Thank you for reading, Cecil is finally down. Two more chapters to go, it will be complete tomorrow and I am happy to put this pen down. My new book will be out early next month. Keep an eye out for the title The Billionaire She Sent To Prison, I need all the support I can get. Thank you
Third POV Max was almost done with his tie when Nina stepped back into the room. “I just got off the phone with Imela,” she said, slipping her phone into her purse. They were getting ready for Jayden’s release party. It was a get-together and celebration with family and close friends only, and since there wouldn’t be many people, Sir offered Lockwood Corner for the night. It was a secluded VIP corner in his club in the heartthrob of the city. There will be music, drinks, and fun. This would be Jayden’s official welcome. His final hearing was this morning, and with the new evidence that came to light, the judge had no choice but to exonerate Jayden of the charges of drug trafficking. With the news of his release came the need to celebrate the victory. The troublemakers will not pass up this opportunity. Nina was already dressed in a red maxi dress, which stopped over her knee. Her blonde hair was in a neat bun, and her makeup highlighted her already attractive features. Max's eyes g
Three months later "You can stop here, Caeser; I will walk on from here," Imela said as the gate came to the cemetery gate. Caeser turned off the car and got down to open the door for her. She told him she would not be long, and he waited for her. She stared ahead at the gravestone not so far from her and walked towards it. "It's been a while, Grandma," she said, placing the red rose on the grave and sitting beside it. Today was the perfect day to visit because Imela had less work on her plate, which made her close early. Having already had it in mind to visit sometime this week, she headed here after leaving the hospital to do the needful before going back home. The last time she came to see was a few days after Christmas, and that was six months ago. She had so much to say then because a part of her felt she was going crazy and needed direction and focus. Since then, she hasn't found the time to return to the series of events taking place around her. "I want you to know that Oli
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
Three months later "You can stop here, Caeser; I will walk on from here," Imela said as the gate came to the cemetery gate. Caeser turned off the car and got down to open the door for her. She told him she would not be long, and he waited for her. She stared ahead at the gravestone not so far from her and walked towards it. "It's been a while, Grandma," she said, placing the red rose on the grave and sitting beside it. Today was the perfect day to visit because Imela had less work on her plate, which made her close early. Having already had it in mind to visit sometime this week, she headed here after leaving the hospital to do the needful before going back home. The last time she came to see was a few days after Christmas, and that was six months ago. She had so much to say then because a part of her felt she was going crazy and needed direction and focus. Since then, she hasn't found the time to return to the series of events taking place around her. "I want you to know that Oli
Third POV Max was almost done with his tie when Nina stepped back into the room. “I just got off the phone with Imela,” she said, slipping her phone into her purse. They were getting ready for Jayden’s release party. It was a get-together and celebration with family and close friends only, and since there wouldn’t be many people, Sir offered Lockwood Corner for the night. It was a secluded VIP corner in his club in the heartthrob of the city. There will be music, drinks, and fun. This would be Jayden’s official welcome. His final hearing was this morning, and with the new evidence that came to light, the judge had no choice but to exonerate Jayden of the charges of drug trafficking. With the news of his release came the need to celebrate the victory. The troublemakers will not pass up this opportunity. Nina was already dressed in a red maxi dress, which stopped over her knee. Her blonde hair was in a neat bun, and her makeup highlighted her already attractive features. Max's eyes g
Joe's body hit the ground with a loud thud. I gasped and took to my heels, running into the bushes around the building as fast as my legs could take me. I didn’t have direction; I just didn’t want to die. I heard another gunshot, and pain shot through my shoulder the next second, taking me down. The gun had grazed my shoulder, and the protection I got was from my dress. I hid behind a tree in the woods, keeping my presence there as minimal as possible. I heard careful footsteps heading to where I was, and I knew it was Cecil's. I had to calm down and calculate my next move if I hoped to stay alive. I counted down the last step, and the first thing I saw was the gun held out. With calculated risk, I reached for it, and we both struggled. Finally, I took it from her hand, but before I could point it at her, she slammed her palm against my hand, and the gun fell out into the bush. I threw a quick fist, which met her in the face, and before she could recover, I kicked her onto the gro
Imela's POV Cecil's phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket to look at it. "It's Dad," she said, stepping back from Joe. "I have to take this; keep an eye on her." She instructed before stepping away from the room. Joe stood at the door with his hands folded over his chest. He had kept his gaze anywhere but near me. It didn’t take a genius to know he was only in this to make Cecil happy. Sad, he didn’t know there was no way to make a crazy person like Cecil happy. He was as much a victim of Cecil and Marlo as all of us were. “I understand.” I told him, and this brought his attention to me. “What?” "Why you threw your life away for her? You love her, and we will do anything for the one we love.” I replied. “You hurt her; she believes she has to do this because of what you did to her.” His defensive response came, sounding like someone brainwashed by love. “Cecil is not a bad person; she has been judged, misunderstood, and abandoned by those she once called family. You did
"I was never crazy. It was you all along." Imela said as Cecil got down from the Jeep and walked towards the uncompleted building on the left side of the road, and Joe pulled her along. Cecil and Joe had taken Imela out of the Garcia Group firm and into the parking lot, where she saw Benjamin unconscious beside the car. She tried going to him, but Joe held onto her and pulled her into the black Jeep parked opposite her car. "You killed Kimberly and framed me; you killed Elena; you tried to kill Ocean, just like you tried to kill me many times. Did you kill Chan, too?" Imela demanded. If Chan were alive, he would have uncovered the truth that Cecil was out and behind everything a long time ago. He had died suddenly at the beginning of it all, and she had believed the McCann brothers had done it. That wasn't true; Cecil was behind the murder of Detective Chan. The satisfied look that appeared on Cecil's face further proved it. "He helped you put me in prison; he had it coming. Beside
Oliver's POV Flashback I made my way over to where Nina stood, waiting for me outside the restaurant. I didn’t know why she had decided to meet outside today when we had always met at my place. We hugged and walked into the restaurant for lunch like every Saturday. After I got my place, she began coming there, and we would cook and eat and catch up on everything we had missed out on during the week, from study to work and everything. “You know, when you said you wanted to see me, I thought you would come to the house like you used to,” I said as we took our seats at the table on the left side of the restaurant, close to the window. She gave me a half smile and said, “I cannot come; Cecil is there.” She didn’t try to hide it, and most of the time, we have just moved on from the discussion altogether. She disapproved of Cecil, and I saw it in her body language and how quiet she tended to be whenever she was around Cecil. I brought Cecil along for her last birthday party, and Nina
Trigger Warning! Violence in this chapter Third POV It all started a year ago. “The first time I saw you, I knew a day would come when I would need you,” Cecil said as she stepped towards Gloria, a splitting image of her. She had met her when she travelled to Puerto Rico on vacation two years ago. They didn’t look so alike at first because Cecil had red hair, a thin eyebrow, and pink lips, while Gloria had blonde hair, a full eyebrow, and red lips. Cecil could also tell Gloria was financially struggling, and it showed in the way she was dressed. Cecil didn’t know why, but she wanted Gloria close, so she helped her into the States, waiting for her to get her papers. After the sentence was carried out, Cecil reached out to Gloria, telling her to play out her part, and in return, she would get her the papers she needed. She already had connections with not only the correction centre but also the warder, so leaving the prison was easier, and all Gloria had to do was pretend to be her u
Imela's POV Jean’s words echoed in my head. The result of the many tests showed I couldn’t have killed Kim; there were more than the two of us at the apartment; someone else had killed her and framed me for it. They had hoped I wouldn’t wake, having injected me with a high dose of lead and solvent. Waking up had thwarted their plans, and the test results vindicated me and showed my innocence.I wanted to think of who could have been responsible for this. I didn’t want to say Cecil; after all, she was in my head. I couldn’t give her credit. Cecil was in prison, and even if she wasn’t, she alone couldn’t have pulled off all of this. There was someone else—someone close to me, someone who knew me and could influence my mind.My phone rang in my bag as I stepped out of the car, snapping me out of my thoughts. I thanked Benjamin, who held the door open for me to step out and pulled the phone out of my purse to see Nina as the caller ID. I answered and pushed open the door. “Nina, hey,” I
My lashes fluttered, and I released a loud yawn. I covered my mouth to reduce the noise so I wouldn’t wake Ela up, but when my hand dropped from my face, I found her already awake and sitting in bed. “You are awake,” I said, noticing her intense gaze on the ceiling. “I remember,” she said. I pulled myself up to sit down, and my brows furrowed, wondering if it was what I was thinking, but I waited for her to keep speaking. “Not everything, but I remembered how I got to Kimberly’s apartment. She called me and sent me her address. She was going to call off the engagement with Marcel and wanted me to hear her reasons first.” She said. “The police checked your phone after you were arrested; they didn’t find a call or any such message,” I told her. Her gaze moved to me. “I am telling the truth.” “I believe you,” I replied, meaning every word. Getting this memory back was a miracle, and this meant there were more than two people in Kim’s apartment, as at the time of her death, the thir