Kaleb"What do you mean he has been hitting her?" Dean asked over the music, picking up his glass of whisky."I'm telling you there isn't anything that girl hasn't seen in her one-year marriage with Dimwit." I beckoned the waitress in charge of our table, in need of something stronger than the beer I was currently taking."He didn't deserve to have her in the first place. Things would be different right now if you had just made a move when you first saw her." I raised my hand in the air to stop Dean from adding anything to his statement."We agreed to never talk about it; please leave it," I spoke, looking around the club as people enjoyed themselves. There was one couple in particular that caught my eye, kissing on the dance floor as they swayed to the music. I wished I had a woman to call mine at that moment."That was before we knew that Roman had been cheating on Ayla. Why can't you accept that she's the reason that you've been fucking around?" Dean pressed, making me take a large
Ayla"Kai Marlowe Rivers," I read on the back of my shared photo with my brother, his name flowing with hardship between my lips. I turned the photo, smiling through the heartache as I looked at the only recent shared picture with him. I missed him, so much so that his photo blurred as my eyes filled up."We have twenty minutes to go before the meeting," came Kaleb's voice through the intercom, pulling me back into reality."I'm ready," I cleared my throat, my voice coming out weaker than I intended."Is everything okay?" He asked after seconds of silence. I could hear shuffling on his side, making me scramble for a piece of pocket tissue. The last thing I wanted was to explain why I had teary eyes."Ye-s," I answered, wiping my eyes."Okay." He ended the call, making me heave a sigh of relief.I had arranged everything he needed for the meeting, including preparing slideshows for his presentation. According to his briefing, the meeting would include Roman and his secretary, the board
Kaleb"Will you just drop it?" I told Dean for the umpteenth time, dropping my pen on my office desk."But I'm just getting started. Do you know that I ended up having a threesome with those girls? And damn, the sex was just out of this world." I shook my head as he explained in excitement, his eyes lighting up as if he were reliving the whole thing."I don't need to know about what you people did," I clearly stated, directing a glare at him."Don't pretend that you didn't want to go fuck Mia. I saw the way you hesitated, probably thinking about it," Dean spoke, rotating on the swivel chair opposite mine."When did you become a mind reader? If anything, I wanted to get as far as I could from her." It was partly the truth, and I didn't need to explain myself any further."I thought I planned it all good, but I guess I still expected you to turn them down now that Ayla seems to have occupied your senses." I sat up, looking at him, trying to make sense of his words."What exactly are you
Ayla "Kaleb," I called, looking at him sprawled on the leather couch. When he didn't respond, I dragged myself off the bed, trying to remember how we ended up falling asleep. When I looked at the time on my phone on the bedside table, it was already 30 minutes past 9 in the morning. I had to rub my eyes and recheck, just to be sure. "Shit," I swore, walking to the couch to shake Kaleb but decided not to. Instead, I took a quick shower and prepared breakfast. I managed to cook through without throwing up, all while praying for him not to wake up before I was done. I took time to really look at him as he slept soundly, his lips slightly parted. It was the first time I was taking time to really admire him without shying off. For a man, he sure had long lashes that fanned his cheeks and thick eyebrows with slits that made him look even more sexy. It took everything in me not to run my hand on his face just to feel his skin. "Fuck," I whispered when my eyes dropped all the way fr
KalebMy thumb hovered over my phone screen on the confirm button for an escort as I palmed myself under the desk. Despite trying everything to get Ayla out of my mind, the need to feel her intensified with every passing minute. Goddess, I wanted to taste her, even for a few minutes, to feel her petite body against mine."Argh!" I stood up, deciding to go to the adjacent resting area for a break instead of inviting an escort over to the office. I was at a point where I needed release because my cock was becoming painful and could no longer allow me to concentrate at work. Without thinking twice, I switched on the TV and logged into the browser, then got comfortable on the bed after removing my shoes.While rubbing myself, I searched for local porn and played the first video that I came across. It started with the girl kneeling in front of the man, unzipping him. I unbuttoned my slacks, lowered them to my waist, then dipped my hand under my brief. My breath was coming out in short puff
AylaI walked out of Kaleb's office with my head held high, fighting a smile off my face. His words had hurt me that morning, so it felt quite good to use them against him. Apart from that, though, I couldn't deny that I just wanted to spend time with him, talking about anything and everything.Right after I stepped into the hallway, I found a tall man around his late 30s leaning against my counter, tapping his foot on the tiled floor. His gaze was on his watch, but he lifted his face when I came into view."You must be Mr. Kaleb's secretary; I saw you at the meeting." He seemed pleasant as he shook my hand, his eyes fixed on my cleavage."And you must be Randolf, the Head of the Finance Department." I had received an email earlier, booking an appointment with Kaleb around 2 in the afternoon."Right, did you fix a spot for me? There are important matters I need to discuss with him." He licked his lips as he spoke, staring longily at my exposed part of my boobs. I didn't like that look
Kaleb "What's wrong? You've barely said a word since we got off work," I said after a long silence, driving with Ayla staring out of the window, without any movement. Her hair was down, covering most of the side of her face, so I couldn't really look at her expression and tell what was happening. "Ayla?" I called when she sniffled and adjusted herself so that her face was totally hidden from my view. "Are you crying? Is it what happened earlier in my office?" She shook her head, another sniffle following. Then I remembered that I had sent her to deliver a file to Angel; could she have seen Roman and something ended up happening between them, worse, Roman hurting her? With that possibility in mind, I pulled over, right at the diversion that led to our home. "Did Roman do something to you?" I pressed, my fist itching to connect with the Dimwit's face once again. "No, it's just the pregnancy hormones," she finally whispered, her voice so low that I barely heard her over the soft mus
AylaI examined my wrists the minute I got inside the house, the feeling of helplessness engulfing me once again. I could still feel Roman's grip around my wrists, crawling all over my skin, and his breath on my face as he warned me. My body was still trembling, my mind reliving the entire ordeal."Would he have forced himself on me if Danica hadn't walked in?" I knew the answer to that question, and the mere imagination made me literally tremble. I stood in front of the mirror, my frail, blurry reflection looking back at me. My eyes were red and swollen, my lips were chapped, and there was a visible vein on the side of my forehead."He's becoming worse," I admitted in a barely audible, shaky voice, closing my eyes as tears escaped. My chest felt like it was being squeezed from the inside, the pain spreading to the upper part of my abdomen."Hey Ayla," Marise called as she knocked."What?" I responded after seconds of silence, debating whether to answer or just ignore."Open up; I hav
Kaleb"What the hell, dude, did someone die?" Dean's loud voice filled my ears, making me scrunch my face up."Lower your voice." I forced the words out, holding a whole bottle of Hennessy in my living room, seated on the sofa."Seriously? You missed an important meeting with investors to drink yourself to stupor?" he barked, walking towards me."I haven't seen Ayla either, and no one is picking up their phones. Are you guys okay?" he asked."Ayla?" he called, looking around."Good luck getting an answer from her," I muttered, taking a big gulp of the liquid. I barely felt it as it burnt my throat; after all, the burn was nothing compared to the tugging feeling in my chest."It's 11 for goodness sake, Kaleb! When have you ever missed work just to stupidly drown yourself with alcohol?" Dean attempted to snatch the bottle away from me, but I hid it behind me, giving him a wavering glare."She has refused to talk to me," I said, my voice shaky."Who, Ayla?" Dean probed, sitting beside me
AylaI pressed a fist on my trembling lips, my thoughts spinning in my head. Kaleb's mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. All I could feel at that point was a barrage of emotions that left my body crumpling in on itself."A child," I uttered in a low yet shaky voice."Now I get it...the messages." I swallowed hard, past a growing lump in my throat."Baby, I can explain." I could now hear his voice from afar, filled with hesitation and heaviness.I forced a painful laugh out."Explain what, Kaleb?" I asked softly."How many motherfucking times did you have the chance to come clean? I asked you if everything was okay. You denied knowing anything about the number, over and over again," I whispered the last part, pushing myself off the bed. My body felt as if it had been hit by a bomb, but then I couldn't stay another minute near such a lying coward."You know the worst part?" I closed my eyes, listening to my heart beat as it seemed to slow down."You never thought to
Kaleb"What was that?" I shouted at Amanda over the phone in my bedroom at the mansion."What was what Kaleb?" she sweetly inquired, her nonchalance over the matter making my patience thin."You know fucking well what I am talking about." I was minutes away from hunting her down and putting her in her place."Well consider that a warning love," she responded, giggling at the end."What?" I asked."When the results come, and you find out that indeed you are Leo's father, I expect your unwavering attention and participation in his life," she explained, her tone of voice becoming more serious."What is that supposed to mean?" I leaned on the wall, my emotions all over."You cannot be there for Leo while you are parading around and investing your time in that good for nothing poverty ridden girl. So, I will send her a message containing every piece of information you have been hiding from her. Trust me I know that you haven't told her a thing about our son." My grip around the phone tight
Ayla"Baby, please talk to me," Kaleb begged as I walked out of my office. It seemed he had been standing by the door, waiting for me to step out."You haven't said a word to me since yesterday, Ayla," he added, following me as I headed straight to the cafeteria. I had woken up before him and had used an uber to get to the office, without eating anything."I won't stop following you until you talk to me or let me explain myself," he muttered behind me.I hadn't slept a wink, wondering why he would lie not once but twice. What was so important that he couldn't have told me? I had a mild ache in my head, and I had to keep swallowing the urge to cry."Good morning," Randolf greeted us confidently when the elevator opened. He moved a little bit back to allow us some space as we got in. Instead of answering, Kaleb gave him a nod, while I bit down the urge to call him on his scheme with Roman.From the way he was carrying himself, he thought that he had covered his tracks very well."Are yo
Kaleb"I can't believe you really agreed to this," Dean spoke in a low voice beside me at the private clinic, in the waiting bay."She offered, so I agreed because I need to prove that, that child is mine, and DNA is the only accurate way I know," I defended, supporting my upper body weight with my elbows on my thighs."Exactly, offered." He waved his hand in the air, probably out of frustration."Why are you not asking yourself why Amanda would just volunteer for a DNA test even before you asked her to?" The tone of his voice changed to something I couldn't quite explain."Because she is telling the truth maybe. That boy could be my son, I mean he's four years old and Amanda left five years, ago, while she was in her early pregnancy stages," I paused, wondering whether I was trying to convince myself, or my best friend Dean."Yes Amanda, fucking broke me but if that child is mine, he deserves to have a father in his life," I finished, the thought of being a father making me feel thi
Ayla"Something is not adding up here," I spoke softly to myself, staring at one of the printed records. Kaleb had demanded the files from Randolf, who had no choice but to hand them over to me. I still remembered the way he glared at me sharply while I picked the files with Kaleb on my side, smiling victoriously. I could feel my heart pounding as I looked at line after line, and that is when I noticed that some transaction entries had been rounded off to neat figures."Did someone you know get lost?" Dean asked when I entered his office after one knock, carrying the files and a laptop."Well, if money qualifies as someone, then I think much of it has been lost," I answered, opening the files."I need your help." I sat down, looking as he pulled one of the opened files."What am I looking at?" He asked in all seriousness, pulling his chair closer to his desk."These payments, they are too clean, and some of them are very little compared to the amount of money a company of such magnitu
Kaleb "I would have never thought of something like this if it weren't for Ayla." I rotated on a swivel chair in Dean's office, looking as he compared the vans further on his monitor. It was on Monday, two days after the shooting fiasco at the mansion. I was yet to visit Marise, too, held up. "Me too, at least we have a connection between Roman and Rex. The question is, does Roman know that Rex is Ayla's uncle, and what business exactly are they contacting?" Ayla and I had asked similar questions, and we were willing to uncover every layer of secrets slowly by slowly. "With everything that is happening, I am beginning to think that I don't really know Roman and Mom like I've always thought I do." Things all of a sudden were taking turns that I really couldn't have anticipated. "First it was Amanda, then Randolf, now Marise and Rex. We haven't even uncovered what all of them are up to, and yet things keep on getting complicated," Dean pointed out, pausing his hand movement on the m
AylaThe mansion was utter chaos as Catarina screamed all over, insisting that there was an intruder. The police had arrived and scoured the entire compound, including the forest, and no one turned up. There was no sign of forced entry into Marise's quarters, and the guards on both entrances had not opened up for anyone."Ma'am, how did you know that your housekeeper had been shot?" One of the detectives asked.We were seated in the central living room with two detectives, Danica and Kaleb. Roman wasn't back yet, and Kaleb was yet to tell me what they had discovered about him. But that could wait until the current situation was under control."I heard the shot," Catarina answered, her eyes widening a fraction as if she was reliving the whole ordeal."I quickly got up and looked through my bedroom window, and that is when I saw a man running out of Marise's quarters, into the back," she added, rocking back and forth."I was so sc-are-d," she stammered, her body visibly trembling. Somet
Kaleb"Is it possible that Roman knows we are onto him?" I asked Dean as we waited by the diversion from the mansion that led to the highway for Roman."Chill, dude. It's only 10 minutes past 11," Dean scoffed, tapping on the steering wheel of his Mercedes S-class."Fine." I exhaled deeply, my eyes on the road."You should tell her," Dean spoke after a minute or so of silence, staring right ahead."Huh?" I shifted on the seat."Ayla, she deserves to know about Amanda and the child. She will not stop looking until she finds out who's texting her; we both know that," he carefully stated, his voice low."You think I don't know that?" I pinched the bridge of my nose just as Roman's BMW zoomed past at a high speed."There we go, told you he'd come." Dean followed him at a distance into the highway, making sure not to lose sight of him.It didn't take long before he veered off the main road into a dirt road that had trees on either side. There was no sign of any homes or cars, just the soun