Reyona rigidly held herself as she entered the company without a backward glance.Ignoring the employees who greeted her as she passed, she headed straight for the elevator.Thankfully, there was no one in the elevator.She pressed the close door button on the control panel, held it down, and pressed her floor number.It was only after she was sure that the express setting she did would make the elevator take her straight to her floor without stopping at any other floor did she allow herself to feel.She slowly dropped into a crouch and rocked herself as she thought about what he had said.Thomas was going too far.The bastard was not satisfied with wrecking her life and making her scramble after the pieces.He was not satisfied with all the humiliation he had caused her.Now he wanted to desecrate her home with vile lies and obscenity?How much more cruelty can be found in one man?Reyona couldn't believe she had been so blind that she couldn’t see him for the beast that he was.She
Reyona could see the camera rolling, and she almost backed down from putting herself in public like this, but she firmed up her smile and looked straight into the camera. “I have arrived, husband. Let’s get the show rolling.” "Err,” the director, who had almost snapped at Reyona, looked from her to Thomas, then back to his crew. “What are you doing here?” Thomas was finally able to talk after trying twice without much success. Reyona raised her eyebrows at him. “What am I doing in my home?” “You…you have lost the right to be here. Ain’t you shameless?” Thomas blurted out as a sheen of sweat showed on his powdered forehead. His fitting, stylish coat seemed too tight for him at that point as he reached for the tie at his neck and tried to loosen it. Only that his hand came away empty because he didn’t have any tie on after all. He had on an open-necked cream-coloured shirt under the coat. He suddenly seemed to realise something and looked at his manager, who was gaping at the c
“Rey, you badass!” Toria’s squeal made Reyona move her phone away from her ear before her eardrum would leak out. She smiled as she heard her sister’s excited chatter in the background, so she gingerly moved the phone back to her ear. "...is everywhere already. Oh my God, you really showed that bastard. Damn! You handled that well, Rey. Where had all that been hiding?” Toria let out a satisfied cackle that reminded Reyona of when her sister had mistakenly put glue in a girl’s shampoo. Reyona’s smile bloomed as she said, “Girl. I think you need to calm down before you hyperventilate." “Calm down? Oh, you must be kidding me,” Toria answered. “Where are you? We need to celebrate. This day just keeps getting better and better.” “I am on the road, currently breaking the law as I am speaking to you while driving,” she said as she looked behind her to be sure she was not about to get pulled over for sure. “You deserve to break every rule there is today, Rey. You have earned it!” Reyo
Reyona’s phone was vibrating even while she had her meeting with Gibson.But after seeing the caller ID, she silenced the phone.Immediately after she came out of the law firm, she called her back.“Hello, ma. Are you alright, ma?”“Of course, I am alright,” Reyona answered, even as her stomach rumbled with hunger.She remembered that she had not had anything to eat since morning.Remembering Celia’s ridiculous spread that morning only made her hunger increase.She couldn’t believe a lot had happened in just one day.“That is good to know. I think you shouldn’t come here for now, though. You can stay where you are and just have a good time.”That got Reyona’s interest and took her mind off the thoughts of food.“Why? What is happening?” She asked without the slightest apprehension.“Nothing. I just feel like you needed the break, ma. So, just take enough time for yourself. You can even take some days off and come to work later.”Reyona wondered when it had come to the point that her e
Reyona raised her head just in time to see Rouarke parking his car in front of the bistro. She turned to face the woman. “What did you just call me?” The woman seemed a bit surprised that Reyona understood what she said. Still, she was not remorseful. Instead, she raised her nose in the air and said, “Get out of my restaurant, bad woman.” “CEO Lanoth, is everything fine?” Rouarke asked as he entered the restaurant and heard the last statement from the woman. “Oh, you are here, Rouarke,” Reyona said cheerily as she turned to him. “Good. Just in time. You see, I invited you here for a different reason before, but I just discovered something better.” Better? Curiousity could be seen on the faces of the people around as they wondered how Reyona could still be chirpy despite what just happened. Even the heavy-set woman was looking from Rouarke to Reyona. Reyona raised her voice as she looked in the direction that led to the kitchen and said, “Can you see what I am seeing, Rouarke
Toria was waiting for Reyona at the rented house. “You have this here, and you were camping out at the office, Rey? Why? Tell me why you had to make me go through this trauma." Toria asked dramatically as she came to meet Reyona at the car. “Oh, I am sorry. I had no idea I was the wicked witch. I guess you won't want these yummy cookies then,” Reyona said with a smile as she pulled back the box she was about to hand to Toria. “What? No. Did I ever mention that you are the best sister in the whole world? No? Well, I am saying it now. The very best. Nobody can compare to you.” So saying, she had snatched the box from Reyona while simultaneously reaching for one of the chocolate chip cookies. "Ooohhm,” she moaned as she crammed the whole piece into her mouth before carting the box off to the porch. “This is life. Come and enjoy life with me, Reyona,” she said in a heartfelt tone. Reyona merely shook her head and continued on her way to the door. “I am not sitting out here to give
Despite Toria’s reservations, Reyona had already made up her mind.She was done hiding.She was done being a coward.She was going to take what belonged to her from that bastard and then drag his ass through the court and back.“If it really comes to that,” she muttered to herself as she dressed up carefully that morning.Of course, she had vowed to herself to be more assertive but then a tiny part of her still wished things didn’t go this way.Changed personality or not, hanging her dirty linen in the open for all to speculate and discuss was not her game plan.She was dressed in an electric-blue power suit and trousers.The suit had one pearl button in the middle, perfectly displaying the orange silk shirt she had underneath.Paired with minimal jewellery of pearl earrings, a necklace, and a watch, the powerful CEO look was well complimented with passion diamond stilletos and a matching Channel bag.She left Toria a note, tucked the discarded sheets around her and left in a high spi
When they saw that she was serious, they stepped back and followed her as she drove to the front of the company.Reyona could have simply driven to the car park to avoid them, but she stopped in front of the company, smiled at the anxious faces of Samantha, Phil, and Charlotte as they rushed out, and then turned towards the approaching reporters.“Mrs. Lanoth, can you...”She raised her index finger in such a commanding way that the reporters stopped their tumbling questions and listened to her.Reyona waited till there was perfect silence. It was as if she had nothing to do and would be ready to wait them out.Those who were still shuffling, murmuring, and trying to get her attention quickly followed suit with the others and waited for her to talk.“Listen to me carefully, because this is the last time I will be saying anything about this issue. I am sure the good people of Kayooma have better things to do than read news about me. I am sure you already know of the one and only inter
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