Imela’s POV. Last month went by slowly. Oliver was discharged after two weeks in the hospital, and Cecil was arrested after multiple pieces of evidence linked her to Gail. We also learned that the second man in the duo died a few weeks before my attack. Gail confessed to killing him when he declined the job to hunt me down for the third time and kill me. Their trial started with Cecil facing life in prison. While in police custody, we discovered Cecil was not pregnant, despite making Oliver and the world believe she was. It didn’t surprise me. She was sick and twisted in the head and would use every and any means to keep Oliver trapped with her, including faking a pregnancy. The news of that, as well as our attack, had taken over all celebrity news with attention and speculation on Cecil’s ongoing trial. I had gotten a few invitations from TV hosts asking me to come and speak about my experience on their shows, all of which I declined. I also got a few suggestions to write a book ab
Third POV It was the grand opening of the Lockwood Casino in Las Vegas today. Sir had been working on getting a permit from the state government and everything else necessary for a few years. Seeing it all become a reality was something to be happy about. Unfortunately for the troublemakers, Jayden's final hearing was scheduled for the same day as the grand opening of the Lockwood casino. Sir immediately thought to change the date when the news broke, despite having already sent the invitation out. Jayden told him not to put his life on hold for him. He promised he would win his case and join them in the after party, not only to celebrate Sir's success but also his victory in trial. So, Vivian and Oliver would be present at the grand opening, and Connor and Maxwell would be at Jaden's final hearing. This would even out the day. After the trial, they would fly to Vegas to join them. The six agreed to this plan. Oliver invited Imela to be a part of the day, and despite her tight sched
Imela Barau's POVBreathe in.Breathe out.Blink.Repeat.All the coping lessons I gave myself for thirty minutes while we drove over here had suddenly become useless, as none of them were helping me face the beat of the drum. My heart hammered against my chest, and sweat trickled down my face as I bit down on my lower lip, waiting for the reaction of the speechless family at the dinner table to the news."You asked her to marry you?" Ivory Plane, Oliver's mother, exclaimed as her green eyes darted between us in horror as if those words were the worst thing she had ever heard. Her complete disapproval bore itself in her poised, high-pitched voice.Oliver Plane dropped the bomb a minute ago. It was the news of our engagement at the dinner table, and a minute of silence passed with the gazes of the other four Planes at the table darting between us."I am very sure that is what I just said a minute ago, Mom." Oliver, who hadn't picked up all the cues his mother had laid since he stepped i
Oliver and I stepped out of the multimillion-dollar, architecturally refined mansion into the compound of the Planes. The fluorescent lighting illuminated the night to show the path for the exit, and it was a work of art, amongst many others. Finally, outside and alone with Oliver, I drew a long breath. He still wrapped his arms around me, and if only he knew how much strength he had given me. I didn't expect him to go to the lengths he had gone for me today, but I appreciated that he defended my honour. Still, I didn't want him to be on bad terms with his family because of me. We walked to Oliver's car in silence, and he opened the door to me. "Again, I am sorry for what happened back there," he began. "I told you our kinds don't mix from the beginning," I said at the same time. He paused, taken off guard by the line of my sentence, and released his hand around me. I glanced at him and found a look of confusion and betrayal on his face as he stared at me. "Are you saying my mo
Oliver stepped into the hallway of the hospital ward and approached the nurse at the counter to ask where Elena's ward was, trying to find it with his eyes. My heart skipped at seeing him, and my palms grew sweaty. I couldn't help the smile that curled its way into my face, and it took a few seconds for him to find me. When he did, his smile was wide and blinding. Oh, this man with his goofy smile was as beautiful as they came. He had an untucked grey shirt with its sleeves rolled up on a pair of plain black trousers. His short, silky blond hair looked ruffled, and though this wasn't his best look, he still killed it. He stopped speaking to the nurse and hurried over to me. His eyes filled with adoration as he stared at me as if he hadn't seen anything better. This wasn't my best look. I wore a red sundress that stopped on my knee and a pair of black slip-ons. My coarse hair was in a messy ponytail, and my glasses kept falling off my nose today. I was tired. "Hey, beautiful," he
Oliver was never good at humour, but sometimes he makes me laugh harder than expected, and I've been laughing for half a minute now.I stopped laughing when I saw his eyes and realised he was not making jokes. "What?" My eyes widened. "You're being serious?""I am.""Are you crazy?" I exclaimed and covered my mouth as those passing by turned to give us a stern look.He laughed, barely fazed by my outburst. "Yes, I am. I am surprised it's taken you this long to realise I am crazy and in love with you. I have been since the first day I met you."I shook my head and stepped back. "This is crazy."He stepped forward and reached for my hands before I could run away like I intended. "Do you want to marry me?"My answer to his question will doom us both, so I tried to reason with him. "This is happening too fast, Oliver. You're just twenty-two; your brother is still single, and he's three years older.""Please do not compare us; my parents have already done enough of that." He cupped my face
This morning, I was Imela August Barau, and now I am Imela August Plane.Imela August Plane.The name echoed in my head as we returned from the chapel in a ride Oliver had booked.My world has changed in only a day, and yet it wasn't a dream; it was all reality, a reality I was a part of. A reality I had a hand in making. It was a perfect reality—one I wouldn't change for anything else.I loved him, and he loved me, and together, we will face the world that stands in our way.He was brave and strong, and I will learn about courage and what it means to stand tall against a world that challenges our existence.I felt a pair of warm fingers entwining in mine, and I turned from the window where I had lost myself, carelessly staring out over to him."Hey, wife."Wife. That term belongs to me now.I was indeed his wife, and he was my husband, my lawfully wed husband. "Hey, husband," I played along."Where are we going?" I asked before adding, "Or you have not thought that far ahead yet?"H
I kissed back without hesitation, giving just as much as I was getting. I wasn't a good kisser when we met; I didn't know the first thing about kissing. He was patient with me, telling me what to do, and now I was better—still clumsy, but better.His tongue probed at my bottom lip before pushing into my mouth, and his hands wandered over my body. I felt hot everywhere, wanting him to touch my skin.I wanted his skin on mine, and I was needy for it.Our kiss became desperate, and I tugged at his shirt to get a feel of his toned skin. Oliver's lips strayed from mine to my face, and he slid his hand down to cup my breast, his thumbs brushing across the nipples that hardened into a tight bud through my dress."Ela." He mumbled, and I shuddered in response to the hot air brushing lightly over my skin. I arched into him, trying to ease the tension that had built up within me.My hands wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down so he could steal my breath away with his kiss. He answered