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 Everything around us ceased from existing as Ayla mewled, kissing me back in matched energy. I tilted my face, deepening the kiss as every sense of caution went out of reach. Sparks erupted between us, turning into fire as I pressed tight against her, running my hands on her luscious body. "So sweet," I breathed against her lips, capturing them once again when she let out a soft moan. Heat spread through my veins as she clung onto me, beginning to gyrate her petite body against mine. I felt as if my dick was going to burst with how much blood was rushing there, hardening it to its limit. "Kaleb," Ayla whispered after pulling back, panting against me. "Goddess baby, you taste so good," I breathed, caressing her soft cheek. "More," she responded, sinking her upper teeth into her lower wet lip, pulled it, then released it, all while holding my gaze with her beautiful calling eyes. There was a fire in them, one that was calling me, consuming me whole. "You're playing with fire,
Ayla I couldn't fight off a smile as I thought about my night with Kaleb during a meeting the next day. Randolf was doing a presentation in front of senior staff, including Kaleb and Roman. All I could see was his mouth opening and closing and his hands moving. I was too deep in thought, reliving Kaleb grinding on me to hear Randolf's voice. "Ayla?" Kaleb called, snapping me out of my daydreaming. I cleared my throat as everyone around the table looked expectantly at me. "I asked you a question," Kaleb stated, giving me a side look as if he had realised that my mind was not there. "Please repeat, sir." I spoke in confidence, raising my head high while seated. "Randolf thinks that we should invest $1 billion in AI technology; that is 50% of the overall budget used on research and development. He says it will help the company save a lot of money because every process will be faster. What do you think?" I didn't need to rake my brain for an answer, because in my free time as a s
AylaI sat on Kaleb's leather couch on one of the balconies of his home, a bowl of chicken broth on the table in front of me. He had driven me to a house on Sedberry Road, only a few minutes from the heart of Nashville. As I looked over the garden, I wondered whether I was humane because I felt nothing after losing the pregnancy."Hey," Kaleb joined me, a laptop in his hand."Hi," I smiled briefly, his presence alone affecting my moods positively. He had been on an online meeting for hours, leaving me to my thoughts, until I decided to step out to the balcony."How are you?" he asked for the umpteenth time, looking at me as if searching my eyes.I looked at him, like really looked at him, wondering what he saw in me. Kaleb wasn’t like Roman; yes, they shared the same blood, but that’s where the similarities ended. Where Roman was selfish, Kaleb was selfless and stood by me. Roman made me feel small and useless, but Kaleb took me under his wing and went as far as making use of my busin
Kaleb"Where the fuck is my wife?" Roman barged inside my office, his wild eyes landing on me. I had already picked up Ayla's purse and had replied to some pending emails that she wasn't able to attend."She is not picking my calls, and I know you carried her out of the building." I just stood in the middle of my office, carrying my briefcase as I looked at him unravel.He stepped forward, his shoulders square and hands bawled into fists. I was slightly taller than him, so he had to tilt his neck just slightly to look at me in the face. "I will not ask you again," he paused, the upper corner of his mouth twitching, then continued, "Where did you take my wife?"I didn't flinch as he sneered; instead, I let out a low, biting laugh, then asked, "Wife?"I added another laugh that lingered in the air, shaking my head at his pathetic trial in intimidating me."I will forward the results of the online meeting I attended earlier; I expect your feedback by tomorrow." I sidestepped him, avoidin
Ayla'I swear I left the glass of milk in the sink,' I grumbled inside my temporary bedroom, my hand on my stomach, with my index finger tapping on it."Can I come in?" The nurse's voice carried through the wall, faint but unmistakable.""Yes, please," I breathed, pressing my hand harder on my belly when a sharp discomfort spread round to my back."It's time for your medicine. The last thing we want is for you to be unable to get sleep because of pain," the nurse who had told me that her name was Penelope said as she balanced the small tray with one hand and nudged the door shut with the other."I appreciate it. The pain had subsided, but now I can feel it increasing every minute," I admitted, closing my eyes as another knot formed in my pelvis."You're feeling the mild pain right now because the painkillers in your bloodstream have worn off. It will go away within a day or two as your uterus returns to its normal size," she explained, opening the sealed water bottle."I hope so; I re
Kaleb Three days had gone by since Ayla's miscarriage, and still we didn't have evidence. I kept on pushing Ayla to get the tests done, but it was like she had given up already. Something about Marise's behaviour was rubbing me the wrong way, and I truly felt that she knew something had been put in the food. All she needed was a little coercion to spit the truth, so if Ayla would remain adamant about being tested, then I would turn my attention to the nanny. "What are you thinking about?" Ayla asked, nodding at the chef as he walked into the sitting area in the backyard, a tray in his hands. "Just work," I lied, then greeted my chef. He was good at what he did, so much so that when I missed good meals I'd just sleep at the Sedberry home. "Thank you," Ayla spoke after he finished serving us brunch, a genuine smile on her face. I was relieved that she looked emotionally okay, despite what she was going through. "You're lying," Ayla stated, sitting up slowly. I noticed a small scrun
Ayla I bolted out of the vehicle faster than Kaleb could stop me, my emotions pushing me forward faster than I could think. My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered in that moment except getting closer to them—Arnold, my brother, and Danica, my former best friend. The two people at some point I thought I could trust more than anyone. They froze when they saw me, their argument dissolving into tense silence. I blinked rapidly, half convinced that my eyes were deceiving me, but how could I forget how my own brother looked? "Arnold?" I whispered in a thick barely audible voice, my steps faltering in front of them. "Ayla," he muttered, his gaze darting everywhere but at me. After years of silence, you’d think he’d at least look happy to see me. I didn’t know what to do first—hug him, slap him, or scream. Memories of surviving alone after our parents died and Uncle Rex… I shook my head, clearing the thought as Kaleb caught up to me. I couldn’t take my eyes o
Kaleb I couldn't remain in place, not when I knew that Ayla was risking her life just to lure Roman. I was squirming in the passenger seat in my car in between the array of cars, looking at my watch, the window where I could see Ayla at her reserved table, and at the entrance where Roman was likely to drive through into the lot. We had resulted in hiring a male escort to be Ayla's fake date, even though the fake profile was mine, so as not to raise any suspicions, despite me being against the idea of another man. I watched as he walked in, my feet already itching to get out, stop the damn date, and walk out with Ayla. "Relax, man; the guy knows that there are limits. Ayla is safe," Dean spoke, leaning on the driver's seat. I watched as Ayla stood up, flashing a smile at the fake date. They had some type of short conversation before the man greeted Ayla, took her hand, and kissed the back of it. "That's it," I muttered, turning to open the door, only for Dean to grab my arm, stoppin
Ayla"There's no way whatever software they are using could penetrate the security software used in Kaleb's computer," Dean explained, shaking his head, but my mind was on how I was going to confront Roman about his spying game."Ayla?" Kaleb called, placing his hand on my shoulder."Huh?" I jumped slightly, looking at him, his brows raised."I asked you a question," he stated, squinting his eyes. I could tell that he knew what I was thinking about but didn't want to address it with his best friend around."Do you remember the Securelink software we sold out to Chen's company?" Kaleb asked, pulling the chair for me to sit down again."Yes, it prevents their clients and their company from being hacked," I responded."It's the same software I use for my office devices. If someone were to attempt to even install anything, then I would get a notification via my phone. So I am confident that Randolf didn't access my computer." As Kaleb explained, I sat down but couldn't stop tapping my rig
Kaleb "So all that drama happened and you never thought to give me some of the tea?" Dean asked over the loud chatter in the company's cafeteria. "It happened too fast, man, and that's not even all," I added, looking around for any unwelcome listening ears. Since the clip, Ayla and I had upped our privacy game, staying alert and cautious at all times. "Well, I am listening," he said, lifting up his cup of coffee to take a sip. "I met Amanda in Florida, at the hotel that I was staying," I whispered, rotating my cup of coffee on the table. "Are you kidding me right now?" Dean shouted, drawing attention from other staff members to us. "I told you to keep it down. Come on, we are going to my office," I chastised, getting up that instant. "Come on, man, I just took my first sip," he whined, but got up anyway. "Silence in the elevator; I know it's still bugged," I warned again, hating the fact that I had to walk on eggshells in my own company. Dad could have never been more right on
Ayla"Easy, babe," I cried out as Kaleb rammed my pussy from behind with short yet powerful strokes."I told you I won't be gentle," he responded in between loud grunts, his fingers digging into my hips."Please," I panted, closing my eyes as he pulled out, leaving me feeling so empty."Don't you dare leave me frustrated like you did back at the office," I stated while turning around, breathing through my nose and mouth."Oh, I am just getting started, baby." He winked, and before I knew it, it swept me up bridal style."Where are you taking me?" I asked, clinging onto him, looking at his wet face. His brows were drawn together, his mouth slightly open as he walked out of the shower."Aren't you needy today?" I rolled my eyes at his words, yelping when he spanked me."On your back, baby," he instructed when he dropped me on the bed. I did as asked, my clit still throbbing."Fuck, I wish you could see yourself right now," he rasped, stroking his cock in a tempting manner, making me spr
Kaleb "That was awesome, babe! I swear I had forgotten we had mom's compromising clip," I said, the moment we got to my wing. Ayla didn't say a word; she went straight to her room without looking back. "Seriously, Ayla, after putting Roman and mom in their place, now you're ignoring me?" She dropped her purse on the dresser and walked into the bathroom. "Come on, baby, we should be celebrating right now," I added, following her before she could close the door on my face. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me," I insisted, putting my hands into my pockets and leaned against the door. I watched as she started unbuttoning her blouse through the mirror, exposing her boobs bit by bit. I couldn't take my eyes off her as she shrugged it off and unzipped her skirt. "Fuck," I swore under my breath as she pulled it up and removed it, revealing her lacy white panties, that matched with her bra. Damn, she was perfection, her body playing with my fucking control. As if teasing me, she unc
Ayla"H-ey," Marise stuttered, waving at us awkwardly when we stormed into the main wing of the mansion."Where's that son of a bitch?" Kaleb spat, making the nanny tighten her hand around the tablecloth that she was holding. "Uum," she looked around, her eyes never meeting mine or Kaleb's."I knew you would come looking for me," Roman interrupted, descending down the staircase, one hand on the rails, the other one holding a glass of wine. Behind him was Danica, her right hand on her protruding belly, spotting a broad smile. My hands itched to wipe it off her face with just one single slap."No need to shout at our poor nanny," Danica chimed in, batting her long fake lashes."I don't get addressed by whores," Kaleb dismissed her, even without sparing her a fleeting glance. His eyes remained fixed on Kaleb as he approached with a smug look on his face. His lip was still swollen from the earlier, but it looked a little bit better. Oh, how I couldn't wait to see it swell even more after
Kaleb "What the fuck!" I muttered behind Ayla, startling her. She jumped while letting out a yelp, dropping her phone. I pulled her quick behind the bush, then bent, extended my arm, and picked up the phone. The last thing we wanted was to get detected by my mother and her accomplices. "I told you I want to be alone," she lectured in a whisper yet commanding voice, pushing my hands off her. "I had to make sure you were fine," I responded. "By following me? I am an adult for goodness sake, Kaleb!" Her eyes were slightly swollen and red, a reminder that my stupid words had hurt her. I wanted so much to hold her and whisper multiple apologies, but with the glare she was sending my way, I had no chance. "I know, but...you know what? Let me take a photo of the three for evidence, then I will leave you alone." I retrieved my phone from the pocket, but when I peeped behind the bush, Randolf, Amanda, and my mother were already gone. It seemed to avoid being detected; they had exited throu
AylaCold, I felt as if somebody had poured a bucket of ice cubes on top of my head; my eyes bulged out, staring at the screen, unable to look away. I could feel my head becoming heavy, forcing me to place a hand against my forehead as if that would support it."Son of a bitch," Kaleb swore beside me, the sound of his shoe coming into contact with the side of the desk making me whip my head in his direction."Jesus baby, calm down," I forced the words out, even though all I could feel was the sound of my heartbeat thrashing in my ears."Who does he think he is?" Kaleb swiped his hands over the desk forcefully, pushing files on the floor, missing the damn desktop by a heartbeat.I debated on taking a step back to stay out of his path of destruction or holding him until he came back to his senses. The time to decide however elapsed so fast as he pushed the desk, then stormed out of the office, hands balled into fists."Where are you going?" I ran after him, my short, weak steps unable t