CATHERINE POVTHE NEXT DAY. I hated how I woke up to the thought of Andre. I wouldn't say I liked it one bit. The previous night was one I didn't want to experience anymore and what's worse was I met him again, Andre. I sighed as I palmed my face. I was at a crossroads. I lay on my bed as I thought about it; I gulped and turned to face my son- no, our son.Even if I wanted to run away and never look back, I couldn't deny that he was Brian's father, and that was that. I was not too fond of it, but life happened. Andre was a man I thought I had moved on from; the fact that he was back was something that I dreaded with all my heart. And what was worse? He wanted to take Brian away from me. I would never allow that, even if it were to fight him with my last breath. But I had no such powers. I was literally powerless.I sighed, and I gripped Brian's hand. I touched my baby boy, he might look like his father, but he wasn't his father. I groaned under my breath and exhaled. I thought I
Catherine. A few hours ago. I packed my bags and all of Brian's things, I thought I would need to pay for a cab to get to Andre's house, but it was not needed.Andre had sent a luxurious car to pick us up. I was relieved I wouldn't be jumping buses to get to his house, and I had used the opportunity to pack a lot.Also, I was somewhat glad whatever was happening had happened. I had been working so hard to get to pay the house rent, which was getting due tomorrow, until Andre surfaced.Despite how I loathed the circumstances under which we met, I guessed he saved me from the impending embarrassment.The chauffeur greeted me with respect while I held onto my son. I miss this lifestyle. The car ride was peaceful. I didn't have to worry about the multiple jobs I had to keep up with or the tiring bus rides that scared me. I was always with Brian, but it wasn't the same. I was always worried about the lifestyle that I couldn't give him and the hopes that I had to fulfil for him. I could
ANDRE POV I sat down in my office, waiting for my assistant and the result of the deal that I had lost.I tapped the pen against the table countless times; I wasn't exactly nervous, I just needed her to burst through the door and show me the details of the work, and then I would get to work and know what to do about it. Besides that being on my mind, I couldn't brush away the thought of Catherine and my son.I imagined him in my hands and even his mother; I smiled at the things that would happen. "Sir!" My secretary barged in and showed me the papers. I sighed when I saw her expression. She didn't have a smile on her face. "What's wrong?" I asked her as she placed the file on the table. "Did you get who snagged the deal?""Mr Dominic." She murmured. Then stepped backwards as I glared at her. "H-He went behind the doors, and he staked higher. Mr Williams has an open-door party too."She stuttered and heaved a breath. She was frightened, and I know she had every right to be. She cou
ANDRE Two hours later. "I am ready," Catherine said, and I immediately turned to look at her. She walked down the stairs in the dress I had bought for her.I was awestruck. I hadn't seen her in a year, and she was more dolled up for me. My jaw dropped as I saw her. I didn't know what to say. Nana gasped as she held Brian; she smiled and sighed. I could see how happy she was. I smiled as Catherine got down, and I walked up to her. "You-" My gaze assessed her, and I saw how her curves came out and how gorgeous she looked.Fuck, Catherine should be every man's dream, and she was mine. "You look ravishing." I smiled at her and gripped her hand."I know, thank you." She replied. Catherine seemed shy towards me, or I imagined it because she was anything but shy to those men at the stinking bar where she worked at. The thought of her working at the ridiculous bar made me angry, and the fact that she did that for over a year. I sighed, but I didn't like it to ruin my night. "Okay,
CATHERINE. I wouldn't deny I didn't love how he spoke and acted like a true gentleman.And the best was he was humorous. He didn't look as angry as Andre, or maybe I shouldn't compare both men."Swayed you? I barely did anything." I said.For once, I knew how beautiful I was and how easy it made men lose their jaws whenever I was near. I had seen many men eyeing me without hiding. They all stared at me openly and even whispered some words which I often heard as they weren't quiet enough.I was that confident until Andre decided to betray me. I lost my senses as well as confidence all at once.Brushing the thought of his painful reminder aside, I gazed at the hot stranger. I wouldn't want to be too forward with him and lose favour. Instead, I'd played dumb and switched it up, and if, by chance, all went well, I could move on to him.Perhaps, it was silly of me to think so. But I feel better chemistry towards him than Andre. Did I, or was it just a spur of the moment? "Oh, you did. Yo
CATHERINE“No, Andre! I am no longer the puppet you can throw around in the name of a wife!” I screamed into the phone, all my pent-up and hurt emotions bubbling up to the surface.“I am done with that hellhole you call a marriage! Nothing can bring me back to you after you had the nerve, the audacity and the disrespect to cheat on me with my sister!”His voice on the other end of the phone oozed anger, the deep baritone almost forcing me to surrender to his will. But he had hurt me too much for that to work now. “It was a contract marriage. I am not obligated to you, Catherine, now fucking listen to me—”“I am not obligated to you, either! I have always listened to you and where has that gotten me? Hurt and pregnant.” I yelled him down with a cracking voice, making sure he could not get a word in. “I am not your property, Mr. Gray, and you don’t own me.”“That’s where you are f*cking wrong.” His reply was venomous. “I own every inch of you, Catherine. From the moment you signed thos
ONE YEAR LATER.“Hey, Cat!” One of the waitresses, Nina, called out to me the moment I hurried into the club from the back entrance.“Are you just f*cking getting here?” She asked chewing her gum with a smile. She was vulgar but I was not surprised because she had always been like that.Her pretty midnight-black eyes held pity but I ignored it.“I barely managed to hide your absence from the manager!”“Thanks, Nina, I owe you one!” I panted out through heavy, hurried breaths, giving her a guilty and thankful look as I practically ran past her to the changing rooms.My ears twitched as banging sounds and vibrations of music came through the walls from the main bar area. That meant the club was already in full swing.Shít.In record time, I pulled my waitress clothes out of my locker in the staff changing rooms while stripping off my regular clothes at the same time. At my other job, I was made to work overtime today and that was why I got here so late. I could not neglect Brian at his
ANDRE POV I was f*cking pissed off.First I was furious at that ball of meat that had the nerve to put his hands on what was mine. Now, all of my anger was directed straight at the woman trapped against the wall in front of me.After a whole damn year of looking for Catherine and the baby she took from me, here she was. Here she f*cking was. In some ridiculous club in the middle of New York City.And worst was, she was working as a waitress. A freaking goddamned waitress.How the hell was she even taking care of my child with such a nauseating job? Did she even have the time to take care of the helpless baby when she was here serving drinks to horny assholes?All those thoughts ran through my head but I brushed them aside to concentrate on her.Catherine, my gorgeous Catherine. Perhaps, I didn't have the right to call her that now.But until the moment she fled, she had been my wife and no proper separation document was made.Needless to say, she was still mine.Her beautiful hazel
CATHERINE. I wouldn't deny I didn't love how he spoke and acted like a true gentleman.And the best was he was humorous. He didn't look as angry as Andre, or maybe I shouldn't compare both men."Swayed you? I barely did anything." I said.For once, I knew how beautiful I was and how easy it made men lose their jaws whenever I was near. I had seen many men eyeing me without hiding. They all stared at me openly and even whispered some words which I often heard as they weren't quiet enough.I was that confident until Andre decided to betray me. I lost my senses as well as confidence all at once.Brushing the thought of his painful reminder aside, I gazed at the hot stranger. I wouldn't want to be too forward with him and lose favour. Instead, I'd played dumb and switched it up, and if, by chance, all went well, I could move on to him.Perhaps, it was silly of me to think so. But I feel better chemistry towards him than Andre. Did I, or was it just a spur of the moment? "Oh, you did. Yo
ANDRE Two hours later. "I am ready," Catherine said, and I immediately turned to look at her. She walked down the stairs in the dress I had bought for her.I was awestruck. I hadn't seen her in a year, and she was more dolled up for me. My jaw dropped as I saw her. I didn't know what to say. Nana gasped as she held Brian; she smiled and sighed. I could see how happy she was. I smiled as Catherine got down, and I walked up to her. "You-" My gaze assessed her, and I saw how her curves came out and how gorgeous she looked.Fuck, Catherine should be every man's dream, and she was mine. "You look ravishing." I smiled at her and gripped her hand."I know, thank you." She replied. Catherine seemed shy towards me, or I imagined it because she was anything but shy to those men at the stinking bar where she worked at. The thought of her working at the ridiculous bar made me angry, and the fact that she did that for over a year. I sighed, but I didn't like it to ruin my night. "Okay,
ANDRE POV I sat down in my office, waiting for my assistant and the result of the deal that I had lost.I tapped the pen against the table countless times; I wasn't exactly nervous, I just needed her to burst through the door and show me the details of the work, and then I would get to work and know what to do about it. Besides that being on my mind, I couldn't brush away the thought of Catherine and my son.I imagined him in my hands and even his mother; I smiled at the things that would happen. "Sir!" My secretary barged in and showed me the papers. I sighed when I saw her expression. She didn't have a smile on her face. "What's wrong?" I asked her as she placed the file on the table. "Did you get who snagged the deal?""Mr Dominic." She murmured. Then stepped backwards as I glared at her. "H-He went behind the doors, and he staked higher. Mr Williams has an open-door party too."She stuttered and heaved a breath. She was frightened, and I know she had every right to be. She cou
Catherine. A few hours ago. I packed my bags and all of Brian's things, I thought I would need to pay for a cab to get to Andre's house, but it was not needed.Andre had sent a luxurious car to pick us up. I was relieved I wouldn't be jumping buses to get to his house, and I had used the opportunity to pack a lot.Also, I was somewhat glad whatever was happening had happened. I had been working so hard to get to pay the house rent, which was getting due tomorrow, until Andre surfaced.Despite how I loathed the circumstances under which we met, I guessed he saved me from the impending embarrassment.The chauffeur greeted me with respect while I held onto my son. I miss this lifestyle. The car ride was peaceful. I didn't have to worry about the multiple jobs I had to keep up with or the tiring bus rides that scared me. I was always with Brian, but it wasn't the same. I was always worried about the lifestyle that I couldn't give him and the hopes that I had to fulfil for him. I could
CATHERINE POVTHE NEXT DAY. I hated how I woke up to the thought of Andre. I wouldn't say I liked it one bit. The previous night was one I didn't want to experience anymore and what's worse was I met him again, Andre. I sighed as I palmed my face. I was at a crossroads. I lay on my bed as I thought about it; I gulped and turned to face my son- no, our son.Even if I wanted to run away and never look back, I couldn't deny that he was Brian's father, and that was that. I was not too fond of it, but life happened. Andre was a man I thought I had moved on from; the fact that he was back was something that I dreaded with all my heart. And what was worse? He wanted to take Brian away from me. I would never allow that, even if it were to fight him with my last breath. But I had no such powers. I was literally powerless.I sighed, and I gripped Brian's hand. I touched my baby boy, he might look like his father, but he wasn't his father. I groaned under my breath and exhaled. I thought I
ANDRE POV "I will agree to her terms if you put it that way, I want to get my son and if accepting her terms will let me gain access to him then I will," I said and he nodded. "You have made the right decision, Mr Gray. We should head back into the room to speak to her and then sign the contract, after that she can move into the house," Frank said. "Good idea," I asserted and immediately we left for the room to see Catherine. I accepted her term didn't mean I had no tricks up my sleeve. Of course, I had everything planned and I knew she would never accept to be with me without going down for a fight. I was going to state another term for her so we would both be even. There was no way I'd let her win this. "Mrs Gray," "It's Catherine Banks." She interjected. I frowned. We didn't officially divorce and I wonder why she was refusing my last name. But, I knew it was only a matter of time. After this night, there'd be no reason for rejection. "I'm sorry, ma'am." Frank flashed her
CATHERINE POVI sat down on the floor in tears after Andre left me in his hotel suite. I tried to unlock the door and then leave to see my son but the door was locked. He had made sure to lock the door after he left just so I wouldn't be able to get out.Andre meant business and I knew it. He had never said anything without going through with his words."Let me out!!" I yelled as I banged on the door but I heard no reply or footsteps from the outside.I doubted if anyone was outside my door and even if they were, they would not care to answer me.No one would dare to let me out of the place for fear of getting killed. Andre Gray was a ruthless man that tormented me when we were married. He did several horrible things which might seem as though he was helping me at first.I thought I could change him. I thought I could melt his cold heart. Now, I knew all those thoughts were just in my head.I just started to live my life again and now he showed up and wanted me to live as his wife al
ANDRE POV I dug my hands into my pockets and watched her with a smirk on my face. She could resist all she wanted, but I was going to get my son back.Nothing could stop me. Not even her. She stared down at the documents, and her hands trembled like she was going to rip through them again. She could rip it to pieces all she wanted, that was the only thing she had control over. I had control over the rest of what happened in her life. I had control over what she did. Over her. My gaze fell over her body again. This time, in the privacy of my hotel suite, the waitress's uniform suddenly did not look that bad. It only looked more seductive now. From the rough way, I had handled her to get her into my car, and up here in my suite, her ponytail had become loose. The beautiful auburn hair now hung low, flowing down her slender shoulders and back in thick, soft curls.My fingers itched as the urge to wrap the curls around my fingers filled me.Not only that, my cock heated when I reme
“No!” I screamed.The sound was deafening, and I ripped the papers apart. “I will never hand my son over to you! You can’t take him away from me!” I kept on shrieking as I had finally lost my mind, tearing the documents over and over again so they floated to the floor in tiny pieces. I hurled the rest of the shredded paper at him with tears running down my face.“I will never let my son come anywhere near you, Mr. Gray!” My anger at the pure injustice of this world was rattling, and my tears flowed faster. “You got these fake documents in my absence and you think you can fool me into surrendering my child to you?! Your plan has failed miserably!”“Fake?” He said that word like he was unfamiliar with it. His tone lowered. “Fail?”He chuckled. It was dark and intimidating. He stepped closer to me, with a sadistic smile and I took a couple of steps back. He kept following me till I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide from him. He was standing right inside my personal space, his hard to