ALEXANDER'S POV There comes a time in every man's life when he makes decisions that break him. I was at that time, and I was broken. Mirabelle's pregnancy meant I would marry her, not that I don't love her, but not enough to spend the rest of my life being committed to her. I was scared of my future with her, scared of how extravagant she was, but with this child, I had to make that bitter decision of settling for her, hoping I wouldn't fall into ruins.I adjusted my cufflinks as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My parents had called for dinner, and I had agreed, thinking it was the perfect opportunity to tell them about Mirabelle's pregnancy and my plans to marry her.As I inserted my car keys, I caught of glimpse of something through the window. It was Mirabelle's car pulling out of the driveway.Where the hell was she going? I thought to myself. And why didn't she tell me she was going somewhere?I thought of calling her but decided against it. I had bigger issues to cont
KEVIN'S POVBastard! I muttered, clenching my fist so tight that my nails dug into my palm. He had the guts to punch me, but I swear, he was going to regret it. He was the golden boy, the one who never did what was wrong in our parent's eyes, but now I would pull every string I could and make sure he disappointed them.My Jaw still throbbed from the force of his blow, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the rage burning inside me.I had waited for years for the perfect opportunity to watch him fall, and now he was handing me that opportunity on a platter of gold.It was obvious that he liked the Rubby of a girl, but it was stupid of him to also get Mirabelle pregnant. Well, that's even if the child was his, so it's even more stupid of him to accept responsibility for Mirabelle's pregnancy. Idiot! He spat when he walked to the door, I couldn't do anything, at least not when I was trying to gain my father's favour.I watched from the shadows as my parents sat in the living r
RUBBY'S POV I sat gently on the couch, tracing invisible patterns on the couch, while replaying the events of the past few weeks. I had been fooled, but that wasn't the problem. The main problem was that I had been fooled twice; now, the thought of Alex seemed to be plastered all over my head. No matter how much I painted it, I felt he didn't do nothing wrong; I was just so unlucky with love.I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear my mom's footsteps until she sat close to me."Hey, Mom, when did you get here?" "Sweetheart, your dad and I have been thinking, we think it's time we went back home."I looked up at her, momentarily caught off guard."You guys are leaving already? We should spend New Year's Eve together, please," I pleaded, fighting the tears that seemed to choke me."Look, Rubby, we've been here long enough, and we can't keep inconveniencing you, you know, initially...." Mom said, biting her fingers, I knew the next words that would come out, but I allowed her to s
RUBBY'S POV The night air was thick with the scent of different perfume, alcohol, and something else I couldn’t quite place. Maybe it was fear or even regret, Maybe it was the feeling of being somewhere I didn’t belong.The club was the last place you would see me, but today was different, Cynthia finally had her way.I tugged at the hem of my dress as Cynthia led me deeper into the club, her laughter ringing through the reverberating music. I hadn’t wanted to come. I had made that clear. But Cynthia had a way of twisting words, of making things sound like a good idea when they weren’t."Come on, Rubby," she had coaxed over the phone. "You’ve been so down lately. Just one night out, I swear. No strings attached."I should have said no, owing to the fact that I would leave with my parents that day, But after the call from the orphanage, after realizing I had to stay behind a few more days to support a little boy through surgery, I felt restless. The young boy kept insisting I come, s
RUBBY'S POV I woke up with a dull, persistent throb pulsing behind my temples; my body was heavy with exhaustion as I forced my opens to open.Finally, my eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. For a minute or so, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling the remnants of sleep clinging to me like a fog.Then, suddenly, it hit me.The club, The drink, The dizziness, And then… Alex.I sucked in a sharp breath as the memories rushed back in fragmented flashes. Cynthia’s laughter, the way my body had betrayed me, how the world had spun uncontrollably. The panic. The helplessness. And then those strong, familiar arms caught me before I collapsed.Alex.My fingers curled into the sheets as I forced myself up, wincing at the sharp ache in my head. Oouch my head.How did I get home? My last clear memory was of Alex holding me, his eyes locked onto mine in an unspoken conversation filled with things I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.H
ALEXANDER'S POV It was embarrassing to say that I had stalked her all day.From the moment she came to the office till that night at the club, thankfully my presence had saved her from danger.I couldn't take away my eyes from her face as I carried her to my car, even as I lay her down on her bed, I just stared at how peaceful she looked. The next morning, as I remembered all that had happened, I kept telling myself that I just cared about her wellbeing and nothing more; I would have helped any other girl in that condition.I exhaled deeply and went downstairs to the sitting room.The city lights stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, but they did nothing to distract me. My eyes flickered to my phone for what felt like the hundredth time, hoping, no, praying for a call or a text from Rubby.Nothing.I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over my jaw. She was still angry. I couldn’t blame her. After everything Mirabelle called her, after lying to her. What reason di
ALEXANDER'S POV I folded my arms and stared at Mirabelle, my face devoid of emotion, but inside, a storm brewed.She stood in the middle of my penthouse, arms crossed too, her expression carefully composed, but I could see the nervousness creeping in. She wasn’t expecting this.I leaned against the bar, my gaze never leaving hers. “Where were you last night? Please answer my question I'm sure you heard me.”She blinked, feigning confusion. “What do you mean?”“Don’t play dumb, Mirabelle.” My voice was cold and precise. “Where were you?”She let out a light laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I was at home. Why are you suddenly questioning me?”I didn’t react, didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response. Instead, I let the silence stretch between us.Her hands trembled slightly. “Alex, what is this about?”"It's about what I asked you, where were you? And before you think of lying, don't forget that I was still at home before you left. I sat in my car and watched your car p
RUBBY'S POV "Thank God you are here," the Matron exclaimed."What's happening?" I askedShe shrugged her shoulders and led me to the doctor's office.The hospital walls seemed colder than usual, their sterile white tones made my skin prickle. The air smelled like antiseptic and anxiety, thick and suffocating. I sat beside the little boy’s bed, watching his tiny chest rise and fall with difficulty. His breathing was shallow, his body too frail for someone so young. The sight of him, helpless and in pain, brought tears to my eyes. It broke my heart.The doctor’s voice earlier still echoed in my head.“He needs immediate surgery, but we can’t proceed unless his parents sign.”The matron and I had pleaded with them. We explained, over and over again, that he was an orphan and that there were no parents to sign for him. But the hospital stood firm. A couple must sign."We can't take such risk here, a couple must sign an undertaking," the doctor explained."He is from the orphanage downto
RUBBY'S POV "Oh Josh," I whispered, "please don't do this." I felt he could probably hear my heart hammering against my chest."I don't want to be late," he answered, staring at me so hard that I felt he could see my soul."I would ask again next month, I just want to make sure nobody steals you from me before then. Please be my Val."I suddenly felt a huge lump in my throat that refused to go down; I swallowed hard countless times, yet nothing. Josh still stared at me, waiting for a response; he was so patient with me that I felt I was doing the wrong thing.But what was the right thing? My heart longed for Alex even though I was scared to admit it, yet Josh had crawled his way into my heart as well. Never had I ever been this confused.What if, I thought, what if Alex asked me the same question? How would I feel if I said yes now to Josh?"Rubby, I'm waiting," he whispered, slowly licking his lips; I knew he was nervous; he was only trying to be the expressionless man I'd come to
RUBBY'S POV I stared at him with my mouth wide open. A gun? A freaking gun? What was he using it for?I wanted to ask, but I knew better than to do so; we needed to solve the problem before us first. The door knobed turned again and this time, the door opened.I breathed in suspense as I waited for the intruder to step in, but when the so-called intruder finally stepped in, I let out a dramatic his.Nolan! The last person I was expecting to see. He still had my key? "Fool," I muttered more to myself than to him."You changed your number? I've been calling you," he said casually as if he hadn't just broken into my house. "This was the only way to reach you, I heard you were back.""News do travel fast," I muttered, "especially around jobless people.""Don't tell me you are still angry, Rubby; what else...." I quickly interrupted him, I had no time to listen to the nonsense he had to say."Get out!""Rubby, relax," he sighed, "we need to talk."I clenched my fist, trying so hard to su
RUBBY'S POV To say I was embarrassed was an understatement; I had no idea Alex would confess his love for me in the way he did, and I felt awkward; having my face all over the media again would break me.When I ran out, I boarded a taxi and left immediately. I would go see my parents the next day, though I hadn't told them I was back; I wanted to see Dad's surprised face.That evening, I sat on my bed, with my knees drawn to my chest and my phone clutched tightly in my hands. My phone's screen kept dimming, and I kept tapping the screen to keep Alex's contact visible.I was fighting with my mind whether to call him or not.For minutes, my thumb hovered over the call button, but no matter how I tried, I just couldn't bring myself to press it, at least not yet.To be honest, I had made a mistake, I shouldn't have come to the cafè with Josh, but Josh insisted, saying how bad it is for me to go out alone, to worsen the matter, he had gotten me a bouquet of flower, which was part of what
ALEXANDER'S POV He didn't hit me back, neither did he dodge any of my blows; he was only concerned with making sure neither his mask nor cap left his face."Alex stop it!" Rubby screamed trying to pull me off, but anger got the better of me. I kept landing blows on him till the cafè manager shouted for someone to call security.I finally let go of the masked man, who didn't even flinch as though he had expected that reaction from me.I stared at my hands in both disgust and horror, wondering what pushed me to react in such a violent manner, since I was under probation for Mirabelle's death. Now the police wouldn't believe a thing I said.He smiled and straightened his clothes."What's wrong with you!" Rubby screamed. "What has come over you?""Me huh?" I scoffed. "I fucking love you Rubby!" I screamed. "That's what has come over me."I never planned to make that confession like that, but I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I didn't know when I let those words spill.Rubby stared
ALEXANDER'S POV "Have you?" I asked again when I got no response.The detective exchanged glances with his colleague before moving his gaze back to me."Mr Wolfe, whoever is up against you has strong backup because we did try, but the signal bounced through multiple locations. We couldn't pinpoint the exact location." His shoulders dropped in defeat as he made the last statement. "But you need to stay put, Mr Wolfe, until we clear your name officially.""Listen to me!" I screamed through gritted teeth, suppressing the urge to slam my fist on that god-forsaken table of theirs."There is nothing to clear about me; I've told you countless times that I was in the office the day she died; the murderer had made a mistake.""Thank you for your time," the detective replied as though he hadn't heard my outburst.As soon as I stepped out of the police station, my phone buzzed again, it was another message from Rubby."Hey, I'm the one, where do we meet?"I stared at my phone for minutes, tight
ALEXANDER'S POV Where the fuck did he go? I muttered more to my hearing.I tried as much as I could to keep my expression neutral as I walked back to the podium, but my heart pounded violently against my chest. Who the hell was that masked man and why did he disappear the moment the police walked in? I knew for sure it was no coincidence, he had a reason for coming, and that reason was obviously me.The lead detective must have noticed him, too, because he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and scanned the hall with his eyes.I walked back to the podium, flashing a brief smile at the reporters before raising my hand to silence the murmuring crowd."As I was saying," I continued as though nothing happened, "I want to thank the press for their work in ensuring that truth always wins, and I assure you that we will continue to uphold our values. As for Rubby Cavillton, if she chooses to continue with us, we would deeply appreciate it, but if she chooses to leave, we definitely would compe
RUBBY'S POV My whole body trembled in fear as I sat up. My body was drenched in cold sweat and my breath came in ragged gasps. It's just a dream, I muttered to myself. A nightmare.I looked around the dark room as though I was still in my nightmare. The room was so quiet, except for the sound of Josh's heavy breathing. I stared at him for a moment, wondering if dreams had anything to do with reality, or if perhaps he would twitch his eyes, but I saw nothing.I swallowed hard, placing both hands on my chest and heaved a deep sigh of relief.It had felt so real, the blood, the terror, his fake smile, everything had felt so real. Again, I placed a hand on my chest trying to steady the wild thumping my heart did. I needed to be calm, or else I would find myself in a hospital later in the day; it was just a nightmare, after all.But the more I convinced myself it was just a dream, the more I felt it was more. Perhaps it was because I kept suspecting him, so my mind probably chose to pla
ALEXANDER'S POV All through that night, my heart hurt. I felt like a sharp pain as though a knife had been pierced through it. I tossed on my bed, wishing for sleep, but it was far away.My mind raced with a million thoughts. What was he doing with her now? Why would he call her sweetheart? Are they sharing the same room?I reached for my phone and started typing a message. "Hey Rubby, you might not understand now, but the man with you isn't who you think he is. Please come back, I miss you."My finger hovered over the send button as I debated whether to send it or not. Finally, the latter won, and I cleared the whole message.Morning took forever, but when it finally came, I made the most of it, and soon, I was seated in my office despite the murmurs coming from my staff.Hours later, I finally stood to take a look. The commotion outside my office grew louder now, a woman crying, the endless clicking of cameras and the lines of question the reporters threw at her. I stood by the wi
RUBBY'S POV "What!" I exclaimed, staring at Josh, while my heart pounded.This was the least of the things I wanted to hear now."Another condition please," I pouted my lips and joined my palm.He didn't say a word, he just shook his head in response.My whole being screamed at me to refuse, but the more I thought about it, the more guilt I felt.He had helped me, given me a place to stay and even believed me, yet all I've ever done was think the worst of him. Maybe, I thought, I could use this way to apologise."Josh," I called out gently.He raised an eyebrow. "What are you scared of? I've got a balloon bed; I could use it while you use the other one. I just want your company tonight. I'm not a bad person I swear, but if you insist, I won't force you."I bit my lower lips as he spoke. He looked so vulnerable at that point that I was torn between caution and pity. "Separate beds?" I said to be completely sure."I promise."I took a deep breath, then nodded in agreement. "Okay, just