The absurdity in thinking that a simple phone call was enough to threaten her made Ivory laugh.She was going to stay away from Arlo mot because she said it, but because he wasn't good for her. As she thought about it, the anger she was trying to ignore kept gnawing at her. "So they realized I left, yet no one has called? Not even Willis?"Every day, Arlo worked hard to prove that Julian was right, which means he fired her for speaking the truth."I guess he's like that," Ivory shrugged, "He hates to face the truth."But she wasn't going to be like that, she was in fact already facing the truth. "If no one loves me, I will love myself." That was her resolve. That was the resolve that brought her to Greenville. She needed her degree for work, but ehat would she do if those bastards won't let her have it?Arlo's father finally opened his after what seemed like forever. He was surprised to find his son, seated by his side, hopelessly staring into his phone."What's wrong, son?" The ma
Both Willis and Lori were taken aback. Lori blinked in disbelief, the words lingering in the air as it sank slowly to her mind.“Me…?” She pointed to herself as if she couldn’t believe Arlo was talking to her.“Is there any other person in this room, Lori? Yes, you. Now go get dressed.” He bit back.As Lori stormed out of the room, her hate for Ivory increased. “Arlo found her cheap ass and now thinks he can order me around?”As she shut the door behind her, the pale room made her even more upset— a reminder of her displacement in Arlo’s life.She used to live in the room next door, now it was off limits?“Huh,” she scoffed angrily, “I’m going to make her pay. I’m going to take back my place…”She paused, a new idea striking at the same time. “This is an opportunity to take back my place…”But did she really want the place? “No,” she shrugged, “This is an opportunity to make money.”With that, she stormed back to the study where Arlo was seen pacing around like a caged animal.“Wha
Nights are to sleep, aren’t they?To get some rest and have a fresh start the next day, right?Ivory thought so too. She thought she could rest from the terrible day she had and have a fresh start the next day. Well, that was before she received Arlo’s text message. After that, nothing else mattered. Not the night, not the next day. She was filled with nothing but concern, worry, and a helpless feeling of affection for him.For the last thirty minutes, she was pacing around the room. Reading the text on her phone like it was a life sentence. She regretted her decision to leave. “I should’ve stayed!” she cried. “We’re married for god's sake!”Meanwhile, Arlo remained in a dark corner of his office, a glass of whiskey in hand, brown cigar in the other. Brown cigars— a habit that he long defeated. Tonight, such habit was the only thing that could help him cope with the emotions raging inside him.Fooling his father was easy. Getting Lori to act like Ivory to regain control over his c
He pulled her in by the waist, his grip wide enough to round her entire width.Lori bumped into his chest, and let out a soft gasp. He smirked, “I hope you can take it.” She nodded, her heart pounding like a drum.He raised her face with a finger under her chin, and as their eyes connected, Lori felt her breath narrowing. Arlo’s gaze dropped to her lips, and she instinctively licked them. Arlo took her lips. Gently. He nibbled on them lightly like he was handling the most delicate thing ever.The taste of whiskey on his tongue, and the woody scent of cigar in his breath felt like the gateway to ecstasy.Arlo’s grip on her waist tightened, pulling her against him until their bodies melted. The heat between them intensified as he deepened the kiss, his tongue lunging against hers with a hunger that left Lori’s knees weak.Lori gasped, giving a little opening to him. Arlo slid in his tongue, his hands roaming her body with urgency as he explored every inch of her. Lori clung to hi
Chapter 40Nothing else mattered to Ivory. Not even sleep, she stood by the window of the hotel room rereading Arlo'd text messages. She loved them. She loved the imaginations the messages created in her mind.In one of them, Arlo was miserable. He couldn't believe she had left him and so he wallowed in the confines of his study, drinking and thinking about her, until he could no longer hold back his emotions sonhe texted her. She read the latest one, "I'll find you!"It should've been a scary message, right? But Ivory thought otherwise. "Not if I find you first."She had barely gotten any sleep, her insides bursting with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see him. She couldn't wait to hug him and tell him how much she missed him.So on the first strike of sunrise, when the sun had just sent its first touch, Ivory's alarm jolted her from bed. She hopped into the bathroom, and was out in a hurry. As she headed for thr airport, beaming from ear to ear, Ivory felt her decision to l
Chapter 41 We all know what the reunion of two new lovers look like. Excitement, lots of eye contacts, lots of hug, lots of kisses, lots of foreplay… that would eventually lead to the main course meal. Well, that was far from Ivory and Arlo. Arlo watched from the car as Ivory approached, yes, Lori had done a good job acing her replica but there was something she just didn’t have— Ivory’s demeanor. Her sparkly eyes, her innocence, her smile. Arlo’s heart did a flip as she drew nearer, his lips hungry to taste her again. But he would hold back. He was upset with her. So upset with her that he would deny her orgasms for the next couple of days. “Hey,” Ivory’s voice brought him back to the present, “I got your messages.” “My messages?” Arlo repeated, cocking his brows. Ivory beamed, a little too widely you might add, showing the screen to him. Arlo couldn’t believe it— not that it was impossible for him to text her— but, he had no memory of texting her. “I’m sorry
Shit. He muttered for the third time. Shit. Shit.The word slipped out again and again, like a broken record.Unknown to him, he gave Lori the idea. He gave her the idea to nail her sins on Ivory when he said: “Who knows what you’ll do dressed up as the woman I actually care about.”EARLIERLori smirked as she furiously typed on a burner phone. “Lori Spencer located at the Covelli Mansion.”She took a picture of herself still dressed as Ivory and attached it to the anonymous message before forwarding it to the precinct.PRESENT“Look,” Arlo explained, “The lady beside me is not Lori. This is Ivory, I picked her from the airport myself!”The sergeant was adamant. “It’s against our code of conduct to reject evidence sir, we have to take your partner with us.”Ivory’s heart sank to her stomach, her legs failed as the policemen surrounded her, holding her arms to the back like a proclaimed fugitive.“Arlo, what’s going on?” She asked, utterly confused by the unfolding events.Shit. A
The metallic click of the handcuffs felt heavier than she had ever imagined— though she had never imagined it at all.She was always a bright student, morally upright, never broke a rule in her life. Well, unless the natural order of marriage counts— which brought her to where she was.Ivory's wrist throbbed as the officer yanked her out of the police van to the precinct. She caught the golden band in her finger, her mind reeling with a mix of disbelief, confusion and regret. Had she rejected this ring in the first place, would she be paying for crimes she didn't commit?The words still echoed in her ears: "You're under arrest for fraud, forgery and attempted murder."Her heart sank, clenching harder than the first time she heard those words. She could barely comprehend how Lori's crimes had been pinned on her. They were a doppelganger, but there were some differences between them... Like their hair. But in the picture on screen, there was no difference between them. Lori had her fu
Chapter 74“How could it be for show? You kissed me first!” Arlo insisted. You see when you are desperate for something, you want to hold on to anything that gives you hope. It may have been pathetic but holding on to that kiss, clinging onto that gesture was Arlo’s only hope. “I was only proving a point,” she shot back, walking past him. But Arlo was not having. Before she could pull the door open, he pulled her by the arm, pinning her to the wall. His gaze lingered on her eyes before dropping to her lips. “You’re driving me crazy,” he confessed, “You don’t know what you’ve just done.”Ivory wriggled from his hold, aching to be free from his suffocating presence.“You drove me to prison, I guess we are even now.”At that accusation, Arlo narrowed his eyes shut, clenching his jaws.“Would I ever be forgiven of that sin?” He asked, his voice barely audible. “I don’t know, Arlo. Would you forgive me if the cases were reversed?”If he said yes, then he would have been lying.But he
Ivory clenched her fists, suppressing all the emotions brewing within. Arlo was unconscious from his own heart injuries, and Marvin was hooked up to machines but all they could think about was whether or not the child was Arlo’s.What happened to the kind-hearted Mr. Luca Covelli who accepted her with kindness on the first day? What happened to the warmth she felt with him? Was it a Covelli thing for them to show kindness only when it was favorable?“I pray the DNA results show that Marvin is not a Covelli. I will single-handedly take care of my son.”Just then, the ward door opened slowly and Ivory raised her gaze to find Arlo staring back at her. His gaze on her was firm and unwavering. “Arlo!” Crystal and Mr. Luca Covelli chorused, taking his side quickly.Arlo slowly pulled away from their grip, closing the door behind him before stepping into the doorway fully. His gaze remained on Ivory, unwaveringly.“What did I just hear you say?” Even though his voice was still weak, his
Chapter 72Ivory was shocked that the first thing that popped into her mind was if Marvin was dead or alive. Maybe it was that incident five years ago, she began to think the worst case in any scenario. She wasn’t certain what she would have done if Marvin was reported dead, but again, why was the first question on her mind? Too shocked to move, or to cry, the phone had slipped from her ear, even Arlo couldn’t get himself to hang up. He was more shocked than everyone concerned. For a minute he thought he was doing a good job with Marvin. He thought being a dad came naturally, so he allowed himself to bask too much in the pleasure of how easy it was and then lost it all. As he stood there in the emergency room with his son connected to beeping machines and all, another thought that devastated him completely would be the look on Ivory’s face. How would he face her? What would he say to her that would make her forgive him?His phone still pressed to his ear, the silence between them
There was no denying that Ivory would rather punch him in the gut than live with him, so he trashed the idea as soon as it came.From a few feet away, he could see the cabin— the only color in an expanse field of green. As he stepped out of his vehicle, his son followed closely behind him, with no idea that the property he stood in was his. Arlo looked down at him, smiling to himself. His father had passed down the Covelli name to him, but he, he was going to pass down properties all of over the world to Marvin. He was sure of it.As they ventured into the woods, headed for the stream Marvin was so eager to see, Ivory was venturing into a world of possibilities. “I’m going to host a fashion show… we are going to host a fashion show!” She announced, her excited gaze flicking from Miranda to Denise.Miranda tilted her head, taking in both her excitement and the feeling behind her excitement. For the past couple of days, Ivory had been on an energy burst. She was planning one even
TWO WEEKS LATERClenched his jaw.Grabbed her ass a little. A smirk formed on his lips. Damn. He thought. He wished this was real. He’d been having wet dreams from the day he kissed her. A kiss should end a curse. In this case, a kiss became his curse.He dreamt of her every night, her form flashed in his eyes every time he blinked them close and he didn’t mind. No he didn’t mind it at all He went to bed every night, expecting to be tortured by her lingering presence, woke up the next morning tired from doing things to her no one else knew about.The door creaked open and Marvin’s light footsteps echoed as he neared his father’s bed.Some days, he stayed with his mom. Other days he stayed with Arlo. Today was one of those lucky days he got to spend with his father.Without a word, he slid into the bed next to him, and Arlo’s arms wrapped around him. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Morning, buddy.”“Good morning daddy,” Marvin replied. He and his son had gotten closer. Over t
Chapter 69Just when he thought his evening could not get any worse. Just when he thought he couldn’t be in a worse mood than this, an uninvited visitor showed up.“We’ve been waiting a while!” The intruder’s voice sounded in his ears, a strangely familiar sound that he wasn’t ready for.“What are you doing here?” Arlo thundered, his expression darkened with anger.His father stepped closer, his gaze equally dark and brooding. “I should be asking you that question,” he fired back, “What do you think you’re doing here?!”Just when Arlo thought it couldn’t get any worse, someone else joined them. Someone he hated. Arlo’s fist clenched beside him. “Is this a joke?”“Does it seem like a joke?” Crystal’s smooth voice echoed in the room, sending a ripple of rage over him.His jaw clenched as hard as his fist. “I want you two to get out of my house…” “Daddy?” Marvin’s groggy voice interrupted him, “I want to pee,” the boy said softly, half awake, half asleep.Arlo softened without a choic
Ivory’s breath caught in her throat. She had waited years to hear those words, but now that they were spoken, they felt hollow, like an apology long overdue. She was unable to reconcile his words with the pain she had lived through. “I…” her voice faltered, “You can’t even imagine how much I wanted an explanation, Arlo. I came up with so many reasons as to why you did what you did…” Her hand gently brushed his grip away, as she turned to face him. “I couldn’t understand any of them, not even the one you’re giving me now.” Arlo’s chest frightened as he rose from the bench, stepping closer to her. “I can’t let you go…” he whispered, his voice barely audible. Ivory scoffed painfully, her eyes searching his face. “Willis is right, you haven’t changed Arlo. You’re still inconsiderate and blindly persistent.”“Willis knows nothing, Ivory!” Arlo fired, his voice growing desperate. “He is not the judge of my character. I’ve changed, I swear.”Ivory shook her head, biting her lip as tear
Chapter 67As the door closed faintly in the distance, Arlo released a deep sigh, his chest heaving with frustration. He watched Willis leave, his words lingering in the air like smoke after fire. But most importantly, the weight of Ivory’s words pressed down on him, suffocating him.He wanted to lash out, or scream. He wanted to do anything to release the pent up emotions clawing at his insides, but instead he remained still, rooted to the spot, torn between anger and the gnawing ache of regret and heartbreak.Ivory, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her composure. Her heart still pounded in her chest. Arlo was an old wound, and the fact that he ignored the hurt he caused her added to her hurt. Her gaze flickered toward Marvin, who sat wide-eyes at the table, probably trying to wrap his head around the party. “Mommy, do I have two dads?”Ivory buried her face in her palms, massaging her forehead tiredly. “You’re right, Marvin,” Arlo intervened, his voice shaky betraying
Arlo stood, speechless. The divorce letter in his hand pinned him to a spot, suffocating him.When Crystal had served him divorce, he felt nothing. Not even a bit. But standing here, next to a woman he hadn’t seen in five years, it felt like the world was crashing down on him. The tears of a man they say, never reaches his eyes but Arlo felt them rush to his eyes. For the first time, he experienced how it felt for the heart to tighten— his breath narrowed, the ground shifted beneath his feet.He leaned against the wall behind him, seeking support. “Ivory…” he called. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, her name was the only thing he could mutter.“Let’s not drag it any further,” Ivory said. “I already signed my part, I’ll be expecting the same from you.”It was a surprise that she didn’t explode from Arlo’s sudden kiss. Her heart raced in her chest but it wasn’t the same feeling as before— the one where she would completely be mesmerized. This time she still had her senses