Clara's POVZoe finally noticed me in the doorway, her expression silent, yet she shot me, 'Are you surprised to see me here?' look.How could I have possibly missed the fact that I would likely see her again if I returned to this house?"Oh, you're finally here. Thank you, Eda, for bringing her to me, even though I had to wait for quite a while. Now you can leave us." Zoe saidEda seemed unsure, but in the end, she left with a look of regret. I fixed my eyes on Zoe; what new plan was she concocting this time?"So this is your new assistant that you hired, Zoe? Are you sure you still want to hire her? She's already late on her first day. Imagine how awful her performance moving forward."Even though Zoe's friend spoke in a low tone, every word was distinctly audible to me."And are you sure you want to hire such a young and beautiful housemaid? I don't mean to fan the flames, Zoe, but you know cases of bosses having affairs with their maids are quite common."I clenched my fists tightl
Clara's POVZoe's arms wrapped around his neck while his hands settled at her waist, pulling them closer together. The squelch of lips meeting filled the air, and in that instant, I wished I was deaf. My cheeks burned at the sight before me, but the most disturbing feeling was the tightness in my chest.'I don't love him anymore' I told myself.As they pulled away from each other, and James finally noticed my presence, I acted as if I hadn't seen a thing."James, check it out, look who's here," Zoe said, pointing in my direction."Don't forget, you were the one who invited me to come and discuss something."I said my intention before he assumed I wanted anything beyond the return of my apartment rights."Of course, I remember." He said nonchalantly."Wait, you two have something to talk about? What is that? Why do I know nothing about this?" Zoe glanced between James and me, her expression filled with intrigue about what we were up to.Seriously, why is this woman so invested in ever
Clara's POVZoe's expression changed immediately upon hearing that; it was obvious she didn't want to sit at the same table as me. I’d rather skip dinner entirely than eat with them."James? Are you serious?" She asks.James took her hand and held it tightly "Of course, honey. What seems to be the issue?""Nothing, it’s just that this should be a moment for the two of us, right? Why must Clara join us as well?""Aren't we usually invite Eda to eat together as well? Does that disrupt our moment? Of course not, so what's the difference if we invite Clara too."James' answer confirmed my position in their eyes and that Zoe shouldn't worry at all. His words eased Zoe, evident in the smile that graced her lips."Ah, you're right. What are you waiting for, Clara? Have a seat and serve yourself, I know you're hungry too." Zoe remarked before redirecting her attention to her meal.I took my place in the seat opposite them but left the meal I had made untouched. No matter how hungry I was earli
Clara's POV"What do you want?" I asked. Surprised to see him here at this hour.He nudged me back into the room, leaving me slightly puzzled about his intentions this time."I'm here to discuss things between us." He spoke and shut the door, leaving just the two of us in this space.I stepped back, it was just that being in the room with him felt different now. There was a tension I could not explain in the air, particularly since James was behaving as if we were still sharing our space."Sure," I glanced at the clock. "But it's already too late.""And I don't have time if I have to wait until tomorrow," James said.Oh, of course. How could I forget? he would be so occupied with his work and wouldn't have time for a problem that was trivial to him."Okay. Let's begin then. I want my apartment back, to be honest. I need it for a place to live." I said to him.With that apartment, I could at least help Emma get out of her toxic mom. If James just took it from me, where do I and Emma sh
Clara's POV"What are you doing?"James had removed my pajamas, and then his hands deftly unfastening my bra. The brisk air sent a delightful shiver across my skin, my nipple heightened by his intense stimulation.He skilfully alternated between using his hands and tongue. My eyelids closed as my hands clutched his dark hair when he buried his face against my breast.I couldn't deceive myself, this sensation enveloped me as if I were suspended in bliss."Stop it..." I let out a breath "Stop it, James..""Quiet, Clara." His voice was warm and honeyed. Why can't he just talk to me in that tone every day?I bit my lip, trying to muffle my voice, afraid that Zoe might hear us. She would kill me if she found out about this.When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on the sofa with James positioned above me. His pajamas are gone now, and he's shirtless, showcasing his perfectly sculpted and toned body. James positioned himself at my already slick entrance, causing an immediate sen
Clara's POVThe location Lily shared was an ordinary sidewalk, somewhat removed from the hustle of the main road. What was she doing in such a quiet location? And what caused her to sound so panicky when she called me earlier?“Lily, where are you?” I called. I can’t see her anywhere.At that moment, I heard a vain woman's voice calling for help, and I immediately recognized it as Lily's. I moved closer to where the sound was coming from.Behind the wall that divided the settlement from the street stood my cousin, accompanied by a tall, robust man. The man was attacking her, causing her to scream like that earlier. He seized her neck, causing Lily to cry out in pain.My anger surged as I was about to rush forward, yet my instincts whispered a warning that he could harm me as well.I activated the camera and started recording as I moved closer to them. Directing my phone towards him.“What on earth? What are you doing to my sister? Release her immediately, or I will ensure this video g
Clara's POV"I’m sorry for the delay, ladies. The traffic was quite heavy on the way here. I hope everything is going well?" Keith approached us with a look of concern.Lily clearly doesn't expect to see him here. Noticing her tension, I held her hand a bit tighter and said to Keith, "The doctor said that Lily doesn't require hospitalization; she can head home tomorrow after settling the bill for the medicine and room."“Thank God,” Keith nodded. A sense of ease on his face, "There's no need for you to stress about the expenses."I glanced at him with a hint of confusion; I still had enough savings to manage it, so there was no need for him to step in like this."Thank you so much, Mr. Morgan," Lily answered quickly. I could feel she was still a bit uncomfortable with Keith being here, she might think he could harm her as well."Please just call me by my name. Lily, that's your name right?" Keith turned to Lily, and my cousin responded with a nod. "What happened? How did you end up he
Clara's POVThe next morning, Lily was finally allowed to go home. Keith insisted on driving her to my uncle and aunt's house. When Auntie Jena asked, Lily said that she was hit by a car, she didn’t want them to know what really happened."Thank you, Clara, I can't imagine what would have happened to Lily if you hadn't arrived on time. And please send my gratitude to Mr. Keith Morgan for his generosity." Uncle Thomas said.Auntie Jena guided Lily up to her room, leaving me alone with Uncle Thomas. I felt a sense of ease because he appeared much more inviting than during my last visit. "You're welcome uncle, please take good care of Lily."After chatting with him for a while, I went back to the car where Keith was waiting.“I will drive you to your apartment, is the address still the same? Or do you want to go somewhere else?” He asked.I tensed but I quickly masked it, "Please drop me off right in front of the restaurant. Thanks again for all your help.""Did you begin your shift tod
Clara's POVI scanned the other customers in the restaurant and then spotted him sitting at one of the tables. It's not hard to spot him at all. A tall figure and a strikingly handsome face reminiscent of a Greek statue, and how he carried himself made him always stand out among the crowd.Calming my heartbeat, I made my way to James' table. My steps are steady and assured. I know that I need to have a conversation with him, but I just can't get Diana's words out of my head since I chose to meet him here today. And how she cautioned me to be always cautious.“Are you sure he doesn’t have any other motives, ma'am? You know receiving help from someone like him seems a bit too good to be true. And what would make him want to help his ex-wife?" Diana asked just before I headed out to this restaurant.I was the one who asked for this meeting with James. To my surprise, he actually agreed with where I wanted to go. "I'll find out if I go see him and ask him straight up. How else would I kn
James' POV"Why does my mother want us to have lunch together?" I asked Zoe who was now assisting me in cutting the food before me.It's a gesture she hasn't made since we tied the knot, and now, out of the blue, she's done it. She sliced the appetizer and was just about to bring the spoon to my mouth when I stopped her. We were at a restaurant, and I didn't want to get any kind of intimate gesture from her.She seemed let down but chose not to argue. Zoe just set the spoon back down on the plate. She smiled as she replied, "We're a married couple, is that really strange?""Did you tell her what happened and that we're getting a divorce soon?" I inquired.She mentioned that she would take it upon herself to explain things to my mother, as I had already tried to share what happened, but my mother just didn't believe me. However, the way she continues to encourage Zoe and me to reconnect suggests that she might not be fully aware of everything, and Zoe hasn't shared the whole story wit
Clara's POVI wiped the sweat that had trickled down my temple and took a sip from my water bottle. My throat was incredibly dry. My entire body is sore, and it hit me how infrequently I really engage in physical activity. This is so embarrassing. I’m still in my twenties, but I feel like I’m already carrying the weight of an old lady doing a tough job.But as I looked around my restaurant kitchen and took in the progress we've made in transforming this chaos, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness. It wasn't instant, but little by little, we managed to fix it and even make it look much better."Excuse me, ma'am, what are your thoughts on the stove's current position? Should we move it or keep it as it was?" Diana approached me and pointed to the spot where the builders would be setting up a new cooking spot for the renovation.Even though the last place was nice and I used to enjoy it, I still feel a bit sense of trauma. My priority now is to make sure that the incident do
James' POVI shut my laptop right after the meeting wrapped up. I still had more work ahead of me, but I just couldn't concentrate on it. My mind was so scattered that I didn't even know what to do next. I suppose I need to reach out to Victor again to check on the results of the investigation he conducted regarding Clara.Yeah, I suppose I should. So I pulled out my phone and called him right away.Victor has been with me and my company for a decade, and I have complete trust in his skills. He said that he would share the results with me as soon as he finished his tasks. But this curiosity is driving me crazy, and I don't think I can keep it to myself any longer if I don't reach out to him now."Mr. Morgan, Good morning," He greeted me politely."Where's the result? Send it to me immediately, Victor. I need it right now!" I came off as really impatient, almost like a kid having a tantrum.What happened to me? You need to calm the fuck down, James."Oh, sure. I’ve wrapped up the inves
Selena's POVI held back an eye roll as soon as I spotted Clara's name on Keith's phone. It's not just one missed call; it's three of them! She asked him three times to come to her for the sake of her daughter. Who did she think Keith was? Her daughter's nanny? Gosh!“No, Selena. I’m the one at fault here. I told Layla I’d be there to see her performance, but I couldn’t make it because I got caught up in a last-minute meeting with a client. I also didn’t manage to pick her up. Layla would feel upset and let down by me. I need to head over there immediately."I racked my brain instantly. I just couldn't let Keith go off anywhere! Especially to Clara's house.No one else understands the length of time I've been waiting a moment like this. We're having an amazing time, just the two of us.After a wonderful night sharing the same bed with him, I definitely noticed his hungry gaze as he took in my sexy body this morning.I'm not foolish. I know that Keith wants me to. If only he could forg
Keith's POVI opened my eyes, and a jolt of pain surged through my head right away. The sort of pain that usually strikes you the morning after a night of heavy drinking. But I haven't been drunk in four months, so where is this pain coming from?I woke up and noticed my shirt resting on the windowsill. I quickly grabbed it and tossed it on. I'm just in my boxers and I don't know where my trousers are right now. Did I take it off? I can't recall if I changed just before I went to sleep. I honestly can't recall anything from last night.What time is it now?The sunlight pouring in through the window showed that it was bright noon outside. It's Sunday, so I'm taking the day off from the office. I stepped out of my bedroom to get a glass of water because my throat felt so parched. As I approached my kitchen I heard some noise coming from there. I walked in and saw a woman figure with her back to me."Selena?"Upon hearing me, she turned around and gave me a bright smile.She's got on my
Clara's POVI didn't even have a moment to respond to Miss Olivia because the next second, I rushed out of my apartment, headed downstairs, and jumped into my car to drive off. It was already nighttime. It was already dark outside. Of course, what else could you expect? It was nearly nighttime.My daughter still wasn't back home. My heart raced with panic and fear. I pushed through the pain as my burning hand clutched the steering wheel firmly. The streets buzzed with workers returning home after a long day at the office.As soon as the green light lit up, I hit the gas without hesitation. I nearly hit someone who was about to cross the street and I noticed her spit on my car. Right away, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I nearly put her in a dangerous situation.This urgency made me speed up as much as I could. I realized I needed to make it there right away. When I got to school, I parked the car haphazardly and hopped out. I sprinted toward the building, heading straight for
Clara's POVAs soon as I got to my restaurant, it was crowded with people. I noticed some of the last customers rushing out; I think Diana has informed them that we’re temporarily not accepting dine-in. As soon as I reached my car, my eyes caught a glimpse of black smoke rising into the blue sky, and my heart sank instantly.Without a second thought, I rushed straight to the source of the chaos: my kitchen. I pushed through the back door, even though I could see the firefighters working to extinguish the flames, and it was obvious they weren't allowing anyone else in at the moment. But my mind was so clouded with panic that I couldn't think clearly.I burst through in a panic, and a thick cloud of smoke hit me, stinging my eyes and searing my lungs. Suddenly, a hand pulled me out without warning."Ma'am please stay right here! They need to extinguish the flame first until everything is safe for us!"I knew it was Diana's voice. She was right, but I was too overwhelmed and anxious to r
James' POVI think Clara really took her daughter out of there after our encounter earlier. Because I haven't seen them anywhere though I've been searching for them for a while. Maybe if I had gone after her right away I wouldn't lose her track like this. I set my time to come to this place just to see her, but now she's gone.Why is that? The question keeps echoing in my mind. What makes her so anxious about me being close to her daughter? She treated me like I had a past of kidnapping and selling children, now viewing me as a danger to her kid.Her final words, when I brought up the father of her daughter who wasn't able to attend this event, lingered in my mind.Why is she bringing up our past relationship? About the way I treated her back then? Yeah, I used to be awful to her, and I regret it now. But why does it have to do with the absence of her daughter's father?I tried to figure out how old her daughter was and the year Clara pretended to die just to get away from me. If I'