“He is not so bad, you know,” Celia said at the end of her laughter.Reyona, who was smiling at the antics of the old man among the women dancing in the square, nodded and said “You mean at flirting? Yes, he is certainly good at that.” With soft laughter, she added, “At dancing? "Not bad" is an exaggeration. I can’t believe I have never come across this place. Best way to relax. What dance do you think that is?”They both looked over at the man as he pretended to miss his step and raised his hand for one of the women to help him up.Celia laughed again and said “Oh, they know what he is doing. And they are allowing him. Oh, I wish life could be just that simple. The dance? I think salsa and a touch of their version of tango. I have never asked them. I enjoy it whenever I see them out here. They have gotten used to me, I would say” she beamed at Reyona as she added. "I could even say I am a part of the group at this point. Their silent admirer.”Reyona smiled and looked at the group ag
“I don’t hate anyone.” Reyona protested.“Maxwell. That is the name. At least mention it.” Celia said in a challenging tone as she placed her fists against her waist and gave Reyona a challenging look.“This is ridiculous,” Reyona said. “I think we should go.”“If you get up, I am going to scream bloody murder, and you will have a fine time telling all these wonderful souls why you threatened to…to…kidnap my baby.”“What? Don’t be ridiculous,” Reyona said.Celia batted her lashes at Reyona innocently as she said “Drew would be the first person to tell you that ridiculous is my middle name. I play it so well when I want to.”“That is just…”“Alright. Alright” Celia said with a deflated sigh. “I am not going to keep you here against your wish but at least tell me why you hate him so much, will you? He is really a good man. I know he doesn't show it much, but he is a very caring man, who is protective of people he cares about. And he cares about you." She raised her hand to stop Reyona's
Reyona unblocked Maxwell’s number and forwarded the message to him.She was tempted to call Mary to tell her she wouldn’t be having anything to do with the kids from now on but she stopped herself.Somehow she knew she might not be able to hold out against that sweet woman who had other people’s issues dumped on her lap.“It is none of my business,” she muttered to herself out loud.She had barely seen the delivered notification before his call came through.Reyona swore at her slowness in blocking his number back. She disconnected the call and proceeded to block the number again.Her finger hovered over the block button for a second as a thought occurred to her.His call came in again and she automatically disconnected it.Then she pressed the message bar and sent Maria’s number to him.Call her and stop pestering me. She tagged the number and blocked his number again.She had thought of deleting the number earlier but since that could make her pick up his call unaware, she decided t
In a dingy room that stank of sweat, dirt and a faint tang of blood, two people lay on a stripped mattress with their limbs intertwined.They looked as good as dead and none of them stirred as the door suddenly got kicked in.The faint light from the hallway washed over their faces and revealed the faces of a heavily bearded man with bottle-green hair and a woman with dirty, tangled, dirt-blond hair strewn over her face.Sounds of raucous laughter from afar and pissy traffic where drivers seemed to be having a contest over the horns filtered into the small room.None of them stirred as two men entered and one of them spat into the corner of the room with a disgusted look on his face.The other held his nose as he squinted at the trail of dried blood on the arm of the woman.“I daresay! Is that blood?”Close to the bed was a dirty syringe with a remnant of some liquid in it.A thin rope was on the woman’s wide-open lap where her short skirt had already ridden higher up her thighs at th
She had promised herself not to go.Just that morning she had firmly ignored the text message from Mary.Since when did aged women become keen on texting anyway?She had even admonished herself for remembering the date even before Mary texted her.The woman had done that right after her call went straight to voicemail.Blocking her was beginning to look like the better option after all.Still, she had not done it.She had simply left her home, which still seemed strange to her with all the changes, as early as possible.She convinced herself and her surprised employees that she had been the first person in the office because she was eager to get started on the day's work.Oh no, it had nothing to do with any anxiety she might be feeling about what had nothing to do with her.Even as her eyes kept going to the clock while she was in the middle of her first meeting of the day, she convinced herself it was all normal.She was fine, and she was not bothered about anything at all.The cloc
Reyona was not expecting the force with which the boy launched himself onto her.She was in danger of toppling over when a hand supported her.Warmth spread through her as a familiar scent tickled her nose.She moved her hair from her face and looked up to thank Cliff for his help.Only to look straight into Maxwell’s hazel-green eyes.Wait, how come she had never noticed that they…“Are you okay?” His soft question drew Reyona’s gaze to his firm and luscious… “Yeah, I am fine. Thanks,” she said tersely before looking down at the boy who was still clinging to her neck.“Hi,” Reyona said with a tight smile borne off her sudden discomfort.“He said he is our uncle. Ally said he is lying. Liar!” Junior said in an accusatory tone as he looked at Maxwell with a mutinous face.“Uhm, yeah. I suppose he is.” then she realised what she had said and cleared her throat. “I mean, not that he is a liar, uncle, he is your unc… can you step back, please?” she said in a hushed whisper to Maxwell Can
Business was good.ReyDexter was doing so well that Reyona was beginning to give serious thought to what she had had in mind before the scandal.The thought of expansion.She even told her top executives about it, and they felt they could pull it off with their strength at the moment.Reyona and Sehima Hasanova had become more than just business partners; the savvy, world-class woman had become a mentor versus a consultant to Reyona about certain things.All the questions the woman asked fitted perfectly with ReyDexter’s strength at the moment.Then Sehima asked her one last question. “Are you ready?”That was when Reyona realised that the easiest questions at times might not have the easiest answers.Was she ready?It was easier for her to admit to herself that she was restless than it was for her to answer such a simple question.It didn’t take long for her to also admit to herself that her restlessness had nothing to do with business.Over the past weeks, she had alternated through
Reyona tossed her key to the hospital valet who offered to help her park her car in the right spot and rushed off towards the paediatric part of the general hospital. She barely heard the man’s call, “Please, ask for your key at the front desk on your way out” before she got out of earshot. She had no idea what she was going to meet, yet she was filled with dread as she remembered the little wave that girl had reluctantly given on her way to a place that had landed her in a hospital! Reyona blamed herself for not giving in to the urge she had felt over the past weeks to check up on them. Of course, she had reached out to the social centre against her wish and she even knew when they found a place for them with a ready couple who are verified foster parents. All she had not done was speak directly to the kids. If only she… “Woah, woah. Easy there” a familiar voice said as she ran into him. “It’s you. Where are…I mean where is she?” Reyona asked anxiously as she tried to calm her
Dear Reader, Thank you so much for following this journey from the beginning to this point. I appreciate your comments, votes, review and continuous reading. You are my real MVP. Reyona's story has come to an end here as she went on to live happily ever after while navigating the beauty and trials of life with the love of her life. But then Toria's story is just about to begin. What do you say to navigating Toria's new journey as she confronts her rollercoaster feelings for Andreas while dealing with the powerful Kanellis family and forces determined to keep them apart? Would you like to see if a headstrong, free-spirited lady like Toria can fit into the imperious and honourable family while she fights her demons? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you for being here. Do check out my other books. I am Kabirat Aleem.
“.... I promise to love and cherish you for as long as we live and beyond. I will respect you and always remember that you are my partner before anyone else. I will put you and our family first in my decisions. You are mine in totality just as I am yours. Together we shall grow in loyalty, in abundance, in comradeship, in support and eternal love. I will forever be by your side in everything that comes our way on this journey of life….”“I, Maxwell Rohan, take you, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, as my lawfully wedded wife today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until I breathe my last.”“I, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, take you, Maxwell Rohan, as my lawfully wedded husband today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until the day I die.”As her sister and her husband completed the vows they had worked on themselves and slid the rings on each other's fingers, Toria tried hard to keep her tears at bay as the minister said, “You may kiss
The past month had been the most heart-filling one for Reyona.She watched as Allysyn lolled Sophie's bassinet while showing her something in the picture book she had in her hand.Meanwhile, Junior jiggled the rattle above Lucas to the delight of the baby and the hopping dog.An inexplicable bliss filled her at the thought that these belonged to her.These beautiful blessings that had been bestowed upon her when she least expected them were a solid part of her story.Reyona leaned back in her chair with a big smile on her face as she reached for her drink.“Rey, you are glowing. I mean, you are literally glowing. You should see your face right now. Hold on.”Toria quickly took a few snaps with her phone before turning the phone around to face Reyona.Reyona smiled as she looked at the pictures while sipping her mimosa.Although she couldn't see herself literally glowing as Toria had said, she loved what she saw.The woman in the picture looked…fulfilled.Long gone was the anxious, sad
Two Months Later“Does this mean we will have to call you Mum and Dad now?” Allysyn asked in a solemn tone.Reyona looked at Maxwell with a smile before responding to Allysyn.“It means we are forever your family now. It means we have got you forever. In as much as you do not forget that, what you call us doesn't matter.”Although she knew how beautiful it would be to hear them use those words.“I am Thomas Junior Rohan?” Junior asked with his head tilted after he pronounced what he had been using his hand to trail in spelling.“Do you like being Junior Rohan?” Reyona asked with a smile.He looked thoughtful for about ten seconds before saying, “I love it.” To Maxwell, he said, “Does this mean I get to drive your car now?”Reyona and Maxwell laughed as Allysyn rolled her eyes.Reyona sucked in her breath as the laughter waned.“Well, maybe in the future, if you've been very good, of course. But not yet.”“Aww,” Junior said with a pout. Then he brightened in the next second. “I will be
The call was from his head of security.Reyona listened to his terse response to the person on the call.Then, just as he took the turn towards his estate, she felt her phone buzz.She frowned as she saw that it was a message from Maxwell.“We have a guest,” it says.She looked at the back of his head as she wondered why he couldn't just say that directly instead of sending it as a message.She was about to ask him who it was when she looked beyond the windscreen and saw the police cruiser.Her heart kicked against her rib and she looked downwards to check if the even-breathing Allysyn had slept off or something.“Look, Max! The police!” Junior shouted excitedly as he pointed at the spot where the police officer was just turning away from the man he was speaking to, the head of security.Allysyn's lax body went taut as she jerked upward, looked in the direction that Junior was pointing at, and then back at Reyona.She had a mixture of fear, question and uncertainty in her face.Reyona
Reyona and Maxwell went together to take the kids from school that day.Despite their fears that some unrelenting reporters might have decided to call them about what happened or ambush them for an interview about what they felt about Thomas's death, nothing of such happened.The school was also free of any lurking reporters or paparazzi.It was either they had decided that Thomas's death was not as worthy of news as his scandal had been, or they were still jeering up to blast the family with all they got later.Whatever it was, they were glad as they waited in silence in front of the school for closing time.Soon enough, school was over for the day.Maxwell came out as the students came out en masse.Soon enough, they saw Allysyn and Junior.Junior was skipping alongside Allysyn while dragging his backpack along and shouting some words at a friend who was going towards another car parked close by.He was being his jovial self as he waved hard at the friend and asked him not to forget
Reyona's head jerked upward as she heard Maxwell's voice.Then she looked sideways when she heard a growling sound.Jerking his head from Reyona to Maxwell, Skippy's pupils had dilated so much that they almost covered his entire eyes.His growl continued as he looked confused about where he should escape.Reyona realised what was going on as she saw Maxwell standing at the entrance, blocking his escape route.He felt cornered!She realised as the dog backed away while his growl increased in pitch.“Maxwell, move,” she said urgently, and he automatically stepped aside.The dog hopped past him in a flash.The dog kept going without stopping at all.Maxwell shook his head and went to Reyona. “What was that about?” He asked in an incredulous voice.“We were building a friendship,” Reyona said with a pout.“That was friendship?” Maxwell asked in disbelief.“Well, we were about to. Then you…do you think they do therapy for dogs?” She asked in contemplation.Maxwell started chuckling, “Ah, a
The soothing sound of the water reminded Reyona of the brook that ran through their homes in Bellevue Hill.She felt completely blissful in the oasis that Maxwell had surprised her with.It was exactly a replica of the one in her home in Sydney.After their dinner that night, Reyona was still pretending to be miffed at him because he wouldn't tell her if he really was the one who donated to the orphanage she had opened in her grandmother's name.Then, as if he didn't notice, he told her to check out something.“I am still mad at you,” She had said as she folded her arms above her belly and gave him a mutinous look.“It is a good thing that you are a versatile woman then. You could be mad at me and still come check this out. You will be glad you did. I promise.” He said innocently.Then, just as Reyona pretended she had not made up her mind yet, he swept her off her feet.How can he still carry her so effortlessly? She wondered as she squealed “Maxwell!”That was the first time the pap
Reyona had no intention of having the wedding while she was still pregnant.“It is called ‘walk down the aisle’, not waddle down the aisle'. Thank you.”That had been her argument and everyone had agreed with her.Not after Toria had added that their dad could carry her.“Then it will be ‘float down the aisle'” she had said in jest.They all came to an agreement that the wedding preparations would start after she had given birth in about two months.They spent the night in the hotel, and they all visited The King’s Creek to pay obeisance to Grams before their parents’ and Toria's departure.Maxwell, Reyona and the kids will stay back in Boowag until the jet got back.Stefan and his co-pilot were to carry Gladys and Carlisle to their destinations before coming back for them.It would take Gladys home first, then make a stopover at Milan to drop Carlisle before coming back.Toria had a standby jet that had brought her to Boowag and Kayooma for the preparation of the surprise and all.Of