The days following the rooftop dinner, Darren and Claire had become inseparable. From whispered meetings in his office to late nights spent poring over estate files together, their alliance grew stronger. Some nights ended in heated passion, and most mornings Claire woke tangled in his sheets. In Darren's head, it was all strategy or maybe it was something more. She was sharp, resourceful, and knew Celine's legacy better than anyone. That was enough reason to keep her close.The truth hung between them. He needed her. She still wanted him.With the one-year mark on Celine's Nexus scheme drawing to a close, Darren wasted no time. The Hayes Group of Companies had remained leaderless for far too long, and it was time to change that. Newspapers and online blogs ran headline after headline:NEW LEADERSHIP EMERGES FOR THE HAYES GROUP OF COMPANIESDarren made sure the press did their job well.Claire prepped him for every possible challenge he could encounter on the path to succession. Her k
Claire hadn’t heard from Darren since that brief meeting in his office.The conversation had been strictly professional nothing more, nothing less. He’d asked about the estate, and she’d answered like any competent lawyer would. Nothing in her tone betrayed the memories they shared or the ones she secretly treasured. She’d told herself she was over him, whatever feelings she once had were buried under paperwork and time. But when Darren's driver showed up at her firm with a handwritten invitation to dinner, her breath ceased.Just dinner, she reminded herself.Now, seated in one of the city’s most exclusive rooftop restaurants, she sipped on a glass of red wine and waited. The skyline stretched out behind her, glittering, smug and silent. She hated places like this, too polished, too intentional. But Darren had chosen it for a reason. She arrived before him, nerves tightening with each tick of her wristwatch.She didn't have to wait long.Darren walked in. Tailored black suit, dark blu
Natalie barged into Darren’s office like she owned the entire building. The secretary’s voice tried to follow, weak and strained from the door way.“Mr. Darren is in a meeting..Miss, you can’t just—”But it was already too late. The door was open and Natalie was inside.Darren sat behind his desk, sleeves rolled to his elbows, flipping through a thick stack of documents while two suited men sat opposite. He didn’t look up immediately. Just a passing glance. Then he caught a flash of something blue, her dress.It clung to her like it had been sewn onto her skin. That silk blue shimmer, bold and suggestive. Seduction, screaming silently in the middle of a weekday.He raised his head slowly, eyes locked on the fabric for a second too long. Then he waved a hand.“Gentlemen, give me a moment.”The two men stood and exited quickly. Natalie’s heels clicked across the marble floor, every step deliberate.“You didn’t answer my texts,” she said, her voice layered in sweetness but her tone thin
A few days had passed since the séance. Since the candles danced and the air grew cold. Since Celine disappeared into the unknown, whispering promises of return. There had been no word from Evelyn. No visions. Just silence.Ònààra tried not to think too much of it. Maybe Evelyn was caught up in her jewelry projects again. Maybe she needed space. Friends got busy. It happened. Still, something about her silence felt... off.Then, late last night, a text came in.Lunch tomorrow? My treat. Something fancy.Ònààra didn’t hesitate. She replied yes.Now, she sat alone at a high-end restaurant Evelyn had picked. An unusual choice for someone who normally avoided flash. Ònààra glanced at the time. Fifteen minutes late.She sighed and reached for her glass of water just as the doors swung open.A woman walked in.She wore a red sequin dress that shimmered under the soft golden lights. It hugged her perfectly, short and daring with a deep neckline. Her curves moved with each confident step. Her
"I'm going crazy and I need urgent help."Ònààra chuckled, leaning back on her velvet armchair, listening to Evelyn pace the living room like a trapped cat."Do not laugh at me, Ona. I'm serious.""Here," Ònààra said, handing her a mug filled with a cold, dark liquid. "Drink this. It will help with your nerves."Evelyn sniffed it and grimaced. "What is this?""Herbal tea," she said with a wink. "Trust me. It helps."Ònààra was the only person Evelyn could talk to without fear of being labeled insane. From the first day they met, there had been an odd connection between them. Over the months, they'd grown close.Ònààra had always been different, ornamental, always adorned in beads, strange threads, and cowries that jingled softly when she moved. Evelyn never questioned it. She thought it was just cultural. Aesthetic. Beautifully strange.Tonight, though, was different.Evelyn poured out every bizarre detail of how she would plan her day and end up somewhere else. How she'd find herself
Ònààrà had promised to stay the weekend with Evelyn. Since the dreams had grown more vivid, Evelyn found it hard to return to sleep after each waking. Just knowing someone was nearby brought a small sense of peace. A little comfort.But that peace was short-lived.Evelyn had been restless since she woke up. Her mind kept racing, and her heart felt unsettled. They had only just found out the truth. Celine had been dead for almost a year. That fact sat like a weight on their shoulders, especially Evelyn’s.Only now did the herbal tea Ònààrà had prepared begin to settle in. The warmth of it filled her chest as she sat quietly by the mirror. Her eyes scanned her reflection like she was seeing a stranger. She leaned closer, studying her face in silence. There was something about her skin that didn’t sit right. Her fingers moved slowly across her cheeks, over her jawline, touching the parts that felt wrong.A flicker of disgust crossed her face.“Hey! Breakfast is ready.” Ònààrà called out,