Imela's POVFlashback"I'd want us to have a son first and then two daughters," Oliver's words echoed in my head while he came to cuddle me in bed and kiss my neck."And why is that?" I asked with a raised brow."Because I'd show him what it means to be a man and protector of his sisters," he replied without hesitation. He seemed to have thought about his answer this time.This side of him was surprising, and I couldn't get enough of it.I turned around in his arms to look at him. "And if you have a girl first, will you give her back?" I arched a brow.He laughed, and my stomach fluttered at the soft sound. "No. I will set the standard for her." He answered, leaned in, and kissed my lips softly.His answer was perfect because he was the example of a man I wanted my daughters to have someday—tender, loving, generous, passionate, and, most importantly, kind.He pulled away and stared into my eyes. "What do you want first?"I smiled and shook my head. "I don't care; as long as I have you
“I didn’t think you would come,” Nina said as I sat down with Ocean.She had sent me a message inviting Ocean and me to lunch today, and I told her I would be delighted to. I have had the privilege of seeing her a few times since I returned to the States, but I haven’t gone out on a casual date. All the dates I’ve had were either personal when Fermín was still with me or business with a few clients.She also knew the truth about Ocean's parentage and probably wanted to compensate for lost years. I didn't mind; Nina was one of the sane Planes, and we always got along.My curiosity peaked. “Why is that?”Her response came without hesitation. “Because Oliver always moans about how hectic work is whenever we hang out.”I laughed, seeing her point but also agreeing with Oliver. “He’s right, though; with the numbers the Plane Enterprise has been pulling in the last two months, all hands are on deck.”The plane performance in the last month brought them from the fifth position on the top ten
Oliver’s POV“Turn on the TV,” Vivian said as he stepped into my office and shut the door.I had a lot of questions, like what he was doing in my office when he could be at his company finalising the launch of his latest app. He had called about fifteen minutes ago, but having a deadline to meet in the company's report, I was going to call him back once I finished. I guess whatever news he brought was very important. So, I did as he said, and I turned on the small TV hanging in my office.“Well, hello to you, Vivian. Do you want to tell me what this intrusion is about?” I asked, glancing at him.“Hello to you, too. Go to CNN,” he instructed in an impatient tone. “Your answer is right there,” he added for clarification when he saw me raise a brow.I scoffed but went to CNN to see what was so special about them this morning since Vivian didn’t really like them.The headline boldly read: Stiles Airlines is experiencing a rapid decline following their recent scandal.“Investors are pullin
She was going home alone because Ceasar went home yesterday to be with his family, and Benjamin split his time between her and Marcel, who was still in recovery. Today was his day with Marcel. As much as staying close to Zion's car was necessary, the coward would likely give up his chase of her if he noticed he was being followed, and I didn't want to give him that grace. Many questions lingered in my mind, though: why was he following her? With everything happening in his world, Imela was the last person he needed to worry about. Could they have maintained a form of friendship even after their relationship ended? If so, I would have seen his smug face at the Plane Enterprise, and Imela would have slipped and called his name once in the last few months, but there was no such thing. Perhaps he needed her help. The Garcia Group specialised in saving sinking companies, and this was his way of asking for help. However, I doubt that with every fibre of my being. His eyes earlier looked
Imela's POVDespite the turmoil that took place outside, it wasn't loud enough to startle those inside the house. Only Benjamin knew of the ordeal we had faced tonight, and I wanted to keep it that way. The others will learn of it in the morning.I was still shaken; this was a close call, and I wasn't a shaking and terrified mess, yet it was still a surprise to me.This event wasn't the same as the one five years ago, yet I felt the same way. If Zion had come up against me without a weapon, perhaps I would have stood a better chance at defending myself against him, but he had a gun, one that could end my life. I felt that metal press against my skull, and I thought of Ocean, my beautiful son, whom I might never see again if things were to go wrong. I wanted to tell him, 'I love you' one more time. He would never understand or fathom how much I loved him and how much he meant to me.I thought about Marcel and how devastated he would feel if something terrible happened to me. He support
Oliver's POV She mumbled the last part to herself, but my ears picked it up. "What happened last time?" "The event that led to my disappearance." She said it in a somewhat shaken voice. Flashback I walked hand in hand with Cecil as we headed for our first class together. I saw a few students gathered together, staring at a poster on the wall. My curiosity kicked in, and I wanted to check it out, but Cecil pulled at my hand when I tried walking towards it, and I turned to look at her with a smile. "Aren't you curious?" She shrugged, "I am, but we are late for class." She replied. She had a point. We needed to get to class early, and staying here would not guarantee that. The poster wasn't going anywhere, and once I finished with my first class, I'd use the break to come check it out. I walked into the class, but I couldn't take my mind off the poster, and I wondered what it was and why it attracted so many curious students. I couldn't control my curiosity at this point, and I
I walked away from the kitchen, out of the house, and into the car. I couldn't even say a word to Ela after what she told me. Ivory had contributed to making her life a living hell, going against the promise she made me. I was a fool to think Ivory would be a woman of her word. I saw how she treated Ela while we were together. I should have expected an attack from her on Ela once she was done splitting us up. I should have suspected her when Ela went missing, but I didn't. I was the fool, as always. Flashback I knocked on the door and waited for it to open, and I stuffed my hands into the pocket of my jacket to keep people from seeing they were trembling. It had only been two days since I caught Ela in Seth's bed, and the scene still haunted me. I hadn't eaten since I discovered the truth, and I didn't sleep last night. I knew the path I was headed would destroy me if I kept up on it. Everything I once took pleasure in, I now hate, including life, and I knew it was only a matter
I contemplated calling Imela immediately after I got a little free at work. I wanted to check up on her after what happened last night, but I didn't want to interrupt her if she was busy with work or a client. The incident was a terrible one, and I wasn't surprised that it made the news this morning. Zion was still being held in jail for attempted murder and trespassing on private property. The news stayed on the Stiles and how things had gotten even worse than they had before. The Stiles airline stock fell to the eighth position following the news, and it might be out of the top ten before the day ends. I also needed to apologise for the way I left. After what she told me about Ivory, I couldn't stay and continue talking. I should have done better, and I owed her an apology. Getting a call from Vivian didn't surprise me; he was the king of gossip, after all, and since I was involved in the news, he called to get first-hand details. I told him everything I knew, leaving the details
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