Novels by Sunflower

“I will take the couch you take the bed,” Adie said.“Don’t be silly. This bed is big enough for five people. We can share.”He gave me a dubious look.“I won’t sleep on the bed if you don’t.”“Okay, okay,” he obliged. “If you insist, I just have to call Imani and let her know of this new development.”“Sure.” I smiled despite myself.Run along. Go call your wife.I pulled out my phone from my purse. Three notifications popped up one from school and two from Kim. He was just checking in to know if I was fine, as I had not responded to any of his texts.I quickly responded, assuring him that I was doing fine. I set my phone on the lamp stand and headed to the bathroom. I figured I’d take a quick shower before Adie returned.I peeled my clothes off and stepped into the shower. After a few minutes, I was done, but when I reached for a towel, I realized there were none in the bathroom.The door swung open before I could even reach for the drawers to get towels. Adie's eyes went

A different waiter returned this time, a little notepad in hand.“Ready to take your orders?” he asked with a professional smile. I could detect the faintest hint of a French accent in his voice.Liz looked from me to Adie, then back at the lean waiter.“I’ll have a piña colada,” she said, before glancing down at the menu again. “Then I want the lobster ravioli in saffron cream, extra lime and double cream.”She paused, scanning the menu once more. Then she smacked her lips thoughtfully.“For dessert, I’ll have…” Her eyes moved over the page before settling on her choice. “The mille-feuille aux fraises.”She said it in an impressively perfect French accent.“And a bottle of champagne. Merci.”The waiter nodded, scribbling everything down before turning to Adie.Adie also looked down at the menu lying on the table.“I’ll have the cream pasta, braised beef, and garlic tomato sauce. No dessert for me.”The waiter nodded, jotting it down.“I’ll have what he’s having, with the

I was barely able to get any sleep. I spent the remaining hours of the night tossing and turning, my mind refusing to quiet.Adie.Imani.The nightmare.And the gardener.There was something about him that I couldn't place. Every time I looked at his face, a strange sense of familiarity settled over me, as though I'd seen him somewhere before. But where? No matter how hard I tried to remember, the answer remained just out of reach.The sunrise painted streaks of gold and pink across the sky, a beautiful contrast to the unease churning inside me.My eyes drifted to the window overlooking the backyard.The spot beneath the old oak tree was empty.I released a slow breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.Maybe I'd imagined how unsettling it had been.Maybe he'd simply been finishing some work before heading to bed.I wanted to believe that.Shaking off the lingering feeling in my gut, I got dressed and headed downstairs, following the comforting smell of freshly brewed co

I woke in a puddle of sweat, my body trembling from yet another nightmare the third one in as many nights.They always began the same.I was trapped in a room with no windows, the darkness so thick it seemed to swallow every breath I took. The air grew heavier with every second until it felt impossible to breathe. Then the figure would appear.Sometimes I was alone, locked inside my bedroom with nowhere to run. Other times, Adie was trapped there with me. It never mattered. The moment I saw the shadow moving towards us, I always woke before it could reach me.Tonight was no different.My heart hammered against my ribs as I stared at the ceiling, willing myself to calm down. Sleep was no longer an option.With a quiet sigh, I slipped out of bed and made my way downstairs for a glass of water.The house was almost completely dark. Only the soft amber glow of the decorative lights hanging from the chandelier illuminated the hallway. I didn't want to wake anyone, so I left the main

Adie and Imani returned later that evening.I heard the front door open before I saw them. Their voices drifted faintly through the hallway, too low for me to make out the words. By the time I stepped out of my room, they had already disappeared into the sitting room.As usual, they didn't say much to each other.The silence between them wasn't awkward exactly. It was... practised. Comfortable enough that neither of them seemed eager to fill it.Adie still refused to acknowledge my existence.Not once did he look in my direction.I considered skipping dinner altogether.The thought was tempting.But my stomach had been protesting for hours, and unlike every normal house. I couldn't simply sneak into the kitchen for a snack.The refrigerator was always locked.So were most of the pantry cupboards.The first time I'd discovered it, I'd assumed Maurine had forgotten to unlock them. Instead, she'd calmly explained that meals were served at specific hours, and outside those hour

Today, Adie and Imani had an appointment at the antenatal clinic. From the fragments of conversation I'd overheard over the past few days, I gathered that she still didn't know exactly how far along she was or whether the pregnancy was even viable. They had both left unusually early that morning, the house swallowing the sound of the front door closing behind them.Once they were gone, an odd stillness settled over the mansion.I wandered aimlessly around my room, searching for something anything to occupy my mind. There was only so long I could stare out the window before the walls began to feel as though they were inching closer together. I rarely left my little room unless I had a reason to. It wasn't that anyone had forbidden me from exploring the house; it simply never felt like my place to do so. Every hallway, every polished surface, every expensive piece of furniture reminded me that I was only a guest. A temporary inconvenience tucked away in someone else's perfect life.A so