James POV"What have you been up to today?" My beautiful wife asked.After wrapping up our inspection of the building she leased for her new bussiness, we opted to have dinner at a nearby restaurant."Just catching up with a longtime friend."What happened afterward I don't think Zoe needs to know, I don't want to upset her. But I'm satisfied enough that I have left the impression that will make Clara and Keith's relationship tense."Are you sure you didn't meet that bitch Clara?" Zoe still felt restless.She had been like that since that night in the park. The fact that Clara was still alive troubled her more than it did me.I understand her perspective, Zoe must be afraid I will remember my past, she is my ex-wife after all.But Zoe is the only woman I love and she shouldn't worry that I will be swayed by Clara."Are you still upset with her?" I asked gently and took her hand.It's heartbreaking to see her without a smile on her face; I can't bear the thought of losing her joy again,
Clara's POVAfter a restful night, Layla's fever finally subsided and I couldn't feel more thankful to see her healthy again."Hey, are you still feeling that guilt?" I heard Keith's voice as he stood behind me.Today, I visited his penthouse after dropping off Layla, and we spent some of the morning making snacks together.He knew that I was restless and I spent the whole night without sleep, burdened by the weight of not being a good enough mother."I've never overlooked calls from Miss Olivia before."She's Layla's teacher, and occasionally reaches out to inform me about changes in the pick-up time or to share updates on how my daughter is doing. She engages with all parents to guarantee that the school provides them with good care."I won't make the same mistake again.""Hey, didn't I mention that it's all alright? Making mistakes is a part of being human, Clara. Perfection is just an illusion." Keith placed his hand gently on my shoulder.His words lightened the lump in my chest.
Clara's POV"I understand that you are his trusted secretary and have worked with him for a long time. But It's just that this has nothing to do with that, I just want to respect his privacy."I tried to make Stephanie understand. If she is his personal assistant, shouldn't she be familiar with Keith's personality and habits?"You are just wasting my time. Get out of my way." Stephanie was on the verge of shoving me out of the doorway when, out of nowhere, she paused."Clara? What is this? Who are you talking to?" I turned around at the sound of Keith's voice. Upon spotting Stephanie, Keith's expression darkened; it looks he was taken aback by her presence. "Stephanie? How long have you been here?” His tone conveyed a blend of surprise and displeasure.Stephanie beamed as soon as she saw his face. Her earlier grumpy and gloomy expression vanished in an instant. Now she smiled brightly and her vibe was completely changed. How can someone change her mood with such finesse? "Mr. Morga
James’ POVThe gathering was hosted at a five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Upon my arrival, the place was already bustling with people. As we stepped into the room, the attention shifted entirely to us, and a sense of pride washed over me.They must have instantly admired Zoe's beauty. I felt satisfied because if you want to see how successful a man is, just take a look at his wife."Mr. James, it's been quite a while since your last visit."I caught up with some employees I hadn't seen in ages."Yeah, I“I just didn’t have the time. Managing everything in LA was quite time-consuming." "Mrs. Morgan, it's a pleasure to finally meet you for the first time." A woman staff said to Zoe."You are very beautiful Mrs. Morgan."Zoe smiled brightly as she accepted their compliments with warmth. I felt a sense of ease knowing she was in a good mood tonight, so I didn't feel guilty for asking her to attend this gathering.She refused at first, saying that she didn't know these people and s
Clara's POVI knew I was going to see James and Zoe tonight, so I decided to leave Layla with Diana before left. I wasn't going to give my ex-husband a chance to see my daughter again.'She has finished her dinner and is coloring right now.' I felt a warm smile spread across my face as I read the message from Diana.Layla is very close to Diana so I suppose there's no need for concern. I’m typing a reply while Keith asked."Is that Diana?"I nodded, my gaze fixed on my phone screen. I understand that splitting our focus among multiple tasks isn't good, yet I find it hard to resist. My thoughts are constantly with Layla, no matter where I find myself. I can’t find peace unless I know my daughter is alright. "What did she say?""She said Layla had her meal and is doing her homework now." I switched off my phone and stowed it away in my clutch.Keith smiled "Good. Now you can rest assured she will be fine until we get home again. Can we head inside and meet my people now?”“Yeah sure” I
Clara's POV"I invited her; is that an issue for you?" Keith snaps in response to James' question."Not at all. I thought only family members could attend. But I get it, she's family to you as well, brother.""If you're here just to disrespect Clara, you can leave now."I reached out and touched Keith's arm, I didn't my biggest fear to happen tonight. James is annoying and if Keith swayed, a confrontation will break out."I never mean to make any offense. You're the one who got it wrong." Then James turned to me, "Clara didn't even seem to mind at all. Tell me, did I just offend you, Mrs. Clara?"I offered James a smile, despite the stiffness it brought to my face. I didn't want to feed his ego if I showed an offended face.His words would have no impact on me now. I want to show him I’m not the same woman I was five years ago, who would dwell on his hurtful words until cry myself to sleep."Not at all."James arched an eyebrow. "Actually I think you have a point, Mr. Morgan. At firs
James' POVMy jaw tightened when Clara walked away from me and made her way to Keith instead. Where was their supposed fight? Why did they still fine with each other?Did they quarrel but have now come back together? It frustrates me because I remember how Clara always had a knack for steering us into conflict in the past. Yet with Keith, it seems she always retreats.I stepped away from the crowd and watched those stupid games when Stephanie approached me. "Mr. James, maybe you want to participate?""No." I wasn't feeling up to having a small conversation.Stephanie picked up right away and offered an awkward smile. She shifted the topic. "I've escorted Mrs. Zoe to her room."Zoe's mood took a downturn the moment she saw Clara here, so she left the gathering and retreated to one of the rooms instead. I should be the one to accompany her, but I was engaged in conversation with someone else earlier.Zoe said it was fine and that Stephanie would be the one to accompany her."Thank you
Clara’s POVI felt a tightness in my chest as Stephanie wrapped her hand around Keith's neck, while his hand rested on her waist. Romantic music was playing as now we were all indoors. They started dancing with their respective partners.I had no idea that seeing Keith dance with Stephanie would hurt this much."Aren't they perfect together?" James asked as he stood beside me.God. I thought he'd already left this place."Yes, they are.""You're jealous aren't you?""Why should I, Mr. Morgan? It's just a dance."Am I jealous? If I'm honest with myself, yes. Just a little. But who am I to have the right to feel that way?"You wish that were you. But there's someone else who knows him better."It's not a big surprise that Stephanie knows more about Keith than I do. They are the boss and Secretary, of course they know the details of each other."You're wrong. Stephanie is his secretary, she should know that information."James simply laughed, and I felt an urge to strike his face. Once th
Keith's POVHave you ever felt that moment when you finally get what you want, yet it leaves you with an emptiness? The satisfaction, happiness, and sense of victory that should have accompanied it, seem to just vanish into thin air.I feel completely empty, lacking any sense of fulfillment even after finally being able to breathe the fresh air outside the damned cell. This should be the moment for me to go ahead and carry out my plan. Without Clara by my side, the spark of life within me has... faded away.What did I do wrong?What did I do to deserve her hatred?Maybe, I have gone too far. But believe me, I did this solely because I wanted her to return to me, as she was meant to. Clara belongs to me.Back in those times when my brother treated her more like a disgrace than a wife, I was always there by her side. I knew that her life had been never easy, so I ensured that in our fake and cold social sphere, she had at least one person she could truly call a friend.This feeling th
Clara's POVI finally met up with Lily on the same day. But not at the penthouse where her friend took her; instead, it was at one of the cafes. Lily said that her friend is somewhat shy and doesn't like to meet new people. I don't mind about the meeting location, as long as I can finally see her and make sure she's okay."Clara," Lily got to her feet as soon as I got to her table. I was silent, completely at a loss for words. What left me utterly speechless wasn't her, but rather her 'friend.' So this is the man she has been calling friend all along? I needed to raise my gaze when he finally got up. I'm not sure of his exact height, but it's pretty obvious that he's around 6,7 feet tall. He's so handsome, but not in the typical way that most looks. I have no idea where Lily even met him. "Hey, you must be Clara. Great to meet you." He said, reaching out his hand. I accepted his handshake even though the way he was looking at me made me feel a shiver down my spine. It feels like
Clara's POV"We’ve located the address. It's still in New York." James said. I quickly got up and made my way over to him and his subordinates who assisted us in locating Lily. Since I didn't have much information about her actual location, we just tracked her using the number she called me. I have no idea whose number it was. James shared with me the outcome of Lily's whereabouts. And sure enough, it's still in New York City. I narrowed my eyes, spotting the spot where the phone number was located. The area felt somewhat familiar.I realized it's due to its spot in the city center; the location is pretty upscale. But Lily mentioned that she was kidnapped. I never even thought about this place before. The person who kidnapped her definitely wasn't poor; they could afford to live in that neighborhood. "Do you happen to know anyone who lives there, Miss? Could it be her friend?"I just shook my head. Unfortunately, I don't know who Lily's friends are around here. I don't have their
Lily's POVAshley snatched the phone from my hand just as I was about to wrap up my conversation with Clara. Shit! “You said you were only going to order food? Who did you just ring up?" She asked, her voice raised. "I-" For a moment, I found myself hesitant, too anxious to answer after just being caught red-handed. But suddenly, it dawned on me that I really shouldn't have. Cause there's no chance I'm sticking around here forever, right? Iits my right if I tried to find a way to escape this place.I don’t need to be scared. Especially since Dominic's actions went against my wishes. I can't just accept this and remain quiet. I have to stand my ground. "Answer me." "Yes!. I just called the cops!" I responded with just as much intensity. Ashley was mistaken if she thought I would feel intimidated simply due to my status as a captive. She just confronted Lily Russel. She had no idea how headstrong I could be. “Cops?”"Yes! Soon they'll come and arrest your master. Does he believ
Clara's POVWhen I woke up, my body was aching. I spent a few minutes stretching before getting up to check on Layla. She was still asleep, so I went to the kitchen to get a drink and then headed to the living room. I settled into the couch, my gaze locked on the door.I was kind of hoping it would open and that Lily would appear. She really should have come back to let me know that she was okay. Instead of just vanishing without any trace.Lily already mentioned she wouldn't be staying in my apartment forever, but she hasn't said when she's planning to move out. I didn't expect that she would move out this quickly, especially without giving me a heads-up. Opening my phone, I tried to dial her number. "Can you please answer it, Lily?" I began to feel that anxiety creeping back in.Once more, an automated voice picked up the call. I didn't have the number for her friend to reach out to and I had no idea where to find her. She really shouldn't have just vanished like this.Her careles
Lily's POVMy head hurt, I blinked a few times, trying to lift myself. I reached out for anything nearby to steady myself."Ouch, what just happened to me?" I rubbed my temples. It feels just like that moment when I dozed off at three in the afternoon and woke up all confused. I can't even tell if it's day or night. I can't even tell where I am right now.I shifted my gaze to the unfamiliar room around me. This isn't Clara's place. I didn't even like the apartment I checked out to live in. This feels like it’s straight out of a penthouse, something I could never dream of affording. How did I end up here in the first place?I tried to remember what was happening before I lost consciousness and the memory slowly came back into my mind. Oh, god....Keith Morgan came to Clara's apartment. He claimed that he wanted to see me. And then...That dick! He drugged me! He applied something to that cloth that caused me to pass out. Before he did, I recall him mentioning that someone wanted to m
Lily's POVA week later.I got back to Clara's apartment in NYC three days ago. Clara, James, Layla, and I are heading back to New York today. I had to leave before them because of some things I needed to take care of. I just finished my shower and answered a call from my mother, she asked how everything was going. Before I left LA, I told them that besides meeting Clara, I was going to look for a job here. It wasn't a lie, I want the opportunity to work in this city.My phone buzzed with another incoming call. “What’s up, Josh?” I nervously bit my tongue, waiting for his response. Why did he call me? Is it related to that man again? "Are you still in Italy?" "No. I'm back here again. What is it?" “Sounds good, let’s meet up. I have so much I want to share with you."“Yeah, of course.”I'll head to the airport to pick up Clara in the evening and I don't have anything planned for today beside it. It's still early, and rather than sitting here feeling bored, why not take Josh up on
Selena's POVAs soon as I received a call from Mrs. Iris Morgan, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs right away. I hopped in a taxi to her penthouse and told the driver to speed like the wind. Keith is free.Can you even believe that? At last, he's out of prison. I'm not sure what finally clicked for James Morgan and made him see things differently. I'm glad he finally understood that his actions towards Keith were unacceptable. How could he possibly lock up his brother just for that woman?As soon as I got there, I settled up with the driver and made my way to Iris's floor. As I reached the door, I pushed it open just like she instructed and stepped into the main room. Seeing Keith there made my heart burst with joy. I held back the impulse to shout with happiness and strolled over to him."Keith!" I exclaimed, "Oh thank God! You are finally free! You finally made it out of that awful place! At last, James had a change of heart and let you go!" I couldn't hold back my joy, s
Clara's POVThe dinner was great. I have no regrets about accepting James' invitation. He's sticking to his word about just wanting to have dinner together and nothing more. And now, we’re strolling through the vast green fields that stretch out on either side of us. Pine trees standing tall, white cobblestone path under our feet."What does Layla think of this trip so far? Is she feeling happy?" James asked. As I glanced over at him, I noticed a worry etched on his face. “She is.” He probably noticed it on his own. Layla hasn't stopped smiling since we got here. I'm thankful that I agreed with James when he decided to invite her on this trip. Took a break from my hectic daily routine and flew to this gorgeous place made me feel like I didn't want to go back. Why can't I just stay here forever? I took out my phone to snap some pictures of the stunning scenery when I heard James ask. "How about you?""Sorry, what did you just say?" I wasn't quite catching what he was asking abou