Kali? What the hell is she doing here?My lips parted in shock, I wanted to say something but no words left my mouth. I turned to Kali who was now smirking deviously at me.Remaining calm was the least I could do to not appear stupid. “His ex wife? What could you possibly be looking for here?”Her smirk widened and her red lips curved into something more malicious. “That's right sweetie,” she cooed, her voice dripping with honey.“The original Mrs. De Luca, not some… replacement.” Kali finished, eying me up and down like a filthy rag doll.My stomach twisted and Nora, who’s still behind me, tugs at my sleeve as if telling me not to engage in a word war with her, but I can’t just let a stranger talk to me anyhow and get away with it.“You’re trespassing, I’d appreciate it if you take your gibberish with you to a mental ward. Seems like you need your head checked.” I said.“What?” she screeched. Well, ouch. This bitch.“Whatever… history you had with Alexander doesn’t give you the right
He didn’t argue, didn’t fight back or yell. Instead, he stood rooted, the tonnage of my words pressing down on us heavily like an invisible weight.Neither of us spoke, but the emotions brewing between us could be drawn out by an amateur. I just told Alexander De luca I wanted out, and all he could do was stare blankly at me with those electrifying eyes that felt like they could bore holes deep inside my soul. Same eyes I fell for in the book shop. The same eyes that made me want to see beyond the tough exterior of the cold and arrogant Billionaire that people avoided like a plague… The same eyes that made me plunge myself in futile hope for a marriage that was doomed before it even started.I felt my heart pieces with each passing minute we stood staring at each other with unspoken words under our tongues and buried in our guts. It was like he knew already. Like he had been expecting me to end this toxic playhouse we’ve been doing for the past few months.I broke the string of inte
PingA notification caught my attention from my phone. And it wasn't just any notification — it was from Jacob Chester himself.“Fre…” I trailed off, my mouth hanging open in shock.“What's it now? “She inquired, trying to peer at my phoneI pushed the screen to her face to get a clearer view. Jacob was offering me a contract. If I were to leave my father's company right now, with today's humiliation as a deciding factor, Jacob is more than willing to strike a life changing deal with meFreya snapped up to look at me, searching for an affirmation in my expression. “Are you…”“I mean…” I inhaled sharply through my nose “this is a lot to take in.”“Yes yes, don't rush into this, I'll support whatever decision you make.” She rushed out, shot me a tight lipped smile and a curt nod.I sighed “I'll think— ow! Motherfu— hm”“Hae! Hazel, what's wrong?!” Freya hovered over me unsure of where to touch or not to touch, as my body folded up against itself in pain. I bit the inside of my cheek t
I marched down to the chairman’s office and pushed the door open aggressively. I was not surprised to see James, but Veronica and Lexi also sat like they owned the place. Perfect. For once in her life, Veronica is being useful by showing up when I need her to.My father sat at his desk, pretending like I didn’t just walk in, but the look of annoyance wasn’t hard to spot. Like every time he tried to swat me away, I just came back with a buzzing force. “That’s enough, Marie,” my father said in a bored tone. “Haven’t you been humiliated enough?”“Clearly she hasn’t. What a desperate bitch.” Lexi chuckled, the gum in her mouth making insistent popping sounds as she chewed barbarically. I ignored her comment and faced my father, inching closer to his desk with long strides from the doorway. I turned back to trace the sounds of fast footsteps that were following me to see Freya, her face tight with worry written all over it. She took in her surrounding and realized her mistake but she cou
Today’s the day. The day I finally fight for what I deserve for the first time in my life. My black work heels clicked loudly against the floor as I strode into the large conference hall, this wasn't the usual meeting room. The vibe this hall gave was sharp and cold.My outfit was deliberately picked to depict a power look. Tailored straight grey pants with a matching fitted blazer, paired with a few loose button down black shirt. I stood to my full length proudly in the middle of the room to address the audience of people who’d decide my fate in the next few minutes.They sat on two steps of tables on either side of me, stretching to the length of the room. There were exactly 210 shareholders in Jones enterprise. My eyes carefully did a round of sweeping their faces, just to find one absent, replaced by his female assistant.Everyone was here, except him — our top holder, Alexander De Luca.My gaze flickered to the empty seat at the front, right beside my step brother, marked with hi
“Earth to Hae!” Freya called out, snapping me out of my overthinking.“Hm?”“Really?” Her face shifted to a pointed look “Your mind’s far up in the clouds. We came here so you could ‘unwind’, but you look even more tense than ever.”She gestured to the serene environment the Library provided. I’ve got my favourite novel I love to read, perched on the table in front of me, waiting patiently to be read by me. A teenage girl and her boyfriend sat a few tables to our top right sharing a book I recognized as the fourth series of ‘Yona of the Dawn’, with his arm slung loosely over her shoulder. The other tables were occupied with kids under 12 and 18.So you can just imagine how odd two grown ass women who could pass for characters in Suites look sitting here. Two thirteen year olds just confirmed my thought by eyeing us, shielding their mouths to whisper about us as they passed by.I groaned, pressing my palms to my temple. “Do you think coming here might’ve been too impulsive?”The offic