In the days that followed, I made a conscious effort to keep my interactions with Walter strictly professional. I avoided any situations that could be misconstrued and focused on my work, determined not to let the awkwardness of our encounter affect me.But despite my best efforts, I couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort whenever I saw him around the office. Every time our paths crossed, I was reminded of that awkward moment in the restaurant, and it made it difficult to concentrate on anything else.As the weeks went by, I found myself growing increasingly anxious whenever Walter was nearby. I couldn't help but wonder if he still harbored feelings for me, or if he was just trying to move past what had happened like I was.One day, as I was working at my desk, I heard a knock on my office door. I looked up to see Walter standing in the doorway, a sheepish expression on his face."Iris, can we talk?" he asked, his voice hesitant.I sighed, feeling a sense of dread wash over me. I kn
The sun was setting, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink as I looked out the window of my office. It was a beautiful sight, one that never failed to fill me with awe and wonder.As I watched the sun dip below the horizon, I couldn't help but think about my life and how far I had come. I had started out with nothing, just a kid from the streets with big dreams and even bigger ambitions.But through hard work and determination, I had managed to escape the world of organized crime and build a successful business empire. I was now the CEO of my own company, a hardworking billionaire with a bright future ahead of me.I thought back to the days when I was just a lowly street thug, running errands for the mob and doing whatever it took to survive. It was a dangerous life, one filled with violence and uncertainty, but it was all I had ever known.And then, everything changed when I met Iris. She was like a ray of sunshine in my dark and dreary world, bringing light and warmth int
LESI walked into Pablo's, the familiar scent of garlic and tomatoes welcoming me like an old friend. Spotting Pablo behind the counter, I called out to him, feeling a rush of nostalgia wash over me."Hey, Pablo!" I greeted, making my way over to him. His smile was as warm as ever as he greeted me, and we exchanged a hug that felt like coming home."It's been too long, Les," Pablo remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. I nodded in agreement, realizing how much I had missed this place.We settled into a booth, and as we caught up, I couldn't help but notice the tiredness in Pablo's eyes, deeper than I remembered. "You doing okay, Pablo?" I asked, a note of concern in my voice.He hesitated for a moment before assuring me that he was fine, but I could tell something was weighing on him. Before I could delve deeper, our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of our food.As I took my first bite of pasta, my favorite dish at Pablo's, I couldn't shake the feeling that
IRISI was at my desk in the office, sorting through papers and typing up reports, when two of my bodyguards rushed in, dressed in all black with wires poking out from their ears."Miss Iris, we need to leave now," one of them said urgently, his voice tense.I blinked in confusion, feeling the stares of my coworkers boring into me as I stood up hesitantly. "What's going on?" I asked, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment."We'll explain on the way, but we need to go," the other bodyguard insisted, gesturing for me to follow them.Feeling like I had no choice, I followed them out of the office, my heart racing with apprehension. What could be so urgent that they had to whisk me away like this?As we made our way through the crowded corridors, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at me. Were we in danger? And if so, why hadn't anyone else been notified?Finally, we reached the parking lot, and I saw Les waiting for me by the car, a grim expression on his face."Iris, we ne
As Walter staggered back, his hand cradling his jaw, a twisted smile curled his lips as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the pavement. The sight made my stomach churn with a mix of disgust and unease, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.Les stepped back, his fists still clenched at his sides, his gaze burning with fury. "What the hell were you thinking, Walter?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.Walter's smile widened, a manic gleam in his eyes. "I was thinking it was about time someone put you in your place," he taunted, his words dripping with malice.My heart skipped a beat as I processed his words. What did he mean by that? And what did it have to do with me?Before I could ask, Walter continued, his voice filled with bitter resentment. "You ruined my life, Les. You took everything from me," he spat, his words laced with venom.Les's expression darkened at Walter's accusation, his jaw clenched tight with barely suppressed rage. "I don't know what you're talking about," h
IRISAs we stepped through the front door of our home, the weight of the day's events still heavy on my shoulders, I knew there was one more hurdle to overcome before we could fully focus on our investigation. With a deep breath, I reached for my phone, dreading the conversation that awaited me.I pressed the phone to my ear, steeling myself for the inevitable confrontation with my boss. "Hello?" I said tentatively, my voice trembling slightly.On the other end of the line, my boss's voice crackled with irritation. "Iris, where have you been?" he snapped, his tone sharp and unforgiving. "You can't just disappear without a word."I winced, feeling a surge of guilt wash over me. "I'm sorry, sir," I stammered, scrambling for an explanation. "There was an emergency, and I had to leave suddenly."But my apology fell on deaf ears as my boss continued to berate me, his words growing more harsh with each passing moment. I felt the familiar sting of tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as
IRISSome days later, As we relaxed at home, Les received a branded envelope, its elegant design catching my eye. Curiosity piqued, I couldn't help but inquire about its contents."What's that, Les?" I asked, nodding towards the envelope as he carefully opened it.He glanced at me with a smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's an invitation to a charity ball for the supreme elite," he explained, pulling out the ornate invitation. "And you're invited."A rush of excitement washed over me at his words. The thought of attending such an exclusive event with Les filled me with anticipation, but a hint of apprehension lingered in the back of my mind."Is it safe for us to go?" I asked, voicing my concerns. The dangers of our world always loomed large, even in the most glamorous of settings.Les's reassurance was immediate, his confidence unwavering. "Absolutely, Iris," he replied, his voice filled with certainty. "I've taken all the necessary precautions. We'll be perfectly safe."
IRISAs Les and I glided across the dance floor, the subtle tension between us mirrored the unease swirling in my mind. The lavish surroundings of the charity ball seemed to fade into the background as I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss about the invitation."You seem lost in thought, Iris," Les remarked, his voice warm as he guided me in the dance. "Is everything alright?"I sighed softly, my eyes scanning the room for any signs of suspicion. "I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this invitation than meets the eye," I confessed, my words laced with uncertainty.Les furrowed his brow, his gaze searching mine for reassurance. "What do you mean?" he inquired, a hint of concern coloring his tone."It's just... why was I specially invited?" I murmured, my thoughts racing. "You mentioned you get invites like this all the time, but it feels odd that I was singled out."Les nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "You have a point," he admitted, his voice tinge
IRISAll feelings of amusement left me as things turned serious. I readjusted in my seat and crossed my legs. “Okay. Let's talk.”Les rose to his feet and offered me his hand. “First of all, I want to show you something.” Curious, I slipped my hand in his and let him take me upstairs. We went past a couple of rooms before we stopped at one and he unlocked it. Once he opened it, he stepped aside for me to go in first. Throwing a curious glance at him, I pushed the door further, went in and my mouth dropped open. One wall was painted with the drawing of an ocean and a red headed mermaid sitting on a rock in the midst of it. Then another wall had mickey mouse characters drawn on them and another had Tom and Jerry smiling at each other. In the midst of the room was a baby crib and I froze in my steps when I saw it. I turned around to find Les watching me intently with his hands shoved in his pockets. He shifted his weight on his feet - a sign I realize indicated his nervousness.“Do y
LESThe fluorescent lights flickered overhead as we sat in the waiting room of the hospital, the scent of antiseptic hanging heavy in the air. Iris fidgeted nervously beside me, her fingers twisting around each other as she glanced around at the sterile walls."You okay, Bunny?" I asked, reaching out to squeeze her hand.She offered me a weak smile. "Yeah, just a little anxious about the scan."I nodded, understanding her apprehension. The thought of seeing our baby for the first time was enough to make anyone jittery. But I was also excited, eager to catch a glimpse of the life growing inside Iris.After what felt like an eternity, the nurse called us in, and we followed her down the hallway to the ultrasound room. Iris settled onto the examination table, her eyes fixed on the monitor as the nurse squirted gel onto her belly.And then, there it was. A tiny flicker on the screen, like a beacon of hope in the darkness. Our baby's heartbeat.Iris let out a shaky breath, her eyes shimmer
IRIS:In a matter of minutes the entire living room was destroyed. I stood still in the carnage as shattered glass covered the ground and furniture became upturned. Les yelled every obscene word known to man. He went on to punch walls till his knuckles cracked and his blood ran red down the walls. Rick ran in with the other security men, confused but with their weapons drawn.“GET OUT!!” Les yelled at them. The men hesitated, especially Rick who looked my way and seemed like he didn't want to leave me with him. “Come Ma'am. Let's go.” He said as he approached me with his hand stretched forward. I had no idea I was vibrating where I stood until I raised my hand and found it shaking violently.The next thing I hear is the click of a gun. I froze just about to touch Rick and turned. Les had a gun pointed at Rick and his eyes were filled with utter madness. “Touch her and you die!” I turned to see Rick with his hands up, retreating backwards. “Sorry ma'am.” He said apologetically befo
LES My baby resumes work today and I am not happy about it. I wish she was the kind of woman who was content being a housewife that loves to cook and wait for her husband to come home. Wait a fucking minute. Why am I looking at Iris through the lens of marriage?I wasn't a big believer in it especially since my father was shitty to my mom and didn't keep his vows. I feel the whole idea of marriage is pretty useless. I am already loyal to Iris and will never look at any other woman. She's mine. Forever. So why do I need to put a ring on it?I continued to wonder about that as I leaned against the doorframe of my closet and watched my Bunny wear a Wonder Woman panty and matching bra color. She turned slightly and my gaze fell on her tummy which was now the size of a small watermelon. I felt something but I couldn’t process what it was. To think that in six months time, this woman whom I am totally obsessed with will give birth to mini mes and mini Iris. I wonder what the babies wi
LESI was in the throes of my own anger, but the moment I noticed the departure of my brother, my rage softened. One glance at Iris and she nodded at me to go after him, which I did. Entering the elevator, I pulled out my phone and accessed all the cameras to pinpoint my brother's location. It didn't take long to find him scurrying down the stairs to the ground floor. My brother has always been one to maintain composure in all things but now, from my point of view, he was an agitated mess. Pressing the button for the ground floo, I sighed and let the elevator begin its descent to the living room. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like, if I had grown up with a good, normal father. Maybe I'd be some corporate guy living in a cute condo, married with one or two kids instead of having an irrational fear of intimacy and⁸8⁸⁸fatherhood. Maybe, I'd be a normal guy. But I'm not. Instead I'm messed up in the head, struggling with a trauma I wouldn't wish on anyone. Thank Go
LES“I see you've lost all your senses posting that girl online.”I rolled my eyes at my brother who was cleaning his pistol while holding a video call with me. The sun had just gone down over the horizon, casting my office in semi darkness while the landscape of New York city came alive with colorful night lights. “I guess you can call me ‘crazy’. Crazy about her.” I smiled as I shoveled some Chinese noodles into my mouth with chopsticks.“What you will be, is sorry if you don't stop.”I stopped chewing and glared at him. My brother didn't look at me. Instead, he continued to clean his weapon as if he didn't just say something disturbing. “Why would you say that?”“Because you're being a fool right now. Posting her for the world to see, especially for our Uncle to see, is like looking into the eye of a python and spitting in its face.”James was right. I was usually a very calculated mind but lately, I have been getting carried away by my affection for Iris and may have unintentio
Chapter 56:IRISOver the next couple of days, I continued to send out applications and even tried writing some pieces but I realized I was experiencing a block. When I couldn't make headway, I sat down in front of a TV and watched some cartoons. It was my coping mechanism back at Massimo's house and it's starting to be my coping mechanism now. Cartoons weren't always at Les' place either. I was surprised when one day I received a delivery signed to me and when I opened it, I discovered Les had bought all variations of cartoons for me to watch. Along with some T-shirts with cartoon characters on them. Les continued to leave pleasant surprises for me while I carried my one unpleasant surprise inside my body and whenever talk about Taylor came up, he refused to talk about it and everyday I became more and more depressed.If I wasn't writing, I was also video calling my Dad or Hilda. Now that I had a working phone, I was able to access my old social media profiles. I came across a lo
IRIS“Can we still go about our day while we ruminate on this?” Les asked and I considered his request reasonable. “Sure.”I changed into one of the dresses he got me, and then we went downstairs to have brunch. All through, we ate in silence, and I hated it. I hated that I spoiled the mood between us and made it awkward with the topic of a child. After our brunch, Les took me on a tour of his mansion, and I was able to learn a few more things about him. Les was an artist who painted in his pastime, and I wondered how he was able to do that and still be an underground fighter during his teen years. I saw all the championship belts he had won and heard all the stories behind them. Then he showed me his car collections, the grounds which had a stable and two horses. By the time we were done that day, it was late evening, and we weren’t able to go shopping any more, but I didn’t mind. Getting to see a new side of him was refreshing. I got to learn that Les The Beast wasn’t really his
IRISA cold shiver went through me as my father’s words sank in. “Excuse me?!” “Iris-” My father started to speak, but I raised a hand to cut him short.“So I was a mistake?”My father looked horrified for a second before he closed the distance between us. “No, no, no, no.” he said, coming to sit beside me. “You were never a mistake, Iris, and I am glad your mother chose to keep you.”“What if she hadn’t?” I sniffled and wiped a tear from my eye. “Would you have regretted it?”My father sighed. “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that I am happy she didn’t listen to me. Look at me.” He said, taking my hands in his, which in turn made me face him. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me since your mother. You are not a mistake, and you never were. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to be a good father to you and give you the resources that you needed. I was fresh out of high school, inheriting a run-down port left behind by a drunken father. You can understand how having