All Chapters of Aretha Hawthorne: The Rise Of The Phoenix: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚The guard at my family mansion's gate does a double take when I wave at him and blush before nodding back, saying nothing about my state of dressing. Marcos or Cameron’s hoodie is two sizes too big, but my breasts make great use of the space with every step I take.My face warms when I walk past, fighting the intense urge to cover myself with my arms, knowing he has gotten a glimpse of my traitorous nipples that are hard as rocks. It’s my fault for getting myself stuck in the rain and ruining my bra—ugh! I look behind me even when I know Marcos and Cameron are long gone with my wet clothes.“Is there a problem, Miss Hawthorne?” The man asks from his post, keeping his eyes on my face.“No—I mean yes, but I can’t do anything about it, thank you.” Shaking my head, I turn back to face the long trek to the house. I groan when my thighs protest at the thought. How bad would it have been to have Cameron and Marcos drive me up?Twenty sweaty minutes later, I push open the back do

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥“Are you listening, Mr. Nathaniel?” The nurse sitting in front of me sighs heavily. “We can do this later, I’d love to sit here and watch you zone out, but I only have thirty minutes with you tops, and I have to go look after someone else.”I have been zoning out for the last five minutes, and I offer a quick apology. “Please carry on. I’m sorry for not valuing your time. I need to do this if I want to get discharged, right?”“You’re going to get discharged either way, but it’s better if you learn these exercises so you don’t end up back here.” The nurse sneezes into her elbow. “Nobody likes hospitals, Mr. Nathaniel, and we are trying our best to keep you out of it.”Right. “Show me what I need to do.” I flex my arms and wince when I feel the pinch in my abdomen where I have been shot. It is an irritating feeling that becomes super uncomfortable when the morphine wears off.“As the doctor told you this morning, we’ll ease you off morphine and switch you to a lesser

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚I look up from my phone and stop mid-stride when I see Winifred behind her desk; a quick glance at the tiny wristwatch hanging loosely confirms that it is 5 a.m., a very unholy time in the corporate world.“I can’t say I’m shocked to see you up and running, Winifred.” I walk past her desk into my office, knowing she will follow. “This isn’t your usual time, and I’m sure I have beaten you here before by about thirty minutes.”Winifred touches her classy gold-wired glasses. “The only time you came to work before me was the day I called in sick, but still decided to come. It took twenty minutes for me to pack my car and another ten to drag myself into the building. You ended up sending me home the minute I walked into your office.”“I did you a favor; remember to send me home if I so much as cough twice.” I groan, counting the files piled on my table. “I was gone for a week—what was so urgent?”Winifred actually winces, which is a first for her. “Mr. Wallace has called every

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥Amelia giggles, smiling at me over the rim of her wine glass. “I want to ask you why you invited me here, but I’m sure I’ll have my answer soon enough.”I give her another forced smile, playing with the drink I order. I’m not going to drink it. “Why don’t you just play along and enjoy a great evening out? I’m guessing you haven't had much of those lately.”She rolls her eyes, showcasing her long lashes. “When you have children, then you can relate on my level. It is great to be away from them, but I’m worried about my partner, she’s not very good with children.”“They are two months old and not dead, so I’m sure she’s doing great.” I raise the glass to my mouth but don’t pry them open, it’s all a show and I lick my lips, tasting the harsh whiskey.“She’s perfect,” she says simply. “Who would have thought a mistake at the sperm bank would have brought us together? Can you think of a better love story?”I have nothing to contribute to the topic of love so I don’t resp

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚“Imagine the nerve of that—” several profanities fall out of my mouth. “How dare he try to pin this on me, and Shanghai? That one is a disaster waiting to happen, but he doesn’t care as long as he fattens his pocket. Why won’t anyone see him for who he is? It maddens me.”“Mr. Wallace’s family has worked in this company for generations as advisers. From the little I read about your family history, they are so far out of the family tree and accepted to only act as advisors as a last-ditch effort to keep their head above water, but never anything more.” Winifred keeps up with my long, angry strides. “He’s from good stock, though. His parents were advisers to your father, and they would have retired with greatness under their belt but their untimely deaths had hit the company hard and pulled their son into the limelight.”“My father only has good things to say about his parents.” He would know how best to handle Wallace, but I am CEO now, and running to Daddy every time I am