Drake's POV.I was sitting comfortably in the sitting room, operating on my laptop, I had to sign all documents and cooperation that was submitted to me, It was a stressful work, I would have dropped it, but I would gain nothing if I do that, It was my job and I have to make sure I get it done, I would not like to sink in my business. I tried to sign more documents and read the description written on it, but my mind and thought kept going back to Valerie. How is she doing now? I still haven't gotten a clear picture of what had happened. I still don't know who owns her baby. It might be either me or Ron. I don't want to get my hopes high, But something inside me keeps telling me I am the father of her baby.It might be Ron, She has been with him ever since I married Charlotte, The way he took care of her, fed her, he was always with her gave me more reason that he owns the baby, But the fact that he didn't even allow me see her, gave me another reason that I am the father of her baby.
Valerie's POV.Sitting down opposite Drake and Charlotte, I tried to maintain a good sitting posture, I tried my best to compose myself, but my attitude was giving me out, Drake in his own wasn't making things easy for me, Since I sat down beside them, he has been looking at me without taking his eyes off, If this wasn't a party I would make him regret coming to this dinner in the first place, He made my life miserable for me, Together with his wife, I lost my unborn child, I felt like crying.My eyes were already crowder with tears, but I didn't let it out. Even when Ron tried to lighten up my mood by making me laugh, I wasn't happy with them around me. They should have given us another seat.I thought Drake would gaze at me for a short period, but he still hasn't taken his eyes away from him. I noticed because I also tried to avoid his gaze. What is he up to this time? What is he thinking of doing to me? I already lost my baby. The connection I think would create another chance for
Drake’s POVLooking as Valerie angrily left the ball, I thought of what happened back in the hospital, the things I said.At the hospital….I had to sit in a windowless, sterile hospital room, my mind moving too fast with all the bits and pieces I’d overheard and incomplete answers Ron had. The fluorescent lights hummed their cold, unfriendly glow over the white walls. Everything about my surroundings felt suffocating as if the air was thick with the anticipation of unanswered questions. My thoughts were racing, all clamoring for my attention, yet none made any sense. I felt the queasy feeling that something was being withheld from me, something very important.The moment that Ron had brushed off my questions and offered vague reassurances in passing, my patience had worn thin. I’d waited long enough and played the fool for a long while. I desperately wanted answers, real answers from the only person who could give them, Valerie.Standing all of a sudden, in the quiet room, my chair g
Valerie’s POVRon leaned close to me, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "Stay strong, Valerie. Don't let him break you."My shoulders trembled, trying to hold my emotions in. The tears were still fresh on my cheeks, but inside me, the anger began to rise to gradually cover my sorrow. I drew a little bit back from Ron's easy comfort and, wiped my eyes with the heel of my hand, then turned and narrowed my eyes to Drake."You're a selfish heartless bastard, Drake," I spat, my voice shaking with a mixture of hurt and fury, "How on earth can you do this to me? How on earth can you do this to me? I mean, after everything we've been through—all that I've done for you!"His jaw tightened as he took a step closer, but something unreadable glinted in his eyes. He almost seemed conflicted, as if he wasn't sure what kind of response to have towards my accusations. Finally, he breathed out sharply and said, "Valerie. It was an arranged marriage. My hands were tied. You think I wanted
Valerie’s POVI returned to the ball with my feelings high. Every step I took was heavy with anger and resentment. The echoes of Drake's accusations and Charlotte's smug face haunted my thoughts, intertwining into the storm within my chest. The ball was on, and guests were laughing, gisting, and dancing. No one had an inkling of what had just transpired backstage. The chandeliers glittered, flickering a blinding gold on everything, but to me, it all seemed dim, smothering.I saw Charlotte clinging to Drake's arm, heard her laughter too loud, touch too possessive as if staking a claim on him in front of everybody else. It rubbed salt into fresh wounds. For his part, Drake looked detached, the smile on his face forced. But that didn't matter, my blood started to boil at the sight.I clenched my fists so hard I could feel the crumple of the divorce documents. The very papers representing my hateful, twisted marriage that had been nothing but a farce. I felt by my side the solid, sturdy p
Drake’s POVValerie's statement hung in the air, and the room fell silent, with no sound of clinking glasses or soft murmurs left. The silence sent the weight of her words right through. Valerie stood frozen for a moment, her heart beating in her chest—as if all the guests' eyes had turned on her, their incredulity felt. Yet, she knew she had to stand her ground, no matter how much her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.I was the first to break the silence, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Valerie?" my tone was cold, dripping with disdain. "This is nothing but gibberish.""It's not gibberish, Drake," she said, fighting to keep her tone very firm, although her throat had tightened and made her voice harder to push out. "I have nothing to gain by lying about this."My eyebrows narrowed, my jaw tightening in anger. I turned around the room, my eyes landing on a few guests who whispered to one another. "This lady is trying to
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 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