"I would like to have a meeting with you tomorrow in the conference room." Robert's annoying voice echoed in my head.I groaned and rolled my eyes, even as I knotted my tie. Four weeks ago, it was his wife, Ivory, giving orders, and now it is him.Robert and Ivory need to read the dictionary and realise what the word retired means because they are doing the opposite.Cecil came up from behind and wrapped her arms around me. "Hey," she said, pressing her face against my back, and she pressed a kiss there."Hey," I said back, leaning in to get more of her warmth. "I hope you slept well.""After the night we had, I sure did," she said heartily, and she came to stand before me to help me knot my tie, and I let her.The flowers I got, or the note that came with it, must have done the trick because, after receiving them, Cecil told me she forgave me.I assured her there was nothing to worry about and told her I would remove the tattoo as soon as it healed. Vivian took me to the clinic to ex
Wavy brown hair tied into a ponytail, big brown eyes, a striking heart-shaped face, full red lips, and ever-glowing skin.This was Ela, much different from the image I’ve had of her in the last four years. This Ela looked sophisticated in her white shirt with the first two buttons undone, tucked into her red pencil skirt, and a pair of four-inch heels that made her flawless legs look longer, but she was Ela.This couldn’t be real, could it? Ela was standing before me in the conference room. I blinked, and unlike those other times, she didn’t disappear.She was real, and she was here.She had been gone for four years, and now she was here.Why was she here? My brain felt weak as it silently sought an answer but found none.Ivory rose to her feet. “Is this a goddamn joke?” she demanded with furious eyes.“Stop being dramatic, Ivory, and sit down,” Robb instructed, but she didn’t obey. Her eyes remained on Ela, who had stood unmoved in her position since her arrival.“You knew who she wa
Third POV“Is this the place?” As the car came to a stop right in front of Onu's house, Caesar Leed, her driver, asked. They had driven to the neighbourhood where she lived before fate took a turn on her years ago.Four years ago, after settling in Madrid, she closely monitored Onu and his family. The last thing she wanted was the same fate that found her befalling them. She received a report that they had moved—not very far, but they had put the old house up for sale six months after her disappearance. Perhaps the memories that came with it weren’t ones they could bear. They wanted to have a change, but not too much because this was where Godiya grew up and had her fond memories. It was a perfectly thought-out plan, taking into consideration everything important.She nodded. “This is it.” She answered, and before he could get down and open her door, she helped herself.As she stared at it, the memories returned. Getting grabbed at the front porch and dragged into the house, then tied
“Te extraño mi amor (I miss you, my love),” Fermín murmured over the phone while Imela stared out the window at the sun rising.He had called because he thought she would already be awake. On a typical morning, she would not still be in bed at seven o'clock, but today was a sleep-in day, or, in other words, a lazy day. She was still in bed, but she wasn’t sleeping. He asked if he had woken her, to which she said no and asked why he called. His reply was honest, and she expected it.“I know you do,” she replied cockily.He paused, and she knew what was coming next. “You do not miss me, do you?”Her eyes crinkled at the corner cheerfully, and a laugh left her mouth. She always gets him every time. “Of course, I miss you.”“Entonces, ¿por qué no lo dijiste? (Then why didn’t you say it back?)” he asked.The rays of the early morning sun flickered over her face, making her smile. “Because this is better. You being dramatic as always makes my morning a little better.”He growled over the ph
Oliver’s POV“It wasn’t my best play, and you know it,” I groaned, tired of the back-and-forth with Vivian for the last five minutes.Vivian wouldn’t stop making fun of my play on the basketball court today. He rarely wins, but when he does, he gloats and brags about it. This was the very reason why Jayden White, Connor O'Brien, Maxwell Fitzgerald, and Sir Lockwood, our other friends, never let him win whenever they played with him.“All I’m hearing are excuses and excuses.” He sang in his annoying soprano voice.It wasn’t my best game; my mind was divided between work, home, and the game. I hadn’t been myself since Imela walked into the conference room, and I did not know if I would be myself for a long while.The sight of her had awakened things in me that I thought were dead and long forgotten after four years of being in a committed relationship with Cecil.Of course, Vivian didn’t know that, so he probably thought I was making excuses for my poor performance. I was, but they were
Vivian drove to his house since he didn’t come to practice with his car, and we had used mine. Then he gave me the keys and told me to stay safe. “Thank you,” I said as I entered the car and closed the door. I didn’t have to be specific; I knew he knew what I thanked him for at the parking lot. He shrugged. “I did nothing; you are my master; your wish is my command.” He bowed his head dramatically. I rolled my eyes and drove off. I had a smile on my face after I got home and stepped into the house. The house was as quiet as ever, and I assumed Cecil was yet to return since she usually played soulful music, classics, or opera, depending on her mood whenever she returned. I stepped into the bedroom and stopped when I found Cecil seated in bed, looking rather blue. Something was wrong, and it was all over her. And even if she didn’t look this way, I would still be suspicious because there was no sound of music playing in the house. The happiness I had walked into the house with disap
Caesar opened the door for Imela, and she stepped out with her umbrella. She was at the cemetery where they laid Elena to rest years ago. She thought about bringing Ocean along to finally see his great-grandmother's grave since she spoke about her often, but it wasn't time yet.She unfurled her umbrella and put it up to shield her from the scorching sun because she would be here for a while."Should I wait around, or will you call me when your time here is done?" Caesar asked as she walked down and towards Elena's grave."I will be here for a while," she replied, permitting him to leave until she reached out to him. The car drove away a minute later, and she came to the tombstone, which had Elena's information engraved on it.'Here lies Elena Barau, mother, grandmother, and friend. Rest in the bosom of the Lord.' and underneath the writing were her birth and death dates.She set the rose flower on the grave and stared at it.Four years had gone by since she watched her die, and it st
Oliver's POV Pitching her solution to the eleven seated board members came to Imela as easily as breathing. She was already used to selling excellent ideas, and she did it gracefully. I expected more hands up when she asked if anyone had any more questions, but only one had his hand up. Jake Ritchson. He asked what the plan for revenues would be, and even though she had answered this during her presentation, she went on to explain the financial assistance that the Garcia Group would provide us in exchange for a percentage of our yearly revenue following this new, innovative direction. Jake looked satisfied with her answer, and he said nothing else. The meeting adjourned, with the new agenda now being the implementation of the Garcia Group's solution. We had a lot of work on our hands, but knowing this would save us all, it wasn't really work. While others took their leave from the conference room, I stayed back as Imela picked up and rearranged her files and documents. It was the
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