ISLA As the staffs filed in, I noticed they somehow hesitated before sitting. Well, it wasn't like I've been in a conference meeting myself, so I didn't know why they seemed to be hesitating. This was the first time I'd be attending a formal meeting as a worker. "Ms. Turner," Mia's voice cut through my thoughts, her voice echoing loudly through the room and every pair of eye snapped towards my direction. "There's a sitting arrangement!" "Ms. Thompson, how the hell was I supposed to know there was a sitting arrangement when no tags was put on the chairs?!" I responded right back in my head. I stood up slowly, my eyes flickering around. I didn't pay attention to any arrangement and I was genuinely unaware. "That line is for the senior executives." I heard a voice behind me. I snapped my head and came in contact with Stiles's glinting forest green eyes. He flashed me a grin. "Oh, I didn't know." My voice sounded hoarse. I was mad at Mia. She never wasted time in picking on
ISLAI swallowed a lump forming on my throat and pressed my lips together, hoping that the heavy weight I was feeling on my shoulder wouldn't squash me down completely. My palms began to sweat as my hands gripped the skirt I was wearing, squeezing tightly at it. I was fighting an inner battle, hopefully I'd win. Slowly, my head raised up and thankfully, Mia's eyes were now averted from mine. I almost gasped. Mia's pause stretched just long enough to make everyone in the room a little uneasy or maybe of course I was the only one feeling the heat. Her gaze returned back to me, sharp and deliberate, and I could feel the weight of the entire conference room's attention tilting in my direction. Could this woman fucking move on for once?She tilted her head, a faint smirk suddenly curling the edges of her lips. "Some of you," she repeated, her tone carefully neutral, but her eyes still drilling into mine, "seem to think that mediocre performance is acceptable in a company like this."My
ISLAAs soon as the meeting ended, I scurried to my office to get my purse. We were already past closing hours and I just wanted to get out of this place. I was angry, at Mia, Robert and every damned person in this place. I bumped clumsily into some people as I made my way to my office. Robert and Bryan had been the first to leave the meeting and I hadn't seen him since the meeting ended. He could be wherever for all I cared. I don't know if I was being sentimental but I just hated the fact that his Ex had shred me to pieces in front of all those people and he had been right there!Calm down, Isla. This isn't the worst you've been through. I told myself over and over again as I tried to reach the driver. I was standing at the front of the company waiting under a big tree that provided a good shade."Come pick me up, at the company." I said as soon as he picked. I ended the call immediately and kept the phone back in my purse. I crossed my hands and paced up and down on the curb fuming
ISLAThe music thumped through the club, vibrating the floor beneath the high heels I was wearing, sarcastic thanks to my best friend for convincing me to wear them. I shifted in my seat, tugging at the hem of the short dress I was wearing for what felt like the umpteenth time this evening. It clung tightly to my skin, riding up every time I moved, and I just couldn’t help but feel exposed. Maybe Hailey wasn't always so right anyway.I picked up my glass of tequila, the ice clinking softly as I swirled it. As I took a sip, the sharp tang of lime hit my tongue, but even the drink couldn’t distract me from the discomfort. My back arched slightly as I tried to find a position that didn’t make the gown dig into my sides. I instinctively glanced around the room, hoping no one noticed my fidgeting, but the crowd was too engrossed in their own yelling and dancing.The air was thick with the scent of perfume and sweat, and I felt a bead of my sweat sliding down my neck. I wiped it away quic
ISLAI blinked back in shock as my lips parted open in surprise."How did you know my….?" I belched out noisily and I could literally inhale the stench of alcohol on my breath. My stomach twisted and I felt the sudden urge to use the bathroom."Are you okay, sweetie?" He asked. I waved a hand dismissively, trying to mask the embarrassment creeping up my neck. "I’m fine," I mumbled. My chair scraped against the floor as I stood, wobbling slightly on my heels. "I just need to…use the bathroom."My bladder felt like it could burst open any moment, if I didn't relieve myself. His piercing blue eyes followed me as I stumbled through the crowd of sweaty bodies. I headed towards the bathroom. Somehow, I could feel his gaze on my back. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder because I didn't want to come in contact with those eyes which reminded me of just one person.I slipped into the bathroom and relieved myself. I've had too much drink and I was overly tipsy. I gripped the edge of the sink
ISLAAs if reading my thoughts, he pulled me along into one of the empty bathrooms and the both of us ended up perched awkwardly on top of the john, the cold porcelain sending a shiver of anticipation through me. It wasn’t exactly the spot I’d imagined to get laid, but the tension made it oddly unforgettable. At this point, I couldn't care less. Maybe I'd remember never to take alcohol again after this encounter. He leaned forward, his piercing blue eyes locked on mine, and suddenly, the surroundings didn’t seem to matter anymore not the stinging smell of paint on the walls, not the faint smell of bleach, and definitely not the fact that we were literally straddling the john like it was some kind of makeshift seat. "What do you want me to do?" He asked, his deep baritone voice sending cold shivers down my spine. I didn't remember ever being this vulnerable but shit I was horny as fuck! My pussy seemed to have a mind of its own because it was throbbing and itching badly for his membe
ISLAHe thrusted in. It wasn't a very gentle thrust. My hands gripped his shoulder and I dug my nails into his taut flesh. He began moving his hard cock in and out of me. I shut my eyes tightly, savoring the entire pleasure of this very moment. "Mmmmmh…Yeah." I murmured, my hands wrapped around him tightly as he pounded my dripping wet pussy. "You feel so fucking good!" My voice echoed resoundingly, through the walls of the bathroom. It sounded so alien to me. I met his thrust with very loud screams. The sound of my voice right now could wake the dead. His lips enclosed on my stiffened nipple, sucking on it and teasing it by circling the swollen bud with his wet tongue. His fingers dug into my butt, holding me firmly in place as he continued his assault on me. He groaned deeply as he thrusted deeper into me. His movement began creating a slapping rhythm that was pushing me crazily to an edge, making me lose my ability to form any coherent word as I kept moaning out so loudly, car
ISLATwo days later»»»»»»I sat down on the table. Breakfast was spread out on the table. In this house, it was always like a feast, I knew as soon as I was done eating, the rest food would be thrown out. My throat felt dry, I wasn't even hungry. The food didn't matter to me. What mattered was the emptiness I felt as flashes of that night came into my head. I was lost in deep thoughts.I heard someone calling out to me. I knew the person was trying to talk to me, but I wasn't really conscious of my surrounding. The voice just sounded distant. It was as though I wasn't there, like I wasn't in this house. Right now, I really wished to be anywhere but here. "Ma'am." Someone gave my shoulder a gentle shake. I broke out from my trance and looked up to find a maid in a uniform staring at me with wide eyes. "You haven't touched your food." She stated, her hand gesturing to the food laid out on the table.I swallowed a lump forming on my throat and exhaled sharply. I scanned the food again a
ROBERTIsla and I disengaged. She took a step away from me. her eyes filled with worry. For a few minutes, no one said anything. There was only the exchanging of looks, and Mia was sure serving the killer looks. Bryan looked completely stunned. I knew we scheduled for a time to meet today, I just didn't think he'd be that early, or maybe because I had turned in late for work after reeling from the effect of getting drunk. "Hmm, I'll send you a template on how to label the mails." I said to her, loud enough for everyone to hear.Isla nodded and walked out, nodding a greeting to Bryan by the door, and muttering something to Mia."Please, have your seats." I gestured as I rounded my desk to settle down. I quickly put away the file I had spread out on the table. Bryan had a look of surprise, he looked like he had something to say. Mia on the other hand just glared at me. I tried to search my head for any reason she was here. Sure it had something to do with business."How have you been?
ROBERTAs soon as I got to my office, I first set out to go through one thing—the file. I inputted the code on my safe and it clicked open. I brought out the file Davis had been working on. My hand wiped the face off invisible dust. This wasn't any part of business, but still, it was going to be one of my greatest accomplishments. I went back to my seat and settled myself down. A small headache still lingered somewhere in my head, but I decided if I ignored it, then it would definitely subside. I opened the file and spread it out on my desk. I picked up the external drive Davis had left for me in our last meeting. Davis was the private investigator that had been on the case of my parents' death. The drive contained the recordings of a CCTV footage. I connected it to my laptop and played it. Just few minutes into the recording, a light knock came on the door. Somehow, I had the feeling that it was her. Well, my guess was correct. The words that Mia had said last night hit my gut,
ISLA"Your breakfast…""Don't worry, eat as much as you want, if you have a boyfriend, you can pack some for him, you can invite your friends over, they can come eat." I smiled, of course I was angry and being sarcastic but she wouldn't know. The maid looked confused, her lips parted open to say something, but she shut it back and just stared at me with wide confused eyes. I made for the door, but suddenly paused in my tracks. I turned back to look at her. "Are you so scared of him? If he asks you, tell him I asked you to bring your friends over for breakfast." I shrugged and stepped out of the house. I reached my office and tried to settle in. I was fuming with anger but decided to keep it cool. Why? He was with Mia for dinner, he had promised to call, or maybe perhaps he had forgotten. Hell no, I wasn't stupid. The witch must have somehow cast a spell on him. A spell that made sure…..A knock on the door interrupted my trail of thoughts. Stiles walked in."What do you want?"He d
ROBERT"You know what? Call your dad's driver and have him drop you off."With that I walked to the car, got in and slammed the door shut. Without thinking twice, I drove out of the compound and headed for my penthouse. As I got to my room, I got a cup and filled it with whisky. The drink burned its way down my throat, each gulp a futile attempt to drown the storm raging within me. Mia's words echoed relentlessly in my mind "What do you think Mason and Olivia would do?". The finality in her tone had struck a mark in my heart, leaving me reeling with a mix of anger, hurt, and confusion. I put away the glass and drowned the remaining content directly, till there was nothing left in the bottle. I turned it turned it over, just to be sure there was nothing left. I tugged impatiently at the collar of my shirt, trying to find the place I had knotted my tie. When I found it, I ripped it off impatiently. I slumped onto the couch, kicking the shoes off, sending them flying across the room
ROBERTFor some good minutes, May and Steve didn't return back to the dinning table. I didn't touch the food since they left, somehow feeling grateful for the fact that I didn't have to continue lying and filling my stomach with more burnt food. Mia suddenly pushed the food away. My intuition strongly told me the couples knew something concerning my parent's death. They knew the perpetrator, but just wanted to protect them. There was nothing natural about the incident. I really didn't want to involve anyone because it was an underground work, one I wouldn't easily let down till I got to the root of."Mom had been the one who suggested and planned this dinner." Mia spoke, her usually bright golden eyes looking dark. "I don't want to say it, but I feel they're going crazy.""Mia…""No, don't give me all those 'it's fine' shits like I'm some little girl. I'm more than old enough to know when it's fine or not."I nooded in understanding at the blunt honesty."Look, just now dad mentioned
ROBERT"Robert, could you believe? mom prepared all these by herself." Mia chuckled. She looked like some excited teenager that managed to invite their boyfriend over for dinner."Really? That's…." To be honest, I didn't know what to say in this kind of situation, but I knew I should be thankful at the heartfelt gesture, right?"... lovely, I feel honored. Thank you." I smiled at May and watch her cheeks color as she secured some strands of hair dancing on her face to the back of her ear. "I hope you like it." May replied, gesturing at the plate in front of me. I opened the cover. May had prepared a classic American style home cooked dinner. The centerpiece was a meatloaf—slightly burnt around the edges, its crust a bit too dark, evidence that she'd left it in the oven longer than intended. Alongside it were buttery mashed potatoes with green beans sautéed with almonds, and a fresh garden salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. There was also cornbread, just a little dry at the top, li
ROBERTAs I drove the SUV out of the garage, I redialled Mia's line."Robert," Her voice rang out on the third ring."Mia, what did you do that for?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but the anger still surfaced."What did I do what for?" She replied."You know exactly what I'm talking about.""I don't exactly know what you're talking about, Robert..please be clear."I knew Mia well enough."If you're going to be stooping so low to taunt her, you should at least remember your position." I said sternly. "Whoa, wait Robert, is this about your practicing secretary?""Isla.""I guessed so. This confirms it""Confirms what?""Never mind. 6PM. Don't be late, Robert."I ended the call with a sigh. ****I glanced at the full length mirror and noticed that one of the buttons of my suit was undone. My fingers tugged lazily in an attempt to button it. When I was done dressing up, I picked a car key from my bedside table. I studied it for a while and decided I didn't want to impress so I picke
ROBERTMy hand lifted her chin till she was staring directly at me. Her eyes held a look of surprise. I wondered what was going through her mind this minute. It was a miracle that I had been able to control my fury when I saw Stiles gripping her hand with such possessiveness. Somehow, I imagined he was attracted to get. I mean, who wouldn't be? She was beautiful and had that pull that would lure any man in, but she was mine. I noticed Isla's eyes were closing slowly and her body leaning in against mine. Her lips were forming a small pout. I almost chuckled. Just how cute my baby looked."What are you doing, Isla?" I couldn't help shake the smirk tugging involuntarily at the corner of my lips. I seemed to have dragged my little girl out of her fantasies. Her eyes fluttered open, her lips parted and a small flush kissed her cheeks, making it a light pink shade. "Um.." She moved back a bit, her hand flying to smoothen some strands of hair to her pony tail. "I…"The words trailed. "
ISLAAs I stomped angrily back to my office, the only image playing in my head was the taunting picture of Mia and Robert. What stupid games was this? I tried to calm myself down. This was her main goal; to piss me off! And yes, it was fucking working, but I shouldn't let it work."Isla!" I heard my name echo through the corridor. I exhaled sharply and turned around to look. Stiles was walking up to me with hurried steps. What did he fucking want right now?"What?" I asked, sounding uncontrollably stern."Why are you so angry? What happened?" He asked, a look of concern etched on his face."I'm not angry, Why? Does it look like I am?" I snapped and mentally tried to calm myself down. 'Okay, Isla..breathe. This isn't the worst she has done.'"It sure looks like you're about to go punch someone, you're literally up in flames."I chuckled. "Well, that's not the case." I tried to move but he caught me with one hand. "So, mind telling me why you've been ignoring my texts all week?"I fl