Tyrra woke the next morning to find herself on the bed, Lemar nowhere in sight. She looked down at herself and sighed in relief, she was still fully clothed, which meant nothing had happened while she slept.
How had she ended up on the bed? she wondered. She remembered falling asleep on the couch after freshening up last night. Had she been so exhausted that she didn’t notice Lemar carrying her? Frowning, she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Seeing that Lemar wasn’t around, she assumed he had left for his meeting without her. Taking advantage of the quiet, she decided to check on Samantha and then get ready before he returned.
After a quick phone call, Tyrra pulled out the clothes she’d planned to wear and headed for the bathroom. But before she could open the door, it swung open, and Lemar stepped out.
Tyrra froze, her eyes widening. Lemar emerged from the bathroom with only a white towel loosely wrapped around his waist. Water
As dinner progressed, Grace found herself laughing easily, drawn in by the flow of their conversation and Lemar’s humor.“I think I’ve talked enough about myself. Why don’t you tell me about you? I’d like to hear things your mom and Flavier haven’t already shared,” she said, lifting her wineglass to her lips.Lemar resisted the urge to glance at his wristwatch, even though he knew it had been over an hour. What’s keeping Ethan from calling? he mused, frustrated, but he kept a composed smile.Not wanting to reveal too much about himself, and to stall until Ethan called, he decided to steer the conversation where he wanted it to go.“I’m pretty sure they’ve told you everything possible about me,” he said smoothly. “But I’m still curious about you. I’m not satisfied yet.”Grace arched a perfectly shaped brow. “What more could you possibly wan
After his last appointment on Friday evening, Lemar headed straight to the restaurant where he was to meet Grace for dinner. He wished the date had been set earlier; a later start meant he couldn’t leave quickly, and he preferred to keep the evening under control.Though the dinner wasn’t until 5 p.m., Lemar arrived early, not out of eagerness, but to be fully prepared. This evening wasn’t just about fulfilling his mom’s request; it was a step toward uncovering Flavier’s schemes.Sipping water and waiting for Grace, he decided to call Ethan, but before he could, his phone rang.“Why do you always appear or call just when I’m thinking about you?” Lemar said with a chuckle.Ethan laughed. “Maybe because you’re in love with me?”Rolling his eyes, Lemar replied, “Last I checked, you don’t have boobs, and your name isn’t Tyrra.”“Yet you’re alway
Lemar sighed deeply, torn between frustration at having to play along with Flavier and gratitude that Tyrra was keeping him grounded."Thanks for looking out for me when you should be more focused on proving your innocence," he said, his voice edged with both admiration and exasperation.Tyrra shook her head. "I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for myself," she replied, her tone firm, causing Lemar’s thoughts to drift uncomfortably to Grace and the growing suspicion that she was working with Flavier.He hesitated before speaking again. "There’s something else I think you should know… but I’m not sure if I should tell you," he admitted.Tyrra raised a brow. "What is it?"At that moment, a small voice piped up. "Mommy, I want, "Tyrra’s heart skipped a beat as Samantha ran into the bedroom. She quickly muted the call and whispered, "I'm on the phone, darling. I'll be right out," forcing a smile despite her ra
By the time Lemar’s last meeting ended, it was well past his usual closing hours. He was drained, mentally and physically.As he drove back to his hotel, his thoughts drifted to the CCTV camera he had installed in his office that morning. He couldn’t help but wonder if Flavier had returned at any point.The moment he stepped into his suite, he ignored his tired body long enough to check the feed from the security camera. It didn’t take long for his suspicions to be confirmed. Flavier had indeed come back to remove the bug. Finally, Lemar had the proof he needed to expose him.Although he had suspected Flavier all along, seeing the evidence of his betrayal made his blood boil. He forced himself to calm down so he could think clearly, stripping off his clothes as he headed for the bathroom.The hot water cascading over him did little to wash away the anger, but it allowed him to focus. Instead of dwelling on the betrayal, he reminded himse
Tyrra sat at her desk in the spacious office of Empowered Magazine, fingers hovering over the keyboard as she tried, and failed, to focus on the article she was editing.Although her promotion wasn’t official yet, she still had to interview Lemar, the final criterion, she was acting as editor-in-chief, a role that came with more responsibilities than she had expected. Deadlines loomed, articles demanded attention, and her to-do list seemed endless.Still, no matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept drifting back to Lemar. She found herself staring at her phone, half-expecting a call or a message from him. She knew there was no reason to expect one, yet hope refused to let go.Get it together, Tyrra, she scolded herself silently, shaking her head as if that could clear her mind. You have work to do.She forced her attention back to the article on her screen, determined to concentrate. Just as she began to settle, her phone rang,
Grace wore a satisfied smile as she drove toward the Golden Lotus Restaurant, where she was meeting Mrs. Domino for lunch. Flavier had arranged the meeting, now that Mrs. Domino had decided Grace would be her daughter-in-law.She still could hardly believe their plan was finally falling into place. Soon, she would be married to Lemar Domino, just as she and Flavier had plotted.But as thoughts of their scheme crossed her mind, her smile faltered and was replaced by a scowl. Their attempt to have Tyrra fired had failed. Lemar seemed to trust Tyrra more than they had anticipated and was actively seeking ways to prove her innocence.The fact that Tyrra was still in the picture, aware of her and Flavier’s relationship, made Grace uneasy. They had agreed to keep their communications to phone calls, but Tyrra remained a threat, one that could expose them and ruin everything.How could she get rid of Tyrra? Grace wondered, her mind racing. She prided herse