LOGINREINAThe next day, we head out to shop for groceries for the party.After loading the bags into the trunk, I turn to James.“You can go ahead. I’ll take a cab. There’s somewhere I need to stop by first.”He raises a brow immediately, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. Honestly, I don’t blame him. Alan could be ridiculously overprotective when it came to me.I sigh. “Fine. I’ll take security with me.”“You can take the car too,” James says. “I’ll move the groceries into a cab instead. Go with him.” He nudges the younger security guard toward me.I open my mouth to argue, but James is just as stubborn as Alan.He heads to the back of the car and starts transferring the groceries into a cab he flags down nearby.While he does that, he quietly gives instructions to the younger guard.A few minutes later, I slide into the back seat and wait while the guard gets into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.“Nature’s Best Hospital,” I tell him.The drive doesn’t take long.By the time we
REINA “I didn’t find anything on his phone.” Alan says in the most disappointed tone. He looks downcast, sitting on a stool while I prepare dinner. “Isn’t that better?” I try to lighten up the mood. “At least he hasn’t been deceiving us. We can rule that out.” “You don’t get it, Reina. I don’t trust him.” He states. “That man is hiding something. And it’s only a matter of time before I get to the root of it. And I will get to the root of it.” I walk to him and press a kiss to his lips. He tries to pull me back against him but I swivel out of his grip, laughing. “Getting to the root of it… that’s after you’re done eating, right?” “Sure.” He agrees, then gets up to his feet and wraps his arms around me from behind. He starts to kiss my neck while I giggle like a possessed woman, wiggling in his hold. Even if I never want him to let me go. “Ew.” The sound of Ethan’s voice causes us to jump away from each other. Alan barely catches the plate I’d been with before it tumbles
ALAN“We’re hosting a New Year’s party?” Reina gasps, her eyes lighting up with excitement.I brush the damp strands of hair away from her face and adjust her more comfortably against me in the tub. The movement has her settling deeper onto my thighs, her ass shifting against my semi erect cock in a way that makes my thoughts wander yet again.I’d already fucked her three times tonight. Once on the bed, once on the couch, and again in the shower before we ended up here. Yet with her soft in my arms and smelling like vanilla and soap, all I could think about was getting her beneath me one more time.Her eyes narrow almost immediately. “Don’t even think about it, you hound dog.”She tries to move away, but I pull her right back against my chest.“Yes, we’re throwing a party. Here at the house. Nothing too extravagant, just the neighbors around us. I already asked James to scout for a new chef and housekeeper because I’m not comfortable watching you handle everything alone anymore.”“Al,
REINA I take my hand off his thigh. He keeps looking at me in that weird manner of his, but doesn’t say anything about my sudden retraction. “What are you saying, Al?” The murderer chant that those men had been repeating fills my head now, but I refuse to believe any of it is true. “Alan. What are you saying?” I repeat when he doesn’t say anything after a while. “I caused Rose’s death, Reina.” He tells me for the third time, and again, I wait for him to explain. He does, “She needed me that morning. We were supposed to go to the hospital together for a major checkup. She was getting tired too easily now. I’d just had a rough night… a night with a number of women in my red room. So I told her to head to the hospital and I’d meet her there. She tried to drag me off the bed and we argued like children.. as usual.” There’s a sad smile on his face as he says the last part. Relief courses through my veins anyways, because at least, this didn't turn out to be what I think it is.
REINA“I’m fine.” I lie. I even feign my best smile, but Alan just sees through me as usual. The hurt on his face makes the smile drop.“I have a few questions for you.” I finally tell him. He nods.“Sure. Whatever. You can ask.”“My room or yours?” I ask.“We can go to yours.”“Okay.” I agree. We walk towards my room in silence. He opens the door for me and I walk inside, still struggling with the bile that has refused to dissolve in my throat.He goes for the bed, but I stop him with a hand gripping his arm. “Why don’t we just… we can talk on the couch.” I refer to the small, fancy couch on one side of my room. He raises a brow. “I just… I don’t want us to get distracted.”We could still get distracted on the couch. But at least it’s the safer option. He doesn’t argue, walking after me to take a seat by my side.I spend the first few seconds just watching him, mustering the confidence for what I’m about to say. Again, Alan doesn’t rush me. He sits back and patiently maintains my
ALAN“Let’s go.” I check my watch. “He’ll soon be done with his performance anyway.”I hold out my hand and she places her hand in mine. She bends to whisper something to Ethan who just yawns and takes her hand. It’s like he’s actually thankful for the fact that we can go home now.I shake my head, walking outside with them.“Tee?” Reina says as she rubs Ethan’s head while he lies on her thighs, drifting asleep. “Are you with Gramma?”I keep my eyes on the road, even while super attentive to the conversation. She pulls the phone off her ear and puts it on loudspeaker.I don’t catch what Tee responds with, but she goes on, “I got more threats. You have to keep an eye on her. We can’t let anything happen to her, Tee.”“Oh God. Noted.”“I’ll send some more security. Some of my personal security to guard the place. I don’t know who’s doing this and what they stand to gain from it. But I’ll get to the root of it.” I can’t help assuring them.Tee says nothing for a minute there, then he res
ALANReina Summers gets off from annoying me.I stay up in my dim-lit office, browsing through my laptop to see what a Chanel 25 is, and what it’s worth. I shut the laptop, a tad disappointed. It isn’t even up to ten thousand dollars, so why’s she so happy about it?I banish the thoughts in my head
REINAMy mind isn’t focused these days. No matter what we do, Gramma isn’t getting any better. I offer to help Thelma with the chores, but in reality, I’m just trying to get my mind off things.Ethan has a lesson teacher now, as Alan doesn’t want him completely idle during these holidays. This mean
REINAAlan hasn’t been home for two days now.I don’t take down the decorations in those two days, at least, not all. Thelma took out more than I would’ve liked, telling me it’s a bad idea to even keep any of these decorations but I cannot completely break Ethan’s heart.We were doing so well. He w
REINA“He’s home?”Thelma does not look up at me as she answers, “Hours ago. Managed to hide away but I could tell he looked really pissed.”“Oh my God.” I whisper, turning away at the same time the clanking of the knife on the table causes me to jump. It’s Thelma, I realize when I spin back around







