NELSON'S POV"We need to see right away, there's a problem,"I said, my voice as firm as it could. "How soon?" Joan asked, his voice husky as always.I hesitated for a minute, inhaling. "Just a few minutes and I'll be at your place."I ended the call, turning to Bryan. "Drive to Joan's."The drive to his place averaged 20 minutes but it felt like eternity. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Reminiscing on the twists and turns of life. Alex was back. Another problem to deal with. Only then did I understand the reason for the message I received recently, telling me about the arrival of some people.Slowly, like a chaff before the wind, my mind blew to that fateful day. At the pool, with him. Alex, my brother. A picture of him gasping for breath and as my strong arm pressed him down the waters. The lifeless look on his face after his final struggle which failed, sent guilt into my heart. 'You have done this, Nelson. You need to be strong.' I remembered snapping myself out of my g
AMELIA'S POVA familiar wave of acknowledgement washed over me as I pressed forward, my heels clicking gently against the creak floor. The air around me thickened with a smell that felt familiar, something I was once used to. I looked around, beaming with amusement. The environment still looked the same even after months of not being here, except for a few new designs at the entrance of the house, nothing really changed. I clenched my fists, my heart raced as I made an attempt to knock on the door. It was a surprise visit and I wanted every bit of the suspense to count. "Who's there," her voice came from within. As usual, thin and friendly. "Someone who needs help," I responded, making my voice firm and unrecognizable as much as I could.I heard the sound of the key twisting in the lock and that made a rush of excitement wash over me. "Amelia!"Clara jumped on me immediately and her eyes landed on me. Her whole body rested on me and the weight of her body almost made me collapse
AMELIA'S POVMy mind reeled with the implication of what I had just said. Why did I call him husband? I could have slapped myself hard on the face if Bryan wasn't there. But it was not possible right now. My thought drifted back to the money, my heart skipped a beat at just the mere remembrance of it. I had never received such a huge amount all my life. Then Nelson's voice rang in my mind again. "It's fine. Just make sure you get yourself something nice and beautiful, I'll check it out okay?"What was I going to buy? "Take me to the boutique," I said to Bryan. "A classic one."The ride felt extraordinarily longer. I couldn't wait to get into the store and pick up a classic cloth that befits my standard. Of course, I hadn't been a fan of sophisticated dresses, but that was the price of being a billionaire's wife and maybe I was ready to pay. And also enjoy the luxury. "Here you go," Bryan declared as the car came to a halt, and he opened the door. "Don't come with me, I'll be
AMELIA'S POVThe bustling city came to life again. The sound of engines compiled into a melody, one that felt both thrilling and sore to my ears. We were done now and I was heading home. I remembered the satisfactory look on Clara's face after everything. "I'll see you very soon and I promise, I have a surprise for you," I said, giving her a side hug before sliding into the car. I could see her wave into the air through the side mirror, even as the car slowly drove away. And gradually, my mind gave way to another thought, Clara's picture fading from my mind. 'What does Alex want from me now? Why did he appear now of all time?'The look on his face when he called me earlier was demanding. "Isn't it good to be back? I thought you should be happy to see me," he had responded when I asked him what he was doing there. I could sense disappointment from the way he spoke. A wave of guilt washed over me. Maybe I was too harsh on him after all. I lowered my gaze, my voice rehearsed into a p
AMELIA'S POVThe room was suffocatingly silent, but my heartbeat was deafening.Nelson’s eyes locked onto mine, dark and unreadable, but his gaze told me everything his lips refused to say. I could feel it in the way his breathing had shifted. In the way his hands had curled into tight fists at his sides, like he was at war with himself.But the battle was already lost.His eyes swiftly traveled downward, dragging over my bare skin, lingering at every exposed inch as if he were keeping it to memory. My back was still half-bare, the dress clinging stubbornly around my waist, refusing to move higher.I should have turned away. Should have pulled it up, covering myself, breaking this spell.But I didn’t. I couldn't. Why? I didn't know.Nelson’s lips parted slightly, as he swallowed. His Adam’s apple throbbing out as though he were struggling to breathe. His hesitation was thick in the air, combating with the silence that hung in the room. The soft ray of the light illuminated his face,
AMELIA'S POVThe empty bed space was cold beside me.A testament to the strange emptiness that settled in my chest as I laid still, staring at the empty space where Nelson had been. The sheets were rumpled, roughened. A faint warmth lingered where his body had once been as my fingers brushed against the fabric. Has it all been real? Or was it just another dream?My mind filled with memories as they rushed back, vivid and precise. Everything unfolded slowly. Bit by bit. The way he had touched me last night in a desperate manner. The way our bodies had moved in sync, as we both seemed to surrender to a force greater than us both. I inhaled deeply, my heart beating rather too fast.Nelson had always been a mystery to me, a locked door I could never fully open. But last night felt different. It wasn’t just lust or just obligation. There was something else beneath it.Or was I just fooling myself?Was he simply playing on my emotions, knowing exactly how to make me vulnerable? No, that
NELSON'S POV"Nelson... What are you doing here?" Amelia asked me, surprised and perplexed. She seemed to have stayed glued to her seat. The tension that hung in the air was unmistakably thick, simmering between our locked gaze. From the look on her face, I could sense how flabbergasted Amelia was. She sat rigidly in her chair, her eyes fixed on me. Her mouth dropped open, and her hands flew up from her laps, barely covering her face as it hung mid air. "That's not important now," I roared, moving towards her in a predatory style. "I should be asking you what you are doing here?" "I can explain," she answered, lips quivering as if threatening to fall apart. Her eyes were now red and calling for empathy. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up, her face frozen in a mask of astonishment as she struggled to process how my presence came about.I bet she must have thought it was a set up. "You have just a few minutes to explain yourself, and your time starts now," I growled, my ange
ALEX'S POVThe dimly lit room smelled of old books, and aged whiskey. A scent I had associated with my grandfather's apartment since a very tender age. Grandfather sat across from me, on his wheelchair as usual. His frail arms rested on the edge of the chair. Despite being aged, his sharp eyes studied me, leaving a lasting impression that he used to be a great observer right since time. But the frailness in his gaze made me doubt him, wondering if he still possessed the same air of authority he possessed years ago. "Would grandfather be able to help on this?" I cussed beneath my breath. But I needed to trust the process. I needed to give him a trial, especially now that Nelson was aware of my arrival and the possibility of him knowing that I had met with Amelia. I knew Nelson could be a hard nut to crack, and he would make a retaliating approach, but I was ready for everything he had in store. Grandfather cleared his throat, his old but thick voice jilted me to the moment. "You m
AMELIA'S POVThe abrupt end of the call restored silence to the room. The silence was thick enough to be held and sliced with a knife.Daisy's eyes rested on mine. Searching. Waiting for answers that I couldn't provide. Or I could but I didn't want to. My imagination slipped to the other end of the phone. Nelson.Did he hear anything? “Mommy, why don't you want me to speak with daddy?” Her eyes were dark and cold with innocence and that caused my heart to ache. Her bare arms rubbed against mine and her head rested peacefully on my breasts.“It's not like that, darling. Your daddy is a busy man. He doesn't have much time to himself. That's why it's difficult for him to speak with him on the phone.”She nodded her head against my chest in a convincingly manner. I was glad I was able to control the situation. At least for a while before she asked again.“But I heard what he said,”she suddenly pressed, as if she had just woken up from a nightmare. Her head rested just a few inches benea
AMELIA'S POV My head pressed against the window as the car drove away. A mixed emotion swirled within me as the city light blurred in the distance against the windshield. But my mid was elsewhere, entangled between the pleasure of victory and the weight of my own plans. It had been a very long day with thousands of unexpected events. From the news about my daughter's health, to the meeting with Nelson and then Alex's appearance like a thief in the night.Nelson had been easy, too easy. He had walked right into my hands, swallowing the same medicine he had dished out for years. It had been satisfying, watching him in his helpless situation- knowing he was not in control when, in truth, and the strings were mine to pull.But Alex...I exhaled sharply, pushing my head tighter on the backrest as that was where it now rested. With Alex, it wasn’t pleasurable. It wasn’t the same game. He had forced me into something I never wanted to do. But I would play along. I was ready to play s
ALEX'S POVAccomplishment.Revenge.The words echoed in my mind as I walked away, my footsteps firm against the pavement. Behind me, Amelia moved toward her car, or maybe she just stood there, watching me go.I didn’t turn to check.The night air brushed against my skin, cool and sharp, as if trying to strip away the weight pressing on my chest. Guilt still lingered, stubborn and unshaken."This isn’t how you treat someone you claim to love, Alex."The thought came persistent and uncounted, slicing through the satisfaction I should have felt.But what choice did I have?Amelia wasn’t making this easy. Every attempt I made to fix things, to bring her back, had met a dead end. She resisted, fought me at every turn, as if she couldn't see the truth buried beneath my actions. As if we didn't have anything together in the past. I wanted her to understand. To believe that everything I did was for the best. It wasn't my fault. But she wouldn’t.She refused to see past the walls she had bu
AMELIA'S POVA feeling of restlessness rushed over me immediately he left. I paced to and fro the office, my mind reeling with uncertainty. What if it wasn't an empty threat?What if Alex meant everything he had said?Someone who was able to get informations about my whereabout even when we haven't seen in years could as well be upto something terrible.I clenched my fist, my thought spiraling. The weight of everything was unreal, yet overwhelming. My mind reeled with doubt and possibility. Fear crawled in slowly.What if Alex carried out his threat?What if I ended up losing everything?I needed to act fast, to do something. But what could I do?“Instruct the security unit to restrict Alex's exit," I put a call to my secretary immediately my senses picked the point.But my heart sank when she called back a few seconds later. “He left before they got the instruction, ma." Then my phone buzzed, a message from the same number Alex had used in calling me earlier: "Check your mailbox. Y
AMELIA'S POV“You need to take caution, Alex. We're business partners not romantic partners," I said while we were outside.“You could have convinced me of that if your reactionh signified that you didn't enjoy it,” he smiled mockingly.Of a truth, I noticed the spark of jealousy in Nelson's eyes when Alex's hand rested behind me on my seat, and I could swear I never wanted the look to disappear. But I still needed to put Alex in place, to let him respect boundaries.“What do you mean?" I asked, feigning confusion. “Everything was clear from the onset, we're doing this because I'm entitled to fulfill my obligations to you and not because of any real interest.""Well, just so you know, I saw the satisfaction on your face when you sensed the jealousy in your husband's reaction, but If that's not the case, convince me so, next time.”Jeez!This guy was some freaking psychopath. How did he read my expression so fast despite how much I had tried to conceal it?“Sure, I will. But correctio
NELSON'S POV My fingers drummed against the smooth surface of the table in front of me. My eyes darting towards the entrance every passing minute. I had arrived early not because I was eager to discuss business, but because I needed to rehearse and compose myself before facing Amelia again. Five years. That was how long it had been since we parted ways. Since I let her go, convinced that I was making the right decision. I had told myself then that I had moved on, that I made the right decision by choosing Rose over Amelia. Amelia was just another chapter in my past, reason why I told her to get rid of the baby when are told me she was pregnant. I never thought I would be seeing her again. But sitting down here, helpless and frustrated, as the clock ticked and anticipation built in my chest, I knew he was lying to myself.Then, she walked in, causing me to blink severally in order to process what I saw. Amelia was stunning. She had always been beautiful, but now, she carried hers
AMELIA'S POV Immediately he left, I turned to Sophie, my secretary, snapping my hand to necessitate the urgency in my voice. The picture of Nelson looking both stunned and surprised replayed over again. Satisfaction coursed through me and I scoffed. Then I said to Sophie:"Right away, we need to start planning on how to bring a significant change to the company financial situation in the next few weeks.""The company financial situation is excellent at the moment, ma'am. We should only focus on creating a unique brand strategy that could easily convince individuals to buy shares in our company."I smiled, patting her on the back. "You're always full of intelligence, Sophie. But I was referring to Rango group.""oh! I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. What do you want us to start with?" she asked."First we'll need to get the record of past and recent financial situation from them, then we'll look into how we can improve the situation especially through networking."Getting at Nels
AMELIA'S POV"Is she awake?" I asked again when the nurse wouldn't give an answer. She kept moving until we were only inches apart, then she stood right in front of me. Her face was masked in professionalism, then she said, "Congratulations, she's awake now?"A wave of relief washed over me. I had thought it was going to be a negative response especially with the nurse's expressionless face. "Can I see her now?" I asked, already moving towards the room. "She's sleeping at the moment, and it would be better if you let her rest for now. She has lost so much energy and she needs to regain it. But..." she shrugged. "...if you think you really need to see her, I advise that you don't do or say anything that would wake her up."With that, I didn't wait to hear anything she had left to say. I dashed towards the room, and Cynthia crawled after me, scrubbing her feet against the floor. When I got into the room, my daughter was sleeping peacefully. She looked so exhausted and I couldn't h
NELSON'S POV"What?" I screamed, eye flipped open in bewilderment. "Why the hell would they think I will allow someone else share my position all in the name of a freaking partnership?"Emily and Benita sat across from me, their gaze both resting on me, making the pressure from everything sink deeper into my body. I hated the fact that I was in this mess of a situation. I couldn't contain the rage that bubbled within me as my secretary and CFO came with the report stating the condition attached to the partnership proposal. Operating as a Co-CEO means we are going to have almost, if not equal rights in the company and we would both be involved in the decision making. "What other conditions are attached?" I asked. "They must have thought so high of themselves and their goddamned company to think of such condition."But what more could an helpless CEO do? "No other condition. That was the only condition given. But as it is, they appear strict and not ready to amend the requirements,