Sauntering into the grand event which he had no business with and was totally uninterested in was Marcel, whose heart pounded beneath the layers of his tailored suit, his eyes scanning the opulence of the occasion and guests that were around. Though he loathed events like that and had little or no interest in them, he couldn't help but want to be there. He was there for just one reason.Meeting with Ivy days ago when she desperately asked to see him was something he would not have done on a normal day even if she said it was urgent, considering that it was the tactics most of his ex-girlfriends used whenever they wanted to see him again. However, he had a change of mind when she mentioned the jewelry company he was making investments in, and he knew that, regardless of what bait she might have planned with that after so long of stopping to contact one another, it wouldn't hurt to hear what she had to say. However, never would he have expected that Audrey, who he had been hoping to
Right at that moment when Marcel was trying to get Ivy out of his way, Irina, who was standing before everyone, had begun to give her speech, her eyes darting around so softly looking for the one person that was supposed to be at her party but seemed to be nowhere. She was dressed in an exquisite gown that flowed elegantly around her, shining with unmatched elegance, and had the perfect glamorous outlook that made her exude a timeless charm that made her look younger than her age. Her lips curved into a smirk as she raised her champagne glass, and began to give the speech in appreciation to everyone who attended, “Thank you, everyone, for being here tonight,” she spoke eloquently, her voice smooth and steady, with a calculated pause, following every few words, “It means so much to me to see so many familiar faces. Friends, acquaintances, family,” she continued. When she mentioned the word ‘family,’ the guests were amused and surprised that the most significant member of her family
In just three days, everything had turned upside down in the city, and there seemed to be no way out of the investigation that was ongoing, concerning the incident that occurred at the Meyers mansion on the night of Irina's 60th birthday party. Every guest that was invited to the party was all under thorough investigation, and with their alibi being proved one after another, they employed the services of their best lawyers to be free from the humiliation of being a suspect in an attempted murder case. The Meyers had been restless for days with the sirens of the police constantly visiting the neighbourhood and mansion, thoroughly investigating what could have prompted the fall from the terrace, considering that every CCTV camera at that moment was suddenly not working. Unfortunately, the area of focus in videos that were also captured during the event was mainly the party grounds, which left one person as the suspect. The only person that was with her on the terrace at that moment
“I didn't expect the news to escalate in just a few days. I cannot believe we got rid of those pests once at a time,” A haughty grin split Ivy's lips as she spoke, her full focus on her phone as her fingers typed fast. She sat across from Isla in their private living room, while Irina slouched comfortably on a deluxe couch, at the opposite side of the living room, while demurely sipping from the cup of strawberry milkshake she had had, grasped in her right hand. It was the first time the family gathered after the entire hubbub that occurred at the birthday party and turned the media upside down, which left them vulnerable to intrusive reporters who wanted an exclusive, and giving statements about what happened at the police station. It has been quite a lot to deal with. Irina's face contorted into a disdainful mark upon hearing what Ivy said, as the deaf maid in the room massaged her head skillfully even if her eyes were closed, “That is why I need to make sure that good for noth
It felt like a bomb had been dispelled into the room at what Isla said, and it was almost impossible to take her seriously immediately, because she was never in the position to care if Aaron was truly missing or not. However, the expression she had on her face was too stern to be fake. “What? Are you serious now?!” Ivy looked up from her phone, confusion etched across her face, waiting for Isla to say it was a joke, even if she knew her sister was not the type to make one. “Apparently, his mother told his school that they were moving to another country, and received every necessary school report and document for him,” Isla appeared so calm and spoke softly as if she was saying the most natural thing ever. “What?! Audrey did what?!” Irina finally found her voice after processing what she had just heard, her eyes jumping wide open in shock in a way none of them had ever seen, as she signaled to the deaf maid to leave instantly. “Yes. He is nowhere to be found, and the supposed camp
“Sit and eat your food,” Zoe instructed Aaron, whom she called from his room, after she served breakfast on the table. “I will not eat!” Aaron declared with an impassive expression on his face, as he stood up from the chair he was sitting across from her, ready to leave. “Then you can starve,” she muttered coldly as she stared at the immature child, before she put her face down and began to force the food before her down her throat even if she was not willing to eat. “I am going to my room,” he muttered sternly as he sauntered past her, but Zoe said nothing and just continued to eat her food. When he was out of sight, she instantly got on her feet, packed the untouched food in the kitchen, and carefully sorted everything back in its right place, before she left for the room she used upstairs, knowing he would still come back to eat the food. A few minutes after she was done taking her bath and dressing up, Zoe sat in front of her dresser afterward to touch her face and s
“I heard you delegated the conglomerate to a professional management!” The voice from the other side of the phone raged, as soon as Zoe picked up the phone, “What the hell do you think you are doing?! Leaving my conglomerate in the hands of those management professionals? Have you lost your mind?!” he fumed uncontrollably, unable to contain his fury. Remaining unfazed by his exasperation, she remained composed as she sat back in the back seat of her car as Dylan drove, and spoke calmly, “Yeah. Before the scandal. Those dimwits that are busy holding meetings to take me out should have gotten the news now.”“Are you trying to ruin the conglomerate?!” He was so pissed that he didn't allow Gary to speak on his behalf this time around. “I never knew you cared so much about the conglomerate in the first place, Mr. Sinclair. Considering how you have put me through hell for the past months of running it,” her voice dropped heavily with sarcasm, her face contorting to a mask of indignation
For as long as anyone could remember, Malcolm had been a pillar of ice-cold, distant, and apathy, and everyone in the family had learned to live with the silence that followed him wherever he went. He had always had the perfect image of the heir to the conglomerate, his gorgeous face, sharp and handsome, always a blank mark that revealed nothing. He barely spoke unless it was necessary and there was no warmth or comfort in his presence, while forcing himself to suppress every emotion he had ever felt from a young age. He had known since he was a child that his family’s legacy was not built on honor, but on betrayal, manipulation, and lies that stemmed from the first generation, which was his great-grandfather. His father, Mill Meyer, had made sure he understood from a young age what his position meant in the family. His grandfather, Mac Meyer, groomed him to carry the burden of the family name, and made him understand that he was the heir and that he couldn't make mistakes ever si
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