(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)I try to concentrate on the task at hand, which includes ironing washed clothes in the laundry room with two of the staff members, but no matter what I do, my mind drifts back to Reign.He's like a doom fruit—sweet-looking but forbidden, if that makes any sense.He's stuck in my mind like a parasite. The way he looks at me makes my heart skip more beats than one, and the way his lips curve into a smirk whenever he talks dirty makes the butterflies in my stomach dance and heat run south.“Careful, you might burn yourself.”The unexpected voice beside my ear shakes a yelp out of me. I press hard on the iron, and it burns through the shirt. My eyes widen in terror, more at the ruined cloth than the cause of it.“Oh my God! What have you done?”Reign tsks, unimpressed. “It's just a shirt.”I throw him a glower, which he smirks at. “It's not just a shirt; this is worth my salary. You can't just sneak up on people working. What are you even doing here?”He used to
[RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW]I remember when it all happened—when my life changed so dramatically that it knocked me off my feet, and in a flash, I gained and then I lost everything. This is how an innocent act of kindness turns into a game of power, betrayal, and manipulation.It’s 4 p.m. in New York City, and the East Side of Harlem moves in current. Cars are honking and people bustling, and I blend in perfectly with the crowd on the sidewalk, with my delivery bag filled with orders of takeout hanging over my shoulder and my face hat over my head blocking the view of the setting sun. I walk with a destination in mind.New York City is known as the City of Dreams; this city is like a breath of air that is suffocating and refreshing at the same time and growing up on the street of Harlem as an orphan is like living in a combination of both. This city becomes unscrupulous when you realize you have no one to rely on but despite the struggle, every day is faced with a smile.My smile is my
[RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW]Daphne does a fantastic job in patching him up. He's stripped of his clothes, with only but his underwear covering his lower half and his upper body is wrapped securely with a bandage. He lies on my bed with his chest rising up and down undisturbing.Daphne and I stand at the edge of the bed with our arms across our chests. We watch his unconscious form silently.“What do you think is going to happen when he wakes up?” Daphne thinks out loud. I shrug. “I don't know. He doesn't have a criminal face." He looks too handsome to be a criminal.His jawline is chiseled. His brows are thick. His nose is straight. His lips are full. His hair is a shade of black. His body is muscular with toned arms, chest and shit, his abs. He looks like a man who just ambled out of the front magazine. I immediately tear my gaze away. Daphne cast me a look. “And what do you know about criminal faces? This guy has no wallet or a cell or an address on him; that’s more reason to believ
[DAPHNE’S POINT OF VIEW]“Reign Montgomery.” I read the name on the black card before looking at the man on Rae's bed. “I never thought I would one day encounter a member of the Montgomery family in this lifetime. There's no way you are crazy, as Rae claimed.” I smirk.Rae had been foolish to have not checked his pockets for a wallet before dragging him all the way home; all she cared about was saving him but not me. I almost didn't give a shit if he died or lived till I shoved my hand into his pocket and came across a treasure. I seize opportunities when they land right at my doorstep in a tight grip.He tsks and relaxes his back against the wall. The blankets continue to cover his nakedness. He shuts his eyes as he speaks calmly. “I should have known there is the smart friend,”“Oh, Rae is more of the smart one between us but she can be dumb at times, like picking up a dying stranger in an alley who doesn't turn out to be a criminal but Reign Montgomery, CEO of AxB Capital. This is
[REIGN'S POINT OF VIEW]Death becomes something you no longer fear when you have countered it several times; it becomes nothing new and even expect it every minute of the day when you are the type of man that I am. A man that has so many enemies more than allies.As soon as the call ends, I flip the phone on the nearest table just as the door opens and the kinder friend enters with a paper bag. She looks hesitant as she approaches the bed. My behavior earlier must have planted a seed of doubt.Compared to Daphne, this one is pretty. Heart-shaped face with a smooth and creamy complexion. Amber eyes shone with brightness as if the world hadn't done any damage. Her hair is black and straight, and it falls down her back and her build is slender. Unfortunately, I have felt it.“You should eat.” She places the paper bag on the table. Despite the look of uncertainty in her eyes, there is a smile on her face that slowly morphs into a frown as her gaze lands on the phone. “This is Daphne’s p
[DAPHNE'S POINT OF VIEW]"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't cash this check. You should leave before I call security.”The words resound in my head. They are taunting and heckling; they prickle through my skin as I burst through the doors of the acrid apartment and bangs the door behind me, hoping it falls off its hinges. I amble into the living room and almost rip my hair off my skull as I throw the bland check on the table. I stare at it with animosity. That bastard! I should have known that he couldn't be trusted. How could I be so naive to think I could trust any word that plummets the mouths of any members of that cursed family? They are all the same. Lying, manipulative fucks!I can still remember the distrusting look the bitch at the bank gave me before she spat the heckling words at my face like I was some thief. She thinks I can't have that much money, legally! Huh! “I am going to make you pay for this humiliation, bastard!” I bark at the piece of paper, hoping it can feel my
[RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW]“You are fired.”Those are the words that greeted me when I entered my boss's office, Mr. Dante. I pause abruptly at the door, like a deer caught in the spotlight. “What?” I choke out. Maybe I misheard him? He can't fire me.He tsks and leans back on his twirling seat behind his desk. His brown eyes pin me. “You heard me. You are fired.”“But why? I haven't done anything to get fired.” I look at him with vast eyes.He shrugs. "I don't need a reason to fire you. Your services are no longer needed here. This place is getting crowded; paying you all is difficult. Make sure you are out of here in the next 30 minutes."I stare at him like a fish out of water, gaping with the words hanging in my throat, but I cannot force them out. My shoulder drops, I turn and walk out of his office. Knowing Mr. Dante, no amount of begging is going to make him change his mind. He is that cold-hearted. With a sigh and my shoulders slumping lower, I turn and leave his office.*~*I f
[RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW]My heart hammers as Daphne and I stand shoulder to shoulder at the gates of the Montgomery mansion, our bags clutched tightly in our hands. We are not alone; there are three other girls hovering near the entrance, all of them looking as overwhelmed as I feel. The mansion stretches above and around us, an endless expanse of stone, archways, and towering columns that display money and wealth.I can’t help but gape as I take it all in—the vast estate, the carved facade, the imposing double doors of polished wood and brass. Each detail is elegant, intimidating, nothing I’ve ever seen. Nothing I've ever stepped into. I've known nothing but poverty all my life.Daphne nudges me gently, her gaze just as captivated by the estate as I am. “Looks like a palace, doesn’t it?” she murmurs, eyes wide.“It does,” I whisper back, glancing around to see the same sense of awe reflected in the eyes of the other girls. We all stand there in stunned silence, barely able to believ
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)I try to concentrate on the task at hand, which includes ironing washed clothes in the laundry room with two of the staff members, but no matter what I do, my mind drifts back to Reign.He's like a doom fruit—sweet-looking but forbidden, if that makes any sense.He's stuck in my mind like a parasite. The way he looks at me makes my heart skip more beats than one, and the way his lips curve into a smirk whenever he talks dirty makes the butterflies in my stomach dance and heat run south.“Careful, you might burn yourself.”The unexpected voice beside my ear shakes a yelp out of me. I press hard on the iron, and it burns through the shirt. My eyes widen in terror, more at the ruined cloth than the cause of it.“Oh my God! What have you done?”Reign tsks, unimpressed. “It's just a shirt.”I throw him a glower, which he smirks at. “It's not just a shirt; this is worth my salary. You can't just sneak up on people working. What are you even doing here?”He used to
(REIGN'S POINT OF VIEW)“What brings you here, Liam?”I tap my way off the bed just as Liam walks into the room. I stroll over to where my coat was discarded and take out a packet of cigars, popping one into my mouth and lighting it up. I study the look directed at me. He looks like I've murdered his favorite pet.His jaw is clenched, and his eyes are venomous. It's a rare sight to see him this irked. I smirk.“I see that Mother was right. You sent that maid to seduce Grandfather just to gain his favor. I'd always believed you were better than that, Reign.”Raelynn. I test the name on my tongue just as an image of her pretty face and innocent eyes shining back at me, pressed against the bed, pops into my head. A tiny smile emerges on my face as I release a huff of smoke into the air. “I'd always thought you knew better than to listen to anything that comes out of your mother's mouth; she says one thing and does the other.”Liam's eyes narrowed. “Don't talk about Mother like that.”I s
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)"You might get burnt."I shudder at the sound of Reign's voice in my ear.These lines have been resonating in my thoughts for the past day. They make me shudder and want to run away in terror, yet they also draw me in like a magnet and entice me in ways I have never been tempted before. They're foreign; they've caused me a sleepless night because I've been tossing and turning in bed. The way he said it, how he said it, just gets me stuck. I understand the intent behind his words. I am playing with fire by becoming entangled in the chaos that is this family, yet I can not help but think of those words in a different light—a sexy one. As I stroll down the hall with a basket of laundry, a blush spreads across my face. But my journey is cut short when a shadow falls on me, and a figure blocks my path. When I raise my head, Mrs. Rachel is glowing in front of me. I pause. "Mrs. Rachel." I greet.She looks at me with soulless eyes, much like Mrs. Llia does. I re
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)There's another party going on at the mansion—the third one in a week. The estate is busy and bustling. Luckily, I'm not serving the guests because I'm taking care of Mr. Montgomery. The night is young, and I have already finished two books. “The end,” I read out loud and looked at him. I anticipated him to be sleepy and depleted, but his eyes only shone at me like a curious child. I beam. “Should we read another one, Mr. Montgomery?” He shakes his head. “I'm getting bored and tired. Tell me about yourself, Raelynn.” “There's nothing to tell, really,” I answer. My life is as dull and empty as a blank sheet. He doesn't respond, only looks at me to continue. I sigh. “I don't know who my parents are. I lived in the orphanage until I was old enough to leave and start a life of my own, and since then, I've been living every day hoping for a better day.” I shrug. My life is so dull.“Have you found a better day yet, Raelynn?” Again, I shrug. “Not yet, but I
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)A day after the ordeal, I get cornered by Daphne. Her eyes are judging as she looks at me. “Tell me the truth, Rae, did you really sleep with the old man to get promoted?” My eyes boarden at the accusation, and my hands itch to slap her across the face. “What?” My hand clench into a fist by my side. She throws her hands in the air. “What do you want me to believe? That's what everyone is saying. The rumors have spread far and wide. If your parents were alive, do you think they would be happy to see their daughter shamelessly opening her legs for a man old enough to be her great-grandfather?”This time, I did not resist the urge and smacked her across the face. “I can expect everyone to judge and insult me, but not you, Daphne,” tears sting my eyes.She stares back flabbergasted, her hand on her face. “Did you just hit me?” she polls as if she can't believe it. “Did you just freaking hit me because I'm trying to talk sense into you for being a whore?” “I
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)Mrs. Llia keeps to her words and I am ordered to never step foot into Mr. Montgomery's room as long as I wish to keep my job longer. A week has passed already.Imagine my astonishment when I was summoned back to Mr. Montgomery's room. I pause abruptly as I open the door, finding many pairs of eyes staring at me, including his four daughters, then Reign, Laim, Ethan, and Dr. Isabella, who smiles at me encouragingly.Shit! What have I done? My heart beats in my chest as my gaze stays on Reigns; he doesn't look mischievous and he doesn't look serious either but he looks at me with a gaze that makes me shiver.Feeling like an outcast and an intruder, I almost cower to the wall and look at Mr. Montgomery, who is smiling at me.“Father, why did you invite us all here? Why is she present?” Mrs. Pam sends me a dagger-like gaze but smiles sweetly at her father."I have an announcement to make and you should be all here to witness it," the older man begins. “From now o
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)“Good morning, Mr. Montgomery.” I beam at the old man on his bed as I stride into the room with a food tray. He reciprocates with a wider smile, putting down the book he's reading and removing his glasses.“Ah, Miss Raelynn, I guess I will be seeing more of you.” I grin, placing the tray of food on the table beside the table. “How was your night?”He chortles. “I'm still alive; thanks to you this time.”It puzzles me how blithe he is about being poisoned by his own family. And I can only marvel at why he isn't doing anything about it but it's his family matter; who am I to meddle in their affairs?“Do you like reading, Miss Raelynn?” He raises the book. “You see, I'm old; I can't barely make out the words and Dr. Isabella isn't here to read it to me.” “Of course, Mr. Montgomery.” I immediately reach out and take the book; I sit on the side of the bed. I realize the genre of the book is a horror one. “You like reading horror?” I look at him flabbergasted.“
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)A month passes and I have survived quite well serving the Montgomery family and this time, I get to serve Maxwell Montgomery; the bigger boss.Ms. Alice is always picky about who serves the old man his meals and rarely allows the staff to step in there without her presence.I arrive at the older Montgomery’s door with a tray of food picked out by Ms. Alice herself but the door which is supposed to be locked is opened. Confused, I softly push the door, it opens and my eyes widens at the sight that greets me.The older Montgomery asleep lays in his bed, while a maid injects a yellowish substance into his IV bag. She flinches and freezes like a deer caught in the spot when she sees me. I step into the room, find a table to place the tray of food and reach her in an instant. I grab her wrist, and look at the substances she was injecting, yellowish and unhealthy. I meet her eyes, she doesn't look fearful at all. “You are not his doctor and you are not supposed to
(RAELYNN'S POINT OF VIEW)“Who do you think is the scariest among the big boss's grandsons?”The sentence catches my attention. I raise my head up where I'm cutting vegetables on the massive kitchen counter. Today I'm on kitchen duties since a feast is coming up.“Liam.” Another staff member answers and the rest nod and hums in agreement.“I think he's the scariest too. He's always calm and collected. Such man is a dangerous man,”I could have discerned too if I didn't get myself almost strangled to an early grave by Reign Montgomery with a monstrous and animalistic look.“How about Ethan?” “That one?” Another staff hisses. “He's not terrifying and dangerous at all, other than his awful temper. He's like a chained dog, all bark and no bite.” The girls giggle. I almost laughed too but Daphne who's standing by my side jabs me on the rib and shakes her head. I get what she means. These girls are so bold to gossip about their bosses despite the rules and how notorious the family is. Aga