Nobela ni Setemi

The door opened on a soft hiss of hinges.Naomi glanced up from the tray on her lap. She was sitting upright against the pillows, hair still damp from the sponge bath the nurse had given her, hospital gown gaping a little at one shoulder. She’d been scrolling idly through her phone but her thumb froze when she saw who came in.Damon.He filled the doorway in his black coat, one hand carrying a small overnight bag. His tie was gone, shirt sleeves rolled up. His eyes found hers immediately and softened.But he looked way better than he did earlier that morning before she dozed off into a medical induced sleep. She had told him to go home, take a shower at least and maybe pack a few change of clothes for himself if he plans to spend every day with her at the hospital. “You’re awake,” he said.“I’ve been awake,” she replied. “You’re late.”She gave him two hours to get done and be on his way back. She didn't want to be alone. Not when they were yet to find out who tried to kill her..“I

It was lunch break and everyone was excited to head to the cafeteria. Today's meal on the roaster was something everyone looked forward to.She should have joined the rest of the team but she needed to use the bathroom. Naomi hurried towards the bathroom on their floor, trying to hide just how pressed she was while working rather quickly. She has always had a terrible bladder and she knew damned well that holding it longer than necessary would only be detrimental. She found an empty cubicle and did her business and sighed in relief. Now she can head for the cafeteria to join the rest of her team. By the time she made it out of the restroom, the entire floor was empty. She strode towards the elevator,she needed to join the rest of her team at the cafeteria too. She pulled a stop at the caution sign right in front of the elevator. It wasn't working.Just great! Her only option was the stairs. She made her way towards the stairs and it was completely dark. The lights went off sudden

The Bentley rolled to a stop in front of Clara’s estate just after eight that evening. A steady rain had started, streaking the windscreen and turning the driveway into a slick mirror. Damon stayed in the car for a moment, his fist clenched and eyes as dark as a storm, fixed on the gates leading into the mansion. The house looked like it had been lifted out of a glossy magazine: a marble portico, the faint smell of wet roses drifting in the damp air.One of Aaron's many properties that Clara had forcefully claimed as hers..Lewis leaned forward from the driver’s seat. “Do you want us inside with you?”“No,” Damon said without looking at him. “Wait in the car. If you hear shouting, then you come in.”He stepped out into the rain. By the time he reached the front steps the shoulders of his coat were wet. He pressed the doorbell once. Footsteps padded on marble inside, quick and eager. The lock turned and the door swung open.Amanda stood framed in the doorway in a silk wrap, her hair

Runes slammed the back door of the courthouse hard enough for the brass handle to rattle. Cameras were still flashing at the main entrance, but his driver had pulled the car around to the service lane to avoid the crowd. Even so, a few freelancers spotted him and shouted questions about “losing a billion” and “Thea Blackwood’s counter-suit.”He yanked the collar of his coat higher and ducked into the waiting Bentley. The door thudded shut. The sounds outside his window dulled. For a moment he just sat there, fists trembling on his knees, feeling the engine idle beneath him.“Sir…” began Fred, sliding in beside him.“Don’t.” Runes’s voice was flat and dangerous. “Not a word.”The lawyer shut his mouth and stared at his briefcase. The car eased into traffic. Through the tinted glass Runes could see the courthouse move out of his view.How the hell could he have missed that? His eyes darted to his lawyer, full of rage. How could he have missed that Thea would counter sue him?! “You're

The black Mercedes slid through mid-morning traffic, its windows tinted so dark they turned the bright city into a blurred filmstrip. Damon sat in the back seat, jacket off, phone pressed to his ear while Patrick’s voice filled the cabin with the day’s schedule. He was halfway through the rundown when another call flashed on the screen.Jack.Damon’s thumb hovered over the screen. He hadn’t spoken directly to Jack in months. They communicated through lawyers, intermediaries, and whispers at board meetings. The fact that he was calling now meant only one thing: Jack wanted to show his hand.“End the call, Patrick,” Damon said quietly. “Reschedule everything for this morning.”“Yes, sir,” Patrick said, confused, but the line went dead.Damon accepted the incoming call. “Why the hell are you calling me?”“Wasn't thinking you would still have my number.” Jack replied, his voice warm and perfectly measured. “We need to talk.”“Talk about what?”“Meet me at Madison Café, thirty minutes.”D

Amanda’s phone lit up for the third time that hour. She snatched it off the duvet, thumb flying across the screen. Patrick: My apologies, Ms Amanda. Mr Damon is quite busy at the moment and will be unable to respond to your calls. Amanda flung the phone onto the pillows and pressed both palms to her temples. “Unbelievable,” she muttered. “Absolutely unbelievable.”She knew damned well that Damon wasn't busy. She knew he was intentionally avoiding her calls and text messages. After dropping her off in the middle of nowhere and leaving her stranded, the least he could do was apologise but he didn't. Yet she had pictures of him laughing and smiling with that witch called Naomi! Maybe her P.I did a great job, too great a job even! It only confirmed to her that he wasn't busy at all! The soft cream walls of her bedroom did nothing to calm her. She paced from window to dressing table and back again, the sound of her heels muffled by the thick rug. Outside the tall bay windows, the Kent

Thea sat cross-legged on the couch in the furthest end of Daisy's cafe, balancing a mug of green tea between her palms.It had been weeks since she’d last been here and each time she visited, it felt more like home, a reminder of where she was coming from, where she started. “I still can’t believe it,” Daisy said, perched on the arm of the couch. “You actually had lunch with Sakisma Reed. The Sakisma Reed.”Thea grinned despite herself. “I know. I keep replaying it in my head. She was…nice. I thought she would be intimidating. I was nervous but she…listened. And she gave me her personal line.”Daisy’s eyes widened. “Stop! Are you serious? Her personal line?”Thea beamed, nodding earnestly. “Uhmuhm.” “Goodness. I heard only a handful of reporters have been able to score an interview with her! But she gave you her personal line?!”Thea ran a thumb along the edge of the mug. “I’m not trying to get my hopes up, but she asked my opinion about Balmero. And she seemed…impressed.”“You’ve e

The VIP section of La Couronne was lit in soft music in the background, the chandeliers dimmed low enough to make the booths seem private but bright enough to pick out everything and everyone. It was one of those restaurants that didn’t list prices on the menu and didn’t take walk-ins. You came here to be unseen.Adam sat at the head of a mahogany table meant for eight, a half-empty glass of Bordeaux held loosely in one hand.To anyone looking in from the outside he was just another rich man having dinner. Inside the booth, the tension was thick enough to taste.Across from him sat the four board members he’d invited. They had all flown in under the radar, no press releases, no public schedule. The “Balmero Five,” as some insiders called them, now without Thea, were supposed to be united. Tonight it didn’t feel that way.Cyril Hartman, CFO, a lean man with thinning blond hair, adjusted his cufflinks and broke the silence first. “Mr Adam, the numbers don’t lie. We’re bleeding market s

Thea arrived at the student café fifteen minutes early. The weather was starting to feel warmer, light streamed through the glass walls, scattering across the rows of tables. Students were huddled in groups over laptops and steaming mugs, barely paying her any attention.Thea scanned the cafe, looking for the sitting area Reed had told her to meet her and when she did, she settled on the seat, hanging her bag on the arm of her chair. She exhaled, both hands on the table interlocked. Her palm felt sweaty and for some reason, her heart rate seemed to have picked up a little speed. “Ma'am…” Thea glanced up to see a waitress with a tray, a small smile on her face as she glanced down at her. “Good afternoon. Can I have your order?” “Actually, I am waiting for someone. I'll…” “I'll have a cup of iced frappe and croissant.” It was Sakisma Reed. She had walked in at exactly one-thirty. She moved like she was unaware of the room but somehow everyone shifted to make space for her. Crea

Thea paused at the main doors of Zean Business School. She didn't need to make eye contact with anyone to know she was a young woman with a bag on her shoulder and a hundred pairs of eyes on her back.It was her first day back since the court case. She hadn’t stepped into a classroom for weeks. She hadn’t helped Seth prepare but he told her it was best she stayed home until the case was done and over with. Now, with the headlines still fresh in everyone’s memory, she was back to finish her degree.The chatter in the lobby dipped when she entered. Heads turned. Phones tilted.“That’s her…” someone whispered.“Blackwood’s wife,” another voice said.“They won the case.” “What if Runes Sterling is really an asshole like it's been rumoured for months now?” “Hpw do you it's not a lie? She could be trying to get back at Runes for ending theory enagement..” “There was video proof at the court! Runes grabbed her first. See..” a girl replied, showing the doubting one a clip from the court th

Posy sat on the edge of her bed with her tablet still in her hand. The headline on the news app flashed again. “Court Rules in Seth Blackwood’s Favour. Billion Dollar Lawsuit Thrown Out.”Her thumb hovered over the screen. She read the lines twice more, as if they might change if she stared hard enough. They didn’t. Seth and Thea had won. Runes had lost. And with that loss, Posy’s careful plan began to wobble.She had hoped that this case would set Thea off, humiliate her but it only backfired and that alone, irritated her greatly She tossed the tablet onto the duvet and stood up. “No, no, no,” she muttered. She walked to the window and back. The sky outside was bright but she felt heavy. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Runes was supposed to crush Seth, embarrass Thea, and weaken the Blackwood Empire. Instead, the opposite had happened, and everyone on social media was laughing at Runes.Hell, what was she expecting? This is the Blackwood empire! It was a dumb idea to go against a

The camera shutters were still popping as the court announced his judgement. Seth didn’t even glance at them. Not the reporters, not the Judge. He stood up and extended his hand to Thea. She rose without hesitation, placing her hands in his. For the first time in days his fingers laced through hers right in front of everyone; their lawyers, the journalists, even Runes scowling from across the aisle.The reporters caught everything: the tightness of her jaw, his cool expression, the bandage still visible under the sleeve of her blouse as the duo head towards the exit.Thea's eyes glanced back at Seth's in silence. There was something different about the way he held her. They have had to put up a show for Celine a couple times but this felt different. His firm yet warm grip on her hand as he walks towards the exit, his eyes fixed on the door, almost in desperation to get her away from the reporters they were bound to meet outside. Thea held on to his hand, leaning closer to him. Ou