“WAR BREWING FOR THE SCOTT BROTHERS?”“I never thought that a day would come when the Scott group of companies will be on our radar for some juicy family scandal!” Zander spun around in his seat and turned up the television volume. He sipped on his glass of whiskey. It was probably his third glass this morning, or fourth?. He wasn't sure.“My goodness! Me too! I hear that the last time the Scott family has been on the news for something so controversial was when the late billionaire Alexander Scott was divorced by his first wife and quickly remarried in 3 months!” This drew a murmur from other presenters and they recalled different times the Scott family had been in the news.This news channel was quickly becoming a thorn in his flesh, he mused. Jeffrey would have known what to do about this nuisance.“The new gist I hear is that a new Will has surfaced which places Cameron Scott above his elder brother in the hierarchy.”“What? That's crazy.” The other female presenter cut in, shoc
“Nice of you to join us, big brother” Cameron's sarcastic greeting welcomed him to the boardroom. He ignored the words laced with mockery and took his seat at the head of the table.Taking a quick glance around the table, he wished desperately that he could turn back the hands of time.He would have gotten rid of that stupid document without thinking twice.“We seem to be calling a lot of emergency meetings these days. I would prefer that we were working hard and getting results than sitting around”As he spoke, he met the eyes of the board members, one by one.Cowards!They wouldn't even maintain eye contact.Zander reclined in his seat.“So, what is this about?” “I called for this meeting. As you said, we have been lazing about for too long. I think it is time to take drastic actions” Cameron began.That was not exactly what he meant. Zander adjusted in his seat, wondering why his tie had become too tight all of a sudden.“I received an email and a visit from the CEO of Kings gro
Staring speechless at the last person he expected to see, Zander wasn't sure how to feel. He was hanging between shock, frustration and immense relief.“Jeffrey?” He managed to say when he found his voice.Jeffrey slowly advanced from the door until he stood a few feet from him. His eyes didn't leave the glass of whiskey in Zander's hand.“Is that your new coping habit, Sir?” He asked with a straight face.Zander shook his head and stared at the glass feeling sorry for himself.“Are you disappointed in me too, Jeffrey? The alcohol is the only constant companion I have had”“And it will kill you before you get anything done.”Jeffrey gently snatched the cup away and dropped it off on the counter.The two men stood staring at each other for a long minute until Jeffrey broke the moment by clearing his throat.“I see that you have not found a suitable replacement for me, Sir. It is taking you too long”Zander scoffed “Yeah right. Like I can just find anybody to easily replace you, Jeffr
“Cassie! You need to read this!” Maya squealed excitedly, hurrying over to her with her phone. Cassie broke her gaze from the pile of dresses on her bed and turned to her sister with a frustrated sigh.“What is it now, Maya? I need to sort out my outfits for my video” Maya sat on the bed with a loud thump and patted by her side for Cassie to join her.“Oh trust me, you need to read this!”Cassie sat down and accepted the phone. She was met with random screenshots from her Instagram page all over a fashion blog.“THE RETURN OF CASSIE B!”“““When Miss Cassie B made her entrance into the fashion scene, it was obvious that she was something special.After a long hiatus, the gorgeous fashion model suddenly made an appearance on Instagram with a fashion content page that is rapidly gaining followers every minute!So far, Miss Cassie has thrilled us with mind-blowing fashion content and we can't get enough!Will she be back on the runway soon?”””*******Cassie felt a big smile break out o
As Zander walked towards his office door, he was met by his secretary wringing her hands nervously.“Umm…you have a guest Sir”She appeared flustered and avoided his eyes.“I told her that you were not on seat yet and she needed an appointment but she barged in, Sir. I couldn't stop her. I am sorry.”He could think of two people that would barge into his office; his mother and his sister, Zoe. But none of them required an appointment to see him.“Who is it?” He asked calmly “Miss Bella, Sir”His day was off to a rocky start then. He smiled at the lady to put her at ease. “That is alright. I am sure you did your best. I will take over from here”She heaved a sigh of relief and quickly returned to her desk as he walked into his office, bracing himself for whatever drama Bella was bringing his way.She jumped up from the couch as soon as he entered. He narrowed his eyes at the glass of wine already sitting comfortably in her hand.“What are you doing here, Bella?” Taking care to avoi
“How did you manage to get this done in such short notice?” the only female board member asked, her eyes wide as saucers.“Is this real? Can we verify this information?” Another board member asked, turning over the pages of the file before him over and over again as if that would give him some form of confirmation.Zander exchanged looks with Jeffrey, pride coursing through his veins and threatening to explode through him. He beamed with smiles at the board member whose eyes were threatening to pop from their sockets.“It saddens me to see how much you all underestimate me and my team. But, that is okay because I get to prove you all wrong every single time” Zander replied.It was not okay. He was humiliated and was still burning with animosity towards them but the blank stares of disbelief on their faces made it all worth the stress.As Cameron strolled arrogantly into the boardroom, oblivious to the news Zander had just shared with the board members, he spun around with his seat to
“Breaking News!”“Scott Construction Company, a subsidiary of Scott group of companies has been named as the official company in charge of the renovation of the White House.”Cassie's head snapped up quickly from her phone. She abandoned the video she was editing and reached for the TV remote to increase the volume.The male presenter continued excitedly“Sources say that there was a stiff competition amongst the top construction companies in the country for this deal and despite the recent challenges, Scott Constructions has come out at the top.”“This is coming on the heels of several other international deals. Details are not clear yet but the company's media team has confirmed that Scott Constructions will be taking up several outstanding projects across the globe. This news has had great impact on the company's stock prices which we have seen skyrocketing in the last few days.”“Is this a new era for the Scott group of companies? Which of the Scott brothers is responsible for thi
Something in her head screamed NO but she couldn't bring herself to look away from his eyes.“I have forgiven you a long time ago, Cameron”His eyes softened at that answer and he gently held up her face to his, staring into her eyes.She knew at that moment that he was going to kiss her. She only wished that she knew why it felt so wrong and yet so exciting at the same time.But she closed her eyes all the same, holding her breath in anticipation until she felt his lips on hers.He paused for the tiniest moment as if he was giving her the chance to step away and when she didn't, his arms gently went around her as he pulled her in and deepened the kiss.Her mind was a whiz of noise and flusters until he pulled away, looking at her face with an expression she could only describe as adoring.“Cameron…”He dipped his head again and took her lips in another kiss, hotter and more demanding than the previous one.This time, her body responded with a hunger she couldn't recognize.Grasping
Cassie wrinkled her brows, staring back at Linda who had an unreadable expression on her face.After a long moment of silence, Linda turned back to her bagels and transferred them into a baking pan covered with a baking sheet.She spoke as she lifted each bagel and placed them one after the other, arranging them into straight rows.“I am surprised to hear that you still need Cameron's permission to do anything. That worries me more than anything else you have just mentioned”With a quick glance at the ceiling, Cassie sighed loudly. She sat on a nearby high stool as her legs suddenly felt wobbly beneath her.“It is not like that, Linda. It is just weird. I understand why he is angry about my meeting up with Zander and I don't want to cause more problems between them.”Linda glanced back at her with narrowed eyes“Problems? Are they fighting?”Cassie nodded, wringing her hands repeatedly “They have been fighting for a long time now and I don't want to get in the middle of all that righ
Dr. Brown's brows went up in surprise but she quickly recovered from her shock and smiled.“You didn't seem open to seeing someone new the last time we spoke…”“Oh no no no, that's not what I meant…” Zander quickly interrupted, sensing what she thought he meant.“Oh”“I met her a long time ago. She was the surrogate I chose for my baby”Dr. Brown narrowed her eyes but didn't reveal any emotion on her face.“Go on”He chose his next words carefully, making sure that he didn't pass any wrong messages across.“We had a terrible misunderstanding after she lost the pregnancy in an accident and we parted ways in a horrible manner…”He then proceeded to narrate the entire story leading up to when he found out that Cassie had been framed by his sister and Bella Hampton. He left nothing out. He also told her of his meet ups with Cassie and how they went.At the end of the story, Dr. Brown lifted her head from her notepad and exhaled slowly.“How do you feel about the situation right now?” she
“Did Maya asked you to come to my house by this time? Did she tell you about my meeting with your brother?” She asked in disbelief.She had to stop this nonsense soon enough. Maya was beginning to overstep her boundaries. “He is not my brother! Stay away from him!” Cameron spat out.Making sure that she was looking him straight in the eye, she said “You cannot order me around anymore. Do not get ahead of yourself”Before she knew what was happening, he quickly grabbed her arm tightly and forced her to look into his face.“Let me go! You are hurting me!” Cassie screamed but he squeezed her arm harder.“I do not want to see him anywhere around you ever again!” He ordered, his eyes cold and unfeeling.Fighting back the fear that surged through her, she shook off his hands forcefully and increased the distance between them.Like someone who had just been possessed by something, it looked like he had just realized what he did.He took a step forward but she backed away even further, poin
Her soft round eyes met his across the bucket of chicken and it felt like time froze in that moment.“Why?” She asked softly, breaking the silence.He considered his answer very carefully, knowing that it could ruin the moment if he was careless about it.“Because, I think you might be the light I have struggled to find for so long”He held her gaze, hoping that his eyes told her the many things he couldn't put into words.She didn't look away or pull her hand away and he considered it a good sign.She opened her mouth to respond just as the doorbell rang, shattering the moment and forcing him to let go of her soft hands.“I am not going expecting anyone. Who could it be at this time?” She muttered as she got on her feet and headed towards the door.He heard her gasp softly and rose to his feet, wiping his hands on the paper towel. Then came Cameron's voice.Cameron - “Hey babe. I was just in the area and I wanted to check on you”.Cassie - Sounding irritated and whispering harshly “Y
(7PM DINNER TIME)Zander took one last look at his shoes and exhaled sharply before pressing her doorbell.He couldn't help the anxious pounding in his chest as he waited for her to open the door.He heard some movement behind the door and soon after, he was staring at her face to face.“Hey, you made it”She sounded disappointed for a moment. Did she expect him to turn down the invitation?“Yeah….” He trailed off, feeling the awkward tension between them go up several degrees.He chose to wear a shirt and suit pants without the jacket and tie for thirty dinner but from her dressing, she was going for a more casual look.Her hair fell in loose curls, framing her face beautifully and she wore a strapless floral dress that hit the floor in graceful waves.Tearing his eyes away from her smooth skin, he cleared his throat.“Can I come in?”She opened the door wider with a nervous smile, giving way for him to enter the room.“Sure”His eyes fell on someone standing with her hands crossed i
(SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER)Cassie smiled at the pizza delivery guy who had just brought in her order, signed and carried the large box into her house.She had ordered the pizza on her way home, eager to just relax and spend some time alone.Ever since her modelling career kicked off, it has become increasingly difficult to get any quiet time for herself.On her way to the living room where she had a movie waiting, she grabbed a bottle of wine.“It is ME time!” She took one look at the sofa and another look on the floor, then settled for the comfort of her sofa.Making herself comfortable on the sofa, she opened the box and poured herself a glass of wine. Few minutes into her movie, the doorbell rang and she turned to the door in frustration.Who is it again? I am not expecting anyone this evening. The doorbell rang again and again in quick succession until she was forced to get up and get the door.She looked through the monitor and rolled her eyes, then opened the door to let Maya in
Zander paused at the therapist's door for a minute and considered running away.Come on Zander! You're not chickening out of this right now! Dr. Kim's words came rushing back to his mind.“Maybe the answer is in healing from your wounds”You have spent a long time running away, Zander. How much longer until you actually break down? Taking a deep breath, he turned the door handle and walked in.His therapist was a kind looking woman that looked old enough to be his mother. Her soft smile and warm greeting made him feel at ease.“You are Dr. Brown?” It wasn't exactly a question but it sort of came out that way.She laughed a little and waved him to a seat.“I take it that you were expecting something else. Someone much younger perhaps?”He shifted nervously in his seat and cleared his throat “Err…not really. I am not sure what I was expecting. Sorry if I sounded weird”She shook her head with an understanding smile “In this room, you are allowed to be your weird self. There are no
“Okay let's get a shot from the side. Can you look up and into the distance for me, Cassie?”Drowning out the noise in the busy studio, Cassie obeyed the photographer’s orders as usual.“How much longer do I have to stay this way?” She whined.He only chuckled and changed his position to take even more shots.“Alright, you can change the pose. How about some skin?”Their eyes met and she raised a brow at him“How much skin are we talking about?” He moved over and adjusted the oversized shirt she was wearing to give a little teasing view of the lacy bra she was wearing underneath.“Let us start here. Give me some spicy poses, okay?”She nodded and changed her pose severally while he took his shots.“Oooouuu that is really nice! I love that. Hold on a minute!”Few shots later, he got bored of the look again and she laughed at the pout he made.She loved working with Liam. He found a way to make the shoots fun and enjoyable every time.Suddenly, she noticed everyone staring at the entra
Zander got out of his car and hesitated for a few minutes, trying to build up his courage. He was finally having a face to face conversation with Cassie but he wasn't sure if he could go through with it.“How do I face her after everything that has happened?” His phone pinged and he checked the new message. It was from Cassie and it read;“Hey. I got to the restaurant a bit early. I am waiting in the private room you reserved.”He glanced at the building. She was here already?His heart began to sound furiously in his chest. He was hoping to get some time to catch his breath before she arrived. Well, here goes.He forced himself to move away from the car and walked up the stairs.As he was led into the private room where she was waiting, he found himself struggling to keep a steady breath.She looked breathtaking even when she was dressed in a casual top and jeans. She let her long hair fall on her shoulders and barely wore any makeup.He approached the table eagerly and debated in