“She What?” Alex thundered at Chris.
It was the same reaction Chris had anticipated which was why he took his sweet time in relaying the news. “She declined the settlement.” he reiterated. Alex's face crumbled into a deeper frown. “How much did you offer her?” he asked, not believing the greed of this woman. “It was a blank check.” For the first ever, Chris watched an expression other than a frown fall on his boss’s face. Alex was genuinely surprised. “Why?” the word slipped out before he realized it.. “She said she wants the whole matter to be forgotten and left in the past.” The answer only left him feeling more intrigued. From what Ava had told him, he knew she was freshly divorced and living with Ava. Why would someone so broke decline a life changing offer? His suspicion about Emily increased. “Did you dig into her background?” An alarm bell went off in Chris’ head. “No,” Alex shot him a dirty glare. “I want every inch of her background info on my desk tomorrow morning.” He didn't care if Ava claimed they were college friends, if there was something the strange woman was hiding, he wanted to know. Especially since she was living with his only blood. They called rolled to a stop in front of an exclusive club and he stepped out without another word. As soon as he walked into the bustling music, a worker was already by his side. “Welcome Mr Alex. Mr Ezra is already in the private room, is there anything you would love for me to get you.” He answered a cold “No,” before stepping into the waiting elevator. He was greeted by the sight of dancing naked women as soon as he stepped into the private room. Ezra was at the center of it all, caressing and kissing three of them. He didn't notice his friend's arrival till Alex sat down on the luxurious couch and noisily poured himself a drink. Ezra broke up his dirty performance as soon as he spotted his friend. “Hey buddy, you're here. Wanna join us?’ he asked, pulling on the nipples of one of the ladies. Alex casted him a glance without a reply. Ezra chuckled before whispering to the girls. “My buddy is such a killjoy. Why don't you go get yourselves more drinks.” They giggled in silly tones before leaving him. Ezra couldn't help but lick his lips at their juggling asses. The only thing he loved more than money was fine women. And he showed it every night. Alex pouring himself another drink snapped him back to reality. He also poured himself one and scooted closer to his friend. “What's up with you man? You look like shit. You should work less and live more or you're gonna get old soon.” Alex smirked. “We'll get old either way.” “Not me. I ain't getting old any time soon, not when I'm surrounded by gorgeous women.” Despite being best friends for many years, they two had completely opposite characters that people often wondered how they were able to remain so tight. “You won't get old if you continue living recklessly.” Alex hit back in a reply. Ezra only chuckled. “It's not called living if you're not drinking good wine, alcohol and….” His words were cut short with the elevator and a new set of women walking into the room. His eyes widened and sparkled with excitement. A young worker who led the ladies with a bottle of expensive champagne gave them a slight bow. “A little gift from the house for our best client.” Ezra grinned from ear to ear. He shot his friend a look. “It's not living if you're not fucking pretty women.” Two of the ladies went to Ezra who happily welcomed them while the last sat beside Alex grinning with excitement.. She couldn't believe she was seated one on one with the famous billionaire bachelor. “Hi” she said with her best smile but was met with silence and him ignoring her. She took a bold step of sliding her fingers on his hand. He didn't tell her off so she continued. She moved to his strong arms and looked at him with desire. “Why don't we take this somewhere more comfortable darling?” The words rang heavily in his ear. Not that he was interested in the woman but that was exactly the problem. A beautiful young woman was throwing herself at him and yet he felt absolutely nothing as he did for others. Taking his silence for encouragement, she boldly tried to reach for his open chest. Alex grabbed her hand in time and gave her a hard stare. She shivered in fear. He let go of her and drowned down his drink before getting on his feet. Then he cast a glance. “Come with me.”Her face lit up with excitement. They say opportunity comes but once and she had every intention of making use of her opportunity. As she got into the elevator with Alex, she couldn't help but take peeks at his cold hard face. He was perfect in every aspect. A baby from him would be her ticket out of hard life and she was going for that ticket. The elevator door stopped at a small hallway with no one in sight. It was at the top of the building and had two exclusive bedrooms the club had reserved for him and Ezra. Although Ezra made use of his every night, it was the first time Alex was going to use his. He walked quietly while her heels noisily lagged behind him. He placed his hand on a pad beside the door. It scanned his fingerprints and the door automatically opened up. The room was dimly lit, spacious and consciously decorated in a way that was meant to stimulate sexual drive. She took in the luxurious room, smiling to herself at the feeling of the soft bed
“OMG!! He's trending again!!” “Who?” “Mr Hasting. Everyone check your phones.” The commotion was enough to momentarily pull Emily away from work. She glanced at her chatty coworkers and decided it was probably them fawning over Alex again. She had barely refocused on work when Sean ran to her with the juicy news. “Have you seen it?” Before she could mutter a response, he cut her off. “Forget it. Judging by the look on your face, you haven't seen it. Here.” he spoke, placing his phone in her hands. She was left with no choice than to watch the so-called trending video. A first glance at it, and she couldn't help but cringe at the sight of Alex kicking someone away. “Why does he always have to be horrible?” she thought to herself in disgust and disbelief. The camera zoomed in on the woman's face and Emily's brain lit up in recognition. It was Kelly Riggs, the same author that had just been dropped by the company. Kelly had been dropped after a vi
“The company has decided to sign Wesley. I just wanted to give you a heads up.” “That's a little too late.” Emily thought to herself while staring at the sight before her. “Hello, Emily are you there?” Ava's worried voice boomed over the phone. “Let me call you back.” Emily replied in a soft tone before stepping into the dreadful elevator ride, ignoring the surprise on their faces. She had barely taken a breath before the drama began. “Emily, what are you doing here?” Sophie asked, still shocked by the sight of her. Emily treated her words like air. Wesley, also recovering from his shock, mouthed. “Your sister's talking to you Emily. What are you doing here?” His eyes went over her smart outfit, noting how good she looked. Sophie did not miss the look of admiration. Her eyes darkened but she maintained her facade. She tried to hug Emily but the latter moved away. Sophie feigned a heartbroken face. Wesley immediately grabbed her, sending a glare to Em
“There she is, that's her.” Emily's brows furrowed in confusion as she watched the young ladies scurry off with whispers.Were they talking about her? “No, it can't be.” She thought to herself.From the elevator ride to the hallways, it kept feeling like people were giving her stares and whispers. As soon as she stepped into the office, it went dead silent with all eyes fixated on her. Emily's heart felt heavy and her steps became hard. What had she done? The whispers began. “She has the guts to show her face here.” “It knew there was something incredibly off about her.” “There's no way she's not getting fired. So many people have lodged complaints about her.” Just as she took her seat, Sean rushed to her. “Is it true?” he asked with eager eyes and alarmed ears. “What are you talking about?” Emily asked in genuine confusion. Sean handed her his phone. Emily's hands trembled as she stared at the screen. It was the company's anonymous gossip forum and some
“What nonsense!” Ava yelled in anger. Coming back from her trip to hear the buzzing lies about Emily was not something she could have ever imagined. Her body vibrated with anger.“I'm going to fish out whoever started this trend of lies.” Emily sighed from her seat. “You can't, it's anonymous. That's the basic purpose of the gossip site.” Ava scoffed loudly, “Oh Please, it's nothing a hacker can't dig out. I'll teach the idiot a lesson.” “Please don't, it will only make things worse.” Ava softened at her friend's words. “But I can't just let them bully you and get away with it. I need to make an example out of someone.” Emily let out a small smile. “I can take care of myself.” Ava scoffed, “Fine but I'll be releasing a statement.” It was lunchtime when Ava's statement was released. Before then, Lydia felt high on the success of her little scheme. She gloated in satisfaction watching the whole canteen talk about Emily. Many people from other dep
Emily walked into the company with two paper cups of fresh hot coffee–One for her, the other for Ava. She stumbled but caught herself just in time before any of the coffee could spill. Unfortunately, she couldn't save her phone in time. She picked up the fallen phone with a sigh and began inspecting it for any damage. Distracted, she barely gave her surroundings a glance. The next moment, she felt herself bumping into a wall and down went the two cups. Emily watched in horror as the coffee spilled on the figure’s hand—down to his suit and Italian shoe. She yelped in horror, also expecting the victim of her carelessness to scream in pain but was met with silence. Her eyes sought the identity of this superhero while she began to ramble out an apology. “I am so…” the words froze mid air as her eyes settled on his face. She was fucked! Emily lost her tongue and a wave of cold nervousness drenched her. For a second he remained still, glaring at her with
Emily’s PovAva was right. Dinner was literally to die for. Whoever the magnificent chef was, he deserved what Mr Dark Heart was paying. After the death glare, he returned back to pouring his attention on his sister while Ezra and I continued to make small talks. I was grateful when dinner came to and. At least it meant I would be leaving the dark and gloomy mansion too. Like the weirdo he was, Alex stood up and walked out without another word. Ava and Ezra began to clear the table and when I tried to join in, they immediately stopped me. “You're a guest, Emily. Don't worry we've got this.” Said Ezra with a slight wink. I tried to protest but Ava stopped me. “C’mon Em, we've got this. Why don't you take a tour of the house! We’ll be back as soon as we run this by the washer.” Defeated, I muttered “Okay.” After they were gone, I decided to take Ava's advice and take a little tour of the house. Like the tables, plates and cutleries were, everything in the
Emily's Pov I blinked at the two approaching figures.“It couldn't be.” I thought to myself. But as they came to a raging halt before me, I knew it was really them. “Why did you block us, Emily?” Susan’s eyes went over me with contempt. I considered ignoring their presence but decided against it. “I didn't block you. I changed my contact.” I replied calmly. “That's no way to talk to your mother.” My eyes landed on Jane's face— her signature horrendous makeup and silly words made me chuckle. “Mother? Has your old brain forgotten the night I was disowned?” Both of them gasped. Their faces mirrored a mix of horror and surprise. “How dare you talk to your family that way?” Susan said, pointing her finger to my face. I shoved her hand away with a scoff. “We cut ties that night” I eyed Jane's figure. “And I'm no longer married to your son. How are we family?” If they were shocked before, they were now completely horrified. “You…” Susan tried to point agai
“What?” The chorus came from Wesley and the two senior editors. With a smirk, Emily reiterated herself. “I'm sorry, this manuscript cannot be published. It's not good enough.” Wesley jumped to his feet, seething with anger. “Emily, are you crazy? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?” “Mr Wesley, please calm down. I'm sure there's been a mistake somewhere.” Jane–one of the editors said, trying to pacify him. The second editor, Kent, also jumped in. “Yes, there's got to be some sort of mistake. Emily, you know this is Wesley Sterling, one of the best authors out there. He has written so many bestsellers, how can you say his work is not good enough?” Emily stared into Wesley’s eyes with a mocking gaze. “I know Mr Wesley has written many bestsellers but this one doesn't cut it. I think he needs to write something else.” He flipped out. “How dare you insult me? Is this what they do at Hasting? I demand another editor. And I want her fired!” Everytime he
Emily's Pov I blinked at the two approaching figures.“It couldn't be.” I thought to myself. But as they came to a raging halt before me, I knew it was really them. “Why did you block us, Emily?” Susan’s eyes went over me with contempt. I considered ignoring their presence but decided against it. “I didn't block you. I changed my contact.” I replied calmly. “That's no way to talk to your mother.” My eyes landed on Jane's face— her signature horrendous makeup and silly words made me chuckle. “Mother? Has your old brain forgotten the night I was disowned?” Both of them gasped. Their faces mirrored a mix of horror and surprise. “How dare you talk to your family that way?” Susan said, pointing her finger to my face. I shoved her hand away with a scoff. “We cut ties that night” I eyed Jane's figure. “And I'm no longer married to your son. How are we family?” If they were shocked before, they were now completely horrified. “You…” Susan tried to point agai
Emily’s PovAva was right. Dinner was literally to die for. Whoever the magnificent chef was, he deserved what Mr Dark Heart was paying. After the death glare, he returned back to pouring his attention on his sister while Ezra and I continued to make small talks. I was grateful when dinner came to and. At least it meant I would be leaving the dark and gloomy mansion too. Like the weirdo he was, Alex stood up and walked out without another word. Ava and Ezra began to clear the table and when I tried to join in, they immediately stopped me. “You're a guest, Emily. Don't worry we've got this.” Said Ezra with a slight wink. I tried to protest but Ava stopped me. “C’mon Em, we've got this. Why don't you take a tour of the house! We’ll be back as soon as we run this by the washer.” Defeated, I muttered “Okay.” After they were gone, I decided to take Ava's advice and take a little tour of the house. Like the tables, plates and cutleries were, everything in the
Emily walked into the company with two paper cups of fresh hot coffee–One for her, the other for Ava. She stumbled but caught herself just in time before any of the coffee could spill. Unfortunately, she couldn't save her phone in time. She picked up the fallen phone with a sigh and began inspecting it for any damage. Distracted, she barely gave her surroundings a glance. The next moment, she felt herself bumping into a wall and down went the two cups. Emily watched in horror as the coffee spilled on the figure’s hand—down to his suit and Italian shoe. She yelped in horror, also expecting the victim of her carelessness to scream in pain but was met with silence. Her eyes sought the identity of this superhero while she began to ramble out an apology. “I am so…” the words froze mid air as her eyes settled on his face. She was fucked! Emily lost her tongue and a wave of cold nervousness drenched her. For a second he remained still, glaring at her with
“What nonsense!” Ava yelled in anger. Coming back from her trip to hear the buzzing lies about Emily was not something she could have ever imagined. Her body vibrated with anger.“I'm going to fish out whoever started this trend of lies.” Emily sighed from her seat. “You can't, it's anonymous. That's the basic purpose of the gossip site.” Ava scoffed loudly, “Oh Please, it's nothing a hacker can't dig out. I'll teach the idiot a lesson.” “Please don't, it will only make things worse.” Ava softened at her friend's words. “But I can't just let them bully you and get away with it. I need to make an example out of someone.” Emily let out a small smile. “I can take care of myself.” Ava scoffed, “Fine but I'll be releasing a statement.” It was lunchtime when Ava's statement was released. Before then, Lydia felt high on the success of her little scheme. She gloated in satisfaction watching the whole canteen talk about Emily. Many people from other dep
“There she is, that's her.” Emily's brows furrowed in confusion as she watched the young ladies scurry off with whispers.Were they talking about her? “No, it can't be.” She thought to herself.From the elevator ride to the hallways, it kept feeling like people were giving her stares and whispers. As soon as she stepped into the office, it went dead silent with all eyes fixated on her. Emily's heart felt heavy and her steps became hard. What had she done? The whispers began. “She has the guts to show her face here.” “It knew there was something incredibly off about her.” “There's no way she's not getting fired. So many people have lodged complaints about her.” Just as she took her seat, Sean rushed to her. “Is it true?” he asked with eager eyes and alarmed ears. “What are you talking about?” Emily asked in genuine confusion. Sean handed her his phone. Emily's hands trembled as she stared at the screen. It was the company's anonymous gossip forum and some
“The company has decided to sign Wesley. I just wanted to give you a heads up.” “That's a little too late.” Emily thought to herself while staring at the sight before her. “Hello, Emily are you there?” Ava's worried voice boomed over the phone. “Let me call you back.” Emily replied in a soft tone before stepping into the dreadful elevator ride, ignoring the surprise on their faces. She had barely taken a breath before the drama began. “Emily, what are you doing here?” Sophie asked, still shocked by the sight of her. Emily treated her words like air. Wesley, also recovering from his shock, mouthed. “Your sister's talking to you Emily. What are you doing here?” His eyes went over her smart outfit, noting how good she looked. Sophie did not miss the look of admiration. Her eyes darkened but she maintained her facade. She tried to hug Emily but the latter moved away. Sophie feigned a heartbroken face. Wesley immediately grabbed her, sending a glare to Em
“OMG!! He's trending again!!” “Who?” “Mr Hasting. Everyone check your phones.” The commotion was enough to momentarily pull Emily away from work. She glanced at her chatty coworkers and decided it was probably them fawning over Alex again. She had barely refocused on work when Sean ran to her with the juicy news. “Have you seen it?” Before she could mutter a response, he cut her off. “Forget it. Judging by the look on your face, you haven't seen it. Here.” he spoke, placing his phone in her hands. She was left with no choice than to watch the so-called trending video. A first glance at it, and she couldn't help but cringe at the sight of Alex kicking someone away. “Why does he always have to be horrible?” she thought to herself in disgust and disbelief. The camera zoomed in on the woman's face and Emily's brain lit up in recognition. It was Kelly Riggs, the same author that had just been dropped by the company. Kelly had been dropped after a vi
Her face lit up with excitement. They say opportunity comes but once and she had every intention of making use of her opportunity. As she got into the elevator with Alex, she couldn't help but take peeks at his cold hard face. He was perfect in every aspect. A baby from him would be her ticket out of hard life and she was going for that ticket. The elevator door stopped at a small hallway with no one in sight. It was at the top of the building and had two exclusive bedrooms the club had reserved for him and Ezra. Although Ezra made use of his every night, it was the first time Alex was going to use his. He walked quietly while her heels noisily lagged behind him. He placed his hand on a pad beside the door. It scanned his fingerprints and the door automatically opened up. The room was dimly lit, spacious and consciously decorated in a way that was meant to stimulate sexual drive. She took in the luxurious room, smiling to herself at the feeling of the soft bed