Chapter 12.Shadows of goodbye.The day of the funeral came to a close and it was a rainy day. It was as if the heavens themselves mourned the loss of Daniela's mother. The rain began to fall heavily as mourners gathered at the small church on the outskirts of town. Daniela sat in the front row, her hands holding tightly around a tissue. Her eyes were swollen and red from days of crying, but no tears fell now the day of the burial. She felt emotionally drained within her, as though her grief had hollowed her out and left her with nothing but the ache in her chest. Alexander sat beside her,his expression a mixture of fake sympathy . He hadn't said much since her mother's death, but his presence dominated, a shield that both steadied and suffocated her. She didn't see him as someone she could lean unto and tell her problems because he was extremely angry with her.The priest's voice was heard through the church, calm and steady, as he delivered the eulogy to mour
The days after the funeral clouded together for Daniela, a mixture of grief and confusion . Her father's words kept ringing in her brain." You're no longer my daughter " She sat alone in the mansion, staring at the rain falling in the windows. The house felt colder, and emptier than ever. Alexander had been absent for most of the day, busy with meetings he refused to discuss . Daniela felt like a prisoner, not just of the house but of her own mind. Not long after, A maid appeared holding a small envelope. " This just arrived, ma. And it is stated urgent. Daniela collected the envelope from the maid and waited for the maid to go.The air in Alexander’s study was oppressive, thick with the scent of aged leather and polished wood. Daniela sat in the chair behind his desk, her gaze focused on the envelope that laid before her.Her mind screamed at her to leave it unopened, to put it into a drawer and pretend it didn’t exist. But curiosity couldn't make her do that
Daniela's world was beginning to crumble, and she could feel it every hour. At first it started with Mysterious emails, late payments from clients and investors in her company pulling out at the last minute. For someone who is very sensitive , it didn't take her long to observe that something was wrong in her office. Apart from all this happening, her business that she single handedly built when she left Alexander waa under attack.The first real sign that made her believe something was wrong came early one morning,when Daniela arrived at her office,as she always did before anyone else. As she walked down the hallway,her sharp eyes caught a shadow moving through the glass of her office door. Clara,her virtual assistant, was at her desk, but something about her posture seemed off- too tense and too rigid. Daniela’s instinct kept on telling her something was wrong somewhere.Pushing the door open quietly, She greeted Clara, her tone formal and observant.“ Good
Chapter 15The enemy within. Daniela sat in her office,her mind thinking with thoughts of betrayals and vengeance. Clara's confession cut deep into her, she was not expecting that from her. She pressed the intercom on her desk . “Samuel,come to my office. Now”.Moments later,Samuel entered, his face tense with concern. He was one of the most trusted executives, and now more than ever , She needed his loyalty. “ Samuel we have a serious problem” Daniela began her voice steady but filled with determination. “I just found out that Clara is part of the people sabotaging us. And she's not working alone. Richard is behind this too”. Samuel's reaction changed. “ Richard? I should have known. That man has been circling like a vulture ever since your company started making it”. Daniela nodded. “It's worse than I thought. He's not just after the company,he's after me. I don't know how I offended him. He just doesn't like me at all and does not want
Chapter 16The silent hunt.The office was so quiet as Daniela leaned against the edge of her desk, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The warmth of the city felt cold compared to the storm raging within her. She hadn't slept all night . Instead, she spent hours searching over the files, piecing together the evidence Samuel had provided. Every detail, now showed the undeniable truth. Richard wasn't just trying to Sabotage her. He was planning a terrible plan to strip her of everything she had ever acquired or achieved. And what made it worse? He wasn't doing it alone.As she was in deep thoughts, her focus shifted to the woman sitting outside her office, Clara. The once trusted assistant now felt like a stranger. Daniela had spent years building an empire, brought by loyalty and hard work, and Clara's betrayal stung deeply. But Daniela had no time to dwell on emotions. Richard's plan was much bigger than one's assistant’s disloyalty and if Clara
Daniela sat at the desk, staring at the computer screen as everything that was happening began to dawn on her. Her office felt colder than usual, the weight of the previous night pressing heavily on her shoulders. The glow of the lamp in her office accentuated the lines of Fatigue etched across her face. She had stayed there all night,working through the disturbing revelations Samuel had brought to her attention. Her mind was filled with couples of thought. It wasn't just about Richard's manipulation anymore. It is the fact that, once again, her family was at the centre of someone's cruel manipulation. As if Alexander's betrayal years ago hadn't been enough. The memories of how her husband had destroyed her family came to her notice. Why did she even accept Alexander back after the way he ruined her family to pieces? Now his younger brother is causing pain to her? She had forgiven Alexander deep down in her mind but some wounds never truly heal. Now,
The atmosphere in Lawson Enterprises shifted the moment Daniela walked through the doors the next morning. It was very early, too early for most employees to be in the building, but her day had started long before dawn. Her mind was a storm of thoughts, each one swirling faster than the last. She tightened her hand on her leather briefcase, her mind flashing through a couple of things. The black envelope and it's warning. “ You're too late Daniela. Watch your back”. Kept playing in her mind. It wasn't just a threat. It was telling her that she needed to be alert. Daniela stepped into her office and immediately scanned the room. Everything looked normal, yet the air felt heavier.She moved to her desk and sat down, her fingers playing around the table as she was lost in thoughts. Her jaw tightened as she tossed it aside. There was no time to dwell on the threat, She needed answers. Whoever had sent this wasn't just taunting her, they were making it obvious that some
Morning came and Daniela was sceptical about Clara setting trap for Richard. She thought to herself. “ Someone who could betray me like that will do worse . I have to sack her”. Also, when she told her best Friend Anita about what she did. She was also advised to sack her from work. “ She's dangerous Daniela, that kind of person can kill you if care is not taken”. “ You've already seen enough to know that Clara has cunning behaviour. Why would you waste time investigating further? That's exactly what Richard would want trying to find words from your mouth”. Daniela had listened to her quietly, the weight of her words settling over her like a heavy cloak. As she waited for Clara to arrive, Daniela couldn't allow her into her life anymore because of the betrayal. Clara had been more than an employee, She had been a friend to Daniela. But the evidence was undeniable:the missed deadline,the suspicious meetings,the leaks and so on. Clara had been
Gabriel stood speechless in the middle of his apartment, his hands clenched into fists. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in his ears like a gunshot. Daniela had walked away, her heart shattered by the truth. She had not been replying to his messages for a while due to the fact that she was scared that he might do something worst than that.And it was his fault.For years, he had tried to erase his past. He had buried his regrets beneath wealth, success, and the illusion of a new life. But the past had a way of resurfacing, and now, the woman he had come to love despised him.He couldn’t let this be the end.Gabriel grabbed his car keys and rushed out, determined to find her.Daniela walked aimlessly down the street, the cool night air chilling her skin. Her arms wrapped around herself, not just from the cold but from the ache spreading inside her.Tears blurred the lights of the city, distorting everything around her.She had finally opened her heart again—let someon
Daniela sat on her couch, holding her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Desmond’s words refused to leave her mind."Ask Gabriel what happened five years ago."Her stomach turned her.Gabriel had been her safe space. The one man who had given her hope again. But now?Her heart was filled with doubt. A slow, suffocating poison.Her instincts screamed at her to walk away,to bury the past and never dig it up again.But she couldn’t.She needed answers.Without thinking twice, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of her apartment.Gabriel opened his apartment door, his usual warm smile in place.But the moment he saw her face, the smile erased.“Daniela?” His brows tiled. “What’s wrong?”She pushed past him, stepping into the apartment.“We need to talk,” she said, her voice like steel.Gabriel closed the door behind them, his eyes filled with concern. “Talk about what?”She turned sharply, meeting his gaze.“Desmond.”Gabriel’s entire body stiffened. “What about him?”
Daniela sat in silence, staring at Gabriel.The man she had trusted. The man she had started falling for.And yet, his brother,Desmond was the reason her sister had suffered.The arguments between them was thick with tension.Gabriel reached for her hand, but she pulled away."Daniela," he whispered, his voice pained. "I swear, I had no idea. Desmond… he’s always been reckless, but I never knew he—"She stood up as fast as possible. "I need to think, Gabriel."His expression darkened, but he nodded. "I understand."But deep down, she didn’t know if she could ever look at him the same way again.That night, Daniela couldn’t sleep.Her mind kept replaying everything—her sister’s tears, Desmond’s name, and Gabriel’s face when she told him the truth.Her phone rang suddenly, removing her away from her thoughts.Unknown Number.She hesitated before answering."Hello?"There was silence for a while.Then, a deep, unfamiliar voice."Stay away from Gabriel if you value your life."Her
Gabriel wasn’t just kind with his words—he took action.One evening, as they sat in a quiet restaurant, he took her hand and looked into her eyes."I know you love working at the company," he started, "but I think you deserve more, Daniela. You’re smart, hardworking, and capable of much bigger things."She blinked at him, slightly taken aback. "Gabriel, what are you talking about?"He slid a neatly folded envelope toward her."A job offer," he said simply.Her heart pounded as she hesitantly unfolded the paper.It was from a well-respected company—a high-paying position as an administrative officer.She was filled with joy deep inside her. "How did you—?"Gabriel smiled. "I have connections. But you earned this, Daniela. I just pointed them in the right direction."Tears was filled in her eyes.She had struggled for so long, fought so many battles alone. And now, here was a man who wasn’t just promising her the world—he was actually helping her build a future."Gabriel, I—" She did
Days turned into weeks, and before Daniela even realized it, Gabriel had become a constant presence in her life, reassuring her and making her feel loved.At first, she had been hesitant to let him in. She had been burned before—used, abandoned, discarded like she was nothing.But Gabriel was different.He didn’t push. He didn’t demand too much.He was just… there.Every morning, she woke up to a text from him:"Good morning, beautiful. Have a great day."At night, another message:"Hope you ate today. Don’t overwork yourself."It was strange. No man had ever cared about the little things.And then there was the money.She never asked, but he sent it anyway. A small alert on her phone would pop up, and when she checked, there it was—a transfer from Gabriel."Just something to make things easier for you."****"Get something nice for yourself, Dani."He was everything she had ever wanted in a man. But more than the money, it was the fact that someone actually cared.Kind. Generous. Thoug
The first thing Daniela felt was something pounding in her head.The second was the unfamiliar warmth of soft sheets beneath her.Sunlight streamed through the curtains, a golden feeling settling over the modest guesthouse room. The air was quiet except for the tap water that was running speedily. Daniela stirred, groaning slightly as she pushed herself up on the bed.For a moment, she forgot where she was.Then, it all came back—the club, the music, the drinks, and… Gabriel.Her eyes filled across the room, landing on his dark suit jacket draped over the chair. That single sight made her heart skip. He was still here.As if on cue, the bathroom door opened, and Gabriel stepped out, steam curling around him. A towel hung loosely around his neck, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, exposing just a hint of his toned chest. His hair was damp, slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it.“Morning,” he greeted, his deep voice carrying an unmistakable smoothness.Daniela ru
Gabriel leaned back, his whiskey glass resting against his knee as he studied Daniela. The way she carried herself intrigued him, so he wanted to know more about her. He had met many women in clubs before—some looking for excitement, some chasing wealth, others simply bored. But Daniela? She wasn’t any of those.She was drowning.And she didn’t even realize it.“You don’t strike me as someone who usually drinks alone,” Gabriel finally said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.Daniela exhaled a humorless laugh,sipping the last remnants of her drink. “I don’t. Not usually.”“Bad day?” he tried to examine.She let out a breath, shaking her head slightly. “Try a bad life.”Something flickered in Gabriel’s eyes. “That bad, huh?”She turned to look at him, taking in the way he held her gaze without hesitation. Most men would have backed off by now, sensing the weight in her voice. But he didn’t. He held steady, waiting, offering no judgment—only curiosity.“I lost my father,
The club was filled with energy, a stark contrast to the suffocating silence that had filled Daniela's mind since she learned about her father's death. She sat in the dimly lit VIP lounge, a glass of whiskey in her hands, swirling the liquid absentmindedly. Loud music was filled in the air, the bass vibrating beneath her feet, but it barely drowned out the guilt eating deep in her blood. She had come to the club to escape, to calm her nerves down. But no amount of alcohol could raise the growing doubt in her chest. As she stared at the dance floor, her eyes was drawn to a man watching her across the room. He was tall, Confident, with black piercing eyes and he had a particular charisma that made him stand out in the crowded club. Their eyes met and for a moment, Daniela thought She imagined him kissing her lips deeply. Not long after, he moved straight towards her. He sat beside her, his scent rich perfume mixed with something dangerously intoxicating filling her se
Daniela sat in the back of the taxi,her fingers tightly gripping her purse. The city outside the window blurred as the vehicle sped past familiar streets,each one carrying a memory She had left long buried. For years, She had been absent from this place,from the people who once mattered ,convincing herself that She was better off without them. But now,with everything crumbling around her, She found herself desperate for something to hold on to. Her sister was gone. Her marriage to Alexander had ended in humiliation. And now, She had finally decided to reconnect with her Dad. She had avoided him for so long, ashamed of how her life had turned out. But deep down,She wanted to believe that despite everything , he would still welcome her with open arms. She had replayed her words a thousand times in her head. She would tell him about her divorce,about how she had lost her sister, about how lost she felt.He had blamed her for marrying Alexander but now she needed him to c