My irritation flared. “Maybe because I was about to be dragged out like a common criminal.”Pedro’s eyes snapped back to the manager, and just like that, the air of control shifted. “Franco,” he said smoothly, his voice as cold steel, “get the owner on the phone. If this woman isn’t fired by the end of the day, shut this entire place down.”The manager choked on her next breath. “Mr. Pedro, please! I—I didn’t realise—”Pedro’s eyes shot fire at her. “You didn’t realise because you judged her the moment she walked in. You humiliated my wife in a store where I spend millions. And now you expect me to overlook that?”For the first time, the word “wife” sounded like a compliment but I wouldn't get ahead of myself, so I swallowed my humble pie and observed.The woman’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I was sure the saliva in her guts and dried into a desert, silly thing.I, on the other hand, was still fuming. “And you,” Pedro turned to me now, his voice low, lethal, “why
It was another evening in this godforsaken place.I did not have any plans in mind, I did not have any expectations.The evening had unfolded into a lively game night for honeymooners, each couple eager to showcase their undying love. While they were all loveydovey, I was sourcing for the nearest available route to escape being in that space, I was a bit under the weather and was beginning to feel home sick.I missed the small confines and comfort my humble abode afforded me. When the host announced a blindfolded couple’s challenge, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. The rumble in my stomach became so loud, I feared the red haired lady sitting next me could hear it, the way she stared at me.The premise was simple yet nerve-wracking, I was literally bawling: blindfolded participants of the game had to find their partners; failing to do so meant performing a dare chosen by the person they mistakenly selected.I just knew I was the wrongest person for this game. I hated pedro way t
I glanced over my shoulder, meeting Pedro’s intense stare. A shrill of satisfaction coursed through me as I sipped. “Just looking for some good company,” I replied, my voice dripping with insinuation.Pedro’s stare was a searing brand against my skin. I could feel his attention pressing down on me as I leaned in closer to George, my fingers trailing lightly over his arm.“Tell me more about yourself, George,” I said, deliberately keeping my voice sultry.He smirked, sensing the game but willing to play along. “Wait a minute, are you trying to make the dude over there kill me? Is that your man?” He asked to my surprise.“Just play along” I said.“Well, I’m in finance. I travel a lot, but nothing beats moments like these—meeting a beautiful woman under the stars.”I let out a soft laugh, tilting my head just enough to give Pedro the perfect view of my excitement. “You flatter me.”Pedro’s presence loomed upon us before I even turned around. The air around us charged with a kind electr
After the back and forth I had with Pedro earlier, I decided I was not going to share a room or spend another night in the same bed with him.I planned on telling him that his reason for this honeymoon needed to be reconsidered because I was beginning to feel sick to my stomach.Then I hear the door swing open, slamming on the wall with a loud bang. I jolted awake.I felt my eyes unconsciously twitch against the dim lighting, disoriented, my senses still heavy with sleep. The first thing I registered was the strong scent of cigarettes, and alcohol, definitely a whiskey smell—It was so potent that it drowned out the smell of the air fresheners. From the silheout I could make out in my head, it had to be Pedro.My body tensed as I sat up, gripping the blanket around me. He stepped inside, I could feel his aura instantly filling the room and strangely, it made me feel unsettled, Pedro had never smoked around me. He looked wrecked, his black shirt half-unbuttoned, and his usually nea
Did I just kill that man?My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear my own ragged breathing, everything had become hazy, fast and did not make any sense.My eyes were beginning to itch from the cigarette smoke.I stumbled into the bedroom, my hands shaking as I slammed the door shut behind me, twisting the lock so hard my fingers ached.That was not enough for what I had just done.And I knew it, that the locks wouldn’t hold.Frantic, I grabbed the nearest arm chair and shoved it under the doorknob. Then another. Then the bedside table. My movements were clumsy, my body betraying me as panic took over. The room spun, my breaths coming too fast as I struggled to catch them. I could feel my sweat soaking up the scanty piece of night wear I had on.A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, should I hide in the racks of clothes in the closet or should I find a phone and call the police? Or the ambulance? Or call home?Fuck did I just murder someone! I whimpered around the room.
Pedro exhaled slowly, wiping a hand across his face, smearing the blood even more.“You are scaring me, Pedro” I choked out.“And now?” His lips curled, his gaze dragging over my shaking form. “so you can be sacred but did not hesitate to remind me of how much of a spineless dingbat I was, cariño?”I couldn’t answer.Pedro sucked his tongue. “You act so brave when you’re throwing things. Running. Hiding.” He took another step closer. “But now I’m right in front of you?” He crouched, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re acting like a frightened little girl?.”Tears slipped down my face.“Please,” I tried again, my voice breaking.Pedro tilted his head. “Get up and strip those clothes! I want to see your body, the very one you have been hiding from me and giving to those low lives secretly!”.Then, suddenly—he laughed.“I said strip you fucking bitch!” He shouted, yanking me up by hair and slapping me into the bed.“Please! Pedro, please!” I begged weakly.I watched him roll down his
Don Pedro’s POVI woke with a crushing headache, it seemed as if the night’s excesses had conspired to rip apart every fibre of my being. I could feel my head splitting, and for a long moment, I lay in bed, barely aware of the world around me. I had a lot to drink with Natalia last night, it had me wondering if she was just as wasted.Then, as my eyes fluttered open, I saw chaos. The room was in disarray, I sat up slowly, my vision blurring at the sight before me.The bed sheets looked like a blood bath had happened, the lines were twisted and dishevelled, and, God help me, there were bright red stains on the bed. My pulse hammered in my ears as I struggled to clear my thoughts. I fumbled for the clock on the bedside table—past 10am. That meant I had overslept, and worse, I was not dressed at all. I was butt naked.I just knew my head was not clear yet. I swung my legs off the bed, and my eyes fell on the floor. A thin trail of blood snaked its way toward the bathroom.My hear
The nurse I had called quickly took over, speaking rapidly into her phone, while a doctor approached us.I wanted abrupt attendance, not this calm disposition on the doctor.Can they fucking move fast around here? I hovered at the edge of the commotion, everything seemed slow except the chaos in my mind.“What happened?” the doctor asked, his eyes meeting mine.I swallowed, struggling to find the words. “I… she was hurt. There’s blood everywhere…”He nodded, his expression turning serious as he examined Tessa. “We’ll take care of her,” he assured me. “Please Stay here.”I nodded, though I wasn’t sure I could stay. I paced outside the emergency room, my phone pressed tightly to my bare chest. I tried calling out to the nurses and wards for updates, but the line was busy, and the staff seemed too occupied with their own urgent tasks. I managed to sit on a cold bench, every minute felt like an eternity and I was drained from trying to recall every moment of the night in my head.
AUTHOR’S POV If anybody told Tessa that her life would turn around, that it would go from her being ordinary to being the reluctant wife of an elite billionaire, she would not have believed it. She would not have believed that she would be doing marriage with a man she barely knew anything about, that Sergio could be gay, and worst part, a coward for giving up on their love so easily. It had been 3hrs into the night from the disastrous dinner and she was restless, pacing around, sulking and trying to fall asleep to at least rest and clear her head. But it was impossible to sleep. Tessa had been awake for the 3 hours, the thin blanket barely enough to keep the chill at bay or the fever brewing inside her. She could hear muffled sounds, probably from busy maids and active bodyguards—their distant conversations, and she envied them, she envied that they shared a familiarity that afforded them room to converse, chit chat and socialise why she had to sulk in her room. It was r
“Tessa, kindly Leave the serving to the chef. You are too clumsy for such delicate work,” Dame Rossa said, her voice icy and as a matter of factual. Tessa stopped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I’m trying,” she protested softly. “Enough please, I dont want to loose my appetite,” Dame Rossa snapped. She cleared her throat and then addressed the entire table, her voice rising in a commanding tempo. “The purpose of this dinner is to have a heart-to-heart while we enjoy a proper meal as it appears that all we do is eat. With all of this generational wealth, all we do is eat—but not once have any of you children of my late brother and his wife in blessed memory, thought about preparing for the future. How will you produce the next generation if you never care to bear children?” A unassuming silence swept across the table. Dame Rossa’s gaze landed on Regina. “Regina, tell me, has your womb turned to rocks? Are you unable to have children, or are you simply unlucky at finding
Dinner was ready! The Long tables were dressed in immaculate white cloth, adorned with fine china and silver wares, freshly plucked fruits in between. At the head of the table sat Dame Rossa, and to her right, Regina was seated, their expressions stern, unassuming and watchful as they awaited Don Pedro’s arrival. At that moment, the doors swung open. Don Pedro strode into the room looking tired and weary. He had being busy and about. He glanced around, his eyes narrowing slightly at the dinner table . “Is there a feast going on?” he asked in a measured tone, his voice carrying both amusement and expectation. “I ask because Regina never eats at the dinning table but in her room, it has to be a feast” he added wryly. Dame Rossa, seated at the far end, fixed him with a cool stare. “Don Pedro, do take a seat and join us for dinner,” she commanded. “I want us all to sit together this evening.” Pedro paused at the entrance. He cleared his throat and replied, “I’m not hungry actually
AUTHORS POV Tessa was making her way down the quiet hall way when she nearly collided with Franco. Whatever she was thinking was rudely interrupted as she became aware of her consciousness, and she barely managed to steady herself as she met his eyes. “Franco,” she said, her voice edged with irritation yet curious to know where he was heading to, “where are you hurrying off to?” Franco paused, looking around as if expecting prying eyes. “I’ve got a few errands to run for Don Pedro,” he replied. His eyes held a tinge of emergency, and for a moment Tessa wondered what could be so pressing that he’d nearly bump and crashed into her. “Errands?” Tessa asked, narrowing her eyes. “Then could you at least point me to the kitchen? I need to sort out something” Franco frowned slightly, a hint of surprise passing over his initial features. “The kitchen?” he repeated. “What exactly do you need there?” Tessa hesitated before speaking. “Dame Rossa has asked me to cook dinner,” she said in a
AUTHOR’S POV Dame Rossa had gone downstairs by the time Regina came out of Don Pedro’s room. She was making her way to the staircase when she spotted Franco in the hallway. Without wasting a second, she caught up to him and grabbed his arm. “Franco, we need to talk—now,” she said hurriedly Franco tried to pull away, glancing nervously over his shoulder. “Regina, please, not here. Someone might see us,” he protested, his voice several notes lower and urgent. Before he could finish his sentence, Regina yanked him into a small, empty room off the main corridor, it was the store room. The door closed behind them with a soft lock. T The air in the room was cool and still, although it smelt like old newspapers and decaying books, nobody had been in there for days if not weeks. “Why do you always make me chase you like this?” Regina demanded, her voice mid-high as frustration and something that bordered on desperation trailed it. “How do you mean?” “My call’s you fool, you are not
AUTHORS POVIt was on days like this that she missed Sergio. It was as if the long travelling hours had dried up the blood flowing through different parts of her body.Sergio would have given her a therapeutic body massage to ease the tension coursing through her, but then the thought of him as she sat alone in the bedroom—angered her. He had no place in her thoughts.She would rather think of her job instead, she thought to herself, surrounded by stacks of unattended work files.She missed the life she had before Pedro, before the wedding and more so, before the so‐called cursed honeymoon on the Virgin Atlantic Island. The soft rustle of papers as she schemed through them, and the steady ticking clock filled the quiet atmosphere as she worked through the backlog, trying in vain to regain some sense of normality, but it did not work one bit, there was just so much work to do.Her mind, however, was not on the files. She searched her mind for what could be missing as she remained re
I straightened, trying to maintain my composure. “Medlin, this is not the right environment,” I replied briskly. “You’re about to be married to Rodolfo, and here, at a club meeting, such matters are best left unspoken.” Her eyes were devilishly lusting, undeterred. “Married or not, you always had a way of drawing me in. I insist we talk, moreover, your dick is saying otherwise.” Before I could protest further, the noise of the club’s lively chatter filtered through the corridor. Reluctantly, I stepped aside, gesturing for her to follow me into one of the private rooms. We entered a well furnished office looking room off the corridor, the room was quiet with the blinds covering the large windows. I closed the door, leaning against it as I tried to regain a semblance of control. “Medlin, listen,” I began, my voice was even but firm. “This isn’t the time or place. We have obligations—especially with the tournament coming up and everything else to be sorted for Monterrey.” She
DON PEDRO’S POV Inside the club’s main hall, the president of the Golf club, a dignified gentleman in just a pair t-shirt and shorts, cleared his throat and began the roll call. “Don Pedro?” he called. “Don Rodolfo?” “Sir Princeton?” “Miss Medlin?” “Sir Renato” “Sir Vince” “Don Nathan” and continued to mention others, each name was met with a firm “Present!” from the assembled members. I offered a short nod as my name was pronounced. “Thank you all for coming on time,” the president continued, his was laid back and formal. “I do apologise for my lateness this evening; I assure you it will not become a habit.” He paused to laugh, a few others joined, I did not. “Now, the purpose of today’s meeting is to finalise the arrangements for the upcoming Monterrey Golf Club International Tournament. This event will, I believe, bring about significant development in our region, and we must ensure that all aspects of our proposal are watertight in terms of collaborations, sponsorships and
AUTHOR’S POV Don Pedro led the way and Tessa followed in sheepishly, stepping aside as he slammed the door short. “Which way is the bathroom?” she asked impatiently. “That way” he pointed. Tessa barely had time to admire the braggadociousness of Don Pedro’s master suite before the call of nature hit her with a reverberating kind of urgency. The long flight, the delay at the airport, and the insufferable formalities with his aunt had left her holding it in for way too long and she only just realised her bladder would burst open if she did not ease herself. Now, as they stepped into the room, all she wanted was to relieve herself and catch her breath, she had been still for too long. Pedro was right beside her, loosening his belt as he made a beeline for the bathroom. Tessa’s eyes widened in alarm. “This way” he motioned. “Wait, wait, wait! I need to go first,” she announced, already moving toward the bathroom door. Pedro stopped in his tracks, turned to her, and raised a br