ARLAN'S POV;I was halfway through my cup of coffee when the news broke. The voice on the television droned on as I watched the business news.Saraya Newman. Arrested.The cup slipped from my fingers, and the coffee splashed across my shirt and hand, burning like hell."Shit!" I cursed, but the sting was nothing compared to the jolt in my chest. For a moment, all I could do was stare at the screen, my heart pounding like a war drum."What the hell is going on right now?" I asked as though someone else was in the room with me. "I spoke to her this morning... Ian?" Realization dawn on me. "I don't believe that sly snake would stoop so low to do this."Ignoring the mess, I grabbed my phone and dialed Alex. My hand was shaking, and I hated that. Hated how easily the mere mention of her name could unsettle me. The phone rang twice before he picked up.“Arlan.” There was something about his voice that sounded tired and frustrated when he picked up.“What’s going on?” I demanded, not botheri
IAN'S POV;I watched grandma paced around in her room and sighed in between. Her gray hair was neatly tied in a low bun, but the lines of worry on her face made her seem older than her years.I walked up to her and held her by the shoulder. "You should stop pacing already, you would get dizzy at this rate and feel sick.""Are you sure you have nothing to do with Saraya's arrest?" She asked me with worry written all over her face.I guess despite not having a good relationship with Saraya, grandma was worried about her, after all, saraya is also her grandchild."Are you worried about Saraya or the company?" I asked."Don't you digress from my question and answer it already." Her voice was gentle yet stern."Come on, grandma!" I began, "why should I do something that would tarnish the image of the company I would soon be taking over?" I asked. "The one person I have issues with is Saraya and not the business itself. I know nothing about this." I added completely refuting her claims."Ia
SARAYA'S POVThe cold metal of the chair beneath me was the only thing grounding me as officer Leo’s sharp gaze bore into mine.He sat across the table, a laptop and a folder filled with documents was in front of him. His voice was calm but pointed, he didn't beat around the bush but was hitting the hammer on the nail.“Ms. Newman, three million dollars doesn’t just vanish into thin air. Someone took it. Was it you?” He asked. "Are you keeping slush funds to avoid paying tax?"My heart beat at the mention of slush funds. "Is this my grandmother of retailing or is this Ian's doings?" I asked myself. "These were the only people I know would do anything far and beyond to see fall, kinship means nothing to them." I sighed."Keeping quiet won't help your case if you know what is good for you, you should start talking."I kept my lips pressed shut, my eyes fixed on the corner of the table. "Don’t say a word," I reminded myself. "Anything I say could be twisted." So, I invoked my right to r
ALAN'S POV;I pulled over the car at the garage, a deep huff escaped from my lips with as I leaned back on my seat.It had been a long day, one I didn't expect.I alighted from the car and headed to my apartment. Punching in the pin in the lock, I recalled how Saraya looked at me at the Central Precinct.Though she did nothing to be sorry for, she must have been awfully embarrassed. I would be too if I was in her shoes."What was I thinking?"Opening the door, I dragged my feet inside and sank on the couch in the living room.“Bridget? Bridget!” I called out but there was response. I was tired, famished and was craving some good food for the night.At least, something good for the day. I rolled my eyes after some second of waiting for a response but didn't get any.“Bridget?” I called again as I rose to my feet and headed to the kitchen. That was when I remembered it was her day off from work.“What a good day!” I scoffed with my face slightly marred with a frown. “Could today just be
SARAYA'S POV;Perched on the edge of the bed, my mind drifted to Alan. How he had shown up for me today at the Central Precinct."Here I was thinking I was doing a great job suppressing my feelings but why did I feel that way then? And why do I feel this way now?" I bit my lower lip as I placed my hand on my chest, bearing the sporadic rhythm of my heartbeat.The tingly sensation made me happy yet made me nervous.I shook my head as if to shake off the thought of him, but his thoughts continued to fill my mind. I laid my back against the bed, hoping to get some sleep and stop thinking about him but even sleep was far away from my eyes.My eyes squeezed shut but opened with frustration written over my face. It didn't work. The worried look on his face when he came to the Central Precinct to bail me was all I could see when I closed my eyes and all I could think of.“Perhaps you should go see him rather than sitting here doing nothing.” A voice whispered in my thoughts.I shook my hea
SARAYA'S POVI stumbled down the stairs, my legs barely holding me up as my chest heaved with broken sobs. The image was burned into my mind—Arlan, half-naked, scrambling out of bed, while Matilda stood there in nothing but her panties.“Saraya, wait! Please, let me explain!” His voice chased after me like a ghost, hollow and meaningless.Explain? What was there to explain? I had seen enough. The sight of his disheveled hair and Matilda’s smug expression said everything I needed to know.“Don’t follow me, Arlan!” I screamed over my shoulder, my voice cracking.But of course, he didn’t listen. I heard his footsteps behind me, his desperation clawing at my back.“Saraya! Please! It’s not what you think!”“Not what I think?!” I spun around at the bottom of the stairs, my face wet with tears. “You were in bed with her, Arlan! What exactly am I supposed to think?!”His mouth opened, then shut, and for a moment, I saw guilt flicker across his face. That was it. That was all I needed.I bolt
MATILDA'S POV;I drove out of Arlan's house, a satisfied smile playing on my lips."Who knew fate could be so generous?" I asked laughing out hysterically.Saraya finding me in bed with Arlan was the perfect twist. It was almost too easy."I wouldn’t have to work too hard to pull them apart now." I mused, drumming my fingers on the wheel. "She’ll do it all on her own." I increased the sound of my car stereo as the jam 'dangerous game.' was played.*THE NIGHT BEFORE...*Looking around to make sure it was safe, I bought out the drug from my pocket. It was in a small nylon. "Don't blame me for this, Arlan." I fetched the glasses, I slipped the drug into his drink, my hands steady and my heart pounding.As we drank, the effects began to show. His usually sharp eyes grew hazy, and his words stumbled over themselves. He leaned back in his chair, his guard completely down.I took my chance, leaning in and kissing him deeply. His lips were soft and warm. “You’re all mine, Arlan,” I whispere
SARAYA'S POV;It was mid day and I still couldn’t concentrate at work. Throughout the meeting, my mind kept drifting back to what I’d seen this morning; Arlan and Matilda.I picked up the landline on my desk and entered some digits. “Peter,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.“Yes, Ms. Newman?”“Cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day. I... I do not feel great at the moment.” My voice cracked.“I'll do that ma'am. Do you need me to get you anything?” Peter asked.I shook my head like he was in front of me. "Not at the moment, I just want to be left alone without any disturbance.""I'll see to that, ma'am." Peter replied before I ended the phone call.Grabbing my tablet, I hesitated for a moment before opening the browser. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but my curiosity won. I typed in Matilda’s name and hit the search button.Her profile popped up instantly. The first thing I noticed was how perfect her life looked. Perfect hair, perfect smile, and, of course,
ARLAN'S POV."You haven't had anything since morning, have something to drink sir." Bridget stretched a bottle of water towards me.I took it from her and wrapped my hands tightly around the bottle. "Thank you." I muttered."She will be fine." She said.There was something optimistic about Bridget words that torn my heart, maybe it from knowing Matilda wouldn't be fine not after my decision or my conscience pricking me.I felt uncomfortable. "You should go back," I suggested. "I don't know how long I will be staying here for, I shouldn't keep you here.""I know you want to be left alone but I'm sorry I can't do as you've asked right now. I think you need someone beside you. There is nothing much to do at home, so I would just sit over there." She said pointing to a seat at a corner. "You can just pretend I'm not here.""Thank you." I muttered as another round of tears rolled down my cheeks.Bridget walked away and took her seat but not without turning her back against me. She must hav
ALEX'S POV."Are the documents ready?" I asked Arlan the moment he stepped in."Yes, here they are." He replied before pulling them out from his briefcase.I carefully went through them one after the other, satisfied. I nodded. "Great job, Arlan.""Don't mention."I sighed. "All that is left is to sign the transfer paperwork to another hospital and serve her a copy then I can tell Saraya everything about Mary and Dominic.""You're still recovering and the transfer is going to take some days, are you sure you will be able to sulk it in with Mary visiting you everyday?" Arlan asked."I have no choice though I won't deny how much I'm holding back not to wriggle her neck from her body. Especially when he touches me, I feel like exploding." I confessed.Arlan sighed, taking a seat across from me. “I must admit, we are playing a dangerous game, Alex. One misstep and this could blow off to our faces.”I scoffed. “I’m done playing games.” My fingers tapped impatiently against the documents. “
DOMINIC'S POVI settled into my seat, buckling the belt as the plane began boarding. People shuffled past, stowing their bags, murmuring to each other, but I wasn’t really paying attention.All I could think about was Saraya.More specifically, the way she looked when she told me what I’d done.'You tried to kiss me.' Her words echoed in my head.I rubbed a hand down my face. "Damn it."I didn’t even remember doing it, but the second she said it, I could feel it. Like my body had stored the memory my brain refused to hold onto.I could picture it too easily. Her lips inches from mine. That brief moment of hesitation. The way her breath might’ve hitched and the disgust on her face enough to have avoided my kiss.I shook my head. "Stop." I cautioned myself.I exhaled, staring at the seat in front of me. It didn’t happen. It didn’t matter how it would’ve felt. It didn’t matter what might have happened if I hadn’t been drunk out of my mind.I leaned my head back, closing my eyes for a seco
SARAYA'S POV.I pulled up to the hotel just as Dominic stepped out of the lobby, rolling his suitcase behind him. He looked awfully pale, tired, and was moving slower than usual.He barely glanced at me before turning to the receptionist. “Yeah, that’s the card. Just email me the receipt.”The woman behind the desk nodded. “Safe travels, Mr. Leo.”Dominic muttered a thanks, grabbed his receipt and walked over to my car. He tossed his bag into the backseat and shut it with more force than necessary.“Morning,” I said, watching him closely.“Morning,” he replied, rubbing his temples.I raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”“Fine. Just—” He let out a heavy breath. “Probably had one too many drinks last night.”That explained the way he looked like he wanted to curl up and throw up. I didn’t say anything, just got in the car and pulled out of the parking lot.A few minutes later, I turned into a pharmacy lot.Dominic frowned. “What are we doing here?”I didn’t answer, I hopped out, went inside,
DOMINIC'S POVI was standing outside, adjusting the cuff of my vintage shirt when Saraya pulled up and parked. She stepped out of the car, looking effortlessly beautiful in her black short gown and I couldn’t help but smile.“I should be the one picking you up,” I said as she approached me.She grinned. “Remember, it’s my treat.”I shook my head. “Still, that doesn’t mean you have to drive.”“Well, I did.” She shrugged.We both laughed, and I pulled her into a hug. She smelled nice but I didn’t let myself linger too long so she doesn't get uncomfortable. When we pulled apart, I took a step back and gave her an approving look.I chuckled and held out my hand. “Keys.”She raised a brow. “Excuse me?”“You’ve been at work all day. Let me drive.”She hesitated for a second before dropping the keys into my palm. “Fine. But only because I’m too tired to argue.”I took the keys from Saraya and got into the driver’s seat while she settled beside me.“I’ll take what I can get,” I said, opening t
IAN'S POV.I turned to face her, my jaw tightening. “Grandmother, you have no idea...”She held up a hand, silencing me. “I heard enough, Ian.”Mary let out shaky whimpers but not without giving a quick mockery smile on seeing my grandmother's burst in and her reaction towards me.Somehow I felt like I had fell for her trick again with my impatience. Mary was a master manipulator, and my grandmother had walked in just in time to save her.I clenched my fists as I turned to face my grandmother. My pulse was pounding, I could barely contain my anger."Grandma, you don't understand," I said, forcing myself to stay calm.She looked at me sternly. "Oh, I understand plenty, Ian. I see exactly what's happening here. Even after talking to you, you still made your way down here to accuse. I overheard your conversation, despite her genuine plead for you to stop, you keep coming hard at her."Mary sniffled, wiping at her already tear-streaked face. "Mother, I don't know why he is doing this to
ISLA’S POVAs soon as Mary left, I reached for my phone and called Ian. “Come to my room now.”He didn’t ask why. Within minutes, he was standing in front of me, looking as confident as ever.I kept my hands folded behind my back, studying him carefully. “What do you think you’re doing, Ian?”His expression remained neutral. “I don’t understand what you mean, Grandmother.”I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t play games with me. What is this about bugging Mary’s phone and threatening her in the middle of the night?”He let out a short laugh. “Is that all she told you?” He asked.I took a step closer. “You're not even denying it? I guess it's true then.”Ian shrugged. “I did what I had to do. Mary’s been scheming behind everyone’s back. She’s manipulating things to her advantage. I just evened the playing field.”I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “Let's assume you're right, do you think blackmail is the way to do that?” I asked. "What happens to coming to me?" I added."You've weakened grandma
MARY'S POVI didn't sleep a wink the entire night, I kept on thinking of what I could do to gain leverage over Ian.The alarm rang on my bedside interrupting my thoughts. I angrily pressed the off button. "Shut the fuck up!" I yelled at the bed clock.Taking a deep breath, I got up from bed and walked to the mirror and studied my reflection. I ruffled my hair, letting it fall messily around my face, then rubbed my pale eyes until they looked swollen. My nightgown was already slightly wrinkled, which worked in my favor. "This looks perfect." I said, taking in my disheveled look.Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I stepped out of my room and walked down the long hallway to Isla’s room. My footsteps were slow, hesitant, like a woman in labour.I needed to get in character and I was doing a great job. When I reached her door, I didn’t bother knocking. I turned the handle and pushed it open, letting the door slam against the wall.Isla jolted awake, her eyes wide with shock as she
SARAYA'S POV.I turned to my side when I noticed a figure hovering over me. I stirred and open my eyes and couldn't make sense of who it was so I screamed."Easy, it's me." Gabby held me."You scared me" I said breathing heavily. "What's going on?""You were sleeping longer than expected, it's already 10a.m in the morning so I came to check on you." She explained."What? 10a.m?"Gabby stood up and drew off the curtains and opened the window. "You believe me now?"I quickly grabbed my phone, there I saw Dominic has replied my message and he had also called severally.I sat up quickly, my heart racing as I unlocked my phone. I read his message and he had also sent another message about an hour ago.Dominic: Hey, how are you doing? I called a few times. Call me back when you see this.Guilt settled in my stomach. I had been so lost in sleep that I hadn’t heard my phone ring. I tapped on his contact and called him back, my fingers trembling slightly.Gabby sat on the edge of my bed, watch