After everything that had happened with Lemar earlier, Tyrra felt drained. She had no strength left for games, and the last thing she wanted was to waste energy trying to untangle whatever Grace was plotting.
“You don’t want me to know where you live? Why not? It’s me, Sandy. Your best friend. What’s wrong, Evie?” Grace asked, her face pulling into a look of hurt.
“You’re not my best friend, Grace. Maybe you were, back when I didn’t know better. But not anymore. You mean nothing to me now, so please, just stop the act,” Tyrra said flatly.
Grace blinked, looking wounded. “Evie… did I do something wrong?” A single tear slid down her cheek.
Tyrra let out a tired sigh. “Save the tears. Honestly, you’re starting to annoy me with this whole performance. Why not try acting? You’d win awards with how convincing you make it look.”
Grace frowned, her eyes narrowi
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
Tyrra stared blankly at the document on her computer screen, but the words blurred into nothing. Her mind refused to focus, crowded with thoughts she couldn’t tame. The most frustrating of all was the ache in her chest, the unmistakable longing for Lemar.No matter how often she tried to reason with herself, listing every reason she couldn’t be with him, it didn’t work. Her thoughts kept drifting back to him, his teasing, his challenges, the way he pushed her to make choices she’d never imagined.She remembered the way he held her gaze with those piercing blue eyes, the subtle brush of his fingers against hers, and most vividly, the way he had made love to her just days ago, forcing her to forget the rest of the world. The attraction between them was undeniable, a magnetic pull she couldn’t fight, even as she knew it was reckless.“Too much is going on, Evie. You shouldn’t be thinking about him,” she murmured to he
The next day, Lemar arrived at his office earlier than usual, his mind focused on a single objective: installing a security camera.Flavier’s behavior the night before had been telling. His eagerness to know why Lemar believed Tyrra wasn’t behind the scandal made it clear that he assumed Lemar hadn’t discovered the bug yet. Lemar was certain that now Flavier had succeeded in turning him away from Tyrra, he would soon return to remove the bug and erase all evidence of foul play.He couldn’t let that happen. He needed definitive proof, proof he could present to his parents without question, the kind that would make Flavier’s treachery undeniable. His conversation with Flavier the previous night had confirmed Tyrra’s suspicions: Flavier and Grace were up to something. If he could show his parents what they were planning, the whole picture would fall into place.As soon as he entered his office, Lemar temporarily deactivated the b