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SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 31
“Congratulations!” I tell Zed as I walk over to him, a smile plastered on my face.My heart jumps when a set of tender eyes meet mine. That’s how he used to look at me before.“Thank you, dear,” he says, my heart warming to that endearment again. I swear I’m already on the verge of throwing my arms around his neck.“The company is five years already, you said it. Why haven’t I heard about that before?”I try raising another question to dispel the awkwardness, not realizing I’m bringing up a more intimate topic. It’s still three years since we separated, so it means we were together when Zed’s partnership with The Quartet started.“I only gave motivations. But then, I just woke up one day and found myself becoming one of them.”I love how his eyes shine when he explains. And I feel so silly for noticing it only now. Zed deserves more than what he has gained to
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 32 Ella
Ella's POV "Ella, let's go," says Zed as he comes back from wherever he went. He doesn't go back to his seat but stands behind me instead. "Is there a problem?" "A stomach discomfort." But I don't believe him. There is something in his eyes that speaks about something else, other than physical discomfort. He waves a hand to Mr. Mori, telling him that we're going ahead. The latter nods and raises a hand as well. Zed then places a hand on my shoulder, guiding me as we take our exit. Before we reach the elevator, Miss Aliyah Torres, one of the speakers a while ago, appears from another direction and smiles at us. "Babe!" she says, and Zed walks to her and kisses her on the cheek. "Babe, I'm suddenly not feeling well. So, we're going ahead." Miss Torres furrows her brows, tilts her head, and looks closely at Zed. She's about to open her mouth to speak, but ends up shrugging her
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 33
“My self-control is thinning, Ella,” Zed says as he releases me from the fiery kiss. His dark and intense gaze tells how he is burning with desire.I’m still panting from his hungry and savage kiss, but I still want more. More of him, not just his lips. “Nobody is stopping you, Zed. Do as you please.”“You said it,” he confirms and lets out a soft laugh when I nod.Becoming too impatient for his next move, I grab his face again and claim his lips. Feeling his reluctance, I start running my hands on his chest and down to his navel. This move must have aroused him because he reaches for the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. When his mouth leaves my lips, I move faster and pull down his shorts, together with his undies.“What are you doing? We’re on the terrace!” Zed exclaims in horror, pulling back his workout shorts. But before he successfully pulls it up, I grab his hand.I’
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 34 Zed
Zed’s POV I can’t believe how things turned out for me. The Quartet is growing rapidly and the branches of XYZ Coffee Shops have multiplied. And since my passion is always on the stage, I never stop accepting speaking engagements. I even entrust my businesses to a pool of managers and analysts. The stage is my escape world where people think of me as someone great and powerful. I inspire them with my words and mesmerize them with my looks. I know I have those assets because magazines and tabloids often feature me as the beautiful face behind powerful mindsets. Yes, I change people's mindsets, always pointing them to the bright world of positive thinkers. I let them refuse to entertain weakness and encourage them to be resilient. Those whose willpower and inner drives have died, I resurrect them under my coaching. Those whose companies are losing beyond the point of redemption, I let them spring to life under my series of motivational an
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 35
I stare at the portrait, noting the strokes and style Mr. D uses. I have already known him as Dennis ever since I started to notice his mysterious appearance at my events. He constantly shows up in the corner of wherever I am, but he also disappears like a bubble in the air. I don't know what he is after because he never participates in any of my group activities during my events. Instead, he just hops in during discussions, taunting or pissing me off. The only thing that draws me to him is his being an artist."What is it, babe?" asks Ella, disrupting my focus from the portrait. I look back at her. And upon seeing her swelling curves and plump entrance, my relaxingpossession instantly springs to life."Are you sure you want to continue?" Ella asks again. The crease on my face must have shown my emotion."Of course. Who can refuse to this?" I say, poking my prepuce on her labia.She raises her legs and hangs on it my shoulders, making it easier for
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 36 Ella
I stretch my body outward as soon as the last attendee of the meeting leaves the room. It was a long and endless battle between the pros and cons of accepting Mr. Kim Mori’s proposal. What made them doubt is the sincerity and purity of his intention. Because most of those high-ranked business magnates are the ones chased, not the ones offering deals. It also looks suspicious to me, but knowing their story, I am also half-convinced that Mr. Kim only does itto please Yen. So that the people who don't know them well won't give Yen the impression that she chose him because of his money. So, Zed should fare well in the business to make them look equal. Needless to ask, I knew he had a hard time convincing Yen to go back to him. I even suspect that he only won her again through the court's decision. If Zed's status would be so low, Yen won't stop feeling guilty for leaving him. And also because Zed isn’t someone easy to forget if I were in Yen'splac
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 37
I freeze, instead of breaking down. My intense emotion has me maimed. Even makes my mind blunt. I stare at the portraits for a long time, allowing my heart to bleed inside. I don’t know anymore if I could still help him overcome his past without breaking myself because the painful truth is right before my eyes. There will never be any ‘us.” And I will never have a place in his heart. “She’s beautiful,” I say, but I avoided his eyes. “Look at me,” Zed says, turning me around. Tears suddenly make their way into my face, even if I hold my breath. I push him away, then hurry out to the door. But before I slip out, a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. “Why are you crying?” he asks. My heartbeats quicken at his question. “I miss James. He also hired artists to paint me.” Zed freezes, a sense of frustration painting his face. I can’t let him know I’m crying because of him. He was clear from the start – that he wants no other woman aside from Yen – but I was too confident I could
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 38 Zed
Zed's POV Meeting different kinds of people makes my mind sharp in reading their emotions. I can tell if they are genuinely motivated or obliged. I can also see who can exercise leadership and those who are only good at words. So, when Ella acted out, I knew she was jealous of Yen. She was hurting over the paintings that made her think I'm still crazy about Yen. But jealous or not, I can't afford to expect more from her—more than what we live for in the present. Sad to say, I'm happy with our progress. Ella'slittle acts of jealousy flatter me. It gives me hope that she will come to me if James truly rejects her. It makes me hope that she will stop begging for him to accept her and their child if I move faster. But I will wait until she is brave enough to tell me she chooses me over James. I will give her full freedom from the very start so that I can also set my mind that someday this relationship will also come to an end.
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SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 87 The Epilogue
Zed's POV I stare at the charcoal portraits of two little kids. One painting shows them holding hands, another shows them eating together, and another shows them chasing happily. Those portraits depict my longing to be with the brother I had never met. I don't realize that my tears are already brimming as I recall those days. Those days when I sent those paintings to the orphanage together with my father's monthly allocation for him. I wonder if dad had noticed that I also painted a portrait every month and made sure I finished them before it was time to send them to him. "You keep them," I say, lifting my teary eyes to Dennis. Dennis rolls his eyes. "You made me so poor back then. All the money that daddy sent went to the expensive frames I bought for those portraits." Ella laughs but tears pool at the corners of her beautiful eyes. She looks so divine in her bridal gown; her angelic face matches the glitters of those thousands of diamonds that Den adorned on her wedding dress.
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 86 Special Episode 9 ( Ara's POV)
My brows furrow as I look at the woman whose voice rings loud and clear inside the room. She looks like she is in her mid-fifties, but a strong and domineering aura emanates from her. Her presence speaks of authority, and the lift of her chin and fiery gaze is enough to tell she holds a high position that even James bows down in respect. “My queen! Why are you here?” exclaims James, his previous arrogant look melts down against the power and authority of this woman. “Put down your weapons!” she orders, moving her eyes around. The three burly men instantly bend down and put their guns on the floor. I look at James and also find him conceding. He raises his hands in a gesture of surrender, then bows down, placing his gun on the floor. “Surrender all the weapons, not only those in your hands!” My eyes grow wide at her command, and my gaze darts toward the men pulling the pistols and knives hidden inside their jackets. I also watch James disengage an oliv
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 85 Special Episode 8 : (Ara's POV)
"Very well," James raises his hands and claps slowly but loudly. He stands at the doorway, slowly pacing towards us. Following behind him are three burly-looking men who quickly spread apart, covering the room's corners. However, his claps are not to applaud but to mock. James is devilishly a handsome man in his mid-thirties but doesn't have the aura of domineering and stunning CEOs. He has gold piercings on his ears, messy bangs that he keeps pushing to the side, and tattoos painting his entire arms. He stands tall in a pair of signature rubber shoes and bleached denim jeans, coupled with a button-up shirt that lays open down to the center of his chest. His figure better fits the definition of a mobster. James looks at Zed and says, "I always know you would come to play the role of a knight in shining armor, saving a damsel in distress." I glance at Zed, now sitting beside Ella and holding her hand. He looks back at James, his eyes keen and watchful.
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 84 Special Episode 7 : (Ara's POV)
I feel my fear sucking the air out of me. If I have to see myself in the mirror, I must already be as pale as death’s shade. Zed glances at me worriedly, but his expression is worse than mine. I know very well that he’s not scared for himself but us. Every minute that ticks by feels like taking away some years from my life.“Where are we now?” Mitch asks, her eyes moving around fast. She’s as scared as me!“We’re going uphill,” says Zed. He looks now at Ella, who is now fast asleep due to the sedative that Mitch administered to her. Because of my fear, I didn’t even notice before that an intravenous solution was dripping above her.“Will the baby be alright?” He’s sleeping soundly on the stroller beside the stretcher. I can’t help noticing how Ella has prepared for this.“She must be. I have been able to prepare her needs ahead.”The ambulance then skids to a turn. Mitch and I hurriedly peer through the slits of the curtains and see that we’re entering a wide gate. Zed also peeks out,
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 83 Special Episode 6 : (Ara's POV)
"What are we going to do now?" I whisper, but my eyes dart wide in fear. Mitch and Ella also look back at me with freezing gazes, massive glints of fear and shock ruling their expressions. "Where are we heading?" Ella asks, her gaze shifting among the three of us. "I'll call a backup." Zed pulls out his phone from his back pocket without wasting a second. "Sir, we screwed up. When we reached the clinic, Ella was already in an ambulance. But an enemy has taken the driver's place." "Whose ambulance?" "From the hospital where her OB-Gyne is affiliated." "Where's Monster?" "At the clinic. But the key is with me." I realize that the monster they are talking about is the car we used in coming to the clinic. But, perhaps, it got that name because it is heavily tinted and bullet-proofed, aside from the ammunition loaded inside. "No worries. I have spare keys." "You're following?" Zed asks. "Yes."
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 82 Special Episode 5 (Ara's POV)
Zed moves straight ahead instead of turning to the left as initially planned. So I start presuming that Zed has changed his mind about picking up Ella himself. But then he turns right, and soon, we enter a black gate. “What are we doing here?” I ask Zed. Seeing him unfastening his seatbelt, I also do mine. “Hurry, Ar. We need to change the vehicle, a bullet-proof one.” “Who is living here?” “One of my teams.” Zed jumps down from the car and runs towards my side to open the door for me. But before he reaches me, I have already stepped one foot out. “Ara, just stay here. You will be safe here. This area is heavily guarded, and the security is high. I will pick you up once everything is over. But in case I can’t, my team knows what to do with you,” Zed speaks in utmost tenderness. His face even paints his gratefulness and worry for me. But I don’t like him saying goodbye. I may not be of any help to him, but I want to accompany him until
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 81 Special Episode 4: (Ara's POV)
"Ara, close your eyes and tighten your seatbelt!" I scream even before I see Zed's next move. He then looks over his right shoulder, places his right hand on the top of the steering wheel, then eases off his foot abruptly from the brake pedal. I scream again as the car reverses andaccelerates backward, missing the car that speeds next to us narrowly. "Slow down, Zed! I'm not ready to die yet!" I shout from the top of my lungs as our car is about to collide with another vehicle. And the torture doesn't end. Cars after cars come closer by a thread's width, but luckily, Zed swerves away just in time! Damn, Kim! I wouldn't be in death's mouth if it were not because of him! Is he siding now with James? "Scream as loud as you can, Ar! It eases your fear. Haven't I told you? Kim's kindness is just a show-off?" Zed yell in my left ear, jolting me off from my seat. "My goodness, Zedrick! I don't expect this side of you. How can you fly a
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 80 Special Episode 3 : (Ara's POV)
"You're seeking more trouble, Zed. Do you think James will give you peace?" I am already shaking in anger. Zed is just too stubborn. Just where does this man get his courage from? If he relies on his previous investigation team, I don't believe they're more powerful than the assassin's group. They have been delving into James' case for several years already. They would have solved the case long ago if they were that good. "Let him do what he wants." Zed doesn't look like he is kidding. His eyes are on the road, but his sharp gaze reflects his determination. Silence envelopes inside the car, giving me more time to look left and right, scared that a convoy of vehicles will suddenly overtake and block our way. I am fond of watching suspense movies, and finally, I have become the leading character in my life's drama. My phone suddenly vibrates, and I immediately presume it comes from a bomb planted under my seat. I scream, and Zed s
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 79 Special Episode 2: (Ara's POV)
“Made from finest silk fabrics, this gown is embellished with 1000 diamonds. But this is not the most expensive wedding gown. Kate Middleton’s sparkling wedding tiara alone had 1000 diamonds.” Zed’s face pulls into a stern frown. “Are you meeting me just to show that off? Damn you, Dennis! I admit I can never afford a lavish bridal gown as you do, but believe me, the beauty of the wedding lies not in the expensive gown a bride wears, but the weight of the affection she carries in her heart.” I raise my head this time and peer at these men squarely. I may not have met Dennis yet, the one they call Mr. D, but I heard many things about him from Yen. She even calls him eccentric. And judging from what I am seeing now, he looks far more bizarre than how Yen describes him. How can a man in his right mind calls an ex-fiancé just to show off? “I’m seeing you because I want to ask for your suggestion.” Mr. D shrugs like he doesn’t care about Zed’s reaction. I
