Charlene stared at Harry as he slept peacefully, the scratches on his face bringing tears to her eyes. She blamed herself for not saving him from those ruthless men.She may have sustained serious injuries, including a fractured bone and a ripped skin, but Harry's wounds bothered her the most. She had passed out after receiving blows from different angles, but she saw them throwing Harry onto the curb before hurrying away.She had tried her best to reach him but she lost consciousness and only woke up two hours later on a hospital bed. Apparently, a kind old lady saw the scene unfold and called the police and the ambulance.“How do you feel now?” The nurse who was attending to her questioned, dropping the unused bandage on the tray.“I'm fine. Can I have my phone?” She requested, looking up from Harry.“Yes.” The nurse walked over to the drawer and pulled out her phone, the screen cracked at different angles. She handed her the phone before making her way out of the ward.“Pick up, V
“Here's your coffee sir, do you need anything else?” Charlene beamed at the handsome man who didn't seem like he was going to take his eyes off her anytime soon. He smiled back at her, grabbing the cup of coffee off the counter, his piercing eyes still on her. Her eyes darted to Harry, in a bid to escape the awkwardness of the moment. He still didn't look away even after paying.“Sir, is there anything else you want?” Charlene was forced to ask, her throat running dry from the unnerving gaze of the strange man. Something was off about him, despite being devilishly handsome.“Yes, there is.” He nodded, pushing the coffee aside and placing his elbows on the counter, hot breath escaping his nostrils as he sighed. “And what is that?” She corked her head to the side. “You.” He said— unfiltered and unashamed.“Me?” Charlene pulled back, her eyebrows raising in suspicion. Was he one of the creeps that roamed the streets? He was definitely too good looking for that. “Yes, you. I would ju
“Where's your mom?” Vicky asked, scooping Harry into her arms. Knight impatiently waited to see the mother of the kid who looked just like his boss, but his phone suddenly rang, gaining his attention.It was one of Noah's business associates and it was an urgent call. He turned around to answer it, and that was when Charlene came out and took Harry into the house, leaving the door open for Vicky.“Aren't you coming?” Vicky questioned, her right foot already inside the house. Knight swung around with dismay on his face, “I'm sorry, I have to attend to something urgently. Maybe I'll stick around longer next time.” He flashed her a smile before getting into his car and driving off.Throughout his drive, he could not take his mind off the possiblity of that child belonging to Noah. Could it be that Noah's baby mama is the boy's mother? How could she have been under his nose this entire time and he didn't know? Maybe Noah was right, he was beginning to get sloppy with his work. He was de
“You're nothing but a mistake! I hope you die and rot in hell!” “The only thing keeping you in this house is that child in your womb! I can't wait to watch my son throw you out on the streets as soon as you deliver!” “You can never reap from where you did not sow, you wretched slut!” Those comments kept Charlene up that night, her stomach in tight knots. Her fingers fiddled with each other, the taste of metal suddenly lingering on her tongue which turned out to be her own blood as a result of biting her lips too hard. Nothing hurts more than rejection, she should know, she's been rejected by everyone all her life. As she sat there in tears, still hearing their distant voices, she shivered from fear and from cold as a result of the cold floor she was sitting on. She stared down at her baby bump, her heart twisting in pain. There was no way that she was going to let those people take her baby from her. She might have made a horrible mistake by getting pregnant in the first place, bu
Charlene kept muttering to herself even after they got home, aggravated by the stranger who thought it was okay to touch other people's children. She had reported the incident to the school earlier, certain that they would make sure it never happened again.“Who does he think he is?” She let out a scoff, helping Harry onto his bed. It was bedtime already.“Are you talking about my friend, mummy?” Harry's little voice rang out in the silent room, jolting Charlene from her thoughts. She blinked at him and then furrowed her brows.“He is not your friend.” She insisted.“But he helped me when the other kids were making fun of me.” Harry pointed out, sadness laced in his voice. Charlene was taken aback, she stared at him for some seconds, shocked that her son was being bullied.“Who was making fun of you!?” She questioned, holding his hand.“The other kids. They said I don't have a dad. We're supposed to come with our dads next week for the daddy-son event.” Harry's eyes dropped, his voice
The large lump in Charlene's throat refused to go down even after she had tried her hardest to swallow it. She stared at the man in front of her with pure disdain, her heart burning from the fury within her. Her eyes had already turned red as the weight of the humiliation she was about to face rested on her.“Miss Hart, I would highly recommend that you do as he says.” The headmistress uttered, giving Charlene a subtle stare. “Yes, Miss Hart, do as I say. Unless you want your son out in the streets while others get an education.” Noah almost chuckled, loving the burn and agony in Charlene's eyes. Having no other choice, she lowered her head and let out a sigh, slowly getting down to her knees. But before her knees could reach the floor, Harry ran over to Noah and hugged his legs as tightly as he could, sobbing. “Friend, please don't punish my mom, she was just protecting me. It's my fault, I talked to a stranger when she asked me not to, that's why she yelled at you. Please don't p
Mrs Janice sat on her favorite sofa, her legs crossed with a magazine sitting on them. Despite her seemingly calm appearance, the aggressive tapping of her feet on the floor gave away her anxiety. She wasn't the only anxious one in the mansion, the maids were also panicking, the return of the only son and heir to the Cooper family had kept them on their toes. Mrs Janice was a perfectionist, and a strict woman who did not tolerate insolence, she warned them not to let her down.Despite the magazine before her, she still kept her eyes on them, making sure that they did everything to her taste. Her son was finally returning from Germany after six years, she wasn't going to tolerate even a speck of dust in the mansion.“Mom! Mom, he's here!” Bianca, who had been standing guard outside yelled out, her voice dripping with excitement. Mrs Janice put her magazine aside and clapped her hands. The maids rushed out, running to stand in line at the entrance to welcome Noah Cooper.Mrs Janice ste
It was no news that Noah Cooper was going to be at a popular gala in two days. The gala was going to be attended by top business moguls, celebrities and powerful personalities. Noah was no exception, and Charlene swore to be there to see him.She had no idea how she was going to recognize the father of her child, she had never seen his face before, but she wasn't going to give up. Noah wasn't on any social media, he rarely appeared in press conferences and refused to have his pictures taken for any kind of publicity. No one knew why he was so private and withdrawn. “Oh my God. How did you get this?” Charlene asked with widened eyes, staring at the invite in her palm. She received an invite to be one of the servers at the gala and she couldn't believe it.“Well, my father knows one of the organizers and they happened to be looking for servers so I made him get you an invite.” Vicky responded, her enthusiasm, unmatched. She knew how much Charlene loved Noah and would do anything to hel
“Where's your mom?” Vicky asked, scooping Harry into her arms. Knight impatiently waited to see the mother of the kid who looked just like his boss, but his phone suddenly rang, gaining his attention.It was one of Noah's business associates and it was an urgent call. He turned around to answer it, and that was when Charlene came out and took Harry into the house, leaving the door open for Vicky.“Aren't you coming?” Vicky questioned, her right foot already inside the house. Knight swung around with dismay on his face, “I'm sorry, I have to attend to something urgently. Maybe I'll stick around longer next time.” He flashed her a smile before getting into his car and driving off.Throughout his drive, he could not take his mind off the possiblity of that child belonging to Noah. Could it be that Noah's baby mama is the boy's mother? How could she have been under his nose this entire time and he didn't know? Maybe Noah was right, he was beginning to get sloppy with his work. He was de
“Here's your coffee sir, do you need anything else?” Charlene beamed at the handsome man who didn't seem like he was going to take his eyes off her anytime soon. He smiled back at her, grabbing the cup of coffee off the counter, his piercing eyes still on her. Her eyes darted to Harry, in a bid to escape the awkwardness of the moment. He still didn't look away even after paying.“Sir, is there anything else you want?” Charlene was forced to ask, her throat running dry from the unnerving gaze of the strange man. Something was off about him, despite being devilishly handsome.“Yes, there is.” He nodded, pushing the coffee aside and placing his elbows on the counter, hot breath escaping his nostrils as he sighed. “And what is that?” She corked her head to the side. “You.” He said— unfiltered and unashamed.“Me?” Charlene pulled back, her eyebrows raising in suspicion. Was he one of the creeps that roamed the streets? He was definitely too good looking for that. “Yes, you. I would ju
Charlene stared at Harry as he slept peacefully, the scratches on his face bringing tears to her eyes. She blamed herself for not saving him from those ruthless men.She may have sustained serious injuries, including a fractured bone and a ripped skin, but Harry's wounds bothered her the most. She had passed out after receiving blows from different angles, but she saw them throwing Harry onto the curb before hurrying away.She had tried her best to reach him but she lost consciousness and only woke up two hours later on a hospital bed. Apparently, a kind old lady saw the scene unfold and called the police and the ambulance.“How do you feel now?” The nurse who was attending to her questioned, dropping the unused bandage on the tray.“I'm fine. Can I have my phone?” She requested, looking up from Harry.“Yes.” The nurse walked over to the drawer and pulled out her phone, the screen cracked at different angles. She handed her the phone before making her way out of the ward.“Pick up, V
“Oh my goodness! Char!” Veronica jumped into Charlene's open arms, embracing her tightly and thoroughly, sniffing back her tears.Charlene returned the same energy, the pain of separation etched on her face as she hugged her best friend back. The fragility of the moment was palpable, their emotions unhidden.There was a visible spark between them as they remained in each other's warm embrace. It wasn't until five minutes that they separated, each of them wiping the tears that had trickled down her face. “I can't believe this, it's really you.” Charlene sniffed, leading Veronica to one of the tables. They sat down, still holding hands like the other was going to escape if they let go.“It's been like ten years!” “Ten?” Charlene scoffed, “girl! It's been fifteen long years!” They happened to be childhood friends, growing up in the same neighborhood and attending the same schools together. Well, that was until college. Veronica's parents were well off, and they wanted her to have th
“You're getting way too close to this man and I don't like it.” Vicky shook her head in disapproval, watching Charlene apply the finishing touches to her make-up. “No, I'm not. It's just this once, and I won't see him ever again. He promised.” Charlene sighed, throwing her purse over her shoulder with slight worry looming over her face. “Harry is already asleep, so he won't be bothering you, just check on him before you go to bed.” She gave Vicky a quick hug before hurrying out of the house. Noah had already sent a driver to her house, and he had been waiting for over thirty minutes already. The driver got out of the car to open the door for her, bowing respectfully and showing no signs of annoyance. “I'm sorry I took so long.” She went ahead to apologize, but the driver only smiled at her as they drove off.Throughout the drive, Charlene's head swirled with thoughts, drowning in uncertainties as she wondered what Noah could possibly want from her. But her thoughts completely diss
Charlene stared at Noah with crossed arms, her right foot tapping the ground repeatedly. “What are you doing here? I warned you to stay away from my son and I. You promised to leave us alone after the date.” She fired, trying to pull Harry away but the boy refused. “Mummy, please. Don't send my friend away.” Harry pouted, clutching Noah's leg.Noah smiled softly under his mask, a surreal feeling overwhelming him, one that he hadn't felt in a long time.“I just want us to talk.” He cleared his throat.“Talk? There's nothing to talk about. Like I said, Harry's father is going to come back for us soon and we'll go with him.” Charlene explained, raising her head with confidence. Noah couldn't help but scoff.“He abandoned you, what makes you think he's going to come back?” He questioned, his eyebrows pressed together. “I don't think that's any of your business,” she took Harry's arm, pulling him away from Noah's side but the boy whined.“Mummy please! I want to stay with him!” Harry ye
Boundaries. She had set boundaries for him but he wasn't sure if he was going to respect them.It was a Sunday night but Noah had a conference meeting with some overseas clients. Immediately after the meeting, he thought it wise to pay Charlene a visit but after she sent him away, he couldn't bear the weight of her rejection.Her words rang continuously in his ears, keeping him disturbed and uncomfortable. Never in his life did he think a day would come when a woman would reject him… HIM!Her baby daddy left her to cater to their son alone and she still chose him? Noah scoffed loudly, gaining the attention of the driver who was taking him back to the penthouse.“Is everything alright, sir?” “Philip, do you think any woman in her right senses would reject me?” He suddenly asked, his eyebrows furrowed.“Sir.. your charm is impeccable, but there are women with enormous standards who will never settle for less.” The driver answered but that only enraged Noah.“Are you calling me, less?”
“Mom? What's the meaning of this? Are you playing some sort of trick on me?” Noah's eyes narrowed in disbelief. He struggled to keep hidden his anger, it was written all over him.“You heard me right, Noah.” Mrs Janice dropped her cup of coffee and crossed her legs, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.“Veronica here is going to be your wife, soon enough. I reached an agreement with her father and he has agreed to the union.” She continued and Noah fought the urge to yell at her.Veronica was still standing beside Bianca, her cheeks heating up as the excitement of being engaged to the country's most eligible bachelor caused sparks to erupt in her heart. “Why did this arrangement happen behind my back?” Noah questioned, glaring at his mother.He told her. He had said it to her several times, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with any woman. Even if he did, Veronica would never make the cut.“Well, I had to do it because I know you'll never want to settle down on your own.” Mrs
“Charlene, I'm sorry.” Noah muttered, almost ripping his hair from his scalp as he stared blankly at the mess he had made. Charlene was already on her feet, her face flushed as she tried to understand what had just happened. Why did he overreact simply because he asked about his mask? Was it really so triggering?“T.. thanks for the dress and the meal, I'll be on my way now.” She said without lifting her face and walked past him, running out of the restaurant and into the street. She kept walking without looking back, even though he was coming behind her.“Charlene, wait!” “Please don't follow me,” she spun around to face him, clutching her dress. “I gave you what you wanted already,” she sniffed, “we went on a date, so I don't owe you anything anymore.” With that, she stopped a taxi, got in and left without taking another glance at Noah. Defeated by his own emotions, Noah fisted his palms and walked back to his car. He only wanted to make things right with Charlene but ended up m