All Chapters of Aretha Hawthorne: The Rise Of The Phoenix: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚“Remind me again why I’m here helping you to pack when I can just be home catching up on some of my shows while being all cozied up underneath a blanket with some hot chocolate and toasty marshmallows—”“Ohh please, do you want to gossip about my life or not?” I cut Maya off, throwing a gown at her head and stifling a laugh as she fails to catch it in time. “I called my friend here to talk about my complicated life.”“Your best friend you mean, and most likely your only friend in this lifetime, because if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder no one stays around.” Yemaya spreads out the dress, dramatically oohs at it, and not-so-subtly drops it on the growing ‘NO’ pile. “Your love life is certainly more interesting than any of my shows though, kinda like a real-life Love Island.”I roll my eyes. “I said my life, not my love life.” I say, my words coming out strained with the effort it takes to throw more gowns on the bed for Yemaya’s approval. “Pick something out o

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚West Virginia is dry and warm—too warm, for the long-sleeved shirt I'd picked for my first meeting with the unknown heiress, Wrenley Kincaid, formerly known as Viktoria Barmasian.There are no pictures of her anywhere, but I know her history—at least on paper—which is nothing compared to actually living that history. I need to present myself as strong, composed, and grateful that she agreed to meet with me. Respect matters, appearances matter, and if this woman is anything like her grandmother, poise will matter most.“That shirt is a very wrong choice,” Yemaya chirps the second I walk into the general sitting area. She doesn’t even glance at me twice, just hits me with her immediate verdict like a judge with a gavel. “It's hotter than the sun’s ass in this place. How do people even come for vacation here?”I blink, staring at her, because only Yemaya would use “sun’s ass” as a legitimate unit of measurement.“It’s a classic tourist spot for lovers earlier in the year when

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚For the second time that day, I find myself back in Wrenley’s home. The guns are packed away, everyone back on the same page. Nathaniel isn’t as laid back as Marcos and Cameron. His eyes follow every living, moving, breathing figure in the room.Wrenley disappears at some point, her face going pale following Nathaniel’s words. She calls her men off with shaky hands, excusing herself. It isn’t an invitation to go back into her home; the blistering heat makes the decision for them.“Did Wrenley run off?” Marcos sounds more laid back than the other two, “We should leave soon if she doesn’t surface.”“She’s still here.” Nathaniel’s tone leaves no room for disbelief. “She knows what is at stake, and my words may have made reality sink in. She won’t leave this place if she wants to live, and if she does, I’ll make sure to hunt her down.”The armed men stiffen, but don’t reach for their guns. My reaction is different; I squeeze my thighs together, trying to ignore the insistent

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚For a second, nobody moves and my heart thunders in my chest. The weight of my words settles in the air for what it truly is— a challenge.The silence stretches on for a beat longer, giving room to my insecurities and anxiety.My sex life with my ex husband, Daniel, had been vanilla on most days, while on other days I remember faking through everything and how uncomfortable I'd felt with his weight pressing persistently down on me.For the most part of our marriage, sex had felt like a transaction between Daniel and I, and never an act we really did out of pleasure—at least not for me unlike my ex husband who always orgasmed. Our families had wanted an heir, something I was never even given the chance to provide in the end.Daniel never cared about my pleasure or foreplay. Once our clothes were off, he went at it until he ran out of steam. Luckily, when that happened he didn’t need to bother me again the same night.My knowledge in the bedroom is limited yet the memory of

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚I make the walk of shame three days after Marcos ate my brains out. The halls are empty, and my cheeks burn every time I imagine someone having heard my screams of passion echoing through the walls.Hurrying to the suite I share with Maya and Winifred, I walk in without knocking, swiping the master card Nathaniel gave me earlier. He has been unusually quiet since the night we shared, always sidestepping my questions, quieting my worries with a soft kiss or one of those rare smiles that feel like they should be locked away in a vault.“Maya.” I call out, turning my head and straining for a response but I get nothing, only the prickling silence. Moving deeper into the suite, I backpedal when I notice the second room door slightly ajar.It’s my former room, and honestly, I wouldn’t put it past Yemaya to claim the whole space now that I’ve been ejected by… whatever I’m supposed to call them. Lovers? Boyfriends? Boyfriends plural? My head spins just thinking about it so I shake