Seconds trickled by but yet the little guy hadn’t spoken a word. He only stood rooted at a spot, looking straight at her. Lauren’s body shivered unconsciously. Was he going to tell his father? She could already imagine herself spending the rest of her miserable life behind bars. Beyond that, she could see the hurt on the little boy’s face. Of course, it wasn’t fair hiding all those secrets away from him—what was she expecting.
“Bryan, I can explain. Please let me explain.” Tears trickled down her eyes again. This time, it was tears for her unknown future. It was tears for fear of losing this little guy’s faith in her. It was tears of losing a dear friend.
“Michelle?” He whispered as if finding it hard to say the word.
“Bryan.” She called out desperately. “Bunny. Aunty’s sorry.”
Bryan’s face crumpled and so did his heart. it was her!
“What the hell is going on here?!”Lauren froze. She felt a chill run down her spine. She was doomed! D. O. O. M. E. D!She had nowhere to hide now. She couldn’t put on her mask either, not when it was being held by Bryan who already hated her. Maybe this was her fate. Maybe she was destined to die here. She was just sad her life ended too soon. She began to weep afresh. “I said, What. Is. Going. On. Here?!” Malcolm thundered again, punctuating his every word. Despite the fact that her face was almost hidden from him, she could feel his rage. It was almost as if she could see it. Her entire body quivered uncontrollably.This is it, Lauren. Your doom is here. She steeled herself. It was better she turned herself in now and hope for a ‘lighter’ punishment than wait for him to enter the room and find out her secret himself. Sitting on her knees, she turned to face him when her face hit a soft w
Lauren opened the door as quietly as she could, perking into the room and when she saw no sign of Malcolm, she heaved a sigh of relief and dashed for her closet door. She opened it and ran in quickly, closing the door behind her but as she turned, she froze. “You are a second late!” His voice halted her. There he was, sitting on her dressing table playing with her lipstick, like a bored king waiting for some visitors to arrive. “I…I” wait! Why was she stuttering? “What are you doing here?” “Is my wife’s closet a forbidden place to enter?” he replied nonchalantly.Lauren froze. This was the second time he was referring to her as a wife. “No… I thought we had an agreement…” To keep off each other’s privacy. She couldn’t find the voice to complete her statement. Not when the man before her was starring daggers at her.
Malcolm got off the bathtub filled with cold water when he felt he was calm enough. He sighed. In all his years of handling businesses, contracts, and even women, he had never lost control like he did the previous night. he had always been the cold hard-to-please CEO but she broke that last night. first, she turned him into a jealous husband in front of his own son! Then, she made him want to devour her that he swore it had taken all his willpower to peel himself off her. Sighing, he dried his body and wore his robe. Sitting on his vanity desk now turned mini-study, he thought of working to get rid of the remaining heat but the moment he turned on his laptop, thoughts of her flooded his mind… what was she doing now? Had she slept? Unable to resist anymore, he opened the door silently and peeped, only to see her sleeping already, in an uncomfortable position. Stupid girl. He scolded inwardly and approached her. He laid her in a comfortable position and then c
Bryan entered his room with a sour face, banging the door behind him. He felt like crying. Just last night, he had been so happy that he finally found her and now, she was so close but she no longer looked at him like he was the only one in her eyes. Why did she have to keep asking after his father?! His father was a grown man who could take care of himself but he was still a kid…Kid…His face squeezed up at the thought of that. No, he wasn’t a kid. He was just a six-year-old boy who needed a motherly figure. He didn’t want to cry but he felt if he didn’t make his hurt look real, she wasn’t going to believe him. Slumping on the bed, he sulked, waiting for her to walk right through his door; and she did. It was barely minutes when she entered. “Bunny? Are you okay?” she asked, standing by the door.Bryan frowned. Why must she use his nickname? It made him almost loosen up and run into her arms. Stee
Lauren literarily dragged Bryan around the mall despite the reluctance he was trying hard to hide from her. She used Malcolm’s black card, feeling smug at the respect she got the minute she took it out. Finally, they were done and were heading out with their bags when… “Well. Well. If it isn’t the whore herself.” A voice sounded behind them.Lauren paused and so did the little guy beside her. She turned, only to come face to face with Olivia, one of Malcolm’s fling, dressed in an expensive dress with fiery red lipstick and nails.Lauren faked a smile, “Hello Olivia. I didn’t expect to meet you here.” Her voice carried a what-are-you-doing-here undertone. “I wasn’t expecting to see you either,” Olivia replied trying to peer at the gorgeous little guy’s face but Lauren quickly drew him behind her, hoping he would comply; and he did comply to her surprise.Oli
Lauren forced her heavy eyelids to open only to notice she was in a moving car. At first, she felt relieved thinking it was her guards that came for them but when she noticed the unfamiliar environment of the car, she panicked. Beside her, sat a still unconscious Bryan and almost immediately, her heart began to race. Bryan was in trouble. She didn’t care about herself. She was willing to suffer to whatever end, as long as Bryan was safe. “Who are you?” she asked the driver of the fast moving car but got a cold shoulder in reply. It freaked her more. “What do you want from us?”She turned to look at the masked man sitting beside Bryan but the man wasn’t ready to give her the reply she wanted. She tried to move and only then did she realize she had been tied. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just let the boy go. He is innocent.”This time, she earned a scoff from the man at the backseat.
Lauren kept running. The weight of Bryann whom she hugged tight plus her burning back kept holding her back but she ignored it all. Her priority right now was to make sure Bryan was safe. She wanted to make sure he was still alive, although his breathing told her so, she just wanted to confirm that he hadn’t been poisoned. Finally, she found herself back on a busy road and she heaved a sigh of relief. Quickly, she flagged down a cab. She couldn’t go back home, at least not right now. She didn’t think she had the energy to face Malcolm’s wrath. She didn’t want him to see her bleeding back or her ruined dress that was now soaked in her own blood. She couldn’t go to the Byrne mansion either. Only one place came to her head and quickly, she gave him an address.As the car came to a halt in front of the Knight mansion, Lauren took deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. Bryan first. She reminded herself. She wasn’t
Doctor Alfred was addressing the trio, telling them Bryan was fine and would wake up soon, when the door burst open and Malcolm walked in, like a king from hell, filling the room with his dangerous aura. Joyce quickly approached him but his eyes barely saw her. He halted when his eyes caught Lauren, wearing another man’s jacket.He chuckled coldly that it sent chills to everybody’s spine. So that was it. She had gone to visit her secret lover and had probably made Bryan pass out so he wouldn’t intervene in her love affair.This bitch! This pretentious woman!!He walked in strides, his eyes never leaving her for a second. Her flinching did nothing to calm his anger. how dared she! How dare she put his son in danger just so she could act dirty with another man? He just prayed he wouldn’t see this so-called other man so that would be the end of his life, whoever he was.Joyce intercepted him and held onto his arms, “This isn&rsq
Lauren found herself in a big mansion. It was so big and beautiful that she couldn't help but admire it. Just as she was about to move about to admire it, something clung to her legs and when she turned, she saw Bryan. "Bryan?" She turned and carried him into her arms so naturally like he was a part of his life. She played around with him and just when she was getting tired, she heard a voice call out her name. Turning around, she saw no one. Was she just imagining it? It came again, this time, the voice was filled with longing and loneliness. "Who are you?" She asked. The voice came the third time and this time, a figure appeared by the door, slowly walking towards her. As the face came into light, a wave of recognition hit her and her tears began to flow freely as she ran into his arms. "Malcolm." She closed her eyes familiarizing herself with the feeling he brought and when she opened them, she was no longer in the beautiful mansion.
...Be downstairs in five minutes or forget about living...Warren flung his phone in fear and without waiting for his wife to question him, he scurried downstairs. If the voice he heard on the phone was real, then he was dead. He flew down the stairs to meet the 'visitor' who was seated comfortably on the sofa, sipping from a glass of blood-red wine. "Mr. Knight," Warren called out in respect. The man before him maybe his son-in-law but three was no way he was going to disrespect him. Malcolm finally looked at him, his eyes as icy as ever. "Start talking," Malcolm said.Warren was confused. What was the meaning of this? Was this man trying to play a prank?He smiled, "Is Mr. Knight trying to crack a joke?"Malcolm didn't reply. He kept looking at the giant clock at the other end of the room and after exactly five minutes, he threw a stack of documents at Warren. Realizing how serious the man before him was, Warren pick
Malcolm leaned by the car, smoking a cigarette and staring into the space his son disappeared into. His subordinates looked confused but they dared not question him. They had been there for hours but instead of going after the little guy and bringing him back home, they stood they for close to an hour. Malcolm however, was ignorant of what his subordinates were thinking. He only stood there quietly, with a stick of burning cigarette between his fingers, feeling as nervous as ever. Just then, he heard Bryan scream for help and that was enough to jolt him out of whatever reverie he was in. Quickly, he rushed in and the sight that greeted him, made his blood boil. Lauren laid on the floor helplessly unconscious. Quickly, he dished out an order to call Dr. Alfred before carrying the frail girl into his arms to the car and driving her off to Dr. Alfred's hospital. Bryan ignored his father. His only attention was on his mother. The thought of her death made his heart wrench. He didn't wan
Malcolm stood by Bryan's door, listening to him sulk all night with a sigh. How could he have not known? How could he have allowed himself to be deceived twice by the same person? Now, he had hurt everybody around him, including his son and most especially, Lauren. He wondered how meeting her again would feel like. He didn't even know where she was for crying out loud! Gradually pushing his weak body to his room, his face scrunched at the sight of it. The scent of that woman still lingered. In fact, it had overshadowed the scent of his Lauren and it disgusted him. He walked to the balcony, lighting a cigarette and drawing in the smoke like he was trying to find comfort in it. He chuckle as he choked. He didn't believe that a day would come when he of all people would feel pain. Maybe, karma was finally knocking at his doorstep. He chuckled wryly.Karma.Did he even believe in that word?Anna hummed a song as she took a morning shower. Perhaps, it w
Michelle let go of Bryan's chin quickly and staggered backward, her eyes not leaving the figure at the door.Malcolm.How come? She didn't even hear his car drive in. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came. Bryan glared at her and then his father before slowly walking away to his room upstairs. His face, clearly showing how to hurt he was. "Welcome baby." Michelle greeted in the most natural voice ever, hoping Malcolm hadn't seen what had transpired earlier since Bryan had his back to him. Smiling she walked up to him and made to collect his briefcase but his firm hold on it told her he had clearly seen the scene earlier. Like an executioner approaching his victim, he took cold steps towards her, her mind skipping at each step he made.He flung the briefcase to one side of the sofa, "Start talking." He said in a calm voice.Huh?! " Baby I don't know what you are talking about." Michelle tried hard to maintain her innocent look despi
Bryan stayed with Anna and her family, unwilling to return home. Anna tried every technique she could remember but the little guy was resolute. He wanted to stay with her. Anna panicked. It was getting pretty late. The sky was turning dark. She had successfully spent her whole day with the little guy but yet even now, he was ever reluctant to return to his parents. "How about this? We will meet at the lake tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Anna negotiated, finding it funny that she was actually bargaining with a little chap.Bryan blinked, "Pinky promise?"Anna sighed. She hadn't meant her word but she really wasn't expecting him to hold her by her words. "If I Pinky swear, will you return home?"He pretended to be in deep thoughts and after a while, he looked up to her and nodded. "Fine then." She gave in, bringing her pinky finger close to the guy, and just as their Pinkys met, images began to fly through her head at a ridiculously
Bryan sat almost lifelessly, starring straight into the lake. He looked downcast. Things have never been the same ever since his mother left. His father had become so into that woman that he no longer listened or care about him.Mommy... His heart cried out, Bryan has been a good boy. Please come back to little Bryan.He didn't feel like going home despite the fact that he knew guards would be on the search for him. Luckily, that woman didn't know a thing about this place. He frowned at the thought of her discovering his mother's most treasured place. It would be like a weed entering into a place where it isn't wanted. "Little One?"Bryan froze. Had he been imagining too much that he now heard her voice in his head? Tears welled in his eyes. But just when he concluded it was an illusion, a hand touched his shoulder and the voice came again. This time, he couldn't resist it. He turned around and at the sight of her, the tears that
Anna sighed in relief after they were settled in. Luckily, Grandpa Worth had a friend in the city who was willing to accommodate them. As she looked at the family of three, her heart swelled with gratitude. They knew nothing about her yet, they risked leaving their home to accompany her to a hospital. She could only hope in her heart that someday, she would be able to repay their kindness to her. She gazed lovingly at little Gwen who was busy watching the city through the window. From her exclamations, Anna could guess it was her first time being in a big city like this. "Anna, why don't you take a walk with your sister? I think I'm going to have a headache listening to all her nonsense." Keira suggested with a smile. Behind Anna, she shared a brief meaningful gaze with her husband. If a part of her memory could flash the minute they entered the city, it only meant she was somehow connected to this city. And who knows? Perhaps, she might end up recalling more if she ge
Michelle looked in the direction of the open door, her mouth wide open in shock. She even forgot she was naked! By the door, stood Malcolm with an extremely chilly aura. God! She was doomed! She turned to look at the cause of her problems but instead of being as shocked as her, he actually had a sly smile on his face. "Malcolm..." Michelle lacked what to say. She had been caught red-handed so she couldn't whip up a single lie. "You really don't know what is called bad timing, bro, do you?" Christian said with a satisfied look on his face. It was like he had done it on purpose to piss his brother off.Quickly, Michelle grabbed her shirt and flew out of the bed. She put it on and quickly approached the man with the vicious aura standing by the door but before she could reach out to touch him, he evaded her touch. "Darling, it wasn't my fault. Christian tried to force himself on me." She said, sounding grieved.The man didn't say