Sorry for the slow update, my lovely readers🥺 Life decided to throw me a mini “boardroom drama” of my own, but unlike Isla, I couldn’t just sit poised and unbothered, I had to wrestle with deadlines instead. Thank you for your patience; your comments, reviews, and gems always keep me going (seriously, you have no idea how much!). I’m so grateful for every single one of you. I promise I’ll do my best to keep the chapters coming💕💕
Damien was in the lobby area of his mansion, slumped against one of the sofas. He was feeling tired, the kind of tired that was becoming second nature to him these days. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, hanging a palm over his mouth to let out a small yawn. And just when he finished doing that, his phone started to ring, bringing a sudden glow to the large screen. His eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, reaching for it, as he picked and unlocked it. The message he saw next made his feet press harder to the ground, “Come to the hospital. Now. Room 405. Trust me.” It was from Collins. His face pulled tight next, his brows merging together until his forehead formed a deep crease. His stomach dropped as he stared at the message, as if rereading it would make its urgency clearer. “What the hell is this about…” He murmured under his breath, the words rough and low, barely audible to even himself. And right after asking the question, he was already on his feet. He sighed a
Isla shifted back in her chair after the brief tense exchange with Nate.She straightened on her seat and folded her hands neatly on her lap, keeping her face smooth and free of any obvious expression.But Nate had still not looked away. His gaze remained stubbornly on her, dark with the weight of things unsaid, his entire face was so tight as though it was hurting to keep it steady. He looked like he was trying to search her face for some answer, some weakness, but Isla’s eyes had already moved beyond him. Her attention had detached long ago, floating elsewhere in the room.Time started to edge forward and in the middle of that, a small interruption came.A whisper of quick shoes, the faint rustle of expensive fabric.It was the sight of Grandmother Hayes and her daughter-in-law Vanessa entering the boardroom together, They slipped into their seats with all the eyes in the room tilting in their direction while their own focus soon inevitably funneled toward whom they had come to s
Morning greeted the windows of Tiara's small but stylish apartment. In the open-plan kitchen, Tiara was busy with an apron tied neatly over her T-shirt and jeans. She was humming to an inaudible tune as she poured juice into a pair of clear glasses.Not far from her, curled comfortably on the couch, was Imani, her friend Isla’s four-year-old daughter.The little girl sat with her knees tucked in and an expensive-looking iPad balanced against them. Tiara’s eyes kept shifting towards the child, stealing glances at her in a way that made her hands slow just slightly. And as she kept on doing that…as was usual with Tiara…at some point she started to forget herself, and whenever that happened it always resulted in her thoughts slipping out without a filter.And one of such thoughts she found herselfmuttering was…“That child didn’t pick a single damn thing from Isla.”She murmured as she proceeded to finish the setting of the table, sliding one plate in front of Imani.As she did, a sm
This morning, Isla’s new mansion felt unnaturally quiet, too serene for such a large space.She stirred and rose from the bed with unhurried grace, slipping into a cream robe, and then on her bare feet she crossed to the small tea station by the wall. While making her tea, she moved to the writing desk by the window, where the morning light was brightest. Then she proceeded to open her laptop, logged in and began to quietly scan her inbox.The first email that caught her attention was stamped with the glossy branding of New York Fashion Week. She clicked, and then the next thing she saw was an invitation unfolding across her screen. They were still inviting her, despite the months of silence?“Hmmm”She stayed on the screen for a moment, the cursor hovering above the reply button. Her lips curved just slightly. It wasn’t a decision she was ready to make now, so she scrolled down to the next email.This second one made her pause quicker and stay longer. That was because of the na
The large Hayes living room felt too small for comfort this morning.The anxiety in the air was making the multiple conditioners feel useless.Since the last fifteen minutes, Nate has been pacing from one end of the Persian rug to the next, looking restless and almost at the point of going crazy.The buttons of his shirt were hanging loose; his gaze was distant, like someone trapped in a room full of his own thoughts.Meanwhile, his wife Vanessa sat perched on the arm of one of the leather couches, keeping her arms as she tracked his movement quietly, as if she could read every turn of his mind in the way he moved. The silence continued to stretch until she finally let out a tired breath to break it.“You’re not going to just give up, are you?”Nate froze at once in the middle of his stride, flinging his body toward her in irritation like he had been looking for someone to vent on, throwing his hands impatiently through the air.“Can you just shut up for once?”The words echoed again
Damien remained glued to one spot in the hallway long after Isla’s stiff words had slapped his ear.“Thanks… for coming.”Her voice had been calm, polite, and almost too polite. The kind you used for a stranger you would never remember twice.Isla had not even bothered to glance back as she moved past him. Only the sound of her retreating footsteps filled his ears, and he could not help but follow her until the sway of her figure dissolved into the distance.Damien ground his teeth and tried to keep his face composed, but inside his chest was a raging storm. His gaze returned to the rest of the room as he slowly started to take everything in again.The quiet murmur of voices. The low hum of machines beyond the glass. And then the biting realisation that everyone here seemed to have known Isla was back. Everyone except him.“Everyone, including Collins”Collins…his own best friend, the same man who had even called him earlier today about Isla’s father’s collapse.“So wait… He just