Novels by Adeola

Rose’s POVThe week dragged on, and the atmosphere at Washington Global completely changed. The usual sounds of people working and phones ringing were gone. Instead, the floor felt tense. Everyone moved carefully, keeping their heads down and their voices low.I sat at my new desk near the corner, organizing some files. I tried to focus on the files in front of me, but it was impossible to ignore how much the office had changed.Near the breakroom, three employees stood together with their coffee cups. They spoke quietly and kept looking around to make sure the hallway was empty.“Things have not been the same lately,” a senior analyst named Marcus said. “Miss Dane used to fix things before they became worse,” a younger employee whispered. “Now every day feels like we are putting out a new fire.”“She always knew what to do,” the third person agreed.I kept my eyes on the screen and pretended I had not heard a word.Vivian was struggling with the daily operations. She tried her best

Rose’s POVI barely slept after everything that happened with the magazine feature. My mind kept replaying every word of the article, every stolen strategy, and the silence that followed the anonymous flowers.My morning sickness was getting worse. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror for ten minutes, taking slow breaths until my stomach settled enough for me to put on my clothes. I kept telling myself the same thing over and over. I just had to survive one more day.I stayed in front of the mirror a little longer, studying my reflection under the bathroom light. My face looked paler than usual, and dark circles were under my eyes. But there was nothing else to see. I smoothed my hands down the front of my blouse. My stomach was still completely flat. Nobody could look at me and guess the truth. No one would know. Not yet.When I walked into Washington Global, the executive floor was quiet. Most of the staff were already at their desks. I sat down at my station and opened a new fold

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