“Ginny” He said, his voice low and urgent. “Can we talk for a minute?”
She hesitated, her mind racing. Against her better judgment, she nodded and walked back toward him.
They found themselves in a quiet corner of the house, away from her mother’s watchful eyes. The space between them was filled with a palpable tension.
“What is it?” Ginny asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Raymond looked at her, his gaze intense and conflicted. “I can’t stop thinking about what happened last night.”
Ginny’s heart skipped a beat. “Neither can I.”
There was a charged pause, filled with the weight of their shared experience. Raymond reached out, his hand brushing against hers in a tentative gesture. Ginny’s breath hitched as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his.
“I know this is wrong” Raymond said, his voice husky. “But I can’t help how I feel.”
Ginny’s eyes widened, her pulse racing. “What are you saying?”
Raymond stepped closer, his hand resting gently on her cheek. “I’m saying that I don’t want to ignore what’s between us. I know it’s complicated, but... I need to be honest with myself.”
Ginny’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion and desire. Every part of her wanted to resist, to push him away and remind herself of the boundaries that should exist. But she just couldn't and she didn't know why, all she felt were words stuck up in her throat.
Before she could think further, Raymond’s lips were on hers, his kiss urgent and filled with a mix of desperation and longing. Ginny’s resolve shattered, and she kissed him back, her emotions raw and intense.
As their kiss deepened, the world outside seemed to disappear and all that mattered was the moment they were sharing.
They suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching and that snapped them back to reality. Their eyes widened, both swallowing hard.
Raymond pulled away reluctantly, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and longing.
“We need to be careful” He said softly, his voice barely a whisper. “We can’t let her find out.”
Ginny nodded, her heart pounding. “Tell me something I don't know.”
They exchanged one last lingering look before Raymond reluctantly stepped back.
Ginny turned and headed toward her room, her mind still reeling from the intensity of their encounter. She closed the door behind her, she leaned against it, trying to catch her breath.
“We need to be careful” Those words rang in her head. "What does he mean by that, if he thinks I'm letting him in on me again, then he can keep wishing" She growled. Her eyes suddenly caught her reflection in the mirror and she shut her eyes tight, letting out a deep breath, before heading toward the bed and stuffing her head into her pillow.
**
Lucy’s footsteps echoed through the house as she emerged from the kitchen. “Raymond!” she called out cheerfully. “I’m going to pick up Ginny’s gift from the store. I’ll be back shortly.”
Raymond, who had been awkwardly fidgeting in the living room, perked up. “Alright, Lucy,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ll be here.”
“Sure…take care of my little cutie” She smiled, pecking him on the lips before heading out. “I'll” He muttered staring at the door shutting close.
He sighed and immediately got on his feet heading for Ginny's room. He knocked gently, though the gesture seemed almost unnecessary at this point. Ginny, her heart racing, opened the door a crack. Immediately she saw who it was she attempted to shut the door but Raymond was faster as she quickly pushed the door open walking in and slamming it shut.
“Ginny” Raymond called out softly, his voice closer than she expected. She turned around slowly, finding him just a few feet away. His eyes were dark, his expression conflicted. “We need to talk.”
She shook her head, backing up toward the wall. “No, we don’t. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Ginny, please” He insisted, taking a step closer. “We can’t pretend like nothing happened.”
Her back hit the banister, and she realized she had nowhere to go. She was trapped. “What do you want me to say?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “That it was a mistake? That it didn’t mean anything?”
Raymond’s eyes softened, and for a moment, she saw the man she had spent that one reckless night with. The man who had made her feel wanted, needed. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “But we can’t just ignore this.”
She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. “What do you want from me, Raymond?”
He closed the distance between them, his hand reaching out to gently touch her arm. The contact sent a shiver down her spine, igniting a spark that she thought she had extinguished. “I don’t know what’s right anymore, Ginny” He admitted, his voice low. “All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about you. About that night.”
Ginny’s heart pounded in her chest, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion, guilt, and something else she didn’t want to admit. She tried to pull away, but Raymond’s grip tightened, his other hand cupping her cheek.
“I shouldn’t have come here” She whispered, her voice breaking. “This is wrong.”
“Maybe” Raymond murmured, his thumb brushing against her skin, sending waves of heat through her body. “But it doesn’t feel wrong.”
Before she could protest, his lips were on hers, capturing her in a kiss that was both desperate and tender.
Ginny’s resolve crumbled, and she found herself kissing him back with equal fervor, all the emotions she had been trying to suppress bubbling to the surface.
The room was suffocating, filled with the sharp tang of fear and the heavy sound of panting breaths. Ginny’s heart pounded as Lucy’s men spread out, eyes sharp and muscles tensed.Annabella leaned against the cool stone wall, holding the book of accounts as if it was her ticket to life. Joshua, on the other side, has his jaw clenched, fists too tightly bunched at his sides."You actually thought that you could outsmart me?" Lucy's voice sliced through. There was an undercurrent in her voice: humor laced with rage. She did another step and, by that light, her eyes sparkled menace. "You have underestimated me once too often."Standing her ground and her eyes fixed on Lucy, Ginny said, "We aren't afraid of you anymore, Lucy. The truth's out, and it is only a matter of time before the board sees it.Lucy's lips curled into a smile, but it was anything but friendly. "The boa"rd? Oh, darling, you don't think I'm worried about the board, do you?"She turned to one of her men, nodding sharply
The early morning air was sharp and cool as Ginny stood on the balcony of her room, staring out at the sprawling estate below.It was the calm before the storm, that silence that always heralds the expectation of an up-and-coming battle.Two days had gone by since they had met with the investigator, and their plan had begun its motion. Her testimony to the embezzlement of Lucy into papers, with the damning link to Victor Kane, had all been set in place.She had learned to make the most of moments like this; when the quiet seemed to cradle her in its fragile, uncertain peace. She knew it wouldn't last. The board meeting loomed ahead, and with it, Lucy's inevitable counterattack."Morning." Annabella's voice snapped her from her thoughts. She stepped onto the balcony, joining Ginny with a determined expression."Morning," Ginny said, offering her a small smile. "Are you ready?"Annabella glanced over at her, the light in her eyes unwavering. "As I'll ever be. We've come this far, and no
“You’re playing with fire, Ginny,” Joshua warned, his voice low as he leaned against the doorframe of her room.She sat at her desk, staring at the documents strewn all over the front of it. Margaret's testimony and the board's decision to sideline Lucy had been a monumental win, but it was a hollow victory. The air in the mansion still felt charged, like Lucy's fury had soaked into its walls.“She’s lost control of the board,” Ginny said, her tone resolute. “She knows she’s slipping, and that makes her more dangerous. But we’re not backing down now.”Joshua shook his head, his expression grim. “You don’t get it. Lucy’s not the type to slink away into obscurity. She’s the kind who burns everything to the ground if she can’t have it.”“Then we’ll douse her fire before she starts it,” Ginny replied sharply.Before Joshua could argue, a knock on the door interrupted them. Annabella stepped in, her face pale but determined.“We have a problem,” she said, holding up her phone.Ginny’s sto
“You can’t let her win, Ginny,” Annabella said sharply, leaning closer. “This is our moment. If we falter even for a second, she’ll dismantle everything we’ve worked for.”Ginny's fingers shook slightly as she flipped through the stack of documents before her, seated in the back of the car, parked a short distance from the boardroom where the meeting was about to take place. Joshua sat beside her, his expression unreadable as he stared out the window."I know," Ginny said finally, her voice low. "But this isn't just about facts and evidence, Annabella. It's about perception. Lucy's a master at twisting the narrative to suit her. Even with everything we have, she'll find a way to cast doubt if we're not careful."Joshua turned to her, his voice surprisingly steely. "That's why you need to stay calm. Let her think she's in control, and then hit her where it hurts."Anabella smirked. "That's what I've been saying all along."She exhaled slowly, and the nerves were forced to settle in. Th
“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Ginny hissed, gripping Annabella’s arm tightly. “This isn’t just some game of cat and mouse, Annabella. This is Lucy. She’ll tear you apart if you make the wrong move.”Annabella wrenched her arm free, her face sharp and defiant. "Then it's a good thing I don't plan on making a wrong move."Joshua, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, let out a long sigh. "Ginny's right. This is reckless, even for you. Confronting Lucy directly? You might as well hand her a loaded gun.Annabella rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. “We can’t keep waiting for the perfect moment. We’ve got the evidence, Margaret’s testimony is locked in, and Lucy’s scrambling to keep control. This is the time to press her, not sit around hoping she doesn’t retaliate first.”Ginny leaned in, lowering her voice. "And just how do you plan on doing that? Walk in and just accuse her? She'll twist everything you say and bury you before you know what's hit you."A sl
The mansion buzzed with tension. Staff whispered in corners, their eyes darting nervously as they went about their duties.The front-page article had thrown the household into disarray, and Lucy's fury reverberated down every corridor.Ginny sat in her room with Annabella and Joshua, the stolen files and copies of the article spread out before them like battle plans."She's going to retaliate," Annabella said, her voice tight with urgency. "That article was a nuclear strike, and Lucy isn't the type to surrender quietly.Ginny nodded, her fingers tracing the edge of a document. "We've drawn her out of the shadows. Now we need to be ready for whatever she throws at us."Joshua, who had been uncharacteristically silent, spoke up. "I found something," he said, his voice low. "Last night, after Lucy called her allies, I checked the study. She left a folder open on her desk."Ginny's eyes narrowed. "What kind of folder?”Joshua wavered, glancing between them. "It was correspondence; letters