The morning of the wedding came finally. Daniela layed in bed,her body too heavy to rise,as if her entire body was weak. For a moment,She nearly forgot it was her wedding because she was not happy she was getting married. But did she have a choice? I The Lawson estate was filled with a lot of activities. Servants running about, setting up decorations, Carrying trays of food ,and ensuring every order was perfect. The sound of music flowed through the halls,but she was less bothered about it. She wasn't the one footing the bills,and the atmosphere only reminded her of how little this day truly meant to her.In the bridal dressing room, she sat motionless, staring into the mirror.The gown Alexander had chosen for her clung perfectly to her figure, the intricate lace portraying wealth and luxury. To anyone else, it might have been the dress of a lifetime. But to Daniela, it was nothing more than a shackle, binding her to a life she hadn't chosen. She reached
Daniela walked back and forth in the house,her mind filled with confusion , frustration and fear. Life had been throwing stones at her, leaving her feeling she was trapped in a cage. Just when she thought he had changed a bit,He will do something that will make her angry. Deep down,she knew something was wrong somewhere. There was too much about their past, their present , and his intentions that didn't add up. For a while now,She had suspected that her involvement in his life wasn't accidental. What started as her just being just a fling had turned into something much bigger.Her phone rang suddenly , cutting through the tension in the room. She looked at her screen and saw Alexander's name. She was amused to see his name. She frowned her face in anger. “ What is he calling her for?Didn't he just go to the office not quite long?” She swiped the screen, bringing the phone to her ear. “ I wasn't expecting you to call”, She said, her voice in low tones
Chapter 11.A mother's final wish.The ring of Daniela's phone shattered the quiet of her small apartment. She frowned, wiping her hands on a towel as she moved to pick it up. It was an unfamiliar number, and for a moment, She ignored it at first. But her instincts made her pick the call. “ Hello?”“ Miss Daniela?” a strained, unfamiliar voice on the other end said. “ This is nurse Williams from St. Mary's hospital. Your mother has been admitted . It's very serious. Rush here now and make your way here”. The towel dropped from Daniela's hands . “ What? What happened to her? Is she okay?” The nurse screamed her voice. “ She collapsed earlier this afternoon. The doctors were running tests, but her condition appears critical. You should come as early as possible”. Daniela became so frightened at what the nurse told her. Her heart raced and her heart kept on beating as fast as possible . Her mother,the one constant in her life, couldn't be facing something like this
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
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
Christiana wiped the sweat off her forehead,exhaling a deep breath as she pulled another tray of freshly baked bread from the hot oven.The scent of warm dough filled the small bakery mixing with the faint aroma of coffee and sugar.She had been working since morning, her hands covered in flour, her feet aching from standing from hours. But despite the tiredness,She forced herself to keep going. She had no choice. The job at the bakery was all She had.After being thrown out by Alexander and his mother,She had wandered the street , hold ing Praise to her chest. With nowhere to go and no one to run to, She had spent the night outside, shivering under the cold sky. But fate had helped her. The woman who supplied bread to several shops in the neighbourhood had seen her struggles and offered her A job as a bakery Assistant. It wasn't much, but it came with a tiny room at the back of the bakery, a place she can rest her head on, even if it was small. It was better than the
The streets were cruel. Christiana had nowhere to go. No money, no food, no idea what tommorow would bring. She walked for hours,her arms wrapped tightly around Praise, who was in deep sleep. Every step felt heavier, her legs barely able to carry her. She passed by Restaurants,their bright lights and warm air spilling onto the streets, mocking her. She could perceive food,rich dishes that made her stomach hungry and twist in agony. Her last meal had been when? She couldn't even remember. Desperation clawed at her throat. She needed help. But who would help her now? She used to have clients who threw money at her feet,but those days were gone. No man wanted a woman with a child,especially with a child like Praise. A slow tear slid down her cheeks. Her baby was hungry. Her baby was cold. And she could do nothing about it. She had never felt this worthless. As she sat on a bench, trying to rock Praise to sleep, an elderly woman approached her. She had Gray hair tucked ben
The cold night air hit at Christiana's skin as she held Praise close, rocking her gently. Her daughters tiny whimpers were the only sounds breaking the silence of the deserted streets. Her chest tightened . She had nothing. No money , no home . No one to turn to. Alexander had thrown her away like trash. Tears burned in her eyes, but She refused to let them fall. Not here. Not when she had to be strong for her baby. But where will she go? As she walked round the street, her legs weak from tiredness and heart break, She heard the unmistakable sound of heels clicking against the pavement behind her. Christiana turned out of fear , her heart sinking. There, standing under the dim glow of a street light, was a woman She recognised instantly. It was Daniela , Alexander's ex wife. The woman she frustrated with her pregnancy so that Alexander will put her in the house. And with the look on Daniela's perfectly makeup, She was enjoying herself not minding anything Chri
For days, Christiana was trapped inside the house. Every time She tried to leave, Alexander made sure the doors were locked. His guards stood to watch her, ensuring she didn't live the compound. Praise, Oblivious to the tension, cooed in her Crib. Christiana ran a gentle hand over her daughter's curls, tears pricking her eyes. “ We'll get out of here, baby I promise.” When Alexander finally returned home with a DNA test kit, Christiana felt her stomach turn. “Time to put an end to this debate”, he said, throwing the kit on the table. “ Open Praise’s mouth “. Christiana's arms tightened around her daughter. She's not an experiment, Alexander “. He turned his eyes. “ Stop being dramatic”. He grabbed the swab. “ Hold her still”. Tears burned Christiana's eyes as she gently divided Praises lips apart. The baby wiggled, whining as Alexander roughly switched her cheeks. When he was done, he stared at her. “ Now, we wait”.The following days were suffocating, A
The room fell into a big silence as Alexander stood at the doorway, his sharp eyes locked onto Christiana's . The way his lips curled in anger sent chill down her spine. She quickly ender the call, holding the phone tightly as her heart pounded. “ Who the hell were you talking to?” Alexander's voice was low and dangerous. Christiana swallowed hard. “ No one important”. Alexander's eyes changed. “ Don't lie to me, Christiana “. She tried to remain calm. “ It was just someone checking up on Praise”. Alexander scoffed. “ Praise? Since when do you have people checking on that child ? When did that rubbish start?”. She tried to remain calm. “ Don't call her that child!”. She's your daughter. “He let out a bitter laugh. “ Daughter? Can you hear yourself? Do you think I asked for this?Do you think I wanted a disabled child?” .Christiana's face burned with anger and pain. “ She's still your blood Alexander!”. “ She's your mistake, not mine”. He retorted. T
Praise suddenly falls sick in the middle of the night.Christiana rushed her to the hospital,only for the doctors to tell her that the child's condition has worsened due to lack of stress and lack of proper medical attention. The doctor scolds Christiana for missing important check ups,which she couldn't attend due to Alexander's negligence. Ever since Alexander found out that his daughter was disabled, he hardly contributed in the hospital bill of their daughter. She had done everything to be a good mother. She had sacrificed, endured, begged , her nothing seemed to be enough. Alexander had abandoned them. He had refused to even acknowledge their daughter,Let alone celebrate her first birthday. It had been Christiana's responsibility to pay her disabled bill for drugs. It was getting worse that at one point Christiana could not afford her drugs again, She decided to call Alexander's mom to report his son to her for not taking up the child's respons