JAMES “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Frustration boiled within me, and as I slammed my fist against the cold, unyielding steering wheel, the sharp pain in my hand mingled with the expletives that escaped my lips. “Goddammit! I’m such an idiot!”I shouldn’t have left Destiny there. Not like this. In my rearview mirror, I anxiously scanned the road behind me, hoping to glimpse Destiny's car. Her car wasn’t as fast as my Bentley, and I drove like a man possessed to get away from my family's home. The old man's words had struck a nerve, and I had let my frustration consume me, taking it out on Destiny. It was infuriating how the old buzzard always knew exactly which buttons to push.Finally, I couldn't bear the uncertainty any longer. I pulled over onto the side of the road; the gravel crunching beneath the weight of my car. Minutes stretched into eternity as I waited, my eyes fixed on the distant road. And then, moving at a snails-pace, Destiny's Beetle appeared, inching its way towards me. Relie
DESTINYI knew he meant it, and I felt a pang of sympathy for him, having lost his mother in such a horrific manner. But the pain of him keeping it to himself hurt deeply.“I forgive you, James,” I whispered after a moment. “But…” I raised my hand to silence him when he tried to speak. “You have to be completely honest with me. I can't support you if I don't know what's going on in your mind.”“I promise I'll try,” he replied, his gaze fixed on his fidgeting hands. “I carry so much baggage, Sugar. It's not something I want to burden you with.”“James.” I gently cradled his face, raising it to meet my eyes. “Whatever you tell me won't make me leave.”“You say that now, Destiny,” he responded, his voice filled with anguish. “You heard what my father said. I destroy people I love.” He placed his trembling hands over mine. “I want to protect you and our baby. I don't want to hurt you, but I'm terrified I might.”“You're being irrational. You're a good man. I don't care about your father or
JAMES I barely registered the sound of a splash as something fell into the pool, my vision clouded by the intense anger I felt towards Ronan. How dare he lay a hand on Destiny? Consumed by the desire to smash his arrogant face in, I punched him blindly. His cheekbone crunched underneath my fists."James! Fuck! Stop it..." Ronan's words were all muffled and blood splattered on my face, as he weakly tried to push me away by gripping my wrists tighter. We tumbled over the cold paving, our labored breaths and grunts filling the air.Just as Ronan's fist connected with my jaw, I caught a movement in the water. Stars exploded in front of me, blurring my vision. And then, in that moment of disorientation, I realized Destiny was no longer there.Ronan's scream of her name snapped me out of my daze. Without hesitation, we both plunged into the water. I reached her first, her waterlogged clothes dragging her down towards the pool's depths. With all my strength, I broke the surface, cradling he
DESTINYAfter Ronan left, James suggested we go for a drive. The longing in his eyes was apparent as he glanced at his gleaming motorcycle. But he wouldn't risk it with me being pregnant. As we ventured further from home, the road stretched out endlessly before us. I couldn't help but wonder where James was taking us."Where are we going, James?" I inquired, curiosity tinged with excitement as we left the familiar behind."To one of my favorite places, Sugar. It's been a while since I've been there," he replied.A few miles from the coast, we arrived at the summit of the cliffs, where James parked the Bentley at a lookout point. The sea breeze greeted us as we stepped out of the car. James, ever attentive, helped me with my coat, carefully buttoning it up to my chin. I couldn't help but smile at his protective gesture.We found a bench overlooking the majestic view, and I nestled close to James. The chill wind playfully tousled my hair, but being outside felt invigorating. The sight b
JAMES“James, you don’t mean that!” Destiny said, her gentle touch on my arm sending a shiver down my spine.Oh, but I did. The weight of my words hung heavy in the air.“James, come with me to the hospital. Please,” Dad pleaded, holding the limo's door open, its sleek black exterior gleaming in the interior light, a stark contrast to the darkness in my heart."Now, why would I do that? He's probably too stubborn to die, anyway. Plus, he hates me," I scoffed, the bitterness dripping from my words like venom. Although, the thought of being by his bedside filled me with a sick satisfaction, a twisted desire to see him suffer."He's still your family, James," Destiny prodded, her voice heavy with empathy and understanding."He needs your forgiveness, James. Besides, it's for your own sake as well," my father's concern seeped into his words, contrasting with the strained relationship we had shared for years.I shrugged, the weight of indifference settling on my shoulders. "Yeah, well. Des
DESTINYI listened to what Lord Barrington said. He was convinced that his actions caused his father's stroke.“Grandfather always had a bad temper.” James remarked. He had regained his composure after his emotional outburst. I thought it was endearing to see him so vulnerable. He hardly ever showed that side of him.“I know, but I just couldn’t keep quiet any longer. Not after what he confessed to.” Lord Barrington rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.Looking closely at Lord Barrington, I noticed a red welt on one side of his face. “What happened to your face?” I blurted out.He subconsciously stroked over the red mark. “He struck me with his walking stick,” he said, grimacing. “Right before he fell.”Curiosity piqued, I asked, “What did you argue about?”He let out a deep sigh. “It doesn’t matter now.”“Really?” James raised an eyebrow at his father, his voice filled with skepticism. “Was it about the inheritance?”“Among other things. You should go home. I can see Destiny is
“Destiny, you have to go. Take Suzy.” My father pressed the car keys into my hand. “Leave this place and don’t look back.”“But Daddy…” I was crying. “Where will you find me?” My father was my world, and now he was forcing me to leave him.“Here, take my phone. Don’t change numbers. I will find you, my girl.” He parted the curtain with one hand, peering outside. “The cab will be here soon. You know I have no other choice.” Daddy was leaving to work on the oil rigs.“I can’t say no to this opportunity, Des. You’re a grown woman now, you need to find your own way in the world.”My mother left us when I turned sixteen, got herself a rich man. She said she couldn’t take it anymore to live like this, worrying about every penny, scrounging to make ends meet. She was pretty, I guess, and men liked her.I left school to look after Daddy. He was a mess – started drinking, not working. I had to find odd jobs to put food on the table. But we got by, and Daddy slowly got better.Now after my eigh
JAMESOld man James the first was livid. His bulbous nose turned firehose red, reminding me of Rudolf the red nose reindeer. He slapped his hand on the living room table, so the coffee cups rattled dangerously.We were in our private dining room in the Barrington mansion, Westwood. Grandfather summoned me to appear. Not that I wanted to be there.“I’ve had it with you, James. Had it.” He shook the paper he had in his other fist. “What were you thinking? A bar fight! Again.”I shrugged. So what? The guy deserved the black eye he received. He was moving in on my territory. And my, was she fine…“The tabloids are having a field day with your escapades.” My father, James the second had to throw his five cents in. He read the headlines aloud. “Billionaire playboy picked up by local police for drunk and disorderly.” He scowled at me while reading, gritting his teeth. “Will Billionaire James Barrington the third ever grow up.” He showed me the photos.I smirked. That was one hell of a party.