~~~KINGLSEY'S POV~~~I stepped out of the private jet with my secretary and my dad, the cool night air hitting my face. My Rolex glinted under the airport lights as I checked the time and I would say in the next few hours, I would be having my engagement party with Maya which was one of the reasons why we returned quickly after closing the deal.We'd just closed a $2.3 billion deal in Hong Kong, acquiring three of Zhao's subsidiaries. It was quite a difficult one and Ihad to go to some pretty extreme lengths to make them give in.Well…in this kind of the world, being soft or patient doesn't get you what you want. Sometimes, you need to take drastic steps to get it. Which was why I sometimes have to take some necessary steps as I hate dragging thing out.Dad had no clue about it, of course. To him, this was a easy deal but he had no idea of what I and Mr Zhao had done on private to made him give in to all our conditions.I would say I picked up this trick from Maya's father as he also
Ashley continued noticing that I wasn't impressed. "I know there's a lot to gain from this marriage, but you deserve better…..better than someone who's sneaking around with another person's husband when it's just a few days until her marriage to you. I think that disrespectful a slap to your face. What happens when it taints your image and your reputation?" She asked in a concerned tone that didn't quite reach her eyes.And I would say all her attempts at sympathy were almost laughable, as she thought she could badmouth Maya and get me to call off the engagement, but this was far more than that , not some petty relationship drama.I crossed my arms, watching her carefully. “You seem very concerned about my reputation more than myself. What's your angle here, Ashley? I think I should know that before we discuss something else." She didn't falter, "I might have a better offer for you. Much more suitable than what she and her family are offering to you. We all know that people like us
~~~MAYA’S POV~~~“How exactly are you feeling about this engagement?" I looked up, a smile spreading across my face. "It's... indescribable," I began. "Kingsley and I, we've grown up together. We've seen each other at our best and our worst and now, to stand here, knowing we've chosen each other for life… It's beyond amazing. I'm just... I'm so happy I can barely put it into words."Another reporter leaned in, "What do you love most about Mr Kingsley Bane?"My eyes softened as I thought of him. "Oh, where do I even start?" I laughed out. "His smile, for one. It lights up his whole face and when he smiles at me, it's like the whole world disappears. Moreover, his eyes... when he looks at me, it's like he sees straight into my soul. They're this deep, rich blue eyes like ocean that I could get lost in for hours."I paused, a mischievous glint in my eye. "And then there's his long hair that cascade over his shoulder. Well...what's left of it now." I felt sad, “He used to have this gorge
As Kingsley and I stepped into the grand hall, a hush fell over the crowd before erupting into applause. My heart raced faster with each step I took, partly from nerves and partly from excitement that I was feeling The room was filled with prominent figures from all over the world and I would say this was really a classic party just like my parents and Kinglsey's mother said, considering the faces that I was seeing here.My golden off-shoulder gown, a masterpiece designed by a world-renowned fashion house which belongs to the Bane family, trailed behind me. Each step sent light dancing off the thousands of diamonds that were sewn into the fabric. Whispers rippled through the crowd as we took each step. “She looks absolutely stunning," I heard someone murmur.Another voice chimed in, "And he is so handsome. What a perfect pair they make."We bowed our heads slightly, acknowledging the guests with my my left hand placed on my chest as I was overwhelmed by the warmth."Thank you all,"
~~~LANCE'S POV~~~Standing in the middle of the room, I watched Maya walk arm in arm with Kingsley. My heart caught in my throat as her radiant smile shone brighter than I'd seen in years and If memory serves me right, the last time I saw that smile on her face was on our wedding day, as she walked down the aisle.That smile used to be only for me but now, seeing it directed at another man sent waves of conflicting emotions through me.I could barely describe how I felt right now. But I was damn sure the unending pain in my chest was from heartbreak. Now I wished I'd never come here as I realized the reaskn why he'd sent me the invitation card in the first place Yesterday, I got a personal invitation from Kingsley Bane's secretary, saying he was moved by the advice I gave him that other day and wanted me here today.Now, with all this I was seeing, I knew he'd planned it all. I already guessed he must've also known about Maya and me since our last chat in the restroom but telling me
I stepped out of the bathroom, the towel hanging loosely around my neck as I rubbed my damp hair. The cool air hit my skin, but my attention was quickly drawn to the figure sitting on the edge of the bed with her gaze fixed on me. It was Maya.At first, her mouth was wide open, taking in every inch of my body and I wondered if this was the first time she had ever seen a man in just a towel. But when she met my eyes, her attention snapped back to reality and she quickly lowered her head.Now, she looked a bit nervous, her hands fidgeting with the hem of the red nightgown she wore.Oh, fuck! Not this, Morgan.My fist clenched around the towel as I recognized the nightgown and I didn’t even need to be told as it was obvious that it didn’t belong to her.The night wear she was wearing was too tight, pressing against her body and she seemed to be struggling to breathe comfortably in it. If I could remember correctly, his red gown belonged to Ashley as I was the one who personally bought i
I pulled back immediately as I was completely stunned by her words. “Your first time?” I asked again, my voice barely a whisper as I wasn’t really sure if I had heard her right.Maya nodded her head gently, confirming my question and I could see her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Slowly, she turned under me and grabbed the duvet, trying to cover herself while I stared at her in disbelief, struggling to process her confession again and again.Virgins? In this day and age? I didn’t even meet Ashley as one so meeting her as one was quite a surprise. It seemed almost unreal. Fuck! Why are there so many innocent thing about her? She's really one rare girl.Now, I didn’t even know what to do as a part of me thought I should stop and back off from the innocent soul that was right in front of me and the other part of me really do want her.But I didn't think I could be gentle with her especially being her first time. I was sure this would create a bad memories for her, so I decided
~~~MAYA'S POV~~~~I stood in the grand hall with many faces all around me, each one was a testament to the power and influence of the Roderigo name. With a bright smile on my face with my hand rested lightly on my chest, I bowed my head slightly to another guest.Suddenly, I felt the presence of someome by my side and on turning, it was my mom, who also had a bright smile on her face. She wrapped her hamd around my arm, as we surveyed the room together."Congratulations, my dear," she said, her voice low and proud. “You've done well."“It's all thanks to you, Mother. And also father." I replied, not feeling any gratitude in my tone and she stopped at her track which also made me also but her hand was still wrapped around my arm.Then her gaze scanned the room, sweeping over the politicians, celebrities and business moguls who had flocked here to witness the joining of two powerful families in LA.“Maya," she began, her eyes scanning the crowd, "I want you to know that I've never regr
“Ashley,” I hissed through clenched teeth, “I promise you, if I find you, you will regret this.”Then her tone changed and she bursted into a heavy laughter. ““Oh, sweetheart,” she cooed, dripping with malice. “I’ve had enough of this charade, so let me spell it out for you since you seem too dense to grasp the situation. You cheated on me, Lance. I found out. I even have pictures of your little escapades—pictures you’d never want anyone else to see.”My chest tightened. “Ashley…”She cut me off with an evil chuckle. “Since you refused to settle this amicably, I’ve decided to hit you where it hurts. I’ll be filing for divorce—and demanding half of your property as compensation. So get ready, darling. You’ll be splitting everything in two.And sweetheart, you’ll see the divorce paper in the bedroom once you get home. I'll see you in a few days at the court.”Her words sounds like a kids bed night story and I could not help but laugh.. “You think I’m going to let you take half of what I
***LANCE'S POV***I woke up to a pounding headache, the kind that felt like someone was jackhammering against the inside of my skull. A soft groan escaped my lips, as I clutched my head with both hands, trying to will the pain away. The world felt off-kilter, like I was trapped in some twisted dream, and it took what felt like an eternity for my senses to clear. After some minutes, I felt a little but relief and I slowly rolled onto my back, my gaze locking onto the ceiling above. A faint crack in the plaster caught my eye—a detail that only deepened the gnawing unease in my chest. I sighned in anger as the memory crashed into me like a tidal wave: the dining table, the satisfying smirk on her face, and the humiliation that had burned me from the inside out. "That bitch," I muttered, the words laced with venom as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hit the cold floor, grounding me, but my head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton. I rubbed my temples wonderi
****MAYA'S POV****Walking into the hospital, I was greeted by the smell of antiseptics. I rushed past the sterile white walls, my heels clicking against the cold floor as I quickly approached the reception counter. “Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon, ma'am,” one of the nurses replied. “Please, I need to see a patient. Her name is Mia Flynn," I said, my voice strained but firm. "I’m her guardian." “Alright, ma'am. Please give me a second,” she said politely, and I gave a nod. I waited patiently as she typed on the computer. Checking my phone again, I felt a little bit disappointed in myself as I had missed a lot of Bella's calls while in court. But as I glanced up from my phone, I noticed the nurse sneaking quick glances at me, her eyes darting away every time I caught her. A quick sweep of the room confirmed it wasn’t just her. A few other nurses and even patients were watching too, whispering to one another. I didn’t really know what was going on in their minds, whether i
****LANCE'S POV****Victory should feel better than this but it seems totally different from what Maya was feeling as if we lost the case. She had been lost in thought since morning. Her brow narrowed as she finally let out what was bothering her."But why is Kingsley laughing like that?" she murmured, enough for me to hear. "Maybe he never for once dreamed of a day that he would be beaten like this? Or Maybe…the defeat hit him hard," I replied, forcing a smile. " But Maya are you now alright? I was so worried when Ethan was pressuring you so much. You had…”I stopped mid-sentence when I realized her attention wasn’t on me. Her eyes were distant, her lips parted slightly as she leaned against the pillar with her arms crossed, lost in her own world. No, not her world—’his’. “Do you think he’s alright?” she murmured softly, almost as if she were asking herself.Her words hit me hard. My jaw tightened, my hand curling into a fist at my side as an unfamiliar wave of jealousy coursed
I leaned back, crossing my legs as I watched the drama. The outcome of this trial was already clear. Then, it was Ethan's turn. “Your Honor,” Ethan began, “may I call Ms. Maya Roderigo to the stand?” The judge approved, and Maya took her place in the witness box. Ethan wasted no time. “Miss Roderigo,” he started, “could you kindly explain to the court how you came to own Wells Enterprises?” Before Maya could answer, Henry Wallace shot to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor! This is irrelevant to the case at hand.” Ethan turned to the judge, unfazed. “Your Honor, this question is highly relevant. The financial state of Wells Enterprises prior to Miss Roderigo’s ownership directly pertains to the viability of the rezoning proposal. The company’s struggles predate my client’s involvement, and now they are planning a daylight robbery, claiming that the rezoning rumors are the reason behind their poor business performance.First, they brought a fake document about land use and n
****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
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
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
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