ROCHELLE A Day Off with Mr. BenMr. Ben had surprisingly given me the day off from work. "But on one condition," he said, while I was still trying to wrap my head around it. It was such a sudden turn of events. I had not done anything special to deserve this kind of treatment. In fact, my mind was racing with thoughts about the projects I had to finish and the clients I needed to call on his behalf. I looked at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity.“What condition, sir?” I asked, tilting my head slightly to the side. Ben, with his usual confident demeanor, suddenly had a twinkle in his eye that made me even more intrigued. He reached into his sleek designer bag and pulled out something wrapped in black silk. He placed it gently on the table between us.“Open it,” he said, his smile widening as he leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying this moment.“I should open it?” I asked, feeling the excitement bubbling inside me. This was all so unexpected. I
ROCHELLE That kiss…..As we made our way down to his sleek black car, he opened the door for me, an effortless gesture that made me feel special. I slid into the leather seat, and he closed the door behind me before striding around to the driver’s side. Every little thing he did made me feel like a queen, a feeling I was not used to.The drive to the restaurant was accompanied by light chatter, which gradually eased my nerves. We talked about everything and nothing, laughing at silly anecdotes and sharing bits about our lives. I discovered that he had a secret passion for cooking, which surprised me. A man like him, a billionaire business mogul, cooking? It didn’t fit the profile I had imagined.“Maybe you’ll have to cook for me sometime,” I te
ARIES Jealousy or…?Rochelle had returned from work less than two hours after she left, looking very excited. It wasn’t exactly like her to rush home, especially when her duties at the office always seemed to stretch longer than expected. But today, she walked through the door with a bright smile on her face, the kind of smile that lit up any room. Her hair bounced lightly with each step she took, and the sway of her hips was almost hypnotic.I had been sitting on the couch, scrolling through my phone absentmindedly, but that smile pulled me away from the screen. It looked so out of place in our apartment, which was usually quiet and fairly serious. I couldn’t help b
ARIES Fantasy night!“You’re probably going to think I’m ridiculous,” she said with a charming smile, “but I really like him. We had this amazing conversation, and he kind of gets me.” “Kind of?” I echoed, my voice lighting with skepticism. She rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. A lot! He’s really brilliant, and he can talk about everything from finance to art. I’ve never met anyone like him before.” I tried to mask my irritation. “And that’s why you like him?” “That’s just part of it! Plus, he’s funny!” she added, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Rochelle, I just really want you to be careful,” I said, my tone shifting almost protective again. “Yes, mama bear!” she shot back, folding her arms in mock seriousness, but I could see her playfulness was waning. “Okay, okay. I’ll ease up,” I relented, feeling a little defeated. “But please keep us in the loop, alright?” “Sure!” she grinned, but deep down, her smile felt like someone pulling away. I could see the
FRED What if she did?I was really worried about Gina. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, each one echoing louder than the last, while my fingers tapped nervously on the glass surface of the table. It was getting really late, and she still had not returned from work. My heart sank a little as I thought about it. I had missed her call earlier, and that made my worry deepen. What could be taking her so long?Gina was dedicated to her job, but she was not the type to stay after hours unless something was seriously wrong. I picked up my phone, staring at it like it was going to magically give me answers. Nothing happened. I cursed myself for missing her call. What if she needed me? What if something had gone wrong? I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of worry inside me.“Just call her,” I whispered to myself. I retrieved my phone from the table, my thumb hovered over her name in my contacts list, but then an idea knotted my
ROCHELLE I feel like an idiot right now!I couldn't tell why, but I had a feeling that something was going to go off at work that day. It was a sensation that clung to me like a shadow, lingering just at the back of my mind. Maybe it was the storm clouds gathering outside, or perhaps it was the uneasy feeling in my stomach. Whatever it was, I could sense that the day ahead would not be normal.Before I left for work that morning, Aries walked into my bedroom just as I was getting dressed. His presence filled the room with warmth, and he reached out to caress my shoulder as I pulled my blouse over my head.“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against my neck. The gesture was meant to be comforting, and I wished I could lean into it fully. But instead, I felt distance creeping in, an invisible barrier formed by the worry that churned inside me.As I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down my blouse, I caught Aries’ reflection. His brow furrowed as he noticed
ROCHELLE What guts!It was Ben.“Rochelle,” his voice came through. “Can you bring those files to my office now?”“I’m on my way, sir,” I said, trying to keep my tone even despite the bitterness I felt.I picked up the files, my mind still swirling with confusion as I walked towards his office. Dread filled me, but it was mixed with a stubborn resolve. I would not let this man affect my sense of self-worth. I was more than just a rebound, more than a friend who was there to fill a gap.When I knocked on his door, he called me in, and as I stepped over the threshold, I felt like a dam had broken within me—messed up emotions surged forward like a flood. I handed him the files, trying to keep my composure.But to my shock, sitting in his office was none other than Amber. She sat casually in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, flipping through some papers as if she belonged there.“Hey there! Rochelle, right?” Amber said, her tone dripping with false warmth.“Amber
ROCHELLE Chaos Unleashed!“What did you just say?” I asked Amber, my voice trembling slightly against the heavy silence in my office.Her eyes burned with a mixture of anger and accusation. “You heard me, Rochelle! Are you really pretending to be innocent here? Everyone at the office knows you’re trying to steal Ben away from me! Oh, you must have thought I won't find out,” she chuckled. “Fred left you because you couldn't give him what he wanted in bed, and now, you're screwing my man, you loser!”I couldn’t believe this was happening. I knew I heard her, but I had to pretend like I didn’t. Accusations like that would tear apart years of friendship, especially when I couldn’t understand why Amber would accuse me of sleeping with Ben. We had been through so much together, and now she was throwing around wild claims?“Amber, that’s ridiculous!” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. My heart raced, not from fear, but from the rising anger that simmered dangerously clo
ROCHELLENo better way than this!Being back in Aries' and Adrien’s arms felt surreal. I had dreamed of this moment for so long, yet now that it was real, I didn’t know how to process it. My heart felt full, but my body was still weak from everything I had endured. The constant care and attention they gave me were overwhelming in the best way possible. It was as though they were trying to make up for every second of the time we had lost, every ounce of pain they had caused me in the past.Adrien sat beside me on the massive couch in their living room, fluffing pillows and tucking blankets
ARIES We fucking did it!The cold night air bit at my skin as Adrien and I crouched behind the black SUVs parked in the shadows outside the warehouse. The place was surrounded by her guards, all heavily armed, their faces masked with the determination of people who had pledged loyalty to someone as dangerous as Delight. My fingers tightened around the grip of my pistol as I looked at Adrien. His jaw was set, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them. He nodded at me, his silent signal. We were ready.The police had insisted on being part of this raid, but I didn’t trust anyone else to bring Rochelle home. Not after everything that had happened. Delight had taken too much from us already—her betrayal, her lies, her madness. This was personal.“Move in!” one of the officers barked out instructions to his colleagues, and the police stormed the front.“I'm coming with you,” Prince Herold said.“No way!,” I said.“Why?,” he asked.“We can't risk you going in there with
ADRIEN A tip off!The chaos that surrounded Prince Herold’s palace was suffocating. Broken furniture, shattered glass, and bloodstains painted a gruesome picture of the attack from the night before. The air reeked of smoke and sweat, and the sound of paramedics treating the wounded guards mingled with the murmurs of the police officers conducting their investigation.Everything was messed up, really!Aries stood to my left, his arms crossed, his expression a mask of fury barely contained. Herold paced back and forth, his usually regal demeanor now replaced with restless energy. He was mumbling under his breath, blaming himself for what had happened.“I should have saved her! I have let her down,” he kept on saying.I couldn’t argue with him. If we were being honest, we all felt responsible…guilty… almost like we had committed the crime.“Damn it, Adrien,” Aries muttered, his voice low but tight with anger. “How the hell did we let this happen? We had her, bu
DELIGHT I'm always steps ahead!The glass of wine in my hand trembled as rage coursed through me. They had done it again—Aries and Adrien. The brothers thought they were untouchable, didn’t they? Thought they could storm into my world, take Robert, and walk away like they owned the place. The audacity!I slammed the glass onto the table, the crimson liquid sloshing over the rim. My men flinched but said nothing. They knew better than to speak when I was like this. I paced the room, my heels clicking against the marble floor, my mind racing with possibilities.“They think they’ve won,” I said, my voice low and venomous. “But they underestimated me the last time.”One of my men, Marcus, stepped forward cautiously. “What’s the plan, boss?”I smirked, my anger shifting into something darker. “We’re going to hit them where it hurts. Rochelle must pay with her life.”The name tasted bitter on my tongue. Aries and Adrien might be brilliant strategists, but their Achilles’ heel was
ARIES A step ahead…The room was dark except for the faint glow of Adrien’s laptop screen. He was hunched over it, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he brought up satellite images of the city. The tension in the air was thick, heavier than I had ever felt before. We had dealt with a lot of dangerous situations over the years, but this one was personal. Delight had crossed the line by kidnapping Robert.I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to keep my thoughts in order. “You sure you’ve got the right location?” I asked, breaking the silence.Adrien glanced up at me, his eyes cold and calculating. “Positive. The signal from his watch showed up at this abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. She’s using it as her base.”I nodded, pacing the room. “She’s getting bolder. She must know we’d come for him.”“That’s what she’s counting on,” Adrien said. “But we’re not walking into this blind. I’ve already mapped out the weak points in their security. We’
ROCHELLE She threatened to kill him!I stood frozen, my phone trembling in my hand. The moment Delight’s voice cut through the silence, everything around me blurred.“I have your father,” she had said, her tone dripping with malice. “If you ever want to see him alive, you’ll do exactly as I say.”Her words echoed in my mind long after the call ended. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath came in short, panicked gasps. How had it come to this? My father, an innocent man with no connection to my tangled past, was now a pawn in Delight’s twisted game.I turned to Herold, my mind racing. “She has my father,” I said, my voice cracking. “We need to do something.”Herold’s calm exterior faltered for a moment, his brows knitting together. “What does she want?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with concern.“She didn’t say,” I replied, pacing the room. “She just… she just wanted me to know that she has him. Oh God, Herold, what if she hurts him?”“Calm down,” he said firmly
DELIGHT Playing the death game my way!The party had become a nightmare I barely escaped.I had seen her. Rochelle. The corner of her lips curled in a triumphant smirk as she leaned toward one of the guards obviously attached to her. My heart raced as I watched her whisper something into his ear.The guard’s expression darkened, and I saw him gesture subtly to a group of men stationed near the exit. My breath hitched. They were coming for me, I knew it.I knew I needed to do something, else I'd be the one begging to have her life spared.I couldn’t afford to panic. Not here, not now. Years of being on edge had taught me to think fast. As the guards started moving in my direction, I casually slipped behind a group of chatting guests. I smiled politely, pretending to laugh at a joke I didn’t hear, before slipping through a side door that led to the kitchen.Inside, I found the catering staff busy with trays of different delicacies.“You need something, ma'am?,” one of them asked
ARIES The devil was our housemate!The air in the study felt suffocating, even though the windows were cracked open to let in the cool evening breeze. Adrien paced the room, his polished shoes clicking against the hardwood floor. I sat on the edge of my desk, my arms crossed, trying to keep my temper in check.The party was over. Everyone had left, but Rochelle’s face, her voice, her very presence, was still vivid in my mind. She wasn’t just a memory anymore. She was here, alive, but hunted.We couldn’t let whoever tried to kill her succeed a second time.She had refused to tell us who it was… Or maybe she didn't have a clue who. That made our task even more complicated than it already was.Adrien stopped pacing and looked at me. “We need to start somewhere, Aries. But this isn’t just about finding the truth—it’s about protecting Rochelle. She’s already been through enough.”I nodded, my jaw tight. “Agreed. But finding the truth is the only way we can protect her. Whoever did th
ROCHELLE Finally, the truth!The more I looked at her, the more convinced I was that she was the one. It wasn’t just a resemblance. It was her. Rochelle. The woman we’d loved and lost, the woman we had mourned, the woman we’d failed to save. Yet here she was, standing next to Prince Herold as if the last three years had been nothing but a cruel dream.Beside me, Aries went rigid. His glass of whiskey trembled in his hand before he set it down on the bar with a sharp clink. “Adrien,” he whispered, his voice taut with disbelief, “tell me I’m not seeing things.”“You’re not,” I muttered, my eyes glued to her. Rochelle. Alive. Breathing. Laughing softly at something Herold said. The sight of her felt like a punch to the gut and a balm to my soul, all at once.Delight’s honeyed voice interrupted my thoughts. “Gentlemen,” she purred, sidling up to us. “You’re staring. Quite rude, don’t you think?” Her tone was light, but her eyes glinted with suspicion.Aries barely spared h