LOGIN~Richard~I sat at the head of the table, my posture composed, my attention fixed on the presentation unfolding on the screen, though beneath that calm exterior my mind was already three steps ahead, calculating margins, risks, and the long-term implications of everything being laid out in front of me.“This,” one of the lead investors said, gesturing toward the projection behind him, “is the Lagos Coastal Expansion Initiative, phase one of a multi-billion dollar development that is going to redefine waterfront real estate in West Africa.”The slide shifted, revealing a detailed 3D rendering of sleek high-rise towers stretching along the coastline, luxury apartments stacked above commercial spaces, private marinas carved into the edges of the design, and green zones integrated into the architecture in a way that made it look less like a construction project and more like a carefully engineered lifestyle.“Mixed-use development,” another voice added, leaning forward slightly, “resident
~Julian~I sat slouched against the couch with my phone in my hand and nothing but time to think. And thinking was the last thing I needed.My thumb dragged lazily across the screen, scrolling past meaningless posts, filtered lives, people pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t, and I almost locked the phone out of boredom before a headline caught my attention.It wasn’t even subtle. It never was when it came to my father.“Billionaire Richard Crawford Welcomes New Chapter Amid Scandal—Mystery Woman Pregnant.”My jaw tightened slightly as I stared at it, something cold settling in my chest before I even tapped on it, because I already knew who the “mystery woman” was.Of course it was Elena.I clicked on the article anyway, my grip on the phone tightening unconsciously as the page loaded, and the moment her name appeared on the screen, something inside me snapped just a little.“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes moving faster now, scanning every line li
~Elena~A month had passed. Richard had left the country two weeks ago for work, something urgent that required his full attention, and while part of me missed him in a way that lingered in small, unexpected moments, another part of me needed this space more than I was willing to admit out loud.Because for the first time, I wasn’t reacting. I was choosing.My apartment had become my world again, the soft hum of the city filtering through the windows, sunlight spilling across the floor in the late afternoons, and my laptop permanently open on the small table by the couch like it had been waiting for me to return to it properly.And now, I finally had.I sat cross-legged on the bed, my back resting lightly against the headboard, my fingers hovering over the keyboard as I stared at the final paragraph on the screen.The blinking cursor waited patiently. So did the ending.For a moment, I just read it again.The heroine stood at the edge of everything she had known, love on one side, jud
~Diego~The restaurant had finally quieted down, the last of the dinner rush fading into the night, leaving behind the familiar hum of clinking dishes and the low murmur of voices from the kitchen as the staff began to clean up. I stood by the counter, drying my hands slowly on a towel, my mind nowhere near the work in front of me.My father noticed it immediately. He always did.“You’ve been like that all evening,” he said, not looking at me at first as he wiped down the counter with steady, practiced movements, “your head is somewhere else.”I let out a slow breath, glancing toward the door as if I could somehow see through it, past the streets, past the city, straight to her.“Elena,” I said simply.That got his attention. He paused, turning slightly to face me, his expression softening just a little.“What about her?” he asked, curious, like he already knew there was more behind it.I hesitated for a second, my fingers tightening slightly around the towel before I tossed it aside,
~Elena~Richard lay beside me on the bed, one arm tucked beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling, his other hand resting lightly over mine, his thumb brushing slow, absent circles against my skin like he needed the contact just as much as I did.For a while, neither of us spoke.The silence wasn’t heavy this time, it wasn’t suffocating or uncertain, it felt… calm, the kind that comes after chaos, after fear, after surviving something that should have broken you but didn’t.“I missed you,” he said finally, his voice low, almost lost in the quiet of the room.I turned my head slightly to look at him, taking in the softness in his expression, the way his guard had dropped in a way I hadn’t seen before, not completely, not like this.“I missed you too,” I replied, my voice just as quiet.He exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting from the ceiling to me, something deeper flickering in his eyes.“I wish things had been different,” he added after a moment, his brows drawing together slight
~Elena~It spread slowly, starting from my head, drifting down through my limbs, a dull, persistent reminder of everything I had been through, and I let out a shallow breath, my fingers twitching slightly against the sheets beneath me as awareness began to return in fragments.The faint scent of antiseptic filled my nose. The soft beeping of a monitor echoed somewhere to my left.I was in a hospital.My lashes fluttered before I finally forced my eyes open, the light above me blurring for a second before it settled into focus, the white ceiling unfamiliar.I was alive.The thought came quietly, almost cautiously, like I wasn’t entirely sure I believed it yet, and I turned my head slightly, the movement slow, careful, until my gaze landed on him. Richard.He sat beside the bed, his posture tense despite the stillness, one hand wrapped around mine as if letting go wasn’t an option, his head slightly lowered, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin. And standing just beyond him was Dieg
~Mr Richard~Martin and I walked into his study, with me walking in first. He shut the door behind me, his smile unwavering.“Sh*t…” he cursed as he turned to look at me. “This is exactly what people mean when they say wrong timing. They almost kissed!” Martin uttered, excitement dripping from his v
~Elena~“So your mom has a family that you are seemingly cool with. What about your father? He doesn’t have any woman in his life? Or he is not just interested in that? Or did he have one and it didn’t work out?” I asked as I took a sip from my glass of wine.Julian stayed quiet for a few seconds,
~Elena~I woke up early the next day even though I was tipsy the previous night. Even in my subconscious, I couldn’t stop thinking about one thing, and that was my meeting with Mr. Richard to talk about my book.I wanted to look him in the eye as he talked to me about it. Most especially, I wanted
~Richard~I swallowed and nodded hastily, dismissing the thoughts of how things ended. “Yeah, of course. I felt the emotions from your characters right from the beginning of the book.”I looked at her and saw a knowing smile on her face, like she could see right past the façade I put up. “Okay.” Sh







