Novels by okwarahchidinma81

Night had a way of stripping Manhattan bare.The city was still awake, still moving beneath the darkness, but from the thirty-eighth floor of Blackwell Enterprise, everything below seemed strangely distant. The traffic that usually felt chaotic had been reduced to thin streams of headlights winding through the streets, while neon signs reflected against the rain-slicked roads in fractured ribbons of color. The occasional flash of lightning illuminated the buildings in the distance, followed by the low, lazy rumble of thunder that seemed to roll between the skyscrapers.Cassian barely noticed any of it.His office had been quiet for hours. The overhead lights were off, leaving the room illuminated only by the brass lamp on his desk and the faint glow of the city filtering through the enormous windows behind him. His jacket had been discarded over the back of his leather chair, and his tie was loosened slightly around his neck, the only visible evidence that the hour was beginning to we

Weekday mornings inside Scarlett Monroe’s Manhattan penthouse followed a rhythm that had slowly become familiar.By seven-thirty, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the apartment while the morning sun spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing everything in a soft golden glow. Outside, the city was already alive-yellow taxis flowed through the streets below, joggers crossed intersections with coffees in hand, and the distant sound of sirens blended into New York’s endless symphony.Inside, however, everything felt peaceful and quiet.“Mommy!”Scarlett looked up from fastening the clasp of her watch just as Theodore came running into the kitchen, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders despite the fact that he wasn’t actually going anywhere.She smiled down at him “You know your classroom is upstairs, right?”Theo grinned mischievously.“I know. But school clothes make me feel smarter.”Scarlett couldn’t help laughing.He stood proudly before her in his t

The smile on Theodore’s face still lingered in Grant’s mind as they slowly walked back toward the dining area.His son’s tiny hand had somehow found its way into his own, and Grant had found himself unconsciously slowing his pace,as if walking slower meant delaying the inevitable.Theo swung their joined hands happily.“Daddy?”Grant smiled down at him.“Hmm?”“Are you eating with us?”The question was so innocent.So hopeful.It made something painful tighten inside Grant’s chest.Beside them, Scarlett lowered her eyes immediately.Even Roxy pretended to be interested in the paintings on the wall.None of them wanted to hear the answer.Grant crouched down.“No, buddy.”Theo blinked.“No? Why?”Grant forced a smile.“Daddy has somewhere important to be.”The little boy’s face fell immediately.“Oh.”The disappointment was immediate and unfiltered.“When will you come back?”Grant’s throat tightened.“Soon.”“Soon-soon?”Grant chuckled softly.“Yes.”Theo thought about it seriously.“Promise?”

“Scarlett.”His voice was quiet.She couldn’t bear it.“Grant, please.”His brows knitted together.“I hate seeing you like this.”She let out a small, sad laugh.“Well, that’s unfortunate.”“Scarlett-”“You should go.”His eyes darkened immediately.“You have an appointment.”Her lips trembled.The words hurt both of them.Grant swallowed.“Don’t do that.”“Do what?”“Talk like you’ve stopped mattering.”Scarlett smiled weakly.“Life moves on, Grant.”His voice dropped.“Not for me. You’re my life .”She looked away immediately.Because hearing those words still affected her.And she hated that.She hated that after everything, he still had the power to make her heart ache.“Mommy!”Scarlett only blinked before she spun around.A tiny blur came charging around the corner.“Theo?”“Mommy!”Theodore raced down the hallway with all the speed his little legs could manage, his drawing waving wildly in his hand.Behind him-“THEODORE!”Roxy was running after him in horror.“Slow down!”But Theo w

Scarlett barely remembered how she made it down the hallway.The restaurant around her had blurred into fragments after that-voices melting into noise, the clinking of glasses too sharp against her ears, the scent of coffee suddenly nauseating.All she could see was Diane.Diane beside him.Diane carrying his child.Her heels hit the marble flooring too quickly as she pushed through the narrow hallway leading toward the restrooms, her pulse thundering painfully beneath her skin. The elegant warmth of the restaurant disappeared back here, replaced by quieter lighting and muted gold walls lined with framed black-and-white photographs of old Manhattan.She reached the bathroom door and shoved it open harder than intended.The silence inside hit immediately.Scarlett gripped the edge of the sink, lowering her head as she tried to breathe.But breathing suddenly felt difficult.Humiliatingly difficult.Her reflection stared back at her from the oversized mirror-perfect makeup, composed hair, e

Sunday mornings in this city carried a strange kind of softness, it was one of the few things Scarlett truly enjoyed whilst being in Manhattan.The city never truly slept, but brunch hours made it feel slower somehow. Gentler. The sharp edges of business and chaos blurred beneath sunlight spilling over glass buildings, the streets humming with taxis, laughter, heels against pavement, and the smell of coffee drifting from crowded cafés.Scarlett adjusted the sleeve of her cream knit dress as she stepped out of the car, one hand holding Theodore’s smaller one carefully.“Mommy, can I get pancakes?” Theo asked immediately, pausing from the hymn he had been singing all the way from church,his eyes already wide with excitement as he stared through the restaurant windows.Roxy snorted beside them. “This child asks about food more than anything .”Theo gasped dramatically. “I need pancakes to survive.”Scarlett laughed despite herself, the sound softer than it had been these past few weeks.