Valerie’s POVTonight, I was finally ready to break free from the chains that had bound me to Drake, to a past that no longer served a purpose to me.Taking a deep breath and sighing, I turned to Drake, who was standing across the room, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my stomach churn. For a moment, I hesitated, the memories of our time together flashing before my eyes, moments of passion, of power, of promises that were never meant to be kept. But those memories were overshadowed by the reality of our relationship, a transactional arrangement that had drained me of my essence, leaving me hollow and desperate for something real."Drake," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside me. "I think it's time we end this."Drake's expression remained unreadable, his lips pressing into a thin line as he studied me."Are you sure about this?" he asked, his tone measured, almost cold.I nodded, though my heart pounded in my chest. "Yes, I'm sur
Valerie’s POV"Valerie." Deep and commanding, Drake's voice echoed down the hall. I stopped, tightened my hold on the strap of my bag, and turned to face him. He stood at the end of the corridor, his expression unreadable, though there was a tension in his stance that made her wary."I came for my things," I said, my voice even, though my heart raced. "I don't plan on staying."Drake stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You can't just walk away from this, Valerie. From us.""There is no 'us,' Drake," I replied, a sharp edge to my tone. "There never was. It was a contract, nothing more."His jaw flexed, and for an instant, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of something… hurt, maybe? in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by the mask of control he wore so well."You're making a mistake," Drake said, his voice low and dangerous. "You know you can't afford to leave. Your brother's medical bills”."Don't you dare," I snapped, cutting him off. My eyes flashed anger as I took a step fo
Valerie’s POVI stormed out of the office, my heart thudding in my chest as each step I took echoed the anger and frustration boiling within me. Drake's last words were still very much alive in my ears, cruel and cutting, words meant to cut me into shreds. He had tried to bring me down to nothing, to make me feel like I was worth nothing. But I wasn't going to let him win. Not this time.He might have pushed my buttons, and gotten under my skin, but he didn't hold power over me anymore. I was done with him, done with his manipulations, and as I walked away from the building, I felt stronger. As I walked to where Ron was waiting, I promised myself that I wouldn't let Drake's words get to my head.I got to Ron's place and he was waiting outside for me. He smiled at me, his expression warm.He held open the car door for me, his hand resting on my lower back lightly as he ushered me inside the car."How was it?" Ron asked softly when we were on the move.I sighed and slumped into my seat
Valerie's POV.A look of puzzlement crossed get face, She stopped and peered intensely at my phone, as I held it up for her to see the picture well, She blinked rapidly trying to make sense of the picture on my phone, I'm sure she would be wondering how I got it, But actually, I'm sitting here, and she didn't notice that. She tilted her head quizzically, as I allowed a mischievous smile make its way to my face. I needed something to control Charlotte, and I am slowly getting it. Apart from Drake she is the only person on my neck that I need to deal with soon. She has been making me dance in her tone. I need to do the same to her.I placed my phone on the table next to me and shipped it from the orange juice placed in front of me. I crossed my right leg over the other leg and waited patiently for her to make an excuse, Because I definitely knew she would get one. But the question I keep asking is why is Drake married when she would flirt around? She claimed to love him, yet she still d
Valerie's POV.Just immediately after Charlotte accepted my request, Ron walked in, I was happy he didn't hear our conversation because I'm sure he would definitely be against my decision, He sat next to me his eyes not leaving that of Charlotte, he must be surprised why she is sitting opposite me, He looked at me and I did the same, I nodded my head in reassurance that I was okay, But that didn't get to his head, “What are you doing here Charlotte? Aren't you supposed to be busy with your date?” He asked her.“It does have anything to do with you so stay out of it, Valerie and I already concluded on a condition and if you want to know about it, you can ask her about it” She answered. I wasn't planning on telling him about it. I poured a glass of water and shifted it to Ron, “Valerie, you—”“Why would you be in an agreement with Valerie? Are you afraid that this would get you to somewhere you don't like? I never expected a whore like you would come to Valerie for help, You might not k
Valerie's POV.I waited patiently for Jasmine and Ron to rant, yell and talk all they want, before picking up my bag. “Don't play dumb Valerie, you need to listen to us, we are making sure you don't get hurt again” Jasmine cautioned. I walked to Jasmine, placed my hand on her shoulder and said, “If you two keep treating me like a child or taking care of me this way, There is no way I would survive on my own, I appreciate it, but I don't want it anymore, Take care of yourself, I'm leaving” And with that, I walked out, entered my car and zoomed off. I got down from the car, stood in front of the big company and sighed, it's been a month since I came here, I felt nervous walking in front of so many people, I know they would talk about me, but right now, I don't care, I only care about what would favor me and now what other people would talk about me. I walked into the building elegantly, I came across my co-workers and I worked with before. They were all so surprised to see me. Nobody
Drake’s POVI was halfway into my morning coffee and toast when my phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. My eyes froze at the number reflected on the screen, a call from Charlotte's father was the last thing I had expected. I delayed responding for a second as I wracked my brain for what Charlotte’s father could possibly want with me, especially that early in the morning.My brow furrowed with the answer, my voice carefully neutral. "Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?"Her father’s voice on the other end was firm and authoritative, his weight carrying into that morning call to make me sit up a little straighter. "Drake, I need you to pay me a visit this morning. It's urgent."He saidI felt a prickle of unease. Charlotte’s father was a man who rarely made demands unless it was something serious. My mind began to whirl with possibilities. Had something happened, was everything alright? Or, more disturbingly, had something surfaced about Valerie? The latter thought made my stomach
Drake’s POVThe moment I moved inside the grand office of Charlotte's father, I filled myself with foreboding. The room was as imposing as ever: high ceilings, a polished mahogany desk, and large windows from the floor to the top that allowed views from above into the city. Charlotte’s father stood, gazing into a window, a silent figure against the early morning light."Drake." Her father nodded in return, his back still turned to me. His voice was cold, and curt, and it made my skin prickle."Good morning, sir." I tried to sound as neutral as possible while making my way to the desk. Whatever was going to transpire, it wouldn't be good.Her father’s face was finally turned to me, looking stern and unreadable. He did not wave for me to sit, so I felt awkwardly exposed standing in the middle of the room. "Do you know why I summoned you here today?" her father asked, watching my face with narrowed eyes.I hesitated for the briefest of seconds, measuring my words. "You said it was urgent
Valerie's POV Two weeks later.The doctor attended to me while the nurse administered a pill for me to take. It's been two days since I was rescued. A lot has happened over the past two weeks. Now I am here for the test results which were conducted two days ago.Charlotte had kept me captive for a week and two days before I was rescued. How Drake and the police found me was absurd but I was glad Charlotte was behind bars.I was glad to be free even though I stayed a week and two days in captivity.*Flashback*“Here's your food, pig. Make sure to eat up and be done in five minutes. I'll be back to collect the plate.” Charlotte hissed and spat into the food before placing it on the ground in front of me.She pulled at my hair and confirmed the tightness of the chains around my body, hissed again before scurrying out of the dirty dark room where I had been kept captive for only God knows when.For four days,I hadn't had anything except water. Charlotte had made it a point of duty to spi
Drake's POV My chest region wanted to explode. It was exploding already,my heart racing as I listened to Valerie's voicemail.Ron had forcefully taken the company from her? How? I thought they were working together in pulling me into mud? Is she making a mockery of me or is she damn serious?She sounded serious. Her voice dripped with fear and uncertainty like she didn't know the next step to take. I dialed her number but I didn't go through. Something was off so I decided to go home. I wasn't expecting her to be home but at least I could corner her while she's packing out of the house.I quickly entered my car and the driver sped off at full speed. We pulled up in front of my lawn for ten minutes. I quickly alighted, sprinting into the house.I quickly made it to her room, knocking frantically on her wooden door but there came no reply. I knocked thrice and still no response.What if she's in the shower?I tried to be considerate but then she had identified herself as an enemy. Fr
Valerie’s POV I didn't know if Drake had received my voicemail or not but I hoped he did. This was all my fault. I should have listened to Jasmine. I tried calling Jasmine but the network connectivity of my surroundings was poor and I couldn't reach her.Luckily,I got lifted by a cab driver riding along my path and he brought me down to Drake's house. I got down from the cab, thanked the driver, and offered him a few bills which he kindly turned down before revving out of the lawn. I felt grateful for his kind lift after I had spent close to an hour trying to find my way home.I sluggishly carried myself to the porch, approached the door with a soft knock.My legs began to tremble beneath me. Here I was standing in front of Drake's house,a man I had just taken his company and a few valuable assets from him and handed it to his stepbrother.No response.I knocked again, this time louder and more pronounced.Shortly after,the door creaked slightly, opening to reveal Mia's face.“Welcom
Valerie's POV My legs vibrated beneath me as Drake walked up to me,his gaze devouring. He took the mic from me forcefully, his gaze shifting to the crowd.“I am so sorry for this misunderstanding fellas but think this lady is probably drunk and needs to be taken care of. Guards please lead her away.”Drake commanded his voice dripping with authority and power.Two men leapt forward and snatched my arms, grabbing and holding onto me tightly. They began to lead me away but Ron was quick to intercept. He landed both guard's a kick to their groin letting them retreat away and unrest erupted from the onlookers.This definitely wasn't what they planned to be their soulful entertainment but surprisingly they had no choice but to sit and watch it play out.Drake rage boiled over the surface ,his anger simmering onto his oceanic blue eyes.“ Why the hell did you do that to my guards Ron? What right do you have to waltz in here and disrupt a party that lots of money was spent on to organize? Wh
Drake's POV My car pulled up infront of a the magnificent hotel, an exact replica of a castle in fairy-tale. My driver quickly alighted, turned around opening the door for me. I stepped out of the car,the cool evening breeze caressing my skin. Charlotte stepped out as well,her arm quickly slipped around mine. She flashed me a sheepish smile, holding unto her purse tightly. I straightened out my suits, applying a fresh layer of deodorant, adjusted my glasses before making my way into the Hall which was bustling with loud music and bangers. Alot of guests had started arriving, staffs especially. Junior staffs to be precise.I looked around, my eyes dancing across the hall untill I spotted Sheila whispering into the MC ear.She seemed to be telling him to begin immediate actions since I was already in the room.The MC nodded understanding whatever she had to say. My gaze left thier faces and got focused on Charlotte who kept tugging at my suit.“ I don't want a single wrinkle in sight
Drake's POV It's been two days since i had the most terrifying nightmare of my life. Why would Valerie appear as an old woman seeking revenge? Why did she constantly accuse me of killing our baby when I indirectly and directly didn't have a hand in it.Till date, I had no answer to my question. I literally just couldn't comprehend why she had to disguise herself as an old hag. I didn't take it so literal but I knew Valerie wasn't happy with all that had been happening to her. I was going to find out sooner than later.The foreign investors and I had lost contact. Sara had stopped receiving and returning Sheila's texts, emails and calls. She must have cautioned herself to avoid being snuffed out or caught by her Boss who would probably be livid at her. I had told Sheila to keep on sending texts untill Sara eventually replies.Surprisingly,the ball solstice was to hold tomorrow. It was such a great day anticipated by a lot of people. Me ,my stakeholders and my employees,the junior staf
Drake's POV “ Wait Valerie, listen to me." I yelled repeatedly but Valerie wouldn't listen,age kept on moving, her pace gradually increasing.“ Please wait for Val. I have something important to talk to you about. The road ahead of us is quite dangerous. You need my help in navigating these dark paths. Let me help you." I urged, calling into the night air but Valerie wouldn't listen.“ Leave me alone." She managed to say, her back h at me,her pace a little.“ It's late and dark, lonely and scary. You need to come back to me. The driver is waiting. If we keep on going through this path,we might lose the driver entirely.”Valeria chuckled scornfully “ I don't mind losing the driver. I don't want to go with you. Leave me alone.”Valerie's steps increased as she surged deeper out of the light and into the darkness, navigating through the wood and thick bushes like she was quite familiar with her environment.“ You are threading into the bushes Val. Am sorry I called you out tonight. We
Drake's POV “ Out of my fucking room before I lose it. You are a fucking chameleon. You always change your skin to fit a favorable condition. You don't care about others. You only use them to satisfy and pleasure yourself. You only use them when you have something to gain. When they have something meaningful to offer." Charlotte's expression turned pitiful,tears pricked at the corners of Charlotte's eyes.“Drake, I care about you. I am not exploiting you. I care. I want to care.” she tried to touch me,my devouring gaze stopped her hand halfway.“ I want my personal space but if you're willing to give me the space I need,get out of my way, I am late for an appointment." I sneered and shot her a glare.“ Drake, listen to me." Charlotte pleaded.I frowned,my annoyance flaring.“Get out of my way,I need to use the exit door." I ordered.Charlotte's feet didn't budge,it rooted firmly to the floor.“ pl–.” I shoved Charlotte away, stepping out of the room immediately." Sleep in the room
Drake's POV 3:45 Pm. I kept staring at time,my mind divulged of any means of keeping itself occupied until I was ready to leave.Sheila had dropped the audio tape from her interrogation from twelve junior staffs. There wasn't much attached to their conversation but I was able to pick out something. They didn't have contact with the foreign investors considering there were based in the ground and second floor of the building.Sheila had promised to continue tomorrow even though I saw how exhausted she was. Interrogating a total number of twelve staff members alone was no easy feat. I had stopped her from carrying on with the interrogation considering the company had seventy staff and ten contract workers.She couldn't bear the burden of twelve,how would she bear the burden of sixty eight more staff. There were other ways to snuff out a culprit and I would find it out sooner or later.The door to my office opened and Sheila walked in with a glass of water. I asked if it's almond time