Novels by Divine Osas

My mom sat beside me as she watched me with smile on her face. "You’re really serious about him, aren't you?" she asked softly. "With Adrian?" I didn't even have to think about it. "Yes," I whispered. "I am." "You love him, right?" I gave a small smile and a firm nod. "Yeah... Yeah I do." She exhaled. "I’m happy for you, Amelia. Truly." "Thanks, Mom," I said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. Her smile faltered slightly as her expression became more serious now. "But... I’m not going to ignore the fact that you look kind of down. Something is bothering you. What is it?" I sighed, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. I reached into the ribboned box and took a bite of a scone. "Well," I started, looking at the few crumbs on my lap. "It's my new boss." "Your new boss?" she echoed. "What about her?" "I don't really complain about work. I love my job. I love what I do. Seeing a campaign come together, watching the strategies actually work out, it

I took the shopping bags from the counter before glancing at him. He was not someone I recognized. "Hi," I responded, my voice cautious and keeping the wall of professionalism firmly in place. "You’re Amelia, right?" he asked. I looked at him, unable to hide the flash of surprise that flickered across my face. I hadn't seen this man a day in my life, yet he knew my name. "Who’s asking?" I asked with my eyes narrowing. He let out a small laugh. "Well, me." "And you are...?" "You do not need to know that," he said smoothly. "Not yet, anyway." I felt a bit of unease. This wasn't a exactly standard "pick-up" line, especially when it's a total stranger who knows your name. "Right. Well, that’s weird," I muttered, turning my shoulder to him. I had no interest in playing riddles with a total stranger. Not today. I began to walk toward the mall exit, my pace quick, but the guy wasn't done. He fell into step beside me. "I kind of noticed you got off work early today," he

I got back to my workstation still fuming. Megan and Casey looked up simultaneously as I slumped into my chair. My hands were shaking a bit. "Amelia?" Megan whispered, leaning over "What happened? You look like you’ve had just enough for today." "What’s wrong?" Casey added, his voice laced with concern. I took a deep, shuddering breath, staring at the blank monitor of my computer. "Uhmm, I don't really want to talk about it right now," I said, my voice tight. "Please. I just need a minute." They exchanged a look but respected my boundary. "Okay," Casey said gently. "We’re here if you change your mind." The rest of the day was a blur of distracted work. The warmth that had filled my chest this morning had been replaced by something else... anger. What a way to ruin an anniversary, I thought, shaking my head. I tried to focus on my actual work, the strategy outlines and campaign adjustments I had been handling before Ms. Corey dumped that assignment on me but my mind k

I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm even though I could feel the frustration building up. I had spent four months... no, five months, working hard, putting my head down, and delivering results that were nothing short of perfect. And now, I was starting to get pissed. "For the past months, I haven't missed a single deadline. I have always met my schedules and delivered on time. So I have no idea where this sudden criticism is coming from." Ms. Corey leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing. I took a breath and continued, "Furthermore, the task you gave me isn’t even in my line of expertise. I’m a Senior Marketing Strategist, Ms. Corey. The assignment you handed me falls under financial analysis and operational restructuring and should be handled by someone in business analytics and not me." I held her gaze firmly now. "But I still accepted it because I knew I could do it and wanted to help the team. However, when I think about it now, this is not how things ar

Amelia The morning light filtered through the large windows, casting a soft glow over the room. I stood in front of the Adrian, carefully adjusting his tie. He stood there with his height looming over me and his gaze fixed entirely on my face. His hands rested lightly on my waist as I straightened the knot. "Hold still," I murmured, straightening the knot one last time. "You keep moving." "I’m not moving," he said, his voice quiet but amused. "You are," I chuckled. "Do you know what today is?" he asked, his voice low with a hint of a smile. I paused my movements, as my fingers lingered on the cool fabric of his tie. I looked up, biting my lip and pulling my brows together as if I was genuinely searching my brain for a missing date. "Today?" I mused, tapping my chin. "Hmm..." His eyes narrowed playfully. "Come on, Amelia..." I laughed. "Of course I know what today is, Adrian." "Happy five-month anniversary, babe," he murmured. "Happy five-month anniversary," I

About an hour ago, this corner of my living room was empty. And now... The midnight blue finish shimmered under the warm glow of my living room lights. I stood in front of it, just… staring. My fingers hovered just above it for a moment before I ran it along the polished wood, the surface feeling cool and solid beneath my touch. A warmth began to spread from my chest, rising up my throat until it felt tight. A shaky breath left me. This is real. He did this. For me. My vision blurred for a brief second before I even realized why. Emotion. It came out of nowhere, rising, catching me off guard. I blinked quickly, pressing my lips together as I forced them back fiercely. I swallowed, steadying myself, my fingers still resting against the piano. I heard the front door open and close behind me. Then, his voice drifted through the room, low and steady. "I kind of figured you might like this." I stood still for a heartbeat, my hand still resting on the blue wood. Then, I tu

Ryan didn't answer immediately. He looked at her before finally exhaling a sharp breath. "Sylvie, you should not worry about that right now. The point is, we have what we need." "Can you stop saying that?" Her voice came out more strained than she intended. "Stop telling me not to worry! Every time you say that, it only makes me worry more. It makes me feel like there’s another monster hiding in the dark that you’re not telling me about." Ryan’s eyes softened, the hard edge melting away for a fleeting moment. He walked toward her and reached out to cup her cheeks in his large, warm hands. His thumbs brushed over her cheekbones, grounding her. "I need you to really just relax," he said, his voice low "You have me. I told you I would handle this, and I am. Please, just trust me for a little longer." Sylvie stared into his eyes and eventually, she let out a jagged breath and nodded. She stepped away from his touch and walked into the living room, sinking onto the plush couch. S

Hours later, Ryan stood at the stove, one hand resting on the counter while the other stirred the pasta slowly, almost absentmindedly. The kitchen was quiet except for the soft bubbling of water and the faint clink of utensils against the pot. The smell of garlic and butter had already filled the space. He exhaled quietly, his mind not entirely on the food. Just then, he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned slightly, just enough to glance over his shoulder. Sylvie stood at the entrance of the kitchen, her hair slightly messy from sleep, her eyes still heavy as she rubbed at one of them with the back of her hand. For a moment, he just watched her. "Hey," he said gently. "How was your nap?" She let her hand fall from her face and gave a small stretch, her voice still laced with sleep. "It was… fine. Surprisingly. I didn't think I'll even be able to close my eyes." There was something almost amusing in her tone, like even she hadn’t expected to rest that well. She wa

She powered the phone on. When the screen lit up, for a split second, nothing happened. Then, vibration. A sharp, aggressive buzzing in her palm. She flinched. It hummed relentlessly, like it had been waiting for this exact moment. Notifications began to pour in one after another. The screen filled so quickly she could barely read anything. Messages stacked on top of messages. Her hands started trembling almost immediately. Ryan’s grip tightened slightly around her free hand, steadying her, but he didn’t try to take the phone. At least not yet. Her eyes scanned the top of the screen. Liana. Dahlia. Mum. Dad. Zade. The names blurred together. Then she tapped Liana’s chat first. The messages were frantic. ~ Sylvie where are you?? Please answer your phone. You didn’t say anything before leaving. Are you safe? Sylvie I’m serious, just tell me you’re okay. ~ She scrolled upward. There were even more. Messages sent hours ago. Voice notes she hadn’t opened. Her throat tighte

The first thing Sylvie noticed when she woke up was the quiet. Her lashes fluttered open slowly. For a brief moment, she didn’t remember where she was. The ceiling above her wasn’t hers. The curtains weren’t hers. The faint scent in the air, wood, detergent, something subtly masculine wasn’t hers either. Then it all came back. Ryan, his house, the way she had fallen asleep with her cheek pressed against his chest. As she shifted slightly under the covers, she realized she had slept unexpectedly well. Her hand moved instinctively to the other side of the bed, it was empty. The sheets were cool too. She blinked at the space beside her, processing it. She realized Ryan was already up. She sat up slowly, pushing the duvet down to her waist. Morning light filtered through the curtains in pale streaks. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet met the cool floor. She stretched slightly, shoulders rolling back, then stood as she slipped her feets into the hous

The mall lights were already glowing against the deepening evening when they pulled into the parking lot. It was one of those malls with glass front, automatic sliding doors, soft gold lighting. Ryan cut the engine and glanced at her. "You okay?" She nodded. "Yeah." He stepped out first, walking around the car to open her door. She noticed the way he automatically took most of the weight, always positioning himself between her and everything else. Inside, the mall hummed with life. It was almost six-thirty now, the early evening rush still alive but beginning to thin. Ryan slowed his steps so she could walk beside him. "Pick whatever you want," he said quietly. "Don’t worry about anything." She looked at him. "Ryan..." "I mean it." His voice was firm but soft. "Whatever it is at all that you need." She hesitated. "I can pay for some of it." He gave her a look, gentle, but unyielding. "No. You shouldn’t worry about that. Just… trust me. It’s not an issue." She swallowed and

For a few more suspended seconds, their foreheads rested against each other. Their breathing mingled in the narrow space between them. His thumb still lingered near her cheek, warm against skin.But then, the reality of the last twenty-four hours surged back into Sylvie’s mind. The abandonment, the panic, the tears shed on Liana’s shoulder, it all came rushing back, She pulled away suddenly creating a distance. Her eyes, which had moments ago softened with relief, began to shine with something else entirely. Tears. They gathered quickly, blurring her vision. "Why?" she demanded, her voice breaking before it could fully rise. "Why did you leave? How could you? You left me." Ryan froze. She stepped back further, shaking her head as if the sight of him standing there only made her more angry. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?" she asked fiercely. "Do you have any idea?""Sylvie, listen to me..." He instinctively reached for her hands, but she yanked them away from him.