Riella's POV.Boss was acting weird. He had been acting weird and I didn't know why. Right from the ride over here, I had been trying to get him to talk to me but he just plugged his headphones in and completely ignored me.I didn't know what to make of that. I didn't even understand it one bit and even though I was slightly hurt by his actions. I meant give me a breather, I thought we were way past the strict and bossy kind of relationship. I had lunch with him recently in his office, on his insistence. Even with all of that, it didn't stop me from stealing glances at him while we traveled in silence. I even took a bunch of unaware pictures I wanted to muse over. It was the reason I was so eager to come to my room but his question at the elevator had thrown me off guard.It made different thoughts form In my mind and even though I was trying not to consider them, I couldn't help thinking about whether or not he liked me. I just couldn't help it.As soon as I got into my suite, I pl
Riella's POV.He opened his mouth to speak but shut it back again wordlessly. I leaned back in my seat, my eyes still trained on him. I could feel the frontal part of my hair, the fringe was sticking to my forehead. Well, I had fixed it to look that way.“Why did you change your clothes?” He asked after everything. I raised a brow, equally confused as to what he had decided to ask rather than comment on all I had said.“I'm sorry, what?” I coughed out, not getting him in any way. Then, I watched his head lower slightly and his gaze dropped to my fit, my body.“Why did you change your clothes?” He asked again, the shade a bit lower, huskier. His voice sent a kind of shiver to run down my spine and if it wasn't for home training and self-esteem, I could be doing things at the moment.I gulped and averted my gaze from him, trying to put myself together. But once I remembered Carolyn's words, I smirked and glanced up at him.“Well, the pantsuit was starting to get sweaty and sticky. Whene
Harold's POV.I was ignoring Brittany's calls.With every ring, I would take a glance at my phone before looking away at the sight of her name. Then, I would listen to the ringtone blare annoyingly until it stops. I had been laying on the bed, trying to get that smug look, the little intimate moment that almost ran me mad at the restaurant. I wasn't going to think that she did it on purpose. She couldn't know how much self-control I was holding on to just to stay away from her yet she would do that to me.She needed not when she already had my attention.As I lay on my bed, I was shamelessly thinking about what she would be doing. It made my senses pick up because never would I imagine myself obsessing over a female this way. I would call it obsession since I didn't know exactly what to call it.“You must do away with any woman that isn't Brittany.”My mother's voice filtered into my mind. The rate at which I sat up had my head spinning for a second. I could only hope that I didn't d
Riella's POV.I sat up eagerly on the king-sized bed, my phone held out in my hand while I continually stared at the number dialing. Soon, it stopped dialing without being answered and I frowned.Carolyn didn't take long to answer anyone's calls. Most especially my calls.I frowned again and dialed her line again. After a few stops, it stopped dialing and her voice came on the air.“Babe, ” I was almost screaming as I called out to her. Realizing my excitement which was unlike me, I sat back down and almost busted into laughter at my energy.“Wassup b?” She didn't act excited to know what was wrong and it made all my energy deflate. This wasn't Carolyn. The Carolyn I knew would have started jumping, trying to return my energy.“What's wrong?” I asked in concern as I remembered that the same thing had happened in the kitchen but I didn't get to listen to her.“Nothing. Why did you call?” She asked in an attempt to change the conversation. I knew I was stubborn but Carolyn, was a log he
Riella's POV.Harold looked like chocolate in a candy bar. He looked so good, so damn good and sexy. The way he had brushed up his hair in a style that reeked gell made me want to run my hand through them.And his cologne.Oh, God, his cologne.He was just a few steps away from me but I could breathe in the scent, the lingering and unwavering scent as it assaulted my senses, leaving me a scent mess.“You're ready, ” I could sense how husky and low his voice had gotten, a shade deeper. And the way he couldn't take his eyes off me almost made me scream and jump but when I remembered Carolyn's words, I plastered a smile on my face.“Shall we?” I asked him, holding out my purse to the side. He couldn't say anything but I saw his adam apple bob so I knew he had just gulped. I smiled sweetly at him before I took the lead. I flipped the tail of my hair as I passed by him, making sure that at least, a part of it touched him. It took him a few seconds before he joined me in the elevator. I c
Harold's POV.Damn!That was one thing I couldn't stop saying no matter how much I tried to. I couldn't keep my eyes off her, couldn't keep my eyes away from her.I could not stop watching her either.It was like she had stopped my will to resist her and cast a spell on me to leave me wanting. I wouldn't have thought she was up to it, but she was flirting with me. And she was so good at it.I cussed, mumbling profanities under my breath as I watched the asshole grab her waist while she rocked against him. She seemed to be enjoying it with how well she was smiling.The idiot just came from nowhere in the middle of our discussion to sweep her away from me. I certainly did feel like pulling out his teeth but I didn't want to cause a scene.Also, I didn't want any shit for the moment.I sipped on my vodka, my eyes still trained on her. That dress, goddamn that dress!That was seduction itself.It was already bad enough that she looked good on anything. Then, she had gone ahead to wear t
Riella's POV.Men are assholes.Well, men like Joe and Desmond are. After dancing for a little while longer, I noticed Harold was no longer watching me and was now swooned by another lady. I wasn't going to lie, I felt disappointed and angry at the same time. All my efforts are for nothing.So, when Joe suggested we get drinks somewhere else different from the club, I had been too eager to get away with him. Only that turned out to be a mistake because before I could think, we were somewhere different from the club and surrounded by other guys.I wanted to leave, I wanted to get away but Joe held on to me stubbornly. He and the other guys surrounded me, passing me lustful gazes. They ordered that they needed money and noticed I had lots of it so they had come for their share. It was stupid, I knew but I was scared. They could do anything to me. I was about to do what they wanted when I realized that I was not with my purse. They were not going to let me leave, so I told them to get
Riella's POV.I sat in front of the mirror in the room, eyes gazing at my reflection like a hawk. My eyes were a bit swollen, dark threads hanging around in them. My breathing was shaky, each intake releasing another shaky set.My hands trembled slightly on the table. My dark raven hair which I had always taken care of was wrapped in a messy bun atop my head. I was dressed very formally in a beige-colored skirt that stopped after my knee. It had a slit at one end, one that ran up my mid-thighs but still managed to look professional.I paired this with a turtleneck black long-sleeved cotton top which I had tucked into the skirt. My feet were adorned in ankle leather heel boots.I was dressed that simply but I was starting to regret everything I had on. I mean, what if the slit was too much, and he thought I was doing too much?The humiliation, what had happened last night glared at me right in the face.It was all my fault.I shouldn't have settled down in his room, I shouldn't have dr
FIVE YEARS LATER.I hummed with a smile as I fixed my earrings to my ear properly. They were dropping and very long but they were also very expensive. A Christmas gift courtesy of my husband. I grabbed the cherry lip gloss on the vanity table and applied it to my lips. I smacked my lips together, pursed it, and posed in front of the mirror. I looked good. The red velvet dress I was wearing with the plunging V- neckline and long sleeves that were adorned with lace trimmings were so beautiful. I had my hair packed into a messy bun, leaving the fringes out while a pretty gold necklace lay on my neck.I did a spin and blew a kiss at my reflection. While I packed up my make-up items, the door to the room opened and my husband strolled in. He walked over and wrapped his hands around my waist. I leaned back and let him kiss my lips.“You look breathtaking,” he breathed and I beamed. Even after all these years, compliments had a way of soaking me in.I turned around and placed my hands on e
Riella's POV.Harold managed to get me to the hospital. He didn't even let me go home, he just asked that Damien drive us to the hospital, and as for Carolyn, she stayed glued to me while still sobbing about how this was her fault.Harold came through when I least expected it. It was the moment when I'd given up hope that I was never going to see him again. When I was very sure that I would never see any of them again, they came through. And I was very grateful. “How did you guys find me?” I asked as I leaned on Harold while he wrapped his hands around me.Carolyn smiled and leaned forward. Her hand gently reached out and stroked the necklace still hanging around my neck while watching me.“I put a jewelry detector.” She replied smugly and my eyes widened.“Wow,” I was honestly shocked, I didn't expect it.“I had a feeling that something could go wrong after you told me that day. I just wanted to ensure that you were going to be safe if anything were to go wrong.” She explained and
Harold's POV.My eyes widened and I went pale as soon as the line went dead in my hands. She was screaming. The bloody bastard had hit her. He was making her cry. He was hurting her. I tried to dial the cell again but it ended right on the spot.“I'm going to kill that bastard with my bare hands, ” George fumed as he paced about the room. I swallowed and shoved my phone into my pocket, swallowing up my emotions. Now was not the time for me to dwell or fume. I had to contain my emotions properly to keep a straight head. I still had time to kill the bastard.Turning around, my gaze landed on my parents. They were talking in hushed tones, looking all worried but I knew it was not because of Ella. It was a whole lot more of things that I wasn't even ready to listen to. My eyes darted away from them over to the siblings trying to talk their Mum from coming after me or whatever she intended to do with how much she was watching me.I sighed and started to walk over to her when Noel's voice
Riella's POV.I slowly regain consciousness, feeling groggy and disoriented. My head felt like something heavy had been hit on it and it felt like a spell of dizziness was cast over me. As I assessed my surroundings, I quickly realized that I was tied up and in a dark room. The pungent odor of cigarette smoke filled my nostrils, making it difficult to breathe. Fear began to set in as I realized that I had no idea how I got here or who could have done this to me.My chest heaved as flashes of what felt like the past few hours flashed through my mind's eye. The last thing I remembered was excusing myself to the restroom. My eyes widened and I coughed loudly when I finally registered everything.Oh my God, Harold!My heart ached and I found myself feeling my tied-up hands to check for my wedding bands. It was still there. Somehow, with my health at that moment, it was hard deciphering if anything was real anymore.God, if this was what I thought was happening, what was Harold going to do
Harold's POV. “So, I really need a detailed explanation of what happened,” Jackson, one of the men Tyler brought along asked, looking in my direction. I stared back at him and after a few seconds, Damien cleared his throat and started. “We had the wedding at the Oasis garden resort. It was private, essentially private. The only people who I knew attended the wedding and the reception were the resort staff. Oh and by the way, one of the staff is blackmailing us. They know how important this is to us and now, they are threatening and blackmailing. I'm still trying to get my hands on him.” Damien glared at no one again before he cleared his throat and continued. “After the wedding ended, the couples went ahead to take pictures shot by Kim, the private photographer I hired. We had fun and games and of course danced. I just finished dancing with Riella when she went off to see Jemma.” He concluded. The three men turned in the direction of Jemma who had been introduced. She seemed to s
Harold's POVI was getting ready to head back to the screaming people when Damien walked in. His eyes widened when he saw my nose and he rushed forward.“What the hell happened? And what is going on? How are Riella's folks here?” He demanded all at once?“Ella's dad did the punch. They are very worried about their daughter.” I shrugged trying to appear calm even though on the inside, I was boiling. “Damn, this is a disaster.” He massaged his forehead.“It will be a bigger disaster if I don't find my wife. An eighteen year old just promised to break my bones.” I gritted.“Are you kidding?” Damien screamed in disbelief. “Was that Ella's brother?” He questioned.“ Yep, and he seemed pretty serious about it. I love how protective he is though.” After a few seconds, I asked, ”Any luck with what you were up to?” I asked.“That's another problem. I couldn't get the pictures. The stupid man had it sold to the media already before he started threatening me. I tried to buy the pictures but
Harold's POV.I got to the door as I caressed my cheeks in anger, feeling the sting of her slap. When I opened the door, I expected to find Damien and Matilda by the door but instead, a frantic woman pushed me out of the way as soon as I opened the door and let herself in.I barely got to handle the door before a huge, brown haired man pushed his way in, followed by Jemma and Anna with a male I guessed was Duncan. He was tall, broad shouldered, and possessed pretty brown hair. I was about to shut the door when Carolyn walked in. She glanced at me, silently muttering an apology. I knew there and then that nothing would have gone well if the whole family was here. And with how much Jemma had messed up earlier, I would not be surprised if they knew everything already.“Are you the one who knocked my daughter up?” The huge man stalked toward me. I nodded and just like I had anticipated, I received the punch on my nose.I groaned and my hand immediately cupped my nose in pain. He was a ba
Harold's POVJust like I ordered, we rounded up our cars in ten minutes and we drove straight to the airport without a word. The wedding Spirit was disheveled. I had dumped my tux somewhere, leaving off my black shirt. I had made a series of calls while on the flight and now that we had alighted after four tiring hours, I was ready to strangle Brittany.“Are you sure you don't need me to come home with you?” I asked Carolyn and the girls for the umpteenth time after we arrived at the airport.“No, Harold. I will handle this. They wouldn't want to see or hear anything from you at all so, lete take the lead and handle this the way I can. It's going to be tough but they are going to listen to me in the long run. So, you stay away while I handle it.” She explained and I exhaled.Of course, I wouldn't expect Ella's folks to welcome me with open arms if I go to see them. They must have put two and two together thanks to Jemma and were probably furious now. They wouldn't want to see the face
Harold's POV.I was running mad.I didn't understand how something so perfect, something that had been going on so perfectly well had gone up in flames in a matter of seconds. Riella was missing. No, she wasn't missing.She was kidnapped.The last time someone had seen her according to Jemma who had been the person, it was when she had gone off to use the restroom. A hotel staff after then had reported that he saw a lady being snuggled into a car.“Did you catch the car's number?” Damien was the only one calm amongst us and he was trying to get answers from the trembling maid.“No, the car sped off before I could register anything.” She shook her head. I placed about, running my hands through my hair in anger. Everything was going downhill. I was running mad. I was feeling sick. I was angry.“YOU HAD ONLY ONE JOB? ONE FREAKING JOB!” I screamed at the crowd of men the resort had provided to protect us. I had gone the extra mile to pay them to specially ensure our safety but they had go