Yes, I know I'm hot. “Wow… you look absolutely stunning” he mouthed.i Ignored him, tossing his coat at him.“Stop leaving your trash in my room,” I said, walking past him.Just as I reached the car, he stepped forward and draped his coat over my shoulders. “You can’t walk into the company dressed like this,” he said, his voice low while I arched my brow at him, “ I mean..the weather seems cold today. “ I stopped, glancing at the coat before pulling it off and tossing it back at him. I knew exactly what he was trying to say as I remembered he didn't like me wearing something exposing. But what about his wife that could even walk naked in the public? I bet he got nothing against that. “And who exactly are you to tell me what I can and can’t wear? Mr Lance Wells, I will be grateful if you can keep your concern to yourself.” I said, feeling angry that he was here pretending to be concerned about me while still planning on secretly taking Bella's hair for a DNA test. His jaw tig
Looking out of the car window, my gaze was fixed on the cityscape rushing by. I could feel my fingers tangling and twisting together in a restless dance on my lap.The memories of how I landed in the hospital on my wedding day, all rushed in. I remembered how I woke up, the faint beeping of the heart monitor rang in my ears and the nurse's soft voice, asked me if I was alright but my eyes just scanned through the room. There’s no one else in this room apart from her. Then she mentioned that Kingsley had stepped out to take a call and will be back soon. Immediately she left the room to get the doctor, I yanked the IV drip from my arm, the bright red dot of blood that bloomed on my skin and then… fled the hospital.Since that day…I haven't contacted him again, not even when I was back. I knew that he had the right to be angry at me…I knew that he must have felt betrayed when we both promised that we will stick through together but I only abandoned him, let him alone face the critics
***KINGSLEY'S POV***The tension in the room was suffocating as Maya said she was here to talk about us. About us? Did she mean the same ‘us’ that she abandoned because she didn't trust me enough. She didn't believe that I could protect her and she left.Maya stood right in front of me, looking at me with those pleading eyes that once had the power to melt my resolve. But not anymore. Not after what she had done to me and the humiliation she had made me go through. I became a man that wasn't only lied to but was also abandoned; as my family had no idea that I was aware of everything about her. I was sure if not because she fainted that day, she would have run out of the hall, abandoning me on the altar.My jaw tightened as I looked at her but I held it all back in, and forced my gaze back to the files in my hand, pretending to be unbothered by her presence. “We have nothing left to talk about," I said flatly, flipping a page I wasn’t even reading, but just pretending to be busy. "No
Sitting in the meeting room with Lance and Bryan seated across from me, I lightly tapped my fingers against the polished surface of the table. My gaze which was fixed on the stack of files before me, was now starting to blur. I’d been poring over documents since morning as we’re all desperately searching for legal precedents to block the rezoning of this building. My temples throbbed, and I sighed in exhaustion. Even, the words on the pages are beginning to dance, moving around on their own. My eyes were failing me. Who exactly would have thought this is what I’d be doing the moment I took over Lance’s company? If I’d known it would be like this, I swear I never as done it. Just as I was nearing the end of the document in front of me, the door creaked open, and Janet entered, pushing a cart that was stacked high with dusty files and documents. She wheeled it to the table and began to unload them right in front of me. “These are the last documents,” she announced as she placed
I exhaled slowly. “I won’t forgive you,” I said and I could see a flicker of something like sadness—or was it disappointment? across his face. “At least, not yet. But if you win this case for us…” I let my words hang in the air, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Immediately he heard that, Henry’s head shot up. Relief washed over his face. “I’ll win it. You have my word,” he promised. “Bold of you to promise that,” Lance interjected with a teasing smirk. “You’ll be up against one of the biggest firms in America. Do you even stand a chance?” Henry straightened and said confidently. “I’ll take your doubt as fuel to prove you wrong man.” His tone was defiant, and the two men exchanged chuckles. Henry glanced up at Lance hesitantly. “You’re not angry with me?” Lance responded, looking at me. “Since she said she’d forgive you eventually…” He trailed off, mouthing a quiet ‘thank you’ in my direction. I cleared my throat as I quickly shifted my gaze away from him, clearly uncomfort
Standing in the corridor of the courtroom on the first floor of the tall building, I let out a soft sigh as I intertwined my fingers nervously. I was trying so hard to convince myself that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in court today especially since it looked like I would be appearing without my lawyer. "I’ve really underestimated my opponent. I should have foreseen this," I muttered under my breath as I was already feeling frustrated. Behind me, Lance paced back and forth with his phone totally glued to his ear. He had been trying to reach Henry for the past hours, but there was no answer. Many bad thought had already been playing on my head. Each time I heard the automatic response from the network provider, my frustration grew as I thought what I actually thought had happened. "Where the hell is he?" Lance growled, ending another failed call. I leaned against one of the stone pillars, watching the steady stream of people going in and out of the courthouse and deep down
We turned in unison, and there she was—Ashley. Her radiant smile beamed as if she’d just won the lottery. She waved enthusiastically, her left hand high in the air, drawing every ounce of attention toward herself. My fists curled into tight balls at my sides, anger surging through me like a storm. And what the fuck is she doing here?In anger, I glared at Lance, who also looked a little bit surprised by her presence. He gave me that “I’m sorry” look, but that’s not what I wanted from him. I wanted him to tell me why she was here.Ashley rushed toward our side and then stormed into the midst of Lance and Henry, pushing Henry away from Lance. My stomach churned when she flashed him that annoying smile and looped her arm through Lance’s. My patience thinned. “What are you doing here?” Lance growled before I could say a word. His voice was low but sharp. Ashley tilted her head coyly. “Oh, honey, don’t be like that. Have you forgotten that I told you I would support you no matte
****KINGSLEY’S POV****The civil court was a circus today, as there were far more people than I had expected to be here and reporters were even present, but they were not allowed to record anything and could only take notes on what they heard and saw.I had a front-row seat, sitting in the defendant’s chair. My lawyer, Ethan Shaw, whose brow furrowed as he flipped through stacks of documents, was seated on my left, with his assistant on my right.And across the room, Maya sat with her lawyer, her face was a mixture of determination and anger, as if she were upset about something. Was it because I had snubbed her earlier? I don't think so.I looked around, and my gaze landed on Lance Wells, who lounged smugly among the audience, the expression on his face was that of sadness as if he was separated from something important to him . Then, when my eyes shifted to the person next to him, I immediately understood why Maya seemed so angry and why his own expression wa alos like that.I sigh
As Lance was wheeled into the emergency center, my eyes stayed glued to him. My feet felt like they were rooted to the floor, and I just couldn’t stop shaking. I glanced down at my hand and then my dress, which was now soaked with his blood, and the scene kept replaying in my head.How he ran towards me, shouting my name. The fear in his eyes and voice as he tried to save me from danger. How the chandelier had come crashing down, but I just couldn't move at that moment because of the shock. And then he’d shoved me out of the way, making it fall on him.I sank into one of the chairs outside the emergency ward. My legs felt like jelly and were also too weak to hold me up any longer. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to stop the trembling.I could sense people bustling around me and voices blending into a blur. But I just couldn't look up to identify them as I wasn't in my right state of mind.Why was it at that moment that the chandelier had to fall? Why?A coat draped over my sh
“And who exactly are you to be making such demands from me?” He scoffed. “ I don't actually think you are in such position to say something like that as you have recently become one of the country clown man.” “ Have I?”“ Yes you have.” He said in a mocking tone. “ And it also seems you’re taking my warning as a joke.” Kingsley’s voice was firm, his tone dripping with authority as he dipped his hand in his pocket.I gave a short laugh, meeting his gaze. “Well, I’m sorry about that, but I hardly see such warnings as threats. You see, I’ve got nothing much to lose, so I wonder what exactly I should be scared of. You, on the other hand…” I pointed a finger at him, my voice sharpening. “You’ve got a lot to lose if you decide to make an enemy of me. So, I’ll make this simple. Leave her alone and face me.”Kingsley raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Face you? Don’t make me laugh, Lance. You’re not even worth my time. You’re just a man who couldn’t even make a proper decision for himself not to…
Across the room, Ashley and I gaze locked for a while. I could see a flickering of something I could not quite place in them. Maybe it was defiance or was it a desperate attempt to provoke a reaction. I don't really know. But if she thought she could stir jealousy in me, she was clearly mistaken as whatever feelings I once had for her were long gone, buried beneath the weight of every pain she had caused me. I nodded slightly, more to myself than to her as I felt nothing but pity for her. She really had no idea of what she was getting into by falling into Kinglsey's hand. Well that's none of my concern. Seeing that it's time as I was already feeling someone's burning gaze on me, I leaned toward Lysol. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I murmured before slipping away toward the restroom.Getting to the male section of the restroom, as I pushed open the door, the scent of citrus-scented disinfectant greeted me. I stepped inside and did a quick sweep of the stalls, trying to confirm if ther
His words hit like a slap, but I refused to falter as I didn't regret the decision I had made. I straightened my shoulders and met his cold stare. “I never said I wasn’t part of this family, Dad. I’m still your daughter and I will always be. But it's just that I’ve chosen not to follow your rules blindly anymore. That doesn’t make me any less a Roderigo.” “And yet, you dare to lecture me about the company I keep? Or about what my brother has done?” His voice dropped dangerously low. “You, who abandoned us? Atleast he's still with us ” “Abandoned?” I repeated, my voice trembling with anger. “I stood up for myself after you forced your decision on me. For once, I chose to live on my own terms, and if that offends you, so be it. But seeing you laugh and drink with the man who almost destroyed you..almost took away what belonged to you while calling himself your brother—don’t you see how hypocritical that is?” “Maya, stop,” Mom whispered, tugging at my arm gently. “Please.” But I
As the nurse entered Mia's ward, I quickly rushed after her, feeling the heat rushing to my face. My cheeks burned like wildfire, and I clenched my fists as I stormed into Mia’s ward, slamming the door shut behind me. Leaning against the door, I pressed my back against the cool wood, my chest heaving. What the fuck did I just do? Are you insane? He's your ex, how could you even think of doing that?I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to calm down, but it was useless. The memory of his lips on mine, the way he held me so firmly, the warmth of his breath—it all came rushing back. I raised my fingers to my lips, brushing over them lightly. They still tingled, and I hated it. Butterflies swirled in my stomach, making me feel both nauseous and... something else I didn’t want to name. And then suddenly, I felt the weight of several gazes on me, only to open my eyes and see Mia, Bella, and the nurse all staring at me. Their expressions ranged from confusion to amusement, and I ins
But I finally managed to mutter, “Oh. Well, that’s... quite unfortunate. I actually thought you and Ashley were a match made in heaven, and this is… really sad.” He let out a soft chuckle. “No, it wasn't sad, and we are not a good match. Ever since I lost a match made in heaven, I lost my entire life. And now… I want it all back. Everything.” His eyes didn’t leave mine, as though searching for something more—for me to say something. But I couldn’t find anything to say. “Is that all you have to say?” He asked.“Yes, it is. Do you want me to say something else?” My tone was sharp, each word a deliberate dagger. “I thought you’d be happy about it… I thought you’d be… you know, fine that I got what I deserved.” He’s right. I was supposed to be happy seeing them broken apart and losing everything. But now… I really didn’t feel much. I felt like I had done too much damage to him, more than he deserved, and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at him properly. But I still didn’t wa
***MAYA'S POV***"And then the tortoise said to his wife, 'If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I’m not around as I have no money to give to them,' Bella began, her small hands emphasizing the words as she read aloud."So, the tortoise hid. But minutes later, a man arrived and asked the wife, ‘Is your husband home?’ The wife replied, ‘Oh, he’s traveled far, and I doubt he’ll ever return back to this house.’ Then the man sighed and said, ‘That’s unfortunate. I came to repay a debt I owe him, but since he’s not here, I’ll keep the money.’Bella paused dramatically, leaning closer as if sharing a secret. "Hearing this, the tortoise shouted from his hiding place, ‘Wait! I’m home!’ He rushed out from his hiding place to collect the money but on seeing the man, the tortoise's smile faded as the man was actually one of his debtors.” Mia and I couldn’t help but smile as Bella acted out each character with exaggerated expressions. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she giggled, clearly
***ASHLEY'S POV***I never imagined it would end like this—a quiet, heart-wrenching conclusion where we walked away from each other for good. When I decided to step back into Lance’s life six years ago, I was determined never to let him go, never to let anyone take him from me again. But now… it’s over. Standing on the courthouse steps, I watched his figure retreating, growing smaller with each step he took down the stairs. The crisp autumn air bit at my skin, but the cold I felt ran deeper. It wasn’t the chill of the weather—it was the weight of everything that had just happened. The closure I thought I wanted had left me feeling emptier than I ever imagined. The divorce was final. The court had granted it without a fight. Lance had surprised me by agreeing to sign the papers, though he made it clear I wouldn’t get a cent of his property. I didn’t care. I never wanted anything from him but this divorce… even if getting it meant resorting to things I never thought I’d be capable of
****FLASHBACKS****The classroom was bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, shadows stretching long across the floor. My lips brushed Lysol's owe last time, the moment abruptly shattered by the door bursting open and we both flinched apart.“Maya!” I barked, my heart leaping into my throat. Relief washed over me when I saw her standing there, smirking. For a brief moment, I thought it was a teacher or someone who could ruin everything.“What?” she drawled, leaning against the doorframe with a smug grin. “Relax, it’s just me.” She turned to Lysol with a playful tilt of her head. “Hi, handsome.”Lysol flushed, offering her a small smile. “Hi, Maya and congratulations on your graduation.” Today was actually the day we’re graduating from highschool. Others were outside celebrating but I prefer being here.“Same to you,” she replied breezily.Lysol turned to me, his smile softening. “I’ll see you later, Kingsley,” he murmured, slipping past Maya and out the door.As the door click