjamin Telling me about some stubborn client who refused to strike a deal
Carlton “How could you Marigold? How could you be so devilish to pull up such a stunt on me and dahlia?!” I vibrates with visible rage radiating all around me. Right now we are back at my mansion. Andre is upstairs in his room as I’ve instructed him to do so before I began lashing out on marigold. After Tristan explained all that had transpired in Marigold’s party leading on to how the table turned, I had been in shock. Honestly, I know marigold is capable of the worst things but guess I have underrated her way too much. I could never imagine that her obsessive insecurity over dahlia would ever push her to framing dahlia up to get her sex tape and spread all over the net. She even involved me! Her husband. I’m seriously blowing off steams and I can’t control my fucking temper. It’s taking my will power to restrain myself from slapping marigold. “You caused it Carlton!” Marigold dares to yells back at me. Her eyes glistening with aggressive tears. Anyone who walks in now would th
Carlton’s pov “The hell was that for?” That’s marigold. Her voice booms the whole place as I approaches the place that slapped just came from. And turns out in the kitchen area. I burst into it and I meet the ugly scenerio of my mother and marigold in a heated fight. With the way marigold is rubbing her reddish cheek, difinately she’s the one that just received the slap from my mother. I release a sigh of frustration. “What exactly is going on here?” I asks and that’s when they apparently notices my presence. “What does it matter? You would definitely take your mother’s sides anyways!” Marigold yelled as she speaks first, undiluted anger brewing all over her. “Carlton good thing you are here. It’s high time you come back to your senses and realize the kind of snake you are married to!” “What happened?” I groan, honestly not in the mood to accommodate their banter. “Do you know your wife was telling someone over the phone that she’s going to steal from the company’s funds?” M
Carlton’s pov “The hell was that for?” That’s marigold. Her voice booms the whole place as I approaches the place that slapped just came from. And turns out it’s the kitchen area. I burst into it and I meet the ugly scenerio of my mother and marigold in a heated fight. With the way marigold is rubbing her reddish cheek, difinately she’s the one that just received the slap from my mother. I release a sigh of frustration. “What exactly is going on here?” I asks and that’s when they apparently notices my presence. “What does it matter? You would definitely take your mother’s sides anyways!” Marigold yelled as she speaks first, undiluted anger brewing all over her. “Carlton good thing you are here. It’s high time you come back to your senses and realize the kind of snake you are married to!” “What happened?” I groan, honestly not in the mood to accommodate their banter. “Do you know your wife was telling someone over the phone that she’s going to steal from the company’s funds?”