Zoe left work with the thoughts of everything that had gone down that day. Many things had been going on, and she didn't understand any of it. Each new development seemed to leave her clueless.What worried her most was that she did not know who had tipped off the hacker. That person had ruined her chance of gaining freedom, and she didn't think she could forgive such a person when she discovered who it was.She had seen it with her eyes. Sparrow had been standing right there. He had almost entered the restaurant before receiving a phone call, and then, like a dog let loose to fetch a ball, he had bolted, only unlike a dog, Sparrow never returned. Zoe tightened her grip on her handbag as she waited in front of Maga Tech for Emily to come to pick her up.It wasn't long before Emily pulled up in front of the company. Zoe got in, greeted Emily and Leo, smoothened her hair, and exhaled deeply. It had been a long day.Emily noticed Zoe's long face as she wheeled the car to the highway."Yo
Zoe found Leo lying on his bed, gaming and listening to music on his phone simultaneously. She could tell he was listening to the song on the highest volume since she could still pick out the lyrics of the familiar song despite her brother listening to it with an earpiece."Leo," she called, but he didn't seem to hear her.She had wanted to reach for his earpiece, but he had blocked her hand before getting to it. "You are inaudible to me, but I can see you," Leo said. "What do you want?""I want to talk to you," she said, and he read the words on her lips, sighing. Reluctantly he paused the game and took out the earpiece plugged in his ear."I'm listening," he said, looking straight into her eyes.She knew he was not happy he hadn't paid for his science project in school. Also, he had other fees to pay, and he seemed to be the only one in his class yet to pay."Uhmm... Leo," she started, drawing close to him. "I know you're not happy with me right now. I know that, and it's fine," s
"Do you think it's a good idea?"That was Emily. She had been asking questions since Zoe told her she had agreed to go on a date with Henry. She had even told her she had decided to sign Henry's proposal since she had no other option."It's not a good idea, I agree, but it's the best among the options I have left. You need to understand, Em." Zoe crashed on Emily's bed.Emily was sitting in front of her makeup mirror. She had just arrived from the shower when Zoe had told her of the latest development. She had turned to face Zoe when she had talked about agreeing this was a terrible idea, but she knew she had no better option at the moment. There was a moment of silence.Ever since Emily and Zoe became friends, they had both made lots of crazy decisions, and this to Emily seems to be the craziest. It is crazy and dangerous at the same time. She had read a lot about Henry Arthur, and she knew how ruthless he could be. That dude was a devil!Zoe noticed Emily was still worried. She coul
Zoe signed the documents while Henry watched with keen interest. At last, Zoe belonged to him alone. Victory at last.Zoe signed the last paper and returned the pen to Henry, who collected it with a mischievous smile. She marveled at how much money he would have spent on the pen."You can have it if you want," he returned it to her. "It's just five hundred thousand dollars. I have more than one.""Who cares?!" she said inwardly."Thank you, sir; I don't need it," she replied, even though she knew she would love to have it, knowing what it would fetch her if she sold it."I insist you have it, and that's an order," he said. "Remember you already signed the deal," he added, pointing at the documents on the table.Was that it? Was that the type of life she would live from now on? She was pissed at herself. Life had been unfair to her, and it kept fucking her face.She looked at the pen in Henry's outstretched hand. It was a fortune. She hadn't noticed there were diamonds until now when s
"I can't believe it, Zoe. He told the bodyguard to drive you home by this time?" Emily said with eyes wide open.She was surprised Henry did not take advantage of the time. She had thought he would force her to spend the night with him since it was late, and God knows what would have happened. She knew what would have happened."I was surprised myself. You need to have seen my look; my mouth was practically opened in surprise," Zoe emphasized while cleaning the red lipstick off her lip.Zoe was seated in front of the dressing mirror with Emily behind her, dressed in her silky nightgown. She looked at Emily's reflection in the mirror as she talked, waving her hand dramatically, making one think she was talking to the reflection in the mirror."And what did you say?" Emily asked, resting her hand on Zoe's chair."Say?" said Zoe turning slightly to face Emily. "What do you want me to say? Girl, I said nothing," she added, turning back to face the mirror.She grabbed another handful of a
Zoe woke up feeling light-hearted. She couldn't recall when last she woke up feeling this much freedom of mind. She wasn't wondering what she would tell the loan companies if they called. She wasn't scared that they might take legal action against her. She could look Leo in the eyes confidently and feel like a capable older sister, which she had always wanted to be. Today, she was going to spoil Leo and Emilly silly. They had endured much together, and today, she decided they would enjoy a great deal together.Zoe reached for her phone and opened her account to confirm if the money she had received last night was still there or whether it had been a dream. She blushed as she saw the additional two hundred thousand dollars sitting on top of her measly five hundred dollars which she only had left as a last resort. She overcame the urge to scream, but she did practically dive into the bathroom.She sang in the shower, taking her time to wash as if she was cleansing not just her body but
The stranger lady wrapped her hand around Henry's midriff. She threw her head backward and laughed at something he said or did. Zoe tried to peel her gaze from them; instead, she stared at them more intently. Suddenly, her eyes, like a pair of magnets, attracted Henry's, who looked surprised to see her. She saw him lean towards the lady's ear and whisper animatedly to her. The lady shot Zoe a cold stare, crossed her arms, rolled her shoulders, and paused dramatically.Henry saw Zoe coming towards her."Oh, lord!" Zoe thought."Zoe, what a surprise," Henry said, stopping before her."Hi," Zoe stared at her foot."You want to get out of the line? I could get you a ticket faster, and you can join me."Zoe looked at Emily and her brother standing behind her, and she didn't know if she should introduce them. Neither of them even darted a glance in Henry's direction. Naturally, Leo would've been keen about who was talking with his sister, but Emily had already said the word boss and Leo wou
Zoe had already been on an outing with the billionaire, but this time it was different. She was meeting with him in his penthouse. Thanks to the heads-up she had gotten from Henry, she had spent time with Emily in the boutique to pick out the best dress for the occasion. A car pulled up in front of Emily’s house at 6 p.m., and Zoe peered out the window and groaned, wishing it hadn’t.Her phone rang, and she crossed over to the table where it lay and stared at the caller’s ID. Seeing Henry’s name displayed made her feel like she was staring down the barrel of a gun. Reluctantly she picked up the phone and answered it.“Hello Zoe,” Henry’s voice was deep. “My driver is waiting outside your house to pick you up. I hope you are ready?”“Okay, I’ll be with him shortly,” she replied.She took a look at herself in the mirror and smiled at how perfectly the silver and black gown she wore accentuated her curves. The dress stopped at her knee. She had done her makeup by herself, and it was perf