Zoe was lost in thoughts of what ensued in the kitchen with Audrey, and the words she had spoken momentarily without thinking about it. And the manner in which it ended, she couldn't help but be confused about what she heard. “You couldn't do it when you were both married. How do you want to do it now?” Were words she heard clearly which shocked her to her bones. “You couldn't do it, and now you are both getting married, how do you want to do it now?” Were the words Audrey claimed sternly that she had said with a sudden charming smile, which made Zoe confused about what she truly heard. ‘And she and Malcolm. Getting married to one another before? Was that even possible?’ she reasoned again, even if it was hard to convince something in her mind, that she was not yet satisfied with the answer. However, that was probably the least of her problems, because, the short conversation she had with Audrey, made it clear that they didn't want her around and that it had to do with her remembe
There was a little hubbub at the Meyers mansion because of the unexpected visitor that had entered their homes, since it had been a very long time since they last saw him in person. It was Mac Meyer, the grand-patriarch of the family, who was the father to their dead father. Every member of the family came down as soon as they were informed that he was around, because it was a great surprise that he even visited them in the first place. He was a man who was rarely around in the country because he was busy traveling, and maintained a great distance from his family. However, his authority still stood in the family. He was the older version of Malcolm when it came to dealing with business and people, but was more outspoken, blunt, and humorous. “Malcolm isn't home?” Mac questioned no one in particular as he sat in the huge living room, where every member of the family had converged to see him. He and Irina maintained the greatest means of distance as his son's wife, and his grandchild
“Zoe!” They all heard the fierce, sharp voice call so powerfully as everyone's heads turned collectively, to see him storming powerfully towards where they were as he stood in front of Zoe instantly. “I will be back grandfather,” he said to the old man, who was a little surprised by the sudden outburst of his grandson after his unexpected appearance. “Let us go,” Malcolm turned to Zoe sharply, as he grabbed her arm firmly, and pulled her away from the prying eyes and suffocating scrutiny of everyone. Everyone was evidently taken aback by Malcolm's sudden outburst and the way he stormed in to disrupt everything, when they were yet to get over the surprise of Zoe suddenly acting like she didn't remember her grandmother. “What are you doing?” Zoe exclaimed with shock and confusion as she stumbled to keep up with his forceful stride. Seeing that she was trying to struggle with him, he swept her off her feet and carried her in his arms up the stairs. “Put me down!” Zoe fought with a fr
“What is wrong with Erin's granddaughter?” Mac questioned his grandson, Malcolm, as he stood impatiently in the private living room on the top floor, his eyes twitching with suppressed worry about what was going on. “Zoe is doing fine,” Malcolm answered sharply, hoping in his heart that she had not too much impression that something was truly wrong with her. “She asked who her grandmother was. Like she didn't remember her or something,” Mac mentioned, just in case Malcolm had no idea what he was talking about. “She has gone through so much these days. Pretending that her pain doesn't exist is her coping mechanism. I hope you understand,” Malcolm defended instantly, his voice low and convincing, in such a way that his grandfather would not go back and forth about the issue. “Is there something like that?” Mac muttered to himself with heavy contemplation, not seeming impressed by what he was hearing. “Why have you come to see us, grandfather? It is unlike you,” Malcolm questioned i
“Something must really be wrong. Is she pretending on purpose?” Irina asked no one in particular as she pondered on what had just gone down in the living room with Zoe and Mac the previous day, barely eating any of the breakfast that had been served to them. “What about the way he praised only her?” Audrey cut in bitterly, still feeling so bad for her son from yesterday, “He belittled everyone.”“Something is off. Even the way Malcolm overreacted and took her away instantly was suspicious,” Irina mouthed again and turned to Isla, “What do you think?” “I don't have much in mind. We will find out everything that is going on soon,” she responded calmly, not wanting to speak too much. Out of everyone, she was more and greatly disturbed even if she never showed it. The secret that Zoe found out about her was too destructive if it got out. ‘She couldn't allow her.’ “Perhaps their remarriage is true? Maybe for Malcolm, though. He seems invested in everything about her these days,” Audr
“Why do I have to do this?” Zoe questioned her grandfather on the phone after Gary came to the Meyers mansion, and put him on for her. “There is no time, Zoe!” He snapped angrily, hating that he had to explain himself to her when he wanted to save her ass from being canceled, “Leave with him now and do what is required. Else, your life might be over if people find out that you are mentally unwell!” Those were the very short words she had in a conversation with her grandfather, in the early hours of the morning, when she demanded to know why she was being asked to suddenly leave the country together with Malcolm. The news of her losing her mind had taken over the internet, and the front of the major company, other subsidiaries, and the Sinclair mansion were swarming with reporters, wanting to know the validity of such news and if she was indeed crazy. However, the fastest solution that Francis could think of was for her to go with Malcolm in his private jet to Canada as fast as poss
“We aren't leaving now?” Zoe's eyes jumped in surprise to hear different news from Malcolm, as she tilted her head in anticipation of a reason from him. “Yes,” Malcolm answered her, already observing how irritated she was by his answer. “Why?” her eyes narrowed at him, her lips curving to her deep frown. “It has been a while since we have been on a trip together. We could take this opportunity.”“I have no time for all this. I have to be back home,” Zoe dismissed with a much deeper grimace etched upon her face, as she turned away from his sight and began to strut out of the building, only to find out that no one that she recognized seemed to be there. “What have you done?!” She turned to Malcolm, who was coming behind her when she realized what was going on, her eyes blazing murderously at him. ‘She truly didn't have time. She was yet to find out anything, and this man was talking to her about a trip?!’“The workers were all hired for an hour at most. They left after doing thei
Zoe stayed in the bedroom of the suite the entire time till evening, while Malcolm left with Edward for some business around, and returned late in the evening to see Zoe a little busy with some work too. A little uncomfortable by their silence, he ordered dinner to be brought in later, so that both of them could eat together at the same table.“Why are you not eating?” Malcolm noticed the entire time they started eating, that Zoe found it hard to stomach more than five spoons. “I do not have an appetite,” she answered him, suddenly feeling suffocated when she realized that his heavy gaze was on her. “You haven't eaten anything since I left. Aren't you famished?” He questioned, his questioning eyes gazing at her as his forehead wrinkled in surprise. “It doesn't matter how famished I am. I still cannot eat even if I want,” she picked up a glass of water and drank a little from it. “Since when has it started?” Malcolm questioned, his face wrinkling in worry about her. “That means yo
Audrey struggled for breath as she began to tap his hand, which was already restricting the airflow from her lungs, and it was as if his eyes burned with more anger because the veins of his hands popped out more visibly.Without thinking too much, she raised the pointed tip of the shoe she was wearing as she positioned her hands firmly, on the railings for support. With a force, while struggling hard to breathe, she sent a kick to the middle of his legs. The pain caused Andre to groan as he instantly snatched his hand from her neck and grabbed his crotch in pain, which made it easy for Audrey to instantly spring forward instead of falling over because of the force he had used to shove her against the railings. Immediately, she dialed Zoe's number as fast as she could on her escape, as she scurried away from where Andre almost choked the life out of her, her ragged breaths uneven, and her heart beating so fast. Momentarily lost for the right words to say as soon as Zoe picked up Aud
SIX MONTHS AGO. Audrey had worn a camel-colored dress that day on Irina's birthday to celebrate freedom, and her imminent moment of final escape from the Meyers. From her ruthless husband's family, her miserable life and family problems- the major reason why she was still stuck in the stupid marriage. Her room back in the mansion had been cleared to an extent of all the things she needed, and arranged perfectly in a way that it might take a while to suspect a thing from just a mede glance. Smuggling her luggage out had been the easiest. It had been tactically towed to a storage company earlier that day, in new garbage bags that didn't even make anyone question. She had executed the plan perfectly, during the busy hours of the day in the mansion, while everyone was trying to make Irina's birthday party a perfect one and were all distracted. She had withdrawn Aaron from school, hidden him in a safe place in the guise of school camp, and had planned everything perfectly. It was only
Andre barely slept a wink all night. He was so restless, and his mind roamed aimlessly. Nothing was working for him. Nothing. And yet, he just continued to fall into more problems and debts. Yes, debts. While he was busy faking his death in the country he was living while his mother sponsored his lifestyle, he spent most of his time gambling in a casino. Returning to California, he continued codely in high-end clubs for elites, and had lost his savings in just a few months after placing a costly bet during one of his usual gambling days. The slush funds that was secretly siphoned from the MEL-CO oil and gas was meant to help him get back on his feet, but Malcolm caught on fast and blocked it mercilessly. Since then, he had been pressed for money and was desperate. He didn't know what was going to work out at the moment, but he needed a large amount of money to settle the private loans he took. Selling his shares was not an option because he would lose everything. Asking his moth
Irina's mind had not known peace for the past few hours, and she hadn't slept a wink the entire night. Dressed in a gorgeous custom-made white suit, she sat stiff and frozen in the back seat of her car, as if she had forgotten how to move.Her driver glanced at her in the mirror once or twice, wondering what was wrong, because it was unlike her to look that dazed. The tension in the car was stifling as he drove, and it was almost suffocating for him. Her fingers continued to flutter nervously, with one hand on her lap, and the other biting at her already wounded nails. Her heart was beating erratically and restlessly, as her eyes remained dark and sunken in misery. She struggled to remain composed as her head pounded fiercely, because the terrible migraine from the previous night had not stopped stabbing into her eyes. But she barely cared. All she could think about was her daughter. Isla. ‘What does she know? What?! What was she talking about?!’ Her heart twisted with fear each ti
The bright lights from the chandelier in the room stirred Zoe awake as her eyes fluttered for a few seconds, before it parted. A gasp escaped her as soon as her eyes met the ceilings above, and her heart skipped immediately, as her eyes darted to the clock by the corner of the expansive room.8:30 AMZoe's hand flew to her temple, and her eyes widened, “No. No. shit!” she muttered, as she moved the bed covers around her body instantly and came down the bed. She was meant to rest for two hours, maybe three at most. Just enough to clear her head. Instead, she had passed out completely while sitting on the couch yesterday. She was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, with her phone off, her body tired, and not a single file prepped for the morning’s board briefing. ‘Malcolm must have brought her here when she fell asleep,’ she realized. Thinking about him, she noticed that the penthouse seemed quieter than usual, as she walked out of the bedroom straight to the dining room. There
“How did it feel to see her?” Malcolm, whose eyes were already shutting in weariness brightened at the mention of Zoe, saying she met her mother. “To be honest, I was so glad. I was exhilarated because it felt so surreal to know I still have a family,” a small smile graced her lips as she spoke of it, “She doesn't know yet, but I like seeing her every time. She is a gorgeous woman. Full of dreams, and beautiful. Fun fact, we have similar eyes,” she was so excited to talk about Jasmine to someone. Turning to look at her, Malcolm stared into her eyes with a smile, “Really?”“Yes. She is stunning,” her lips widened in a deeper grin. His heart, suddenly hurting at the thought of his mother again, Malcolm was curious, “You don't resent all the times you spent away from her? Or her?”“If I say I don't, I lie,” a soft sigh escaped Zoe, as she looked up at the beautiful chandelier that was sitting up on the ceiling of the living room, while staring at it dreamily like a new kind of attra
Ding dong! The shrill chime of the doorbell outside the door instantly cut through Jasmine's thoughts and her back to the present from her room. For a moment, she couldn’t move. Her body remained frozen as if her brain had paused, and her heart, hammered. It was when her phone which was by her side sounded with a loud notification, that she fully kicked out of the reset mode her mind had gone into. She grabbed the phone so languidly as if something was sucking life out of her. A message notification from Justine flashed through her face when she swiped the screen up, and it read, ‘I’m outside. Please come get me.’ Turning on the lights in the room, Jasmine rose to her feet and hurried out of her room with light steps, careful not to wake Raine up. When she opened the front door of the house, a silent gasp escaped her as soon as she saw her. Justine was looking like life had chewed her up and spit her out. Her eyes were red with weariness and swollen with tears, and her sho
The bedroom showed no sign of life because the lights there were off, but someone was sitting by the window side, staring out into her uninteresting compound, while lost in thoughts. She sat at the edge of her armchair with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. The air around her felt so thick with tension, and it felt too heavy to pull into her lungs, because it was constricted with pain. It had been almost two hours since Zoe left, but Jasmine’s heart had not known rest because of what she said. The most shocking part of her life was all exposed in just one evening, and she was still trying so hard to process it. Her truths were wrapped in so much pain.She had been trying to keep up with the chaos inside her head, but it was as if Zoe's pain now lived in her lungs.‘She was married?’ Jasmine could not get her mind off that part, because that piece of information was not included in her public biography. There was no news about it. ‘If she was
Zoe adjusted the face cap she was wearing and bent her head, her eyes boring deep into the floor as she entered into the elevator with Malcolm. It was when they entered and the doors shut, that she thought to herself that it would have been better if he had gone up first. ‘What could be worse than the tip-off of where she was staying the night? Meeting up with Malcolm Meyer in his private penthouse? It would look too good on paper. The speculations would be terrifying and suffocating!’“You can remove the cap now,” Malcolm told her as soon as they reached the penthouse of the forty-five floored building, and stepped out of the elevator. “Okay,” she muttered, even if she didn't pull it off immediately. She was still a little bothered that someone might see them. The penthouse was quiet when Zoe stepped in after Malcolm opened the door, and it was the kind of stifling silence that made her heartbeat echo in her own ears. And maybe somehow, because she had seen what his house looked