LOGINShare
CHAPTER THREE
Last Updated:
2025-03-12 05:12:55BENEATH THE FACADE
Behind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaits. CHAPTER 3 Emily's POV “Good day Mr Ethan,” my father greeted politely, as he saw him sip champagne from a glass. I watched him as I stood behind my father “Good to see you again, Mr Caleb.” Have your seat. “You're behind time, we both agreed to a certain time. You're thirty minutes late.” He said, staring at me intently. “I'm a wealthy man you know, I don't have any extra time to spare. Time, they say, is money”. He continued. “Your daughter I suppose? You’ve got a pretty daughter, I must commend you”. He said as he returned his gaze to my father. “I apologize for my lateness sir. It was not intentio-”. I heard my father say, bowing his head. “Let's get to work. Let me take a look at the document and sign where necessary. She moves in by next weekend.” Billionaire Ethan interjected. All along I sat, glued to the chair still watching him. How would I be able to live with this horrible creature? A man that doesn't respect my father. He didn't even hear from me, no form of introduction at all. What an audacious being! I gave him a look of disgust,as I rolled my eyes at him. At some point, I was tempted to talk but I managed to keep my cool, respecting my father. One thing was certain, there was no way this marriage would hold, I would never get married to Ethan except he apologizes, not in this life and the next. “I forgot to add, no wedding party, just a simple thing in the court to sign the necessary documents. She moves in and that's-” He was cut short by my father. “Mr Ethan, aren't we rushing things? Are you sure this is what you want in exchange for my company?” my father said in a whisper, tilting his head towards Mr Ethan's direction. “Mr Caleb no one cuts me off while talking.” The tone of his voice increased. By now, a few eyes were fixed towards our direction, wondering what the noise was all about. But Ethan wasn't bothered, he just continued bluffing. “You only talk when I ask you to. And as for your company, I'm only doing you a favor. There's no potential in it. Or do I take back my offer? Mr Ethan said, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you. You can proceed with the signing.” I heard my father plead. It broke my heart to see someone bring him down like that. My father took a second look at me and squeezed my hand in his when he saw a tear drop from my eyes. “You’ll be fine”, he said to me. I nodded my head as a sign of response And right there my father signed the last page of the document. I sat there glued on the chair as I watched my father bid me off to the highest bidder. Truth be told, my face held no emotions. It was emotionless. The deed had been done, what I feared the most had eventually happened. “Lest I forget, the court wedding is held on Friday at 10:00a.m. Send me your body size, so I can get your dress. I’d send you the style of hair I prefer”. The hall for the wedding can only accommodate fifty guests. So pulling out crowds won't be advisable.” He said and walked out on my father and I. My eyes followed him until he got out of the door. I immediately turned in the direction of my father, now standing in front of him. “Dad, are we really sure about this?” I asked, my voice laced with irritation. “Dad, I'm in the car,” I said and stormed out. During the ride back home, no one said a word. My father and I were lost in our own world. The eerie sounds of cricket and frogs were the only sounds that could be heard. We got home late and no one was interested in dinner. We immediately retired to our beds for the night. As I lay on my bed, I drifted into thoughts again. “Is that the man I'll be spending the rest of my life with? I fantasized on living the best life while growing up. God is this what you reserve for your little girl? Ethan is so mean. He has no single regard for dad. I fantasized about a man that would love me, just like dad. A man that would respect my decisions and father. A man that would pamper me. But this is what I get, Ethan. Oh Godddd! I sobbed profusely, soaking the purple feathery pillow on the bed. I cried all night and couldn't get any sleep, which was unusual. Other nights, I would cry and fall asleep, although I would wake up with eye bags. Eye bags which now made me look a shadow of my former self. But tonight, I just stared at the ceiling. I had concluded with this saying “if life gives me a lemon, I should be able to make a lemonade out of it”. *** The following day was a Saturday, I lingered on the bed a little longer, which was very unusual for a Saturday. I heard the knock on the door again and turned towards the direction of the door. “Come in, it's not locked”, I faintly said. And my father walked in, in his sky blue pajamas, carrying a wooden tray. “Good morning daddy”, I greeted, as I sat up and leaned against the bed frame, the wooden slats creaking softly beneath my weight. “Good morning my princess”, he smiled as he put the tray on the bed and kissed my forehead. “I brought you breakfast”, he continued, grinning from teeth to teeth like a child. Breakfast in bed had been our usual routine before the company's issue started. Everybody had become a shadow of themselves and breakfast in bed was now seen as a big deal. I was having freshly baked french toast with scrambled eggs and tea. My father rarely cooked, because of time but he was a great chef. I remember growing up, he always set out dates to prepare my lunch for school. I always looked forward to those days, they were very special. I missed being a child, the fun thing about being a child is you have nothing to worry about. Whether your father's company is thriving or not, you don't have to bother, all you just had to do was to be a child. He didn't say a word, he just watched me munch on my food. Immediately, I took the last bite, he cleared his throat to speak. I think he didn't want to disrupt my food, he wanted me to enjoy my meal. “Emily, how about a date with me?”, he held my hands, his brown eyes boring into my blue eyes. I honestly wasn't in the mood for any outings, I just wanted to be left alone, but how could I say no to my father. “Maybe not this morning, later in the evening or afternoon but not now”, I shrugged. “Alright then, as long as we spend some time alone together”, he said and carried the tray out. “I'm sorry, but I won't be marrying Billionaire Ethan” I said just before he got to the door.
Latest chapter
Beneath the Façade Chapter 33
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 33EMILY’S POV: The world didn’t stop when Ethan disappeared. The sun still rose. People still laughed somewhere. The birds outside my window still sang like nothing had shattered.But I had.I didn’t eat. I barely slept. The simple act of breathing felt like dragging a heavy stone across my chest.Everyone kept saying things like “maybe there was an emergency” or “he’ll call soon.” They didn’t see what I saw in my father’s eyes when he came back from that call. They didn’t hear the way his voice stayed too calm, like he’d planned the silence all along.I sat on my bedroom floor, arms wrapped around my knees, phone in hand, scrolling through old messages. His voice notes. The last photo he sent—him standing in front of a tailor’s mirror, adjusting his shirt, grinning like he was trying too hard not to look nervous.I stared at it until my vision blurred.He should’ve been here by now. Should’ve w
Beneath the Façade Chapter 32
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 32 ETHAN'S POV: We hadn’t been on the road long—maybe ten minutes at most. The sky outside had begun its slow shift from a soft, sleepy gold into that deep evening blue that always made the city look like a promise. I watched the lights flicker to life one by one, blurring a little through the window. My father was steady behind the wheel, one hand relaxed on the steering, the other tapping gently to some old song that played low through the speakers. He always brought that playlist out on days that meant something. Birthdays. Big meetings. Today.My mother sat beside him, fingers smoothing over the same part of her sleeve again and again, like the fabric would sit differently if she just kept trying. Her eyes were on the road, but I could tell—she was somewhere else, maybe already picturing the evening, maybe worrying about nothing and everything all at once.In the backseat, I kept quiet. I wa
Beneath the Façade chapter 31
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 31 ETHAN'S POV: The morning of the introduction didn’t come with a bang. No rush of excitement, no grand feeling. Just stillness.I woke up to the soft hum of morning—birds chirping somewhere beyond the window, sunlight crawling slowly across the floor, and the quiet breath of the wind tugging at the curtain like it had all the time in the world.But I didn’t.I sat at the edge of the bed, feet planted on the cold tiled floor, elbows resting on my knees. My hands hung loosely, fingers twitching every now and then like they were unsure what to do. I kept staring out that window like the answers I needed would be hiding in the sky.A dog barked in the distance. Somewhere, a hose came on. Water hit grass. A car drove by. The world outside moved like it always did, as if this was just another morning. But for me, everything had shifted.Today wasn’t just any day.Today, I’d face the man whose daught
Beneath the Façade Chapter 30
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 30 Caleb's POV: I used to think I’d recognize the exact moment my daughter stopped being my little girl. Thought I’d feel it coming, like a shift in the wind or a light that flickered just before going out. I imagined it would be in the way she spoke, maybe in the way she said my name, or the questions she stopped asking. I thought there would be signs, loud or quiet, that would let me prepare for the day she stepped into a new chapter of her life without needing me to guide her every step.But nothing prepared me for it. No warning. No clue.It didn’t come with a speech or some dramatic goodbye. It came with a simple glance. A glow in her eyes. A small ring on her finger. And just like that, the truth hit me.She wasn’t mine to keep anymore.Not in the way she had been when she was five and needed help tying her shoes. Not in the way she had been at twelve when I waited in the rain outside her
Beneath the Façade chapter 29
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 29 Emily's POV: Earlier that morning, Ethan’s voice had wrapped around me like a secret too beautiful to keep.“Be ready by sunset,” he’d said, his tone soft, laced with something that felt like mischief and meaning. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”He hadn’t told me more than that. No hints. No clues. Just that quiet certainty in his voice that always made me feel like the world was tilting toward something good. And now, as the sky began to turn gold outside the window, my heart beat a little faster.He'd asked me specifically to wear the black gown. The gown. The one I wore on our very first date. The one with the delicate lace sleeves and the subtle shimmer at the hem that caught the light when I walked. I hadn’t worn it since that night, but I hadn’t forgotten how he looked at me when I did. Like I was a story he hadn’t read yet but couldn’t wait to.As I slipped it over my shoulders, I felt
Beneath the Façade Chapter 28
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 28 Ethan's POV: I stood barefoot on the cool wooden floor of the beachside suite, the salt-heavy wind slipping in through the open balcony door. Below, the waves rolled in and broke softly against the shore—steady, unhurried, like they’d been doing this forever. It was the kind of sound that usually made me feel calm. Not tonight.The room was still. No voices, no music—just the low hum of the ceiling fan overhead and the heavy rhythm of my own breathing. My chest felt tight, like something was pressing down from the inside.I walked toward the window, drawn by the sea like it might have answers. The horizon was pale gold where the sun had started to dip, and the sky above it stretched wide and silent. I watched the tide move in slow, deliberate strokes, like it had something important to say but didn’t know how to say it.I looked down at my hand. The small velvet box lay open in my palm.The r
Beneath the Façade Chapter 27
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 27 beneathCaleb's POV: “I should check on Emily—see if she’s done with the folder,” I muttered to myself, already rising from my desk.The house was quiet, unusually so. No echo of her footsteps in the hallway, no low hum of music playing from her speakers, not even the soft creak of her chair. It was strange. Emily always left a trail of presence, even when she tried not to.As I approached her room, I noticed something that made me pause: the door. It was ajar.That alone made my chest tighten.Emily was many things, sharp, strong-willed, overthinking at times but careless wasn’t one of them. She never left her door unlocked. I pushed it open a little more, the hinges giving a soft whine. There she was, curled up on the edge of her bed, her laptop screen dimmed beside her. One hand still rested near a notebook, her pen half-slipped from her grasp. She was out cold.I stepped inside slowly, car
Beneath the Façade Chapter 26
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 26 beneath Emily's POV: The rain had started without warning, quiet at first, a gentle rhythm of droplets brushing against the tall windows of my father’s study. I hadn’t meant to linger there that evening. The room still carried the faint scent of his cologne, sharp, woodsy and the warmth of the leather chairs clung to the air.I was only supposed to retrieve a folder, the one with the quarterly numbers for the company's board review. He’d mentioned it offhandedly during dinner, claiming he’d left it in his study, tucked safely in the middle drawer.But as I walked toward his desk, something felt off.My hand reached for the brass handle, expecting it to glide open like it always had, effortlessly. Instead, the drawer resisted. A subtle, unnatural resistance. Not jammed, but restrained. Almost as though it was guarding something not meant to be seen.I paused, brows drawing together. I gave it
Beneath the Façade chapter 25
BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secret awaitsChapter 25 beneathEmily's POV: Saturday afternoons like this were rare—quiet, unhurried, indulgent. I was curled up in the center of my bed, legs tucked beneath a fleece blanket, the soft hum of my air conditioner barely audible beneath the sound of dialogue playing from my laptop screen. My favorite series was midway through its new season, and I was already two episodes deep, with no plans of stopping anytime soon.In one hand, I held a perfectly crispy spring roll—still warm, the flakey skin breaking slightly with every bite. The small plate beside me was already down two, and I had no intention of showing restraint. It was my weekend. My rules.The room smelled faintly of ginger and garlic—sweet reminders of the takeout I’d ordered in lieu of cooking. The scent mingled with my lavender candle burning quietly on the dresser. A comfort combo I didn’t know I needed until now.It would’ve been even bett
You may also like
My Dad's Bestfriend
Liz Barnet615.8K viewsLet Me Go, Mr. Hill!
Shallow South6.4M viewsThe Three Little Guardian Angels
Ginger Bud3.2M viewsDEVIN
Castiel502.2K viewsThe Billionaire’s Little Monster
YellowDove188 viewsI Mistook The Billionaire For A Stripper
EliJa2.0K viewsDon't Touch The Bride
Jay.the.writer527 viewsDear Husband, My Turn To Love You
Tarina1.2K views
