Chapter 16**Andre's POV:**After Ms. Williams left, I thought about where to put Stanley. Ms. Williams was going to be working for me, and the office was already crowded.I recalled how Stanley got his job as my assistant. Five years ago, he came to the company for another job but was denied the position after the interview. I was having a bad day, but I saw how good he was at helping me organize my stuff, so I hired him as my assistant.I knew he wanted a better job, so now was the time. I waited for him to come back to the office before telling him the good news.He looked weary as he walked in, fixing the documents from today's presentation on the shelf before coming to stand in front of me and give reports. "Sir, I extended the meeting date with the investors. We have more time to finish the project, and also, you have a meeting with the governor relating to the demolition on Friday.""Ok," I said. He had always been good at his job, and I didn't know why I was replacing him with
Chapter 17Vanessa's POV:I slinked out of the boardroom, feeling like I'd just been put through a meat grinder. The humiliation from the presentation was still fresh, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of incompetence that had settled over me like a dark cloud. Why couldn't I do anything right? I asked myself and then remembered that I have never worked in a place like this and then thought of how not to be harsh with myself by reminding myself that nothing here was my fault; he's just doing all this to torture me for ruining his car.Back in the office, I sat on the white plush sofa in the room, my mind reeling from the mocking faces I'd seen in the board room a while ago. I couldn't help but wonder if I could survive working here. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, Stanley, the boss's ever-watchful assistant, appeared in the office with a scowl on his face."Ms. Williams, You wasted a lot of the boss' time today, do you know how much he hates tardiness?" Stanley s
WARNING ⚠️⚠️⚠️ This chapter contains drug use.Chapter 18Vanessa's POV:I held the shirt in my hands, frustration bubbling inside me. How did I end up in this situation? First, I gave a poor and embarrassing presentation, leaving me anxious about facing the judgmental boardroom. Then, my clumsiness led to me spilling coffee on his white shirt. It seemed like everything I did only made things worse.Gosh, how did I end up working here? I complained, stumping my foot on the floor while ruffling my hair.I needed to find a way to remove the coffee stain from that expensive white shirt without a trace. I took a deep breath and turned to Stanley, who observed the situation with a neutral expression. "Hey, do you have any suggestions on how to remove the stain?" I asked, hoping he could offer some insight to salvage the situation.Stanley sighed and approached the boss's desk, rifling through some files before selecting a few and leaving. He was quite an arrogant individual, seemingly unca
Chapter 19Andre's POV:In the dimly lit, luxurious car, I gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled fury. My frustration with Vanessa's refusal to accompany me spilled over, and I angrily slammed my hand onto the horn, the noise cutting through the stillness of the street.I then called on the secretary to cancel my remaining schedule for the day as I was going back home. Not necessarily back home, but to a place where I can cool my mind and then think of ways to silence the little imp. For real this time. I couldn't shake the thought of what she'd done as I drove. The anger and irritation gnawed at me, and, in my fit of rage, I hit the steering wheel again. The horn blared, giving voice to my simmering anger. Vanessa was pushing my limits, and it was time for her to learn a lesson.As I continued driving, I suddenly felt something wet under my nose. I touched it, only to find my hand smeared with red stain, blood. Cursing my misfortune for not having rested properly before rece
Caution: This chapter isn't meant to criticize the police or give a bad impression about them. The work is solely fictitious. Enjoy.Chapter 20 Vanessa's POV:"How do you like my weekend gift, Pompom?" His voice sounded excited over the phone. This was all his doing. Victor didn't know him at all; they'd never met before, yet he chose to punish my brother."You're quiet; got nothing to say?" He asked, and I stayed silent because I couldn't figure out my feelings."I warned you, Ms. Williams, but you thought I was joking and went to the police to report me, just to prove how courageous you can be." He tsked pitifully. "Let's see how they help you get out of this mess.""Why are you doing this?" I asked, "Please, just let my brother go. He doesn't know anything. You can do whatever you want with me.""Why? Does going to jail bring back old memories?" He chuckled. He wanted Victor to experience going to jail again."Sir, my mother will go crazy if she hears about this. Please, release h
Chapter 21Andre's POV:On Thursday morning, I sat in my chair, reading reports from the previous month. I also signed a few papers that required my approval. It was then that Stanley knocked on the door."Sir, there's a lady outside causing a small commotion about meeting you.""Send her away," I replied nonchalantly, tapping my pen on the desk as I studied the paper."We tried sending her away as we noticed she isn't someone you'd know, based on her appearance butt she has refused.""Do you know who she is?" "I don't know; I'll go outside and check again," Stanley said, quickly leaving the room. I got up from my seat, went to the window, and lowered the blind to see for myself who it was. It was a young lady who looked quite ordinary, and I doubted I'd seen her before. I usually didn't do business with people of her standing. A few moments later, Stanley returned."Sir, she claims she's a friend of Ms. Williams and she has something to speak with you about." I thought for a while,
Chapter 22Vanessa's POV:"I want to resign," I said sternly."What do you think my response will be?" he asked nonchalantly, briefly glancing between the road and me until he found a suitable spot to park the car by the side of the road."Huh?" I asked, a little confused at his reply, did he not take me seriously? I truly want to get away from him and I need him to let go."Let me guess, you're following a script, right? I should know my part of the dialogue to play along. Do you think you can quit on me?" He chuckled, tilting his head to the side."I supposed you didn't read the contract you signed, Vanessa Williams. Do a review of it once you get home. There's a clause that has the penalty you'll receive if you decide to quit halfway through paying back my money. I guess you enjoyed your stay in prison so much that you want to relive that experience."His eyes moved to the undone belt and he hissed, "There's hardly anything you can do right." He moved too close to me without notic
Chapter 23Vanessa's POV:The drive from the store to my house was an all-too-familiar one. The city streets had a certain rhythm, a pulse I had missed more than I could admit. After spending the last week in prison, I was relieved to be back.He dropped me off a few houses down from my own, reversed, and left with a reminder of tomorrow night's event. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and trepidation as I walked the remaining distance.I reached the front gate and took a deep breath before entering. As I approached the door, I felt a growing knot of guilt in my stomach. My mother had no idea where I had been, and now, I had to tell a lie to shield her from the harsh reality of my recent ordeal, I doubt I'd keep a straight face to lie to her, I never told her lies but ever since I met that man, I've turned something else with concealing truths.I pushed open the front door, and there she was, my mother, sitting on the living room couch with Claire and Victor by her side. He
Chapter 84Vanessa’s POV:“I want you to feel safe here. Like you belong. Because you do.”I leaned into his touch.When he kissed me again, it was slow—reverent.But then I pushed him away and darted out of the lavender room, heart hammering as I rushed toward the next.Behind me, his footsteps echoed—measured, calm. Too calm.He was hunting me.I spun around just as he filled the doorway, one hand braced against the frame, a smirk tugging at his lips.“Running again?” His voice was pure velvet. Dangerous.I swallowed, stepping back toward the bed. “Maybe. I just didn’t want to make it too easy for you.”He prowled forward, slow and deliberate, like a predator toying with his prey. His eyes darkened, a storm gathering in their depths.“You think you can outrun me in my own house?”I grinned, backing up until the bed pressed against the backs of my knees. “I can try.”He arched a brow, completely unhurried. “Go ahead then. I’ll even give you a head start.”My heart skipped wildly. "Yo
Chapter 83Vanessa’s POVI stood in front of the towering building, staring up at the glass spire that sliced into the clouds. My heart pounded, butterflies erupting wildly in my stomach. This was Mr. Garcia’s new place—a penthouse. Not the last one. A brand-new space.Fingers trembling, I clutched the straps of my bag and pressed the elevator button. Each passing floor made my pulse louder. By the time it dinged at the top, I was practically shaking. The doors slid open.And there he was.Mr. Garcia.Dressed in a navy sweater that hugged his frame and tailored black slacks, he looked like a storm—controlled, refined, quietly dangerous. His eyes met mine—warm, unreadable. His jaw tightened, like he, too, was fighting something inside him. A war maybe. One that mirrored mine.“Hey,” he said, voice low and deep.“Hi,” I breathed.He stepped aside to let me in. The moment I crossed the threshold, soft lighting caught the polished floors, and my breath caught. Glass walls wrapped the pent
Chapter 82Vanessa's POV:The room feels colder than I expected, the air sterile, sharp with that lingering smell of antiseptic. I could barely focus on the white walls as I sat there next to Andre, my hands trembling in my lap. I’m trying to keep it together—really, I am—but everything feels like it’s spinning too fast for me to keep up.My mother’s in the private ward, and I should be thinking about her—about her getting better since she's finally getting good treatment, but my mind is a jumbled mess of confusion, fear, and the stifling panic that has been slowly creeping in since the doctor’s call.I looked at Mr. Garcia beside me, his presence so much larger than mine. His silence is comforting. I lean into the side of the chair, trying not to show how much my curiosity was killing me.“Ms. Williams,” the doctor finally spoke, his voice calm, but somehow it feels like his words carry a weight too heavy to ignore. I focus on his face, trying to read the expression, possibly know if
Chapter 81Vanessa's POV:There’s something about hospitals that always made my skin crawl.Not because of the needles or the smell of antiseptic always filling the air. It was the silence. The kind that sat heavy in your chest and reminded you how fragile everything could be. Life. Health. Time.And today, as I pushed open the tall glass doors of the private hospital with my mom by my side, every breath I took felt loaded with fear, hope, and something else I couldn’t quite name.Maybe it was the way Mom’s fingers were clutching mine like I was the only thing holding her to the earth. Or maybe it was the guilt pressing down on me like bricks in my chest—that it had taken me this long to get her here. To give her the care she deserved. I couldn't help but think about the upcoming results. What if things had gotten worse with her system because we couldn't afford the treatment all this while? What if there was a countdown to her days—No, I shouldn't be holding these thoughts. I shook
Chapter 80Vanessa's POV:After spending the night creating different scenarios of how the theatre night might play out—from disastrous to dreamy—I woke up feeling like I had swallowed a hive of bees.Not butterflies—bees. Angry bees buzzing my chest and stomach.I paced my room in a complete daze, muttering to myself while digging my fingers into my skin. My eyes darted to the clock every few seconds like it would somehow calm me down, but it didn't. It was ridiculous. Absurd.I had survived months under Mr. Garcia, endured his cold, emotionless stares, rude remarks, and the relentless pressure of trying to prove my worth in that chaotic office where I could find my place. I had cried my eyes out in storage closets, screamed silently in the washroom, had days where I felt worthless, and almost quit more times than I could count.But now?Now that he was smiling at me instead of scowling, holding my hand instead of handing me loads of paperwork, kissing my forehead instead of trying t
Chapter 79Vanessa's POV:It had been a week since everything happened—the chaos, the news, the press, the shame. All of it had slowly begun to melt into silence. The world had moved on, or maybe it just stopped watching me so closely. For once, my phone wasn’t buzzing with blog posts I didn’t want to see, or videos of people tearing me apart. And I could breathe.Claire and I were in my room, curled up on my bed, our legs tangled like we used to as kids, eating ice cream. We were working on her online store, compiling a long list of products and ideas, when my phone buzzed.Mr. Garcia.I ignored it. Flipped the phone over so I wouldn’t see the messages.“Do you think I should use this?” Claire asked, passing me a paper.“Yeah, pink is best. The ladies would love it,” I agreed.“Okay.”Another buzz from my phone. Then a third one. I glanced at it quickly.“Come outside,” the message read.So rude, I thought.I stared at the screen for a long moment, unsure if I should even respond. Wh
Chapter 78Vanessa’s POV:I didn’t see her at first.Mr. Garcia’s arms were around me, his cologne still lingering on my shirt. His warmth felt like being covered in a blanket.And for a second—just one stolen second—it felt like everything was okay.Then I saw her.Claire.Across the street, standing like a pillar of fire in her bright yellow hoodie, her eyes locked on us like twin daggers. My heart jolted—thump!—like it skipped several beats. My stomach twisted into a tight knot. All the breath in my lungs vanished.“Oh God,” I whispered.“What is it?” Mr. Garcia asked, pulling back slightly, concern etched into every inch of his face.I panicked.I pushed him—gently but quickly—out of the hug. My palms pressed against his chest as I tried to shield him from her line of vision, but it was too late. Her eyes were on us. I could feel the heat of her glare from across the road.“I—uh—I think you should go,” I muttered. My voice shook, betraying the storm inside me.His brows drew toget
Chapter 77Vanessa’s POV:I was still trying to calm the thunderous pounding in my chest when Mr. Garcia walked out of the room. He didn’t say much—just that same unreadable look he always wore, followed by a soft kiss on the cheek. Unavoidable.“I’ll take you home later, just wait for me,” he said, his voice low and final.And just like that, he was gone.I stood there in the middle of the office, fingers brushing over my arms as if trying to erase the lingering feel of his touch. The air felt thick, heavy with a tension that didn’t scare me but twisted something deep inside. I shifted awkwardly, grabbed my bag, and made for the door.He wasn’t afraid to be seen with me.But I was. I should leave before he returns.Just as I reached for the handle, the door slammed open, hitting the wall with such force that it rattled the windows.She stormed in, a fiery hurricane.A woman about my age, dressed head-to-toe in red—rage personified. Her heels echoed off the floor with each step, as if
Chapter 76Andre's POVI leaned back in the cold leather chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin as voices clashed across the polished mahogany table. Every member had a complaint-each louder and more insistent than the last."Andre, this is a disaster.""It's only a matter of time before the media eats into company affairs.""The shareholders are restless.""You need to distance yourself from the girl."The girl.The way they said it made my blood boil. Like she meant nothing, but she means alot to me."Her name is Vanessa," I said at last, my voice low and sharp enough to slice through the noise. The room fell silent. The air grew heavy. "And she is my assistant.""Exactly," one of the older members snapped, tossing a printed blog article across the table. The headline was bold and damning:CEO Gives Former Waitress 'Special Favors'?"That's the problem. Your assistant, an undergraduate-"I didn't flinch. I stared at the headline a second, then slid it back toward him. "This company