The flight back to Italy was quiet, but there was a storm brewing in our minds. I couldn’t look at Bree without being consumed by guilt. I had promised to watch over her, and I had failed woefully. The mission had failed also, and I was at the verge of setting both families into war. How would I face my father and tell him that the mission had failed? How could I explain it without mentioning what happened to Bree?Byron was standing in front of the mansion, anticipating our arrival. I looked at the large smile plastered on his face as our car parked and I felt my heart brea. He was healing well and the bandage over his shoulder had been removed. I was responsible for that too. I looked at Bree.‘’Bree?’’She raised her eyes to meet mine. ‘’Don’t tell anyone yet, please,’’ i said, feeling my voice crack with guilt. She nodded. I touched her hand and rubbed it gently. I was going to make the Bravta guys pay for what they had done to Bree, and the humiliation I had faced..
I met Rory on the way. I wished I had not. I just wanted to return to my room, to bury my head in my pillow. Dad had not been able to hide his disappointment. I could see it all over his face even though he said nothing. He was going to get revenge for what had been done to Bree, and he would be killed and my life would be in ruins. I thought of the prophecy that man had said about my past and I shivered as I walked down the corridor.‘’Hey, Raven,’’ she said, leaning on the wall and clutching at her loose robe.‘’I can’t deal with this right now,’’ I said, walking past her.She held my hand. ‘’We’ve been together before we met, raven. I didn’t go behind your back.’’I pulled my hand away. ‘’Stay away from my father,’’ I said and walked away.It felt like ages since I left on this trip to Russia. So many things had gone wrong in just a few days. I had lost the respect I had just earned and I had lost a friend too. I pushed the door open and flung myself on the bed. Strange
I tossed in bed for hours. I had barely slept for a few minutes when I was woken up by a nightmare. I stared at the ceiling, clutching my arms and reminding myself that it was a dream. I was safe at home in Palmero. The clock ticked slowly but i could not return to sleep anymore. Thoughts of the men brutally assaulting me played in my head nonstop, despite all my attempts to block them. The screams of those men as Dmitir fired lethal bullets into their heads added only to my torment. I turned to my side and twisted my finger into a fist, grimacing. I laid there for hours, my eyes and mind awake, but my body tired. Finally, I got up and strolled out of the room in my night wear alone. The house was silent and the corridors were dark. I took two flights of stairs until i arrived on the first floor. Then I walked to one of the rooms. Without hesitation, i turned on the handle and opened the door. He always left his door unlocked.He opened his eyes and reached for the light swi
‘’You are still in bed, Zion?’’I opened my eyes slowly and looked at the disapproving look on Nile’s face. I rubbed my eyes and rolled to the side. ‘’Can’t I sleep in peace?’’ I grumbled. I had partied the night before and my body was still trying to recover from all of the fatigue.‘’No,’’ he said, walking in and drawing the blinds away. It was almost dark outside. I glance at the clock. Past 6.‘’The party doesn’t start until 8, Nile. I can sleep for another hour,’’ I said, pulling the duvet over my chest. I was interested in any parties my brother was organising, especially a ‘Family reunion.’‘’We are hosting, Zion. I need you out of bed,’’ he said and finally walked out of the room.I laid still on the bed for minutes, staring at the ceiling. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and felt nauseous. Beside me, Sophia was still sleeping deeply. I pushed the covers off and my feet hit the cold tile. The bedside rug had been ruined and it was threadbare in some places
I reached out for a napkin from a server and stretched it towards her. ‘’This might not help much, but it can reduce the wetness.’’She raised her head, looking at me with her doe eyes a second more than necessary. ‘’Thank you, Zion,’’ she said. ‘’But I may need to change this. Can you point me to the ladies?’’‘’Of course.’’We continued to walk arm in arm into the hall. I could see my father sitting by the fireplace and eating some barbecue with the ‘’men’’. Nike was standing at a corner talking to his wife, Miranda. He saw us approaching then and he watched us with curiosity.‘’She spilled her drink,’’ I said to both of them. The napkin was sitting on her chest, covering the ugly red mark on her beautiful white gown.‘’Oh my God!’’ Miranda exclaimed. ‘’I’m so sorry about that. Your beautiful dress is ruined.’’She smiled awkwardly, tugging at my arms but I ignored it. Nile was watching her with a new interest.‘’’The ladies is just on the first floor, by your right. I’ll b
Thomas Storm was not only building my dream VIP lounge, he was also building a relationship with me. I wasn’t quite sure what attracted him to me, but he asked me out on a date the second time we met. He was a much older man, in his forties, married once. It seemed I had a thing with older men. But he was sweet and paid me full attention. He was nothing like Liam, who was still stalking me. I alighted from the car and took in the beauty of the house that stood before me. Just a week ago, Thomas had opened up to me that he was in fact the CEO of Midas Company. I was upset with him for only twenty minutes, which was how long it took for him to explain to me why he did what he did.Today, I was supposed to meet his family. I was nervous but he stood beside me with a reassuring smile that made my nerves calm.‘’My family don't bite,’’ he said, taking my arm in his as we walked into the house. ‘’My mother has heard so much about you. She really cannot wait to meet you.’’I nodde
‘’Thomas..’’ I started to rise to my feet. He held me down.‘’Sit,’’ he said.‘’You shouldn't bring the whores to the family table, Thomas,’’ she continued.He faced her. ‘’I’ve given you your one minute, Clara. Leave now.’’ His voice was menacing yet low. I had never heard him sound that way and it was both a comfort to me and a terror. She sat for a few more seconds, scoffed, then pushed the chair away and walked off to greet some other guests.I found later that she was the heiress to a multi millionaire British company, while she also owned a large beauty consultancy and lines of beauty products. She and Thomas were married for five years and they had two adorable girls. They had separated about six years ago on issues that were not clear. I bowed my head, feeling out of place suddenly. She was too hot, powerful and successful to be my competition.She sat beside a younger looking gentleman who was her date. Jenner was just to her right and I could see them looking at me
Mikel did not mince words. He stood in front of me, his eyes glowing with anger.‘’You put the whole of our operation at risk with your foolish idea. Now, all our alliance in Russia is severed.’’ he paced around. ‘’We have goods that need clearance. Do you ever even think?’’I swallowed hard and bit my lips. I would take all the insults from him because it was my fault.‘’Do you think the mafia is a child’s plaything?’’ he looked at me with express disgust on his face. ‘’All you do is cause problems. I’ve told the Don if you need a toy or something to keep yourself busy, he should get you one. You can’t be toying with things that are above and beyond you.’’I crossed my arms and leaned on the wall, looking at him defiantly. ‘’I am not playing around. Unfortunate things happened and i am ready to take responsibility.’’He scoffed. ‘’What do you know about responsibility?’’ he stepped forward, close enough for me to clearly see the creases on his face. I didn’t flinch. ‘’It
‘’Who are you?’’Lucas Conti. I smiled. Who would have thought I would meet one of the world’s billionaires and a rumored womaniser today. It was such a shame that I was smelling like sardine, but I could still do something with what I had.I dropped the photo in my hand and walked towards him, slowly and seductively. I stretched my hands towards him.‘’Grace Miller. I’m waiting for the manager.’’He took my hands and I held his eyes. Seducing men was not something that needed the right time if one was an expert. I rubbed my finger on his hand and I made the handshake linger for just the right amount of time.‘’Grace,’’ he said, the tone of his voice dropping to familiar levels. ‘’Are you a guest in our hotel?’‘’Well,’’ I said. ‘’I could be your guest.’’His face broke into a smile. I had him charmed. The manager stepped in just then. Wrong timing. I mean, he could have remained lost in his quest for water.‘’Good afternoon, sir,’’ he stammered. ‘’I wasn’t aware you were aro
I closed my eyes as we moved farther and farther away from the mansion. The roaring sound of the motor bikes did not help the turmoil I felt inside. I was leaving everything I had worked so hard for in the last few years. But i was not accepting defeat yet. I would be back.I will come back for my son. For what is mine and give everyone what is due.Diego had succeeded in killing most of the men that were loyal to me, and even as I sat on the bike clutching myself, I wasn't sure who was for me anymore. It was a big risk I was taking and I hoped it would be worth it all. For the sake of those who had died on the path to my ambition. For Lorenz’s sake.I reach for my thigh, tapping it. The pressure of the knife against my skin reminded me that I was not unarmed. We were leaving the city. I was being taken to a neighbouring town a few hours from Palmero. There I would stay under the radar, until Diego was gotten rid of. I would also try to make the necessary liaison with all the
My phone was buzzing in my pocket continuously. I had placed it on DND, so the call had to have been persistent for it to be vibrating in my pocket. I glanced at the large screen and then at Lucas who was seated on the seat just beside the investors. He smiled encouragingly at me. Today was the big day. The day I presented our beautiful project.He said it was just for formalities. The people who mattered had seen the presentation privately and they loved it. I was still nervous though and the continuous vibrations in my pocket were compounding it.The presentation was over in twenty minutes. The smiles on their faces and the warm and firm handshakes told me all I needed to know.Lucas slapped my shoulders warmly. ‘’You did good. I was impressed. This calls for some wine.’’We were going to get featured on the front pages of the business papers and on the headlines of the business news. It was finally an opportunity to prove to Nile and my father that I could make a meaningfu
Before I could scream, I heard hurried footsteps approaching the room and the door flung open instantly.‘’It’s urgent,’’ the first man said. I could see what he couldn’t say in his eyes.I pointed at the monitor. ‘’Get the doctor here fast.’’Two of them hurried out of the room. ‘’The doctor is trying to save your father,’’ the first man said.‘’Save? What happened?’’‘’He went into cardiac arrest.’’I felt blood seeping out of my head and I swooned. He caught me just in time. The nurse was arriving as I was being held.‘’The monitor,’’ I said to her. She hurried to his side, and I was ushered out of the room. That feeling of desolation overpowered me once again. I had not felt that since I left Axel’s whore house, but now I was at the brink of losing everything I cherished.When I got to father’s room, I stood outside observing through the door as the doctor tried to revive his heart with the defibrillator. I clenched my hand into a fist. What had gone wrong? Someone had
I watched her face turn pale as she read the report in her hand. ‘’Is this real?’’ She looked up at me.I nodded. ‘’I don’t think he knows.’’A sad smile spread on her face. ‘’What a horrible way to finally find your brother, Octavia. I mean, we all thought he died in the fire. Same way we thought you did.’’There was a knock on the door and we quickly put the document away. ‘’Come in,’’ aunt Elena said. I had been sleeping in her room since the incident the previous day.A maid walked in. “Good morning, ma’am,’’ she said. ‘’Did you sleep well?’’‘’I did.’’It was the maid who looked after her room. ‘’I came to ask if you needed anything this morning, ma’am.’’‘’Not at all,’’ she responded.‘’Coffee?’’‘’That’s fine.’’I waited until she was gone for a minute before I spoke. ‘’We can’t trust any of the new staff right now. They were all employed by Rory, and we don’t know who is with her or not.’’‘’Rory needs to be arrested, and made to confess.’’I nodded in agreement. W
She didn’t budge. She remained calm and determined. ‘’You are trying to save the life of a man that should have been killed on the spot. How wicked can one be?’’‘’We need to find out who he’s working with,’’ she said. ‘’Until then, no one touches him. His punishment is at my disposal.’’She walked away and I bit my lips. The plan was crashing. Sylvester had shot the wrong person, Octavia was still alive and she had my necklace. Now, Sylvester was going to be tortured until he confessed. I wondered how strong he would be. I had to do something.I found Mikel in his office. He was startled to see me. I could tell he was expecting me. He had that look in his face.‘’I’m in trouble, Mikel,’’ I said. ‘’I need your help.’’He glared at me. ‘’What were you thinking? We had a plan. A good one. You abandoned it for some no good riff raff.’’‘’Mikel..’’‘’I know you were sleeping with him,’’ he said, anger attempting to boil over the surface. ‘’I can’t help you right now.’’I moved f
I found aunt Elena in her room. She was startled by the expression on my face.‘’You look like you have seen a ghost,’’ she said, straightening her dress.‘’I think I have,’’ I replied. I walked in and sat on her bed. She was looking at me with concern. ‘’Did Rory catch you snooping around?’’ she asked. ‘’I couldn’t hold her for so long.’’I shook my head. ‘’No.’’ I reached for my bra and pulled out the necklace. She gasped. ‘’Where did you find it?’’‘’Her room. She hid it on the chandelier all this time,’’ I said. ‘’How could she..’’ She stood up. ‘’I have to report this immediately. ‘’I lost my trusted maid of over ten years because of this lying woman.’’I shushed her and asked her to sit down. ‘’That’s not the problem now, aunt,’ i said.‘’What is?’’I leaned closer to her. ‘’Sylvester.’’ I lowered my voice, scared that the room was being tapped. ‘’He’s not who he says he is. His name is not Sylvester Munroe. The real person is dead.’’Her mouth fell open but no sou
I had just gotten off a call with Lucas Conti and was enjoying a martini when I was told someone wanted to see me. I was clad in nothing but a towel and I was in no mood to see anyone. It was a beautiful day. Our project had passed the second phase of approval and it was ready to be opened in the Netherlands. Then the Americas and the United Kingdom.‘’She gave her name as Rose, sir,’’ the uniformed lady said and instantly the martini turned sour in my throat.Rose? It had been almost two weeks since our meeting in Amsterdam. I’d not forgotten the allegations she made against my business partner, but I had tossed them under the carpet. I was not going to allow his personal matters stop me from making money. It was the only thing that brought me happiness now. I was very unfortunate with love.‘’Ask her to come in,’’ I said, taking off my sunglasses. ‘’She can wait in the guest sitting room.’’‘’Yes, sir.’’I sipped a little more of the martini before rising from the mat. It
My phone buzzed again.It had been going off like that for the past ten minutes. Soft, insistent vibrations against my hip, each one a ripple in the still waters of Aunt Elena’s very long, very detailed baby-bathing tutorial.She was standing over the bath, her sleeves rolled up, a calm, patient smile on her face as she cradled the baby in her arms for the third demonstration that afternoon. Not a drop of water splashed. Everything about her was precise, delicate, practiced.“And always keep your hand under the neck,” she said gently, as though I hadn’t already memorized every movement. “They’re so small, you see? You have to make them feel safe.”“I see,” I murmured, though my mind was far from here. The phone buzzed again. I didn’t need to look at it. I already knew who it was. Sylvester. His calls were never this persistent. If he was calling this much, something was wrong.Still, I couldn’t just step away. Not from Aunt Elena. She wasn’t the kind of woman you interrupted,