Henry Moore was having a good day. Work was busy as usual in the Marriott Tower but as evening approached, the hustle and bustle of the office gradually died down. Henry found himself missing the chatty little girl and the scent of that woman.He toyed with his phone as he wondered what the woman was doing then.She had not given him a call.Busy? Was she with someone?Henry was blessed with a handsome face that could take a person’s breath away. He was the epitome of divine beauty. Those dark orbs fixated on the numbers displayed on the phone screen.The call would come, he was sure.A few hours later, the call still had not come. Henry frowned.Shaun Stone felt the hairs on his neck stand. The road ahead was empty and the journey smooth, yet the car was filled with an oppressive silence.He chanced a glance at the rearview mirror. His employer stretched out in the backseat, legs crossed and face stoic. The black eyes were staring back at him.The chairman was looking at him?
Dressed in a black business suit, Chairman Moore lounged in the back of the car looking like a modern day prince. Just this sight alone would drive any woman crazy.As for money, Henry Moore was the diamond of B City—his net worth was unrivaled in the city.This man was asking Shaun about women? He blurted out, “You. You’re what women like.”He immediately regretted letting his tongue loose.What was he thinking?Shaun could feel the metaphorical daggers being thrown at his back. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he quickly tried to salvage the situation. “All women like men who are good-looking and rich. You have all that, plus the power and prestige. You’re everything a woman wants.”He was not trying to curry favor with his boss. In every social event, he had witnessed the ladies throw themselves at Chairman Moore.None have succeeded of course.After his explanation, Shaun trusted he was safe from any unwanted advances, and yet the temperature inside the car continued to p
Henry Moore glared at his phone and swore, “Women are troublesome!”He was sitting on Monique’s bed in Moore manor. The moonlight casted a long shadow, creating an eerie and melancholic atmosphere.Henry had skipped dinner to wait for that woman’s call. As night descended, his mood followed the shade of the sky.A cigarette dangled between his fingers as he stared into the empty room. The man was sullen.There was no news from that woman. No call or text from Angel either.The look of disdain on the woman’s face appeared in his mind.Were they running away from him?He had warned her many times about leaving.Damn it! Uncontrolled anger coursed through his veins.A part of him wanted to personally drive down to Monique’s hometown and drag her back to Moore manor. He would make sure she learned her lesson.His anger manifested in the form of a shattered phone. The device bounced across the floor when he accepted the cold, harsh truth—the woman was never calling.Dinner was ov
These days, Angel and Henry Moore were getting along really well.“Do you like Mommy or Daddy?” Monique asked expectantly.She wondered if Henry’s involvement in their lives had left any significant marks.It would be a lie to say she was not worried.“I like both!”“Both?” The disappointment on Monique’s face was apparent.She had cared for Angel since she was a baby, but after spending a few days with Henry, the man was equivalent in standing to Monique in her baby’s heart? Would Angel love him more?Monique felt threatened.Angel gave her mother a sweet smile. “I like Daddy and Mommy.”“If you could only pick one?” Monique was not backing down.The little girl puffed her cheeks and assumed a thinking posture.Monique watched her daughter deliberate. Was it a difficult choice?Angel could recognize the look of jealousy in her mother’s eyes. She blew a raspberry and laughed. “I’m kidding. I love you more Mommy!”Monique let out a heartfelt laugh. “Oh you little brat, tryi
”Maybe another time,” Monique said as she shook her head at her daughter. “Be good, Angel. We’ll do it tomorrow.”“Mommy, are you going on a date?” Angel batted her eyelashes as she asked. Before the woman could answer, the young girl pouted and said, “Mommy, can you not go? I like this Daddy.”Despite her young age, the girl was able to piece together the details from the bits and pieces of conversation she overheard. Uncle was telling Mommy to go on a date!‘This Daddy?’ Monique was shocked by her daughter’s choice of words.She had underestimated her daughter’s affection for Henry Moore.No! Monique’s attempts to accept the man was greeted with stinging humiliation.One day, he would chase the mother-daughter pair away. She doubted any relationship between them would last and she knew Henry Moore would always have the last say in things.If Monique tried to leave now, Henry would definitely call the cops on her. She did not want to lose her daughter, so she stayed put.Stayi
Angel was not giving up. “Mommy, can you try calling again? Maybe Daddy was in the toilet.”‘Really?‘Again?‘Fine.’Monique dialed the number again. Although this was her second time calling, the nervousness did not leave her. ‘What is he doing?’The call remained unanswered.Monique bit her lower lip and said, “Alright, time for bed now. Mommy needs to head out tomorrow!”Angel studied her mother’s expression. She seemed unhappy, even though she had been adamant about not calling Daddy just now.‘Adults are weird’, Angel thought.The little girl pulled her blanket up to her chin. She decided she would call her father tomorrow.After an afternoon of play, the girl fell asleep quickly.The same could not be said for her mother. The woman tossed around on her side of the bed.‘Why didn’t he pick up the phone? Is he out drinking?’‘You said you could only fall asleep beside me. What lies!’Pretty words from men should never be trusted.She picked up her phone and stared at
How could Monique forget about yesterday? The bruises on her body had yet to heal. Luckily, the fall weather allowed for long sleeves, which shielded the purple and black patches on her skin.The mention of yesterday irked her. “You… You…”‘Bastard, savage, pervert.’The string of curses went on and on in her mind, but she dared not speak them out loud.The image of Monique gritting her teeth in anger pleased Henry Moore to no end. This call had brightened his day significantly.Amusement danced across his features as he asked lazily, “What did you want?”Monique tempered her rage and said, “I wasn’t the one who called.”In another way, she was saying she would never contact him.Henry’s dark eyes narrowed. She was one stubborn woman.“You sure?”Monique could sense the threat in his voice. She explained, “Angel wanted me to call you.”“You still dialed my number,” Henry stated matter-of-factly, the haughtiness in his tone unmistakable.Monique rolled her eyes in exasperati
Henry Moore laid down in Monique’s bed in the Moore manor and fell asleep with a satisfied smile on his face.*** The next morning, Monique was awoken by a series of knocks on her door. As she rubbed the sleep out from her eyes, she suddenly recalled the conversation she had with Henry last night.Henry Moore!She reached for her phone and saw the call was already disconnected. She massaged her temple. She could not believe she fell asleep on a call.How embarrassing!The loud and impatient knocks on her door showed no signs of stopping. The barrage even woke Angel up.“Who is it? Give me a minute!” Monique shouted.She crawled out of bed and went to the door.Standing on the other side of the door was a familiar face. The pretty woman wore makeup made her more mature for her age. Yvonne Xander plastered on a fake smile and said, “My father has prepared an outfit for you.”“I have my own clothes,” Monique replied. She was wary of any gifts from the family.“Father sends his