CHAPTER THREE

~NELLA~

Her lips curved into a smile that wasn’t even close to friendly. “No miss Nella, this isn’t a game,” she said cryptically, taking a step forward with a fluid grace. She dropped the pen she had been flipping back onto the desk, and for a moment, it felt like she was finally leaving. But when she spoke again, her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but it carried enough weight to make my blood run cold.

“I don’t play games,” she said. “Not even a shot.” She said as she walked away.

The day at work had been an utter disaster. My mind was a tangled mess, and the mistakes piled up one after the other. Yet there was Maya, as calm and composed as ever, like nothing was wrong. I couldn’t help but feel like a failure, and though I was the one struggling, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was the villain in this story. I just wanted to escape, to leave the chaos behind.

As the hours stretched on, I found myself growing more frustrated. My phone was relentless with Sam’s missed calls and a barrage of messages. The constant buzzing only made things worse. I had to put it on airplane mode just to get some peace.

Finally, the workday ended, and everyone was heading home. I plastered on a smile as I walked into the house, trying to pretend like everything was fine. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through old photo albums. Lauren was painting, as usual, and Payson was engrossed in some show on TV.

"Hey, everyone," I muttered, rushing upstairs to avoid any interaction, especially with Mom.

"Nella, come look at this!" Mom called after me, almost as if she knew I was trying to dodge her.

"Not tonight, Mom," I called back, quickly retreating into my room and shutting the door behind me.

A few minutes passed before Lauren opened the door without knocking. She stood there, watching me, and I could feel her eyes on me as I prepared for a bath.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, startled.

"Long enough to see something’s wrong," she replied, her tone unreadable.

I rolled my eyes, trying to dismiss her. "So, what do you want?" I said, reaching for my bathrobe.

"Dinner’s ready," she said, then paused. “But you’re not fooling anyone. You’re making it so obvious something’s wrong."

Before I could respond, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

I lay back on my bed, still exhausted from the emotional toll of the day, my mind drifting to the videos I’d recorded earlier for a surprise birthday. I was hoping that losing myself in the work would take my mind off things. But it didn’t. The weight in my chest grew heavier with every passing second.

An hour passed before the door creaked open again. This time, it was Payson, slipping into the room without saying a word. I quickly pretended to be asleep, but she wasn’t fooled.

“Don’t pretend,” she said, sitting down next to me on the bed. "You’re not fooling anyone, especially not me."

I sat up, too stunned to even pretend anymore. "What do you mean?" I asked, confusion and hurt flooding me.

"Well, Sam came over earlier asking about you," she said, studying me closely. "He seemed frantic, like something was off. Your phone was going straight to voicemail, and when you came home looking pale… I figured something had to have happened." She hesitated. "I thought you two were good. What happened?"

The words caught in my throat. I wanted to scream, to lash out at Sam, but the tears came first. I buried my face in my hands, trying to hold it together, but I couldn't.

"What did Sam do to you?" Payson’s voice was filled with worry, and she pulled me into a hug. "What happened?"

I could barely get the words out through my sobs. "Sam was cheating... with an intern from my office. Maya… the girl I told you about… the one who’s been giving me mixed signals..."

“What?” Payson’s voice was a mixture of disbelief and fury. "How could he do that to you, Nella? And with her? That’s a slap in the face. I’m so sorry."

I collapsed into her arms, unable to hold it together anymore. “I walked in on them. And Maya... she wasn’t even sorry. It’s like she knew I was with him, like she was trying to make this hurt more. It’s just... it’s too much."

Before I could say anything more, Lauren appeared in the doorway. "Sam’s here to see you," she said, looking at me with concern.

Payson jumped to her feet, her face filled with rage. "What does that asshole want?" she spat.

"I got this," I said, wiping away my tears and standing up. "I’m going to deal with him."

Payson didn’t seem convinced. "Are you sure? He’s just going to lie and manipulate you, trust me."

"I’ve got this, Payson. I need to do this for myself," I said, my voice trembling but firm.

Payson reluctantly left to tell Sam I wanted to see him. My heart was pounding in my chest. Part of me wanted to walk away, to just leave everything behind, but I couldn’t. Not now. I needed answers, even if they would hurt.

Sam entered my room a few minutes later. He locked the door behind him and stood there for a moment, staring at me with that familiar, apologetic look. His expression was so sincere, so full of guilt. But I wasn’t buying it. Not now. Not after everything.

“What do you want, Sam?” I managed to say, though my voice shook with emotion.

“Babe, I’m sorry,” he said softly, stepping closer. "I swear, I didn’t mean for it to happen."

I jumped to my feet, furious. "You’re sorry? You’re sorry for cheating on me with her? Don’t act like you don’t know what you were doing, Sam. Explain it to me. I’m listening."

He grabbed my hands, trying to hold me still, but I pulled away, pushing him back. Before I could say another word, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Leave me alone!” I cried, struggling to break free. “Get out of my life, Sam!”

“Babe, please, I swear it won’t happen again,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

His hands gently cupped my face, and I could feel the sincerity in his eyes. My heart was pounding—was I really considering forgiving him? Was I that weak?

And then, in the quiet of the room, he kissed my forehead, his touch so gentle, so tender. But it only made the pain worse.

He slowly pulled back, his hands tracing my face, and before I could stop him, he pressed his lips to mine. My breath hitched. It was like my body betrayed me, responding to him despite everything.

His hands slid under my dress, cold against my skin, sending a shiver through me. His voice was a soft whisper against my ear: “I love you, babe. I love you so much.”

At that moment, I felt my resolve faltering. His words, his touch—it was all too much. I couldn’t think straight.

Just as his lips found mine again, his phone rang, breaking the spell.

“You can answer it,” I whispered, still lost in him.

He hesitated. “It’s probably nothing. I just need to be with you,” he said, his voice thick with longing.

But the phone rang again, this time more urgently. I reached into his pocket without thinking, pulling it out. The screen lit up with an unsaved number, and my stomach dropped as I saw the name flash across the screen.

Maya.

I froze.

Same Maya. The girl who had torn everything apart.

As I gazed up at Sam, my heart lodged in my throat. "Maya," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I tapped the answer button and put the call on speaker.

"Hey babe, what's going on?" Maya's voice dripped with saccharine sweetness. "Have you been able to reach Nella?" Sam's reluctance was palpable, but I gave him a stern look, urging him to respond.

"Not yet," Sam replied, his voice laced with unease. Maya's tone shifted, her words dripping with venom. "That bitch almost got me to spill the truth at the office today."

Sam's eyes darted to mine, and I could sense his panic. "Let me call you back," he stammered, attempting to grab the phone from me. But I held firm.

"What the hell, Sam? You're going to hang up on me when you know I'm pregnant?" Maya's voice escalated into a shrill scream. "Are you developing feelings for that bitch? Our plan was to take her money and leave!"

Sam's face contorted in rage as he wrestled the phone from me. "I'll call you back, bitch!" he bellowed, slamming the phone down. I sprang into action, flinging open the door. "Get out!" I spat, my anger boiling over.

Sam's eyes pleaded for understanding, but I was unforgiving. "Get out!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the hallway. My family rushed upstairs, drawn by the commotion.

"Sam, leave," Payson ordered, her voice firm. Sam hesitated, then slunk away, defeated. I slammed the door shut behind him, my heart seething with anger.

I refused to speak to anyone, instead calling Ashley to come pick me up. We headed to the club, where I was determined to lose myself in the music and the crowd.

As I danced the night away, a handsome stranger approached me, his eyes locked on mine. "May I have the pleasure of a dance?" he asked, his voice low and smooth.

I grinned, feeling a spark of attraction. "Yeah, sure." Ashley raised an eyebrow, but I reassured her with a whispered promise: "I've got this, girl."

He was so captivating and charming. We danced, our bodies swaying in perfect sync. The music pulsed through me, and I felt alive.

As the night wore on, he led me to the VIP room, the door closing behind us with a soft click. His eyes burned with desire, and I felt my heart racing in anticipation.

As I gazed into his eyes, my voice barely above a whisper, I asked, "You're sure about this?" His response was to lift me off the ground, his hands grasping my waist as he pinned me against the wall. My eyes fluttered closed, my senses overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

"I—I want to f**k you so hard, your body—I just want to make you feel good," he whispered, his voice a low, husky purr that sent shivers down my spine.

My response was barely audible, a whispered plea that seemed to unleash a torrent of passion. "Then do it...do it till I can no longer feel my heart, make my legs shake so bad, make me scream till I tap out..." My words trailed off, lost in the intensity of the moment.

The night was a blur of passion and pleasure, a night that left me breathless and wanting more. But as the morning dawned, I knew it was time to leave. I slipped out of the room, careful not to disturb the sleeping figure on the bed.

As I reached the door, my eyes fell on his ID, lying on the dresser. Roy Logan. The name seemed to echo in my mind, a name that seemed to hold a power and prestige that was hard to ignore. I smiled to myself, feeling a thrill of excitement. Who was this man?

As I stepped out into the bright morning light, I couldn't shake the feeling of how good I felt last night. And as I walked away from the hotel, I felt a shiver run down my spine in remembering Sam and Maya.