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 21 For a moment, he didn’t respond, but I knew he had seen my message. I stared at my phone, wondering if I had crossed a line. “My younger brother is getting married, so it would be a shame not to get married too.” He finally replied. I found it hard to believe. Was he trying to compete with Roderick, or was it something else? “Okay, so you don’t like her, right?” I asked, not even sure why I was curious. Was I worried that Adrian really got married? “My father wants you to be involved in decorating the party, so you can go on a break a week from now.” He completely avoided my question. “Okay... can I at least invite someone to help me and attend the party with me? Oh, and when will it take place?” I asked, now thinking of Sisi and Roderick. “Yes, but who else do you want to invite? Don’t tell me it’s that Peter guy.” Adrian’s reply made me laugh a little. I didn’t know why, but little by little, it became easier to text him—almost like we could talk about anything

Chapter 20 "Hello," I said as the phone call got picked up. After the drama with Adrian's marriage and Roderick's strange behavior, I decided to call Sisi to check up on her while Grandpa wrapped things up with Mr. and Mrs. Clastu. I wanted to update her on everything that had been going on and, if possible, try to convince her to come back. "Hey, what’s up girl! I lovey puu! How are you, Camila?" she said with excitement, clearly happy to hear my voice. "Don’t give me that crap. If you were that excited to see me, then why didn’t you call?" I said, trying to put the blame on her for not reaching out first. "I’m so sorry, Camila. I’ve been so busy lately, and I won’t lie — it’s been quite exciting here. But don’t try to flip the script on me. You forgot about me too. I know you've been having fun with both brothers, right?" she teased. I rolled my eyes. Sisi always found a way to make things sound scandalous. I did wonder, though, what always got her so excited whenever she trave

chapter 19 After a while, she finally let go of my hand and sat back down. I did the same. I stared at her for a moment but then turned my gaze to Grandpa and the Clastu family. They all looked genuinely happy. I knew better than to cause a scene. I gently picked up a fork—only to take a glimpse of Adrian. His eyes were fixed on Aria, and the expression on his face stunned me. He looked furious. His gaze was sharp and direct, almost like he was ready to fight. A minute ago, he didn’t even acknowledge her presence, but now he couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. His sudden change in demeanor made her visibly uncomfortable. My fork slipped from my hand, mostly because I was too distracted by Adrian’s reaction. Did he notice what she did? Is that why he's acting like this? I wondered. As I bent to pick up the fork, my eyes caught Roderick. His face was serious, his attention squarely on me. Was he still mad at me? “It was just a little quarrel, Mr. Virgin,” I muttered under my brea

Chapter 18 “What?” I whispered, slowly turning to Adrian, who didn’t even seem excited—his gaze fixed on his phone. I stared, wondering if I had heard wrong. My heart skipped a beat after hearing what Mr. Clastu just said. A wave of tension, pressure, and a confusing feeling hit me, like I was about to lose Adrian all over again. I stood silently for a moment before looking at Roderick, who ate his food without a care in the world about his brother’s marriage. Did he know? I wondered, then glanced at the two ladies and the man sitting beside Adrian. The girl was beautiful. Her skin was fair and smooth, and even sitting down, she had a very attractive figure. She reminded me of Sisi, and the shirt she wore complemented her look so well—she almost looked like a model. I stared for a moment longer, then noticed the man and woman who had come with her. They must be her parents. Unfortunately, neither Adrian nor Roderick seemed to care. “Please excuse me,” I said, pushing my chair bac

Chapter 17The next morning, I woke up with a terrible headache, still finding it hard to believe what had happened yesterday with Adrian and Roderick. I got up from Adrian's bed and looked around, my eyes barely open.“His room really is amazing,” I said softly as I admired the surroundings. It was quite plain, with not much design, but still had a very captivating charm. I thought about getting out of the soft bed and slowly opened the door.I walked toward Roderick’s room, about to open it, when I heard Miss Miranda’s voice.“Camila.”I turned to see her smiling at me with a strange look on her face. I stared at her, quite confused, but forced a smile.“Good morning, Miss Miranda,” I said softly.She walked toward me and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear, “Good morning, Camila. Why don’t you call me mother-in-law?”Her words shocked me, echoing in my ears. I stared at her as she pulled away, still confused by her strange behavior.“Come on, we’re having breakfast, so please join

Chapter 16"Camila, are you okay?" I heard, slowly turning around to see Adrian standing in front of me with a cold gaze. I stood for a while, still confused about what Roderick said and all that had been going on with him and Sisi. Adrian walked towards me slowly without removing his gaze from my eyes. I could barely stand. My legs gave out on me, and for some reason, I didn't want to say a single word.He stood in front of me, then wrapped his hand around my shoulders. At first, I was confused about what he was up to, but I stood still, not bothering to utter a single word. Then he slowly reached for my legs and lifted me off the floor. I was confused—what and why would he carry me? I stared at him, but he didn't spare a glance. His face was strict as he walked towards his room. Adrian walked towards the bed and laid me down softly, making me feel like a baby, but I did nothing but stare at him while he laid me down.I took a deep breath, ready to ask, but he spoke before I could."