Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

Seven Years Later | New York City, Lavanda's Home office. Seven years later. Lavanda POV I roll on my chair, my glass reflecting light from the laptop, while I type furiously on my keyboard. Who would have thought that I would be this successful? My awards are lined up on the shelf in my study room. Each one a steady reminder of how far I have come. I bring the hot coffee to my tongue. Its burnt taste gives me a sweet after-thought: victory. I had survived, and I wasn't just going to let it down the drain. Fate gave me a second chance. New life. New city, and most especially, my baby girl. Winning this contract will mean everything: more money and more time to spend with my daughter. And I would do anything to secure it. My phone rings. I look up. The name flashing on my screen is Claire, my accountant and PR. "Claire." I fume, unable to hide the irritation in my voice. If there is one thing I hate, it is distraction. And she knows. Why is she calling at such an od

The Next Day Coffee Shop I didn’t want to come back here after yesterday. But "Red. Billionaire. Empire." was too much. Who _was_ he? I had no idea, and my brain felt like it was overheating. I left Lisa with my assistant. I came back to relax my nerves. To talk to the waiter. A police van stood in front of the cafe. Yellow tape covered the building. Crime scene. People gathered outside. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, so I sent my driver to check what the fuss was about. I sat in the car and pulled on my sunglasses while a female waitress I recognized rushed out. "Hey." I waved, and she came over. "What happened here?" "Ainsworth." She said it slowly. "He broke the manager’s nose." I blinked in surprise. "A woman with red hair accused him of sexual harassment. When he didn’t apologize, the manager cut his pay and sacked him." She shook her head. "Wow. I never knew he was violent." The words came out too fast. "No. That stupid woman framed him." I glanced thr

Lavanda I would do anything for Lisa. Even if it meant lying about her biological dad.I stared blankly at the hospital tiles, thinking about my decision.For her survival, I hoped I could come up with a sustainable plan. How else would I go and bring Desmond?I shook my head. That was impossible. He never wanted me, and I would be jailed before I let that happen. I opened her room door. “Mummy,” she squeaked, holding a teddy bear close.Our eyes met, and I saw my baby girl. She’d been practically fighting ever since she was three years old.Because of the stress of the jab on my stomach, it had made her have a heart defect. The stress her father had put on me had passed to my daughter, and I hated myself so much for it. If I had left on time, this wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t be here. “Yes, baby.” I closed the door. Her blue eyes were a bit dim, not lively like when she liked to play with toys. Her blue eyes were my constant source of hope and comfort. Now they just flic

Lavanda My legs hit the ground towards Lisa's room. I had to make sure she was safe. I opened the door to her room. Her eyes were still closed on the bed. She was still asleep. I kissed her forehead. Thank the universe, nothing happened, or else what would I have done? "Did something happen? Why are you breathing and shaking this hard?" I jumped. I turned to find Claire staring at me. I wondered if I should scold her for running off. "It's nothing." I cleaned the tears mixed with sweat from my face. Two lines appeared on her forehead. "You do this all the time, shutting down whenever a question is asked." "Lisa was crying," I lied. Her finger cleaned up the tear running freely down my cheeks. "Lisa rarely cries, except when she feels pain. Just like her mom." "Tell me what is going on?" "Who owns this hospital?" I changed the subject, tired of the constant poking. "I don't know, some billionaire. Maybe." She said in a nonchalant tone. "Some billionaire?? Clai

Lavanda He points at me. “She’s a thief and a backstabber. You will wake up with a knife slotted in your heart.” Funny, how he’s actually describing himself. Stooping so low to defame me. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you are the pathetic ex,” Ainsworth says. Desmond’s breathing stalled. His knuckles went white. I was enjoying this too much to want it to end. He breathed in, looking from me to Ainsworth. I knew he was thinking about what to say next. I almost laugh, watching him leave. That ego of his, massively crushed to bits. “He’s just like that,” I say, trying to apologize for what had happened. “You mean Desmond?” I didn’t give him a name. My lips part slightly in awe. “How did you know??” “He’s pretty much the rejected ex-husband. It’s written all all over him,” Ainsworth sits back on the chair. I never told him the name of my ex-husband, except it slipped out when we were having a conversation. I wave it off. His eyes are on me the whole time. “Can we g