Novels by Adeola

Rose’s POVI arrived at the office early on Wednesday morning and opened my briefcase for what felt like the hundredth time. I searched every folder, every pocket, and every loose sheet of paper, even though I already knew what I would find.Nothing.I closed the briefcase and slid it beneath my desk. Sitting there and staring at the empty leather space would not bring the notebook back. I switched on my computer and forced myself to focus on work.My stomach twisted without warning. The feeling washed over me, cold and sharp. I closed my eyes and rested a hand over the small life growing inside me.“Not now,” I mouthed.I took a deep breath and waited for the feeling to pass. This baby was my reason to survive, and I had to keep going. A minute later, my stomach settled. I opened my eyes and pulled up the financial reports for the morning meeting.I read through the documents. One number caught my attention. I frowned. Then another number looked completely wrong. I traced the columns

Rose’s POVI walked into Washington Global on tuesday morning, ready to do my job.I passed the lobby and went to the private elevator. I pulled out my access card and tapped it against the scanner.The light blinked red and beeped.I wiped the card on my skirt and tapped it again. Still red again.A security guard walked over to me. It was not David. I had never seen this one before.“Your access card is not working, Miss Rose,” the guard said. He looked down at his shoes.He reached into his pocket. He brought out a new white card attached to a plastic string and held it out to me.“This is a standard building card,” the guard said. “It no longer opens the executive floor. You would have to use the regular elevators from now on.”I looked at the piece of plastic. Someone changed my security access overnight.I did not ask any questions or say anything. I accepted the new card. I put my old card in my pocket and walked over to the regular elevators.The elevator doors opened on the p

Rose’s POVI stepped out of the boardroom carrying the folders and empty cups. Vivian stood in the hallway, staring right at me.She had heard what Jake said. I did not look away. Nobody spoke. Vivian broke the eye contact first.“Jake,” she called out. He stopped and turned around. “You said you were going to introduce me to the department heads,” Vivian said.Jake checked his watch. “Right.” He looked at me. “Bring the files.” I adjusted the folders in my arms and followed them out of the executive wing. The office was busy. People hurried past us as phones rang in the background.“Morning, Miss Rose,” David, the security guard, said. He stood up from his chair as we approached.“Good morning, David,” I replied.Vivian noticed how he stood up straighter for me. She did not say a word, but I saw her face change. She walked faster to get ahead.We walked into the finance department floor. Mark hurried to meet us with a folder.“Morning, Miss Rose,” Mark said. “We have a quick questio

Rose’s POVVivian’s laughter from the master bedroom woke me early. I lay awake, listening as rain tapped against the window. She was on the phone, bragging about being back in Jake’s bed , as though she had won a prize. Maybe she had. Because twenty four hours ago, that bed had been mine.Before I could get out of bed, a sharp pain hit my stomach. I gripped it tight and ran to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before throwing up.My hands shook as I wiped my mouth. My legs felt too weak to stand. I stayed on the cold floor and rested my head on my knees to stop the room from spinning.This was not just stress. It was the tiny life growing inside me. I touched my bare stomach. Everything had changed. I had lost my husband and our home, but I had something else to protect now. My baby.Out in the hallway, Jake and Vivian started talking. I wanted to grab the envelope, walk out there, and throw the test result in his face. I wanted him to know he was having a child with the w

Rose’s POVI turned around and walked back into the dining room, my hands trembling as I looked at the floor. A crystal vase was broken into pieces on the rug. Vivian stood next to the mess with a smile on her face.“Oops,” Vivian said. “Clean that up too, assistant.”I held back my tears, grabbed the broom from the kitchen and swept up the glass. Jake and Vivian headed for the stairs, leaving me behind to clean the mess.Once I was done cleaning the floor, I carried the bags up the stairs. I ran into Mr. Evans, the butler who had managed our home since we moved in. He saw me struggling, and he looked at ne with pity.“Let me take those, Miss Rose,” he whispered, reaching out to grab the bags.I pulled the bags back and shook my head. “I can handle it, Mr. Evans. Thank you.”He stepped back and let me pass. I dragged the luggage into the master bedroom. My bedroom. Only now, I was walking into it as a staff member.Vivian removed and threw her shoes onto the rug and sat on the bed, he

Rose’s POVThe steak had been sitting on the dining table for three hours, turning cold already. I spent the whole afternoon setting up the dining room, uncorking wine, and lighting candles that had now melted down to nothing.My hand remained inside my right pocket, squeezing the white envelope from the clinic until the paper was completely ruined. Inside were my pregnancy test results and sonogram. I had been waiting all day to see Jake’s face when I finally told him he was going to be a dad. My mind kept replaying old memories, back when we had almost only five dollars to our name.The elevator down the hall chimed.I jumped. Water from my glass splashed onto my dress, but I didn’t have time to dry it. I pulled my hand from my pocket, quickly checked my hair in the reflection of the silver bowl on the table and put on a smile. I looked around. Seven years ago, we had absolutely nothing. Now, we owned this entire penthouse.The front door swung open and Jake walked inside. Usuall