Geneveive Tessa RobertThe Christmas celebration was beautiful. It wasn’t the first with my family, but the first with Kyle since we divorced. The kids had strangely gotten acquainted with him, and as much as I didn’t want that to happen, it did.I hadn’t seen them so happy in years, and somehow, I felt they knew that Kyle was their father. Mom believes it’s because they have another male figure in their lives other than James and my dad. I was glad they were happy with him, though, because revealing he was their dad later would be an easy process. Hopefully.He had suggested I inform them next year, but I was still unsure about his stance in my life. I have forgiven him, but did I want him back in my life as a husband or just a friend?I sighed, sipping my orange juice. The matter of the heart was complicated. No matter how many times I thought about my relationship with Kyle, I always ended up not deciding on anything because I was still unsure of my feelings. Some days, I thought a
Kyle KingShe had accepted my date offer and also agreed to eat at Charles’ Lounge. However, I hadn’t expected that she would ask me to pick her up. It was strange, but I agreed. All the times we had gone out, she had always rejected my offer to pick her up. I used to suspect that it was because I was using a rented Jeep. I couldn’t fly mine from Nashville, and buying one here when I wasn’t sure of my movements most of the time would be a bad investment.I confronted her once about it, and she denied my suspicion. According to her, she didn’t want to give her children or family the idea that we were an item. I didn’t believe her.I stopped in front of her house and dialled her number. She picked up after the second dial.Hi. I will be out in five minutes. Please, hold on.I replied with a thumbs up and checked the Jeep again. I had taken extra care to clean the inside and ensured the air freshener was her favourite. I checked my outfit again—a white shirt, black trousers, and thirty t
Geneveive Tessa RobertI completed the last piece of paperwork on my desk and gave myself a pat on the back. It had been a long day, with several clients popping in with difficult requests. I turned down most of them and stuck with ones whose job requests required streamlined processes.I glanced at the wall clock. It was almost nine o’clock. Thankfully, the kids were still with my parents, enjoying the new year’s celebration before school resumed, so there was no one waiting for me at home. I reviewed the last email on my laptop and switched it off. A note captured my attention. ‘Day four apology: Never say never. I took it, read it again, and kept it in my drawer. Kyle had sent the note with a basket of chocolate packs and Chinese food, which were sitting in my stomach now. He had resumed his lunch surprise packages, and strangely, I loved them.My relationship with Kyle was a hot and cold one. I had finally told him how I felt, and instead of me not keeping him expectant, I told h
Kyle KingResuming the position as the Chief Executive Officer of the most-fought-for company in Nashville was a dream come true. I never thought I would be able to accomplish this feat at my age, but here I was, sitting in a board meeting as every member introduced themselves to me. A few of the executives didn’t hesitate to show their grievances, but I put them in their places as I reminded them who was in charge and why they needed to obey me, or they would be out of the door holding their resumes for whoever wanted to listen to them.I was in the middle of a virtual meeting with one of those unsatisfied executives when the Tessa call came in. I didn’t even think twice as I ended the meeting with an abrupt wave and signed off without waiting for their regular grunts. Immediately after she told me about her problem, I almost booked a flight back to the U.K.I had to call Xavier’s number several times, threaten him, and make a stupid offer for him to get on his feet, drive, and pic
Geneveive Tessa RobertI applied makeup, did my glossy blonde hair in a bun (I had changed the colour during the weekend), and wore my favourite red long dress with enough lining to reveal my glowing thighs. I doused my body with a new brand of perfume Vee had recommended and wore my ear rings. I smiled at my appearance. This was enough to make a statement at the Roberts Charity Gala. Dad had founded Robert’s foundation after the twins came. He saw it as another way to give to society. He had other NGOs he was affiliated with, but he wanted the one he owned and could invest in without the usual politics.I checked myself again and walked out of the room to check on the kids. They were attending the gala for the first time, and I needed to ensure they were comfortable.‘Hope, are you and your brother ready to attend the event? Your friends would be there, but not all of them, and there will be no games. Just long talks and dancing.’Hope giggled. ‘Momma, we are ready. Nico, you will k
Kyle KingThe library door closed with a gentle click. I looked up, and Ava crossed the room, smiling slyly and wearing a see-through gown. I noticed she wore nothing. Was she trying to seduce me? I scoffed, tapping my slender fingers as she settled on the couch, facing and spreading her legs.She wore no pants either. If only she knew I wasn’t in for her slutty behaviour tonight, she would have thought twice before she entered here. ‘What do you want, Ava?’ I asked when it was evident she wasn’t going to say anything.She smiled, spreading her legs wider. ‘I just came to say hi since you have been avoiding me for three days.’ I shrugged, taking a lazy sip of my wine. ‘ I have my reasons for avoiding you, and I remember warning you to stay away from my library and room. You’re my mother’s guest and not mine. Now, I ask again: What do you want?’She closed her legs, standing up. ‘Come on, Kyle. It’s just the two of us here. Mom won’t know you did anything with me. Don’t you miss all
Geneveive Tessa RobertThe twins' birthday were coming up soon, and my parents were making another grand plan. Bigger and better than last year’s own. Nicholas and Hope had agreed to have a simple party, and they didn’t want any clowns this year. Last year’s own had made Hope cry and Nicholas frightened. Up to date, they still disliked clowns. I almost blamed my parents for their fear, but it wasn't entirely their fault. The clown we hired gave up at the last minute, and James got one of his acquaintances to act as the clown, and the guy failed woefully.He couldn’t even make his balloons look beautiful.I had suggested we do a royalty-themed party since Nicholas always called himself King and Hope believed she was Cinderelli. I had gotten tired of correcting her that the Disney princess’s name was Cinderella, not what she called it, but she refused to listen. She is a stubborn five-year-old
Kyle King‘I told you not to let anyone in except those on the visitor list. Can’t you take simple instructions?’ I asked, staring coldly at Sharon, the new assistant my new-found buddy, Jones at Planet O, had hired. ISharon stammered, ‘I am sorry, sir, but she claimed to be your girlfriend, and before I could stop her, she was in already.’The object of my anger—Ava—laughed, showing her straight, long legs. ‘Calm down, Kyle. She didn’t do anything wrong by allowing me in. I am your girlfriend after all.’I glared darkly at her and refocused my attention on Sharon. ‘Next time she comes in here, you will lose your job. Leave.’She muttered an apology underneath her breath and scrambled out of the office. I would also have a discussion with the security team about Ava. She had been stalking me everywhere since I forced my mom to
Kyle KingFive months laterAfter sorting Avaline’s court case, I officially named Xavier the CFO of Planet O. The board accepted him with no grumblings, and I wasn’t surprised because he had been performing well even in my absence. I also took Mom to London, and we finally had a peaceful conversation with Tessa. Mom apologized for everything she did in the past and present. She also acknowledged the kids as her grandchildren. Tessa had been happy and didn’t hesitate to draw Mom into a hug.We scheduled a dinner with Tessa’s parents to officially declare my intentions. I had married Tessa the wrong way years ago, but now I wanted to do right by her. Her parents had been stiff during the dinner at first, but Tessa was a beautiful instrument in converting them to accommodating individuals. Mom also carried on the conversation by being herself, and before long, she and Mrs. Roberts were laughing like old pals. During a sleepover with kids at my place, Tessa had suggested we move in toge
Geneveive Tessa RobertI took the blanket from Kyle’s quiet housekeeper and covered the twins. I hadn’t planned on sleeping over,over, but the kids had fallen asleep after our third monopoly game. I kissed their cheeks and followed the housekeeper out. Another reason why I hadn't wanted to sleepover was Kyle.He had stirred my feelings with his call conversation on my way here. Lately, I had been struggling with admitting my feelings for him because I was afraid of envisioning a future with him. Would Kyle give me all the happiness I wanted in life? Would he wake up one morning and demand a divorce because I couldn’t give him more children? children? ThereThere was also Dahila. I didn’t want to think about what Vera had insinuated about her always having an ulterior motive for everything she did. I shrugged, entering the living room. I would also have to talk to Kyle about his mom and suggest a truce. If I was going to accept it into my life finally, Dahila and I needed to sort out
Kyle KingPlanning a perfect date was always a nervous activity for me because I had to ensure everything was perfect and tailored to my partner’s taste—in this case, my partner was Tessa, and she deserved to be treated perfectly well. I glanced at the table as the housekeeper helped arrange the dishes properly and set the tablecloths. I glanced at her work and nodded my approval. This was going to be a perfect date. I rushed into the shower, and a few minutes later, I was out. I picked a casual outfit—a Ralph Lauren shirt and black jeans. I ran my comb through my black curls. I mentally noted to check in with a barber across the street to reduce the fullness of my hair. I preferred it to be moderate and looking shabby or rough.After a quick view of my appearance, I strolled out of the room and settled in the living room, waiting for Tessa and the kids. I had wanted to take them out, but Tessa preferred a house date. She also felt it was right; the kids came. They were missing me e
Genevieve Tessa Robert‘My parents still believe I made a wrong mistake introducing Kyle to the kids. They don’t think he has truly changed, and I tried convincing them, but it was futile.’ I said, stretching my body on the mat beside the pool. Vera raised her head a bit. ‘You should know the Roberts by now. They never liked Kyle and will never like him. I think they are just tolerating him because of the kids.’I agreed. ‘If not for the kids, I am certain they would have scared him off and warned me to stay away from him.’‘Did you tell Kyle about it?’I nodded. ‘Yes, I have, and he wants us to meet with my parents. I declined. I don’t think it’s a wise decision yet. We’re still friends for now, and I am yet to decide if I want to go further with him.’She laughed, looking at me. ‘But you enjoyed his lips on yours, right? Honestly, I like the baby steps, but a man can’t wait forever, you know?’‘Kyle King would wait for me even if it takes years for me to decide. He’s obese and in l
Kyle KingIn the mirror, I stared at my eyes. I always thought they lacked the spark seen in other people’s eyes. But, after Tessa teased me about having the brightest eyes she had ever seen, the spark somehow emerged. I washed my face and returned to my bedroom. Today was the last day of King’s company headquarters construction. The project manager had been hard-working, and his team was perfect. They had executed everything according to the construction team plan, although there were some hiccups on the way, but we were able to scale through.I scanned through my outfits, and my eyes rested on a blue shirt with a love emoji at the side. Tessa had gotten it for me a few days before my decision to divorce her six years ago. I never had the courage to throw or wear it, but every morning after she left, I would stare at it like it was a reminder of what we had. My hands lingered on it as I remembered the kiss we had shared when she came to pick up the kids yesterday. She had been reluct
Genevieve Tessa RobertI knocked lightly at the door, opened slowly, and walked into my parent's large library. They had invited me for a meeting after James informed them about my night with Kyle. I rehearsed my speech and reminded myself why I had forgiven Kyle and revealed who he was with the kids.My dad was scrolling through his phone while Mom was laughing at something on her phone. They were seated on the long couch, ignoring my entrance until I settled near them.‘Good afternoon, Mom and Dad. I got your message. But firstly,’ I took Mom’s phone. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be on bedrest?’She folded her hands, pouting. ‘The doctor cleared me yesterday, and I decided to chill with my husband. Is that bad?’I handed the phone back. ‘Alright. It’s not bad, then. So, why did you guys request my presence here this afternoon?’Dad dropped his phone, sitting up. ‘Welcome, dear. I will go straight to the point. I called you because of Kyle. I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be returni
Kyle KingI held Tessa’s hands as we stood outside her house and replayed our moment in her company. How she held my hand tightly and used her action to define our status. I smiled, looking at her. She was engrossed with a phone call. I decoded it was her father because of the way she kept laughing and calling him Pops. I watched her face, the tilt of her head, and the glow in her eyes. These were part of the reason why I reacted for her. She was mine. My Tessa.‘Are you done admiring my face?’ Tessa asked, smiling widely. ‘You know you take a picture and keep it, right?’I chuckled, releasing her hand. ‘You are irresistible, Tessa, and every time I see your face, I fall harder. You’re my obsession, and I am not afraid to admit it.’She blushed, shaking her head. ‘We’re still friends, right, Kyle?’I drew a breath, nodding. ‘Yes, we are, but that won’t stop me from admitting my feelings for you. I love you now and forever.’‘Okay, Kyle. Thank you. Can we meet the kids now?’I felt a b
Genevieve Tessa RobertI listened as Kyle told me everything that happened between him and Avaline. He also gave me updates on his case, and I wasn’t surprised when he said Avaline was an accomplice to the crime. She had all colours of suspicion written on her when we spoke in Nashville, or rather, when she forced me to listen to her ramblings. He was looking strangely at me. Did he say something that needed my response? ‘Did you say something, Kyle?’ I asked, not caring that I made him feel like I wasn’t listening to him.He shrugged. ‘I have been saying a lot of things, but it’s obvious that you aren’t listening to me. I am truly sorry for not showing up. Avaline just showed up suddenly, got me talking, and before I could figure out what was going on, I was gone.’I replied, taking his hands. ‘You didn’t return my calls. I was worried, and the kids were waiting for you. They refused to sleep after the party because they insisted on seeing you. Kyle. We were supposed to tell them a
Kyle KingI walked into her building, but the receptionist blandly told me she was busy with meetings. I dialled her number several times, but she wasn’t picking. I sent her numerous texts, pleading and informing her I was at the reception. She didn’t reply. I decided to wait until closing hours. She doesn't stay cooped up in her office all day. If she still kept to her schedule, I know by two p.m., she always drove over to her house to check up on the kids and Estella. I winked at the stiff security guards as I settled at the reception. They wouldn’t dare to disturb me because they knew my status. I scrolled through my phone as the early moment with Avaline replayed in my mind. I was going to start with her family. I will reduce them to dust and then ensure their family’s name becomes history. I sent a message to my Russian ethical hacker: Whenever I wanted to do dirty deals, I didn't want trace to my name. I used him. He knew how to walk into an encrypted bank account, drain them,