Kelsey could feel a hostile gaze upon her. She looked around but found nothing amiss. Kelsey happened to catch Maya leaving in a hurry. Maya’s urgency left Kelsey to think about whether something had happened. Noticing that her mind was elsewhere, Tyler leaned into her ear and asked, “What’s the matter? What are you looking at?” Kelsey lifted her chin, her eyes meeting the curious gazes of the group conversing with Tyler. She put her personal feelings aside and said with a smile, “Excuse me while I freshen up in the bathroom.” Tyler glanced at her and gave a nod. Kelsey turned on her heel and pursued Maya. She saw Maya ascending the stairs to the second floor. While no one was looking, Kelsey snuck upstairs. Once up there, she heard Maya’s voice from the balcony. “If you don’t come back, your father will pass the family fortune to the love child, son!” Maya shouted angrily on the phone. Kelsey looked over to find Maya on a call with her back facing her. The p
Cooper looked into Rhea’s eyes, a storm brewing within.“I like you, Rhy.” He suddenly professed his feelings to Rhea.“Cooper, you…” Though dumbstruck at first, Rhea was happy.She was loved too. James was simply too blind to see the good in her.“Uh…” Before she could say anything, Cooper sealed her lips. Rhea tried to push him away. She was Cooper’s sister-in-law.Sure, Rhea was flattered that Cooper found her attractive.However, it was improper for them to kiss, seeing that they were family. Cooper refused to let her back away from him. Instead, his arm locked around Rhea’s waist, drawing her closer to him. The heat radiating from Cooper's chest seeped through the thin fabric of his shirt, setting little fires on her skin.James had neglected her for a while now. He only had eyes for his lover.Rhea could count on her fingers the number of times they had been together since they were married. It had been close to a year since they were intimate. She was a wom
“You’re amazing, Cooper!” Rhea held Cooper contently, her lips curled.“How do I fare with James?” Cooper teased. The mention of James got on Rhea’s nerves. “Him? He has nothing on you.” She pouted. James was not keen on being intimate with her. Even a handful of times, he ended the whole thing in seconds. Cooper, on the other hand, was a stallion. “Why are you my sister-in-law? Though my heart is yours, we can’t meet often. What if James catches us? I’m worried that he will lash out at you!” Cooper seemed to have her best interests at heart.Rhea was touched. She expressed, “If only I married you.” “I’m just a child my father had out of wedlock. I’m not the real heir to the Lyons. Your family wouldn’t think I deserve you,” Cooper said dejectedly. “Says who? With James out of the picture, you’ll be the heir to the Lyons, and we can be together,” Rhea replied while cupping his face. If she had to marry into the Lyon family for business reasons, her preference would b
Josephine claimed it was an accident, but the aggression was apparent in her eyes. It was as if she was saying that she splashed wine on purpose, but there was nothing Kelsey could do about it. “Smack!” Kelsey slapped Josephine right in the face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” “Kelsey, you!” Josephine snapped an angry look at Kelsey in shock. She did not expect Kelsey to hit her in public. The nearby guests turned their attention to the sisters upon hearing the slapping sound. Faced with judgy looks, Josephine felt embarrassed and ready to lunge at Kelsey in a fit of rage.Before she could do anything, Megan’s shrilling voice came from behind.“Kelsey, how dare you hit my daughter?” Megan jumped right in front of Josephine protectively and questioned Kelsey. Charlie, their father, came along too. Having witnessed Kelsey slapping Josephine, Charlie and Megan were furious. “Have you gone mad? Why did you hurt your sister?” Charlie criticized, feeling bad for J
Kelsey smirked. Charlie would always side with Josephine in their disputes anyway.Kelsey was not her father’s favorite after all. Josephine started the fight. Yet, Charlie accused Kelsey of picking on Josephine without getting his facts right. Kelsey pulled a long face. “I have not upset Josephine. Your precious daughter can keep Cooper company since I did not sleep with him.” Charlie was trying to befriend the Lyons now that Braun started giving Cooper attention.However, Cooper was just a lovechild, so Kelsey, the horrible daughter, should test the waters. “You!” Charlie grimaced as Kelsey exposed Josephine’s relationship with Cooper in public. “Look at her, Charlie. She’s slandering Josephine.” Megan looked hurt.Megan panicked as members of high society chattered among themselves.To improve Josephine’s future husband prospects, Megan had to deny that Josephine had a thing with Cooper. “Do you hate Josephine so much that you make up a story about her, Kels? Aren’
“What are you doing? Let me go!” Josephine cried in a panic. Megan dropped the attitude the moment Tyler showed up.She looked at Charlie pleadingly. “Charlie…” Charlie bit the bullet and forced a smile at Tyler. “We can work this out, Mr Lang.” Tyler’s facial lines tensed. “There’s nothing to talk about. No one can hurt my woman.” He spoke in a husky voice, and that was the end of the matter.The crowd gasped, startled by the savage look on Tyler’s face.Those words were not just directed at Josephine but at Charlie too. Kelsey may be Charlie’s daughter, but he had no right to hurt her again. “Your woman?” Charlie asked in disbelief, his lips quivering. “Kels and I are married.” Tyler held Kelsey tight to state his possession.Charlie was stunned. Megan, standing next to him, made a face.Dumbfounded, Josephine was dragged out of the residence without a struggle. Kelsey stood there and watched Josephine’s unsavory exit. Rather than looking angry and startled,
Tyler was stunned.Kelsey hugged Tyler’s neck and puckered up for him. Though taken aback at first, Tyler quickly locked tongues with her. Tyler’s skillful maneuver only invited Kelsey to respond in kind.They were so lost in the kiss. The crowd was envious. As the smooch made the crowd uncomfortable, they quickly moved away. By the time Kelsey and Tyler were done, the crowd was back to rubbing shoulders. The earlier ruckus finally came to an end. The only thing imprinted in everybody’s minds was Tyler and Kelsey’s hot kiss. No one paid attention to Josephine’s ban from the party. Tyler kissed Kelsey in public twice. Kelsey’s cheeks were hot, and her heart raced. Tyler was no better off. Playing it cool, Tyler picked up a glass from a passing server’s tray and took a sip. Kelsey caught her breath and praised, “You’re good, honey.” Tyler turned red in the face. He cleared his throat and acted composed. “Thank you. You’ve improved too.”Kelsey felt embarr
Since Cooper wanted to reintroduce himself, Kelsey would play along too.“Hello, I’m Kelsey.” Her voice was icy. She would not even look at Cooper. She made her way to the hall. Kelsey did not respect Cooper enough to shake his hand. Cooper knew that she was going back to Tyler. He gave chase right away. “Now that we are reacquainted, why don’t I buy you a drink, Kelsey?” Cooper’s eagerness and sincerity made it seem like he was serious about getting back together. However, Kelsey knew that he was a hypocrite. “Why should I drink with you?” she asked with a sneer. “It’s my birthday today. Can’t you do it for me?” Cooper made up an excuse. Kelsey cocked her head back as if it just struck her that it was Cooper’s birthday. “Oh, that’s right. It’s your birthday today. Sorry, I forgot. I didn’t get you a gift. Tyler only brought me along since Braun gave an invite.” Cooper’s smiling face scowled. Kelsey’s words broke him. She forgot it was his birthday, did not g
Seeing how much thought Tyler put into her birthday, Susan felt confident that Kelsey was in good hands. Kelsey was lucky to marry a man like Tyler. The family was blessed to have Tyler. “All that matters is that you’re happy.” Tyler tended to Susan’s needs with respect. “I haven’t been this happy in a long time.” Susan nodded with a delightful smile. Kelsey could tell that Susan was a lot happier today. Susan had been feeling hurt since Charlie sent her to live in a nursing home. She felt like Charlie prioritized his side piece over his mother. It had been a while since Susan smiled again.The smile on Susan’s face was infectious. Kelsey’s face beamed. Tyler smiled along too. The lounge was filled with laughter and joy. After lunch, Tyler drove Kelsey and Susan to the nursing home. Susan, being elderly, fell asleep in the car. Tyler carried Susan back to her room in the nursing home. Kelsey could see how much Tyler cared about Susan. Tyler had to leave d
“Please… Save my baby…” With Steve walking away, Megan pinned her hope on the restaurant staff. The restaurant manager and staff had witnessed Megan insulting Tyler and Kelsey. They would not risk upsetting Tyler by helping her. The restaurant staff looked the other way and went back to their own business. Megan held her belly as resentment consumed her. Tyler’s support was the only thing helping Kelsey to take Megan down. Otherwise, Megan would still be living her life. First, Charlie threw her out. Even Steve left her. Steven beat her up, causing her to lose her baby. Megan blamed everything on Kelsey. She would make Kelsey pay. Megan vowed to get her revenge. Losing her willpower to the pain, Megan lost consciousness. It was a kind female patron who called the emergency line for Megan. …Kelsey helped Susan into the lounge on the top floor. The place was definitely remarkable. The interior was lavishly appointed, with each piece of furniture carefully
Steve mounted Megan and punched her face left and right. Megan would hurl abuse at him at first, but her tirade quickly turned into pleading. Steve smacked Megan over two dozen times, only stopping when Megan lay limp on the floor. He turned to Tyler, his grimacing face replaced with ingratiation. “I have taught the bitch a lesson, Mr. Lang.” Stoic-faced, Tyler did not spare a glance at Steve. Steve was irrelevant to Tyler. Tyler took strides to Kelsey and grabbed her hands. He murmured in her ear, “Do you feel better now?” Kelsey looked back at Megan’s swollen face and curled her lips. “She’s not worth my time anyway.” The constant struggles with Charlie and Megan over the years had hardened Kelsey emotionally.Megan’s verbal abuse was like water off a duck’s back. Besides, Charlie had kicked Megan out of the house. Megan’s words were nothing more than a desperate cry now. Steve was no better than Charlie, and Megan had it coming. Despite his age, Steve went
Megan widened her eyes in disbelief at Steve. “D-Did you just hit me?” The last thing Megan expected was Steve to attack her. She thought she had compromised enough by dating a man so much older.Steve had been spoiling her rotten lately, giving her everything she wanted. Megan had gotten a big head. She thought she had Steve in the bag. Yet, to her dismay, Steve assaulted her. “Bitch!” Steve made a face of disgust. “Why did you slander Ms. Young?” In Steve’s opinion, Megan was more trouble than she was worth. Steve had gone to great lengths to curry favor with Tyler. Megan had gone and insulted Tyler’s woman right in his face. To make matters worse, Steve was caught up in the mess too. Steve regretted spoiling Megan, and she had gone in over her head. Megan’s eyes welled up. “Steve…” Her lips quivered as she looked at Steve with a hurt expression. Paying her no mind, Steve was occupied with ideas to please Tyler. “She’s just an escort to me, Mr. La
Steve felt embarrassed. He had been wanting to make Tyler’s acquaintance, but a chance to meet him was hard to come by. Now that he ran into Tyler, Steve was determined to make the most out of it. “Let me be a host to you today, Mr. Lang—” Megan cut Steve off. “Mr. Lang, you might not know this, but Kelsey’s father is facing bankruptcy. He’s deep in debt too. Kelsey and her father are just going to be your burden. Don’t let Kelsey’s seemingly innocence fool you. They are just going to leech off you. My daughter, Josephine, is a nice and sensible girl. She’s a better companion than Kelsey. I’ll be delighted to introduce you to her.” Kelsey was impressed with Megan. Even now, Megan had not given up on pushing Josephine into Tyler’s arms. In Kelsey’s past life, Megan went to lengths to matchmake Josephine and Tyler. Nevertheless, Tyler never took an interest in Josephine. Megan was just as delusional as ever. However, Kelsey had no idea that Charlie owed a lot of mon
“She’s just a bitch.” Megan hissed through clenched teeth, her jealousy showing. She had a hunch. The sudden change in the manager’s attitude toward Kelsey was likely due to Tyler. Megan wished she had Kelsey’s luck to meet a good-looking and rich man. Steve did not believe Megan. If Kelsey was just an ordinary woman, the manager would not take her up to the exclusive top floor. That was a height Steve could never reach despite a lifetime of hard work. However, Kelsey had no plans to accept the manager’s invitation to dine on the top floor. Since Charlie would not be attending or taking Susan out of the nursing home, Kelsey had no reason to dine alone on the top floor. Kelsey was better off getting back to her new office and ordering a takeout. Her discussion with Rosette about the costume design for Adrienne’s new film would continue this afternoon.However, the manager stopped her from leaving and apologized to her frantically. “Please see it in your heart not to
It was upsetting enough for Kelsey since Charlie managed to deceive her once more. However, Megan had to gloat. “What did I tell you? I told you Charlie can’t afford this place. He can’t even show his face because he’s expected to pay the bill.” “Oh, quit it!” Kelsey glared at Megan. To think Kelsey would give her an attitude. Megan had Steve on her side now. She was no longer the other woman who lived off Charlie’s good graces. Surely, Megan earned the right to mock Charlie. “You’re the manager. Has St. Gills lost its exclusivity? It’s a disgrace that you let just about anyone in,” Megan said sarcastically. Kelsey retaliated. “Oh, aren’t you a picture of poise, Megan? With your sugar daddy, you can’t even make it past security.” “You!” Megan looked daggers at Kelsey. Livid, Megan commanded the manager, “Throw the bitch out now before I’ll make sure your establishment ceases to operate.” The manager narrowed his eyes on Kelsey and Megan. Judging by Kelsey’s mod
“Kelsey, what are you doing here?” Megan asked harshly.With Megan and Steve approaching, the manager drew close and welcomed them. It then dawned on Kelsey that Megan and Steve were the VIPs who took the private lounge from Charlie. The manager explained the situation, and Megan sneered. “Charlie is going broke. I doubt he can afford to dine at St. Gill’s. With his mounting debts, he’s embarrassing himself when the time comes to pay the bill.” Kelsey narrowed her eyes. Charlie must be using Susan’s birthday as a pretext to ask for more money from Tyler since the family business was going bust. However, Tyler had given Charlie a large sum of money. It was puzzling how Charlie managed to burn through it. Kelsey snapped back with a smirk. “Even so, Charlie is paying with his own money, unlike some people who can’t live a day without a sugar daddy.” Color drained from Megan’s face. Kelsey was basically calling her a gold digger. Megan would not be in this position in th
Kelsey and Rosette discussed the specifics of auditioning for Adrienne’s new film’s costume design role.As the time neared noon, Kelsey glanced at her phone. Tyler had not replied to her text message. It was nearly time for Susan’s birthday celebration at St. Gill’s. Kelsey decided to go ahead to St. Gill’s. While on the way, she gave Charlie a call to inform that Tyler would not be available for the celebration. Charlie’s voice reflected his disappointment. “What’s this? Why can’t Tyler make it?” Kelsey bit the bullet and explained, “I haven’t been able to reach him.” “I thought Tyler adored you. Why couldn’t you get in touch with him? Did you upset him?” Charlie grilled her. Kelsey refuted, “Things have been going well for us, thanks for asking. He has an emergency today.” Her bond with Tyler could not be stronger. Heck, they nearly went all the way this morning. The nerve of her father to put her down. Charlie was furious. “I knew I couldn’t count on you.” He