Novels by Shalltell.O. Uyofor

Chapter 23Josephine hurriedly walked out of the company building as though her life depended on it. She had initially thought of having a conversation with Lucas on the way to control the ongoing situation, but after receiving the latest information, nothing seemed more important.***"Good day, ma'am. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked as Josephine stood in front of the counter.Presently, Josephine was at the Royal Suite Restaurant, one of the most prominent restaurants in the city. It was known not only for hosting elite customers but also for its high level of security. The restaurant provided a secured place to talk freely, with soundproof rooms and tight security measures ensuring privacy."Ah, yes. A reservation under the name John," Josephine said, managing to control her racing heart."Okay, ma'am. Give me a second," the receptionist said, offering Josephine a sweet smile as she quickly tapped on the keyboard in front of her."Here we go, ma'am. A

Chapter 22"Violet," Josephine mouthed, her eyes trembling, her stomach sinking. "No… this is impossible," she whispered, as Violet's heels clicked against the marble floor, she sat down at the edge of the table."Tell me, Josephine, why is it so impossible?" Violet asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, though her eyes remained dead cold and serious.The aura in the room shifted instantly, her presence alone commanding.Josephine felt as though the air in the room was being sucked out. Lucas, on the other hand, felt his world crumbling. What is she doing here? Why now? he thought. Why reveal that she’s alive now?He quickly snapped out of his shock, realizing he needed to refute her claim."How can she stake a claim?" Lucas asked, still standing, trying to assert his authority.Josephine, however, couldn't process anything. She instantly sat back down, trying to digest the fact that Violet was sitting before her."Mr. Lucas," the spokesperson began, but Lucas immediately i

Chapter 21"Mom! Mom!" Liam called out as he headed toward her room.He had just seen the disturbing video of his father and couldn’t imagine what his mother was going through. As he stepped inside, he was met with a sight that took him aback—a woman he could barely recognize. Josephine sat there, her makeup ruined, her expression hollow with sorrow."Mom," he said softly, pulling her into a hug."Liam," she murmured, clinging to him.She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by her own choked sob. Though Josephine had put on a strong front in front of Lucas, deep down, she was shattered."Do you think this is karma?" she asked suddenly, shocking both herself and Liam.After the death of Christopher Wells—Lucas’s father, she and Lucas had grown distant, each consumed by their own thirst for power."Hey, look at me," Liam said gently, wiping away her tears. "It’s not karma, okay?"He paused, staring at her for a long moment before adding in a low tone, "It’s Lucas. His selfish

Chapter 20The ray of sunlight touched Lucas, making him squint before finally opening his eyes.“Gosh,” he groaned in pain as he tried to remember the events of the previous night.“Damn this hangover,” he muttered, then paused as if remembering something important.“Mabel,” he said with a smile, his gaze shifting to the scattered bed.He frowned. Is she here? he wondered, calling out her name.Silence.He called again as he moved around the room, searching for any sign of her, but there was none.“Where the hell is she?” he muttered, quickly picking up his clothes from the floor and dressing up.As he stepped out of the room, confusion clouded his mind. He couldn’t remember anything from the previous night, so he dialed Mabel’s number. At least she would have an idea of what happened last night, he thought, smiling slightly as a new thought entered his mind.Were we intimate? he whispered to no one in particular.“Gosh, Mabel, pick up,” he uttered in frustration after trying her num

Chapter 19"Josephine, please come back!" John said as Josephine pushed him aside and left the office.***Lucas's car stopped at the entrance of a magnificent building standing firm and proud, with a golden-colored sign stating Crystal Hotel."Incredible," Lucas said in awe of the building. Truly, it was a sight to behold."Isn't it?" Mabel said as she appeared before him."Thank you for making it.""No, thank you for inviting me," he replied as he took in her beauty.Mabel was wearing a red, body-hugging gown that accentuated her perfectly curved figure. Her lips were painted with a dark shade of red, and her hair was tied in a messy yet elegant bun."Gosh, you are beautiful," Lucas uttered, completely in a trance."Thank you, Mr. Lucas."Instantly, as if being shaken to reality, he frowned. "Can you not talk to me so formally? We are friends, so…""You are married," Mabel said, blinking her eyes."Let's pretend I'm not for tonight. I just want to have a good time without being remi

Chapter 18 Lucas leaned back in his chair, one hand gripping the armrest as he slowly spun himself in circles. His gaze flicked toward John, who stood across from him, hands clasped behind his back. "John," Lucas said, halting the chair’s movement. He stood, walking toward the window. "I need you to hire a private investigator." John hesitated. "Why, sir? I thought you believed Selena was guilty." Lucas let out a dry chuckle. "Let’s not waste time with that nonsense. We both know she’s innocent." John frowned. "Then… do you want her out?" Lucas turned, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Of course not," he said, his voice as sharp as a blade. "That woman will rot in jail no matter what. But my father always said, 'Know your enemies.' And that’s exactly what I intend to do." John swallowed hard. "Understood, sir. I’ll get on it right away." Lucas waved a dismissive hand. "That will be all." John nodded and left, but the moment he stepped into the elevator, he pulled out his phone

Chapter 28 "Roderick, will you kiss me?" I whispered, my voice trembling. My heart raced, my grip tightened around his hand, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. I braced myself for rejection. What I asked… felt too much, too forward, too vulnerable. I turned my gaze to the bedside, eyes fixed on the corner of the blanket. But then he spoke—his voice soft, yet firm. "Camila, if I do… promise me two things." He gently turned my face to his. Our eyes locked. "Promise you’ll never try to hurt yourself again. And promise you won’t return to work until we’re married. Deal?" I could barely breathe. His face was so close. I nodded slowly. “I… I promise.” He leaned in, and I felt his breath mixing with mine. Everything else faded. All that remained was his closeness, his warmth, and the silence between our heartbeats. Then, our lips touched. A jolt of emotion surged through me—shock, warmth, excitement. His lips moved gently, unhurried, careful. He pulled back slowly, watching my face, read

Chapter 27 After Liam left, I collapsed into the chair, unable to move. The weight of the truth pressed on me like a boulder. My legs had given out. My head throbbed.Everything Federico said echoed in my mind—my parents, Grandpa’s lie, my own identity.Tears streamed down my face freely as I whispered to the empty room, “Why? Why me? Why did you lie to me, Grandpa? Who am I? Who were my parents really?”I fumbled for my phone with shaky fingers and opened my call log. I saw Sisi’s name—but scrolled past it.I tapped on Roderick.It rang. Once… twice…Then he picked up.“Yeah? What do you want?” His voice was cold—his usual.But I couldn’t hold it anymore. “Roderick… please come. I… I don’t want to be here anymore.”My voice broke, tears pouring uncontrollably as exhaustion overtook me. I didn’t hear his reply. The room began to spin. Heat crawled through my chest. Everything blurred.Then, darkness.---I woke up to a dull ache in my head, but I felt oddly comfortable. My eyes flutt

Chapter 27After Liam left, I collapsed into the chair, unable to move. The weight of the truth pressed on me like a boulder. My legs had given out. My head throbbed.Everything Federico said echoed in my mind—my parents, Grandpa’s lie, my own identity.Tears streamed down my face freely as I whispered to the empty room, “Why? Why me? Why did you lie to me, Grandpa? Who am I? Who were my parents really?”I fumbled for my phone with shaky fingers and opened my call log. I saw Sisi’s name—but scrolled past it.I tapped on Roderick.It rang. Once… twice…Then he picked up.“Yeah? What do you want?” His voice was cold—his usual.But I couldn’t hold it anymore. “Roderick… please come. I… I don’t want to be here anymore.”My voice broke, tears pouring uncontrollably as exhaustion overtook me. I didn’t hear his reply. The room began to spin. Heat crawled through my chest. Everything blurred.Then, darkness.---I woke up to a dull ache in my head, but I felt oddly comfortable. My eyes flutte

Chapter 26 “Here,” I said, placing the cups on the table. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear—but exhaustion. I didn’t know what was going on, but I was tired of fighting. Tired of screaming. I didn’t realize how draining anger could be until now. “Well done, beautiful,” Liam said with that infuriating smirk. His voice grated against my nerves. He enjoyed riling me up, and my face gave him all the satisfaction he needed. I hated him. “Now,” I said quietly, eyes sharp despite my drained voice. “Who are you—and what do you want?” The older man took a slow sip of tea, nodding. “This is good tea, young lady. Please… drink with us.” He offered me his cup. I wanted to throw it in his face. But they had a gun—and more importantly, I had Grandpa to think about. I couldn’t risk anything reckless. I took the cup, lifted it to my lips, and drank. It was sweet. I was thirsty. I nearly drank it all. “Here, here,” Liam chimed in, sliding his cup toward me dramatically. “Com

Chapter 25 “Oh my,” the younger man said, clearly entertained. “Looks like this beautiful chick is hot-headed. No wonder Damian took her in.” I stood frozen, holding the knife in trembling hands. Fear coursed through my veins, but I was more than willing to spill blood if I found out something had happened to Grandpa. They knew him. That much was clear. But they didn’t talk like friends. There was something dangerous in their tone—something that made my skin crawl. “Please, miss,” the older man said calmly, his voice steady. “Put down the knife. We can talk this out. No one wants to hurt you.” He said it with such ease, like I wasn’t pointing a blade at his chest. The younger man scoffed and raised my bra to his face, inhaling with a smirk. “Hot,” he muttered, tossing it aside carelessly. Then—he pulled a gun. My breath hitched. Not for myself, but for Grandpa. “Put that thing down, Liam,” the older one ordered, eyes locked on the gun. “Whoever she is, she’s with Damian. Tr

Chapter 24 “Camila… what—what are you doing?” Adrian asked, still confused, surprised by my sudden move. But I didn’t care. My heart pounded like a war drum. Every second that passed, my grip on his shirt tightened. I could feel his breath on mine, warm and deep, drawing me in like gravity. I didn’t break eye contact. Instead, I remembered. The things he said. The way he held me that day—how he promised to break my marriage with Roderick after Grandpa passed. The way he looked at me… the day at the mall… “Adrian,” I whispered, barely loud enough for anyone but him to hear. “Please… hold me.” I couldn’t fight my emotions anymore. Something inside me was crumbling. Hearing about his wedding felt like something precious was being stolen from me—and I didn’t even know what exactly. But I couldn’t let it go. His eyes softened, unreadable. Then, slowly, his hand moved down my back… settling on my waist… and just a bit lower. The other hand brushed my cheek gently, his