《The Unwanted Wife: Revenge After Divorce》


 Chapter 001

    AMELIA¡¯S POV


    ¡°Yes. This is Amelia Carter speaking,¡± I said as soon as the person on the other end picked up. ¡°I would like to make a reservation for two tomorrow in one of your private booths.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alright ma¡¯am,¡± said the woman. ¡°Please hang on.¡±


    I heard the rattle ofputer keys in the background and kept my fingers crossed. I wanted my anniversary to be perfect so I couldn¡¯t afford any disappointments.


    The restaurant I had called was a very fancy, very exclusive one, and was usually booked weeks in advance.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when a momentter, she said, ¡°We have a spot just for you.¡±


    I told her the time my husband, Noah, and I would be arriving, and went through other details for the evening. The woman assured me I would be getting the VIP treatment when I told her my husband and I wereing to celebrate our second wedding anniversary.


    I began humming a tune as soon as I hung up. I stood up to get myputer and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror.


    There was an excited flush on my cheeks, and a sparkle in my eye. I looked like a school girl who had just gotten her first date to the prom. Only this was better. It had been two years since I had gotten married to Noah, two years of bliss and perfection.


    I got myptop and surfed the. After about an hour, I found the perfect gift for him online: a Patek watch worth $25, 000. I ordered it, paid and gave the exact time that I would want it delivered.


    I wasn¡¯t bothered about the price because I knew Noah would get me something more expensive and would even send me a weekly allowance.


    After preparations for the next day was done, I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. In order to resist the temptation of staring at the clock every few minutes, impatiently waiting for Noah toe home, I went downstairs and started setting up the dining table for dinner.


    I was so attuned to Noah that I knew the moment he walked through the door. In a sh, I dashed to the front door. With a huge grin on my face, I ran towards him. My steps faltered a bit when I noticed that he looked rather grim. But I didn¡¯t let that stop me from going in for a hug. Perhaps he just had a really stressful day at work.


    Just as I reached for him, he moved away and gave me look that sent a chill up my spine. His lips curled in disgust. It was like he had smelled something bad. I froze, frowned, and sniffed myself. I smelled of perfume and strawberry shampoo, and there was nothing offensive about that.


    ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked.


    Noah looked at me but didn¡¯t respond. He moved as far away from me as possible and dropped his suitcase. I stood rooted to the spot, my mind in a whirl. We hadn¡¯t had a quarrel. I had done nothing to offend him, so what was with his sudden coldness?


    The sight of the front door opening again interrupted my thoughts. My best friend, Lucy, sashayed into the house like she owned the ce.


    ¡°Lucy? You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing,¡± I said.


    Lucy¡¯s baby blue eyes regarded me with contempt. She casually flicked her long, perfectly styled, blonde hair over her shoulder and took a seat. I gaped at her. Talk about rudeness! And in my own home too! What was with her? What was with everyone¡¯s weird attitude today?


    Deciding to leave Lucy¡¯s attitude forter, I walked up to Noah, pitched my voice low so that she couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Honey, listen. I don¡¯t know what¡­ this is about, but if I¡¯ve offended you in any way, I apologize. If there¡¯s a real problem, we can talk about it after our anniversary-¡±


    Noah let out a short, bitterugh.


    ¡°Anniversary?¡± he sneered. ¡°I thought you were smart enough to read the handwriting on the wall, Amelia. But you¡¯re dumber than you look. There isn¡¯t going to be any anniversary celebration. Not for you and I anyway.¡± While I stood in stunned silence, he bent, pulled out a sheaf of papers from his briefcase and threw them in my face. ¡°Here. Take a look.¡±


    Slowly, I bent and picked them up. A nce was sufficient to tell me that they were divorce papers and he had already signed them. I instantly felt a tear in my chest and the entire room started spinning around me. I clutched my chest, my breath hot and tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°Why?¡± I wailed when I finally found my voice. ¡°Why do you want a divorce? What have I done?¡±


    ¡°I would have thought it was fairly obvious. We¡¯ve been married for two years and we have no kids. You can¡¯t even boast of having a miscarriage at least. Who¡¯s going to inherit all this wealth I built after I¡¯m gone. Huh?¡±


    ¡°Noah. Noah. Please. Think about what you¡¯re about to do. I can still give you children-¡±


    He made an impatient gesture. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I already have a child on the way. Lucy-¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up when he said her name. ¡°Lucy is carrying my child as we speak.¡±


    I had entirely forgotten about Lucy after Noah had dropped the bombshell. I stared right at her, hoping and praying that she would smile,ugh and tell me that it was all a sick joke, a prank. She met my stare and deliberately rubbed her stomach.


    I felt a stab of almost physical pain stab through my heart when I realized this was all true. My best friend and husband had been sleeping together. The shock made me stagger back a step. Tears fell unchecked down my cheeks, blurring my vision.


    ¡°But why¡­ how?¡± I croaked. The pain was eating right through my heart and I thought I would die immediately.


    Noah raised a brow. ¡°Want me to describe the whole process of making a baby to you?¡± Lucy giggled at his joke. ¡°Amelia, we¡¯re done. Let¡¯s look at it this way, Lucy here is even better suited to bear my children. She¡¯s a fast rising fashion designer from a respectably wealthy background. She¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be a liability like you. You¡¯re a nobody. You have no talents, no personality, no charisma. Now, look at Lucy and you¡¯ll see a woman with the looks and the poise to carry on the Carter name.¡±


    And though what Noah had done hurt so bad that it felt hard to breathe, I loved him so much and I could not bear the thought of letting him go. I divested myself of myst shred of pride and fell on my knees before him. I put my hands together in a gesture of entreaty.


    ¡°Noah. Please. It¡¯s just been a couple of years. We can still sort this whole thing out. I¡¯m hopeful that I can still get pregnant. I¡¯ll go see a fertility doctor, I¡¯ll eat right. I¡¯ll do anything, anything at all. Just give me a little more time.¡±


    ¡°Two years is more than enough time,¡± he retorted hotly. ¡°Just sign those papers and get out of my life.¡±


    I heard a snigger and turned once more to Lucy.


    ¡°You two faced backstabber,¡± I cried, scrambling to my feet. ¡°What did I ever do to you? How could you do this to me?¡±


    Lucy let out augh and shrugged. ¡°No hard feelings, friend. I just did what needed to be done. I gave Noah what you couldn¡¯t give him after two shitty years of marriage.¡±


    ¡°Lucy-¡± I began.


    ¡°Alright. Alright. That¡¯s enough,¡± Noah interjected. ¡°Amelia, go upstairs, pack your things and leave my house.¡±


    ¡°Noah. Please-¡±


    I approached him. He jerked back, swore, and ran upstairs. In a couple of minutes, he returned with suitcases crammed full of my clothes. He added the divorce papers on top and wheeled them outside.


    I fell on the floor, sobbing. He came back, pointed at me. ¡°Get out,¡± he thundered.


    ¡°No, Noah listen-¡± He grabbed me by the arm, cutting short my protests. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this to us. Noah, please..¡±


    ¡°There is no us!¡± he barked as he shoved me outside. No matter how hard I cried and struggled, I couldn¡¯t break his hold. He dragged me outside the gates, gave me a shove that had me stumbling and I fell to the ground, bruising my elbow and knee.


    ¡°Get out and stay out. Don¡¯t evere back here,¡± he yelled, and then shut the gate in my face.

 Chapter 002

    AMELIA¡¯S POV


    I didn¡¯t know how long I remained sitting and crying in front of the massive gates of what used to be my home. I tried to get Noah¡¯s attention by banging on the gate several times but he wouldn¡¯te out.


    ¡°Noah, please!¡± I cried out loud. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to give you children. Please don¡¯t leave me here.¡±


    But all I received was silence from him.


    I could hear him and Lucyughing inside and my heart churned with the thought of them eating the meal I prepared.


    After an unknown length of time, I got to my feet and had walked for a few paces before I realized I had forgotten all my belongings, contained in the suitcases. I went back for them, and wheeled them as I walked. I walked for an hour before it registered that I actually had no destination.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I muttered to myself, feelingpletely drained and exhausted. It felt like a huge weight had fallen on me and it was crushing me with each passing second.


    Some passers-by shot me curious looks, whispered to themselves and hurried on. They probably thought I was crazy. Looking down at myself, I supposed I did look crazy. I was wearing a long sundress I usually wore at home. The hem of the gown and my flip-flops were dirty, stained brown. I must have stepped into a puddle. The tears continuously ran down my cheeks without stopping.


    I wondered idly where I would spend the night and realized that I didn¡¯t want to wake up if I ever slept.


    I looked around, and caught sight of a pharmacy across the street. I ought to have some money in one of my handbags- if Noah had packed them. It would be easy to go into the pharmacy, wrangle some sleeping pills from the pharmacist, go to another pharmacy and another till I had enough pills to overdose on. Then I could lie down somewhere, look up at the sky, and wait for the sleep I would never wake up from.


    I felt someone hit me from behind, jolting me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Watch where you going,¡± a man said irritably as he walked past me. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get robbed out here.¡±


    I kept moving, knowing that I didn¡¯t have the courage to end things just yet. My aimless wandering took me to a park miles away from my house. The park was deserted, and that was just what I needed.


    My body was all aches and pains as I slowly lowered myself onto the park bench. I sobbed as I gave way to my grief. Who would have thought that my perfect life could fall to pieces in just one day?


    During our two years of marriage, I had done everything to please Noah, to make him happy. And Lucy¡­ she was more like a sister to me. Oh, but I was stupid, so stupid not to have suspected what was going on right under my nose.


    She and Noah had be more closetely but I assumed it was just because we were friends. I also ignored Noah¡¯ste night calls, secretive attitude and absence from home some days. I was too naive to acknowledge everything.


    I quickly raised my head and wiped my eyes when I heard the roar of several vehicles, rapidly getting closer. A fleet of Escdes soon came into view. Instead of speeding past as I expected, one by one, they pulled up in front of me.


    A heavily built man hopped down from the vehicle in front and opened the passenger door.


    Out came a tall, well built man with a wealth of curly dark hair. He had deep grey eyes that would pull anyone in. His jaw was molded with perfection and his lips was curved into a small smile. The only thing that marred his otherwise handsome face was the scar running across his eyebrow. To my surprise, he pinned me with his piercing steel grey eyes and came towards me, moving with the easy, unconscious arrogance of the very rich.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said,ing to a stop by the bench and smiling down at me.


    I gawked at him, looked around. There was no one else in sight.


    ¡°Are you- Were you talking to me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. May I sit?¡± He sat without waiting for a reply. ¡°You are wondering who I am. Well, I won¡¯t keep you wondering for long.¡± He put out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Damian Donovan.¡± His name sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn¡¯t tell where I¡¯d heard it from.


    When I didn¡¯t shake his hand, he put it back at his side and shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a pretty rough day. I understand, Amelia.¡±


    I looked at him sharply. ¡°How- how do you know my name?¡±


    He gave me a half smile. ¡°I know a lot of things¡­ a lot. I especially know a lot of things about you. I even know you were going to be here, so far from home.¡±


    I blinked in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt and angry,¡± he continued. ¡°I assure you that I have a solution to your problem and pain.¡±


    I eyed him warily. ¡°What solution?¡±


    ¡°Marry me, Amelia.¡±


    I gasped, scrambled to my feet. ¡°Is this some sort of joke, Mr Dan-¡±


    ¡°Damien,¡± he corrected, getting to his feet as well. Was he out of his mind?


    ¡°Whatever. Look, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, how you know the things you know or who sent you, but I won¡¯t be made fun of. If you don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really sure what I would do when I looked over his shoulder and spotted his bodyguards; tall, dark, silent, watchful. The smallest of them was almost twice my size.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Damian said quietly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to insult you. I¡¯m just a man who is used to getting his way without having to mince words. Perhaps it was unwise of me to spring marriage on you so suddenly. You have questions. I have answers, but we can¡¯t talk here. Come with me to my office and I promise that I will exin everything.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just¡­ go with you,¡± I said. But at the same, I was curious to know who he was and why he wanted to marry me.


    He pointedly eyed my stained suitcases. ¡°Did you have any particr ce you were headed?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I rose to my feet slowly and walked to his car. Damian got in and we were off. All through the ride, Damien kept taking one call after the other. He was obviously a very busy man.


    The building which the car stopped in front of was impressive. It was a sleek, gleaming structure that seemed to pierce the clouds.


    ¡°Please,e,¡± Damian ordered and I followed him into the building, past an enormous lobby, up the elevators to the topmost floor, and finally to a vast, imposing office with ss windows and walls whichmanded a view of the city. He waved me into a chair.


    He pulled some documents to him, then asked, almost as an afterthought. ¡°Do you want something to drink?¡± I shook my head, anxious to get my answers. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get down to business then. My name, as I have said before is Damian Donovan. I know this is not the best time but you may know me as Mr. Carter¡¯s biggest rival.¡± He cocked his head to one side, regarded me. ¡°Perhaps he has mentioned me¡­¡±


    At that moment, the memories flitted into my head. I remembered Noah yelling his name angrily over the phone and fuming with rage whenever he lost a business deal to him. Noah despised him greatly and as I stole a nce at him, I wondered if it was a coincidence that he was interested in marrying me right after my divorce.


    ¡°Noah spoke of apetitor. Yes,¡± I agreed, pretending like I didn¡¯t much about him.


    ¡°Good. Now let me put some facts to you. My uncle just died. He had apany just as sessful as my own. My uncle was kind, but firm, and his heart¡¯s cry was to see me hitched before he died. He didn¡¯t get his wish, but he¡¯ll still get it¡­ in a way. He left me thepany on the sole condition that I get a wife.¡± He frowned, looked slightly irritated at the very idea. ¡°I need to merge mypany with his. When I do that, I¡¯ll be the most renowned, most sessful billionaire¡­ in the world perhaps. I can¡¯t let a little difficulty like having a wife stop me, so that is where youe in, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I asked, though I was beginning to get an idea of where he was going with this.


    ¡°I¡¯m offering you a contract marriage. You see, I¡¯ve been keeping a very close eye on Noah. I knew that he had been cheating on you with your best friend, and that he was nning to divorce you.¡± The reminder of what Noah had done had me clenching my fist. ¡°He didn¡¯t really keep his infidelity a secret but I was shocked to know he pulled the divorce papers today.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I chuckled bitterly, pain and anger coursing through my body. ¡°I guess that makes two of us. I actually made a reservation for a dinner date tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to call up painful memories,¡± he continued. ¡°But I¡¯m a practical man and I hope you are a practical woman too. My proposal is this. Divorce Noah, marry me and get your revenge on him. He¡¯ll be half out of his mind when he finds out that you married me. Our union will help crush him. When we get married, I¡¯ll let you live your life, and I¡¯ll live mine. We won¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way. We just have to stay married for only a year. And to top it all up, I¡¯ll give you fifty million dors aspensation for helping me get thepany. So what do you say, Amelia? Are you in?¡±


    Into my mind came a picture of Noah¡¯s and Lucy¡¯s cruel faces. I thought about all the sacrifices I made in my marriage with Noah. I thought about everything I¡¯d done for Lucy as my best friend and how they choose to repay me. They both deserved to be punished, to feel the heart wrenching pain I felt because of their betrayal.


    I slowly turned to Damian, tears streaming down my eyes and a cold smile forming on my lips. I exhaled and wiped my tears. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you,¡± I said, then added. ¡°But on one condition.¡±


    Damian leaned back in his seat. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll destroy everything Noah has built and take every penny from him.¡±


    He leaned forward and extended his hand. ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 003

    NOAH¡¯S POV


    I blew on the coffee Lucy had made. She didn¡¯t always get the temperature right and It was always too hot. Picking up the remote, I turned on the television to catch the early morning news. My fingers automatically found the buttons to turn the volume up while I scrolled through my phone, checking for business emails I could have missed.


    ¡°¡­ the former Amelia Carter engaged.¡±


    I froze midday in opening an email. My ears immediately perked up. What had I just heard? The former Amelia Carter engaged? The voice hade from the television and that was where I directed my entire attention immediately.


    The newscaster, upying a quarter of the screen went on talking, but my confused mind could barely make out what he was saying. My gaze was riveted on the caption in bold ck type at the bottom of the screen.


    It read, DAMIAN DONOVAN, BUSINESS MOGUL, AND NEW JERSEY¡¯S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR SET TO GET MARRIED TO THE FORMER AMELIA CARTER IN LAVISH STYLE.


    I gaped at the screen, read the stupid caption again and again, but it still did not change. The cup of coffee slipped from my suddenly nerveless fingers.


    I felt warm wetness on my thighs, and almost simultaneously heard a crash. I looked down. My trousers and the couch were soaked through. At my feet, the coffee cupy in shattered fragments. I gave it only a cursory nce.


    I got up and walked stiffly to the sofa that was closer to the television in order to see better. My mind was in a whirl. Perhaps the news item wasn¡¯t about my Amelia. There had to be what¡­ dozens? Hundreds of Amelia¡¯s in the country, and Carter was by no means an umon name. My rapidly beating heart slowed a little at the thought. That had to be the exnation. Anything else was intolerable.


    And then the bottom fell out of my pipe dream as a video clip popped up on the screen. The woman next to that bastard Damian, though beautiful, elegant and sophisticated looking, was unmistakably Amelia.


    Damian and Amelia were being followed by the paparazzi, and of course, Damian¡¯s bodyguards. Amelia smiled and waved. I spotted arge diamond ring on her finger.


    The couple were about to get into a limo when Damien stopped to answer a question posed by one of the reporters. I nearly went berserk when the smiling dark haired, scar faced creep slipped his arm around her waist, pulled her close to his side as he spoke about his engagement.


    I felt like reaching into the screen, twisting his arm and ripping it off. The video ended. The newscaster came back on. This time, he was with two guests in the studio. They began yakking about Donovan and the circumstances that had led to our divorce.


    I turned down the volume of the television, shut my eyes tightly, also wishing that I could shut out the images of Damian and Amelia together. How on earth did the jobless, mousy Amelia meet Damian? How could she have moved on so fast?


    I could have sworn that she was absolutely devoted to me. Even when I had told her that her best friend was pregnant for me, without batting an eye, she had gone on her knees and begged for us to stay married. Could she had been pretending all that time?


    The worst thing about all this was that she was getting married to none other than Damian, my biggest business rival. He had no doubt married her to spite me, to insult me. To think the ordinary woman I had once called my wife seemed to be basking in the sudden attention she was getting! It practically turned my stomach.


    A headache slowly but steadily started building in my skull. I grimaced and massaged my temple. I tried to keep thoughts of Amelia and her betrayal out of my head, but it was impossible to do so.


    ¡°Noah love.¡± Lucy¡¯s voice came floating to the living room.


    I didn¡¯t answer her. I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak at that moment. Soon, I heard her approaching footsteps.


    ¡°Noah, I¡¯ve calling you. I wanted to ask you to check out the-¡± She stopped talking. I felt her hand on my back. ¡°Love, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I saw only her slippered feet as she came around to the front of the sofa. She nearly stepped on the smashed pieces of the coffee cup, but stopped herself in time. She sucked in a breath and instantly, she seated herself on the sofa beside me.


    ¡°The cup broke? Did you hurt yourself?¡± she said.


    She drew out a handkerchief and began to clean up the coffee stains on my crotch a little too vigorously.


    ¡°For Pete¡¯s sake, Lucy! Do you want to kill me?¡± I snapped, snatching the handkerchief.


    I dabbed at my trousers, flung the soiled handkerchief onto the ground. Lucy¡¯s lips turned down at the corners. She looked hurt.


    ¡°You¡¯re upset,¡± she observed. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I pointed to the television. ¡°That happened.¡±


    She peered at the television screen, then turned to me with a shocked expression. ¡°Amelia? Getting married to¡­ Damien? How did that even happen? She¡¯s practically a nobody and he¡¯s like¡­. the most influential figure in the business world.¡± I shot her a re. She flushed. ¡°I meant after you, of course. You¡¯re the most influential person there is.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am. That- That Damian guy is just an upstart. He¡¯s been lucky in his business dealings so far, but that¡¯s just it¡­ luck which will run out eventually. He doesn¡¯t have a shrewd mind like I have.¡±


    ¡°Of course he doesn¡¯t, love,¡± Lucy crooned.


    She rested her hand on my arm. Not wanting to be touched, I sprang to my feet and began to pace the room.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I wonder how she sunk her ws into him,¡± Lucy mused. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter now, love. Come and sit-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been sitting here, asking myself,¡± I interjected, only focused on the first part of her sentence. ¡°How on earth could she possibly have moved on so fast? Unless¡­¡± I stopped pacing abruptly as an unwee exnation urred to me. ¡°Unless she had somehow been cheating on me with him long before I told her I wanted a divorce.¡±


    The thought made me unbearably hurt, sad and mad.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past her,¡± Lucy sneered.


    She rose and approached me.


    ¡°Do you think-¡± I began.


    Lucy ced a finger on my lips, silencing me. ¡°Ssh. What she may or may not have done doesn¡¯t matter now. After all, you don¡¯t love her, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I stated emphatically. Liar, an annoyingly persistent voice whispered in my head.


    Smiling, Lucy wrapped my arms around me, fiddled with the cor of my shirt. ¡°Good. Don¡¯t let the news get you all worked up. Amelia¡¯s old news. She¡¯s out of our lives and good riddance! Besides¡­ we have something more important to focus our attention on, don¡¯t we?¡±


    A bit puzzled at her statement, I frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Lucyughed softly, took my hand, slipped it underneath her blouse and rested it on her stomach. ¡°Our baby, silly.¡±


    With a sigh, I rested my forehead against hers. ¡°Yes. Yes. You¡¯re right of course.¡± But Amelia was still printed at the back of my mind.

 Chapter 004

    AMELIA¡¯S POV


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I will need the documents tomorrow.¡± Damian¡¯s voice came floating out of the living room and I strolled to him, and saw that he was still on the phone. Jeez!


    Did the man never take a break from work? Surely, his staff could hold the forte, especially after considering the fact that it was the night of his wedding and obviously his honeymoon.


    Even though our marriage was not real, I expected him to at least take a break. Just as I was about to leave, he ended the call so I decided to join him on the sofa.


    He turned towards me immediately, his brows raised. ¡°Did you want something?¡± he asked.


    I swallowed, wondering where to start. His tone was somewhat cold.


    ¡°Actually, I was hoping that we could talk¡­ you know, get to know each other.¡± I snuck a nce at him from under myshes and flushed when I saw his steel grey eyes staring at me fiercely. That gaze unsettled me, had me stumbling to get the words out. ¡°Seeing as we just got married and it¡¯s our honeymoon and all that¡­ it¡¯s a good idea for us to er-¡­¡±


    I paused, groped for ways to express myself.


    ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯re referring to us bonding, perhaps doing what regr married people do. Right?¡±


    I bit my lip. ¡°More or less¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t clear when I told you about the terms of the contract. Now please listen, Amelia. This is not a real marriage. See our union as business transaction, which is what it is. I want and expect no emotional connection between us. We will just have to live under the same roof but we don¡¯t even have to see each other everyday. What I expect is for you to sometimes apany me to some rather tedious business dinners as my wife. That¡¯s all. You are free to do whatever you want with the rest of your time. Oh, and er- we will be sleeping in different rooms. Your room is the first door on your right after you climb the stairs. If you don¡¯t like it, tell the housekeeper. She¡¯ll show you to another.¡± He paused. ¡°Are my quite clear now?¡±


    I forced myself to meet his eyes. ¡°Very clear.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Good. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some rather urgent business matters to attend to. Have a good night.¡±


    I clenched my fists to stop the urge to hurl one of the sofa pillows at his head as he walked away. A miserable, hollow feeling began to creep up my chest.


    He was right: our marriage was simply just for show. I had to put that in my mind and live my life the best way. But why was I so bothered that he wouldn¡¯t bond with me?


    A minuteter, I shuffled to my room, turned off the lights and curled up in a fetal position on the bed. Iy awake for a long time in the dark, sad and trying to reconcile myself to the fact that my marriage to Damian was not going to be hearts and flowers.


    ¡°It¡¯s just strictly business,¡± I mustered to myself before dozing off to sleep.


    *************************


    I woke up at the crack of dawn, showered, got dressed, had breakfast and then sat in my room, moping. I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. The house was so big and I wondered how I would get through the days, weeks and months ahead.


    A knock sounded at my bedroom door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said.


    Damian came in. He was dressed in an immacte grey suit, white shirt and grey tie. He looked exotic and I flushed slightly.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I shed him a smile.


    ¡°Hi.¡± He gave me an appraising look. ¡°n on staying in here all day?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯ll see something on the televisionter,¡± I said vaguely.


    ¡°Take my advice. Instead of staying in this house all day, go out and spend some of my money. I have lots of it.¡± He took steps closer to me and dropped a credit card on the table. ¡°Buy anything you want. I¡¯m off to the office.¡±


    Without another word, he turned on his heel and left. I fingered the credit card he left and after several minutes of thinking, I decided to go shopping.


    However, I was still shocked that he had given me his credit card. Noah had never done that in our two years of marriage.


    I drove to MagniShop, a ssy shopping mall I had never been to before. I was weed gracefully and I wondered if it had anything to do with being Damian¡¯s wife.


    I went straight to the clothing aisle, browsed through pricey clothes and picked anyone that took my fancy. Having had enough of clothes, I turned the corner to the section for jewelry and almost bumped right into Noah. I froze, as did he. Seeing him again sent a searing pain through my heart. I looked away at once and made as if to pass him.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he barked. ¡°Where the hell do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    I walked on. He grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around to face him.


    ¡°What the hell, Noah!¡± I hissed. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes shed angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away from me when I¡¯m talking to you. Why are you even here?¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°What do people do in shopping malls?¡±


    He grabbed the clothes slung over my arm. ¡°Go shop somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Noah!¡± I cried, outraged.


    I attempted to take back the clothes. He drew his arm back and yelled in my face. ¡°Are you bloody deaf? I said beat it!¡±


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t. You can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I can and I will. I am one of the partners of this mall and I have the right to send out undeserving customers like you. Now leave before I call security to throw you out!¡±


    I started to say something, but stopped. Noah¡¯s outburst had already drawn a circle of onlookers. I hesitated, then stormed out with my head held high.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Get out and nevere back,¡± he yelled after me.


    Outside, I fumed. I had never been as embarrassed like that in my entire life. I was so furious that my hands were shaking when I dialed Damian¡¯s number. He was the only one who could solve my problem with Noah and put him in his ce.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered curtly.


    ¡°I took your advice and went shopping. I ran into Noah at the mall. He- he threw me out. He said he¡¯s one of the partners in the mall.¡± I told him, my breath rising and falling.


    ¡°I see. What mall is that?¡±


    ¡°MagniShop.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Give me a minute. I¡¯ll call you back. Don¡¯t leave.¡± He said, then ended the call immediately.


    I went into my car to wait, eyeing Noah as he paraded around the mall in an attempt to taunt me. After waiting for about five minutes, I received a call from Damian. I quickly answered it, hoping he had some good news for me and he did.


    ¡°You¡¯re now free to do anything you want in there,¡± he said. ¡°I just bought the mall for you from the CEO. All partnerships including with Noah has been terminated. Any of the staff can call the head office to confirm this.¡±


    He hung up before I could say anything else. I stared at the phone, my mouth agape. Then the excitement hit. I could literally do anything I wanted! I approached two security guards, told them what Damian had said. They checked and confirmed it was true. With the guards nking me, I sashayed into the mall, found Noah talking to one of the mall¡¯s staff. I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and did a double take at the sight of me.


    ¡°You again!¡± he thundered. ¡°I thought I told you to-¡±


    ¡°No. You are the one getting the hell out.¡± I smiled at him sweetly, then raised my voice. ¡°Security, throw this man out.¡±


    The guards immediately rounded him up and began leading him out. When Noah resisted, they grabbed his arms. He stared at them in disbelief.


    ¡°Get your hands off me,¡± he shouted. ¡°She doesn¡¯t give the orders here. Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m your boss-¡±


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± I interjected. His stunned look was like salve to my wounded ego. ¡°I just bought this mall.¡±

 Chapter 005

    AMELIA


    It almost felt like I was on a literal high as I watched Noah being thrown out of the mall. When Damian had spoken of me getting sweet revenge on Noah, I never imagined that it would feel so good.


    There was one thing I knew about Noah. It was that he didn¡¯t he didn¡¯t ept defeat¡­ not that it did him much good anyway. He raved, cursed, swore and struggled with the guards. In the end, the guards had to practically bundle him out like a sack of potatoes. In the struggle, his neatly pressed shirt got rumpled, his tie got awry and he looked half demented. There were sniggers and outrightughs as most of the shoppers gathered around to watch the unfolding scene. I daresay most of them brought out their phone to take pictures and videos of him. I didn¡¯t bother to turn. I struggled not tough myself. It would seem very petty, especially to those who knew my history with Noah.


    Noah, panting like he had run a marathon, managed to turn around. His eyes, almost bulging out of his eyes in anger, met mine.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this,¡± he thundered. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I get you for this, you¡­¡±


    Thankfully, the guards carried him around the corner and out of sight before he uttered the next words. I breathed a sigh of relief at that, as I hadtelye to know that he had a foul tongue. There were murmurs of conversation as the shoppers began to disperse. The ones whose eyes I met gave me looks of respect. I drifted back to the clothing section and continued shopping.


    Word certainly travelled fast. I had barely been there for a couple of minutes before I was approached by several, eager to please, mall employees who gave suggestions on what I should buy, carried my purchases and practically fell over themselves in an effort to please me, their new employer. On my way back to the car, after shopping, I had to admit that there were certainly perks to getting married to a man who was able to purchase an entire shopping mall at the drop of a hat. I didn¡¯t even want to think about how many protocols he had to bypass in order to revoke Noah¡¯s ownership.


    I drove past severalpanies on my way home and wondered if he could easily buy them like he bought the mall.


    When I got home, I couldn¡¯t help gazing at the portrait of Damian in the living room. I felt my heart warm towards him for what he had done. I felt a smile creep up my face. I had not felt as happy as I did now, in a long while. I counted the hours until he got home.


    That evening, from my room, I heard Damien¡¯s car pull up in front of the house. In a sh, I was out of my room. I could hear his low, quiet voice before I got downstairs.


    ¡°¡­ Yes. I dropped it at the office. No¡­ The meeting didn¡¯t hold.¡±


    He looked up at me when I got to the bottom step. One finely arched brow lifted when he spotted my grin. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, interest maybe, and then the shutter he kept over his emotions went up. Hs gaze drifted away like it always did, dismissing me. Usually, I would feel hurt at this, but I was too excited to be offended. He lowered his tall frame onto the sofa and carried out his phone conversation in low tones, while I could barely stand still. I bobbed up and down on my feet, grinning from ear to ear.


    The moment he hung up, Iunched myself into his arms, just as he was about to get to his feet. He gave a startled grunt and sat back down.


    ¡°Thank you, Damian,¡± I squealed excitedly, hugged him tightly and buried my face in his shirt. ¡°Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I don¡¯t know how you did it. I wish you could have seen his face. I-¡±


    I stopped talking when I noticed how rigidly he held his body. It was like he had turned to stone in my arms. He didn¡¯t even seem to be breathing. I pulled away at once, and he looked down at me with an unfathomable expression.


    ¡°What on earth was that about?¡± he ground out through gritted teeth.


    He sounded so angry. I felt a little deted.


    ¡°I- I just wanted to thank you for helping me put Noah in his ce. I mean for buying the mall for me¡­ and all that.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°And is that a valid reason to hug me without consent? Buying just a mall is nothing. I told you that I have a lot of money. What would you then have done if I had bought something more? For now, you¡¯re a billionaire¡¯s wife, so kindly act the part.¡±


    I swallowed nervously. ¡°The hug was just a way of showing my thanks. I was excited and-¡±


    ¡°Well, rein in your excitement next time,¡± he snapped. ¡°And please don¡¯t ever encroach into my space again for a hug or anything of that sort.¡±


    He tugged at his cor, straightened his pristine shirt which I had roughed up a little, and brushed away an invisible speck of dust. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his fussiness. One would think that I had sttered mud all over him. It was just a hug for Pete¡¯s sake! Even unmarried people hugged each other all the time.


    He got to his feet, grabbed his phone, briefcase and marched off into his room without another word. Hurt, I watched him leave.


    *****************


    DAMIEN


    I focused on putting one leg in front of the other and moving. I could feel Amelia¡¯s eyes boring into my back. It felt like I was a stranger in my own body. I felt decidedly¡­ odd. The moment I got into my room, I closed and locked the door. I fiddled with my tie. It took several tries for me to loosen it. I flung it on the floor. I felt as if the damn thing was strangling me.


    I couldn¡¯t remember having felt this way in a long time. Amelia¡¯s innocent hug had done this, had made me all hot and bothered. The memory of her breasts pressing against my chest and the smell of her perfume sent the blood roaring through my veins once again. She had turned me on without even trying. For a moment there, I had imagined taking her right there on the sofa, doing things to her that would make her squeal and moan in¡­


    Frustrated, I shoved my hands through my hair.


    ¡°Get a bloody grip, Damien,¡± I muttered to myself.


    Damn! This was not good at all. Amelia was the one woman I couldn¡¯t have sexual rtions with. Heaven knew I didn¡¯t need any moreplications in my life. In a year, she would be out of my life, fifty million dors richer. I threw open my window, closed my eyes and let the cool, fresh air calm my frazzled nerves.


    On the bright side, Amelia was certain not to initiate physical contact with me again, certainly not after I had told her off so harshly.


    ******************


    AMELIA


    The next morning, I woke up very early. I was still somewhat upset at Damien¡¯s reaction to my hug, but gratitude for what he had done won. In the bathroom, inspiration hit. If there was anything I knew how to do very well, it was cook. I could show Damien how thankful I was by cooking him breakfast. I hurried to the kitchen, d to know that it was well stocked. I was bringing out all I needed when someone cleared her throat.


    I stopped, turned to see the housekeeper standing just outside the door. Even this early, she was already in her uniform. She looked as though she had been up for hours, and it was just minutes after 6.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted her with a smile.


    She bowed. ¡°Ms Donovan. Good morning. You don¡¯t have to do that. Whatever it is you want to eat, the cook can-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually making something for Mr Donovan¡­ my husband,¡± I added.


    The word ¡®husband¡¯ still felt unfamiliar on my tongue.


    The woman nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°I want to make something special for him myself,¡± I interrupted with a smile.


    ¡°Very well, ma¡¯am.¡± She bowed and retreated.


    I cooked as fast as I could, as I got the idea that Damain was an early bird. After a taste of meal, I knew I had outdone myself. Even if Damien was a picky eater, he could not fail to be impressed by what I had prepared. Iid everything on arge tray. I was relieved to see that it was still a few minutes shy of seven. I hurried into Damien¡¯s room.


    I open the door slowly and walked in. My eyes roamed the room quickly but I couldn¡¯t spot him. I certainly didn¡¯t hear him leaving so where could he be?


    As my thoughts darted all over the ce on where Damian could be, the bathroom door flung open and he stepped out,pletely naked.

 Chapter 006

    AMELIA POV


    ¡°Amelia?¡±


    I heard Damien say my name but it felt as though he was calling me from the far end of a tunnel. The breakfast tray was heavy and my arms were trembling with the strain of holding it, but I hardly noticed. Hell! At that moment, the whole world could have crashed and burned and I still would not have noticed.


    All of my attention was focused on his body. Damien¡¯s lithe, naked body was every bit as I had imagined it, and I had imagined it quite often, especially on the day I thought we would have an actual wedding night. He was perfection. He was perfectly toned and muscled, just as I had expected. The smart suits and long sleeved shirts he wore all the time had not been able to disguise that fact. Standing next to the open window as he was, the early morning sunlight bathed him in a golden, warm glow. The droplets of water still clinging to his skin shone and glittered like tiny, many faceted diamonds.


    My eyes, of their own volition, traveled down his body, and rested on the spot between his legs. I felt a flush creep up my cheeks. I gulped. I didn¡¯t know any man could get to be that huge.


    He seemed very much at ease standing there, naked, just as if he were putting on clothes. Why on earth hadn¡¯t he dived for something to cover himself with? And more importantly, why couldn¡¯t I get myself to move? Why was I standing there, rooted to the spot like a fool? Damian cleared his throat loudly and my eyes flew back up to his face.


    There was a flicker of something like amusement in his eyes, and then it was gone, reced by his usual unreadable expression. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I could only utter a long, drawn out sigh. My vocal cords seemed to be somewhere in the region of my fluttering heart. My powers of speech had deserted me.


    ¡°Hello? Are you going to say something?,¡± he asked.


    Damian took two steps forward, extended his hand. For one heart stopping moment, I thought he was going to touch me, and then he snapped his fingers right in my face. I flinched as the sound brought me back to reality, and my cognitive functions were reconnected with the rest of my body.


    He nodded slowly. ¡°Better. You¡¯ve been as still as a statue while I¡¯ve been calling your name over and over again. For a moment there, I thought you wereatose.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I croaked.


    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°What was that? You have to speak louder if you expect me to hear you.¡±


    As I struggled to form a coherent apology, with the towel in his hand, which I had not noticed before, Damian rubbed his head and torso dry. His muscles ripped in a way it was impossible to overlook. He gave the towel a quick flick and quickly wrapped it around his waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he murmured. He nted his hands on his hips and regarded me. ¡°You were saying?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°That I¡¯m so sorry and- and I should leave,¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°You should,¡± he agreed and I immediately turned to flee. ¡°But-¡± I stopped in my tracks. ¡°You came here for a reason, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    For a long, embarrassing moment, I could not remember why I hade into Damain¡¯s room in the first ce. All rational thoughts had gone clean out of my head and I had been reduced to a mumbling, blithering idiot. Why did he have such an unnerving effect on me? Damian began stroking his hand against his lower jaw as he regarded me.


    The movement drew my attention to the curve of his lips. I wished he would stop that. It was very¡­ distracting. I shifted uneasily. The tes rattled. The sound reminded me of why I was here.


    ¡°Breakfast,¡± I blurted out. ¡°Breakfast. I- I cooked and came to give you breakfast before you left for work. I¡¯m so, so sorry that I barged in on you like that. I wasn¡¯t thinking. I-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right on that score. You weren¡¯t thinking. Weren¡¯t you supposed to knock before entering a room that isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    I flushed a deeper shade of crimson at his scolding. I supposed I did deserve a tongueshing. What I was thinking, barging into his room, and then openly ogling him? The only excuse I could think of for doing the former was that I had been so excited to cook for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I was supposed to knock. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He walked over to the dresser, spun the cap off a jar of cream, and without taking his eyes off me, began to slowly rub it on his arms.


    ¡°Just make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen next time. You see, Amelia, my bedroom is my sanctum. Here, I¡¯m free to do as I please and that may sometimes involve me moving about in a state of undress. I don¡¯t want to spend my time here thinking that the door could open at any moment and that you would walk in to see me butt naked.¡± The image that called up set my cheeks on fire once again. I squirmed ufortably. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to be the one responsible for making me feel ufortable in my own house, would you?¡±


    ¡°No. No. Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm. Where can I drop this?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged and gestured around the room. ¡°Look around, Amelia.¡±


    I spotted a table, and almost ran to it. In less than a minute, I swept the items on it to one side and dumped the tray on it. I spun around and hightailed it out of there just as Damian began to smear the cream on his chest. I mmed the door, leaned against it as I tried to control my rapidly beating heart. When I heard him moving about the room, I fled down the corridor before he could use me of actively spying on him.


    *******************


    DAMIEN


    I stopped moving and clearly heard the patter of Amelia¡¯s footsteps as she ran down the corridor like a bat out of hell. I chuckled, thenughed when I recalled the look on her face. I had been as surprised as she was to find her in my room, but then she had blushed so prettily that I just couldn¡¯t resist teasing her, using the incident to my advantage. The bloom of color on her cheeks had been fascinating to watch.


    The downside of all this was that I was turned on by her bungling, but frankly carnal appreciation of my physique. She had tried to hide it, but those green eyes of hers gave her away every time. Each look she had cast over me felt like a physical caress.


    I turned away from the door and firmly put thoughts of her out of my mind. I was then confronted with the breakfast tray. I decided to ignore it. I couldn¡¯t afford to let her get the wrong impression that I was thawing towards her. I dressed quickly and left for work.


    ****************************


    AMELIA


    The distance from my bedroom to Damian¡¯s room suddenly seemed too short. Hadn¡¯t I left my room just a second ago? I swallowed nervously and looked back down the hallway. It would be so easy for me to get one of the domestic staff to retrieve the breakfast tray. But then, what would that make me?


    A coward, said a voice in my head.


    I nodded. Yes, I would be a coward, running and hiding from my husband in my own home. Who could me me though?


    I doubted many husbands scolded their wives and made them feel like silly, errant children the way Damian did. I steeled myself with the thought that Damian had most likely gone to work.


    It had been over an hour since I had been in his room, and it was unlikely that he would still be hanging around up until now. Still, I knocked on the door and listened. Nothing from inside. I knocked three more times for good measure, each knock louder than thest.


    Finally, I pushed open the door and went in. I breathed deeply. Damian¡¯s perfume saturated the entire room. My gaze flickered to the spot where he had been standing, and my breathing sped up again. If I closed my eyes, I would be able to picture him there, exactly as he had been with every detail intact. I hoped that the picture of a naked Damian would not haunt my dreams tonight.


    I shook my head to gather my wits and marched to the tray which was exactly in the same position I had left it. I lifted the covers of the tes, already knowing what I would find. I still felt hurt and disappointed though to have gone through all that trouble just for Damian to leave his food untouched.

 Chapter 007

    AMELIA


    As much as I tried to tell myself that his rejection of my food didn¡¯t matter, my mood took a nosedive, and with a sigh, I picked up the tray. As I slowly walked to the door, I looked around the room. This morning, I had been so engrossed with the room¡¯s upant that I had not even spared a nce at the room itself. Damien¡¯s room was plush, decorated in muted colors. A handful of paintings hung on the walls. Every item in the room was perfectly in order. It¡¯s sterile cleanliness reminded of a hospital room; cold and very impersonal, sort of like Damian.


    My foot caught in something. I stumbled, regained my bnce, but a fork slid from the tray and into an improperly closed chest of drawers right beside me.


    I set the tray carefully on the floor, peered into the drawer. It was full of Damian¡¯s pairs of socks, neatly sorted by color. I opened it, and carefully fished out the fork, taking it carefully so as not to disturb anything. Damian looked like the kind of guy that would notice the most minute changes. When the drawer still refused to close all the way, I noticed that there was something small caught in the frame. I tugged the object out, stared at it, then dropped it as though it were red hot when I realized what it was.


    It was a pack of condoms. I kept staring down at it for a long moment. Knowing I shouldn¡¯t, but still wanting to, I opened the drawer all the way. In a corner was arge, newly opened box of condoms. It looked as though he had a lifetime supply of the stuff. Damian, cold and aloof as he was to me, seemed to have a very active sex life.


    I felt a sudden mad impulse to scatter the foil packets all over the room like confetti. I clenched my fists instead. Why was I even getting so worked up? The man was sleeping with women, probably whores, but it was really no business of mine.


    After all, on our wedding night, he had told me that each of us was free to do whatever we wanted. It was just that I hadn¡¯t thought that doing ¡®whatever we wanted¡¯ was inclusive of having sex with other people. Silly me. Of course, he had to be getting it from someone since he wasn¡¯t getting it from me.


    I returned the condom to the drawer, shut it, grabbed the tray and stormed out of the room. After dumping the tray in the kitchen, I went to the mini bar off the living room and decided to have a ss of brandy, just to dull the pain of having my efforts at making an borate meal wasted. Or at least that was what I told myself. After I quaffed the drink, I started to get up from the bar stool, but stopped. One more drink really wouldn¡¯t hurt. I could sip it slowly this time. Besides, I didn¡¯t really have anything better to do.


    One more ss of brandy became two, and two soon became four. I went on until I had finished the bottle. There were several other bottles lined up at the bar, just ripe for the picking. I grabbed two more.


    Soon, I lost count of how much alcohol I had consumed, but I felt good, pleasantly high. Why had I even been so upset a while ago? It seemed silly now, so silly that I giggled, then burst intoughter. Maybe I was more than upset about Damian. Maybe I was still hung up about Noah and the pain was hitting me again.


    I suddenly felt brave enough to air out my feelings. It was a pity Damian was not here to listen. I paused with the bottle halfway to my lips as I realized that I could actually speak to him.


    ¡°Phone,¡± I mumbled, nodding to myself.


    I staggered off the barstool, stumbled my way into the living room in search of my phone. Ity on the sofa. My fingers closed around it just as I sat down hard on the floor.


    *****************


    DAMIAN


    I shoved away myptop and picked up the phone as soon as I saw it was Amelia calling.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    There was silence and I was beginning to think she had identally dialed my number.


    Then she said, ¡°I want to ask you a question, Damian and I want you to give me a damn good answer.¡±


    I frowned, wondering what on earth this was about.


    ¡°You said- you said we¡¯re both free to do anything we wanted. So¡­ is it okay for me have a man in case I want to get fucked?¡±


    I sat bolt upright. ¡°What the hell, Amelia-¡±


    She giggled, exhaled and went on giggling.


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡± I asked slowly.


    ¡°Nah. I just had one or two drinks. Or was it two or six¡­¡± she rambled.


    I flinched when I heard a crash.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± I barked. ¡°Listen to me. Stop drinking right now-¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re not the boss of me and you¡¯ve not answered my question-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying-¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she cut in yet again. ¡°Just answer my question. I need a lover too. It¡¯s not fair for you to have all the fun.¡±


    And for no reason, she went off into paroxysms ofughter. I tried several times to talk to her, but trying to get her attention was futile. When her voice grew fainter as she moved away, I hung up.


    Trying to settle down to work was equally futile. My brain buzzed with a million questions. What on earth had pushed her into a drinking spree in the first ce? Another run-in with Noah? I doubted it. I drummed on the desk, thinking of what to do when my phone rang again. It was Janelle, a pretty and curvaceous redhead who was the current one, among the long list of women, to warm my bed.


    ¡°Hi Damian,¡± she purred.


    ¡°Janelle, did you want something?¡±


    ¡°Why so abrupt, D?


    ¡°Sorry. Stressful day at work.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied, recovering her good humor. ¡°I just called to let you know that we can meet earlier if you want. I also got a surprise for you.¡± Her voice dropped to a seductive whisper. ¡°I got one of those sexy slips of lingerie, the type that you like peeling off me¡­ slowly. So when will I see you? 6 or 7p. m will be-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be possible today,¡± I cut in.


    I was appalled and surprised at the words that hade right out of my mouth. But when I said them, I knew that was the decision I wanted to take.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy. I have work and a lot of stuff I want to attend to.¡±


    ¡°But Damian-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you backter.¡±


    I hung up just as she started to protest. Janelle would be really pissed that I had canceled our appointment. She probably wouldn¡¯t want to see me again. It was no great loss though. There were lots of women willing to take her ce.


    Not wanting to probe deeper into why I was willing to throw away a whole night of pleasure for Amelia, I grabbed my briefcase, hurried out of the office and headed home.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I called loudly as soon as I stepped into the house.


    There was no reply. My worry increased as all the probable worst case scenarios began to y in my head. I heard a snore. I followed the sound and found Amelia passed out, lying on the floor behind the sofa with a ss in her hand. Beside her was a shattered bottle of brandy. Thankfully, the broken pieces had note in contact with her skin.


    It was no use trying to wake her, so I gathered her up in my arms andid her on the bed in her room. I was taking her shoes off when she stirred.


    ¡°Damian?¡± she called.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She struggled to sit up.


    ¡°Lie down,¡± I ordered.


    I swore when she kept on moving and almost rolled off the bed. I was at her side in an instant. I ced her in the middle of the bed. Before I could move away, she gripped my arm and smiled drunkenly at me.


    ¡°What were you doing?¡± she asked. ¡°Were you trying to take my clothes off? I wouldn¡¯t mind, you know. You can continue.¡± She raised her head to kiss me, and giggled when I pulled away. ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t act all coy. I saw you naked the other day. You have something huge you¡¯re packing away there. I want it deep inside me. Come on, let¡¯s make love.¡±


    Her fingers scrabbled at the buttons on my shirt. I grabbed her hand. She attempted to slip the other one into my pants. She pouted when I grabbed that too.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk. You¡¯re not thinking straight,¡± I said to her and to myself as well.


    I drew up the covers around her and quickly left the room.

 Chapter 008

    AMELIA


    ¡°Stop already!¡± I groaned and pped both hands to my ear.


    The banging steadily increased in volume with each passing second. It soon became so loud that it felt as if my head would split open. It rose to a crescendo and I opened my eyes.


    Still disoriented from sleep, it took a few seconds for me to realize that the banging wasing from inside my own head. I groaned as I sat up slowly, gripping my aching head, which felt as though it would detach itself from my shoulders at any moment.


    Only bits and pieces of what had happened was what I recalled. I only remembered drinking a lot of brandy, and then calling someone- Damian most likely, and then I must have passed out because everything from then on was a nk. The effort it took for me to remember increased the intensity of the headache. Damn! I could not recall ever feeling this hungover. Had I somehow drunk my way through all the alcohol in the house? It certainly felt like I had.


    I couldn¡¯t even remember why I was so pissed in the first ce. But I was sure it had to do with Damian or was it Noah? ¡°Uggggh,¡± I groaned.


    I raised my head when I heard the door open. Damian poked his head around the door. He saw me staring and walked in. He didn¡¯t look happy to see me, or sorry to see me. He merely looked¡­ indifferent.


    He was perfectly dressed and groomed as always, and I found myself wishing that I could have put myself to rights before he came in. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair in an effort to bring it under some semnce of control. With a grimace, I gave it up when my fingers got caught in the strands and couldn¡¯t even reach the tip. I must look a sight.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I murmured. I didn¡¯t seem able to speak above a murmur. ¡°Good morning¡­ evening¡­¡±


    I stole a nce at the window but couldn¡¯t tell what time of the day it was since the drapes were drawn.


    He gave me a long, prating stare then pointed to the clock which I had missed.¡±It¡¯s evening actually.¡±


    ¡°Evening,¡± I gasped, eyes widening.


    Hadn¡¯t I started drinking during the morning hours? That meant-


    ¡°You have been asleep for hours,¡± said Damian, answering my unspoken question. ¡°Here take this.¡±


    I managed to take my eyes off Damian¡¯s face, long enough to look at therge cup he held out to me. He didn¡¯t let go of it until I was holding it steadily. The cup was filled with greenish, frothy liquid. I sniffed at it furtively. It was almost odorless.


    ¡°Er¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°That is a herbal concoction I whipped up,¡± he exined. ¡°It¡¯s specifically for hangovers, and judging by the way you look, I think it¡¯s safe to say that you have one. No?¡±


    I nodded and instantly regretted it. I winced at the pain. ¡°Yes. I have a splitting headache.¡±


    ¡°Then take that, all of it.¡±


    He sat on a chair close to the window with the air of a man wanting to get a task over with. I took a sip of the concoction and gagged. It tasted awful. I hastily wiped my lips with the back of my hand. I just couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    In answer to Damian¡¯s expectant look, I said, ¡°I can¡¯t drink that. It will make me throw up, and then I¡¯ll get worse.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t, and you must take it if you don¡¯t want to go around feeling like hell all day. Just tip your head back and swallow. Try not to think about how it tastes. Go on,¡± he added when I hesitated.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± I muttered to myself as I obeyed his instructions.


    I shuddered when I downed the contents of the cup. Jeez! I never would have thought I would be able to keep that down. Almost instantly, I felt a pleasant, soothing warmth flood my stomach.


    ¡°A word of advice¡­ don¡¯t drink too much alcohol ever again. Some people take to alcohol like a fish to water, but not you, Amelia. One more day of drinking yourself to a stupor like this, and you might find yourself facing worse than a hangover.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Damian took the cup from me, careful not to let our fingers touch.


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to remember what happened after I got drunk,¡± I said after a pause. ¡°I remember drinking in the living room and nothing really after that. How did I get here?¡±


    ¡°I brought you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± There was an awkward pause as I reflected on what that simple sentence meant. Had I passed out before he found me? I really hoped I had. From my little experience getting drunk in the past, I knew I was the type that said the most ridiculous things while under the influence.


    I started to ask him to give me details, but thought better of it. Did I really want Damian to give me all the gory details? I didn¡¯t think so. I wouldn¡¯t be able to look him in the eye ever again if I had maybe thrown up, snored, told him how attracted I was to him or worse.


    I settled for just asking, ¡°Did I give you any trouble?¡±


    He hesitated before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that you did and said things I would rather not repeat.¡±


    Mortified, I flushed, but didn¡¯t press the issue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I did anything stupid while I was drunk, and also¡­ thank you for looking after me.¡±


    He inclined his head, checked his watch. ¡°The concoction should start taking effect in about¡­ five minutes. Lie back down.¡±


    I did. For five minutes, we remained in silence. After the time psed, he got to his feet and headed for the door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I blurted out.


    He slowly turned, one brow raised in enquiry. ¡°What?¡±


    I bit my lip, unsure of how to answer. The truth was that I couldn¡¯t bear for him to leave me now.


    I made my voice as small as possible. ¡°Can you please stay a little while longer?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°Not really but I still feel a little woozy,¡± I lied. I squinted at him. ¡°I can¡¯t even see you very clearly. There¡¯s like two of you. I¡¯m not used to feeling this way. It¡¯s very unsettling and I needpany.¡±


    Without a word, Damian resumed his seat. He shifted his chair a little so he could stare out of the window. Though he was physically present, with each passing second, I could feel him slipping away, going into that ce where no one could touch him. Now that I had managed to get him to stay with me, I didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of the time I had with him just sitting here in awkward silence.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I was a mess before I met him, you know?¡± I said.


    By the slight squaring of Damian¡¯s shoulders, even though he did not turn, I knew I had piqued his interest. I went on before I could lose momentum. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Noah.¡±


    With an air of resignation, he slowly turned to face me.


    ¡°Before him, I was a mess,¡± I repeated. ¡°I had nothing. I was a nobody, and rtionships¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°I was really unlucky in rtionships too, and then he came along; blue eyed, ck haired, perfect guy, and at first I couldn¡¯t believe that he was actually interested in me. Even when he said he wanted to date me, I felt that it was some kind of trick, that he was having me on for some reason.¡± I raised my head to nce at Damian, and found him staring intently at me. I flushed as I lowered my gaze once more. I now felt somewhat embarrassed at talking about this episode of my life, but I had gone too far to stop now. ¡°And then Noah and I had a whirlwind engagement. After that, we got married and I felt like a fairy tale princess. Everything was perfect until¡­ well you know what happened.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Want to know the most embarrassing part?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Damian said quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not over him. I think of him all the time. I remember how- how happy we were, and I wonder when exactly everything started going to pieces. Even now, I wish he would realize the mistake he made and take me back. I would go to him without hesitation. I¡¯m pathetic, I know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Damian said firmly. Surprised at his defense of me, I looked up. He met my stare, his gaze unwavering. ¡°Noah is the pathetic one. Noah wasn¡¯t worthy of you, trust me. You deserve someone better than him, someone who wouldn¡¯t abandon ship after just two years of marriage, and that is the honest truth, Amelia. I¡¯m not a man to love or want marriage but I believe inmitment. I value promises. If I have promised to love you forever, I would do so regardless of whatever happens. Noah is simply a coward.¡±


    Damian¡¯s words were sincere. That much was obvious. His words were just what I wanted to hear. I flung back the covers, scrambled off the bed and in gratitude, hugged him tightly.

 Chapter 009

    DAMIAN


    THREE DAYS LATER


    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir,¡± the driver said, his voice bringing me out of my swirling thoughts.


    I opened my eyes to see that the jeep came to a stop in front of the hotel. Finally! I breathed a sigh of relief. I fiddled with my tie and loosened it a little. Today¡¯s conference had been more tedious and tasking than the others, and I had to keep up with everything that was said and done.


    But it was the final day of the three day business conference, thank goodness! All I wanted now was a long, cold shower, a lot of rest and then perhaps something to eat. I got down and headed straight for the elevator. I got a bit irritated when I found that it was in use. I nced towards the stairs, but I was too tired to climb up them all the way up to the fourth floor where my room was.


    I fidgeted, transferred my briefcase from one hand to the other as I watched the elevator¡¯s panel. Finally, the doors opened and I was face to face with none other than Noah. My fingers clenched on the handle of my briefcase as we stared at each other.


    ¡°Well, well. Who do we have here?¡± he drawled. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the famous Damian Donovan.¡±


    I clenched my teeth to stop myself from answering him. I wouldn¡¯t exchange words with him, not if I could help it. The elevator¡¯s doors began to close. He leaned casually against the walls and pressed a button, keeping the lift open. He showed no signs of stepping out of it. I turned away. It looked like I was going to have to use the stairs after all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run away,¡± he called after me. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you, and ask you one or two questions. Besides, you didn¡¯t even say hi. Where are you in such a hurry to anyway?¡±


    All I could think of as I walked away was my conversation with Amelia three days ago. How she told me that she hadn¡¯t gotten over Noah, her prick of a husband who cheated on her with her best friend.


    All I could see was the pain in her eyes as she opened up a bit of her life. The way I could see her struggling with her emotions because of a man who didn¡¯t deserve her.


    I decided to push those thoughts and feelings away. Noah wasn¡¯t going to get to me. I wouldn¡¯t let him rile me up and embarrass me.


    I took the stairs two at a time, all the while reminding myself to ignore him. I was surprised, when after a few seconds, I heard him running up the stairs, close behind me. I stopped at the first floor and waited for him to pass¡­ hopefully. He came to a stop right in front me.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I growled.


    He shrugged. ¡°Nothing really. I just wanted to chat, to ask questions like I said before. So¡­ how¡¯s your er- marriage to Ameliaing along? Was she everything you expected? Did she taste good?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business now, is it? I really don¡¯t have time to exchange words with you.¡±


    I turned away, but the man was relentless. He kept following me. I lengthened my strides. ¡°You¡¯re not going to answer that one? Too bad. Okay, how about this. Were you so unliked and desperate that you decided to settle for no other woman than that worthless piece of trash?¡±


    With a foot on the first stair, I froze, faced him. He too had stopped a few paces away from me. He regarded me coolly.


    ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± I asked him quietly.


    ¡°You heard me right, Damian. I¡¯m quite sure you aren¡¯t deaf. I was asking if you were so desperate to get married that you decided to have my sloppy seconds.¡± He grabbed at his crotch suggestively and grinned.


    A switch went off in my head and I lost it. I flung my briefcase away. I heard a thud and a scream. It had probably hit someone, but I didn¡¯t care. I had eyes only for the son of a bitch standing there, smirking, smug in the knowledge that he had sessfully goaded me.


    I bent and rushed towards him. His eyes widened when he saw my intention. Before he could take a defensive posture, I headbutted him in the stomach. He went down with a crash. His grunt of pain was sweet music to my ears. In an instant, I had him t on his back. Without hesitation, I hit him on the jaw. His head shifted to the side.


    ¡°You piece of shit!¡± he yelled. ¡°You hit me.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll hit you again and again,¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°Stop!¡± yelled a voice from behind us.


    I felt a hand grip my jacket. I shrugged it off. Momentster, there were rapid footsteps descending the stairs. Noah put up his hand to protect his face and I used the opportunity to give him two blows in rapid session on his ribs. Heshed out. His first hit went wide, merely stung my ear a little. The second blownded on my eye. When I pped a hand to it, Noah pressed his advantage. He began throwing punches and seeded in throwing me off him. I fell backwards and then we became a tangle of arms and legs. Without letting up, I kept throwing punches, giving as good as I got.


    In the next few seconds, there was a confusion of sounds; people running, shouting, yelling. A pair of hands gripped my shoulders and I was hauled off Noah. I drew back my foot and gave him a savage kick in the groin as hey bruised and bleeding. He screamed and clutched at his balls, tears of pain springing to his eyes. Vaguely, I noticed that a small group of gawkers had also arrived at the scene.


    ¡°Sir, please! Comport yourself,¡± said one of the men who was dressed in the uniform of the hotel¡¯s security.


    Scowling, I shrugged and attempted to shrug off their hold on my arm.


    ¡°Take your hands off me,¡± I growled at the guard who had spoken.


    He hesitated, shot a questioning look at his colleague who held onto my other arm. The other one nodded. Slowly, they took their hands off me, but stood alert and ready to intervene if I decided to lunge at Noah again. I straightened my suit and watched as Noah was helped to his feet by two of the security detail.


    Noah darted forward but a guard swung his arm out and caught him heavily in the chest.


    I crooked a finger at Noah. ¡°Come on, then. Give me an excuse to smash your ballspletely.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± the guard beside me cried, pulling his cap off in exasperation and pping it against his thigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± another guard asked.


    Noah and I, ring at each other, maintained a stony silence.


    The guard sighed. ¡°Fine then. Pleasee this way.¡±


    They escorted us to the security post. One of the guards had a few words with a big, beefy man who seemed to be the head of security. Another guard handed Noah an ice pack for his swollen eye which he vehemently refused.


    The beefy guy listened, nodded and approached Noah and I. ¡°Well, gentlemen. I¡¯m sorry but after this unfortunate incident, we can¡¯t let you both go on staying at the hotel¡­ at least for now.¡± He handed us paper and pens. ¡°Please, give me the phone numbers of anyone who cane right now to pick you up.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I wrote down Amelia¡¯s number. Noah dictated Lucy¡¯s, as he was still too shaken up to write.


    ¡°Your wife is here,¡± the man said to me after a while, then turned to Noah. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to get through to yours.¡±


    I left the security post and saw Amelia and my driver just getting out of the car. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and widened further when she saw Noah who stormed past us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive myself,¡± he yelled over his shoulder in response to a query of a guard.


    Noah nced over at us, flushed in embarrassment and lengthened his strides. He seemed to shrink into himself as he hurried to his car and zoomed off. I got in, leaned against the seat gratefully and closed my eyes as the car pulled away.


    ¡°Thanks, Amelia foring so soon,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°You¡¯re thanking me?¡± she shrieked. ¡°You should be apologizing, Damian!¡±


    I regarded her with one aching eye. ¡°Why?¡±


    She threw up her hands in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking me why? At home, I received a call that you were involved in a fist fight with my ex-husband in a hotel in full view of everyone, and then I arrived to see you like this. My goodness! What will people say? The CEO of a firm worth billions engaged in a fist fight in public and looking like he¡¯s been fed through a mangler-¡®


    ¡°You should take a closer look at Noah. He looks like he¡¯s been run-over by a truck.¡±


    ¡°Damian! You¡¯re not even sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± I scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it again and again.¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she shouted. ¡°Do you know you could have gotten hurt? And what did Noah do? Why did you have to hit him like that? You told me to make this marriage believable but you¡¯re acting like this in public!¡±


    ¡°Well, this is more believable than you can imagine.¡± I stole a nce at her and realized she was upset. But I could tell she wasn¡¯t upset about the fight. She simply cared about Noah more than she would admit it. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him out of proportion. He deserved what he got.¡±


    ¡°They are other alternatives to fights. You should have done something other than attacking him in¡­¡±


    ¡°And what the hell did you expect me to do? Huh? How could I just stand there, not doing anything when he called you trash and talked about you like- like you were some kind of whore? How on earth could I stomach that?¡±


    ¡°Whawhat?¡± She stammered.


    ¡°Yes, you heard me right.¡± I fired. ¡°The man you¡¯re so obsessed with doesn¡¯t care about you. Hell, he¡¯s going around telling everyone you¡¯re a slut! So let me assure you of one thing; the next time I see him and he attempts to say one nasty word about you, I¡¯ll remove his jaw bone and beat him up with it.¡±

 Chapter 010

    AMELIA


    I drove Damian back home, and my mind was conflicted with thoughts. Did he fight Noah because he insulted me? Initially, I believed it was because of a business deal or something. But the anger in Damian¡¯s eyes when he told me what caused the misunderstanding couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    I wanted to pretend that it didn¡¯t mean anything to me. That defending me in front of Noah was just his usual job as my fake husband. But it was more than that. He¡¯d put his reputation on the line because of me. He¡¯d dropped his usual unbothered act to defend me, which meant a lot to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to get into that fight with Noah,¡± I said as we walked into the sitting room. He didn¡¯t look bad, unlike Noah. But he was fuming. ¡°I thought you fought him because of a business deal. He deserved what he got.¡±


    ¡°I would never stoop so low to confront him over a business deal. I¡¯m far superior to him, and I would never lose an offer to him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I sighed, feelingpletely awkward. I was torn between supporting my fake husband and my ex-husband. ¡°Should I serve you lunch? I made¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He cut me off abruptly. ¡°I won¡¯t have anything, and stay away from my room.¡± He rose to his feet and strolled away before I could even reply. The hard bang of his door told me everything I needed to know: to stay away from him till he cooled off.


    *********************


    I was skimming the contents of a book when a door came on my door. Before I could stand up, Damian came in. With his briefcase in his hand, he was set to go to work. He had not spoken to me for hours, and I didn¡¯t bother to disturb him.


    I had left him dinner on the dining table, hoping he would leave his room to eat, but he didn¡¯t. Whatever happened between him and Noah really pissed him off.


    ¡°Are you nning on sitting here all day?¡± he asked.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯ve refused to speak to me. What else should I do?¡±


    ¡°You have been doing this for quite a while now, being cooped up in the house. I recall telling you this is certainly not the way to go. I gave you a suggestion, or didn¡¯t I say something of that sort?¡±


    He had, and I remembered it all too well. But if our marriage was all about silent treatment for hours, I was not interested in spending a dime of his money.


    ¡°I have no interest in spending your money, Damian. The main reason I agreed to marry you was to get my revenge on Noah. The money¡­ your money was just a secondary consideration.¡±


    ¡°And why should it be? I¡¯ve told you before that money is not my problem. You can find several expensive amusements to help you pass the time.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Doing that doesn¡¯t appeal to me.¡±


    ¡°But it has to.¡± I frowned and moved impatiently. ¡°Now, let me put it this way. Because of my sess, I¡¯m always in the public eye. That means you, as my wife, are also in the public eye. Now, don¡¯t you think it will raise many eyebrows if my wife doesn¡¯t at least make a show of spending my money? People might guess that our union is just a sham. I¡¯m guessing you wouldn¡¯t want that, would you?¡±


    When I put it in that light, I had to admit he was right. Some lucky, nosy reporter might get wind of the fact that we had a contract marriage, and our n would blow up in our faces.


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Damian said quietly just before he left.


    I thought about it all through that long morning. Several ideas came, but I discarded them all. The one I felt that I could perhaps pull off was hosting a small house party. With the help of the inte, I made a list of all the things I would need. After my list, I called the caterers, florists, decorators, and the rest. Keeping Damian¡¯s suggestion in mind, I ordered the most expensive items while making sure that they fit the picture of what I needed.


    I was pleasantly surprised that the evening time had flown by so quickly, and I was not even done with all the arrangements.


    ¡°Decided on something to do?¡± Damian asked after he returned from work as he passed the living room where I was sitting and resting.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m hosting a small house party,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Good for you,¡± he returned, not pausing on his way up the stairs.


    Early the following day, I was up. I showered, ate, dressed, and left the house, first for the florists. I wanted to see firsthand what I was paying for with my money. Well, technically, with Damien¡¯s money. After the florists, I went to several other ces. The arrangements for the house party took about a week. The man in charge of the decorations rmended a ssy boutique, and it was there I fell in love with a strapless dinner gown, outrageously expensive, but which I paid for without batting an eye.


    The day of the house party came, and I was pretty nervous. I had invited Damian¡¯s closest business associates, and he, in turn, had invited a handful of wealthy nosey parkers who he said had to be present so that they woulde, witness, and spread the impression of a closely knit couple that Damian and I were trying to give.


    There were just over twenty invitees.


    Everything was in order a couple of hours before the party. I saw to that. The dining table groaned under the weight of several delicious dishes. The servers flitted here and there, getting ready to carry out their functions for the evening.


    And then the doorbell rang. I frowned and checked my watch. The party was due to start at 7 p. m., a full hour before the time. For what felt like the umpteenth time, I smoothed out my dress and went to get the door.


    The fixed smile on my face slipped a little when I saw the unfamiliar trio at the doorstep. Long before the party, I had noted the faces and memorized all my guests¡¯ names, but I didn¡¯t know who these people were.


    ¡°Hello. Good evening¡­¡± I paused, unsure of how to address the trio. Thankfully, Damian came to my rescue at that moment.


    ¡°Good evening, Ken, Matt, Elle,¡± he said smoothly, nodding to each of the men in turn, shaking them. He kissed the woman¡¯s hand. She simpered and batted hershes even though she had to be sixty at least. ¡°Come right in.¡±


    Keeping a hand on the small of my back, Damian threw the door open with the other.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee to our home,¡± I said, taking Damian¡¯s cue.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± the men chorused.


    The woman merely regarded me with a critical eye.


    Damian smoothly made the introductions.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you finally,¡± said Matt, who seemed to be a friendly sort. ¡°A little bird told me- us of the party, and we decided to crash the party. I hope you won¡¯t send us on our way.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Iughed. ¡°You are more than wee to stay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I moved to shut the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll advise you to leave it,¡± he said. ¡°I suspect that lots of other gatecrashers are going toe rushing through that door soon enough.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Rushing? Oh, I don¡¯t think so. No one will go through trouble just to attend my little party.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if the food is any good,¡± said Elle, and she promptly marched off haughtily with her nose in the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the old crone. She wants to see if you¡¯re worthy of the money you married into,¡± said Matt, tipping me a conspirational wink.


    I flushed at his indiscretion.


    ¡°Matt!¡± Ken eximed and elbowed him in the ribs.


    Beside me, Damian chuckled.


    Matt grinned unashamedly, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t embarrass you, Amelia.¡± He started to walk away, then stopped. ¡°Oh, and er- the stuff I said about our dear Elle, you won¡¯t say anything to her about it, right?¡±


    I assumed a stern expression and leaned close. Something like worry flickered across Matt¡¯s face.


    Then I winked and whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Matt stared. He and Ken burst intoughter.


    ¡°I like your wife, Damian. She¡¯s really something,¡± said Matt, still chuckling.


    ¡°I like her too,¡± Damian said quietly with a nce at me.


    Ken and Matt drifted away to join Elle. I signaled to Damian to follow me. I stopped in the corridor, out of earshot of everyone, and turned to face him.


    ¡°Did you invite them?¡± I asked, pitching my voice low.


    Damian shook his head. ¡°No. I certainly didn¡¯t. I¡¯m as surprised as you are that they showed up here. Anyway, those three are really big in the oil industry¡­ some will say the biggest.¡±


    My anxiety went up a notch. Entertaining oil magnates? I certainly hoped I had done everything right. The doorbell rang again, and I hurried off to get it. It was some of our actual guests.


    At a few minutes to 7, Matt¡¯s prediction came through. A lot of people not on the guest list showed up.  They were all very important people in the city.


    I was surprised at how quickly I adjusted to the fact that I was entertaining a lot more people than I had expected. I promptly arranged for more food and drinks, which arrived soon enough.


    I circted among the guests, talking, chatting,ughing, and drifting away graciously when the talk became too personal. Matt, who I seemed to have charmed, insisted on reintroducing me to everyone.


    He seemed to be liked and respected by all, and when it became evident that he approved of me, everyone else seemed to do so. Thedies present loved my dress, and for a pleasant half hour, we talked about clothes and designers. It was almost midnight when thest guests left somewhat reluctantly. A tipsy Elle was among this group.


    I was surprised when she drew me aside as Damian, and I saw them off. She sped my hand warmly.


    ¡°You do know how to throw a party, dear,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I had so much fun. Do invite me to the next party you throw.¡±


    With a friendly wave, she left in her limo, and I went in, pleased and surprised at how I had sessfully pulled this off.


    ¡°You were amazing tonight,¡± Damian said immediately after we were alone. I blushed, happy that he was impressed with the party. ¡°Good night.¡± His lips curved into a small smile before he went to his room.


    ¡°You¡¯re a genius,¡± I muttered, a broad smile drawn across my lips.


    *************


    I groaned as I heard a constant knock on my door. My eyes fluttered open, and I nced at the clock. It was past 10 am, but it felt like it was still 4 am. The party had utterly drained me of my energy.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said with a yawn.


    Damian walked in, for the first time, looking happy about something.


    ¡°Read this,¡± he said, handing a newspaper to me. I blinked rapidly as I tried to read the pages with blurry eyes.


    Sshed across the front page was my picture and a write-up about my housewarming party¡¯s sess.


    ¡°You are all over the TV, magazines, blogs, you name it. The whole country is talking about you and your exquisite taste,¡± Damian said. ¡°Congrattions, Amelia.¡±

 Chapter 011

    AMELIA


    For almost a whole week after the house party, I was still a major news item in the entertainment section of magazines, newspapers, and blogs. There were talks and spections on when and if ever I was going to host another party, and if so, who was going to be on the invitation list.


    I didn¡¯t want to pander to the public¡¯s wishes, not really. Still, afterzying about mostly at home with nothing to do and remembering how very in my element I was while preparing for the house party, I decided to host another one. But this time, I would take it further, and it would be a big party.


    A color-themed party was what I opted for, and I began preparations right away. Thankfully, Damian¡¯s sprawling mansion had enough space to amodate any other would-be party crashers. How easy it was for me to organize everything still amazed me.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a natural at organizing events, Ms. Donovan,¡± said the foreign chef I had hired when she and her assistants stepped into the grounds and saw the extent of the decorations.


    Though everyone I worked with on the party project had assured me everything was picture-perfect, I still could not help feeling nervous when the party day arrived. Perhaps thest event was a fluke, and I had just gotten lucky. Perhaps people had just been curious to know and meet Damian¡¯s new wife, so they wouldn¡¯t bothering now that their curiosity was satisfied. These thoughts were not likely to be true. I knew that, but I supposed it would take time for me to get over what Noah¡¯s rejection had done to my psyche.


    I didn¡¯t really have much time to second-guess myself. Luxury cars conveying the guests began to arrive an hour before the time ted for the event. There were many faces that I didn¡¯t recognize, and I began to mingle, trying to get to know everyone or at least giving the appearance of sessfully doing so.


    Thedies and even some men oohed and aahed over my dress, a floor-length sequinned number. The paparazzi were also present at the party, which went on far into the night. I didn¡¯t expect it to be a huge sess, but at the end of the night, I was impressed with myself.


    The following day, Damian ced a glossy magazine on the breakfast table before me. He had a slight smile on his face, one he usually gave me whenever he was impressed.


    ¡°Apparently, you¡¯re a smashing sess,¡± he said matter-of-factly, but I was sure I detected a hint of pride in his voice.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± He didn¡¯t know how much his praises meant to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to work now. Have a great day.¡± He said before leaving.


    All through that day, I saw myself on the television, in newspapers and magazines, and got a lot of tags on my social media ounts, hailing me as a virtuoso of hosting parties and nning events. Apparently, my party had gained better recognition than any other event held that year. I got an email from one of the biggest advertisingpanies in the city.


    I found my eyes constantly reading the second paragraph part of which read,


    ¡­ following the amazing sess of the parties you have hosted, we are confident you have a natural ir for it. So, we would love for you to sign a contract with us to host parties for the employees of our firm¡­.


    My gaze drifted to the next paragraph, where they included their offer for my services. The amount offered literally made me rock back on my heels and whistle. I blinked and reread it. Thepany was ready to pay me a fortune to host their events.


    The email made my day. It made me feel like I wasn¡¯t just the trophy wife of a billionaire. It turned out that I was useful for something after all. I was somewhat surprised when Damian sought me out in my room after he had returned from workter that day.


    ¡°Got a moment?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I sat up and faced him.


    He removed his jacket and perched on the dresser close to the door. Just then, his phone rang. He held up a finger.


    ¡°Please, excuse me while I take this,¡± he said quietly. He picked up the phone and listened. ¡°Yes, yes¡­. No, I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± He nced over at me. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s right here, and I will tell her. But only if you get off the phone first,¡± he added good-humouredly.


    ¡°Was whoever it was talking about me?¡± I asked as soon as he dropped the call.


    ¡°Yes, he was, and that was what I wanted to talk to you about. At work today, I got a surprise visit from most of my business partners. They¡¯ve been keenly following your sess as a hostess all over the media, and they came to me with a proposal.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They want you to host a party for them, an borate one. They are willing to pay you an impressive fee for your service. The amount they are willing to pay is subject to negotiation, of course.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread all over my face.


    ¡°Your business partners?¡± I asked. Damian nodded. ¡°Wow. That means this offer is huge.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Damian allowed. ¡°My partners wanted me to run the offer by you to make you more inclined to ept before you start getting offers from others¡­¡± He trailed off and studied my face closely. ¡°You¡¯ve already begun getting offers?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I got one this morning.¡±


    ¡°Good for you. I expect you¡¯ll get more before the week is over. Everyone everywhere is talking about your skills at putting parties together. So, are you going to take up my partner¡¯s offer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and let you know.¡±


    True to Damian¡¯s words, I got several offers from brands andpanies the very next day, and they just kepting. I decided to take up some of the offers. Again, I was besieged by requests to throw another grand party, and I obliged. The party eclipsed the former ones and made a buzz as a major event.


    *****************


    NOAH


    Amelia! Hearing her name alone left a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately for me, her name was all I ever heard these days on the news, the television, social media, and on the lips of all the blind fools who saw her as a rising star in the world of event nning and management. I hastily exited the post that had been made about her, which someone had tagged me to. The post said something about her hosting a party at an event center tonight. I flung my phone on the center table.


    I plopped down on the sofa and turned on the television, ready to interest myself in the business news. On came a news headlines about the changes in the stock market. Next came a video of Amelia hosting a party at her home, surrounded by a flock of admirers. The broadcaster doing the voice-over spieled how the new Mrs. Donovan was currently swamped by big multinationalpanies asking her to host their events.


    I had a sudden, mad impulse to hurl the remote control through the television. With a lot of effort, I mastered my emotions and turned off the TV set, and the yammering of the reporter ceased. The thing was that I could not unsee the stats showing how sessful Amelia had be.


    I shot to my feet and stomped to the fridge, got out a case of beer, and methodically set about drinking it. I cursed Amelia with every sip I took.


    ¡°Hi honey, I¡¯m home,¡± Lucy called about an hour as she walked through the front door.


    She stopped short when she caught sight of me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking?¡± she gasped. ¡°Why Noah?¡±


    ¡°It was just a few drinks. Nothing more,¡± I growled.


    I got to my feet and swayed a little. I had suddenly decided to attend Amelia¡¯s stupid party to see what all the bloody fuss was about.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± Lucy eximed. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    I felt a sudden sharp stab of annoyance at Lucy. Did she always have to state the obvious? And does she have to act like my mother? She had no right to question my choices or even tell me what to do. She put out a hand to steady me. I shook it off.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to police me over alcohol.¡±


    I shuffled to my room and threw on the clothes I had worn to work this morning. I grabbed my keys and headed out. Lucy still stood where I had left her. She looked at me worriedly.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°To the party Amelia is hosting tonight,¡± I replied after some hesitation.


    She gaped at me. ¡°But why? What are you going to do there?¡±


    ¡°I want to see firsthand what all the fuss about her stupid parties is about. I¡¯m sure Damian must have paid those reporters to hype her and make her out to be more sessful than she really is.¡±


    ¡°But Noah. Please think this through. You¡¯re drunk-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯m standing on my own two feet, right?¡±


    ¡°But- but you weren¡¯t invited. They¡¯ll throw you out. They¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them try,¡± I said darkly.


    I sidestepped Lucy and walked out the door as she called after me.

 Chapter 012

    NOAH


    I lengthened my strides, and got into the car and zoomed off before Lucy could think of doing something stupid like following me. Just before I drove past the house, I heard her yell something about me being too drunk to drive.


    I supposed I was, but I didn¡¯t give a damn. I drove with the car windows all wide open to help clear my head. Amelia¡¯s party was held at an event center I had been to for a business luncheon, but it was hard to recognize it as the same ce. The decorations she had put up for the event had changed the whole outlook of the ce. The parking lot was full of cars and I was barely able to find a parking spot. I mmed the car door and stomped towards the entrance. The bouncer recognized me at once and hestitantly allowed me to go in. Lucy was wrong after all. I was not getting thrown out. I was bigger and better than that imposter, Damian. My name and face would get me through any door.


    The number of cars outside had told the right tale of attendance at the party. The ce was teeming with people.


    ¡°Something to drink, sir?¡± asked a waiter who stopped close to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I growled at him, nodding to the tray of drinks he carried.


    His face rxed into a polite smile. ¡°Sir, this is one of the finest-¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡± I snagged a ss off his tray and gestured for him to beat it.


    He flushed and stared hard at me. I wished so badly that he would react and give me an excuse to punch and hit something, like I had wanted to do after I saw the news item on Amelia. If he hit me first, I could use Amelia of hiring unprofessional shits to wait at her party. After a second or two, the waiter slunk away like the wimp he was. I tipped my head back and drained the ss. The drink burned going down. It gave me a pleasant kick in my stomach, warmed my insides. It was really something good enough for a man to get drunk on. Pity I couldn¡¯t have more. I had to keep a clear head to do something that would put Amelia in her ce. I had a vague idea of sabotaging the party. I was sure that my n would take shape as the evening wore on.


    I walked around, avoiding people who looked like they wanted to engage me in conversation, and then I saw her- Amelia, dressed in a ck, clingy velvet dress, surrounded by a flock of admirers who talked andughed at what she said while the band yed a slow number. I kept watching her as she broke off from her group, mounted the dias. The band stopped ying immediately and she made a toast, smiling at everyone like she was the bloody queen and we were her subjects. The crowd seemed quite taken with her.


    They all raised their sses to toast and I grabbed another ss of wine from a circting waiter. Unable to help myself, I kept drinking as my eyes followed her around. Drinking was the only way I could keep sane.


    My opportunity to get that smug, self-satisfied look off her face came when she went to greet some neers quite close to the buffet table. I went closer on unsteady feet. I was already beginning to regret myst drink. Was it the eight or ninth? I couldn¡¯t remember. I shook my head. It didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    I stood there for a while and when I was sure that no one was looking, I quickly transferred the contents of some dishes into others, used a serving spoon to mix them up so they looked quite messy. Then I dished some chicken onto a te, moved away and took a slow, deliberate bite.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I yelled loud enough for everyone in the immediate vicinity to hear me.


    I spat out the piece of chicken I had eaten into my handkerchief and flung it on the floor. Amelia and those had been talking to focused their attention on me. Amelia looked surprised to see me, shocked even.


    ¡°Noah,¡± she said, taking a tentative step towards me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°I should be asking what on earth you¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    Amelia, wide-eyed, looked around at the captive audience as though looking for some sort of exnation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t understand,¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°Are you trying to poison everyone here? The chicken I just bit into is positively rancid, not even fit for a dog to eat. It wasn¡¯t even properly cooked. I tasted blood as soon as I had a bite.¡± I heard the tter as arge woman dropped the te she was about to dish some food into. I suppressed a smile as some of the guests began to murmur. ¡°Are you trying to poison everyone here? Huh? Don¡¯t you know that as the hostess, you¡¯re directly responsible for your guests? You can¡¯t get away with serving spoilt food at this kind of event.¡±


    Amelia kept shaking her head. ¡°Noah, what you said can¡¯t be-¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to call me a liar?¡± I looked around in an attempt to hold their gazes. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t someone else take a close look at this poison Amelia calls food? I¡¯m willing to bet that piece of bloody chicken I ate isn¡¯t all that¡¯s spoilt here.¡±


    I took a couple of steps towards the buffet table, paused when the table seemed to double and triple. I took another step, then another. I was within an inch of the table when the room spun.


    ¡°Someone grab him,¡± I heard someone yell from behind me.


    I staggered, put out a hand to steady myself. I ended up grabbing the table cloth, bringing the heavy dishes, tes, sses crashing down on the floor, and then I fell,nding hard on my ass among the spilled food. Someone screamed at the tremendous crash. A few othersughed, then stopped. I was so stunned that I couldn¡¯t move for a moment. I blinked, looked around stupidly.


    Amelia gasped, darted forward to help me up. ¡°Oh. Noah. I¡¯m so sorry. Let me help you up.¡±


    I knocked off her hand when she touched my arm. Her touch literally made my skin crawl. I shoved her away from me and stumbled to my feet. Gravy dripped from my pants to the floor.


    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself, you whore,¡± I yelled, beside myself with anger. ¡°Everyone here knows you for what you are, even though they pretend not to. You¡¯re just ying at being a hostess but in reality, you¡¯re no better than a fucking tart, hopping from one wealthy man¡¯s bed to another just to elevate your social status.¡±


    **********************


    AMELIA


    I swore to myself that I wouldn¡¯t cry, but then Noah¡¯s words felt like daggers piercing through my heart. The entire room was as silent as the grave. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the Noah and I. With his hate filled eyes ring at me, Noah dusted his clothes.


    He sneered.¡±Remember Amelia that a pig will always be a pig, and a whore, a whore.¡±


    My breath hitched. As the tears began to fall, I turned and ran. I elbowed my way past people who tried to stop me. Finally, I got outside. I paused only long enough to take off my heels before darting into my car and driving away.


    **********************


    DAMIAN


    Amelia burst through the door and I jumped to my feet, startled. Tears ran down her face. She ran all the way to her room.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I called, knocking on her door.


    When she didn¡¯t answer, I pushed the door open and peered in. She sat on her bed, her face buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrobly. I sat on the other side of the bed.


    ¡°Amelia. What happened? Talk to me. Did something go wrong at the party? Amelia?¡± I repeated when she didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s Noah,¡± she wailed. ¡°He showed up at the party drunk and tried to make everyone believe the food the guests were served had gone bad. He- he fell over. I tried to help him up and- and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to relive it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°He pushed me away. He called me an opportunist, a whore in front of all those people.¡±


    Again, she burst into tears. I handed her a handkerchief.


    ¡°You¡¯re none of those things, Amelia. So don¡¯t let him get to you. Do you understand me?¡±


    She raised her tear streaked face and nodded glumly. I wished I could take her in my arms andfort her properly. I folded my hands in myp to stop myself from doing that.


    ¡°Clean your tears,¡± I murmured. ¡°He¡¯s just bitter and jealous of you and that¡¯s why he¡¯s attacking you at every turn.¡±


    She cleaned her eyes, handed back the handkerchief. Our fingers touched. She shifted close. Her lips parted as it slowly approached mine but I turned my head away. Not today.

 Chapter 013

    AMELIA


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered and pulled away.


    Damian nodded politely but said nothing. I felt my face flush in shame. Damn! I was such a fool. What had I been thinking, attempting to kiss Damian? He had made it quite clear that he wanted no form of physical intimacy with me. Why couldn¡¯t I reason or act responsibly around him?


    It was just that he had sounded so kind, so sincere, and pissed at what Noah had done that I had allowed myself to imagine that we were about to have something romantic. Damian looked everywhere in the room but not at me. I felt annoyed at myself for causing him this much embarrassment. No doubt, from now on, he would be extremely wary ofing close to me whenever I was in an emotionally vulnerable state.


    I mbered off the bed, wanting to get as far away from him as possible so I could stew in my shame. Then I just stood there as I recalled being in my room. Maybe I could escape to another part of the house. Damian sensed my distress. He got off the bed.


    ¡°You get some rest, Amelia,¡± he said, still without looking at me. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Without turning, he left. I red at the retreating back and then at the door, which he shut gently behind him. I felt a slight ripple of anger at Damian. Would it kill him even to feign some tenderness for me?


    But then, why was I getting upset at him? It was Noah, after all, who had reduced me to a blubbering mess. I sighed. I felt a lot of things. But I didn¡¯t have any right to be upset with Damian. We had a deal, after all: no feelings or romantic entanglement.


    I drifted to the open window and tried to sort out my feelings. I was hurt, angry, and embarrassed, but mostly, I felt stupid, really stupid, for pathetically trying to get Damian to kiss me. One thing was certain, though- I needed to numb that feeling, preferably with a drink.


    After the spectacle I had made of myself thest time I had gotten drunk at home, I felt sure Damian would have a lot to say if he saw me drinking here. I would have to do my drinking at a bar. I washed my face, changed into something casual, and headed out. I caught myself almost walking on tiptoes as I approached the living room. I rxed when I didn¡¯t see Damian. I was not sure I could bear to face him again this evening.


    The bar I went to was a regr one, nothing fancy, not too far from the house. I didn¡¯t want the risk of running into someone I knew or any rapidly growing acquaintances I had been getting since I had begun hosting events. Tonight, I just wanted to be Amelia, not Mrs Donovan.


    On the narrow sidewalk, a guy and three womenden with shopping bags, moving fast, walked towards me. The guy, spotting me, stepped aside from his back to a storefront and gestured for me to pass. I nodded my thanks and noticed that the guy, a boy in his teens, gave me an appreciative nce as I passed by.


    The bar had just a handful of customers, considering thete hour. Heads turned in my direction when I pushed the door open. That was all the attention I got as all returned to nursing their drinks.


    ¡°What will you have, ma¡¯am?¡± the bartender asked as I climbed onto the stool.


    ¡°A martini,¡± I replied promptly.


    He nodded, poured the drink, and slid it over to me. I grabbed it before it slid over to me and emptied the ss in two long gulps. I began to drink more slowly when I was on my fourth martini.


    Hourster, I left the bar, not exactly drunk but tipsy. Sadly, the alcohol had not done much to elevate my mood as I had hoped. There were only a couple of customers at the bar now, and one looked like he was passed out. A pleasantly chilly wind was blowing outside. I was strolling in the general direction of the house, in no hurry, when I heard loudughter up ahead. About four teenagers were sheltering in front of a closed store.


    ¡°Hello,¡± one of them called just as I was about to walk past the closed store.


    I stopped, turned, and saw that one of the boys had detached himself from the others. His hand was raised in a wave, and he smiled familiarly at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± he said.


    He strolled with light, effortless grace towards me. He still kept smiling down at me. He looked vaguely familiar.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said again. ¡°I saw you earlier this evening on your way to the bar. You seemed to be in a hurry then.¡±


    Then I recognized him- the guy who had let me pass, preventing me from getting jostled by the hurrying women with the shopping bags.


    ¡°Oh. Yes. I remember you,¡± I said.


    I was about to continue when he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to take up your time, but as soon as I saw you, I couldn¡¯t help wishing we could be properly introduced.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I raised a brow. ¡°Introduced?¡±


    ¡°I mean no offense,¡± he said, smiling shyly. ¡°You know, I never thought I would get the opportunity to see you again talk less of even speaking with you because you are so obviously out of my league.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯m out of your league?¡± I asked, curious in spite of myself.


    ¡°Well, for one, you¡¯re far too pretty.¡±


    ¡°Too pretty for the likes of you,¡± one of the boys called.


    The othersughed uproariously. I blushed at thepliment. The other boy gave me a friendly wave. After some hesitation, I waved back, and then the other two waved enthusiastically at me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to forward, I hope,¡± the first boy said, carefully studying my expression. ¡°Is this the part where you hit me in the face with your purse and tell me to get lost?¡±


    I smiled in spite of myself. ¡°No, I¡¯ll skip that part today.¡±


    He chuckled. He gestured in the direction of his friends. ¡°Hey, want to meet my friends? They are pretty cool, but they can be annoying sometimes. They don¡¯t bite,¡± he said, noticing my hesitation.


    I shrugged and followed him there. I shouldn¡¯t have, but like they say, alcohol never does anyone good.


    ¡°Hello again,¡± said the first boy, darting forward and shaking my hand warmly, closely followed by the others.


    The boys were all tall, good-looking, in theirte teens.


    ¡°You¡¯re the prettiest girl Ray here has ever said two words to,¡± the shortest of them said with a nce at the boy who had first approached me.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± chipped in another. ¡°He¡¯s usually tongue-tied around beautiful and stunningdies such as yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment. You lot aren¡¯t bad-looking,¡± I replied, feeling my mood lift.


    Being called beautiful, even though by teenagers, felt good. Flirting for the first time in a very long while felt great. I found myself rxing further as the boys ribbed each other. Iughed at their jokes, feeling good at being the center of attention, and then my gaze fell on my watch a whileter. I gasped as I saw howte it was.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been fun talking, but I have to go. It¡¯s quitete.¡±


    They gave a collective groan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± pleaded Ray.


    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to. I¡¯ll see you guys around, I guess. Bye.¡±


    I stepped forward and suddenly found one of them blocking my advance.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, shocked.


    ¡°We insist that you stay. We want to have some fun¡­ with you,¡± said the boy on my right.


    They all chuckled. The sound sent a chill up my spine. They no longer looked friendly. They looked¡­ predatory. I looked around wildly and realized that the entire street was deserted. Shit! What had I gotten myself into? I red at the boy in front of me.


    ¡°Please, step aside,¡± I ordered, trying so hard to sound unafraid.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He grinned and tried to grab my breasts.


    I shrieked and jumped back. They all began tough. While I had been focused on the first boy, the four surrounded me. My heart thudded in my chest as panic tried to swamp me. I fought it back, but I could gradually feel myself giving in to it. My hands slipped into my purse. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it with my fingerprint. I remembered Damian was thest person I had called.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± I gasped. ¡°Let me go, and I¡¯ll forget this ever happened.¡±


    While talking to them, without bringing my phone out of my purse, working by touch and memory of my phone, I dialed Damian¡¯s number.

 Chapter 014

    DAMIAN


    With a tired grunt, I pushed theptop away as my phone rang. The call was from Amelia. I frowned. Why was she calling? Wasn¡¯t she in the house? ncing at the time, I concluded that she had to be indoors as it was veryte. Was she calling about the Noah incident again? Maybe she needed me around to talk her out of her mood. Shame that I couldn¡¯tfort her better.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I said into the phone.


    There was no answer for a moment, and I thought she had identally dialed my number. Then, I heard the sound of a car zooming past. A scream followed this in a voice I instantly recognized as Amelia¡¯s. The scream had me sitting ramrod straight.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I called, clenching the phone tightly, worry and panic trying to swamp me. ¡°Amelia, what is going on?¡±


    And then I heard something that sent a chill up my spine.


    A male voice spoke in a low growl, ¡°Stop screaming. You can¡¯t get away. Screaming will only make it tough for you.¡±


    ¡°Please. Please. Let me go. I beg you. You don¡¯t want to do this. If you hurt me, the police will-¡±


    There was a loud smack, a grunt of pain.


    ¡°Where are you, Amelia?¡± I screamed so loudly that my throat hurt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare threaten us with the police,¡± threatened the first voice. ¡°Now, take off your clothes like a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Stay the hell away from me,¡± Amelia said. She sucked in a breath and began to scream for help over and over again.


    There were muttered oaths.


    ¡°Shut the bitch up,¡± barked another voice.


    ¡°Shut up, dammit!¡± said another.


    Amelia¡¯s cries were abruptly cut off. There were muffled grunts as she still tried to cry out. I could imagine those scumbags mping their hands over her mouth-another scuffle, then a cry of pain, not from Amelia.


    ¡°Shit! The bitch bit me!¡± one of the assants eximed.


    There were scurrying footsteps, hot in pursuit of Amelia. The footsteps faded away after a second. I sprang to my feet so fast that the chair I was sitting on fell backward with a crash. I stared at the phone, which had gone ominously silent. For a long, terrible moment, I could not move; I could not think. As I moved away from the table, I stubbed my foot against the leg of the fallen chair. The pain helped bring my thoughts into sharp focus.


    How could I get Amelia¡¯s location? I had no idea where she was. Then my eyes lighted on my phone, and inspiration struck. I could track her! With slightly unsteady hands, I picked up my phone. It didn¡¯t take me too long to track her location, which was close to a nearby bar, and then I was barreling out of the door, out of the gates, out into the street, running faster than I had ever run in my life, hoping and praying that I was not toote, that Amelia could hold out against those hoodlums until I arrived.


    My heart sank when I thought of those precious minutes I had spent listening to those assholes on the phone, time I could have better employed tracking her. If anything happened to her, I didn¡¯t think I could forgive myself.


    I put on an extra burst of speed as I got closer. I ran across the road without looking. Behind me, there was a screech of tires, and an angry driver yelled, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, you maniac.¡±


    Finally, I got to the bar and looked around. Dread seized me by the throat, overwhelming me, when I found out that there was no one there. Then I heard a faint thuding on the still night air. The sound came from the back of the closed store. I raced there. Fourughing boys leaned over a struggling figure pinned to the ground. I was sure it was Amelia. One of them, with one hand around what seemed to be her mouth, kept pping her rhythmically on both cheeks while the other boys tried to take off her clothes. Two of the four, while going about their monstrous task, passed around a bottle in a brown stic bag, which had to be booze.


    I registered all this in just a second. I sprang at them with a yell of rage. Their faces registered surprise as three of them spotted me and to their feet.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°What the hell-¡± the one closest to me eximed just before I punched him in the nose.


    He screamed as blood spurted from it. Ished out with my fist, keeping my rear clear so they could not surround me. I lunged suddenly and kicked the legs out from under another boy. He went down with a grunt of pain, and I heard a crack as something broke. I wished it was his head.


    Something hit me in the back of my head and sent me staggering forward. I turned in time to prevent one of them from hitting me with a piece of paling. I wrenched it from his grasp and clubbed him on the head with it. It broke into pieces. I sprang at the boy who still knelt by Amelia, looking on with his mouth agape. Before I could get to him, he took to his heels. The others followed suit, running and stumbling away with bruised bodies and hopefully broken bones. I was so mad that I started to give chase. Then Amelia groaned. I stopped in my tracks and hurried over to her, knelt beside her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I murmured.


    It was a stupid question, as she was obviously not. Her blousey in tatters. Her cheeks were bruised from the ps. She had a cut lip, and her eyes were puffy. I gently raised her to a sitting position.


    Then I asked the question I had dreaded, even though I saw her jeans were still intact. Only the belt had been unbuckled. ¡°Did they¡­ Were they able to¡­¡±


    I trailed off and swallowed, unable toplete the sentence. Amelia moaned and shook her head slowly, painfully.


    ¡°No,¡± she croaked. ¡°They didn¡¯t. You arrived just in time.¡±


    Her lower lip trembled. The dam she had been keeping on her emotions broke, and then she began to sob uncontrobly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I soothed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re fine now. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    I set her on her feet. Her knees buckled, and she would have fallen without the arm I had securely wrapped around her waist. She obviously couldn¡¯t walk home, so I swung her into my arms. Still weeping, she wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my chest. I stiffened immediately. I felt out of sorts at having Amelia this physically close to me. Feeling her warm weight in my arms, smelling her perfume and the shampoo in her hair, which the smell of floor dirt couldn¡¯t hide¡­ it did things to me.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I muttered, acknowledging it was the worst time to have such thoughts in my head. She was hurt, and deep down, I knew it was my fault. If only I could spend more time with her. If only I could be a few inches away from her without feeling like I was losing control of myself and my actions, she wouldn¡¯t be in so much pain.


    I lengthened my strides, eager to get her home and put some much-needed distance between us. With a sigh of relief, I finally kicked the door of her room open andid her on the bed. As I stepped back, my phone buzzed. Amelia whimpered, and her arms automatically went around my neck again. I kept very still. She looked around the room in fear, then registered my difort. She withdrew her hands and scooted over on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered, sniffling, wiping her eyes, and twisting her fingers in herp. ¡°I- I know you don¡¯t like me touching you.¡±


    I gave a long, drawn-out sigh as I wrestled with myself. Her cheeks had turned pink, and she was no doubt remembering how I couldn¡¯t even bear to touch her tofort her earlier today. She looked so miserable that I had to tell her why.


    ¡°It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s me,¡± I blurted out.


    She looked up sharply and blinked like I had said some abominable words. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What I meant to say is¡­ it¡¯s not just you who I don¡¯t allow to touch me. I- Something happened to me that- that made me like this.¡± Why the hell was I telling her this?


    ¡°What happened?¡± she breathed, her own pain forgotten as she stared at me.


    ¡°When I was a child, I was left alone at home with a nanny by busy parents who were so caught up in their lives that they didn¡¯t give two shits about their son.¡± I nced at Amelia apologetically. ¡°Excuse mynguage.¡± I waited a beat, then went on. ¡°It turned out that the nanny my parents left me with was a pedophile.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Damian,¡± Amelia gasped.


    ¡°She used my body as hers, against my will. I grew up¡­ scarred, avoiding any form of physical contact because it always reminded me of her.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes shimmered with fresh tears. ¡°I understand now. I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that, Damian.¡± Her big, bright eyes were glimmering with tears as she stared up at me with adoration and pity. ¡°That¡¯s so much pain for one person to bear.¡±


    She knelt, shifted close, and hugged me tightly. This time, I let her.

 Chapter 015

    AMELIA


    ¡°Hi,¡± Damian said tentatively as he walked into the living room.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, hurrying and making space for him on the couch.


    He chose the couch farthest from me, and I fought the brief re of annoyance. I understood him better now. He had endured my hugst night, but it would take him much more than twelve hours, maybe even a lifetime, to heal from his mental and emotional scars.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± he asked quietly as his eyes roved over my face and body.


    ¡°Better. Much better.¡±


    And I actually was. After forcing down some food and taking some painkillersst night, the aches in my body had reduced and were almost non-existent now. An ice pack had helped reduce the swelling on my face. All the evidence ofst night was my slightly bruised lips and tiny cuts, which I was sure makeup could cover.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Slept, okay?¡±


    I shrugged. I had a restless night. My mind had reyedst night¡¯s incident in my sleep, and I had had a nightmare about it. I just hoped it would be thest.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Damian said. ¡°I came to talk to you about something important. You need a car, Amelia. You shouldn¡¯t have to take a cab or walk to wherever you want to go.¡±


    ¡°A car?¡± I asked in surprise. ¡°What for? I get around pretty much easily. Noah had three cars. I had none, and I really didn¡¯t mind. I mean, ordering a cab is pretty much easy these days. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Ordering cabs does not befit your status as my wife¡­ and even as the sessful event nner you¡¯re bing. Have you ever imagined how it looks for you, who is hosting a party to arrive at the event in a cab while the others arrive in their fancy cars? I know how the rich think, Amelia. They like you now very much, of course, but soon, their tongues will start wagging, and they will start wondering why the wife of a billionaire doesn¡¯t have a car of her own.¡±


    I sighed wearily. ¡°But that is the same argument you gave to try to make me spend your money.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I say it because it¡¯s true. Having all the trappings of a wealthy woman will make our marriage seem real in everyone¡¯s eyes. Don¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s settled.¡± He rose to his feet. ¡°You¡¯ll get a car today, then? Or do you have some function to attend today?¡±


    ¡°No. Not really. I¡¯ll get it today.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, and though the kind of car you want is entirely up to you, don¡¯t buy somethingmon or cheap. Buy something that stands out. Spare no expense. I transferred a considerable sum to your ount this morning.¡±


    I nodded, and he grunted, leaving the sitting room as quickly as he came. I wondered why he kept asking me to spend his money freely even when he would pay me for our contract. Maybe he cared about me more than he would admit, or perhaps I was just being delusional.


    Damian left for work soon after handing me a card for the best car dealership in town. I soon began to prepare to go out. A little makeup covered my bruises. I donned jeans, a baggy shirt, and sandals and left for the car dealership.


    Many fancy cars were there, their bodywork gleaming and screaming money. I strolled to the office, looking around to check if I could see something I liked. In the far distance of the lot, between rows and rows of cars, close to a sleek, grey sports car, I spotted a tall, thin man wearing a suit shaking hands with a casually dressed man, the sign of a deal well struck.


    I walked further. A man, short and dapper-looking, stood at the entrance of the car dealership, scrolling through his phone. He looked up expectantly, with interest, as I approached. His gaze lingered on my clothes, and suddenly, his expression became one of bored indifference. He pocketed the phone and stood straighter, waiting for me to approach him. Wasn¡¯t he supposed toe forward as I was a customer?


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said in clipped tones. ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a car¡­ obviously.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± he repeated, once more eyeing my shirt.


    What was with him? Had I identally spilled something on my shirt, makeup, maybe? On the pretext of pulling my phone out of my pocket, I stole a surreptitious nce at my clothes. There was no single stain.


    ¡°What kind of car?¡± the salesman asked.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I paused. I didn¡¯t exactly know how the purchase of cars was made, but from the little I knew, if one didn¡¯t have an exact make and model of a vehicle in mind, then they looked around until they found what they liked.


    ¡°I was thinking I¡¯ll look around for any car that takes my fancy,¡± I continued.


    ¡°Okay. You can look around then.¡±


    I began to move toward a row of luxury cars, but he stopped me with a ¡°Please, excuse me.¡±


    I turned. He pointed in the opposite direction towards a row of cars I knew were just of the regr kind. ¡°I think you should look there first.¡±


    ¡°No. I want to check these out.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders in a gesture that clearly said, ¡®Suit yourself.¡¯ I wondered briefly if he had woken up on the wrong side of bed this morning. I dismissed his annoying attitude as I looked the cars over. Most were really something. I began to understand why men went crazy about cars. I hurried forward when a cream-colored vehicle caught my eye. As soon as I got close, I knew it was the one. It was a Dodge, thetest model. I had often seen the ads on TV. I ran my hands over the car. I waited impatiently for the salesman, who had been walkingnguidly behind me, to catch up.


    ¡°Can I have the keys to this one?¡± I said, tapping the car¡¯s bo. ¡°I want to check out the interior.¡±


    He nodded and strolled away. He returned with the keys, which I snatched from him. I opened it and got in, already loving the new car smell. The car¡¯s interior was spacious and lovely.


    ¡°This is really good,¡± I said when I had gotten out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°We sell only the best here. We certainly don¡¯t sell scrap or used cars.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I said slowly, wondering why he was stating the obvious. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll buy the Dodge. I love it.¡±


    He arched a brow. ¡°The Dodge? It¡¯s quite expensive. Perhaps you should go for something smaller, more¡­ pocket-friendly. We might have something that would suit your needs.¡±


    I flushed angrily. ¡°And what are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± he returned, looking around.¡±I was just making a helpful suggestion.¡±


    Suddenly, he stiffened as he glimpsed something over my shoulder. He darted forward, all smiles. I gaped at him. The bored-looking man had undergone a dramatic change in an instant.


    ¡°Wee, madam. Wee,¡± he called loudly.


    I turned immediately, curious to see who and what was responsible for this dramatic change, and locked gazes with Lucy. Dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut blouse, designer sunsses, and, of course, heels, she looked like she was going to a party, noting to purchase a car.


    Seeing her made my blood boil, but I kept calm. It was best not to let her know how much the sight of her, representing everything I hated, affected me.


    ¡°Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. I wish I could say you look well. I really do,¡± she said after we had stared at each other for a long while.


    As I opened my mouth to give a suitable retort, she dismissed me with a wave of her carefully manicured nails and turned to the salesman, who was staring and simpering at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he said again, as though eager to get a response from her.


    Her painted lips curved into a smile. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m here to buy a car, the best car there is.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Of course. I¡¯m sure we have exactly what you need. If you¡¯ll step right this way-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lucy said, her gaze resting on my hand, which was ced on the car. She pointed to it. ¡°I¡¯ll take that one.¡±


    ¡°The Dodge? That¡¯s a perfect choice-¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called. ¡°I¡¯m still here, remember. What are you ying at? I came to buy it first, so attend to me right now.¡±


    The salesman frowned at me. ¡°I¡¯ll attend to youter.¡± Again, he turned to Lucy. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to check it out.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Lucy smirked. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will do. Let¡¯s go to your office, so I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    In disbelief, I watched them walk away. I stood by the car for a long moment. Then I stormed into the office. Before I arrived, the man had already ced documents for the sale of the vehicle in front of Lucy, who was ncing through them.

 Chapter 016

    AMELIA


    ¡°And what the hell do you think you are doing?¡± I yelled as the salesman handed Lucy a pen to sign the papers.


    He looked up in surprise. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m attending to a customer. So just hold on, and I will be right with you after I¡¯m done attending to her.¡±


    He came to stand beside Lucy and pointed at a dotted line on which she would sign.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± I hissed. I stalked forward, snatched the documents away, and flung it to the floor.


    Lucy sprang to her feet immediately. ¡°What the hell are you ying at, Amelia? Why are you aggressive?¡±


    I ignored her and addressed the salesman.¡±You will attend to me at once. I will not tolerate disrespect from you or anyone for that matter.¡±


    The salesman began to turn red in the face. He pointed towards the exit. ¡°Lady, I think you have to leave. You¡¯re causing a scene.¡±


    Lucyughed long and loud, cackling like a witch.


    ¡°You heard him,¡± she smirked and inspected her painted nails. ¡°Beat it. Obviously, this establishment is for a better ss of people, and you don¡¯t fit into that category.¡±


    ¡°You shut your mouth,¡± I snarled.


    Lucy¡¯s blue eyes widened in a challenge. ¡°Oh, and if I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡± demanded a voice from the doorway.


    All three heads turned in that direction. The thin, bespectacled man I had noticed earlier stood looking at each of us in turn. The salesman subtly altered his aggressive stance, and from the way he deferred to the neer, I inferred that the thin man was the owner of the ce.


    The man fixed the salesman with a re. ¡°Jay, do you mind exining what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Sir-¡± he began, and I cut him off with a wave of my hand.


    ¡°Are you the owner of this ce?¡± I demanded in a lofty tone.


    ¡°Yes, madam. I-¡±


    ¡°And is this how you treat customers?¡±


    ¡°Madam, I-¡± He came closer, pushed his spectacles up his nose, and did a double take. ¡°Mrs Donovan?¡±


    Behind me, the salesman gasped.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    He closed the distance between us rapidly. All smiles, he sped my hand in a warm handshake. ¡°Oh my! It is a surprise and an honor to have you here. I know your husband. He is a fine young man, and he is making indelible marks in the business world. I have had the privilege to attend a party you hosted, and I must say, the reports we hear on the media of your prowess at organizing events do not do you justice.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmured, a little mollified.


    He released my hand, and his smile slipped. ¡°But it appears something has upset you. Please, tell me what it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m upset,¡± I replied, frowning again. ¡°I came here to buy a car. A Dodge caught my fancy, but your employee here-¡± I pointed an using finger to the salesman who had gone as white as a sheet. ¡°-seemed to think I could not afford it. He made all sorts of snidements, which I decided to ignore, and then this woman here-¡±


    ¡°You will address me as Mrs Lucy or Mrs Allen. I¡¯m Noah Allen¡¯s soon-to-be wife,¡± she added when she didn¡¯t get the reaction she had expected from the manager.


    He inclined his head politely. ¡°Good to see you here too, madam.¡± He turned to me once more. ¡°Mrs Donovan, you were saying¡­¡±


    ¡°She came in, saw me talking to your salesman right in front of the car I wanted to buy, and she insisted on buying the same one. Your salesman left me standing there and began to attend to her. He had already brought the documents for her to sign before I called him out.¡±


    ¡°As was your right, Mrs Donovan.¡±


    ¡°So I ask, is this the kind of establishment you run here?¡±


    ¡°I assure you that it is not.¡± The manager, his eyes shing behind his sses, turned to his salesman, who nched. ¡°So¡­ this is true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The salesman¡¯s prominent Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down.


    ¡°No sir,¡± he croaked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are you by any chance implying that Mrs Donovan is lying?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time,¡± Lucy snapped.


    The manager favored her with a polite yet stern look.


    ¡°Please, give me a moment to sort this out. Yes, Ray?¡±


    ¡°No sir¡­ I mean, yes, sir,¡± the salesman gulped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I- I didn¡¯t know she was the Amelia, I mean Mrs Donovan-¡±


    ¡°And because you didn¡¯t know who she was, you decided to dismiss her. Is that what I pay you for?¡±


    ¡°No. I apologize. I¡¯m sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    The manager took off his sses and cleaned them slowly and deliberately with a handkerchief. He emanated rage but hid it well. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t. I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t. You¡¯re fired, Jay.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± He gasped, eyes wide and unbelieving.


    He looked to Lucy for help, but she only kept ring at the manager.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± reiterated the manager. ¡°Take the stuff you came to work with and leave this instant.¡±


    ¡°Please-¡±


    The manager sighed in exasperation. ¡°Get out, Jay. You can either walk out on your own two feet, or you can be carried out. Your choice.¡±


    Bowing his head, Jay, the salesman, with a reproachful look at Lucy, who didn¡¯t even spare him a nce, slunk out of the door. The manager watched him go with a look of disgust on his face. Then he turned to Lucy and me.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sorry about that. Please ept my apologies, Mrs Donovan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright,¡± I allowed graciously.


    He beamed and rubbed his hands together. ¡°Excellent. So where were we? What kind of car did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Thetest model Dodge parked outside.¡±


    ¡°Ah. The cream-colored one?¡±


    ¡°The very same,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You made an excellent choice. You have an excellent eye. Apart from the appearance of the car, it¡¯s also built for speed and-¡±


    ¡°And that is the same car I want to buy,¡± Lucy interrupted, stepping forward. She waved her debit card around. ¡°I was just about to sign the documents of purchase before all this trouble started. Now, if I could continue from where I stopped, you will save my time so I can get out of here. I¡¯m a very busy woman, and I have lots of business appointments today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you put me in a very difficult position, madam. I don¡¯t think things can work the exact way you want them to,¡± the manager said apologetically.


    ¡°What do you hell do you mean by that?¡± Lucy drew herself up to her full height.


    ¡°I understand that Mrs Donovan was here first and was also the first to express interest in buying the vehicle-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct,¡± I chirped.


    ¡°That means the car will be sold to her. You see, it¡¯s quite unfortunate that model is the only one we have at the moment, except you¡¯re willing to wait-¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Lucy scoffed. ¡°Hell no! I want the car, and I want it now.¡±


    The manager spread his hands helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my hands are tied in this matter. But perhaps I can interest you in another of our models. It-¡±


    ¡°I told you. It¡¯s that car or nothing. Are you going to sell it to me or not?¡±


    He shook his head regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, madam.¡±


    ¡°Then to hell with you,¡± she screeched. The veins stood out on her neck. ¡°I¡¯ll get this pathetic excuse for a car dealership shut down. And then you can me it on this bitch, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Madam!¡± the manager eximed, shocked.


    She flipped him the bird and stalked off.


    ¡°What a day,¡± the manager muttered, pulling out a handkerchief and mopping his sweaty brow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this, madam.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± I said happily.


    The fact that I had scored one over Lucy kept me satisfied. I paid for the car, signed the necessary documents, and had it delivered to the house that very afternoon. I was brimming with excitement the whole day, and when Damian returned home that evening, I gave him just a few minutes to settle down before knocking on the door of his room.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± he said when I entered his room.


    I was stumped for some seconds. This was not how I had imagined our conversation going.


    ¡°Er- I just wanted to tell you how the purchase of the car went,¡± I said. ¡°So I went to the car dealership you rmended, and there was this attendant who was rude to me. He thought I couldn¡¯t afford the car I wanted. So, Lucy, that¡¯s Noah¡¯s mistress, came and wanted the same car, and¡­ are you even listening to me?¡±


    I asked because he kept scrolling through his phone.


    He raised his head reluctantly and looked at me. ¡°Is there a point to your¡­ tale? You got the car, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm. Yes.¡±


    He grunted and kept on with whatever he was doing with his phone. I realized with a sinking heart that Damian had reverted to his cold attitude.

 Chapter 017

    AMELIA


    I was bored out of my mind. Leaving with Damian was like living alone. I could barely notice his presence, and even when I did, all I received was a grunt. He was just impossible to bond with.


    I left my room for like the tenth time that morning and wandered around the mansion. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, the only option left was toze about the house, sleeping or eating perhaps and doing absolutely nothing, which I most definitely did not intend to do.


    And so, at a few minutes past noon, I took a stroll on the streets close to where I lived. I absorbed the sound of traffic and the sight of people hurrying, going about their business.


    The sun was high in the sky but not overly hot. I had decided not to take the car because staying in its air-conditionedfort sort of separated me from the rest of the world, and today, I craved that feeling of inclusivity more than anything else.


    And then I spotted a small cafe. There was something quaint about it, something that appealed to me. Perhaps it was the wooden decor, so simple yet so natural looking among the rather garish and sophisticated looking eateries around. I crossed the street and walked in. A bell tinkled musically as I pushed the door open. I stepped at once into its cool interior. Peasant smells drifted to my nostrils: air freshener, ground coffee, freshly baked bread, and about a dozen different kinds of food that made my mouth water.


    As expected, the cafe¡¯s atmosphere was cozy and intimate. In the background, from hidden speakers, a sweet, soulful voice crooned a melody. I walked to an empty chair and took a seat. The ce was a beehive of activity. I couldn¡¯t catch the eye of any waiter or waitress. They were all busy attending to customers. I didn¡¯t mind much, though. I was content to get out of the sun and rest my legs for a bit. I admired the beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers on the table when I heard someone clear his throat. I turned to see a man standing beside me. He was squat, balding, and grey-haired but had a disarming smile that made me smile too.


    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am,¡± he said in a quiet, pleasing voice. ¡°I just spotted you. I hope we haven¡¯t kept you waiting for long.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°No. Not long. I just got here a couple of minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Good. What can I get you?¡±


    I sniffed the air. ¡°I smell bread. It smells yummy. Can I have some with some chicken soup?¡±


    His smile thinned a little. ¡°Chicken soup, we have, but bread we don¡¯t. We sold thest of it early this morning. I do the baking, but-¡± He sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to do that today. I had to help me attend to the customers.¡±


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s the rush hour?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s always rush hour around here. A customer leaves, two more take his ce, and it¡¯s all me and my staff can do to keep up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the owner?¡±


    The little man puffed up his chest proudly and pointed to the tag neatly pinned on his shirt, which I had missed. It read Will Hughes, manager. ¡°That I am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce you got here, Mr Hughes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please call me Will. Just Will, and thank you. I think it¡¯s pretty nice, too; I think I need to do something about my workforce.¡± Suddenly, he frowned and gave me an apologetic look. ¡°Silly me, I¡¯m so sorry. You must be starving, yet here I am, chatting and bothering you with my problems.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright.¡± I gave him a reassuring smile.


    Our talk was interrupted when the bell tinkled loudly, and a party of ten breezed into the cafe.


    ¡°Hey, please, we need some service here,¡± called a big, beefy man who seemed to be the group¡¯s leader to a smallish, harried-looking waitress carrying a tray that seemed heavier than her.


    Will grimaced, then turned his attention to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we don¡¯t have any bread, but if you order something else, I¡¯ll add a little extra to the house. ¡±


    ¡°Actually, Will, I was thinking that I could help out a little, attend to your customers. You seem a little out of your depth.¡± Will looked doubtful at the idea, but when five more people came in, it decided him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll actually do that?¡± I nodded. ¡°Oh, thank you. You¡¯re a lifesaver. But your food¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eatter,¡± I said, getting to my feet. ¡°I could do with some actual work. I¡¯ve been practicallyzing about all day.¡±


    I followed Will behind the counter, where he quickly exined the different kinds of meals and drinks they had avable. Then I set to work, taking orders and attending to customers. Will kept giving me grateful smiles whenever he caught my eye. Finally, a littlete in the afternoon, when the stream of hungry customers had trickled down, Will served me that day¡¯s special. He insisted on taking no payment. I took it to a table and savoured the delicious meal. Halfway into the meal, he slipped into the chair beside me.


    ¡°This is really good,¡± I said, reaching for a ss of water. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder customers besiege you.¡±


    He shrugged modestly. ¡°We do our best. You did really well today. You blended in. It was almost as if you had been working here for a long, long time. Have you worked in a cafe before?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve always had this dream¡­¡±


    ¡°Of?¡± he promoted.


    ¡°Of being a baker in an outfit like this.¡±


    ¡°You bake?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Very well, if I say so myself.¡±


    ¡°Well then, how about youe to work for me as the chief baker? Heavens knows I need one now.¡±


    I paused with my fork halfway to my lips. ¡°You mean that?¡¯


    ¡°Of course. Seeing you work today, I have no hesitation about offering you the job.¡±


    I grinned, pleased. ¡°Wow. Thank you.¡±


    He held out a hand, ¡°I should be the one thanking you¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t quite catch your name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Amelia. So, when can I resume? Tomorrow?¡± I added as I went back to eating.


    Will¡¯s grin broadened. ¡°I¡¯ll be the happiest man alive if you can resume tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow it is.¡± And we shook on it again.


    I got home towards the evening after we had discussed payment, and he had introduced me to the rest of his staff. I took a hot, rxing shower, then put my feet up in front of the television. I was tired but in a good way. Damian came in an hourter and said a hasty ¡®good evening¡¯ without really looking in my direction. I supposed he deserved to know what I would be doing from now on. I called his name. He paused with his foot on the bottom stair but didn¡¯t turn.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he said.


    ¡°I just thought you should know¡­ I got a job at a cafe nearby as a baker. I¡¯m resuming tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± He turned and fixed me with a steely re.


    ¡°I got a job as-¡±


    ¡°I heard that part. What I actually meant to ask is, what on earth that is supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s a job-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a job, for Pete¡¯s sake!¡± he exploded and moved towards me. ¡°You have money, the world at your feet. I have told you time without number that you have to act the part of a wealthy man¡¯s wife. If you want to work so badly, you can manage the mall I bought for you.¡±


    ¡°I want to work there,¡± I said stubbornly, ring back at him. ¡°Sorry if that disappoints you, but that is my decision, and it is final.¡±


    Damian¡¯s lips set into a grim line. He abruptly turned and walked away without another word. I knew I¡¯d pissed him off, but I needed to do something I loved.


    **********


    I was up early the next day. I dressed casually, hesitated, then took off my wedding ring and tucked it into my purse. Someone with a knowledge of jewelry might spot it and wonder what I was doing working in a cafe when I possessed something that could practically buy the ce.


    I got right into the heart of the thing, baking and helping serve customers when I was done. Will dered that he had never tasted better pastry. I thought he was just being kind, but then I heard the customerspliment my baked goods.


    There were many of these customers, mostly belonging to the middle ss. As the days passed, I began to recognize their names and faces. Will had an easygoing manner, and his workers did too. The upshot of this was that we all had friendly rtions with almost every one of the customers. No one had an idea of who I was, and I had to admit that it felt good serving, talking, and chatting with these humble folks who actually cared about each other and weren¡¯t bothered about social standings, thetest models of cars, designer clothes, being invited to thevish parties and the like.


    For the first time in a really long time, I felt content.

 Chapter 018

    AMELIA


    I heard the front door open, and I was out of my seat in a sh.


    ¡°Hey, Damian. How was work today?¡± I asked as I fell into step beside him, smiling with a cheeriness that I didn¡¯t feel and hoping this time he would thaw towards me.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he replied dryly, as usual.


    He kept walking, his eyes fixed as always on the stairs. Talk about being rude! I tamped down on my annoyance.


    ¡°My day at work went pretty well, too,¡± I offered.


    Besides the brief sh of annoyance that crossed his face whenever I mentioned the cafe, he gave no further indication that I had spoken.


    ¡°Have you already had dinner?  I can make you something,¡± I said in ast-ditch effort to get him to say something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± was the response.


    He stopped and turned to look at me for the first time when I began to climb the stairs after him. Up went that annoying brow.


    ¡°Did you want something?¡± he enquired.


    Yes! A little friendly conversation for a start. I yelled at him, but only in my head.  He shifted impatiently when I didn¡¯t answer immediately and looked longingly up at the stairs.


    ¡°No,¡± I finally answered.


    ¡°Good.¡± Taking the stairs two at a time, he began to climb.


    Good? I red at his back, then stalked off to bed after a while. Damian was at the dining table when I came downstairs the following day.


    As I set my ce at the dining table, I could have sworn that he began to gulp his breakfast after he had given me a muttered ¡®good morning.¡¯ When I finally sat down, he hastily got up, leaving a quarter of his food untouched.


    He grabbed his coffee cup and gulped down the coffee hastily, managing not to spill a drop on his crisp, white shirt.


    ¡°Off to work?¡± I said as he shut the briefcase at his feet and began to lock it.


    He gave me an isn¡¯t-it-obvious look that made me flush.


    I tried again. ¡°Want me to pack you some lunch?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Will you be workingte? You¡¯re leaving rather earlier than usual.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    No, he¡¯d be workingte, or no, he wasn¡¯t leaving earlier than usual.


    He didn¡¯t expound; he just grabbed his briefcase and left after a grunt that sounded like ¡®goodbye.¡¯ I sighed.


    I had kept telling myself not to expect anything from Damain, but it was hard to get used to the way things were between us. I tried to force myself to eat, but I ended up just pushing the food around on my te.


    I felt deted and defeated. Whenever I tried to get through to Damian, I got confronted by the impassable wall he had built around himself.


    To think that I was going to live in the same house with him and endure this sort of cold treatment from him for a year! This thought further soured my mood. I gave up on breakfast and strolled over to the cafe, arriving just as it opened.


    Will greeted me as usual with a sunny smile. ¡°Good morning, Amelia. Beautiful morning, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I looked listlessly out of the window. It was a sunny day with blue skies and a cool breeze, but I had hardly even noticed.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I shrugged and went into the back room to put on my apron.


    Will frowned, pursed his lips, but said nothing. Nothing seemed to go right that day. I identally broke two saucers and a te. For the first time, I scorched the bread I was baking.


    ¡°Stupid oven,¡± I growled as I flung the bread into the trashcan.


    Will, who had juste into the kitchen to get something, peered into the trashcan.


    ¡°Lighten up, Amelia. It¡¯s just bread.¡±


    Heid a kindly hand on my shoulder, then walked out. Around noon, my colleagues began giving me wary nces as I began growling out answers to their questions.


    I knew I was being an ass, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. When we had a little lull, I went to the backyard and sat in a corner, all by myself.


    ¡°You seem a little out of sorts today, Amelia,¡± Will said from behind me.


    I began to scramble to my feet.


    ¡°No. No. Sit.¡± He gently pressed me back down and sat beside me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to take a little breather¡­¡±


    Will waved off my apology. ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. Something bothering you?¡± I hesitated. He noticed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t mean to pry. How about you take the day off? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel better by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But the customers-¡± I protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can manage for one day. It¡¯s totally fine.¡±


    I thanked him, and he hurried back inside to continue working. I went in soon after and grabbed my jacket and handbag.


    ¡°Going out?¡± asked Lucien, one of my colleagues, who walked into the backroom just as I was about to leave. He pointedly nced at my handbag.


    ¡°You could say that. Will gave me a day off.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m not surprised. I knew something was up when I did this and got no reaction from you.¡±


    He stroked his goatee, and my lips twitched in amusement. Lucien was a tall, young man, good-looking, with a ridiculous-looking goatee that grew sparsely on his chin but which he refused to shave off no matter how much everyone teased him about it.


    ¡°Are you going home?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Personal stuff. Huh?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Lucien! Get back here and try to get this coffee machine going,¡± called someone from outside.


    ¡°Keep your hair on, Amy. I¡¯ming,¡± he called back.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re needed in there,¡± I observed.


    ¡°The machine can wait. So¡­ if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, let me take you to dinner this evening. You don¡¯t want to spend the entire day home alone, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± I hedged.


    ¡°Come on, Amelia. We can just sit and talk. It will help you get your mind off whatever is bothering you.¡±


    Lucien was right. There wasn¡¯t any harm in having dinner with him, was there? After all, I was always alone at home, and even when Damian returned, it didn¡¯t change anything.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Good. How does 6 p. m. sound? Good?¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll text you the address. You¡¯ll love the ce I¡¯m going to take you to.¡±


    ¡°Lucien!¡± Amy called again, louder this time.


    Lucien rolled his eyes. ¡°Bye, Amelia. Duty calls.¡±


    ************************


    DAMIAN


    My phone rang at exactly six thirty. I stood up to take the call. I had been sitting in front of myputer for thest few hours, and my muscles ached a little. The caller ID showed that it was one of my clients who did business with my firm.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.


    ¡°Damian. Hi.¡± I noticed he sounded strained, hesitant even. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m stepping out of line, telling you this, but I felt you should know¡­¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°I just left a restaurant, and I saw your wife, Amelia, there with another man. It seemed like they were on some kind of date.¡±


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I spat. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s the one?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. I was at your-¡±


    ¡°Send me the address. Now.¡± I barked.


    He rattled it off, and I dashed out the door, pausing only long enough to grab my car keys. I ignored the startled query of my secretary at the reception, hopped into my car, and drove like a maniac to the restaurant. I didn¡¯t want to dwell on my inner voice asking me why I was so pissed that she was with another man.


    Fuming, I stepped into the restaurant and looked around. And there Amelia was, leaning close to a young man, talking andughing at something he was saying. What was so funny about whatever he said? Why did she fucking look so happy? Was he the reason she adamantly started a job? Did she want to be closer to that scumbag who didn¡¯t care if she was married or not? My jaw twitched with anger, and dangerous thoughts filled my head. How dare he flirt with Amelia? I marched up to them.


    ¡°Get up,¡± I growled at Amelia.


    ¡°Damian.¡± She gasped. ¡°What- what are you doing here?¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak without shouting, so I pursed my lips and grabbed her arm, pulling her up and out of the chair.


    ¡°Hey, Mister!¡± The man scrambled to his feet. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    I turned to him, my fist clenched. ¡°Stay the fuck away from my wife!¡± His eyes widened with shock and I realized Amelia hadn¡¯t mentioned she was married. He was hearing it from me for the first time.


    Ignoring him, I pulled Amelia towards the door.


    ¡°Damain,¡± she hissed, struggling to loosen my grip while shooting embarrassed nces around her. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Let go of me.¡±


    I dragged her all the way to the car, shoved her in, locked her door, then slid into the driver¡¯s seat. The man she was with stood at the restaurant door, gaping at us.


    ¡°How dare you! You can¡¯t boss me around! You said I was allowed to do whatever I want!¡± she raved, pounding on the rolled-up ss. ¡°How dare you treat me like a child.¡±


    I turned to her, my anger barely contained. ¡°Do you know what people are going to say? Do you know it was a client of mine that called? You could have jeopardized the whole contract!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!!¡± She fired back, her eyes glimmering with anger and her chest rising and falling. At that moment, I noticed how beautifully she¡¯d dressed for this man, how her cleavage was nearly pushing out of her dress each time she breathed. Did she do that all for him? Why?


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been sleeping with him,¡± I found myself blurting out. ¡°How long have you been fucking him, Amelia?¡±


    She shot me a fiery nce, and I realized I¡¯d said something very wrong. Instead of replying, she lifted her hand, and I felt it collide with my face in a hot p. ¡°You may have fucked your cheap mistresses and now believe every woman is cheap. Listen to me. I¡¯m not one of them!¡±


    I stared at her, unable to say another word. With my lips set in a grim line, I turned on the ignition and drove us home in silence.

 Chapter 019

    AMELIA


    I was so mad. I couldn¡¯t recall ever being this pissed in a long, long time, maybe except for the time when Noah had embarrassed me at the mall.


    I stole a nce at Damian, who was driving much too fast. It would serve him right if the cops ordered him to pull over and give him a speeding ticket. I could clearly see that his cheek was reddened where I had pped him. My fingers curled. I did not regret hitting him. Not one bit.


    Finally, he drove through the gates of the house. Before he brought the car to a stop, I scrambled out of it, relieved that at some point during the drive, he had unlocked the door.


    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, Amelia!¡± I heard him growl from behind me. ¡°At least let the damn car stop first.¡±


    I took a few steps forward, retraced my steps, mmed the car door as hard as possible, and was satisfied to hear him gasp in surprise. There! I heartily wished something inside had gotten broken. It¡¯s good that it was Damian¡¯s favorite car, too.


    I spun around and marched into the house. What I needed at the moment was a long, cold shower or a hot one, something that would rx me and stop me from continuing to boil in rage. I flung my purse on the sofa and went upstairs to my room.


    ¡°Stop right there, Amelia,¡± Damian said.


    I gritted my teeth and turned around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¡­ Don¡¯t you dare bark orders at me,¡± I warned. ¡°Or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me, Damian. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see me when I¡¯m furious.¡±


    ¡°And what the hell will you do if you get furious? You know what, scratch that. What was the meaning of that stunt you pulled? Who was that guy, and why were you on a date with him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your concern,¡± I shouted.


    ¡°It is. For now, you are my wife-¡±


    ¡°This is just a bloody contract marriage, and you know it. The agreement was that we could do whatever we wanted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare throw my words back in my face,¡± Damian retorted hotly. ¡°I know what I said. When I said you could do anything you wanted, it didn¡¯t involve galloping around town with random men.¡±


    ¡°Men?¡± I snorted. ¡°Were you blind? I was at the restaurant with a man. How many other men have you seen me with, not that it¡¯s any of your business?¡±


    ¡°Not my business?¡± Frustrated, he ran his hand through his usually perfectly styled hair, disarranging it. ¡°When will you get into that brain of yours that I am a public figure, a very popr public figure, and that whatsoever you do reflects either positively or negatively on me? I have always tried to teach you how toport yourself like the wife of a billionaire. The media are always all over me like ants on sugar-¡±


    I gave him a once-over. ¡°Yes. You are very modest,¡± I mocked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about bloody modesty.¡± He raised his voice. ¡°I am simply stating facts. What if some reporter was at the restaurant or in that vicinity and had already taken pictures of you? Do you want your pictures in all the magazines and newspapers with spections as to what is really happening between us? You didn¡¯t even bother to ask how I knew you were with that creep in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°You are obviously a control freak. So I wouldn¡¯t put it past you to have been having me watched or followed. Then, you lied that your client told you. I know men like you!¡±


    Damian gave a short, bitterugh. ¡°Seriously? You honestly think I have nothing better to do with my time than to monitor your movements?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    ¡°For your information, and like I said earlier, a client called to tell me that he saw you cozy with some guy. That client is a notorious gossip. Who knows how many others he told of your escapade.¡±


    ¡°You know what, Damian? You and your stupid client should really go get a life. Not everything and everyone revolves around you.¡±


    Damian took a threatening step towards me. I stood my ground. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Know what I think?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re an asshole who had absolutely no right to drag me out of the restaurant like I was a child?¡±


    ¡°Well, you behave like a child at every turn, and I think you are stupid and naive.¡±


    I gasped, drew back my hand, and pped him across the face. ¡°You don¡¯t get to p me again!¡± he thundered and grabbed my hand.


    For the first time that evening, I was scared. Damian looked madder than I had ever seen him. I began to struggle to loosen his grip. His arm slid around my waist and pressed me to him.


    I opened my mouth to yell at him to let me go, but the next instant, he mashed his lips against mine. The tip of his tongue invaded my mouth, and I gasped again. Damian¡¯s lips were everything I had dreamed of and imagined they would be. I moaned, buried my fingers in his hair, and deepened the kiss.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I shouldn¡¯t have been kissing him, not after what happened tonight. But I couldn¡¯t help it; I had never been kissed like that before. His kiss was rough, frenzied. I could feel his anger, but underneath all that was the passion and desire for me that was barely restrained.


    When Damian finally pulled away, I was dazed and breathless. I gently touched my lips, which were swollen and a little bruised from his punishing kiss. His gray eyes were clouded, misty with desire. I shifted uneasily. An awkward silence stretched between us.


    All the anger I had felt earlier had drained away, and I felt more than a little confused. I didn¡¯t know how to rte with Damian now. What was I supposed to do after we had shared a kiss? Walk away? Stay? Attempt to kiss him again? I stared down at my knotted fingers.


    Ever so slowly, he reached out and tilted my chin up until he was looking me right in the eye, and I knew he could see the passion burning hot and fierce there. His thumb gently ran across my bottom lip.


    ¡°Amelia¡­¡± he sighed and swallowed, at war with himself.


    Then he groaned,  hauled me against his body, squeezing me tightly, and his lips molded mine. My thoughts were in a whirl. I couldn¡¯t think beyond the feel of my body pressed against his. This form of closeness did not satisfy me for long.


    I wanted to feel Damian against me without the restriction of clothes. Half expecting him to pull away because of his phobia of being touched, I slipped my hand into his shirt and caressed his back. He stiffened for a moment, and then his kiss grew more urgent and demanding. He was lost in the moment, as was I.


    Growing bolder, my hands traveled across his back, over his shoulders, slid between the waistband of his jeans, and cupped his bottom. Damian moaned into my mouth. Suddenly, he reached down and grabbed me, holding my legs on either side of his. I groaned and ground my hips against his. In this position, I felt his hardness pressing against me.


    Then, he carried me up the stairs, taking it two at a time. He mmed the bedroom door behind him as soon as we got in. He let go of me, and I stood on my own feet. Damian swept my hair back with one hand and trailed quick kisses down my neck. Swiftly, he began to undo the zipper of my dress. My skin burned with his touch, but I embraced the warmth and passion that swiveled around us.


    When my dress fell to the ground, he stared greedily at my breast, pushing out of my bra. With a slight intake of breath, he quickly undressed himself, tossing his clothes around the room. I had barely gotten a look at his perfect, well-sculpted body before he led me to the bed.


    Cool air rushed over my skin, but his gaze scorched me as he stared into my body revealed. He undid my bra; my nipples hardened into points as his fingers grazed them. His hands settled on my hips, and he grabbed my panties at both sides, pushed them down my thighs, and tossed them to the floor.


    Our breath rose and fell at the same rhythm. Damian parted my legs and focused his attention there, saying nothing but studying me with hungry eyes. As if he had all the time in the world, he began to run his fingers slowly through my thighs.


    Then he slowly plunged a finger deep inside me, then added another, until I cried out and shook with pleasure. He covered my mouth with his in a hot, demanding kiss, his palm cupping my breast and the other ravishing my body.


    His lips trailed beautifully down my neck until he wrapped my nipples with his mouth and sucked them gently. I blinked up, dazed by all the desire erupting in me.


    My back arched off the bed as I moaned. A myriad of sensations coursed through me, and I suddenly, desperately wanted Damian inside me.


    ¡°Please, Damian¡­ Please,¡± I groaned.


    He obliged and pressed against me, seeking entry. I lifted my hips to wee him, and he pressed an inch, and I cried out when he buried himselfpletely inside me. My body opened and epted him; my fingers dug deep into his back as he slowly began to move.


    He started slowly, waiting for me to catch up to his rhythm, and when he noticed I had, he began to go faster. It was a roughbination of needs and desire, all the desire I¡¯d bottled up for weeks. For minutes, we maintained each other¡¯s rhythm until I felt he was holding back, either not to hurt me or for some other reason.


    ¡°Let go,¡± I whispered, running my fingers across his hardened chest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stop myself,¡± he groaned, fighting to control himself. But I didn¡¯t need that control. Fuck it. I wanted all of him, all of the feelings he had for me, and I wanted him to show them to me.


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t stop,¡± I told him and pulled him closer. I caught a slight glimmer in his eyes before he pushed himself deeper inside me, stretching me widely.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve wanted this,¡± he grunted and mmed inside me. I cried out, a rawbination of pain and passion hitting me. He increased his pace, and my eyes closed as ripples of pleasure ripped through me with each thrust.


    With each thrust, I felt myself move closer to release, and I grabbed him tighter. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and my fingers dug into his shoulders as I finally reached climax and exploded. Pleasure surged between us, and I heard him cry out as he joined me, and in that moment, I felt we were meant to be.


    ********************************


    I woke up at a few minutes past seven, tired, spent, but satisfied. A smile crept up my lips when I recalled what Damian and I had been up tost night. Languidly, I got up and checked the bathroom.


    He wasn¡¯t there. One of his briefcases was gone. He had gone to work then, but I wasn¡¯t bothered. Again, I smiled and breathed a sigh of satisfaction.

 Chapter 020

    DAMIAN


    I could not concentrate on work. I saw Amelia¡¯s face wherever I looked: in the files I was supposed to be going through, on the screen of myputer, in my head, everywhere. I shoved my fingers through my hair and swore under my breath, irritated and angry with myself. I didn¡¯t tolerate this sort of behavior from anyone, especially my staff. I always put mypany first and gave a hundred percent at work. Yet here I was, doing the same thing I loathed.


    My body craved Amelia¡¯s, and I wondered why she affected me this way. I had been with dozens of other women, all exceptionally beautiful and stunning, but I had never craved them the way I did Amelia. I was like a young, inexperienced boy who couldn¡¯t get enough of a woman¡¯s body. Amelia and I had made love so many timesst night that I had lost count, yet all I could think of was kissing her again, hearing her moan softly, and lying in bed with her all day.


    I had managed to drag myself up from bed to work. Thank goodness the sheets had been draped over her as she slept. If that perfect body of hers had beenid bare to my view, I¡¯m not sure I would have ever made it to work. The memory of her naked, willing body writhing underneath mine stirred me up. I felt myself hardening in my trousers. I pushed away the files I had been staring nkly at for thest half hour, shot to my feet, cursed, and stomped to the window.


    ¡°Get a damn hold of yourself, Damian,¡± I muttered through gritted teeth.


    ¡°¡­ sir?¡±


    I half turned and saw my secretary was in the office. I didn¡¯t even know when she hade in, and she had been speaking to me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her without turning away from the window.


    ¡°Sir, I asked if you had finished going through the files,¡± she said.


    ¡°No. No, I haven¡¯t. I will do thatter.¡± Later? That was augh. I would never be able to do anything productive while in this condition. I nced at my watch. ¡°I have to leave to attend to something really urgent. I don¡¯t exactly know when I will be back, so shift all my appointments.¡±


    ¡°Will do that, sir.¡±


    When the door closed behind her, I snatched up my jacket and hurried out of the office. The key to getting back control, I thought to myself as I drove quickly to the house, was to get Amelia out of my system. Making love to her several times more would cure me of whatever this was. Yes, that was the solution.


    I could hear loud music the moment I stepped through the door. It got louder as I got to the kitchen. Amelia was moving around the kitchen, humming the song and rummaging in the fridge for something. She wore one of my t-shirts that fell below her knees and looked incredibly beautiful.


    She didn¡¯t notice my presence as I continued to watch her. A spoon fell from her hand onto the floor. She bent to pick it up, and I saw she was wearing absolutely nothing underneath the shirt. I felt the blood surge through my veins. I wanted nothing but to yank that shirt off her and see the rest of that body. I found my feet moving towards her. She stiffened, turned, and registered my presence for the first time.


    ¡°Damian,¡± she gasped, big green eyes widening. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you were at work. Did you forget-¡±


    I syed my hands on either side of her and pressed my lips to hers, cutting short her questions. She moaned softly and deepened the kiss. That was all she needed to drive me crazy with desire. I quickly wound her hair around my fingers and pressed her to me as my tongue invaded her warm, wet mouth. She responded eagerly to the kiss. I could feel myself lengthening every second, my erection struggling to be let out of my trousers.


    Amelia¡¯s hand somehow managed to get between our closely pressed bodies. She cupped my hardness from my trousers, and I felt the fragile control I had slip away. I pulled away. I wanted to carry her to the bedroom- any bedroom would do, but I couldn¡¯t wait that long. My eyes lingered on the kitchen counter. I grabbed her hips, carried her there, and ced her on it. I breathed heavily, charmed by her. I couldn¡¯t think coherently. All I wanted was to bury myself in her. She began to trail kisses down my face while I fumbled with my belt buckle. Finally, my cock sprang free.


    I moved her legs and spread them further apart. I slipped a hand between us and found her wet. She¡¯d been dying to be with me. Good. I couldn¡¯t wait any more. I paused for only a second and mmed into her. She moaned, her fingernails raking down my back. I clutched her ass and thrust faster, picking up a swift, relentless rhythm. She pumped her hips, meeting every one of my thrusts.


    Between us, there was nothing but raw pleasure and passion. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as I increased my pace. I never knew I¡¯d be fucking Amelia, and now, I didn¡¯t know if I would ever stop. Her body had diseased me, and I didn¡¯t want to be cured.


    ¡°Dam¡­¡± I mmed into her before she could finish, and she cried out, her knuckles white from holding onto the counter.


    She tightened around me, and I knew I was close. But not before she exploded, screaming my name, and I did the same secondster. Ever so slowly, I pulled out of her. I leaned my forehead against hers as I panted and fought to bring my breathing under control.


    ¡°That was¡­¡±


    She trailed off, unable to continue.


    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered.


    There were no words to describe the earth-shaking experience we had just had. My body seemed to burn from the intensity of our lovemaking. After some moments, I reluctantly stirred. I pulled up my trousers and zipped my fly.


    ¡°I need to shower¡­ to cool off so I can be more of myself again,¡± I said.


    Amelia smiled in understanding and pressed her legs closed. I shuffled to the bathroom, stripped, and stepped under the shower. I felt pleasantly lethargic, sated, satisfied, and more at ease than I had felt since morning. I nced at the soap, but it felt like too much work to pick it up, so I just turned the shower on and let the water cascade down my back. The heat made me tired. I leaned against the ss for a brief spell and closed my eyes.


    Warm, soapy hands spread across my back, gently massaged my shoulders, and my eyes immediately snapped open.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± Amelia whispered against my back as I started to turn. ¡°Let¡¯s stay like this for a while.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear youe in,¡± I said.


    ¡°No. The shower makes a lot of noise when you turn it all the way up like that. Besides, you looked like you were half asleep in here.¡± And she giggled a beautiful, happy sound that gave me an answering smile.


    ¡°Yes, for some reason, I feel exhausted.¡± I paused. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯ll get your clothes wet.¡±


    ¡°And who said I was wearing any clothes?¡± She pressed herself against me suggestively, and my blood fired up immediately.


    I felt the hard points of her nipples pressing against my back. My heartbeat elerated as I pictured her behind me, naked and slippery and wet. Thenguor vanished immediately. It was as if the past few minutes with her in the kitchen had never happened. I wanted her now, and I wanted her badly. She murmured in protest as I turned. I grabbed her, kissing away the water beads on her upturned lips. She gasped when she felt my erection pressing into her abdomen.


    I pulled away long enough to pant the words, ¡°Put your hands on my shoulders and hold on.¡±


    She did. I wrapped her legs around my waist, pushed myself into her tight sheath, and lost myself in her once again.


    After it was over, I gently let her down and dried myself. I managed to slip on some boxers and climbed into bed, exhausted. I felt the bed dip a little and felt Amelia¡¯s hand on my shoulder as she said something about baking cookies. I mumbled something in reply and drifted off to sleep.


    I woke up an hourter feeling very refreshed. A nce at the clock told me I had slept for over an hour. Just as I wondered where Amelia was, she peered around the door, saw I was awake, and came in.


    ¡°Good timing,¡± she chirped.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    She was now wearing shorts over my shirt, which was fortunate. At least I could now think clearly.


    ¡°I baked some cookies,¡± she said.


    She uncovered a dish on the tray she ced on the bed.


    I stifled a yawn as I peered into the dish. ¡°This looks really delicious. I heard you say something about baking, but I thought I was dreaming.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I feed you?¡± she said as I reached for a cookie.


    I leaned back on the pillow and grinned up at her. ¡°Knock yourself out.¡±


    She scooted closer to me and began to feed me the cookies. By her free and straightforward manner, I knew she had lost her reservations about me. Yet, I was bothered by one question in my head. Was I falling in love with this woman? Or was it just pleasure?

 Chapter 021

    DAMIAN


    It¡¯s been two days since Amelia and I had sex for the first time. It had be a routine even though it was forbidden in our contract.


    Both of us hadn¡¯t said a thing about it. It seemed like she was just as uninterested in discussing it as I was. There was no need to bring it up as long as it didn¡¯t cause any issues between us, and I hoped it wouldn¡¯t.


    But far bigger things hade into the picture. And I needed to tackle them.


    I waved Amelia into a chair and took one myself.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she said as soon as we had settled down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a business thing I want to inform you about. So, the mayor of this city is about to embark on a project. He wants to build a bullet train railway.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. ¡°Oh. That is a huge project.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°It is. I bid for the contract. If I get it, it will greatly boost mypany and reputation.¡± I paused. ¡°But the thing is that Noah wants this contract, too.¡± Amelia¡¯s face suddenly tightened as it always did whenever Noah was mentioned. ¡°After mypany, hispany is the only one in this city that can pull off a contract this big.¡±


    ¡°So, in essence, he¡¯s thepetition.¡±


    ¡°You got it. The major is a very¡­ confusing man in some ways. It¡¯s hard to tell which of us he really favors for the job. He seems to like Noah and me equally well enough. He has invited Noah, me, and some investors to his house for a dinner party the day after tomorrow. I suspect that at the party, he will try to figure out which of us he likes best for the job. You will have toe with me, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll be thrilled to support you.¡±


    ¡°But you do realize what this entails, don¡¯t you? It means you must sit at the same table with Noah and be courteous to everyone, including him. I am quite sure that Lucy will be there too. Are you sure you can handle it, Amelia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I guess Noah will be too busy trying to make a good impression on the mayor that he won¡¯t have time to be an ass.¡±


    My lips twitched in amusement, and I nodded. Amelia was nobody¡¯s fool.


    **********************************************


    DAMIAN


    On the evening of the event, I had to admit, staring at my reflection in the mirror, that I looked excellent. Amelia looked even better. She was quite an eyeful in a green velvet, strapless dinner gown that showed off the color of her eyes, diamond earrings, and a matching ne.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelia and I arrived at the mayor¡¯s house just seconds before Noah and Lucy did. They, too, had gone all out, dressed to impress the press. There was a tense moment when we had to acknowledge each other¡¯s presence. I gripped Amelia¡¯s hand and murmured a greeting to them, and Amelia did the same, looking unfazed. Then, the effusive wife of the major made an appearance. She greeted us warmly.


    ¡°Please, step right this way,¡± she said, beaming at each of us in turn.


    She led us through a grand, impressive foyer and into a dining room where the investors the mayor had invited were already seated, sipping champagne and talking.


    ¡°We are notte, I hope,¡± I said good-humouredly as I shook the mayor¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No. No.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I sent for all of them an hour earlier.¡±


    The major made the introductions all around, but his gaze lingered on Amelia as we settled down. Fortunately, Amelia and I sat at the opposite end of the table from Noah and Lucy.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you in person, Mrs. Donovan,¡± the major said.


    ¡°Oh. Please call me Amelia.¡±


    He inclined his head. ¡°Amelia. I heard a lot about your amazing skills as a hostess. You¡¯re quite the talk of town.¡±


    Amelia beamed. ¡°Thank you, sir. You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    The major¡¯s wife nodded to the waiter serving drinks. He disappeared from the room and almost immediately returned with several others bearing traysden with food and drinks. Soon, we all began to eat and make small talk.


    When conversation gged, the mayor¡¯s wife, who had been shooting nces at Amelia, asionally cleared her throat and said, ¡°That¡¯s quite a beautiful dress you have on, dear.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelia beamed.


    She looked down at her chubby figure a little sadly. ¡°I wish I had the figure to pull off wearing a dress like that the way you do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you look really nice in what you¡¯re wearing. It would be a very boring world if we all looked and dressed the same.¡± The woman grinned and lightened up considerably. ¡°I was even about to ask who your designer is-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fashion designer,¡± Lucy cut in. ¡°I have an eye for the good stuff, and as soon as I spotted your clothes, ma¡¯am, I knew it was the work of a great designer.¡±


    The mayor¡¯s wife preened, and she and Lucy began discussing clothes and designers. Lucy shot a brief, malicious look at Amelia. Amelia kept her expression open and pleasant. My hands tightened briefly on the fork just before one of the investors conversed with me and the mayor.


    ¡°By the way, I have an idea I¡¯m still working on,¡± the mayor said when we had been talking about the stock markets for a while. ¡°You know, it has always been my dream to continue to put this city on the map.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± I said.


    ¡°So my wife and I, on our vacation, traveledst year to a scenic location out of the country, and the resort we stayed in was the most beautiful I had ever seen. Isn¡¯t that right, dear?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± chipped in his wife. ¡°We had the time of our lives there.¡±


    The mayor nodded. ¡°And so I decided on building a never before seen kind of resort here in this city. There¡¯s arge tract ofnd close to the beach that is a perfect location, but the thing is that a lot of homes around that area will have to go.¡± The mayorid down his ss and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve reached out to the homeowners. The city has offered them adequatepensation and suggestions on where to build, but they are all unreasonable about moving.¡± He looked apologetically at Lucy and Amelia. ¡°Pardon mynguage,dies.¡±


    A tall, bald man on the mayor¡¯s right shook his sadly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that people fail to see things that are for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± said Noah. ¡°What are a few homespared to the millions a resort like that will rake in for the city?¡±


    Lucy patted Noah¡¯s arm and murmured in agreement.


    ¡°Thank you, Noah,¡± said the mayor. ¡°Those were exactly my sentiments. Every other person I pitched the idea to, apart from the homeowners, agreed-¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    There were gasps of surprise as everyone turned to Amelia. She suddenly flushed at the center of attention but went on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think building that resort is for the greater good,¡± she said.


    ¡°And why do you say that?¡± The mayor sounded quite irritated.


    ¡°You see, sir. The value of all those houses you will demolish is not strictly mary. Many people have sentimental attachments to their homes, andpensations can¡¯t rece that.¡±


    ¡°I know that, of course, but when you¡¯re in politics, you have to make certain tough decisions, and this is one of them.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to be one of them,¡± Amelia insisted.


    My heart sank. What on earth hade over Amelia? She was ruining my chances ofnding this contract by antagonizing the mayor.


    I cleared my throat loudly. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m quite sure the mayor knows what he¡¯s doing. He¡¯s had years of experience in politics. So why don¡¯t we just er- concentrate on dinner-¡±


    ¡°Oh, but let her speak her mind, Damian,¡± Noah said.


    He tipped his wine ss in my direction, and the asshole smirked at me.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to be one of those times, sir,¡± Amelia said, pursuing her earlier train of thought, and I saw my hopes of getting the contract going down the drain. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are other locations you can build your resort in. You will have the love of the city¡¯s people when they see that your regime has a human face to it.¡±


    ¡°She may have a point there, you know,¡± said one of the investors.


    The other investors murmured in agreement.


    Gradually, the mayor¡¯s brow smoothed out, and he smiled. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Thank you for your honesty, Amelia.¡±


    The mayor¡¯s wife leaned across the table and took Amelia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got spunk, you know,¡± she said. ¡°I love it when people, women especially, speak their minds.¡± She winked conspiratorially at Amelia and lowered her voice to a loud whisper. ¡°I know that my husband can be a bit of a bully, so it¡¯s sometimes hard to tell him some things to his face.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± the mayor said, and everyoneughed.


    I exhaled in a rush and rxed. Noah and Lucy gave forced smiles and maintained a sullen silence for the rest of the evening. Not that anyone noticed them anyway. The mayor¡¯s wife seemed quite taken with Amelia.


    The evening was a sess. Amelia and I returned home in high spirits, though I was still worried about who would get the contract.

 Chapter 022

    NOAH


    I stared disbelieving at the email on my phone. My eyes kept going back to thest line.


    ¡­ regret to inform you that you weren¡¯t selected for the contract¡­


    That baldheaded asshole of a mayor! After all the effort I had put intonding this contract, he threw me over for Damian. Yes. I was pretty sure it was Damian. Who else in this godforsaken city would dare to undermine me? Who else would challenge me and get away with it?


    To be sure, I decided to call one of my contacts at the city council to confirm who had been awarded the contract. Before I could dial his number, a notification popped up on my phone that said something about the city project. I tapped on it, and sure enough, there was a close-up picture of Damian, smiling his stupid, self-satisfied smile. Above his image was the headline ¡®BILLIONAIRE, DAMIAN DONOVAN LANDS CONTRACT TO BUILD BULLET TRAIN RAILWAY.¡¯


    My fingers clenched around my phone as I struggled not to hurl it against the wall. Rage, as I had never known it before, pulsed through me. That son of a bitch was out to destroy me, and for some reason, he was seeding. I didn¡¯t even know when I began to pace. Losing the money that would havee to mypany for executing the contract was terrible enough, but I didn¡¯t mind that at all. Mypany had been surviving just fine without the mayor¡¯s contracts. What made me royally pissed was that it was Damian who had gotten it. Why hadn¡¯t the damned mayor given it to someone out of town? After a while, I found myself in my bedroom. Lucy was sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.


    ¡°You look¡­ angry, honey. What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked as sheid down her hairbrush and turned to face me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I snarled. ¡°You mean you haven¡¯t heard the news? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the juiciest bit of news today and will be on the front pages for a long, long time-¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°-And yet you don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened. Don¡¯t you ever do anything more productive than sitting your ass in front of a mirror, brushing your hair, and putting on pretty clothes? No wonder they say blondes are dumb.¡±


    ¡°Noah!¡± Lucy flushed angrily.


    ¡°Aha!¡± I spotted a rolled-up newspaper at the corner of the dresser, grabbed it, and flung it at her. Itnded in herp. ¡°I bet you haven¡¯t even nced at the papers if you ever do. Check it. The damned story must have made the headlines.¡±


    I stomped over to the window and heard the rustle of the paper. Lucy gasped.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°What on earth made the mayor decide to do such a thing? This is terrible.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re damn right it is. It¡¯s unfair. It¡¯s terrible. I deserved to get that contract. Me! I¡¯m better, wealthier, and more efficient than that upstart, Damian. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s somehow bribed his way into getting the contract. There is nothing I wouldn¡¯t put past him. He knows all the underhanded ways of getting whatever he wants.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, Noah, but please, don¡¯t get too worked up. Calm down-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me to calm down,¡± I shouted. ¡°You have no idea what is at stake here. Don¡¯t you realize what this will do to my reputation in this city? Everyone will think Damian is better than me, that hispany is better than mine. That is the message the news of this contract is going to send. And to think that this is all your fault.¡±


    ¡°My fault?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I marched over to her. ¡°It¡¯s your fault. I¡¯m sure the mayor called for the dinner party to see which of us was more fit for the job. The mayor and his wife were all over Amelia like a rash until dinner ended.¡±


    ¡°And what did I have to do with that? What did you expect me to do about that?¡±


    ¡°While Amelia ingratiated himself with that fat cow of a mayor¡¯s wife, you just sat there, doing nothing, just stuffing your face with food.¡±


    ¡°But what did you expect me to do, Noah? I didn¡¯t think things would take that turn. When Amelia started arguing with the mayor, I could see from the expression on your face that even you thought she had ruined Damian¡¯s chances of getting the contract. Besides, you saw when I tried to steer the conversation away from Amelia, and I seeded, but then-¡±


    ¡°But then you let her outshine you,¡± I yelled, cutting her short. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Damian bringing Amelia there was a tactical move on his part? I wish I hadn¡¯t taken you along with me. It would have served me better if I had taken a dumb dummy there. You¡¯re more than useless to me.¡±


    Lucy hit me across the face so hard that my head snapped back. How dare she?


    The pain fueled the rage in me. Without thinking, I stepped towards her with my fist raised to strike.


    ¡°Go on. Hit me, you coward! Hit me,¡± Lucy screamed.


    With supreme effort, I controlled myself, rushed to the wall, and punched it repeatedly, trying to eliminate some of my rage. Lucy didn¡¯t help matters. She kept hurling insults at me until I felt as though my head would split open at any second. Frantically, I looked around the room, spotted one of my car keys, and made for the door.


    Lucy hurried to the door and called after me. ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re scurrying off to? Well, I don¡¯t care. You can get the hell out and don¡¯te back.¡±


    Certainly, I wouldn¡¯t, I thought as I got into my car-at least, not this night. I drove fast, headed for a bar as far from home as possible. I touched my cheek, which still stung from Lucy¡¯s p. My other hand clenched around the steering wheel. It was lucky for Lucy that she was a woman. If she were a guy¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer for my actions.


    I pulled quickly into the parking lot of the bar. I didn¡¯t bother parking properly. I quickly got out and threw open the door of the bar.


    ¡°Drinks. Beer. Now,¡± I growled at the bartender on my way to a table where no one was.


    Just as I was about to pound on the table to demand service again, a waiter arrived with the drinks.


    ¡°Get me more,¡± I said.


    I downed bottle after bottle almost as fast as the waiter served it. Now, I had to admit that I regretted my decision to divorce Amelia. That regret had been lurking at the back of my mind for a while, but now it hade to the fore. What had even possessed me to do such a crazy thing and divorce her in the first ce? Maybe it was because she was usually so colorless, mousy, and such a pushover. And she had not been able to give me a child, of course.


    I never imagined that she could be so opinionated and sessful. Oh. But I was a blind fool to throw aside a woman I still had feelings for. And for what? Lucy? I wasn¡¯t as happy with her as I had thought I would be.


    ¡°Sir, we are about to close.¡±


    The waiter¡¯s words brought me out of my reverie. When I nced at my watch, I was surprised to see that I had been at the bar for four solid hours and was virtually the only customer there.


    ¡°What sort of stupid ce is this anyway, where you can¡¯t stay open until morning?¡± I said to the waiter as I settled my bill.


    He pursed his lips but wisely said nothing. Half drunk, I staggered to my car. Going home that night was not an option for me at all. There was an all-night casino around the corner, and I went there. The croupier¡¯s eyes widened when I told him how much I wanted to y for.


    ¡°I¡¯m Noah Carter. You must know me,¡± I told him when he hesitated. ¡°So, am I in the right ce or not?¡±


    ¡°You are, sir,¡± he said quietly.


    For a while, I watched a wealthy-looking man y. Thedies hanging around him were all smiles as he kept winning. I suddenly felt lucky and made my way to a roulette table. I lost the very first time.


    ¡°I want to go again,¡± I said to the croupier as I red at the table.


    I just had to win. There was no way in hell I would leave the casino with my tail between my legs. I had lost the contract to Damian. There was no way I was losing here too. I ended up gambling several times, and each time, I lost. By the end of the night, I had lost a fortune.

 Chapter 023

    AMELIA


    ¡°I¡¯m going somewhere, and I would really like you toe with me,¡± Damian announced, grabbing the car keys off the table.


    I got to my feet, looked at the time, and then at myself. I was wearing jeans and a shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll go and change then.¡±


    I made a move to go to my bedroom.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re good as you are,¡± Damian said.


    ¡°Oh. We aren¡¯t going to any fancy part then.¡±


    ¡°No, not today.¡± He stepped aside and gestured in the direction of the front door. ¡°So¡­ shall we?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I suspected he wanted us to celebrate the sess of his contract. The Mayor had awarded the contract to him, and the entire city was aware of it. Damian was now undoubtedly the most sessful businessman in the city and Noah was nowhere close enough.


    Damian handled the car skillfully, weaving through cars and avoiding traffic expertly as we headed to an unknown location.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked after he had been driving for quite a while, and silence lingered between us in the car.


    He took his eyes off the road to nce at me. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Oh. I raised a brow. That was very cryptic. It wasn¡¯t like Damian to hold out on information. So, what was with all this secrecy? And then I remembered¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a workday.¡± I narrowed my eyes.


    Damian nodded. ¡°It is.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°And you are not at work. You usually return quitete from work, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You must have a mountain of paperwork to wade through since you¡¯ve been quite absent from work for some days now.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± he eyed me wickedly.


    Damian looked thoughtful, and when he nced at me, I saw that look that always sent butterflies to my stomach, and I knew what he was thinking. The temperature in the car went up a few notches. It was like there were only two of us in the world. I felt my body responding to his gaze, and then I heard a horn honk as if from a distance, and I recalled that he was driving.


    ¡°Eyes on the road,¡± I said in a whisper.


    Damian dragged his eyes away from me and stared out the windshield. I exhaled, opened the car window a little, and let the cool air from the outside blow on my overheated face. This was not the first time Damian skipped work today after we had first be intimate. My cheeks heated up when I remembered my first time with him. He had made it quite a habit to return early from work, and we would go at it. But taking a drive to some unexined destination? He had not done that before.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t really answer my question,¡± I said after a while.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you going to keepmunicating in monosybles?¡± I was both amused and a little irritated at the same time.


    Damian shed a smile. ¡°Myst statement was technically not a monosyble now, was it?¡±


    My eyes narrowed. ¡°But you know what I mean. Rx and enjoy the ride, Amelia.¡±


    I shrugged, leaned back against the seat, and tried to enjoy the drive as he said while I kept ncing at Damian. Damian drove through rtively unfamiliar roads. A whileter, I looked around, puzzled about where we were headed. He didn¡¯t look perturbed, though. He drove confidently, but when I saw the locale we were going through, which was in the city¡¯s heart, I couldn¡¯t help wondering if he had somehow lost his way.


    ¡°Damian, are we lost?¡± I ventured after a couple of minutes.


    He frowned a little. ¡°Lost? Why will you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± I spread my hands. ¡°Look at where we are.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said quietly as he turned a corner. ¡°We are not lost.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I replied with a shrug.


    I was not entirely convinced that he was telling the truth, though. It was not like Damian to admit that he was wrong or mistaken. He would probably consider his ego bruised or something of that sort if he did that. I snickered as I imagined him driving for an hour or so more, and then we would be stranded. It wouldn¡¯t be for long, though. I patted the pocket of my jeans and felt the familiar and now reassuring outline of my phone. As long as we got to somewhere where there was cell phone reception, we would be fine. Or¡­ what if there was actually no reception? Damian¡¯s face would be a sight.


    ¡°And what are you smiling about? Do share.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware I was smiling,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, I imagined all the possible worst-case scenarios if we eventually got lost.¡±


    ¡°You do have a lot of faith in me, Amelia,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to keep imagining for much longer. We are almost there.¡±


    Where is there? I thought but did not ask. I looked around. We were driving through what looked like a business district, and a couple of minutester, Damian pulled up in front of a building.


    ¡°We are here,¡± he announced.


    Good architects, perfect ones in fact obviously designed the building. It wasrge and imposing. Whoever built it had certainly spared no expense. It didn¡¯t look like a ce of residence, though. It looked like a ce of business, and because other stores and businesses were located around this area, I guessed that was a pretty urate conjecture. I felt a tap on my shoulder and started. I turned to see that Damian was holding the door open for me. Jeez! How long had I been sitting there, staring up at the building? I scrambled out of the car.


    ¡°Step right this way,¡± Damian said and walked to the entrance of the building.


    For some reason, he seemed very pleased with himself about something.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, sir,¡± said a voice as soon as we walked through the massive doors.


    I had not noticed the man standing just inside the door. He was dressed in a security guard¡¯s uniform. The man looked from Damian to me. He gave me a polite smile.


    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.


    The man started to say something to Damian, but Damian took him aside and began speaking to him about something in low tones. I could not hear what they were saying, so I drifted away from them to take their ce. I was right in my conjecture that the ce was not inhabited yet- apart from the security guard. I smelled wood, paint, and all the smells associated with a new building.


    The ce was obviously a store. There wererge shelves, a gleaming counter, and looking chairs.


    ¡°Did you actually lose your way, Damian?¡± I teased when I heard him behind me. ¡°Maybe you wanted to take us to a restaurant, and then you lost your way and brought us here so I wouldn¡¯t tease you about it.¡±


    I heard the smile in his voice when he said, ¡°Oh really? And the security guard was conveniently here, waiting for us?¡±


    I frowned as I ran my hand over the smooth countertop. The guard had actually seemed like he had been expecting us. ¡°Yes. What was that about? Between you and the security guard I mean?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that. Where we are right is the disy room where stuff will be sampled, bute along. I want to show you something.¡±


    I obliged. The ce was even more prominent on the inside. He started down the corridor, stopped, and retraced his steps to a door we had just passed.


    ¡°Oh. First things first,¡± he said. He pushed it open, and I saw arge, well-furnished office. ¡°It¡¯s an office, the office of the owner of this ce. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really lovely. Reminds me of your office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He opened a door and waved me into arge room with state-of-the-art baking equipment.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bakery,¡± I said.


    Damian stood at the door, watching me, gauging my reaction.


    ¡°It is,¡± he said. ¡°There is a much bigger room like this with simr equipment upstairs¡­ but I think you get the general picture of the ce.¡±


    Everything was neat, gleaming, brand-new. The workspace was a baker¡¯s dream. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine many people working here, churning out mouthwatering pastries.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± I struggled to find the words. ¡°It¡¯s really a lovely ce. Anyone would love to work here or to own a ce like this.¡±


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s fortunate you feel that way because this bakery belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I spun around to gape at him.


    ¡°I know you have always wanted to own a bakery, so I decided to make that dreame true.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    He nodded. The next second, I was flying into his arms. I hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Oh, Damian. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,¡± I gushed. ¡°This is¡­ it¡¯s too much. It¡¯s lovely. I love this ce. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And you are wee,¡± he said quietly.


    Impulsively, I held his cheek and kissed him. He gave a surprised gasp.

 Chapter 024

    AMELIA


    ¡°We are almost done, madam. Would you like to see it now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    As I left my office, I gestured for the man to lead the way.


    ¡°Please, watch your step,¡± he advised as we moved around the bakery.


    I was already doing so. I moved slowly, carefully stepping around the bits and pieces of paper, paint, glue, and tools littering some parts of the floor. Workers moved around the ce, hard at work on the alterations I wanted. I nodded in satisfaction when I saw the wallpaper they had put up in the showroom. The ce looked warmer and more inviting, exactly how I wanted it to be.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I never imagined that Damian would buy me a bakery. I didn¡¯t think he paid any attention to what I liked, but he surprised me.


    ¡°Everything is perfect,¡± I told the worker. ¡°Oh, and¡­ have you moved those equipment to the positions I want them ced?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, they have been moved.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± the security guard murmured apologetically to me while sidestepping a man carrying a stedder.


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The people for the interview are here.¡±


    Ah. The interview. I was preupied with putting the finishing touches on the ce, so I almost forgot that I had fixed interviews for the day. I checked my watch. The interviewees were right on time.


    ¡°Show them into my office in a few minutes,¡± I told him.


    The security guard nodded and left. I was in my office already waiting when the first interviewee, a petite woman, walked in in an open, pleasant manner. As soon as I saw her and we got talking, I knew we would get along. She had previously worked at a bakery in another city, which was an added advantage. She came with excellent references, and I gave her the job- no surprises there. It was not so easy to select the rest of my staff from the other interviewees. Some of them, drawn to the structure of the ce, were just there to make quick money because they had guessed, and rightly so, that a bakery this big and grand would pay well. But thanks to my stint at the small cafe and my friendly rtionship with its owner, I had a little experience in selecting workers that would actually add value to the ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Work starts tomorrow,¡± I said to thest man I had interviewed as we shook hands.


    ¡°Sure thing, ma¡¯am,¡± he said.


    When the door closed behind him, I settled to study the dossier on everyone I had employed closely. I cross-checked their references.


    ¡°Jeez! Where did the time go?¡± I said to myself when next I nced at my watch.


    It was alreadyte in the evening. When I left home, I had no idea I would be here thiste. I quickly gathered up my things. A few steps to the door made me realize how totally exhausted I was. It had been a grueling day; tomorrow, the bakery¡¯s opening day, would even be more so.


    I tried not to dwell on that as I drove home. All I wanted was a long, cold shower and then bed, but first, I would talk to Damian. My lips curved in a smile at the prospect of telling him all about my stressful but productive day. He would no doubt be pleased at what I had aplished today.


    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± I called out loudly as soon as I stepped through the front door.


    He wasn¡¯t in the living room, though. I took off my shoes, plopped down on the sofa, and massaged my poor feet, which had been smarting a little all day. I finally got up and went upstairs. The door to Damian¡¯s bedroom was ajar. He was inside, idly scrolling through his phone, when I slowed down on my way past his room. A certain sudden tenseness in his attitude told me he was aware of my presence, but he didn¡¯t look my way. A little disappointed, I went to my room, and minutester, when I passed by his room to get something downstairs, he had firmly closed his door. He was not yet asleep, though. I was sure of that much because I could hear him moving around in there.


    All of a sudden, I didn¡¯t feel so good anymore. I retraced my steps, returned to my room, took a cold shower, and crawled into bed.


    Maybe he would talk to me tomorrow because he was exhausted from work today, I told myself as I drifted off to sleep.


    ******************


    The rm had hardly red its first shrill notes before I was up. It took me a second to recall why I was so excited. It was my first day as the owner of a bakery! I was finally living my dream. I felt a huge grin split my face.


    Humming a tune, I slid out of bed, slipped on a robe over my nightie, and went in search of Damian. I had purposely set my rm an hour earlier than usual to catch Damian before he went off to work. My grin slowly died when I saw the housekeepering out of his room with her handsden with the bedsheets and pillowcases. She smiled and mumbled a greeting.


    ¡°My husband¡­ Damian. Is he in the house?¡± I asked her, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not. He left for work very early this morning,¡± was the reply.


    I nodded curtly, turned away, and stomped to my room before she could see the hurt look on my face. Damian was avoiding me. There was no other exnation for him leaving before the time he usually did. Anger warred with hurt at his attitude. Would it kill him to at least feign interest in me? I thought we had gotten past the phase where he pretended I wasn¡¯t living in his house. The man was maddening. Whenever I felt we were making any headway, at being friendly acquaintances at least, Damian would again retreat into his shell.


    A little deted now, I showered. I had a hard time choosing what to wear. I finally decided on some tight jeans and a fitted blouse. I managed to gulp down some breakfast and headed out. In the car, while on my way to work, I put on some soothing music and did my best to snap out of the mood Damian¡¯s coldness had put me in. I didn¡¯t want to jinx my first day.


    I was there before everyone, except for the security. Again, I moved around the ce. It was squeaky clean. The cleaning crew had done an excellent job before they left. Some minutester, my staff started trooping in. They got right to work. Soon, the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the ce. With nothing to do in my office, I went into the kitchen to bake some muffins with my special recipe while supervising the others. A couple of hourster, I told the bakers to stop, as I felt we had enough baked goods for the day. When their activities stopped, it gave me time to realize that the queasy feeling I had in my stomach all day was anxiety. I was freaking nervous.


    ¡°Are you okay, madam?¡± one of the workers asked me.


    I nodded numbly. I went into my office and shut myself in. A hundred questions went through my head, and the more insistent one was- Why on earth had I agreed to own a bakery instead of just working in one? I didn¡¯t know anything about managing a business. What if this idea flopped? What if no one came to buy anything? What if-


    A knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called a little irritably.


    I had barely said the words before Ashley, the petite woman I had taken a liking to, came in. Her eyes were alight with excitement.


    ¡°We have our first customers,¡± she announced with a toothy grin.


    I got up at once, excitement unfurling in my belly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s great.¡±


    Her head bobbed up and down. ¡°Yes. There are about fifteen people out there.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen!¡± I grinned. Fifteen customers weren¡¯t such a bad start at 9 a. m.


    I went to the showroom and was surprised to see that almost all the baked goods we had made that morning were sold out. As I watched, the door opened, admitting a lot more people. I soon lost count of how many as they crowded the counter, demanding service. Thest of the pastries soon disappeared.


    ¡°We need more bread and pastries at double production speed,¡± I said loudly when I hurried to the kitchen.


    ¡°We are already on it, ma¡¯am,¡± someone called.


    The customers bought the goods almost as fast as we could make them, and I even had to pitch in to help to keep up with the rush. I realized then that I had to hire more workers.

 Chapter 025

    DAMIAN


    I snapped my fingers impatiently at my secretary.


    ¡°Reread it,¡± I said as I continued to move around the office.


    Her brief nce at me hinted at her surprise. Then, she began for the third or fourth time to read to me the reports on the progress of the bullet train railway project that we were handling.


    ¡°The engineers say the project is expected to take a minimum of¡­¡±


    Again, I stopped paying attention to what she was saying. Her voice merely droned on in the background. I had tried reading the report myself, but it had been so damn hard to focus, and so I had enlisted the help of my secretary to read it to me. It had made no difference because my thoughts had kept on straying.


    Since getting the contract for the railway project, I have focused all my attention on the project¡¯s sess. I knew, as did anyone with half a brain that the sessful execution of this project would pave the way for more projects in the future. Still, the real reason I spent almost my every waking moment at the office or the site was because I needed a distraction from Amelia.


    Now, the distraction of work was no longer working. I couldn¡¯t concentrate, couldn¡¯t do anything productive. Today, I was as useless as a dummy at work all because I couldn¡¯t get Amelia out of my head. My secretary cleared her throat loudly, drawing my attention back to her. She took a sip of water on the table at her side and went on reading. She was at the part about quotations for the materials we would need for the project.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I told her.


    She blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stop reading.¡±


    She flipped through the documents. ¡°But sir, I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She nodded, gathered up the documents and herptop, and began to hurry to the door as though she was afraid that I would change my mind and have her go again through the reports that I had not been paying attention to. After taking one more turn around the room, I decided that a change of environment would probably do me good to help clear my head. I took the elevator to the floor beneath mine to see one of my staff who worked closely with me to head the project.


    I met him in the corridor, probablying from some office or the other. He looked surprised to see me.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, sir?¡± he said, and I nodded curtly. ¡°You could have sent for me. I would havee-¡±


    ¡°No need. I wanted toe down here.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sure you want to go over the reports I sent to your secretary-¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I cut in again. ¡°I er- haven¡¯t had time to do that yet.¡±


    He blinked. If I were not his boss, he probably would have asked me to exin why I was supposed to be in my office, handling the paperwork that had to do with the project, but here I was. He nodded and said nothing and began filling me in on the details of what he was working on. I was surprised when I found myself in front of the cafeteria. I looked around, slightly confused.


    ¡°Everyone on my team is on lunch break, sir. I was about to grab some lunch, too. It¡¯s lunchtime,¡± he said, correctly guessing the bent of my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I nced at my watch. It was lunchtime, but I couldn¡¯t tell whether I was hungry or thirsty, or tired or¡­ Hell! I couldn¡¯t even tell whether I was on my head or heels. I felt all hot and bothered, even though the air conditioning system in the building was functioning perfectly. I was about to walk away, but he was already pushing the cafeteria door open, so I followed him inside. My staff were sitting around, eating their lunch. The men on the table we approached rose to greet me, then sat back down to continue eating. The project¡¯s team lead beckoned to one of the men, who promptly approached us.


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± said the team lead. ¡°He will be in a better position to tell you how much work the workers had done today. He just returned from the site about an hour ago.¡±


    The man he had called forward began talking as he carefully wrapped the doughnut he had been eating in a serviette. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the pastry. It somehow reminded me of Amelia, who would no doubt be hard at work right now at her bakery, her lithe form encased in those really tight jeans she liked wearing to work.


    An image came unbidden of the one time I had seen her in the kitchen, not appropriately dressed and cooking up a storm like she sometimes did, but dressed in one of my baggy t-shirts.


    Then she had bent to pick something up, exposing a glimpse of her naked bottom to my view, and at that moment, I had wanted nothing more than to take out my hard-on, ce it between those soft, firm globes of her bottom, revel in the feel of her as I grasped her hips and worked my way into her, while she threw her head back and moaned my name as she always did when she came.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I muttered to myself as I felt my member stir in my pants at my wanton thoughts.


    I folded my arms loosely around my groin before anyone else could notice the slight distension in my trousers.


    ¡°Sir?¡± the two men said in unison.


    I flushed. ¡°Nothing. I just remembered that I have to be somewhere now.¡±


    I hurried out of the cafeteria before they could respond, went to my office, and grabbed my things. I badly needed to work out the lust from my system so that I could be myself again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said as I poked my head through the door of my secretary¡¯s office as I headed out. She stopped typing at once and gave me her full attention.¡±I¡¯m going somewhere. Shift all of my appointments, if there are any¡­¡± I trailed off and grimaced when I realized that I could not remember if I had any important appointments for today, even though I remembered my secretary reading my day¡¯s schedule out to me this morning.


    ¡°And er- if there¡¯s anything really important you need to contact me about, you can call me,¡± I went on.


    I was hurrying to the elevator before her door had closed. I turned on the ignition of my car and quickly dialed Jada¡¯s number. I felt sure that Jada, one of the most recent in my long line of mistresses, would take care my¡­ needs.


    ¡°Why, hello, handsome,¡± she purred. ¡°Long time, no see. I¡¯ve been-¡±


    ¡°Are you home?¡± I croaked.


    ¡°You¡¯re in luck. I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming to you,¡± I said and rang off immediately to concentrate on my driving.


    Jada was at the door to wee me as soon as I pulled up in front of her house about thirty minutester. In half an hour, she seemed to have already gotten herself ready for me. Her raven ck hair fell in waves across her shoulders. The mascara she had applied made her pretty brown eyes pop. I caught a whiff of her seductive perfume long before I got to her.


    ¡°Jada¡­¡± I breathed as I reached out to enfold her in my arms.


    She giggled and danced backward out of my reach.


    ¡°Easy, Romeo. We don¡¯t want to do it on the doorstep, do we? My bedroom is much more¡­fortable.¡±


    She led me to the bedroom, holding the tip of my tie, swaying her ample hips as she walked. I stared, trying to empty my mind of thoughts of Amelia. She looked over her shoulder and tipped me a suggestive wink. Once we got into her bedroom, Jada gently pushed me until I was sitting on the bed. She straddled me and pressed her lips to mine. I kissed her- or tried to. The feeling of her lips and her body against mine did nothing to arouse me.


    With deft fingers, she unbuttoned my shirt and began trailing kisses down my torso just the way I liked it. She cupped my groin and slipped the other hand into my pants. I didn¡¯t stir at all, like the way I had when I had thought of Amelia. With a sinking heart, I realized that I was no longer sexually attracted to Jada. As she began to unbuckle my belt, I gently but firmly ced my hands on her hips and got her off me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This isn¡¯t working,¡± I said as I quickly buttoned up my shirt and trousers.


    She stared at me, her mouth agape. ¡°But Damian¡­ that can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said again as I stalked out of the room and her house.

 Chapter 026

    AMELIA


    My heart stuttered for a second as I smelled his perfume and felt the sheets slowly peel off me.


    ¡°Damian,¡± I whispered because we were in the dark, and it seemed only fitting to whisper in the dark. ¡°How- when did you get in here?¡±


    Myst word ended in a groan as I felt him nt a burning kiss on my back. I tried to turn, but his body was pressed against my back.


    ¡°Sssh,¡± he whispered.


    Damian swept the sheets onto the floor. His hands slid underneath my nightie. He wrapped one hand around my waist, and the other made its way to knead my breasts. He tugged on my nipples and rubbed them between his fingers.


    ¡°Damian¡­ please¡­¡± I moaned.


    ¡°Hush now,¡± Damian murmured, his lips close to my ear.


    This was torture: the constant mood swings, the attitude he gave me and the unsure feelings he nted in my head. Yet, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to touch him, but his arm prevented me from moving an inch. And then suddenly, he flipped me over until I was lying on my back. I couldn¡¯t feel him anywhere close to me or around me. Only the faint whiff of his perfume told me that he was still in the same room with me. I opened my eyes; I wasn¡¯t aware I had closed and looked around. It was pitch ck. The night was moonless, and I could not see a thing.


    The next instant, I heard the soft rustle of clothes and felt his hands grip my thighs, roughly pulling them apart. Then his mouth was on me, between my legs. I whimpered. My legs shook, and just as I reached for him to press his mouth closer to my wetness, he shifted to fasten his lips to my oversensitive nipples. My eyes rolled back in my head at the sensory overload. When I thought I could not take it anymore, Damian slid a finger inside me. Just as my body began to get used to its intrusive feeling, he slid another finger in and yet another.


    Slowly, torturously, he pushed his fingers in and out, aided by my slickness. My nails raked across his back. My mouth fell open as I tried to absorb the pleasure he was giving me. I tried to hold out for a few more seconds but couldn¡¯t. I sobbed with pleasure as I felt the climaxing on like a crashing wave. Damian suddenly withdrew his fingers and stopped all movement.


    ¡°No!¡± I shrieked, frustrated that he stopped when I was so close to the edge.


    He nudged my legs apart with his knees. He pressed down against me, and I sucked in a breath when I felt his erection slowly press against my core, seeking a way in. I arched my back to take him in, and a little moan escaped my lips as he thrust into me.


    ***************


    My eyes fluttered, then flew open with a sharp intake of breath. It was all a dream, I realised sadly as sweat trickled down my back. The bird kept screeching as it flew past my window. The sound soon faded. With a shaky hand, I turned on the bedsidemp, flooding the area around the bed with a soft, warm glow. I wrapped my arms around myself as I tried to calm my erratic breathing. When that didn¡¯t work, I strode over to the window. I didn¡¯t take up to a couple of steps before I realized that my panties were soaking wet. I ached and burned for release. My nipples tingled at the slightest contact with my nightdress.


    Damn! I could not remember thest time I had felt so aroused. It was hard to believe that it had just been a dream. It had all felt so real. I drew a chair close to the open window, sat and turned my burning face to the cool night air. It took another hour before I could get back to sleep.     ******************************


    I didn¡¯t feel well-rested when I woke up the following day. The dream had rented a whole lot of space in my head. Even the long, cold shower I took didn¡¯t do much to help. I got dressed and shuffled into the kitchen to see what I could take for breakfast. I was there before I noticed Damian was sipping a steaming cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. Those grey eyes met mine, and the sensations I felt, or thought I feltst night, came rushing back.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I croaked. I grabbed a bottle of water I didn¡¯t want from the counter and dashed out of the ce before he could respond and before I could make an ass of myself. I didn¡¯t go to the kitchen again or any part of the house until I was sure he wasn¡¯t there. After eating my breakfast alone, I hurried off to work.


    The key, I thought to myself, several hourster, was keeping busy. As long as I kept my mind upied, the stupid fantasies I kept having about Damian didn¡¯t keep ying in my head. I decided to keep myself busy with baking for an important client.


    ¡°Madam.¡± I turned. Ashley was at the door. ¡°Some men are here to see you.¡±


    My brow furrowed. ¡°Some men?¡±


    Ashley nodded and got all dewy-eyed. ¡°Yes. Your husband, Mr Donovan, is with them.¡±


    Damian? What on earth was he even doing here? I wiped my suddenly sweaty palm on my apron and quickly checked my phone. He had not left a message to inform me of his arrival here. And then I heard his deep, quiet voice just outside, talking to someone. Heughed. The next second, Damian walked into the kitchen, closely followed by several other men.  Ashley instantly stepped aside for them to pass but kept staring after Damian in a flirty manner. She nced at me, flushed, recollected herself and slipped out of the kitchen. My heart stopped, then started again when Damian briefly enfolded me in his arms.


    ¡°Hi, honey,¡± he murmured, smiling down at me, a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Damian.¡± I also managed a smile for our audience.


    He shifted, giving me a clear view of the men he hade with. I was immensely grateful that he didn¡¯t casually drape an arm over my shoulder or waist like usual when we were in public. I didn¡¯t think my heart could have had that much physical contact. Still, I was intensely aware of him as he stood beside me and introduced the men, his business partners, who took turns shaking my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely having you all here,¡± I said when the introductions were done.


    ¡°I¡¯m d we came,¡± said one of them. ¡°We decided to have our business lunch there, and judging by the mouthwatering stuff I spied on in your showroom, I think we came to the right ce.¡±


    His colleaguesughed. Iughed along with them, even though that was thest thing I felt like doing.


    ¡°We came to see you at work here,¡± Matt said. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll go get ourselves something to eat. I¡¯m starved.¡±


    ¡°Alright. My staff will attend to you. I¡¯ll be with you all shortly.¡±


    The oven timer pinged, and I turned it off. I tried to get myself under control. I took several deep breaths and moved absentmindedly around the kitchen, picking and dropping things, adjusting a knob here, a dial there, thinking of how I would face Damian again. The hug had left me giddy, even though I knew it was just for the benefit of his business partners. I finally ended up in front of the oven. I frowned as I stared at it. Something wasn¡¯t right, but what was it?


    ¡°Shit! The cake!¡± I eximed and turned the rail off.


    In my preupation, I had turned on the oven again.  When I eventually brought out the cake, the burnt smell alone told me that it was ruined. Not wanting to but having to, I went to see Damian and his business partners. I found them already eating. While avoiding eye contact with Damian, I smiled, nodded when they spoke, and said a few words I couldn¡¯t even remember as soon as they were out of my mouth. Then I turned and escaped to the kitchen, fighting the urge to run there. I locked myself in.


    ¡°Calm down, Amelia. Calm down,¡± I told myself over and over again.


    A knock sounded on the door a couple of minutester.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I called.


    I waited for an answer, but the knock only repeated. I unlocked the door. Standing right in front of me was the man in my dreams. I opened my mouth to say something, probably to ask him why he wasn¡¯t out there, eating with the rest. Not a sound came out.


    Damian¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Amelia, are you okay? You looked really pale and tense.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± I stuttered.


    He came further into the room. I took a small step backwards. Damian noticed the movement. His hand shot out. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

 Chapter 027

    DAMIAN


    ¡°I guess we have covered everything, right?¡± I asked, looking around the table at my business partners.


    ¡°We sure did,¡± Matt said, and there were murmurs of assent from the others.


    I began to gather up and arrange the files in front of me. The other men started to talk amongst themselves. From beside me, Matt stifled a yawn and patted his tummy, which was scarcely concealed by the suit he wore.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a tedious meeting. I¡¯m starving,¡± he said.


    I smiled at him. ¡°Hold your horses, Matt. We¡¯ll soon be on our way for our usual business lunch in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Damian,¡± Chris, three seats away from me, turned to me.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I heard your wife owns a bakery now.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.  Most of the other men in the room had stopped talking and seemed to be waiting for me to say something more. ¡°She¡¯s making quite a sess of it so far,¡± I added.


    I quickly turned away and began stuffing the papers into my suitcase, hoping that would put a stop to the questions about Amelia. Thest thing I wanted to be reminded of was her. I had enough trouble keeping her out of my thoughts as it was.


    ¡°Here¡¯s an idea. Why don¡¯t we have our lunch at her bakery?¡± Chris suggested, and I froze, my heart thrumming in my chest.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± someone cried.


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°I wonder why I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Matt beamed at Chris. ¡°That¡¯s actually a wonderful idea.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I said quickly.


    I was instantly the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. I flushed and reyed what I had just said in my head. It didn¡¯t sound good at all. I backtracked. ¡°I meant that perhaps we should stick to the n to have lunch at our usual restaurant. They¡¯ll be expecting us-¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t. You haven¡¯t made a reservation yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t,¡± Matt interrupted. ¡°We never make reservations beforehand, remember?  They always have a table ready for us.¡±


    ¡°Still, we can go to my wife¡¯s bakery next time. It¡¯s quite a long drive to the ce, and even if you all don¡¯t want to go to our usual spot, there are other excellent restaurants nearby. Besides, I¡¯m sure all of you are quite hungry. I know I am.¡±


    Steve waved off my words. ¡°We can all wait, I¡¯m sure. Let¡¯s check out your wife¡¯s ce. I haven¡¯t seen her, you know, except on TV. But I¡¯ve heard so much about her.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve seen and heard doesn¡¯t do her justice,¡± Matt told them of the party she had hosted at the house and how sessful it had been. When he was done speaking of her in glowing terms, the other men were more eager than ever to check out her establishment and make her acquaintance.


    I groaned inwardly. There was no getting out of this now. Matt, though a good sort, could unknowingly be a pain in the ass sometimes. This was one of those times.


    If I offered up another protest, I would be doing what I had warned Amelia several times not to do. I would make people wonder why I was so reluctant to go and see the wife I was supposedly madly in love with.


    And so when Matt eventually turned to me and said, ¡°Besides, having lunch there is going to be a big boost for your wife¡¯s business. I know I¡¯ll definitely rmend your wife¡¯s bakery to my wife in case she needs pastries and stuff. What do you think?¡±


    I managed a smile, nodded, and pushed to my feet. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    But I heartily wished this would be the first andst time I got dragged to Amelia¡¯s ce; at least I had brought my¡­ cravings under control. All four of them stood up and headed out at once without even waiting for me to lead the way.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I barely paid any attention to the jokes and stories the men swapped as we drove to the bakery. My heart beat faster, and my palms got sweatier as we approached. It would be lucky if Amelia had left the ce for some reason. Still, I felt disappointed at the thought that I might not see her.


    The mouthwatering aroma of different baked goods wafted to our nostrils as soon as we walked through the door. My business partners sniffed appreciatively. Several of Amelia¡¯s staff looked curiously at us. Three started forward, but a short woman from behind the counter beat them to it.


    ¡°Hello, sirs,¡± she said,ing to an abrupt stop in front of me. Her gaze swept from me to mypanions. She stuck out a hand to shake me, immediately thought better of it, put it back at her side and settled for a stiff bow. ¡°You¡¯re all wee.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and so did the others.


    ¡°You¡¯re Mr Donovan? The Damian Donovan? ¡± said a man who had appeared at the woman¡¯s side while she had been talking.


    The woman gave him a reproachful look but looked eager enough to hear my response. From her manner, I  had a feeling that she had already gotten a pretty good idea of who I was.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said quietly. ¡°And these men with me are my business partners¡­¡±


    Then came another round of greetings from those within earshot after I had confirmed my identity.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, sirs.¡±


    One of the men began shifting around some perfectly ced chairs and fussing with the cemats. He gestured to the chairs. ¡°Please, have your seats. I¡¯ll get your orders right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as we know what it is you want to order,¡± the little woman said, ncing at the man, who flushed.


    Matt spoke up. ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯d love to see Mrs Donovan first.¡±


    ¡°My wife, Amelia,¡± I rified when they just stared.


    Her name galvanised them into action. The little woman hurried away.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the kitchen now, sirs. I¡¯ll take you there,¡± the man close to the chairs said.


    I waved off his offer. ¡°Thank you, but I know my way around.¡±


    I led the way to the kitchen, and they followed me eagerly. Matt made a remark about my restlessness, and theyughed. I chuckled, although I didn¡¯t find him funny. The little woman stepped aside when I pushed open the door. I barely noticed her. My eyes were fixed on Amelia. Colour instantly flooded her cheeks the moment our eyes met. I kept telling myself to act normal as I had an audience in the room with me.


    I gave her a brief hug for their benefit and had to force myself to pull away. It was a relief when the introductions were done, we got out, and a couple of Amelia¡¯s overhelpful staff had helped us get settled and served us something to eat.


    Minutester, Amelia appeared, wearing a smile that seemed too wide, too big, decidedly artificial. The others who didn¡¯t know her as well as I did seemed to see nothing wrong with it.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re all enjoying yourselves,¡± she said.


    Matt stopped midchew. ¡°We are. These muffins are divine.¡±


    ¡°I second that. It¡¯s a really nice ce you¡¯ve got here.¡± Steve looked around. ¡°And you seem to have gotten yourself quite a good customer base.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Amelia¡¯s head began to turn in my direction, but she stopped herself. She kept twisting her fingers nervously. I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. ¡°Umm. If there¡¯s anything you need, anything at all, please ask.¡± She swallowed. ¡°I have to check on my cake.¡±


    As Amelia turned and hurried away, her shoulders drooped. I took bite after bite of my snack without tasting what I ate. I hesitated, then pushed to my feet.


    ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I told them.


    I had to knock twice before Amelia unlocked the kitchen door. Her breath hitched in her throat as soon as she saw me. I closed the door softly. She opened her mouth to say something but ended up flicking her tongue along her lower lip unconsciously. I could feel the sexual tension between us in the room, and I knew she felt it, too.


    ¡°Amelia, are you okay?¡± I asked, knowing she was anything but. ¡°You looked really pale and tense.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She moved backwards, and I immediately grabbed her, thest vestiges of my restraint gone. I wanted her closer, much closer. Unable to help myself, I shoved my fingers into her hair. She didn¡¯t move; she just looked up at me with her beautiful eyes.


    I covered her mouth with my own, and then she began to move, pulling me close and deepening the kiss with much intensity and passion.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fucking missed you,¡± I whispered, my hands dancing around her body. I kissed her until we were both panting for breath, and our lips were slightly swollen.


    When she pulled away, she nced up at me. ¡°I hate what you do to me.¡±

 Chapter 028

    DAMIAN


    ¡°I hate what you do to me,¡± the words kept reying in my head repeatedly. But what hurt me the most was the look on her face when she said that. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. I didn¡¯t.


    Leaning back in my chair, I stared and kept staring at one of the ques that decorated the walls of my office. It had a considerable amount of words written on it, outlining a series of mottos people were supposed to live by, but what my eyes kept getting stuck on was the word ¡®admit¡¯. That word called to me.


    I sighed. With every day that passed, I was beginning to admit to myself that I had never enjoyed sex as much as I did with Amelia. She was like a virus in my blood, some sort of drug that I couldn¡¯t get out of my system. Had I thought that having sex with her the second time would rid me of my craving for her? That was augh! In retrospect, I would say that going back for more had even worsened the situation.


    It would be liberating to have someone to talk about this to, someone who would talk some sense into me. My eyes lighted on my phone, and I sat up quickly. Of course, I had someone- Anton. I dialled his number at once, hoping he was currently not working. Anton picked up at the first ring.


    ¡°Damian,¡± he said. ¡°Long time, no speak. I thought you hadpletely forgotten that I existed. Out of sight, out of mind, aye?¡±


    ¡°I could say the same thing about you, but don¡¯t exaggerate, please. I spoke to you a few days ago, on Monday, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Ah. It feels like ages ago. Time seems to go by really slowly here in Paris.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I would have thought it was the exact opposite.¡±


    ¡°No. No.¡± And he began to tell me all about his dealings in Paris. I was lucky to have called while he was rxing in his hotel room before he left for a much-talked-about fashion show. Anton had gone to Paris a while ago. He was working on signing a popr model based in Paris to model for his fashion brand.


    ¡°I¡¯m making progress, I guess,¡± he finally said. ¡°The model¡¯s a bit temperamental, so I¡¯m walking on eggshells here, but I¡¯m getting there. I just have to keep coaxing her until she signs, and then-¡± He sucked in a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll finally be able to breathe again. Enough about me.  So, tell me. How are things at your end?¡±


    I said nothing, wondering where to begin.


    ¡°Ah, the pregnant pause.¡± There was a creak as Anton settled into his chair. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on, Damian.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Amelia. I think- I know I am getting attracted to her. And by attracted, I mean seriously drawn to her.¡±


    There was a moment of surprised silence. The muted sound of a television in the background abruptly ceased, and then he spluttered. ¡°But- but how? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I started to shove my fingers through my hair but forced myself to stop. It was something I had been doingtely. A glimpse of my reflection in the polished surface of my portrait on the desk showed me my hair was in disarray. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it. It just¡­ happened.¡±


    ¡°Just happened? I find that hard to believe. Something must have led to this¡­ attraction, as you call it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I have been finding it increasingly difficult to avoid her since we are staying in the same house.¡±


    Anton snorted. ¡°Damian, your ce can hardly be referred to as a house. It¡¯s a freaking mansion with a whole lot of rooms. You could even arrange it so that you two actually don¡¯t have to see each other. Your ce is that big.¡±


    ¡°I tried. Trust me, I tried. Amelia and I have separate bedrooms, but the things her asshole of an ex-husband did to her and kept doing to her¡­ it almost broke her. I found myself trying tofort her as best as I could. One thing led to another, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± he prompted.


    ¡°And then we had sex.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Shit is right,¡± I said gloomily.


    ¡°Well, at least it was a one-time thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Er-¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t? Damnit, Damian! How many times?¡±


    I undid the top button on my shirt and fiddled with my tie, which suddenly felt way too tight. Damn! Even thinking of Amelia and I having sex was getting me worked up.


    ¡°How many times, Damian?¡± Anton asked again.


    ¡°Several times,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ve kind of lost count.¡±


    Anton groaned. ¡°You- Damn! This is not good.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Now listen. You¡¯ve made a mistake. You weren¡¯t supposed to get under the sheets with her, but that¡¯s done. It happened, and you can¡¯t take it back. But it would be best if you did not let your feelings get involved in all this. If you do, it will be a regr shitstorm. Remember the n?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes.¡±


    Anton had been the one toe up with the n for me to get married to Amelia, the then-wife of my biggest rival, to propose a contract marriage that would run for a year, to use the marriage to secure possession of myte uncle¡¯spany and to tick Noah off. That was killing three birds with one stone. Only now, the n seemed to be unravelling right before me. I was doing most of the unravelling, and I could have kicked myself for it.


    ¡°Then stick with the n, or you will end up ruining everything,¡± Anton advised. ¡°Remember that a rtionship with Amelia is thest kind ofplication you need in your life now.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll get her out of my system¡­ somehow.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You do that,¡± Anton said, softening now. ¡°I know she¡¯s a beautiful woman, but she¡¯s off limits. A year will soone and go, and everything will return to normal.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± I said with feeling.


    ¡°Yeah. Also, as your moral support, I will be back as soon as I wrap things up at this end. For now, just hang in there, man.¡±


    I promised I would, though I couldn¡¯t help wondering if I could keep my promise. Hadn¡¯t I promised myself several times that thest time would actually be thest time I touched Amelia? And then what had I done each of those times? I had crawled right back into her bed. I forced myself to listen to Anton and answer his questions about work and other stuff. A door opened at his end, and I heard a woman¡¯s voice, heavily ented, call his name and say something else.


    ¡°My model¡¯s here, and I¡¯ve got to go,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡±


    It was a few minutes to closing time, so I gathered my things and cleared my desk. Before heading home, I decided to stop at a mall to pick up a few things I needed. I waved off the mall assistant¡¯s offer of help to wheel my cart when she realized who I was.


    I was studying different aftershave brands, deciding whether to switch things up a little and try something new, when someone called my name. I stiffened. I knew that voice. Slowly, I set the bottles of aftershave down before turning.


    ¡°Damian,¡± Lucy said, beaming at me like we were long-lost friends.  ¡°I was over there-¡± She pointed an aisle a few paces off. ¡°-when I thought I spotted you. In fact, I was pretty sure you were the one. Not a lot of men have your build, you know. You¡¯re quite a head turner.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see. Did you want something?¡± I gestured to the shelf I was at and shifted away from it.


    She shed a smile. ¡°No. I just came over to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­ hello.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Damian.¡± She fluttered hershes and stepped closer until she was right in my face, and I could smell her cloying, designer perfume. ¡°You¡¯re really a man of very few words, as they say. I guess that is part of your appeal. I¡¯m so sorry that we didn¡¯t have any opportunity to really talk thest time we met at the mayor¡¯s ce. You know, that evening, I couldn¡¯t help wishing that it was just the two of us, having dinner, talking, chatting. I bet I could listen to you talk all day. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t be a bore.¡± She tossed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t like men who bore me.¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡±


    Noah was undoubtedly beginning to bore her already, or she wouldn¡¯t be here, shamelessly flirting with me. The woman had all the morals of a tomcat. Something in my tone made Lucy¡¯s smile slip for the first time.


    ¡°Well, Lucy. I¡¯m d we¡¯ve finally had this¡­ talk you¡¯ve been dreaming of. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to run.¡±


    I gave her a stiff bow. The smile on her face was now more like a grimace. I turned on my heel and left.

 Chapter 029

    AMELIA


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, there are some people here to see you,¡± Ashley said, hurrying up to me while on my way into my office, and I felt my stomach drop with anxiety.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My palms began to sweat. I felt a myriad of emotions- nervousness among them. Was it Damian again?  I could feel my cheeks heating up. Goodness! I really needed to get a grip. At this stage, I would never be able to maintain myposure whenever he was around- something I badly wanted to learn how to do.


    He always seemed to shake my every thought whenever he was around me. I could barely think for myself or even hold up to the promises I made to myself.


    ¡°Is my-¡± I paused and spoke again, trying to frame my thoughts into words. ¡°I mean, is it-¡± I stuttered, but Ashley seemed to know what I was trying to say.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t Mr Donovan¡­ or his friends. They are-¡±


    ¡°Some other people?¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    I shut the door of my office more firmly and went over to the showroom. I stopped at the threshold and stared at the group of people looking appreciatively around the ce. Just then, the door opened, admitting none other than Will, who was closely followed by several of my former colleagues, one of whom was Lucien.


    ¡°Will,¡± I called out excitedly and hurried over to him.


    My voice alerted the others of my presence, and they all turned to stare at me. I stopped in front of Will, wondering who to hug first. I hugged a beaming Will, then glided over to Lucien, who was grinning from ear to ear like the rest.


    ¡°Lucien. Will. What are you doing here?¡± Without allowing them to answer, I went on. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so d to see you all here.¡±


    Leaving Lucien¡¯s side, I greeted the rest of them. Even stern Amy, who almost always wore a stern expression, was smiling. Ignoring my outstretched hand, she pulled me into a hug.


    ¡°We all missed you, Amelia. I missed you,¡± she whispered before releasing me and letting another eager co-worker wring my hand warmly.


    With my hands on my hips, I stood back a little and surveyed all of them, a little ovee by emotion, still not quite believing they were here.


    ¡°Well,¡± I began. ¡°Well, this is- It¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡± said Will helpfully.


    ¡°Yeah. Well. Are we going to stand around all day? Or aren¡¯t we wee toe in?¡± There were gasps, and everyone turned to stare at Lucien, who had a twinkle in his eyes. It was immediately obvious that he had been joking. He fingered his moustache. ¡°Jeez. Rx people. I was just joking. Don¡¯t you all have a sense of humour?¡± He bowed to Will, who was shaking his head and smiling again. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not referring to you, boss.¡±


    ¡°Still the same old Lucien,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Of course I am. You weren¡¯t gone that long for me to change entirely.¡±


    ¡°Lucien has a point, though,¡± said Will. ¡°I¡¯m dying to see the rest of this ce. If the showroom can be so grand, I wonder how everything else would be.¡±


    ¡°More than grand, I¡¯m sure,¡± said a woman close to Amy, who was running her hand reverently at the marble countertop.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just still so surprised you all came. Of course, I¡¯ll give you a tour of the ce. Please,e with me.¡±


    I took my former boss and colleagues around the whole ce. The tour went really slowly as they wanted to look closely at everything. Of course, the kitchens and their equipment absorbed most of their attention.


    ¡°Amelia, your bakery is nothing short of perfection, just as I expected,¡± Will praised when we returned to the showroom. He sniffed the air appreciatively. ¡°And with these wonderful aromas, I think you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Will,¡± I said, smiling.


    Will was one of the most sincere people I knew. Praiseing from him was always well deserved.


    ¡°Yeah, I love it,¡± said someone else.


    ¡°With state-of-the-art equipment like that and Amelia handling the ce, nothing can go wrong,¡± piped in Amy.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m all in a flutter, guys. Please,e and sit. I can¡¯t let you go just yet.¡±


    A few of my staff who had been hanging around, listening in, sprang forward. They shifted two tables close together and arranged enough chairs around them to amodate everyone.


    When everyone was seated, I beckoned to one of my staff, who came forward with a pen expectantly poised over a notepad.


    ¡°We have every kind of pastry here,¡± I told them. ¡°What would you all like to have? Order anything. It¡¯s on the house. Please, let it be my treat,¡± I added when Will opened his mouth to protest.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Will said.


    ¡°Right about time,¡± Lucien cut in, smiling and rubbing his hands together as he ced his order.


    ¡°So, how did you find me?¡± I asked Will when everyone¡¯s orders had been taken, and Lucien had been teased for being too keen on food despite his trim figure.


    ¡°That was very easy,¡± said a man, waving his hand like that was hardly a question worth asking.


    ¡°True,¡± agreed Will. ¡°Your bakery is the talk of town. Seeing as we are in the er- same line of business, it was only a matter of time before we found out that you owned this ce. Besides, I saw a mention of this ce in the business section of a newspaper. It¡¯s getting to be quite famous, you know. Your picture was right next to the newspaper article.¡±


    One of the men, Bill, chuckled. ¡°Yeah. When Mr Will saw it, we were tidying up the cafe for the day. He showed us the newspaper article, and we could not believe our eyes. Lucien had been grumbling about wanting to go home earlier but didn¡¯t notice when he stayed up to an extra hour with us, talking about you and your bakery.¡±


    Lucien yfully punched him on the shoulder. ¡°We almost couldn¡¯t believe it was you. We thought the owner of this ce was your look-alike or something-¡±


    Amy nodded. ¡°That was until we did a quick inte search and discovered you¡¯re actually Mrs Donovan, Damian Donovan¡¯s wife.  And so, we closed up the cafe early today and decided to pay you a surprise visit.¡±


    The snacks they had ordered arrived then, and everyone dug in. I nced guiltily at Will while twisting my wedding ring around and around on my finger.


    ¡°About that¡­ hiding my identity, I¡¯m sorry, really sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite all right,¡± Will said. ¡°There was no harm done. But the truth is that you could have knocked me down with a feather when I realised who you were and that you had been working at my little cafe.¡±


    ¡°I liked working there,¡± I said.


    ¡°And I enjoyed every bit of your stay with us.¡± His gaze swept around the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure they all did, too.¡±


    Everyone nodded enthusiastically in agreement, but no one else stopped eating long enough to talk. Lucien grabbed a muffin Bill had been reaching for, and everyoneughed.


    Will picked up his fork again and said contemtively, ¡°But when I recall how you worked so, so hard with the rest of us¡­ even taking out trash¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I would have treated you differently if I had known who you really were, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have liked that. The reason I kept my identity hidden is because I didn¡¯t want any special treatment. It just felt good to be like everyone else, to be free, to blend in.  Yes, I worked hard, but you and everyone were really nice to me, Will.¡±


    Will smiled, and his eyes got suspiciously misty.


    Lucien cut short the awkward, emotional moment when he dered that the doughnut he was eating was the best he had ever tasted. I asked of the regrs at the cafe, and they began plying me with stories about them.


    ¡°Thanks foring,¡± I said an hourter as I hugged and shook their hands on their way out. ¡°Come and visit again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we definitely Will,¡± said Will.


    I was in high spirits for the rest of the rest of the day. I hadn¡¯t even been aware that I had been feeling guilty about not being entirely truthful with Will and the others until we had spoken about it. An hour after they left, it was time to close. I was thest to leave the building after ensuring everything was in order.


    ¡°Bye, ma¡¯am,¡± some of my staff called out as they got into their cars and drove away, leaving me alone.


    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± I called back and waved.


    I locked up the ce. Twirling the keys around my finger, I was heading to my car when I felt the hairs on my neck prickle. It felt as though I was being watched.


    A little rmed, I looked around, peering at every shadowy corner. I saw nothing suspicious. So I shook off the feeling, shrugged, got into my car and drove away.

 Chapter 030

    AMELIAConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°You came here straight from the bakery?¡±


    Damian¡¯s quiet voice nearly made me jump off the couch in surprise. As I did every time I came home, I flopped down on the living room couch and began to massage my aching feet. Damian was never in sight when I returned. He specialized in always keeping out of my way except for the few asions when we got thrown together, and he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off me.


    I had expected him, as usual, to be holed up in his room or his study, as he always was, so I didn¡¯t notice him sitting on one of the couches. He raised his brows when I did not answer and put away a book I suspected he had not been reading. He had the air of someone who wanted to get something off his chest.


    ¡°Er- good evening, Damian,¡± I answered, wondering why he was suddenly interested in where I had been. He inclined his head in response to my greeting and repeated his question. ¡°Yes, I came straight from the bakery.¡±


    He nced at the clock. I followed the direction of his gaze and grimaced. It was some minutes after 10! I hadn¡¯t realized it was aste as all that.


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± His brow furrowed in disapproval.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I paused, then said. ¡°Is there anything you wanted me to do for you?¡±


    Was he hungry? Surely, he wouldn¡¯t wait up for me before having dinner. He hardly ever ate anything I cooked. Besides, the housekeeper must be somewhere around and would not wait to be told to rustle him up something to it.


    Damian gave me a searching look and ignored my question. ¡°Is this the usual time you close from work? I would have thought you would have closed hours earlier.¡±


    I frowned. Damian¡¯s tone was clipped. He seemed to have a bee in his bo about something, though for my life, I could not figure out what that ¡®something¡¯ was.


    ¡°We finished past 8,¡± I exined.  ¡°It was a really busy day. We had a lot of orders to send out.¡±


    Damian cut in. ¡°Something your staff couldn¡¯t handle? I believe you have enough employees to run the ce. Or am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but I had to stay to oversee things there. And then, when I finally left, there was crazy traffic. I was even stuck at a spot for like an hour.¡±


    Damian made an impatient gesture. ¡°8 p. m, 10 p. m. What is the difference really? They are reallyte hours for someone to return from work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, I don¡¯t know about that, but business is going really well, and that¡¯s why we closete. That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Wrong.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wrong for you to return from work around this time consistently. You¡¯ve been doing this for quite a while now.¡±


    ¡°And why is it wrong? Don¡¯t you want me to work anymore?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.  But when I told you to work, to start a business, I don¡¯t recall ever advising you to work yourself to death.¡±


    ¡°Work myself to¡­¡± I scoffed. ¡°Have I everined to you or anyone about the workload?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± he answered quietly with a pointed nce at my foot.


    I was still massaging my foot longer than I intended, and I stopped immediately. Damian suddenly leaned forward, his arms hanging loosely around his knees.


    ¡°Look, Amelia. I don¡¯t know why I keep hammering on this every time, but I would have thought you¡¯d have seen where I¡¯ming from by now. You¡¯re a very wealthy woman now, and that bakery is entirely yours. Yours,¡± he repeated, wanting the fact to sink in.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly aware of that,¡± I said, a tad impatiently, unsure I liked where this conversation was heading. ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job reminding me that I own the bakery.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. Since you are aware of that fact, that means as an entrepreneur, you also know that the people you employ are there to help lessen your workload. Since the bakery is up and running, you can rx and take a breather. Let your workers earn their pay. I mean, today is Saturday.  You¡¯re just burning yourself out. Get used to having money and power. You don¡¯t have to go to work every single day of the week.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Care to exin why the rules are different for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have a sound argument here, Damian. You are an entrepreneur, too. You own yourpanies, and yet you still work around the clock. I suspect you¡¯ll even want to sleep at the office sometimes if it is at all possible. So¡­ tell me. Why are the rules different for me?¡±


    Damian opened his mouth to speak but shut it. He did this several times, looking for a suitableeback. He found none. Despite his opinion on how to run my bakery, he found no excuse for himself. He pushed to his feet and grabbed his book.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± he said stiffly and marched upstairs to his room.


    I kept staring at him until he was out of sight. He wanted me to take time off from work. Fat chance of that happening! Work was what I used to get my mind off him. It didn¡¯t always work, but it was all I had.


    With a sigh, I rose from my position and went to bed. Marriage was challenging, but it was even more tasking to be married to a cold-hearted man.


    *********************


    When I woke up the following day, I did not feel well-rested at all. My body ached, and I had a slight headache. And I worried that it was the type that would steadily get worse as the day progressed.


    After I had dragged myself out of bed and shuffled around the room aimlessly for a while, I just knew that I would not be able to go to work today. I was stressed out. It was more prudent for me to rest instead of breaking down. It seemed Damian would get his wish of me taking a break from work after all. I smiled wryly at the thought.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able toe today,¡± I told Ashley over the phone minutes after deciding to stay home. ¡°Can you all hold the forte while I¡¯m away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Of course. We¡¯ll handle everything here.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I rang off, stretched and went over to the window. Damian was getting to his car on his way to work. Up ahead, the housekeeper was moving away, done with her duties for the morning at least.


    As I watched, Damian drove away. I winced at the slow ache in my bones. I knew just the thing for it. I ran myself a hot, milky bath. Stripping, I stepped into the tub.


    I groaned in pleasure as I felt the water instantly rx me. The milk extract seeped into my skin, making me feel almost better. The steam from the water made me pleasantly lethargic. I leaned my head back and dozed off a little. I made a mental note to myself to do this more often.


    An hourter, I came out of my doze with a start. I rinsed off, dried my body and returned to my bedroom. I hesitated at my wardrobe door with my hands on a shirt.


    I was the only one in the house now, so what was the point of putting on clothes? Und and feeling much more rxed and wide awake, I went to the living room and turned on the music yer. I scrolled through a list of songs on my phone, and soon enough, the rich, soulful voice of Elvis Presley singing ¡®Always on My Mind¡¯ came from the speakers.


    I went to the kitchen, having been seized with an idea to make a red velvet cake I could store in the fridge and snack on while at home.


    As I poured the cake mix into a mould and ced it into the oven, my favourite song on the ylist, ¡®Can¡¯t help falling in love with you¡¯, came on. I reached for my phone, increased the music volume and put it on repeat. I did a slow, solitary waltz around the kitchen as I washed up everything I had used.


    The cake was not due for another fifteen minutes after I had tidied up.  I glided to the sitting room, intending to loll on the sofa for a while and finish reading a magazine I hadn¡¯t finished going through yesterday.


    ¡°Darling, so it goes. Some things are meant to be,¡± I sang. ¡°Take my hand. Take my¡­ Shit!¡± I swore and stopped short.


    My hands automatically flew to cover my breasts and my crotch. Right in front of me and staring was a tall, ridiculously handsome, broad-shouldered man. The shock I felt at seeing him inside the house was mirrored in his light blue eyes.

 Chapter 031

    DAMIAN


    I was oddly tense, and I didn¡¯t know why. Or maybe I did, and I was trying to shelve my feelings. Perhaps if I didn¡¯t acknowledge them, they would fade away. Beside me, Anton was droning on and on about all he had gotten up to with the Paris model, now in his employ. Anton, naturally, was an excellent conversationist and a good storyteller, and usually, I would be neck-deep in his stories,ughing and asking for more details.


    But not today.


    ¡°Hey, Damian. Are you even listening to me?¡±


    His enquiry brought me back to the present. I nodded and forced my facial muscles to rx into a smile.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I replied. ¡°Go on. And the fashion shows you went to? Did you get any new design ideas?¡±


    I had said the right thing. Anton¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He continued talking animatedly, waving his fork about and jabbing it in the air sometimes to emphasise his point while I tried to keep an interested expression on my face.


    And then she came into the room, bearing, by the aroma of it, a tray filled with dessert to round off the excellent dinner she had prepared. It was funny how I knew she had entered the dining room, even though she moved quietly and my back was turned to her. I didn¡¯t want her to notice the effect she had on me, the way she made me feel whenever she was close.


    My whole body was attuned to her. If Anton, a dinner guest, were not here, I knew that I would have probably broken the rule to limit my sexual activity with her. Amelia drove me crazy. How on earth would a man leave a woman like this? I poured out a generous amount of the wine in front of me. I would need lots of liquid courage if I were going to make it through dinner with Amelia sitting beside me, her perfume continuously wafting towards me.


    ¡°Here we are, gentlemen,¡± Amelia said, beaming as she set the tray on the dining table. ¡°Dessert.¡±


    Anton stared at the tray contents, which she uncovered and made an appreciative noise.


    ¡°That looks scrumptious,¡± he said. ¡°And that¡¯s saying something because what I¡¯ve got right here-¡± He pointed at his almost finished te of food. ¡°-has to be the best meal I¡¯ve had in a long, long time.¡±


    Amelia, still smiling, waved off hispliments. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just ttering me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Damian knows I¡¯m not. This is delicious, isn¡¯t it, Damian?¡±


    I nodded, and because they both looked at me expecting me to say something more, I said, ¡°It is.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s smile faltered a bit when our eyes met. The air was thick with the chemistry, like electricity, that flowed between us, and then Anton said something that I didn¡¯t quite catch, perhaps a request for her to sit down because she promptly drew up her chair closer to the table and sat.


    Anton then engaged her in conversation. I had told Amelia of Anton¡¯s visit and made brief introductions when he hade to the house for dinner. Still, Amelia had disappeared into the kitchen to continue the dinner preparations, which she had insisted on doing alone. This was the first time they really got talking.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a pleasure meeting you, Mrs Donovan-¡± Anton said after a brief lull in conversation.


    ¡°Oh. There¡¯s no need for such formalities. Please, call me Amelia.¡±


    Anton shed a smile. ¡°Pleasure meeting you, Amelia. Though I kind of wish¡­ this was our first meeting. The first one was awkward, don¡¯t you think.¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to answer but smiled. I put down my ss, stared at them suspiciously and said, ¡°Have you two met before?¡±


    Anton had returned from Paris barely a few days ago, and this was the first time I was inviting him over. Unless he had run into Amelia somewhere else¡­


    ¡°Yes. Yes. We have met before,¡± Anton said.


    By the twinkle in Anton¡¯s eyes, I could tell there was a story here.


    ¡°How? When?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Damian, like I said, it¡¯s a kind of awkward story-¡±


    ¡°But I want to hear it,¡± I insisted.


    Anton shot a look at Amelia as though gauging her reaction. She did not in the least look put out by whatever it was Anton had to say.


    He then faced me. ¡°So er- on my first day back from Paris, I thought I would just pop into your house and surprise you. When we spoke on the phone the previous day, you said something about how your work schedule had not been as choking as it had been for thest few days, so I assumed that you would be at home the next day, getting some well-deserved rest. But I didn¡¯t consider that you love nothing more than to bury yourself in work most of the time.¡± He shook his head and tutted in disapproval. ¡°So I got here, heard music. The song ying is my all-time favourite, ¡®Can¡¯t Help Falling in Love with You¡¯ by Elvis Presley. Great song. I knocked on the door and kept knocking. There was no response. Since I was sure someone was in the house, it made no sense for me to drive away. The door was unlocked. I came into the house, sure that I would find you asleep on the couch or something, but instead, I saw¡­ Amelia, and for a second there, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. She was dancing into the living room, singing too, but she had no clothes on.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I shouted.


    My fingers clenched around the table¡¯s edge, but Anton was not looking at me but at Amelia.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t feel ufortable with my story. I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but he insisted.¡±


    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t really.¡± Impossibly, Amelia giggled. ¡°After I got over the shock dayster, I realised how funny it was. You should have seen the look on your face.¡±


    ¡°And you should have seen the look on yours.¡± Antonughed. ¡°It looked like you were about to have a heart attack right there. I¡¯ve never seen someone dive for cover like you did, Amelia. You turned away even faster than I did.¡±


    They both began to giggle like idiots, and I kept both hands clenched around the table so that I wouldn¡¯t react. Anger had my body trembling as I pictured Anton seeing Amelia naked.


    She hadn¡¯t even deemed it fit to tell me about the unfortunate incident before now! Amelia and Anton went on and on about the incident until I thought my head would explode. It was as though they were deliberately taunting me.


    Just when I felt I could not take it anymore, Amelia asked Anton to tell her about his trip to Paris.


    ¡°Oh. It was splendid,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been there several times on business and for pleasure. Have you ever been there?¡±


    Amelia looked fascinated. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So many beautiful spots to visit. There are so many beautiful women, but you¡¯ll give them a run for their money, Amelia. You¡¯re way prettier than several women put together, and that¡¯s saying a lot. I work closely with models, you know. It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re into baking. If you ever decide to go into modelling, give me a call. You¡¯ll be a smashing sess.¡±


    Amelia smiled and blushed at hispliment.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not bad-looking yourself, Anton,¡± she said, and I nearly choked on my wine.


    ¡°Are you okay, Damian?¡± Amelia asked, wide-eyed with concern.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I growled.


    That was all the notice Amelia and Anton took of me throughout the meal. Anton had her in stitches with stories about his work and ces he had travelled to. He kept making flirtatiousments, and shepped it up like water. I had never seen her so rxed with anyone like she was with him. All in all, I was d when dinner was over, and Amelia said she had to make some calls.


    ¡°Thanks for dinner and conversation,¡± Anton said, sping her hand warmly. ¡°I hope you and Damian will invite me over again.¡±


    ¡°Of course we will, and next time, I¡¯ll cook you something even better,¡± she said.


    ¡°Drinks,¡± I said when she had left the room.


    I had almost singlehandedly finished the bottle of wine.


    ¡°Er- what¡¯s that?¡± Anton asked.


    ¡°I need something to drink,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Anton said, but I was already marching towards the mini-bar before he could leave his seat.


    I sipped my drink in a moody silence.


    ¡°Damian, now I understand why you are taken with her.  Amelia is very charming and extremely beautiful. She-¡±


    ¡°Give it a rest, Anton!¡± I bellowed before I could stop myself. ¡°You kept saying that all through dinner! One morement about her and I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll-¡± I stopped, not quite knowing what I would do. Anton gaped at me and gave a long, low whistle.


    ¡°Damn! Damian. We¡¯ve got a problem. A real big problem,¡± he murmured.

 Chapter 032

    DAMIAN


    ¡°What problem?¡±


    Anton cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re clearly in love with her. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°In love? That¡¯s quite funny. Why would I fall in love with Amelia? Is she any different from all the women I¡¯ve been with?¡±


    Anton crossed his arms and leaned closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to believe you, but I have eyes, Damian. And what they tell me is far from what you¡¯re saying. You almost exploded because I called her beautiful. You were jealous. Jealousy is an extra package that apanies love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous.¡± I gulped down the contents of my ss. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to flirt with my wife or talk about her, especially when she can hear you.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Anton smiled, and I knew he was up to something. ¡°Let¡¯s believe you don¡¯t love Amelia. I want to take you back to your old self. You¡¯ve be boring. If you don¡¯t love your wife, you wouldn¡¯t mind having an erotic life, would you?¡±


    I stared back at him intensely, torn between epting his crude n to distract me from Amelia or remaining loyal to her even though it was just a marriage in name.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Cheers to our uing erotic lives.¡±


    *******************************


    I looked up from the papers I was reading and signing and gave Anton a half-amused, half-irritated look. He drummed his fingers steadily on my desk as he looked around my office.


    ¡°Do you mind, Anton?¡± I gestured to the documents in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m trying to concentrate here, and you¡¯re making a racket.¡±


    ¡°A racket? Hmm.¡± He stopped drumming and looked at his fingers like he had never seen them before. ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting a little impatient. Aren¡¯t you done with that yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°Just a few minutes longer.¡±


    Anton rolled his eyes at the ceiling. ¡°And that was exactly what you said a few minutes ago.¡±


    I grinned and resumed signing. Anton hade into my office a few minutes ago, just when I was about to close for the day. He had asked me to apany him somewhere, though where exactly that was, he refused to say.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said a few minutester, signing my name with a flourish and cing it on the side of my desk where my secretary would find it.


    Anton happily sprang to his feet. ¡°About time. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    He kept handing me my personal effects, which I stuffed into my briefcase, and then we were off.


    ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡± I asked Anton as he sped through thete evening traffic.


    He took his eyes off the road momentarily to grin at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. It¡¯s a surprise, but one I¡¯m sure you will love,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± I rxed against the car seat. I would rather be home, resting. Work today had been very strenuous. We soon drove through a business district of malls, bars, and clubs.


    ¡°Are we going to get drinks? If that was the n, we could have had a drink or two at my office or our bar.¡±


    ¡°Not just drinks, Damian.¡±


    He exited the car and gestured for me to do the same. I took in my environment and saw that we had stopped in front of a nightclub.


    ¡°The night is still young, but it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t have a little fun. Come on in,¡± Anton called over his shoulder.


    I followed him in. He stopped to talk to a big, beefy guy, one of the club¡¯s security personnel. He spoke in whispers, so I didn¡¯t hear what he said. The man nodded and immediately went through a corridor and was soon lost to view. Anton saw me watching this exchange. His smile widened, and he tipped me a wink.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see¡­ soon enough. Let¡¯s get drinks to kick off the evening.¡±


    He opened a door and went into the club. The thrum of music I had heard since we stepped into the building immediately got louder. There were people on the dance floor, swaying to the beat of the music. Other people were talking, looking on at the dancers, or, in the case of a few, just nursing their drinks.


    Anton led me over to the VIP section. A waiter materialized in front of us and asked what we would order.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a brandy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Make that two brandies,¡± said Anton.


    We were sipping our drinks, and Anton told me about some inconvenience he had at work when I spotted the man he had been talking with approaching us. He saw where I was looking and spotted him, too.


    ¡°Ah. Herees our entertainment.¡± Anton set down his drink and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. ¡°You just wait, Damian. I¡¯m told they are the absolute best.¡±


    I opened my mouth to ask who exactly ¡®they¡¯ was, but just then, the crowd of dancers in front of the security personnel parted, and I saw that he was being apanied by five women who were dressed inpletely transparent bras and panties which left nothing to the imagination.


    The other men sitting around avidly tracked their progress with their eyes. Anton let out a long, low whistle when the woman in front, a good-looking peroxide blonde, gave a little twirl as she got closer with her eyes on him.


    ¡°That one¡¯s mine,¡± he said in a loud whisper. ¡°I present to you our entertainment for the evening. A lovely surprise, isn¡¯t it, Damian? Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    But I didn¡¯t think it was. I wanted nothing more than to go home and possibly catch a glimpse of her- Amelia. I grimaced as I sipped my drink, wondering about my sudden change. I lived for this sort of thing, or at least, I used to.


    I tried to empty my mind of thought and focus only on thedies. They were all beautiful and curvy, just like I liked them, but their beautiful bodies did not spark interest in me.


    The security personnel gave a stiff bow.


    ¡°Sirs, these are the best girls in the house, just like I promised,¡± he said.


    Anton, with his eyes still on the blonde, handed him some money, which disappeared in his giant fist. He gave another bow and left.


    I leaned close to Anton and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do this today.¡±


    Anton nced at me in surprise, and then the women were all over us. One sat on myp. Two others sat on either side, running their skilled hands over me.


    ¡°Ladies, please give me a moment with my friend here,¡± Anton said. He beckoned to a waiter. ¡°In the meantime, order anything you want. Anything at all.¡±


    The girls, giggling, went over to the other couch and began to ce their orders while Anton scooted closer to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked me. ¡°Aren¡¯t they pretty enough? I can pay these ones off and get others if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m¡­ just not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Amelia, huh?¡± he guessed shrewdly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the reason why I set this up, Damian. What you need to get her out of your system is one of these honeys. That one over there-¡± He jerked his chin towards a tall, willowy one. ¡°-looks like she would give you a great time in bed. Trust me, your body needs this even if you don¡¯t realize it. Have I ever led you astray?¡±


    ¡°Several times.¡± I smiled.


    Anton chuckled. ¡°Ah. Well, this isn¡¯t one of those times. You¡¯ll be thanking me tomorrow. Let¡¯s call thedies back. If you want, I can let you have the blonde.¡±


    He looked so wistful as he said thisst part that Iughed and pped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯s yours. You have hardly taken your eyes off her.¡±


    I caught the eyes of one of the girls and signalled to her toe over. She nudged the others, and they came sashaying back to us.


    Anton pointed to two of the strippers. ¡°You, you and¡­ you, go with my friend and give him a good time.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± said the tall girl, eyeing me with interest.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome,¡± said the blonde at his side.


    Anton pretended to pout. ¡°And you don¡¯t think I¡¯m handsome too?¡±


    The blonde giggled. I drained the contents of my ss and got to my feet.


    ¡°Come on,dies. Let¡¯s get this party started,¡± I said.


    With the women on either side, I made my way to one of the rooms the establishment provided.     ***************************


    I was woken up from a doze by a knock on my door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s it? Come in,¡± I called.


    The door opened, admitting Anton. He came towards me, beaming. His smile faded when he looked around and saw that I was quite alone.


    ¡°Hi, Anton,¡± I said.


    ¡°Damian, where are the girls? It¡¯s very early, and you still have a couple more hours with them.¡±


    ¡°I er- sent them away.¡±


    Anton stared at me as though I had sprouted two heads. ¡°You what? Why?¡±


    I sat up in bed, searching for words to exin how I had felt when they were in bed with me. It was just like it had been with Jada. Thoughts of Amelia had kept intruding.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything with them. All I could think about was Amelia.  So I gave it up and sent them away.¡±


    Anton threw his hands up in exasperation. ¡°Fine. I give up. I don¡¯t know what else to do.¡±


    My phone rang. I reached for it and sucked in a breath when I saw the caller ID. It was Petra, myte uncle¡¯s ex-wife. With a sense of foreboding, I picked up the call.


    ¡°Petra?¡± I said.


    ¡°Hello, Damian. It¡¯s been a while.¡± I refused to fill in the awkward silence that ensued. I knew she wanted something, and I wanted her to go straight to the point. ¡°I just called to let you know I will return to the country soon.¡±

 Chapter 033

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Something important just came up, and we need to talk,¡± I said as I entered the room and perched on the edge of Amelia¡¯s dresser.


    She had been busily writing something that looked like supplies she would be getting for her store. From where I sat, I could make out the words ¡®flour¡¯ and ¡®sugar¡¯.


    ¡°Okay. Give me just a second.¡± She wrote something quickly, pushed the paper away, and gave me her full attention.


    ¡°Okay. So this is about Petra,¡± I began.


    ¡°Petra?¡± Amelia blinked. The name obviously meant nothing to her.


    It was a bit surprising to me, who liked to keep tabs on everyone remotely important. But Amelia wasn¡¯t like that. It seemed she hadn¡¯t bothered to learn more about the inner workings of the family she had married into.


    ¡°Yes, Petra. She is- sorry, was myte Uncle¡¯s wife. The uncle I¡¯m referring to is-¡±


    ¡°The one who willed you hispany?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, the very same. So, he was married to Petra for several god-awful years. Everyone except my uncle saw her for what she really was- a money-grubbing social and gold digger. My uncle was¡­ blinded by love, I guess, at first. They got divorced, and the divorce settlement she got was a fortune. She left the country, and from what I gathered from the society papers she regrly features in, she has been touring the world, having the time of her life. And thrust, yesterday, I got a call from her. She told me that she was returning to the country, and then I knew that she wasn¡¯t done with the Donovan¡¯s yet.¡±


    ¡°But if she¡¯s returning to the country, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that she¡¯s after¡­ you. She could just have decided to settle back down here.¡±


    I gave a short, bitterugh. ¡°You don¡¯t know Petra. She¡¯s returning to the country for one reason only: to get her hands on thepany my uncle bequeathed me. Maybe she¡¯s spent almost all her money and suddenly realized that thepany is a potential gold mine.¡±


    ¡°But- but she can¡¯t do that, can she? Thepany is yours now, and she can do nothing to change that fact.¡±


    ¡°I would really love to say you¡¯re right, Amelia, but I have long since learnt not to underestimate Petra. She has a knack for sniffing out things people wish to keep hidden. She can spot weak links, which is why I needed to discuss her arrival with you. She is going to want toe here to see you for herself. Even if we somehow manage to keep her away from this house, she will manage to get herself invited to most of the functions we usually attend. She will be watching us closely.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Amelia had begun twisting the hem of her blouse, something she always did whenever she was nervous. I wanted to soothe her, calm her and tell her not to worry, but for both our sakes, I had to impress upon her how serious the issue with Petra was.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if my uncle had ever told her about his fixation for wanting to see me get married. I will assume the worst and suppose she knows my uncle handed over thepany to me on the condition that I get married. If she knows that, she will want to scrutinize our marriage. This is the time for us to act like a real couple. Throughout Petra¡¯s stay, we must act as though we are head over heels in love with each other. We must not let her doubt our marriage at all, or I¡¯ll lose everything.¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°I understand now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Imagine if she got wind of the fact that ours is a contract marriage, she¡¯ll probably contest that my uncle¡¯s wishes were not really followed to the letter. Amelia, thatpany has grown so much since I¡¯ve taken over. I would rather burn than see Petra get so much as a foothold in it. She isn¡¯t going to juste out of the blue and take away all I¡¯veboured for, not if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Damian. I told you that I understand. I¡¯ll do my best to keep your secret¡­ our secret.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t find anything to use against you. Besides, who wouldn¡¯t believe we are in love?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Thank you for the assurance. I¡¯ll be in my room if you need me for anything.¡± She nodded, and I strolled out.


    I had already told Anton about Petra¡¯s return. That evening, he called to tell me he would have a free afternoon from work and would like to stop by the house. I told Amelia about his visit, and she went all out to cook him something.


    He arrived at the time he had mentioned, and Amelia who was crossing the living room then, hurried over to open the door.


    He greeted Amelia warmly as she ushered him in. They spoke for a while, and then he raised his voice slightly to ask where I was.


    ¡°Over here,¡± I called from where Iy sprawled on the couch.


    He came over. We talked while Amelia went to finish making dinner.


    ¡°Dinner is served,¡± she informed us about ten minutester.


    Anton and Amelia carried on most of the conversation. I only spoke when they asked me a direct question. My head was filled with the implications of Petra¡¯s visit, and I still hadn¡¯t gotten over how Amelia and Anton had been all over each other thest time he had been here. This time, they thankfully did not refer to their earlier topic of discourse. Maybe it was because I had told Anton off thest time he had continued talking about Amelia.


    ¡°Can you pass the salt, please?¡± Amelia asked, her quiet voice bringing me back to the present.


    I grabbed the salt shaker and handed it over to her. She said thank you and began telling Anton about her day at the bakery.


    ¡°Amelia-¡± I gestured to the soup bowl. ¡°Can I have that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said.


    I took the soup bowl from her. The meal continued in rtive silence until Anton flung his fork onto his te with a tter, making Amelia and I jump. I nced at him and was surprised to see that he was frowning and shaking his head as though displeased about something.


    ¡°What?  What is it?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Just finish your food first,¡± he said.


    Amelia and I exchanged a look. I took a couple of more spoonfuls and pushed the te away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s you and your wife, Damian. I¡¯ve been sitting here with you two for over an hour now, and even a blind man will notice that there is no¡­ spark, no iota of romance in how you rte with each other. It was the same thest time I came here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, Anton, you¡¯re exaggerating,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Anton jerked his head in Amelia¡¯s direction. ¡°Ask Amelia. I know she has noticed it, too.¡±


    ¡°Amelia, do you-¡±


    I didn¡¯tplete my sentence. There was no need to. From the look on her face, it was evident that she agreed with him.


    ¡°You see? Even Amelia knows I¡¯m telling the truth. You both are so painfully polite to each other that it makes my teeth ache. Can you pass the salt, please? Yes, thank you.¡± He snorted. ¡°Seriously? Your marriage is just a few months old, and you¡¯re still expected to be in the honeymoon phase. So where¡¯s the spark? Huh? Where¡¯s the attraction, the chemistry? Petra is going to see you both and wonder why you¡¯re both acting like strangers instead of newlyweds.¡±


    Amelia nearly choked on the water she had been sipping.


    ¡°Petra? You know about her?¡± she asked Anton.


    ¡°Yes, he knows about Petra,¡± I said.


    ¡°Damian, I think everything now lies with you. You have to infuse some romance into your rtionship with Amelia. Now, we¡¯re all here, having dinner. Try to show Amelia some affection, and let¡¯s see. Go on.¡±


    I blinked, feeling a little out of my depth. ¡°Er¡­ so what exactly do I do?¡±


    Anton grimaced and shook his head in exasperation. Amelia stifled a giggle.


    ¡°There are times, Damian, when you amaze me,¡± Anton said in some amusement. ¡°Okay. Let me give you some pointers. Start using endearments rather than calling Amelia by her name and then give her little, gentle touches from time to time. Pat her hand, stroke back her hair, you know, that sort of thing. Are you with me so far?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Endearments, touches, what else?¡±


    ¡°Next thing is-¡±


    A knock on the door interrupted Anton.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see who it is,¡± I said, pushing to my feet.


    Standing right in front of my door was Lora. I froze for some seconds, trying to decide if I was imagining things or if Lora was really standing at my door. What the hell was happening?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I hissed. I couldn¡¯t believe she was here. First, it was Petra, now her. It seemed the universe had conspired to bring back all the women I despised back into my life.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Lora beamed. ¡°I¡¯vee to see you, of course, handsome.¡±


    Before I could stop her, she pushed past me into the house and went straight into the dining room. She stopped short at the sight of Anton and Amelia.


    ¡°Is she¡­ Petra?¡± Amelia asked.


    I sighed and gave Lora a distasteful look. ¡°No. Amelia, this is Lora, my ex-girlfriend.¡±

 Chapter 034

    DAMIAN


    Anton was gaping at Lora. Amelia was staring in turn at Lora and me in disbelief, about to phrase a question. I took the opportunity of silence to grasp Lora¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Now leave, Lora,¡± I told her in an undertone. ¡°I¡¯ve gotpany. Do you hear me? Leave.¡±


    Lora shook off my grip and took a few steps further away from me.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave, Damian,¡± Lora said in a carrying voice. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Your legs are not glued to my floor, are they? You walked in here. Now, walk out.¡±


    ¡°Y-your ex-girlfriend?¡± Amelia stuttered, not having gotten over my introduction.


    ¡°Yes. His ex-girlfriend, Lora,¡± replied Anton, recovering somewhat from his surprise at seeing Lora. He gave me a piercing look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to-¡±


    I shoved my fingers through my hair and red at Lora. I didn¡¯t have it in me at the moment to further exin. I was so pissed. Her reappearance was thest thing I wanted to deal with.


    Seeing I was struggling to exin to Amelia because of my anger, Anton addressed himself to Amelia. ¡°Damian and Lora have broken up for over a year for¡­ several reasons. The problem is that L always shows up every few months to wrangle her way back into Damian¡¯s life. This seems to be one of those attempts¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me like I¡¯m not here, Anton,¡± snapped Lora.


    She had taken position behind one of the sofas as though afraid that I woulde and drag her out. She was not wrong. I had half a mind to do just that.


    Anton shrugged. ¡°I just thought it was best for me to exin the situation of things to Amelia here.¡±


    ¡°Now listen carefully,¡± I said to Lora through gritted teeth. ¡°Your schemes won¡¯t work this time. Get out-¡±


    ¡°But I have nowhere else to go,¡± she cried, tears pooling in her pleading brown eyes.


    ¡°Tell that to someone who believes it. Oh.  Here¡¯s an idea. Why don¡¯t you go back to where you¡¯reing from?¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t.¡± She sniffed, and a tear fell down her cheek.


    It looked like she was attempting to try one of her emotional ckmail tricks on me. Not that I would fall for it anyway.


    ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t because-¡±


    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s the story this time? Do tell,¡± Anton said sarcastically.


    ¡°My boyfriend- my ex-boyfriend, the lying, cheating scum¡­ He stole from me. He stole everything I had ever worked for. He left me high and dry, without a thing. Apparently, he¡¯s been working on this scheme for months, and I didn¡¯t- I didn¡¯t even have any idea. Now, I have nothing and nowhere to go. Please help me, Damian. Please don¡¯t throw me out into the street. Let me stay here with you for a while. Please-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t stay even if your story is true-¡±


    ¡°But it is true,¡± Lora cried, swelling with indignation.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, you can¡¯t stay in this house. You can stay at a hotel. If you like, I can pay for it.¡±


    ¡°But- but I can¡¯t stay at a hotel,¡± she argued. ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m down. Can¡¯t you see? I feel so miserable. You don¡¯t know how much it hurts to be betrayed by someone you trusted with your life.  I have to be around a familiar face at this time. You have a big house. Just let me stay in your guest room for just a few days, and then¡­ hopefully, I¡¯ll be out of your hair. Please, don¡¯t turn me away for the sake of what we once shared.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not going to be business as usual,¡± I said grimly as I strode up to Amelia and ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You see, I¡¯m married now, and I¡¯m sure my wife will certainly not want my ex-girlfriend around the house, even though you¡¯re upying one of the guest rooms. I hope you understand¡­¡±


    I trailed off because Lora didn¡¯t seem to have taken in anything after the words ¡®my wife.¡¯ She stared at Amelia for a long moment, for the first time taking in her appearance. Then she rallied and, impossibly, began to smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, Damian,¡± she said. ¡°I know you are. You can¡¯t possibly be married. Why would you lie about being married just to scare me off? Is that how much you hate me-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s married, alright,¡± Anton chipped in and jerked his head towards Amelia and me. ¡°Look at both their fingers. They are wearing wedding rings. And by the way, where have you been? Out of the country? Damian¡¯s marriage to Amelia was the most talked about event in this city for weeks. You can¡¯t just waltz in here and pretend you didn¡¯t hear about it.¡±


    Lora paled as she kept staring at our wedding rings. She opened her mouth, but no words came out at first. She finally grabbed her handbag and got shakily to her feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re married. I- well- I can¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Lora cast onest look of shocked


    disbelief at me.


    Moving jerkily, she walked towards the door. I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Amelia, who had been silent the entire time, called out, ¡°Wait!¡± Lora stopped in her tracks at once, and every eye in the room turned to face Amelia. Amelia flushed but ignored Anton and me.


    ¡°You really have nowhere to go?¡± Amelia asked Lora, whose face immediately crumpled at the question.


    ¡°No. I honestly don¡¯t.¡± Lora dabbed at her cheeks with a handkerchief.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you stay here. I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Amelia.


    ¡°What?¡± the three of us echoed, Anton and I in shock, Lora in disbelief.


    ¡°I can stay?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Oh. Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±


    I opened my mouth to rail at Amelia but desisted at a look from Anton. I subsided. It would not be a good idea to have a piece of my mind while Lora was within earshot. Lora grabbed her duffel bag more tightly and made her way quickly to the spare room as though afraid that Amelia would change her mind. As soon as she got out of sight, Anton stood up to leave.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly got a lot on your te,¡± he said as I walked him to his car.


    ¡°Tell  me about it!¡± I said grimly.


    ¡°Just handle the situation carefully,¡± was hisst advice before driving away.


    Amelia had left the living room by the time I had gotten back inside the house. I marched up to her room, stormed in without knocking and mmed the door shut behind me. She jumped a little.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I said in a carefully controlled voice that shook with anger.


    ¡°What was what about?¡±


    I moved my fingers impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, Amelia. You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about. You heard me clearly tell Lora that she couldn¡¯t stay here, didn¡¯t you? I suggested that she stayed in a hotel-¡±


    ¡°But she refused to go.¡±


    ¡°She would have gone eventually if I had kept on insisting, which was what I was going to do! And then what did you do? You went ahead and told her she could stay!¡±


    Amelia folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who let her into the house in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she wasing, and she literally just forced herself into the house,¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me,¡± Amelia yelled back.


    I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to get calm. ¡°And then let¡¯s just say for the sake of argument that I let Lora in, you went ahead to make sure she stayed. You do realize that this is my house, and you shouldn¡¯t go about inviting just anyone you want to stay here.¡±


    Amelia murmured something about this being her house, too. I shook my head in exasperation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that after all Anton said this evening, you still don¡¯t get it. We are meant to put up a convincing front as a couple. Petra ising soon, for Pete¡¯s sake! Can¡¯t you see that it¡¯s absurd for Lora, my ex, to be in the house with my wife when Petra visits?¡±


    Amelia finally looked like she was finally starting to get it. I stormed out of her room and paced the length of the corridor.  Why did all this have to happen now? Petra¡­ Lora¡­ what next? Just then, my phone rang. I let out a continuous stream of curses, seeing it was Petra calling. Damn it! Was I not going to have any form of respite today? I picked up the call and I said nothing.


    ¡°Hello? Damian?¡± came her voice over the phone.


    ¡°Petra. I can hear you,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Do you have something stuck in your throat?¡± Petra gave one of those silly, girlyughs that set my teeth on edge. ¡°Anyway, remember I told you I would return to the country?¡±


    ¡°How could I forget?¡± I replied sarcastically.


    ¡°Well, I just called to tell you I¡¯m actually on my way,¡± she said.

 Chapter 035

    LORA


    My phone rang just when I was going to get the house¡¯syout. I hurried into my room to take it. Anton was calling, and I had a pretty good idea why.


    ¡°Well, this is quite a surprise,¡± I drawled when I picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello again, Lora,¡± he said quietly. ¡°The real surprise is you turning up at Damian¡¯s¡­ again. I thought you were finally out of his life after thest time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying toe back into his life. I told you, my boyfriend-¡±


    ¡°Oh,e off it, Lora. Let¡¯s not rehash that story. Look, I think it¡¯s best that you leave Damian¡¯s house. Stay in a hotel like he suggested. Trust me, it¡¯s going to be awkward living in the same house with his wife-¡±


    I fell back on thefortable bed. If only Anton knew that he was wasting his time!


    I fought to keep the smile out of my voice as I said, ¡°His wife was the one who said I could stay. So, I¡¯m staying.¡±


    ¡°She obviously didn¡¯t know what she was-¡±


    ¡°And when she said I could stay, Damian didn¡¯t put up a fight, which means that he eventually agreed with her.¡±


    ¡°Damian didn¡¯t protest further because Amelia-¡± Anton¡¯s sigh came over the phone. ¡°Okay. How about this? I¡¯ll pay for a suite in a hotel of your choice. There, you¡¯ll have as much privacy as you want. I can even throw in some cash if you want to go shopping and pamper yourself. Or you can tell me what you want,¡± he added when I said nothing.


    A nk check! Anton, probably in coboration with Damian, was giving me a nk check. It seemed they were pretty eager to get rid of me, which only made me more determined to stay.


    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks, Anton,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m really not in a good ce right now. I¡¯m still trying to recover from my boyfriend¡¯s betrayal and staying at a hotel isn¡¯t for me at the moment¡­ You know, for my mental health and all.¡± I gave an unconvincing sob and heard Anton¡¯s hiss. He was probably cussing me right now. Not that I cared anyway. ¡°I have to go now. I still have to er- unpack the stuff I came with. We¡¯ll talkter, or maybe I¡¯ll see you around whenever youe by the house.¡±


    ¡°Lora-¡± he began, but I had already ended the call.


    Grinning, I aimed and threw the phone on my pillow, where it bounced. I listened at the door and heard no footsteps. No one was in sight when I opened it.


    Arranging my face into what I hoped was a suitably mournful expression in case I encountered Amelia, I went snooping.


    As I got closer to Damian¡¯s bedroom, I almost looked in on him, but as I passed, I was d I didn¡¯t. His bedroom door was half open, and just inside, I spotted some suitcases. One was bright pink- a woman¡¯s suitcase. It must be Amelia¡¯s. Was she rearranging her stuff in there?


    Shrugging, I tiptoed quickly past Damian¡¯s bedroom and resumed walking normally. When I had gotten past it-a sliver of light spilt from the door of the second master bedroom. I hesitated a little and gave the door a little push.


    ¡°Hello? Anyone here?¡± I called out.


    There was no one there, but there were several other interesting things that caught my attention. The bedroom had obviously been made up for a woman. A variety of beauty products lined the dressing table. I opened and sniffed a half-empty bottle of perfume. It was flowery, expensive, feminine. Female clothes upied half of the wardrobe. There were several suitcases there too. My eyes fell on one of them, a pink one that looked exactly like the one in Damian¡¯s bedroom. What was going on here? It looked like this was Amelia¡¯s room, and it also looked like she was just moving into Damian¡¯s bedroom. Was it because I was here?


    Something was not right. Something was wrong with Damian and Amelia¡¯s marriage. I sensed the coldness between them, but this was proving my doubts. Hadn¡¯t I thought that this marriage of his was too soon? Damian had never acted like he wanted to settle down. There was something fishy about this setup, and I was determined to find out what it was. After ensuring I had left everything exactly how I found it, I left the room.


    Later that night, from my open window, I heard a series of sshesing from the direction of the indoor pool. I crept downstairs and got to the poolside just as Damian emerged from the pool, soaking wet.


    I took a moment to admire his gorgeous physique. I had almost forgotten how hot he looked in nothing but swim trunks. He picked up a towel and worked it through his thick hair.


    Moving quickly, I unfastened the knot holding my robe together, wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed myself against his back. He stiffened immediately and spun around so quickly that my arms fell away, and I nearly lost my bnce.


    ¡°What the hell, Lora!¡± he hissed. ¡°What are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°I just saw you standing there, looking so handsome, and I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to control yourself from here on out. I won¡¯t stand for such behaviour.¡± He frowned. ¡°If you really want to remain a guest, you better learn to keep your distance.¡±


    Keeping his eyes trained on me, he moved away and nearly tripped over a chaise lounge. When he looked down to see where his feet were taking him. I seized my chance and glided over to him.


    ¡°Why are you acting all jumpy and upright?¡± I inched closer to him and tried to touch his chest. He jerked back, grabbed my hand and forced it to my side.


    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself!¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m pretty anymore? There was a time when you could never get enough of me. Remember all the good times we had together in bed and-¡± I dropped my voice. ¡°-and out of it.¡±


    Damian jerked his head towards the house. ¡°Beat it, Lora.¡±


    ¡°We spent most of our time out of bed rather than in it though¡­ the sofa, the stairs, the counters. The showers were my favourite.¡±


    ¡°One thing I¡¯m happy about is that you have the good sense to refer to all that happened between us as past. Those days are done.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be that way. We can still continue from where we left off.¡±


    Damian¡¯s eyebrows rose at that. ¡°Oh. I thought you were very upset about your ex-boyfriend, or was the whole story about your thieving boyfriend a lie?¡±


    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t!¡± I said more harshly than I intended.


    Why was Damian being so stubborn? I took a deep breath and tried again. ¡°I¡¯m still upset, but honestly, no man has ever affected me like you do. Let¡¯s go upstairs to my room, talk and¡­ then you can do other stuff to me and¡­ in me.¡±


    I fiddled with the string of my robe, calling attention to the fact that I was wearing only a bra that barely restrained my full breasts. Damian¡¯s eyes slid from my breasts to my face, not at all the reaction I had expected. He waved the hand, glinting with his wedding ring on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m married, remember? So I¡¯m not interested in whatever this is.¡±


    ¡°I know for a fact that your marriage is a sham,¡± I said before I could stop myself.


    Damian recoiled. I bit my lip. Hard.


    ¡°W-what do you mean by that?¡±


    I hated to admit I had been snooping, but I had no choice now but to let it all out.


    ¡°I saw Amelia¡¯s things in the second master¡¯s bedroom. It looks to me like she¡¯s finally moving into your bedroom because I¡¯m here. You¡¯ve been married for what¡­ months? What newly wedded couple sleeps in different bedrooms? It¡¯s obvious your marriage isn¡¯t working out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± he snapped. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why she¡¯s not been in my bedroom. You¡¯re just jumping to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Am I?¡±


    Damian nodded curtly, and I could almost see the cogs in his brain work as he searched for a usible story.


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± he said with more assurance this time. ¡°What happened was that Amelia had the flu. She was down with it for weeks. It¡¯s really contagious, you know. She didn¡¯t want me to catch it, so she moved out of our bedroom for a few days. Of course, she¡¯s better now, so she¡¯s moving back into our bedroom.¡±


    I said nothing, and Damian had difficulty meeting my stare. I tutted and shook my head.


    ¡°Tell that to someone who believes it,¡± I murmured. In one fluid movement, I unhooked my bra and let it and the loose robe I wore fall to the floor. I stepped away from it, moved close to Damian, and slid my hands across his chest and shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much. Let me remind you of our good days.¡±


    A shocked gasp made us both turn. Standing by the pool, staring at us in shocked disbelief, was Amelia.

 Chapter 036

    AMELIA


    I heard voices, hushed voices, as I approached the indoor pool. One clearly was Lora¡¯s, and the other was¡­ Damian¡¯s. I rounded the corner and blinked at the sight that met my eyes. A naked Lora had her hands on Damian¡¯s shoulders. Her clothes were pooled on the floor close to her feet.


    She was talking to him in low whispers, but what she was trying to talk him into was very clear. I couldn¡¯t tell if Damian was responding to her sexual overtures. Lora¡¯s body blocked him from my view. I must have made a sound because their heads whipped towards me at the same time. Lora gave a small scream and dived for her clothes.


    ¡°Um- sorry,¡± I mumbled, but I didn¡¯t think either of them had heard me.


    Lora had taken a couple of steps forward and seemed to realize it would be ridiculous to run into the house stark naked, so she settled for quickly getting dressed. I met Damian¡¯s eyes.


    He had an odd expression like he was expecting me to do something. But what? I turned away, wanting nothing more than to get to my room and forget what I had just seen. I walked so quickly that I almost slipped and fell into the pool.


    ¡°Amelia! Baby!¡± Damian called from behind me.


    I was so shocked at Damian calling me ¡®baby¡¯ that I was visibly startled and nearly slipped again. It couldn¡¯t be me he was referring to, could it?  It had to be Lora.  But the next moment, I was disabused of this notion when Damian ran up to me, grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him.


    ¡°Baby, please, I can exin,¡± he pleaded in a strangled voice. I only gaped at him. He swallowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ it¡¯s all Lora¡¯s fault. It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡±


    I daresay I looked rather stupid, standing there and staring at him. Since when did Damian apologize for having other women on the side?


    I was sure he had manydies at his beck and call. After all, not so long ago, the next day after our marriage, in fact, I had stumbled on a box of condoms in my bedroom, condoms he had certainly not been using with me. So when did he change his ways?


    Over Damian¡¯s shoulder, I caught sight of Lora, who was staring at us. Her evident curiosity had impeded her haste to get going.


    She saw me looking at her and flushed, tightening the already tightened sash on her robes so hard it had to restrict her airflow. Then I nced at Damian¡¯s frustrated expression and cottoned on immediately. Of course, I was supposed to act the part of the jealous, aggrieved wife!


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I think?¡± I said, raising my voice for effect. Damian¡¯s frustrated expression instantly rxed to one relief, and then he began looking tortured again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would hurt me this way. I trusted you¡­ I- I loved you. I-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything with her. I swear-¡±


    Damian reached for my hand. I jumped back immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you cheating bastard!¡± I yelled and managed a sob I hoped was convincing enough. ¡°I hate you! I hate you! I don¡¯t ever want to feel your slimy hands on me ever again, or I¡¯ll break them!¡±


    At this, Lora gave a frightened little whimper and scurried away, probably before I decided I wanted to break her instead. I kept yelling at Damian. He kept apologising and offering to exin for a few more minutes after Lora had gone. Then he crept forward and peered around the side of the building for a full thirty seconds, his eyes darting here and there.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± he told me in a hushed whisper when he returned to my side.


    My shoulders sagged in relief.


    ¡°Thank goodness!¡± I breathed, unconsciously mirroring his tone.


    Damian looked suddenly ufortable as he peered closely into my face. I was about to ask him what the matter was just as he said hesitantly, ¡°When you were calling me a cheating bastard just now¡­ you weren¡¯t really crying, were you?¡±


    He looked appalled at the very thought.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I said at once. ¡°I was just trying to make the whole thing very convincing¡­ because I was a bit slow on the uptake.¡±


    A fleeting smile crossed Damain¡¯s lips. ¡°Eventually, you were very convincing, I mean.¡± His face tightened. ¡°You see, I was right in not wanting Lora to stay here and asking you to move your things into my bedroom immediately. Lora wasted no time in snooping around. She¡¯s discovered that we haven¡¯t been sharing my room, and then she concluded that something was not right with our marriage.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t!¡± I eximed in outrage at her nosiness.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she did.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell her? I mean, what exnation did you give her?¡±


    Damian waved his hand airily. ¡°Oh, I told her something about you having had an infectious disease that made us sleep in different rooms.


    What?¡± he said in response to my look of incredulity. ¡°It was the best I coulde up with at the moment. Although¡­ I don¡¯t think she believed me. She proceeded to get naked and tried to seduce me right before you walked in.¡±


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°This is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Not if you handle it rightly. Just keep acting upset, and let¡¯s both try to be a little more convincing when Petra eventuallyes to visit.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded and looked to where Lora had gone a while ago.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you go in first without me. She won¡¯t expect us to have resolved our issue so soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡±


    I set off for the house, put on a mournful air and made sure I stayed out of Damian¡¯s way when he came back into the house, looking gloomy as well.


    I was in my room, about to sort out some orders that hade in for the bakery the previous day, when I heard footsteps in the corridor, just outside my half-open door. They got closer.


    There could only be one person moving so quietly and obviously still snooping around- Lora. It was toote to close my door properly, so I sat down on my bed with my face in my hands, sobbing quietly, while I kept an ear on any movement outside, hoping that Lora would move along-no such luck. The door to my room opened quietly. Silence, and then my bed dipped a little.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lora said quietly.


    I sobbed louder. Thinking it would be very suspicious if I took my hands off my face and Lora saw no tears, I racked my brains for a more recent horrible memory. Thankfully,  one of Noah¡¯s throwing me out of the house sufficed and made me shed a tear or two.


    ¡°Go away,¡± I muttered angrily to Lora, who didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Listen,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. So sorry. I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you to apologise. I didn¡¯t mean for you to see that. In fact, what happened wasn¡¯t actually my doing¡­¡± She paused, and I could feel her assessing me shrewdly.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I finally took this as my cue to drop my hands, wipe away a few stray tears and ask, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t want to cause trouble in your marriage or anything like that, but you have to know the truth.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± I urged.


    ¡°At the pool, Damian was the one making advances at me. I didn¡¯t want what happened to happen, but then the truth is that I¡¯m still attracted to Damian, so when he took off my robes¡­ I barely even knew what I was doing. But I was still protesting, reminding him he was married to you, a gorgeous, desirable woman. In fact, I was just about to storm out when you walked in on us.¡±


    I sniffed and nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Damian could be so-¡±


    ¡°Oh, you better believe it, Amelia.¡± She tentatively patted my hand. ¡°Damian is a good-for-nothing cheat. He cheated on me several times when we were still together. He¡¯ll never change, so please, don¡¯t waste your tears on him.¡±


    I promised I wouldn¡¯t, and we spent the next few minutes soundly abusing Damian. Lora left a whileter, barely able to contain her happiness at causing a rift between Damian and me, as she thought.


    ****************************


    Two dayster, Anton dropped by the house for dinner. Dinner was a subdued affair, with Damian and Lora in attendance. No one spoke much, and from time to time, I kept giving Damian dirty looks, much to Lora¡¯s delight.


    ¡°Can I have some chicken?¡± Anton said.


    I nodded and passed the te to him just as the doorbell rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± I said, jumping to my feet.


    But Damian was already walking to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Hello. It¡¯s you.¡± we heard Damian say to someone.


    There was a click of heels, and a woman burst into the dining room secondster.


    ¡°Petra,¡± Anton murmured.

 Chapter 037

    AMELIA


    My first impression of Petra was that she was a charming, morous, middle-aged woman, but then, when one really looked at her, I could see that her beauty was somewhat marred by the fact that she was perpetually wearing a sneer.


    It looked like she had some dirt under her nose and was trying to escape the smell.


    She was impably dressed, almost to the point of garishness. Her low-backed sequinned gown belonged more to a morous dinner party. So did the fur stole she had wrapped around her shoulders, the pearl drop earrings, and the really high heels.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    She looked like she had stepped right out of the pages of a glossy fashion magazine. Her gaze immediately swivelled to Anton, who had muttered her name purely for my benefit, it seemed.


    ¡°Yes, Anton. It¡¯s me,¡± she said in a throaty voice.


    Anton visibly flushed. He had clearly not expected her to have heard him. Instantly, I was reminded of what Damian had said about Petra not being a woman to underestimate. If her eyes are as sharp as her ears, then Damian and I would really have to work hard at pretending. It would be impossible to do anything without her sniffing it out.


    Initially, I had secretly thought that Damian was being a tad paranoid with all his talk of Petra.


    Now, I was beginning to see his point. I shifted ufortably and wanted to make myself as small as possible. Damian walked stiffly into the dining room, his jaw clenched, looking annoyed.


    It seemed Petra had pushed past him into the house without saying a word to him because he said stiffly, ¡°Good evening, Petra. I apologize it¡¯sing a tadte, seeing I was supposed to say that when I opened the door.¡±


    Damian¡¯s sarcasm rolled off Petra like water off a stone. She moved her fingers impatiently. ¡°Yes. Yes. Good evening to you. You didn¡¯t expect me to keep standing outside while you invited me in, did you? It¡¯s bitterly cold out there, and I had a really long drive to get here to see you.¡±


    She made it sound like Damian had dragged her here by her ears.


    Petra surveyed the array of dishes. ¡°Ah¡­ dinner. Good. I¡¯m quite hungry. I didn¡¯t have much to eat at the restaurant. The maitre d¡¯ kept fawning over me, trying to curry some favour, no doubt. He was such a bore, so I left my food almost untouched.¡±


    Sheid her fur stole almost reverently on the chair next to hers, which incidentally was where Damian had been sitting. She patted it fondly like one would pat a well-mannered cat, then she promptly sat down, pulled an empty te towards her and began dishing food into her te.


    Again, she made that impatient gesture with her fingers, this time at Anton. He followed her gaze to the te of chicken, which he still held. Deciding it was what she was after, Anton held it out to her.


    She snatched it from him without so much a ¡®thank you¡¯. Anton did not look very offended at this behaviour. Probably, it was what everyone expected of Petra. I frowned and found myself liking Petra less and less, not that I had liked her much to begin with.


    Lora opened her mouth and closed it again. I supposed I should say something, probably greet her, but the thought of getting the sort of sharp retort Damian had gotten made me hold my tongue.


    Damian shoved his hands through his hair and flung himself into the empty chair beside me. Anton pushed Damian¡¯s te towards him, and he began eating.


    At first, Damian and I had kept up with the charade of maintaining a grumpy sort of silence at the dining table, but now it was a charade no longer. The mood at the table had certainly taken a nosedive since Petra¡¯s arrival. Anton persistently cleared his throat, his usual prelude to starting a conversation, but he couldn¡¯t seem to think of anything to say.


    Petra chewed slowly and took fastidious little sips of her wine. After she had eaten some quantity of her food, she finished the remnants of her wine in one gulp and held out the ss to no one in particr.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone waiting on us?¡± she asked Damian. ¡°Don¡¯t you have maids? Domestic staff?¡±


    And she looked around as though expecting one to materialize out of thin air.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have staff waiting on us,¡± Damian said. ¡°Still, we manage to get on. Weird to some people, maybe, but true.¡±


    Petra looked affronted. She red at Damian, who merely kept looking at her enquiringly. Anton and I hid our grins at Damian¡¯s jibe, which had found its mark. Dismissing Damian with another nce, she looked around the table.


    ¡°You and Anton are still as thick as thieves, I see,¡± she said with her eyes on Anton.


    ¡°Yes, Petra. We are,¡± Anton replied with a rather mocking bow. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you looking so well. I wonder why you even bothered toe back. You look so radiant, and it seems the atmosphere wherever you¡¯ve been really agrees with you.¡±     Petra smirked and patted her perfectly styled hair. ¡°Of course it does, but I had to return to take care of some rather¡­ urgent business.¡±


    ¡°Ah. What¡¯s this urgent business?¡± Anton asked politely. When she looked away from him, it was in he wanted to ask how long it would take for her to conclude her ¡®urgent business¡¯ so she could get back to where she wasing from.


    ¡°Just one or two things of importance I need to sort out,¡± Petra murmured unhelpfully. Her gaze slid to Lora. Her brows rose. ¡°You. I remember you. Your name is Lora, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Er- yes. It is,¡± Lora replied. ¡°Hi,¡± she added somewhat unnecessarily when Petra continued to stare at her.


    ¡°Yes. You are Damian¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Petra said, half to herself. ¡°One of many who he¡¯s had, though it seems you¡¯ve stayed on longer than many others. I¡¯ve lost count of the many women in our handsome Damian¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Ex-girlfriend,¡± Damian corrected, hastily swallowing a mouthful of food.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± said Petra, though I was confident that she had heard Damian perfectly well. Petra finally looked me over, and I could instantly tell that she disapproved of me.


    ¡°I was saying that Lora was my ex-girlfriend. There is nothing between us now. In fact, I¡¯ve been dying to introduce you to my wife, Amelia.¡±


    Beaming at me, Damian took my hand lying on the table and pressed it to his lips. I smiled back at him. Petra¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    ¡°Your wife?¡± she cried incredulously.


    Damian ignored her tone. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, Petra,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you finally. Shame you couldn¡¯t make it to our wedding.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes,¡± she said and resumed eating, but I could feel her eyes on me as Anton made another sessful stab at conversation.


    I felt hot and ufortable. The woman was radiating hostility. Finally, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Without thinking, I got to my feet. The conversation stopped at once, and I was instantly the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. I racked my brains for a usible excuse to get a breather and found one.


    ¡°Excuse me. I have to go and get the extra sd,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯lle to help you, honey,¡± Damian offered.


    ¡°No thanks, love. I can handle it.¡±


    I felt much better in the kitchen and stayed there for a while before I started dishing out the sd. I heard the door open and close. I stiffened immediately when I felt a return of the tension I had felt in the dining room. I knew who it was before I even turned. With her arms crossed, she leaned against the door, determined I wouldn¡¯t leave until she had her say.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re Damain¡¯s wife,¡± said Petra.


    ¡°Yes. I wish we had been introduced sooner. Damian tells me you have travelled around the world. It must be-¡±


    ¡°Oh. Please spare me the talk, Amelia. I sense that you are a very intelligent woman, whatever else you may be. You know, and I know I did not follow you in here for a bit of chit-chat. In fact, I¡¯m willing to make you an offer, and I expect a straightforward reply. I will pay you double whatever Damian pays you to pretend to be his wife.¡±


    I gasped. ¡°I- I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time. You know perfectly well what I¡¯m talking about. Okay. Fine. Name your price, any amount, for you to stop this pretence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not pretending. I love Damian. I don¡¯t know where you got the idea that we¡¯re faking our marriage.¡±


    An unpleasant smile lit up Petra¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± she said. ¡°If you insist.¡± With one dirty look at me, she turned and sashayed away.


    When she left, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and sagged against the kitchen counter. That had been close. Iposed myself, grabbed the sd bowl and returned to the dining room.

 Chapter 038

    AMELIA


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping in the second master¡¯s bedroom, the one you were sleeping in before,¡± Damian said quietly as he shut the door of his bedroom quickly behind him as though afraid he would be overheard. The reality was that he was. We were all terrified of Petra and what she was up to.


    I didn¡¯t me him. Lora and Petra in the house called up the image of a pair of hounds, hot on the scent. Petra had just insisted on being shown into her room, taking it for granted that she would be asked to spend the night here.


    Now, I would have to spend the night, and probably many nights after that, in Damian¡¯s room. The same thought seemed to have urred to him because he looked very ufortable. He hurried into the bathroom and took a shower but was fully dressed in his pyjamas before he came out. I was already lying in bed before that, having previously locked the door.


    I honestly wouldn¡¯t put it past Petra or Lora to try to peer in on us to find out if Damian and I were cuddling each other while we slept. I shut my eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep as Damian moved around the room.


    I felt the mattress dip a little as hey down on the far side of the bed. Iy awake for a long, long time, feeling sure that I would not be able to sleep a wink, not with Damian sleeping on the same bed with me. But I finally drifted off.


    I was woken up the following day by the sound of running water. I sat up immediately. Damian wasn¡¯t in the room. He was in the bathroom then. My head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton wool, so I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee.


    ¡°You¡¯re up really early.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I jumped and nearly dropped the coffee mug into the sink. Petra, dressed in a shily coloured robe, stood beside me, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand.


    ¡°Er- yes,¡± I said stiffly. ¡°Damian leaves really for work, so I have to prepare him breakfast.¡±


    Petra said nothing more, but I felt her eyes on me as I moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast I had actually had no intention of making. It was like she was a silent shadow.


    She even followed me into the dining room when I went to set the table. I reined in my annoyance with a lot of effort. Was she hoping I would break down and confess that Damian and I didn¡¯t love each other?


    ¡°Had a good night?¡± she asked suddenly.


    The question took me entirely by surprise. ¡°Er- yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I noticed something really oddst night. The pillows in the second master¡¯s bedroom still smell faintly of cologne, your cologne. It has quite a distinctive fragrance, you know. It seems to me that you¡¯ve been spending the night in that bedroom instead of in your husband¡¯s. I have been wondering why¡­¡±


    With my heart beating really fast, I briefly floundered for something to say when Damian came to the rescue bying into the dining room and calling a cheerful ¡®good morning¡¯ to me and kissing me on the cheek. I gulped- this would take some getting used to and beamed at him. His tone was noticeably more rxed when he greeted Petra, who was watching us like a hawk.


    ¡°This smells delicious, honey,¡± said Damian as he uncovered the dishes.


    I let out augh and addressed Petra. ¡°Damian always loves my cooking. He can¡¯t get enough of it.¡±


    Petra gave an offended sniff and started eating. She didn¡¯t say another word as we ate. Damian and I kept up a constant flow of conversation, talking and chatting about our ns for the day. Petra concentrated on her meal, but I could tell she listened to every word we said. Damian¡¯s phone buzzed.


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue to leave for the office.¡± He shot to his feet and grabbed his jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter. Bye, Petra.¡±


    She mumbled something in reply but immediately stopped buttering her toast when Damain headed for the door. She tracked his progress, her eyes narrowing with suspicion and something like¡­ triumph. Then it hit me.


    ¡°Honey,¡± I called. Damian stopped and turned, puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡±


    Damian nced at his briefcase and his jacket and looked even more confused. Resisting the urge to re at the obtuse man, I went over to him and offered him my cheek.


    ¡°Oh. Right,¡± he said when he finally got it. ¡°How could I forget? Silly me.¡±


    He kissed me on both cheeks and gave me one on the forehead for good measure. Heughed, waved and left. With a sinking heart, I noticed the thoughtful, brooding look on Petra¡¯s face. She seemed to have really noticed Damian¡¯s slip.     ********************


    DAMIAN


    ¡°She¡¯s more of a pain in the ass than I originally thought,¡± Iined hourster in my office.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Anton. ¡°I mean, I know the kind of person she is, but she seems to be more unpleasant than ever.¡±


    ¡°Unpleasant and nosy. Just this morning, I heard her telling Amelia that she smelled her cologne on the pillows of the second master¡¯s bedroom. She seems to be concluding that Amelia and I haven¡¯t been sleeping in the same room.¡±


    Anton stared. ¡°Already? That woman¡¯s dangerous, Damian. You have to get her off your back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know. But how?¡±


    Anton thought for a moment. ¡°Maybe by making your house ufortable for her to stay in.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at the ceiling.


    ¡°How, Anton? How?¡± I asked, but Anton, like myself, seemed to have run out of ideas.


    An hourter, we were no closer to getting a strategy of getting Petra off my back. Anton left. I settled down to work and soon received a call from the firm overseeing my uncle¡¯s will. They hadn¡¯t called in ages, and I knew before I picked up that somehow Petra had something to do with the call.


    ¡°Good day. To what do I owe the pleasure of this er- call?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Mr Damian. We have some er- disturbing news,¡± said the firm¡¯swyer. ¡°Strictly speaking, I¡¯m not supposed to tell you this, at least not yet, but considering our very profitable and wonderful business rtionship, I felt it would be rather bad of me not to fill you in on what¡¯s happening-¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. That¡¯s very thoughtful of you, I¡¯m sure,¡± I said, impatient at this long-winded exnation and eager to know what was going on. ¡°Tell me exactly what has happened.¡±


    Thewyer coughed. ¡°I just wanted to tell you that Petra, your uncle¡¯s wife, came by today. She again seemed suddenly very interested in the terms of yourte uncle¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I probed, feeling that there was more.


    Thewyer gave another dainty cough. ¡°And she has requested an official investigation into your marriage to Amelia.¡±     **********************


    AMELIA


    ¡°Stop looking so gloomy, Amelia,¡± Lora said.


    I had been flipping through a magazine in the living room but had, at some point, unknowingly abandoned it. I had been going through the events ofst night repeatedly in my head.


    The idea of Petra snooping around filled me with dread. She was shrewd and malicious- a dreadfulbination. Lora sat beside me, and I sighed.


    The entire ce was suffocating me. My n to make Damian believe I wasn¡¯t bothered by him backfired on me. Now, I had his obsessed ex-girlfriend peering at me like a wild cat.


    I needed an escape, but I couldn¡¯t go to the only ce I wanted to go to. Especially with Lora and Petra trying to destroy everything. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off them for a second.


    ¡°You¡¯re not still thinking about Damian, are you?¡¯ she continued. I made a nomittal sound. ¡°I know just the thing to cheer you up: a spa treatment. I know the perfect ce. Please go and get dressed. I¡¯ll meet you here in ten minutes?¡±


    She gave me an enquiring look. I nodded. She smiled and hurried to her room to get ready. Thirty minutester, we arrived at the spa. The staff greeted Lora familiarly. She was obviously a regr there.


    ¡°Give my friend here the full treatment,¡± Lora said to a woman when we were settled in a chair. ¡°She already has beautiful skin, but make it all the more beautiful.¡±


    I surrendered myself to the spa treatment.


    Sitting best me, Lora did the same. The atmosphere of the spa and the music drifting through the hidden speakers were so soothing that I drifted off to sleep when I was having my facials done.


    I woke up with a start just when the woman finished with me. I felt a bit stiff and told her I would take a turn around the ce before continuing. Lora wasn¡¯t in the room with me. I left the room I was in and stopped in my tracks when I heard Lora say my name. Her voice came from the half-open door of another room to the corridor¡¯s left.


    ¡°¡­ ssless thing and so gullible too,¡± she told some spa staff. They tittered sycophantically. ¡°I wonder where Damian picked her up from, and he proudly calls her his wife! I bet this is the first real spa treatment she¡¯s having¡­¡±


    Anger coursed through me even though I expected even more from her. I had heard enough. I retrieved my purse and left the spa. I drove home, leaving Lora to find her own way back to the house.

 Chapter 039

    AMELIA


    It was a grey day, I thought as I fed the car more gas and elerated. The clouds were grey. The sky was grey. If I were to describe my mood in one word, I would say it was grey. Hell! Even the car behind me was grey.


    Frowning, I sat up straighter and looked again at the car in my rearview mirror. It was a grey sedan. Hadn¡¯t I seen it behind me just as I drove out of the spa¡¯s parking lot? But there had to be hundreds and thousands of grey sedans in this big city.


    A momentter, my fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and I continued thinking about what had just happened. I should not have gone to the spa with that witch, Lora. The sneering way she had spoken of me¡­ it made my blood boil. I wondered who was worse between her and Petra.


    I made a hard right at the next intersection and, without really thinking about what I was doing, nced again in my rearview mirror. My heart leapt into my throat. The same grey sedan was still behind the car next to mine.


    I noticed now that it had tinted windows, all rolled up.  I checked the time on my dashboard. I had noticed the car about twenty minutes ago, and I had negotiated many turns since then. What were the odds that the sedan¡¯s driver and I were heading in the same direction? I was being followed!


    ¡°Get a grip, Amelia,¡± I told myself, hating how shaky my voice sounded. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±


    But there was one way to find out for sure. I floored the gas, and my car shot forward. I  ignored the honks and shouts of angry drivers. I made two turns at random and slowed down a little. I thought I had lost the car. A truck was directly behind me, and a momentter, the grey sedan came along.


    No, I wasn¡¯t paranoid. Someone was following me, and I had no idea why. But for whatever reason, I wouldn¡¯t stick around to find out.


    Terrified now, I could think of only one thing to do. I zoomed off towards Damian¡¯s office, parked haphazardly in the parking lot and dashed out of the car into thepany¡¯s building. Panting, I barged into Damian¡¯s office without knocking.


    ¡°What the-?¡± Damian half stood up from his chair. He gawked at me in surprise.


    I cast a furtive look outside the corridor, shut and locked the door behind me and then flopped into a chair.


    ¡°Amelia. What is it? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s happened?¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak, but it felt like my heart lodged in my throat. I could only gesture for him to wait. Damian hurriedly poured out a ss of cold water and thrust it into my shaky hand.


    ¡°Drink,¡± he ordered.


    I drank and immediately felt loads better.


    ¡°Damian. I think I¡¯m in danger,¡± I gasped.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± he said sharply.


    ¡°A car¡­¡± I shook my head and tried to organize my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m being followed. A car has been tailing me. It¡¯s grey. Has tinted sses. I was so scared¡­ I could think of nothing buting to tell you¡­ Call the police immediately. Maybe it¡¯s a kidnapper or- or an assassination attempt¡­ someone wanting to get back at you. WHY AREN¡¯T YOU DOING ANYTHING YET?¡± I bellowed when he just continued to stand there, looking thoughtful.


    He winced at my tone.¡±It¡¯s okay, Amelia. Calm down. There is no need to shout or to call the police either. I think I know what¡¯s going on here.¡±


    I blinked in surprise. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost entirely sure that this is Petra¡¯s doing. Just a few hours ago, I got a call from the firm that handled my uncle¡¯s will. I was informed that Petra hasunched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding my marriage to you. The private investigator she has no doubt hired wasted no time tailing you.¡±


    I sat very still, lost in thought for a long moment as I brooded on all the possible oues of this investigation.


    ¡°This is not good. Not good at all,¡± I finally managed to say. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°We stick to our n, which involves acting like a couple in love not only in private but in public as well. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll start being tailed, too,¡± he added grimly. He was quiet for a moment. He drew his phone out of his pocket and typed something swiftly. ¡°I just took the first step in hiring a private investigator,¡± he told me as he put the phone away. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on Petra as she keeps an eye on me. Do you have anywhere important to go today?¡±


    ¡°Em- not really.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll just quickly finish up here, and then I¡¯ll take you out for dinner so the investigator can see that we are getting along just fine.¡±


    While Damian worked, I was mostly lost in thought. When he took me out for dinner, just as he had predicted, a car was following us, although it wasn¡¯t the grey sedan from earlier.


    Damian and I acted all lovey-dovey in public, but the investigators still refused to get off our backs. Being constantly followed began to take its toll on me, and I started bing a little paranoid.


    I tended to peer closely into the faces of strangers I encountered on the street and at the restaurant. I began to imagine that they were primarily private eyes, but I drew strength from Damian¡¯s quiet and confident demeanour. He continued to act as though nothing affected him.     **************ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    PETRA


    There had to be something here. They had to be something to prove that Damian was lying to me. Damian¡¯s near slips, the barely concealed look of fear in that upstart¡¯s eyes, the evidence of her perfume on the pillows in this room; all of it pointed to the fact that Damian had paid that tramp he called a wife to marry him so that he could get hold of Marcus¡¯spany.


    I looked at my phone again. There were still no calls.  No text messages. Nothing. The private eyes I had hired to look into Damian and Amelia¡¯s marriage still hadn¡¯t been in touch. Thest one I had called said it was too soon for results.


    Pah! Too soon? Who wouldn¡¯t expect results and information within the hour after the amount I had spent to hire them? Ten minutester, I decided that I couldn¡¯t fold my arms and let others do all the work for me. I went up to Damian¡¯s bedroom and knocked, even though I was pretty sure that Damian and Amelia weren¡¯t in the house.


    I went in, shut the door and methodically began searching the ce, sure that Damian must have left a stray document that would prove his marriage had been arranged.


    I just needed a little proof to bring him down. I¡¯ll take everything from him and leave him penniless-just a little proof.     ****************


    AMELIA


    I was going to the kitchen to grab a water bottle, but Lora was already there before me. She had opened a pot of the meal I had prepared a while ago.


    With a sneer on her face, she was poking at the contents of the pot with a spoon. She half turned when she heard me enter, muttered something intelligible under her breath as a greeting, and resumed what she was doing. I stared, furious at this unabashed disy of rudeness.


    ¡°Lora, what is it you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Not deigning to look at me, she shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m trying to decide if I want to eat this for dinner.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in my house and in my kitchen too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that already. I didn¡¯t say it was my house, did I?¡±


    ¡°So why does it seem that you don¡¯t have any manners?¡±


    She turned quickly. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. You¡¯re in this house only because I let you stay. What gives you the right to poke around in my kitchen? If you¡¯re hungry, you should wait for me to serve dinner! You¡¯re a guest here, and you should behave like one. I mean, what sort of behaviour do you call this?¡±


    She red up instantly. ¡°And what sort of behaviour do you call leaving me at the spa without any means getting home? And then you didn¡¯t even bother to apologize!¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡± I shouted. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! I heard you spewing trash about me at the spa.¡±


    Lora gulped. Her eyes darted here and there as she groped for words. ¡°I- I wasn¡¯t- I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up, you filthy liar!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you call me names, Amelia or else-¡±


    ¡°Or else what? You know what? I¡¯ve heard enough of your cheek in my own house.¡± I shook back the sleeve of my blouse to nce at my watch. ¡°I give you thirty minutes and not a minute more to go upstairs, pack your stuff and get the hell out of my house. THIRTY MINUTES,¡± I bellowed as I mmed the kitchen door behind me.

 Chapter 040

    AMELIA


    While I walked to Damian¡¯s bedroom, I tried to remember where exactly I had kept the list of supplies for the bakery. Was it on the dressing table, the chest of drawers or¡­


    I stopped in my tracks. Sounds wereing from inside the bedroom. Had Damiane home already? That couldn¡¯t be. He wasn¡¯t due back for hours. Some hidden instinct made me tiptoe thest few paces to the door and gently push it open. I saw Petra rifling the drawers.


    She had already brought out some of its contents. She tugged at thest drawer, swore under her breath when she found it locked, and began to grope on the dressing table for the key.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked quietly.


    Petra squeaked and nearly jumped a foot in the air.


    ¡°Amelia!¡± she cried. ¡°You scared me!¡±


    ¡°No. You scared me. I almost thought you were a burr.¡± Petra flushed crimson. ¡°But you didn¡¯t answer my question. What are you doing here?¡±


    She straightened slowly, caught sight of her hand and snatched it off the table. ¡°I thought you were at work. What are you doing back so soon?¡±


    My suspicions of Petra immediately became a certainty. She was looking for evidence to nail Damian and me. She was also asking unnecessary questions to give her time to think up an excuse for being in Damian¡¯s room.


    ¡°I came back to get something,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh. I er- see.¡± She twisted her overly made-up lips into the semnce of a smile. ¡°Well, what happened was that I forgot to pack my moisturising lotion. I simply can¡¯t do without it. It keeps my face tender and supple, you see. Since you and Damian weren¡¯t around, and I was about to go out, I er- came in here to see if I could borrow your lotion. I knew you wouldn¡¯t mind.  Ah. There it is.¡± Her hands closed on my bottle of lotion, which was on the dressing table. She gave an unconvincingugh. ¡°Silly me! It was there all the time. I must be going blind or something¡­ oh no¡­ It¡¯s the lightning in here. It¡¯s so dim. You should regrly have the curtains thrown open in here, Amelia¡­¡±


    And muttering to herself, she left the room. My insides twisted with dread as I wondered how long Petra had been in here and whether she had managed to find something incriminating.


    I tucked my list of supplies into my handbag and locked the bedroom door as I left, already feeling that I was already toote. Once I was sure that she was really gone, I called Damian and told him what I had just witnessed Petra doing.


    ¡°Shit!¡± eximed Damian. ¡°That woman has no boundaries.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s looking for proof that we have a contract marriage,¡± I said.  ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. If I had known that she would go that low, I would have¡­ changed the locks on the door or something. . I don¡¯t know how long she had been searching the ce.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long she searched.¡±


    ¡°How- how can you even say that? She-¡±


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t get worked up. I said that because I¡¯m pretty sure she found nothing. There is absolutely nothing in the house that can prove our marriage isn¡¯t real. You see, I was expecting such a move from Petra, so I had all documents, particrly the ones you signed after we made our arrangement, transferred to a safety deposit box in my bank.¡±


    ¡°A safety deposit box?¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Yes. So unless she has the warrant to search my safety deposit box, which she doesn¡¯t even have the number to, we are in the clear.¡±


    Damian had really thought of everything. I felt a surge of massive relief I buried my head in my hands and took deep, calming breaths.     **************


    DAMIAN


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Anton said with a shake of his head when I finished recounting all Amelia had told me. The ss of water my secretary had offered him sat on the table, untouched.


    ¡°She had the guts to search your bedroom and then tell Amelia a tant lie? That woman is something else! Why on earth did your uncle have to end up with such a pain in the ass, despite all the other women in the world who would have given an arm and leg to be with him?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± I said gloomily.


    ¡°That woman is dangerous,¡± Anton warned. ¡°For her to do this, I¡¯m sure there is nothing else she can¡¯t do. She¡¯s the type that wouldn¡¯t give a shit about rolling in mud as long as she can sling some of it at you.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I know, and I know how to deal with people like her,¡±  I said confidently.


    Anton shook his head and wagged a finger at me as though to underline the importance of his next words. ¡°With a woman like Petra, you must be extra careful, Damian. If there are any incriminating documents at your house, remove them no matter how safely you think they¡¯re hidden. Don¡¯t let her get thatpany she wants so badly.¡±


    ************


    Hours after I had returned home from work the next day, someone rapped sharply on the door of my study.


    I called, ¡°Come in.¡± Petra came in, looking smug and satisfied about something.


    I raised a brow. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I brought someone here to see you and-¡± Her lips curled. ¡°-Amelia. He¡¯s arrived, and he¡¯s waiting in the living room. I¡¯ve already informed Amelia.¡± She jerked her head roughly in the direction of the sitting room. ¡°So,e.¡±


    I didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You invited someone into my house, and I¡¯m just hearing about it? d to see you¡¯re treating my home as your home.¡±


    She gave an impatient twist of her fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t stand here talking all day, Damian. There is something very important we all need to discuss, and the man¡¯s waiting.¡±


    Leaving the door open, she marched away, and I reluctantly followed secondster, curious to see who Petra wanted Amelia and me to see. I got to the living room just as Amelia descended the bottom step. She nched when she saw the tall, imposing man already seated and fiddling with the sps of his briefcase.


    I recognized him immediately as Harry, one of the investigators employed by the firm who made sure the terms of my uncle¡¯s will were fulfilled.


    I gave Amelia a reassuring nod and smile when I met her eyes. A little colour returned to her cheeks as she hastened to sit. The man rose as we approached and stretched out a hand to Amelia, which she held and released almost immediately.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs Donovan,¡± he said in a quiet, grave voice. Petra snorted and pursed her lips as though she disapproved of him addressing Amelia that way. ¡°Mr Donovan.¡±


    I sped his hand briefly. ¡°Hello, Harry. What brings you here?¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Petra beat him to it. ¡°He¡¯s here at my request,¡± she said a little pompously.


    ¡°Ah. I see.¡±


    Indeed, I could now see where this was heading. Petra now thought she held all the cards and that it was time to show her hand.


    There was a moment¡¯s silence, which was broken by Petra impatiently saying, ¡°Well? What are we all standing around for? Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    ¡°I quite agree, Petra,¡± I said quietly. I gave her a wry smile. She returned a re.


    I gestured to the chair Harry had been sitting on. He took his seat. We all settled down, and Harry started talking.


    ¡°Mr Donovan, this meeting is concerning matters concerning the will of yourte uncle.¡± His eyes shifted to Amelia. ¡°I am sure everyone in this room knows that the condition for you to inherit yourte uncle¡¯spany was for you to get married. You fulfilled that condition.¡± He paused. ¡°However, certain things havee to light. The-¡±


    ¡°Stop beating around the bush,¡± Petra snapped. ¡°What he¡¯s trying to say is that I have concrete proof that your marriage to Amelia is fake. It¡¯s a damn contract marriage!¡±


    Amelia paled but held Petra¡¯s stare.


    ¡°Oh. Is it now?¡± I drawled. ¡°You should be careful of what you say. That¡¯s a hell of an usation, Petra.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Petra immediately turned her shing eyes on me. ¡°It¡¯s not an usation. It¡¯s a fact. I told you I have proof, proof that you can¡¯t lie or scheme your way out of.¡±


    Harry looked decidedly ufortable at Petra¡¯sck of tact.


    He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s tackle this issue with diplomacy-¡±


    But Petra didn¡¯t seem to have heard him. ¡°I know exactly where the contract you signed with Amelia is,¡± she said.


    I raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re-¡±


    Petra¡¯s lips curled into a cruel smile. ¡°It¡¯s in a safety deposit box in your bank,¡± she hissed.

 Chapter 041

    DAMIAN


    There was a nasty sort of silence after Petra¡¯s deration. Amelia looked dreadful. She pressed her hands between her legs, probably to stop them from shaking. Petra looked around at everyone to take in the effects her words had caused. She looked exultant like Christmas hade early.


    ¡°And how did youe by that information, Petra?¡± I finally asked.


    Petra syed her fingers on the table and leaned forward. ¡°What does it matter? That¡¯s not the point. The point is that now I know all about your dirty little secret.  You must show a representative of the firm the contents of that box so they¡¯ll have all the proof they need to convict you as a bloody maniptor. You think you¡¯re so smart, huh? How does it feel to feel the rug pulled from under your feet? And you-¡± She pointed a finger at Amelia, who instantly shrank back. ¡°-He¡¯s going to go down, and you¡¯re going down with him.¡± She glowered at Harry. ¡°Well, what the hell are we still doing here? Let¡¯s go, get the deposit box and your proof.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to open it first,¡± I said mildly.


    Petra scowled. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you stop us from getting it open. It¡¯ll involve the police in this if I have to-¡±


    Harry, who had been fiddling incessantly with his tie as he grew increasingly ufortable, cleared his throat loudly, effectively silencing Petra mid-speech.


    There was a stern note in his voice as he said, ¡°Please, let¡¯s not make spurious ims.¡±


    ¡°Spurious ims? I swear, I¡¯ll-¡±


    Harry ignored her. ¡°Mr Donovan, please, I would like to rify something. No one has the authority to get you to reveal the contents of your safety box without concrete proof.¡±


    ¡°What other proof do you need?¡± Petra said, raising her voice. ¡°He¡¯s more or less admitted to it.¡±


    ¡°Admitted to what, Petra?¡±


    ¡°To- to having a safety deposit box at your bank-¡±


    I inclined my head. ¡°I don¡¯t deny it.¡±


    ¡°And hiding the documents of your contract marriage-¡±


    ¡°That I deny in its entirety,¡± I drawled.


    I leaned back in my chair, rather enjoying the sight of Petra getting all worked up. She was usually so superb and self-possessed. The only thing I wasn¡¯t enjoying was the sight of Amelia. She looked half frightened to death.


    Petra swallowed and finally found her voice. ¡°You just said-¡±


    ¡°-That I have a safety deposit box at my bank, but its contents are not what you say.¡± I reached across the sofa for Amelia¡¯s hand. It felt cold to the touch. ¡°I assure you that my wife and I love each other very much and that our suspicions are unfounded. As for the box, as Harry has just pointed out, you can¡¯t make me open it.¡±


    Petra sprang to her feet so fast it looked as though she had been stung on the butt by a bee. She pointed at me, her eyes bulging in rage. ¡°Aha! Did you hear that, Harry?  He¡¯s concealing evidence. He¡¯s trying to worm his way out of this. He¡¯s-


    I gave her a contemptuous look. ¡°Sit down, Petra. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself. I said that no one can make me open it-¡± I paused. ¡°-but I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t going to open it.¡± There was silence as everyone tried to understand what I had just said. Even Petra had forgotten to shout. ¡°So, since I have nothing to hide, I will satisfy your curiosity. I will open the box right in your presence and Harry¡¯s, of course.¡±


    Harry uttered some muffled words. Amelia gasped and stared at me as though I had gone mad. Petra kept opening and closing her mouth several times,pletely lost for words.


    ¡°You- you are?¡± Petra asked in disbelief in a tiny voice.


    ¡°I am,¡± I reiterated. ¡°It¡¯s the best way to put to rest this nasty rumour you¡¯ve been spreading about me.¡±


    Petra tossed her head. The mention of her spreading a rumour had helped her recover quickly from her surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not a rumour.¡±


    I pushed to my feet and looked around at all of them. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s do this now. The first stop is my bank.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Of course. Of course.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to y some trick-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Petra, We¡¯ll all squeeze into my car so that you don¡¯t get to use me of tipping anyone off. Is that fine?¡±


    Petra could find no fault in that, and so we drove to the bank. Petra sat with me in the back seat. She kept her eyes on me all through the drive. I ignored her and kept my hands on my knees where she would see them.


    ¡°Hold on, everyone. There¡¯s something else I want to say before we go in,¡± I said as all four of us approached the bank¡¯s entrance.


    Petra grinned unpleasantly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Having cold feet already? It¡¯s toote to back out now.¡± She cackled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not backing out, Petra. I merely want to state a condition. Harry. You¡¯re listening, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m only going to reveal the contents of my deposit box only on one condition-¡±


    Petra smirked. ¡°That we let you inspect the contents first? Fat chance!¡±


    I closed my eyes in exasperation.


    ¡°Will you let me speak!¡± I said so sharply that the doorman peered at us curiously.


    Petra, still smirking, silently gestured for me to go ahead.


    ¡°Yeah. Now, where was I? Yes. I¡¯ll reveal the contents of my box only on the condition that you, Petra, agree to leave the country immediately and that you drop this investigation if the documents do not support your im.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± she said at once. She had been bouncing on the ball of her feet and looking longingly towards the door.


    ¡°Take note of her promise, Harry,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given my word, haven¡¯t I? Let¡¯s get a move on,¡± she said.


    Petra and Harry went in first. In a split second, before I could follow them inside, Amelia grabbed my arm. Her nails unconsciously dug into my skin. She gave a slight shake of her head. I smiled and patted her arm, wishing I could tell her that I had everything under control. I strode across the vast sandstone lobby on the bank and headed straight to one of the staff.


    ¡°Hello¡­ Bruce,¡± I said after reading the man¡¯s name tag. ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± he replied promptly. ¡°We make it a point of duty to know all our very important customers.¡±


    At this, I beamed. ¡°Good. That means you know I have a safety deposit box kept here. I¡¯m here to get something from my only safety deposit box.¡±


    The significance of the word ¡®only¡¯ was not lost on Bruce, who blinked.


    ¡°Sir, if you want to have another box apart from the one you¡¯ve got, I¡¯ll be only happy to help you in the process-¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Still smiling, I waved aside his offer. ¡°No. No. That¡¯s all right. I merely wanted to clear up something. Keys, please.¡± Still mystified, Bruce did what was necessary to hand me the keys. I leaned towards Petra, who was watching him intently, and said, ¡°I wanted you to be sure I had only the one box, you see.¡±


    She merely scowled at me and peered at the paper which Bruce gave me to sign. I signed with a flourish, letting her see everything I was doing. Bruce handed me the keys and went with us to the locker rows. I checked my own number, opened it and extracted the box.


    There was a tense note of expectancy in the air as I upended the box¡¯s content on a nearby table. Amelia whimpered.  Out tumbled a gold watch, a receipt for the said gold watch, and a pair of cufflinks. Petra¡¯s eyes got wider as she stared and stared.


    After several heartstopping moments, to Amelia, judging by how she clutched her heart, Petra snatched the box from me, plunged her hand into it, shook it, and rattled it.


    ¡°NO!¡± she shrieked so loudly that Bruce, who was standing a respectful distance away, jumped. She tore at her hair in anger. ¡°They were here! The documents were here! I¡¯m sure of it. You¡¯ve swapped the contents of the box, you fuc-¡±


    ¡°Language, Petra,¡± I scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget where you are. But there¡¯s a way to settle this once and for all. Bruce, take us to the manager¡¯s office.¡±


    Bruce, looking shocked at Petra¡¯s shouting, took us to the manager¡¯s office. Sensing trouble the moment we got in, the manager got to his feet.


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± he said. ¡°Has any of the staff given you trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I shook his proffered hand. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Has this son of a bitch been here to take out his safety deposit box recently?¡±


    The manager gaped at Petra.


    ¡°I apologize for her attitude and hernguage, but please answer her question,¡± I said.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t,¡± the manager replied promptly. ¡°In fact, he hasn¡¯t been to the bank for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 042

    AMELIA


    I was in shock. I hadn¡¯t seen what had just happeneding at all. I stole a nce at Damian, who was sitting on the phone,  talking to a member of the firm that handled his uncle¡¯s will.


    With hardly a pause, he ended the call and called talking to Anton, filling him in on what had happened. We had taken an Uber to the house while Petra rode to the house with Harry.


    She had been shouting so much that Damian insisted on it. I was bursting with questions, but we got home all too soon. Ahead of us, Harry¡¯s car stopped in front of the house.


    Petra didn¡¯t wait for it to stop moving before she got out and stormed into the house, shouting and shaking her fists angrily.


    When I got closer, I noticed that Harry seemed more harassed-looking than before. He muttered something under his breath and shook his head at the front door through which Petra had just passed. I expected she had given him quite an earful during the short drive from the bank to the house.


    ¡°Why are you two dawdling?¡± said Damian airily, and he caught up with us and tucked his phone into his breast pocket. He had noticed our reluctance to go into the house. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Petra¡¯s raised voice floated to us as soon as Damian opened the front door.


    ¡°¡­ thinks he¡¯s so smart. He thinks he¡¯s so clever.¡± With her face a mask of rage, Petra was pacing the living room. She whirled around when she heard use in and pointed an using finger at Damian. ¡°You! You may have gotten everyone fooled, but you can¡¯t fool me. I¡¯m sure those documents were in there-¡±


    Damian folded his arms across his chest and regarded her coldly. ¡°Surely you saw the contents of the box yourself, Petra. Would you like us to go back so you can have another look a-¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut the hell up!¡± she screamed, flecks of spittle flying from her lips. ¡°You yed some kind of trick there, but I swear I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this even if it¡¯s thest thing I do. Thatpany is rightfully mine-¡±


    ¡°Oh. So you admit you¡¯ve been scheming to get your hands on my uncle¡¯spany.¡±


    ¡°He was my husband!¡±


    ¡°Ex-husband,¡± Damian corrected.


    ¡°Screw you, Damian! You¡¯ll find that you won¡¯t get rid of me that easily.¡± And she flung her handbag on the table, where it knocked down a centrepiece.


    Harry gasped. ¡°Petra! Please, get a hold of yourself. Calm down.¡±


    Instantly, she turned her fury on Harry. Her long,cquered nails came so close to his face that he shrank back. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me to calm down!¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t,¡± said Damian. She shot him a re. ¡°Yes. By all means, shout and raveter, but step into my study for a minute. I¡¯ve got something really important I¡¯ve got to show you.¡± Petra drew herself up to her full height and seemed to be preparing to tell Damian to go to hell. Damian apparently thought so, too, because he said, ¡°My study, Petra. I promise you, this is something you will want to see. After you¡¯ve seen it, you¡¯re free to carry on with¡­ whatever you¡¯re doing right now.¡±


    Muttering imprecations under her breath, she brushed past me, nearly knocking me onto the sofa, and preceded Damian into his study. We could hear her muttering all the way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Damian said to Harry and me just before he followed Petra.


    Harry and I looked at each other helplessly, and both sat down simultaneously.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this, Mrs Donovan,¡± Harry said after awkward silence. ¡°This just shows, doesn¡¯t it, that no one should jump to conclusions without having all the facts in hand first¡­ This was something I was trying to make Petra understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right,¡± I said vaguely. ¡°and er- you can call me Amelia.¡±


    Was I even supposed to be on first-name terms with him? I wondered. A momentter, I decided I didn¡¯t care about that. I wished I knew what was going on in Damian¡¯s study. And how had Damian even managed to get to get the documents out of the box?


    I had a hundred different questions chasing each other in my head. I found myself chewing on my bottom lip and watching the clock. Time crawled by, and after fifteen minutes that felt like an hour, Petra came down the stairs, wheeling her suitcase. She headed for the front door.


    She looked very pale and oddly diminished. Fear was etched on her face, and for the first time since I had known her, she didn¡¯t look beautiful at all. She looked like a chastened, frightened child. Damian appeared secondster, carrying a smaller bag, which he dumped on her suitcase. I found myself on my feet, with no memory of standing up, watching this scene with amazement.


    ¡°And I hope I never have the displeasure of you darkening my doorstep again,¡± Damian called after her as she slunk out the front door. Harry, who had been staring with his mouth agape, shut it quickly. His face burned with curiosity.


    ¡°Thanks for tonight, Harry,¡± Damian chirped, who was still standing by the open door.


    Harry, recognizing his cue, got to his feet and took his leave. For about a full minute, I stared at Damian. His lips twitched. When he could contain his amusement no longer, his lips finally stretched into a smile.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like you haven¡¯t seen me before?¡± he asked with a twinkle in his eye.


    ¡°What did you do¡­ to her¡­ the-the-box¡­ The documents, how¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah. That will take quite some exining,¡± he said.


    Someone knocked on the door and immediately pushed it open. Anton bustled into the room.


    ¡°I came as soon as possible,¡± he panted and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Petra?¡± Anton nodded. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone?¡± There was a note of disbelief in Anton¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes. Gone just now. In fact, she was as meek as amb when she left.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? I really didn¡¯t expect to see your house still standing when I got here. Petra is not the kind to go quietly.¡±


    Damian merely chuckled, and Anton gave me an enquiring look.


    I answered his silent question. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°But- but how¡­¡±


    Yes. How? That was the same question running through my mind. Chuckling again, Damian sat down and crossed his legs, looking very much at ease and delighted with himself. He had a right to be. He had worked some sort of magic within thest couple of hours.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he said. ¡°I have a lot to tell you both.


    ¡°Spit out out, Damian. The suspense is killing me,¡± I said, perching at the edge of my seat.


    ¡°You see when I found out that Petra was bugging my bedroom, it gave me an idea of how to get rid of her.¡±


    ¡°She was¡­¡± I felt so outraged I couldn¡¯t continue.


    ¡°Yes, she was. Petra stops at nothing to get what she wants. And then, when you told me about her going through my stuff, I had another brainwave. I told you about my safety deposit box to throw her off the scent.¡±


    ¡°And it worked like a charm!¡± Anton eximed, looking thoroughly impressed.


    Damian nodded. ¡°The n was to ruin her credibility in front of the investigator. I¡¯m sure Harry will waste no time in informing his superiors about how Petra ndered me and nearly dragged them into it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He was apologizing when you invited Petra into your study,¡± I said. ¡°But what on earth did you tell her in there? I¡¯ve never seen her look that way before.¡±


    ¡°Well, I had a few aces up my sleeve. I told you, didn¡¯t I, that I would also be watching Petra, but I had started doing that long before she returned to the country. I got hold of some¡­ pictures which she wouldn¡¯t want the public to see. When I showed them to her, she became very¡­ reasonable.¡±


    Anton,ughing, went up to Damian and pped him heartily on the back.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely brilliant,¡± I cried, shooting to my feet. ¡°I think this calls for a celebration.¡±


    ¡°Drinks,¡± said Anton.


    I left and returned with two bottles of champagne. We drank up. We all had a goodugh as Damian and I took turns describing in detail what had happened. Towards midnight, Anton went home, dering he couldn¡¯t drink anymore as he had to drive home.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going to bed yet, do you?¡± Damian asked when Anton left.


    Already tipsy, I  shook my head and giggled. Damian and I continued drinking. We eventually got quite drunk. Somehow, it seemed quite natural that we were sitting very close. I didn¡¯t resist when Damian, smiling drunkenly, kissed me.


    And I certainly didn¡¯t resist when he was tearing off my clothes a minuteter. In fact, I aided him. A minute more, and Iy t on my back with a naked Damian thrusting fiercely inside me while I clung to him, groaning and whimpering in pleasure.

 Chapter 043

    DAMIAN


    As Anton turned onto the street that would take us to the gym, he said, ¡°You have to tread cautiously.¡±


    ¡°Er- and what are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°You and Amelia. You shouldn¡¯t have sex with her. Remember that the contractsts for only one year. If you¡¯re constantly intimate with her, don¡¯t you think everything will get moreplicated when it¡¯s time for both of you to split up?¡±


    I felt his eyes on me, so I looked out the window. ¡°Who said I was still having sex with her anyway?¡±


    Anton snorted. ¡°Last night at your ce, I saw the way you two were looking at each other-¡±


    ¡°We were just excited at getting rid of Petra.¡±


    Anton kept talking as though he didn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°You both looked as though you couldn¡¯t wait for me to leave before taking your clothes off.¡±


    When I said nothing, he added in a more humourous tone. ¡°And if I had any doubts about what you two were up tost night, I only have to look at your face to know I¡¯m right. But seriously, Damian. Don¡¯t get entangled. Ah. We¡¯re here.¡±


    Anton had pulled up in front of the gym, and I was d to get out. I didn¡¯t think I had to stop being intimate with Amelia. I went in, straight to weight lifts and began working out, leaving Anton to catch up and bring our gym bags.


    A minuteter, he dropped my gym bag on the floor beside me. He shook his head knowingly as though he knew exactly what I was about.


    Then, he took himself off to the bench press. Sometimes, I wished he wasn¡¯t so damn intuitive. It could be a pain in the ass sometimes.


    When my arm muscles began aching, I sat up to breathe. I was taking a swig from my water can when a pretty, svelte blonde I had noticed on the treadmill walked up to me.


    ¡°Hello, handsome,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you here before.¡±


    ¡°Ie here often,¡± I said dismissively, hoping she would go away.


    I read the interest in her eyes and already knew what she was after.


    She gave an affectedugh. ¡°Silly me, then! Maybe we haven¡¯t met because of how huge this ce is. By the way, I¡¯m Tania, and you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Damian,¡± I said reluctantly.


    ¡°Oh. Nice name. Her eyes ran appreciatively over my sweat-stained tee shirt. ¡°You¡¯re really buff and cute too.¡± She giggled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind knowing you.¡±


    Deciding that being straightforward was my best bet, I waved my hand, ensuring she saw the ring glinting there.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tania, I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Her face fell, but the next second, she was smiling again. ¡°That¡¯s really not a problem though. I wouldn¡¯t mind if we could get together sometime.¡±


    I stared at her in exasperation and thought of ways to tell her off when I spotted Anton, who had nearly reached us. I sighed, relieved at the distraction. Surely, she would back off now.


    My relief immediately became annoyance when Anton turned a smile on Tania and said, ¡°Hey, beautiful. Do you want to get to know my friend? I¡¯m Anton, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Tania.¡± Smiling, she shook his hand. ¡°And yes, I think I like your friend.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I like him too.¡± Taniaughed. ¡°Hey, we should catch up sometime. How about you give us your number?¡±


    With the speed of a striking snake, Tania whipped out her phone, and they exchanged digits.


    ¡°Oh. And before I leave, there¡¯s a really great partying up in a couple of days. I¡¯d like you two toe.¡± Anton¡¯s phone buzzed. ¡°I just texted you the time and address.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Anton assured her.


    He smiled and waved to her as she left, then glowered at me for only giving a half-hearted wave in her direction when she was nearly out of sight.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder what¡¯s wrong with you,¡± he growled. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t heard you both talking, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have taken her number.¡±


    With an indifferent shrug, I rmenced lifting weights.     ********************


    ¡°We promised to go to the party. It¡¯s today,¡± Anton told me over drinks after work a few dayster.


    ¡°No, you promised we¡¯d go,¡± I corrected him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for a party. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, Damian. It¡¯s going to be fun. I can feel it. At least, let¡¯s honour Tania¡¯s invitation. She was nice, even though you weren¡¯t.¡±


    And so, several hourster, Anton and I found ourselves in front of a club. Anton was practically bouncing with excitement as the bouncer shoved open the door.


    ¡°Well, here goes nothing,¡± he said. ¡°Holy shit!¡±


    We had both stopped in our tracks at the sight that met our eyes. The club and the party were not the regr kind. All around us, we could see people of both genders walking around, mostly gyrating on the dance floor.


    All of them were wearing masks, but what was surprising was that all of them were stark naked. The dim, colourful disco lights couldn¡¯t hide that fact.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sex club,¡± Anton shouted, the music almost deafening our ears.


    ¡°Yeah. I figured that out for myself a few seconds ago,¡± I said dryly. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t think I want to be here.¡±


    Anton began moving in time to the music. ¡°Are you kidding? This is exactly where we are supposed to be.¡± He gave a long, low whistle.


    ¡°Will you look at that?¡±


    He pointed to a very curvy waitress, holding a tray of wine, who was passing us. Her hips rolled as she walked. We could clearly see a butterfly tattoo on her left butt cheek. She turned, saw Anton looking and gave him ae-hither smile.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s have some fun. Don¡¯t be a spoilsport,¡± urged Anton.


    Still, I hesitated. The waitress, seeing Anton was not forting, frowned and disappeared into the crowd.


    ¡°Damn it! Let¡¯s go in, Damian.¡±


    I allowed myself to be tugged further in. Anton and I sat down and got a few drinks, though I could tell he was itching to be in the thick of things. His eyes roamed around the room, looking for the waitress. After a while, he nudged me.


    ¡°Hey. I hope you¡¯re keeping an eye out for Tania,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± said a familiar voice. Tania, naked and wearing a mask, lowered herself into a chair next to me. She grinned at my expression.


    ¡°Tania. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Anton said.


    ¡°Likewise. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye out for you two all evening, but you were really able to spot though.¡± Sheughed. ¡°You must be the only ones here unmasked and fully clothed. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about the kind of party-¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? I know I¡¯m going to have the time of my life here. I¡¯ll leave you two to it then.¡±


    Anton hurried around away and was soon lost in sight.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said a little unnecessarily.


    She smiled. ¡°So, what do you want to do? Dance?¡± I looked at the dancefloor, where several couples seemed glued at the hips. I thought glumly that a few months ago, I¡¯d have had several naked women in myp already.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay. Drinks then.¡±


    She beckoned to a waiter, and I took two sses of wine for us. We sat drinking for a little while as we watched the antics of those around us.


    ¡°Do you want to get a room?¡± she asked me.


    I agreed at once. She took me upstairs, along a corridor where I could see couples searching for more privacy than that afforded upstairs, locked in passionate embraces. Tania seemed to know where she was going.


    She pushed open a door. We went in, and the next moment, she was running her hands over my body, trailing kisses on my neck. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the sensation. Her hands reached for the zipper on my trousers, and I groaned, not in pleasure, but because an image of Amelia burned between my closed eyelids.


    ¡°No. No,¡± I said more firmly. I gripped Tania¡¯s hands, walked away and sat heavily on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Because of your wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said in a strangled voice. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Tania maintained a thoughtful silence as she got up to slip on a robe. When she finally spoke, she didn¡¯t seem angry at my rejection.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to see a man who wouldn¡¯t want to take what I¡¯m offering,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious about this wife of yours. Tell me about her.¡±


    Tania and I spent half the night talking about Amelia. It was wild, but as we spoke, I realized that I¡¯d done nothing to deserve her. And that she was the best woman ever to exist, and I was an asshole who couldn¡¯t even say no to a party out of respect for her.


    Right there and then, I concluded it would be thest time I¡¯d ever disrespect her with other women. Even though she wasn¡¯t legally my wife, she was far too much of a good woman to lose. And I would never want to be like her jerk of an ex-husband. Never.     ****************


    NOAH


    My heart thudded in excitement as I crept up the staircase to be sure of what I had seen.


    There was the asshole, Damian, arm in arm with a bare-assed blonde. As I watched, they went into a room together, no doubt to getid.


    A smile crept up my lips as I went back downstairs. I reflected that this was too good to keep to myself. I knew exactly what to do with such juicy information.

 Chapter 044

    AMELIA


    Just as I was again reflecting on the fact that Damian had not returned homest night, the door opened, and a momentter, the subject of my thoughts came into the house.


    In spite of myself, my eyes roved around him, searching for lipstick stains or other telltale signs that he had been with another womanst night.


    I found none, but that did not mean he hadn¡¯t been tumbling in bed with some floozy. The thought made me really angry.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said coldly and returned to sipping my steaming cup of coffee.


    My eyes roved through the list of orders for the bakery, but I could suddenly not understand what was written there.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Damian called back cheerfully.


    To my surprise, instead of going straight to his room like I expected him to, he came to sit on the sofa.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering where I went to,¡± he said after a moment¡¯s silence.


    ¡°I just realized you didn¡¯t spend the night at home,¡± I said as casually as I could. I was careful not to meet his eyes so he wouldn¡¯t get to see that I had obsessing over where he had spentst night. ¡°You had to go on an urgent business trip, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°No. Actually, Anton took me to a nightclubst night. I didn¡¯t want to go, but he sort of convinced, or should I say, forced me to go. We got the invitation from ady we met at the gym the other day.¡±


    ¡°And you saw here there, I guess.¡± I wondered why he was telling me about his fun at a nightclub.


    Damian nodded. ¡°Yeah. We did. We saw her and a lot of others wearing only masks¡­ without any clothes on.¡±


    I choked on my coffee and hastily put it away. With my handkerchief, I dabbed on the drops dribbling down my chin. Thankfully, Damian didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the effects his words had. He was staring at the wall with a somewhat vacant expression, no doubt thinking of the naked bodies of thedies he had seen.


    ¡°The party was really something,¡± Damian continued reminiscently. ¡°It was wild. Anton and I had a couple of drinks, and then thedy from the gym found us. She said we looked ridiculous, being the only people with clothes on at the club. Minutester, I found myself in a private room with her-¡±


    I shifted ufortably. I was not sure I wanted to hear this. Why the hell was he even telling me about his sexual escapade anyway?


    ¡°Er- I  have to be at the-¡±


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t do anything with her.¡±


    We had spoken at the same time, and it took me some seconds to wrap my head around what he had just said.


    ¡°What?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Oh. Sorry. Am I keeping you from something?¡±


    I was suddenly eager to hear what he had to say. ¡°No. No. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I was saying that I was in a room with her, and I couldn¡¯t have sex with her.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I asked when I had recovered my voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t she let you em-¡±


    ¡°She would have let me, alright. It was even her idea for us to go to the private room. There she was, beautiful, naked and willing, and there I was a hundred per cent certain that I didn¡¯t want to take what she was offering.¡±


    I wanted to ask again why, but then I settled for asking, ¡°If you two didn¡¯t get intimate, then why are youing home thiste?¡±


    Damian smiled wryly. ¡°That was because we were up all night-¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said you didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Not having sex, Amelia,¡± he interrupted. ¡°We were up all night talking about you because she was curious to know about the woman who had killed my desires for another another.¡±


    Damian suddenly turned his head and stared deep into my eyes. I felt lightheaded, like if I rxed the tight grip I had on the armrest of the sofa, I would float away.


    I  felt a fierce joy that Damian had not been sleeping with another woman, and the moment passed when Damian got to his feet.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been a jerk to you. It¡¯s even more stupid for me to tell you I spent the entire night talking about you with a whore. But I¡¯ve realised you deserve better, better than me.¡±


    ¡°Damian, I-¡±


    ¡°This marriage may be temporary, but I refuse to treat you like you aren¡¯t my queen. I may not do much, but I always keep to my word. You¡¯ll be my only wife ever, the only woman I¡¯ll bemitted to. And when this is over, you¡¯ll be the only woman to have truly loved me even when I didn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    I watched him with my mouth open, unable to muster any words. He smiled and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°Well, I mustn¡¯t keep you from going off to work,¡± he said gently. ¡°I¡¯ll soon be at the office myself.¡±


    And with that, he took himself upstairs, leaving me with conflicted feelings.


    **************


    I was having a quiet drink after work. It had been a busy day at the bakery, and I felt it was better to unwind a little before heading home. I sat at the back of the restaurant bar, calcting some figures on my phone, the buzz of conversation from the other people enveloping me like a warm nket.


    ¡°Hey. Amelia!¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    My head shot up immediately. I knew that voice. It was Noah¡¯s. I looked around and soon spotted him making his way towards me.


    He rather rudely shoved aside a waitress who was carrying a trayden with drinks. He didn¡¯t apologize. She gave him a dirty look and went off.  I looked around helplessly.


    If I had spotted him before he saw me, I would have hightailed it out of there. I knew it was cowardly, but Noah always turned nasty whenever we bumped into each other. Without waiting for an invitation, he slid into the chair beside mine. He was close, too close forfort.


    ¡°Hey, lighten up,¡± he said, noticing how I instinctively shrank away from him. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight. I promise. Boy! Today must be my lucky day. Fancy running into you here. Do you know that you¡¯re just the person I was hoping to see?¡± At my look of disbelief, he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I was even going to call you, but here I am, and here you are.¡±


    ¡°And why exactly did you want to see me?¡±


    Noah immediately assumed a sad expression, but something like glee flickered his eyes, and then it was gone.


    ¡°Actually, there is something I wanted to say to you but¡­¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°But now I¡¯m finally face to face with you, I- I just realized how much what I have to say will hurt you. I wish there were another way, but you have to know the truth.¡±


    Rather tired of this nonsense, I forced myself to say in a polite tone, ¡°What truth?¡±


    Noah sighed and squared his shoulders as though steeling himself for an unpleasant task, but I got the impression that it was all just an act.


    ¡°Amelia, Damain is cheating on you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Last night, I saw him at a sex club.¡±


    ¡°You saw him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°With your own eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I-¡±


    My eyes narrowed. ¡°What were you doing at a sex club?¡±


    Noah¡¯s cheeks reddened. He absentmindedly snatched at my drink and took a sip before realising what he was doing. He hastily put the ss down. ¡°Um- someone- a client asked for a meeting¡­ anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said quickly. ¡°So I saw Damian with a woman. Get this! She didn¡¯t have clothes on.¡± He let that sink in before continuing. ¡°With my own eyes, I saw them go into a room together and well¡­ you can imagine what happened next.¡±


    I pressed a hand to my chest, pretending to be shocked. I couldn¡¯t let him see I wasn¡¯t bothered by his little gossip. He must have believed it would drive me crazy. ¡°Tell me it isn¡¯t true, Noah.¡±


    He shook his head sadly. ¡°I wish it weren¡¯t, but it¡¯s true.¡±


    He seemed to expect more of a reaction from me, so I obliged and buried my face in my hands. ¡°How could he do this to me? We¡¯ve just been married for months. The bastard said he loved me, and then he turns around and- and cheats on me?¡±


    ¡°There. There. It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t waste your emotions on the douchebag. Amelia, please look at me.¡± I rolled my eyes, then took my hands off my face and looked at him, assuming a heartbroken expression. He stroked my chin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Damian isn¡¯t the man you thought he was,¡± he murmured. ¡°But don¡¯t let this get you down. I¡­ hate to see you sad.¡±


    His breathing got harsher. He leaned closer, about to press his lips to mine. Without thinking, I shrank back, drew my hand back and pped him hard across the face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever attempt to put your lips on me again, you bastard!¡± I spat out.


    Noah, his face purple with rage, looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed what had happened.


    ¡°You stupid bitch,¡± he snarled.  ¡°You think you¡¯re too good for me, huh? Driving around town in a fancy car and living in that asshole¡¯s fancy house doesn¡¯t make you worth shit! You deserve every shitty thing that has happened to you, and that stupid husband of yours cheating on you is just the beginning.¡±


    He deliberately knocked over my ss, sprang to his feet and walked away stiffly, and I was left staring at him and wondering how on earth I had managed to fall in love with a douchebag like Noah in the first ce.

 Chapter 045

    AMELIA


    I was peering at the screen of myputer, surfing the and writing down prices of some items I wished to purchase when Rose, the manager of my bakery, called me.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I picked up the phone eagerly.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± she gasped and swallowed audibly. I sat upright immediately. Just that one word and I knew that something was very, very wrong.


    Unconsciously, I gripped the phone tightly.


    ¡°Rose, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She made a sound halfway between a gasp and a sigh. She seemed to be struggling to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s just that I¡¯m still so shaken¡­ though we¡¯ve got it under control, but for a while, I thought- I thought-¡± She swallowed again.


    ¡°Take a deep breath and tell me what happened,¡± I said more calmly than I felt.


    Rose audibly exhaled. ¡°There¡¯s been a fire at the bakery.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± My hands trembled, and I grabbed the phone tighter.


    ¡°It¡¯s under control now,¡± she hastened to add. ¡°We were able to put out the fire.¡±


    My brain whirled in a hundred different directions. A fire? How did that happen? When?


    ¡°Did anyone get hurt?¡±


    ¡°No. Thank goodness, no.¡±


    I exhaled and pressed a hand to my chest as a tiny fraction of the tension left me. At least there were no casualties. A secondter, I was on my feet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± I said and hung up.


    I nearly forgot my keys on my way out of the house. The drive to the bakery was done primarily based on muscle memory. I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to my driving. It was evening, and thankfully, the traffic was light.


    My heart kept thumping sickeningly in my chest. Despite Rose¡¯s reassurances that the fire had only caused minimal damage, I half expected to see a charred, ckened piece of rubble when I turned onto the street where my bakery was located.


    The building was intact, more or less. Thank goodness for small mercies! A couple of the front windows were broken-a thin ribbon of smoke issued from them. There were no cars in the parking lot, but the space that would have been taken by vehicles was upied by people milling around, talking animatedly to themselves and craning their necks as much as they could so they could see into the building.


    My harassed-looking security guard was striving to keep the curious crowd out. I sighed in exasperation. I would never understand people¡¯s fascination with fires. I drove a little further and found a ce to park my car. Then I doubled back to the bakery, pushed through the crowd and eventually got close enough to the security guard.


    ¡°Shove off you!¡± he growled to a stocky man who seemed more eager than most to get close to the store.


    ¡°But I¡¯m a customer!¡± the man whined. ¡°I want to buy something -¡±


    ¡°The store is closed for today, so buzz off! Ah. Good day, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The guard had caught sight of me. He now proceeded to create a path for me to pass. I nodded my thanks and walked slowly to the bakery.


    My eyes roved over the building, trying to register anything I had missed. Rose and most staff members were crammed into the showroom, talking amongst themselves. Worry was etched on every face. I headed straight for Rose, who looked very pale. She closed the distance between us. The others soon broke up.


    ¡°I want to know the extent of the damage,¡± I said. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Rose took me to the back of the building, the part close to the kitchen. The walls outside were entirely ckened, but the fire hadn¡¯t prated the kitchen. I shuddered to think what would have happened if it had.


    Then Rose took me back inside my office, which had been the worst hit. I had to press a handkerchief to my nose because the smoke was so thick. More than half of everything had been burnt down: my desk, the chairs, the paintings, the shelves, my carefully kept records.


    I stepped over a fire extinguisher and was examining the window when my brain eventually caught up with my senses. I had been perceiving something for a while, something even the smoke couldn¡¯t hide.


    It was the smell of gasoline! My office reeked of it. I had gotten a whiff of it in the showroom and outside the kitchens. Before I could say anything, Rose began speaking again, ¡°We are now very sure that someone deliberately set the fire.¡±


    ¡°The smell of gasoline,¡± I gasped.


    She nodded, looking grim and more than a little frightened. ¡°Yes. It took us a while to notice because we were all panicked, all trying to extinguish the fires that seemed to have sprung out everywhere. When we doused the fire, and the ce got a bit calmer, we all noticed the smell of petrol, and of course, the bottles were lying around.¡±


    ¡°Bottles? What bottles?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°The bottle contained rags soaked in gasoline, but I think Jack will be better able to exin, ma¡¯am. Can I call him in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Go ahead.¡±


    She left the room, and I heard her calling out to Jack. Jack, a tall, muscled young man, entered the room with Rose in tow. His clothes were more filthy than the others, and it was charred in ces. There were grass stains, soot stains, and earth stains on his shirt and pants. There were several fresh cuts on his face and hands.


    ¡°What happened here, Jack?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I was in the backyard, lugging out the trash. I guess everyone else was inside when I heard I heard the sound of something breaking. I heard it again and again. Then I heard people screaming from inside. I saw a lot of smoke, thick smoke. I froze, and I was just about to run inside when someone ran past me. I thought it was someone that worked here.¡± Jack¡¯s face darkened. ¡°That was my mistake. The woman kind of screamed a little when she saw me-¡±


    ¡°A woman? Are you it was a woman?¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°Yeah. She wore a hoodie, but she was a woman, alright. I think she was surprised to see me outside, but she didn¡¯t stop running, and I got really suspicious when I saw she was holding a bottle with a burning rag in it. I chased her. She dropped the bottle close to the kitchen window. There was a loud bang and then fire. I think the bitch meant to throw the bottle through the kitchen window¡­¡± Jack paused and coloured up when he realized what he had just said. ¡°I beg your pardon, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go on.¡±


    ¡°The fire caught a piece of my shirt, and by the time I put it out, she had gone.¡±


    ¡°With all the shouting and running about, she escaped,¡± Rose said.


    ¡°Now, Jack, I want you to think carefully about what I will ask you. Don¡¯t rush it. I need an urate answer. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Describe this woman you saw,¡± I said.


    Jack scrunched up his brow. His eyes almost narrowed to slits as he thought hard.


    ¡°She was curvy,¡± he finally said. ¡°The big clothes she had on couldn¡¯t really hide her figure. I saw she had ck hair, green eyes and- and-¡± Jack¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He snapped his fingers excitedly. ¡°Oh! And I remember she had a mole right here.¡± He pointed at a spot on his left cheek.


    I pointed to the exact same spot on my face.


    ¡°Right there? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Dam- Sorry. Very sure, ma¡¯am.¡±


    I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. ck hair, green eyes, curvy figure and most importantly, a mole on the left cheek. Jack had just described Lora!     ********************


    DAMIAN


    As soon as I got into the hotel room, I called Lora. I was enraged, but I managed to talk to her calmly to avoid raising any suspicions.


    ¡°Oh. Look who¡¯s calling!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Hello to you too, Lora. I want to see you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she said peevishly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you get here. I¡¯m at the Rue Hotel. Room 507. Meet me here in thirty minutes.¡±


    Intense excitementced her voice when she said, ¡°A hotel? Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± She was foolish to believe she would try to hurt Amelia, and I wouldn¡¯t find out.


    Thirty-five minutester, she arrived, dressed in a skimpy dress that left little to the imagination. She had even had time to apply a little makeup.


    ¡°Hello, handsome,¡± she drawled and tipped me a scious wink. ¡°I knew you¡¯de back to your senses.¡± I stepped forward, shut the door behind her and locked it. ¡°Oooh. Getting all frisky, are we? I¡¯m here to-¡±


    ¡°Shut up and listen,¡± I barked. ¡°I know what you did.¡± I watched her smile falter, then die as she saw the fury in my eyes. ¡°You tried to set Amelia¡¯s bakery on fire. So you¡¯re an arsonist now, right?.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know- I-I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± I bellowed. ¡°Now listen and listen well. If you ever attack Amelia or anything rted to her, I¡¯ll make you pay. I swear it!¡±

 Chapter 046

    AMELIA


    It¡¯s been two days since Lora attempted to destroy my bakery. I¡¯ve been on edge, bothered and terrified of everything.


    Damian had assured me nothing would happen, but I didn¡¯t believe him. If she could do it once, she could definitely do it again.


    I had tried to convince him to get her arrested or sued in court, but he imed we didn¡¯t have substantial evidence to do that. Evidence my foot!


    From the descriptions of my staff and past experiences, we had all the evidence we needed against her. But Damian was bent on letting her go till we had something substantial to hold against her. Damn him and his ex.


    I sighed and continued typing on my MacBook when a knock came on my door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called out, not lifting my head from my screen.


    The door opened and closed sharply. ¡°Nice ce you¡¯ve got.¡± I knew that voice.


    I lifted my head to meet Anton¡¯s gaze. What was he doing at the bakery?


    ¡°Anton? What are you doing here?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Please, forgive my manners. Have a seat.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°How may I help you? I assume you didn¡¯te here for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I need your help,¡± Anton said, leaning over the table to smile at me as he lowered himself into a chair.


    I eyed him curiously. ¡°My help? You always seem very self-sufficient, Anton. So what could you possibly need my help with?¡±


    There was a knock on the door of my office. Ashley came in, ced a tray of muffins and a milkshake in front of Anton and left.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said and popped half a muffin into his mouth. ¡°I need your help nning a birthday party for Damian¡­ a surprise birthday party.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I thumped my forehead with the heel of my hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been so caught up in things that I¡¯ve forgotten. It¡¯s in a week, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ve been brooding over the idea for a while now, and thenst night, I just got a brainwave. I realized that you, Damian¡¯s wife, are like the most talked about, the most sought-after event nner in the city-¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a tterer, Anton.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s true. So, who better than you to help me n Damian¡¯s birthday party?¡±


    ¡°Fine. You don¡¯t have to butter me up to get me to help you.¡± I pulled a nk sheet of paper towards me. ¡°So, are we talking about a big party or a small one.¡±


    ¡°A house party will be okay, but first, there is something I think you should know going forward.¡±


    Iid my pen down. ¡°This sounds serious.¡±


    Anton¡¯s grin resurfaced. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that Damian hates birthday parties. He hates surprise parties even more.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. You¡¯re nning to throw him a party.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A surprise birthday party.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So let me get this straight. You¡¯re nning not only a party but a surprise birthday party. That¡¯s like an embodiment of all he hates.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Amelia. I couldn¡¯t have put it better myself. I know he hates it, and that¡¯s part of why I think it¡¯s an excellent idea. I wouldn¡¯t be a good friend if I didn¡¯t get on his nerves asionally.¡± Weughed over that.


    ¡°Funny that you¡¯re also nning on roping me in to do this.¡±


    Anton nodded. ¡°Right again. That way, if Damian gets really pissed, he¡¯ll get pissed at both of us and not just me.¡±


    We had a sketchy conversation over what we would need for the party.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be in charge of the cake,¡± he said when we were rounding up. He helped himself to thest muffin. ¡°There is no way we¡¯re giving that contract out. Your muffins are out of this world, and if Damian¡¯s birthday cake is like this, he¡¯ll probably want birthday parties every year.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    After Anton left, I pored over some cake designs during my spare moments that day. A couple of hourster, I got started on the take. I waved off the help of my employees. I wanted to do it myself. The next day, I called on Anton, and he came over to the bakery to see the cake for himself.


    ¡°Nice,¡± he said admiringly as he walked around the tiered cake, taking it in at every angle. ¡°I knew it would be great.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Now the cake is done. How about the other aspects of the party?¡±


    Anton whipped out a small notebook from his jacket pocket and ran his fingers down a page. ¡°About that¡­ for the guest list, I¡¯ve already sent invitations to our close circle of friends and Damian¡¯s really close business associates.¡±


    ¡°And that would be how many persons?¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment to confirm.¡± Anton ran his fingers down the list, counting under his breath. ¡°That would be thirty guests in total, excluding you and I, of course.¡± He suddenly paused when his finger got to the bottom of the page. ¡°Oh. I forgot to call one more person. Give me a minute.¡± He pulled out his phone and turned away to make a quick call. He returned a couple of minutester with an air of satisfaction. ¡°All done. I just called thest of them. I¡¯m officially done with the guest list. So, while nning, n for an extra person.¡±


    I frowned as something urred to me. ¡°All these people you invited¡­ I hope you remembered to tell them that it is a surprise birthday party, emphasis on surprise.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± he said with a self-assured smile. ¡°Did you think I would let someone tip Damian off after my endless days of organising and nning?¡±


    ¡°Plotting is more like it,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    He smiled. ¡°I agree. Shall we head to your office now?¡±


    In my office, for about an hour, we discussed further details about the party. As the party time drew closer, I became more excited about it. Damian had done quite a lot for me: purchasing my car, gifting me the bakery, and the mall, and defending me from Noah. I hadn¡¯t really had the opportunity to do anything for him. This was my chance to do something.


    The day before the birthday party, Anton unexpectedly appeared at the house.


    Damian was typing away on hisputer, and I was studying an inventory of what I had at the bakery.


    Damian looked up in surprise when Anton walked in.


    ¡°Hey. Anton. Did I invite you over to dinner tonight?¡± he said.


    Anton shook his head. ¡°Oh. No. No. I just decided to stop by and er- just look in, you know.¡±


    Damian looked nk for a moment. ¡°Oh. I thought I invited you over and then forgot. I seem to be forgetting a lot of stufftely.¡± With a slight shake of his head, he resumed typing.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving, Amelia. How about you give me whatever you have in the house?¡± Anton said. He jerked his head toward the corridor, a signal that he wanted to talk.


    ¡°Oh. Yes. Of course,¡± I said loudly, for Damian¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Anton hissed as soon as we were in the corridor, out of Damian¡¯s sight. ¡°I went over to the bakery, but you weren¡¯t there-¡±


    ¡°Yes. I left early to buy some stuff for-¡± I nced in the direction of the living room. ¡°-you know what.¡¯


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been calling your phone for hours nonstop. Why haven¡¯t you been taking my calls?¡±


    ¡°Oops. I turned off the ringer volume this afternoon, and I forgot to turn it back on. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°My ns for the catering are falling apart. That¡¯s what¡¯s up. I asked my personal assistant to book some caterers, but I¡¯m just getting to know that shepletely forgot to.¡± Anton sighed. ¡°The party is tomorrow, and I don¡¯t know of any other outfit good enough-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I know several. They¡¯ll take up the job. No worries.¡±


    Anton heaved a sigh and grinned. ¡°Thanks, Amelia. You¡¯re a lifesaver. How about the drinks? Have you-¡±


    Anton stopped talking the moment we heard Damian¡¯s voice.


    ¡°¡­ Have Kathy look into it. I won¡¯t be able to make time to do it myself.¡±


    Damian was on the phone. As he approached, he looked at us, then away. A minuteter, he returned from the kitchen holding a water bottle. He was still talking on the phone as he returned to the living room.


    ¡°Do you think he heard us?¡± I asked Anton.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how he looked right through us? He has nothing on his mind these days but the railroad project.¡±     *******************


    In my office, I was poring through the files of the railroad project. I felt tired, and I ached a little.  My phone buzzed, signalling a text from Amelia. My heartbeat instantly elerated after I read the text twice.


    I need you at home in an hour, it read. A winking emoji followed this.


    A smile spread across my lips as I read the message for the third time. This could only mean one thing. I was getting lucky tonight. I quickly stuffed the files into my desk drawer.


    I made a quick stop at a pharmacy, bought some condoms and stuffed them into my pocket while I hurried to my car and drove home.


    The whole house was dark, which was odd since Amelia was in. Or maybe she wanted me to find her in the dark before we made love. I dropped my briefcase carelessly in the dark and pulled out a condom from my pocket.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I called in a slightly unsteady voice as I stepped over the threshold.


    I gasped with surprise and jumped backwards when the room was immediately flooded with light. There were some twenty or thirty persons in my living room. A smiling Amelia and Anton were right in front of the small crowd.


    ¡°SURPRISE!¡± they all yelled in unison.

 Chapter 047

    AMELIA


    The party was finally over. The guests were gone. The house had been tidied up, thanks to the servers hired for the event, but I still could not get the sight of Damian¡¯s annoyed expression out of my head when he registered that he had walked into a surprise birthday party.


    Anton was right. Damian actually did hate surprise parties, but after a while, he epted the party with good grace. However, I had noticed that whenever no one had been close enough to engage him in conversation, he tended to stay by himself at the back of the room, sipping a drink and looking like he wished he were somewhere else. Anton had not allowed him to brood.


    I put away the unused bottles of wine in the fridge and searched for Damian. I found him nibbling on a piece of his birthday cake and scowling as though remembering something unpleasant. He didn¡¯t look particrly excited, but he didn¡¯t look like he would bite either.


    ¡°Hey, birthday boy,¡± I said, lowering myself onto the sofa beside him.


    He looked at me and gave me a vague smile.


    ¡°Done tidying up?¡± he asked me.


    I nodded, and he resumed his earlier upation. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I recalled those few seconds after we all had yelled ¡®Surprise¡¯. When I had gone over to hug him, I had caught a glimpse of packets of condoms stuffed haphazardly into his back pocket.


    He had even been gripping a packet in his hand but had immediately stuffed it into his other pocket and thrust the others in deeper just before I had reached him. He had obviously thought he wasing home to getid.


    ¡°Damian. I¡¯m really sorry that I gave you the wrong impression when I sent that text. Forgive me?¡±


    He waved off my apology. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s just that it was quite¡­ unsettling at the time, but I¡¯ve gotten over it.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry about the surprise party¡­¡±


    Damian¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I know it was Anton¡¯s idea. I know he talked you into it. He knows how much I hate surprises, but he still went ahead to do this.¡±


    Damian shook his head and sighed, still looking a bit angry. I made a mental note to chew Anton out the next time I saw him. It seemed Damian still hadn¡¯t warmed up to the party as I thought he would have, even though it had been a sess.


    The only sound in the room for a moment was the clink of the te fork as Damian took another piece of cake. I sat up a little straighter as I got an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a gift for you,¡± I said.


    A thin smile flitted across his lips. ¡°Another one?¡± He nced towards the other almost invisible sofa under the pile of wrapped gifts, most of which he hadn¡¯t bothered to open yet. ¡°There has to be like a ton of gifts there. I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll be able to go through them all.¡±


    ¡°But this one¡¯s special,¡± I murmured, my heart thudding with the excitement of what I was about to do.


    ¡°Oh. What is then?¡± he asked without a lot of interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it.¡± I got to my feet. He nodded. I moved away from him and went to stand behind his sofa, where he couldn¡¯t see me. Then I quickly took off my shoes,  slipped out of my dress and took off my underwear. I threw my panties at him. Itnded on his shoulder. He froze, grabbed it, and stared at it in astonishment. Before he could turn, I came to stand in front of him. Grinning, I spread out my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m the present,¡± I murmured and gave a little twirl.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± He muttered under his breath.


    His arms fell limply to his side as he stared at me open-mouthed. He swallowed audibly. I felt my body heat up under his ardent gaze. He looked at me with a sort of maniacal reverence, with awe.


    Already, I could see his erection beginning to tend his trousers. Slowly, sensuously, I moved towards him. His hand reached up to touch my breasts. I swatted it away. I went on my knees before him, parted his legs, and, without breaking eye contact, slowly unzipped his trousers.


    Damian¡¯s breathing suddenly became ragged and uneven. With unsteady hands, he began to fumble with his belt buckle. Again, I swatted away his hand. I undid his trousers slowly, taking my time.


    I enjoyed the feeling of making him wait. Damian¡¯s erection sprang free, and as always, I was mesmerised by the sight. I quickly pulled my hair into a loose braid, grasped his engorged cock with both hands and took him into my mouth.


    ¡°Amelia¡­¡± My name was like a sigh, a prayer on his lips.


    I took him in deeper, and sucked down on him, leaving him breathless. He gripped my hair and slowly, then quickly began to pump himself into my mouth. I felt him tense. He stilled.


    With a muttered oath, he pulled himself out of my mouth and grabbed me in one movement. The next moment, hey me on the sofa and parted my thighs gently. I moaned as his fingers travelled to my wetness, and then he spread me with two fingers.


    He slipped on a condom and pushed himself between my thighs. I closed my eyes and weed him with all the built-in desire burning inside me.     **********************


    TWO DAYS LATER


    DAMIANConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Damian,¡± called a familiar voice from behind me.


    I turned to see the mayor, followed by several important-looking men, walking towards me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here today,¡± I told the mayor as I shook hands.


    ¡°Yes. Er-¡± He grinned a little sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a habit of mine to pay unexpected visits to the sites of the projects I give out.¡±


    I returned his grin. ¡°I¡¯m not cking off on the job, I assure you. In fact, I want to give you a tour of the site.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way then.¡±


    I took the men around and showed them how much work we had done on the railroad site. An hourter, I was walking them back to their cars.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing an excellent job, Damian,¡± said one of the men.


    ¡°I agree,¡± said the mayor enthusiastically. He pped me on the back in a friendly manner. ¡°I knew I picked the right man for the job.¡± He started to get into his car, then stopped. ¡°Oh, and before I forget, the wife wants to have you and Amelia over for dinner. This night, okay?¡±


    I assured him it was. I didn¡¯t know Amelia¡¯s schedule, but I was sure she could make time for the major and his wife.


    At seven, Amelia and I were together at the mayor¡¯s house for the second time. His wife greeted me warmly enough but embraced Amelia in a tight hug. It seemed she liked her from thest meeting.


    Dinner went on just like thest time, but thankfully without Noah and Lucy¡¯s presence to mar the beauty of the evening. Everything was going perfectly until the mayor¡¯s wife began talking about a ce she and her husband had visited during thest week.


    Then she paused.


    Looking from me to Amelia, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve been curious¡­ how did you two lovebirds meet?¡±


    ¡°At a shopping mall,¡± I replied, but Amelia cut me off almost immediately. ¡°Online,¡± she answered.


    The mayor was looking surprised, and the mayor¡¯s wife was astonished. Amelia and I flushed in embarrassment.


    The mayor¡¯s wife was the first to speak, ¡°How on earth did you two meet in two different ces?¡±


    ¡°Umm. What I meant to say was that I had already stumbled across his social page, and he¡­¡±


    ¡°I epted her friend request,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I never thought we would ever meet physically, and then I er- stumbled across her at a shopping mall¡­¡± I faltered, wondering how best toplete the story.


    ¡°I recognized him, and then he eventually recognized me,¡±Amelia said. ¡°We got talking, and the rest is history.¡±


    Amelia smiled and looked at them to see if they believed her story.


    ¡°That¡¯s so romantic,¡± the mayor¡¯s wife trilled.


    ¡°It is,¡± the mayor said slowly and I couldn¡¯t tell if he believed our tale.


    I heaved a sigh of relief when the mayor¡¯s wife turned to Amelia and began to talk about going shopping the next day. She invited Amelia to go with her. Amelia agreed to it quickly.


    I had a feeling that she would have agreed to anything just as long as she didn¡¯t have to answer questions about our marriage.     *************************


    AMELIA


    I pulled up in front of the shopping mall where Betty, the mayor¡¯s wife, had asked me to meet her and her friends for shopping. She had just called me to meet her at the clothing section, and it was there I directed my steps.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, dear.¡± Betty beamed at me.


    She took my hand to pull me forward and introduced me to her friends.


    I fought to keep the smile on my face and to hide my surprise at the fact that Lucy was also there.

 Chapter 048

    AMELIA


    ¡°And you know Lucy, of course,¡± Betty said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear?¡± Betty asked,, finally noticing my mood.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I er- didn¡¯t know Lucy would being.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fashion designer, you know, a fact that I mentioned when we had dinner at the mayor¡¯s. Betty wants me here for my expert advice.¡±


    I nodded. Lucy extended her hand in greeting. It had barely touched mine before she pulled it away like she had touched something infectious. The next moment, a handkerchief had materialized in her hand. She began scrubbing at the fingers that had touched me. I heartily wished now that I hadn¡¯te.


    ¡°We were just starting,¡± said Betty and I was d of an excuse to turn away from Lucy. I got the distinct impression that Betty¡¯s three other friends didn¡¯t like me very much. They seemed to be sizing me up. ¡°This is my favourite ce to shop. They literally have everything here. Well, not everything but you get my drift. Have you been here before, dear?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t, Betty,¡±said Lucy with a wide smile. ¡°Amelia doesn¡¯t frequent these kinds of ces. She has rather¡­. simple tastes.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yes. Yes,¡± Betty said a little distractedly. She was looking at a rack of dresses and wasn¡¯t really paying attention. ¡°Let¡¯s get started,dies. There¡¯s this dinner gown I saw on disy a couple of days ago¡­ so beautiful¡­ hope they haven¡¯t sold it yet.¡±


    Betty led the way down the clothing aisle and we all followed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I approve of simple tastes,¡± said a tall horsey looking woman, Sonia, to the others, but so quietly that Betty couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Do you,dies?¡±


    The other women tittered. Sonia smirked at me. She hadn¡¯t bothered to keep her voice down for my benefit. Lucy kept giggling even when the others had stopped.  I went to walk beside Betty, leaving the others to follow behind. A momentter, Betty squealed in delight. She had seen the dress she had been looking for.


    ¡°It¡¯s still here,¡± she trilled as she took it off the hanger and ran her fingers through the fabric. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Lucy quickly stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s exquisite as you said. I always knew you had good taste, Betty.¡±


    ¡°It matches the colour of your eyes,¡±said Sonia.


    ¡°Ipletely agree. You have to buy it,¡± said ire, the other woman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see another-¡± Lucy began.


    ¡°What do you think of it, Amelia?¡± asked Betty.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a really beautiful dress. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll look gorgeous in it,¡± I said.


    Betty smiled. ¡°Good. Then I¡¯m buying it.¡±


    Lucy looked as though she had tasted something bitter. Betty selected some more clothes. So did the others. When Betty had gotten the ones she liked, she excused herself to go into the changing room in order to try them on. Thest thing I wanted was to be those three. I started after Betty.


    ¡°I cane with you and help-¡±


    ¡°Oh no, dear,¡± she called over her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The assistants will help me. Check and see if there¡¯s something here that you¡¯ll like.¡±


    As soon as she left, Lucy and the other women began whispering among themselves. Judging by the looks Lucy was shooting in my direction, they were talking about me again. I moved away from them to fingered some clothes which I really wasn¡¯t interested in. Perhaps I could just grab some clothes and then follow Betty into the changing rooms.


    ¡°What are you doing with that?¡± Lucy said from beside me, looking pointedly at the blouse I had just taken off the hanger.


    I started. How had she gotten here to fast? Sonia and ire nked her on either side.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have that.¡± Lucy whisked the blouse out of my hands.


    ¡°Hey! Give that back,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Why? This blouse is obviously too good for you. You should probably try the thrift section. There, I¡¯m you¡¯ll find more¡­ suitable clothes for you¡­ Oh! I forgot. This ce has no thrift clothing section.¡±


    Sonia tittered again.


    ire said, ¡°Now. Now. Lucy. Take it easy with her with her. Betty thought she belongs here and that¡¯s why she decided to bring her toe shop with us.¡±


    I was not deceived by this false disy of kindness from ire. She didn¡¯t like me either. I could see it in the way her eyes eagerly roved over my face as though hoping she would see a stray tear.


    Lucy sniffed and gave me a once over. ¡°Betty is too kind. She wants to see the good in people even when there¡¯s no good in them¡­ just like this one here. I know her or should I say I knew her, rather intimately at one time-¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, Lucy,¡± I said. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t take any insults-¡±


    Lucy¡¯s voice drowned out mine. ¡°-And trust medies when I say she has no ss. She married into money, but-¡±


    ¡°Marrying into money doesn¡¯t give one ss. That¡¯s what my mother  always says,¡± said ire with a superior look.


    Lucy smiled at her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have put it better myself.¡±


    ¡°What I can¡¯t get over is why she decided toe here,¡± Sonia said with an offended sniff. She had turned her back on me and seemed not to want to address me directly. ¡°Can¡¯t she see that this ce and the pleasure of ourpany is not for the likes of her? Betty was being kind I¡¯m sure, but inviting riffraff to shop with us? Really, that¡¯s the limit. I¡¯ll have to have a word with her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk about me as if I¡¯m not here,¡± I yelled.


    ire winced and looked around. ¡°Now, you¡¯re shouting. I hope no one heard that¡­ And we¡¯re with her. Oh dear!¡±


    Sonia slowly turned to face me and talked directly for the first time. ¡°And if I talk to you how I want, what are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll-¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Lucy eximed. ¡°Are you going to cry? You look like you want to.¡±


    ire and Sonia giggled. Lucy looked positively gleeful at the prospect. Her lips stretched and kept stretching into a wide, triumphant smile. To my horror, I felt my eyes prickle with tears. Quickly, I turned my back on them. More by luck than by sight, I eventually found myself in the bathroom. I dashed into a stall, shot the bolt and cried my heart out. A whileter- it could have been minutes, hours- I eventually left the stall, made my way to the sink. I bathed my face with cold water, dried it. I got to my car and drove home fast. All the way home, I kept wiping away stray tears. The moment I got into the house, I went on another crying jag. I couldn¡¯t help myself. Lucy had hit me where it hurt. Someone pounded on my door. Before I couldpose myself, Anton came striding into the room. At the sight of my face, he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Good lord, Amelia!¡± he eximed. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I mumbled, but a sob belied my words.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously not nothing.¡± He came to sit beside me. ¡°I¡¯ll keep bugging you until you tell me everything.¡±


    And so I told him about Betty¡¯s invitation and what Lucy, ire and Sonia had said to me. Anton called them several unprintable names which had me snortingughter in spite of myself.


    ¡°I was on my way somewhere. Come with me,¡± he said after a while.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    He got to his feet and pulled me up. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    He took me to a party at a club. He ordered a few drinks. On my third ss of wine, I found myself loosening up. Anton had me in stitches as he kept pointing out people and making the wildest spections about them.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± he said. He pointed to tall, muscled, tattooed man with an aggressive beard. ¡°Tell me about that one.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°Oh that¡¯s easy. He¡¯s a vet.¡±


    Anton stared. ¡°A vet? Like he treats animals? I nodded. ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And that¡¯s not all. He also works part time in a flower shop.¡±


    Anton pped his thigh,ughing so hard he sprayed wine down the front of his shirt.


    ¡°Damn! Amelia,¡± he said in between snorts ofughter. ¡°I must say you¡¯re much more fun to hang with than Damain. We should hang out more often.¡±


    What happened next happened so fast. There were suddenly a few isted screams, barely heard over the music. There were shouts of ¡®Police¡¯. The crowd was still for a moment and then everyone began to run in different directions just as I caught sight of a couple of policemen. One of them came straight at me. He grabbed me just as my muscles unlocked and I made an attempt to run. As I screamed for him to let me go, I registered that Anton had run away.

 Chapter 049

    DAMIAN


    I drummed my fingers impatiently on the desk in my study as I thought of what to do. Getting Amelia released from jail was simple enough. Getting her released it in such a way that no one got wind of the fact that she had gotten arrested in the first ce, was the challenge. The issue would have to be handled really carefully. A wave of anger and irritation coursed through me. What had she gone and gotten herself arrested for?


    ¡°Focus, Damian. Focus,¡± I muttered to myself.


    I grabbed my phone and quickly scrolled through it for a while before I found the number I was looking for. I dialed it. The man was awyer I had some dealings with a while ago. He had useful connections with the bigwigs and authority figures in this city and beyond. He was the soul of discretion, and discretion was what I needed at this moment.


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± he said through the phone. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I need your help with something. My wife, Amelia, has got herself into a fix. She got caught up in a police raid and got¡­ imprisoned.¡± Damn! It was hard to even say the words. ¡°I need you to do whatever you can to get her out of there today.¡± I nced at my wristwatch. It was still hours before noon. ¡°This morning,¡± I amended.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll certainly get her out. I¡¯ll text you when it¡¯s time to pick her up.¡±


    ¡°Good. As for you fee, I¡¯ll pay you any amount you want. Just get her out.¡±


    Thewyer again assured me he would. Time seemed to go by very slowly as though it wanted to deliberately annoy me. At 3p. m, I got a text from thewyer, telling me where to pick Amelia up. I was out of my chair before I had finished reading the text. I parked my car in front of the police station just as Amelia came out of the building. The jeans and blouse she had on looked a little grimy. Her hair was dull andnk. There was a frightened look in her eyes that had not been there thest time I saw her. Without a word, I leaned over and opened the passenger door.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said in a small voice.


    I didn¡¯t answer. Anything I needed to say to her could wait until we were home, and I had quite a lot to say to her. Quite a lot. As I drove off, she sat ramrod straight on her seat, but the farther we got from the police station, the more rxed she became. Halfway home, Anton, the cause of all the trouble, called.


    ¡°Have you managed to get her released?¡± he asked, anxiety colouring the tone of his voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I hissed between my teeth.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He exhaled. ¡°I guess you¡¯re taking her home now.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I hung up before he could say anything else. Amelia shot me a curious look, but wisely refrained from asking me any questions, or attempting to talk to me again. She just sat there, staring out the window, twisting her fingers nervously in herp. Anton was at the front door when we got home. He started to say something, but I brushed past him without saying a word. I unlocked the door, threw it open, red at Amelia. My message was clear.


    Get in.


    She had started talking with Anton, but came in anyway. I led the way into the living room, then turned on her.


    ¡°Thanks for getting me out of there,¡± she said. ¡°It was-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks,¡± I snarled. ¡°What the hell were you thinking, Amelia?¡±


    ¡°It- it was not my fault,¡± she protested. ¡°What happened was-¡±


    ¡°I know perfectly well what happened. If you had been where you were supposed to be, which is at home or at the bakery, would you have been picked up by the police?¡±


    Anton stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this. It was my fault. I was the one who suggested-¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this,¡± I said without looking at him. ¡°Amelia is responsible for her decisions. She¡¯s not a child, though she¡¯s begun behaving like one.¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Look, I¡¯m grateful that you pulled strings to get me out of there but you don¡¯t get to talk to me that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you anyhow I want,¡± I retorted. ¡°and just so you know, you are forbidden to go anywhere apart from the bakery.¡±


    She stared at me in surprise for a second or two. ¡°You can¡¯t- You don¡¯t have any right to tell me what I can or can¡¯t do.¡±


    Aton cleared his throat loudly. I gave him a warning look. He seated himself on the sofa, threw his hands up in surrender and proceeded to watch Amelia and I with undisguised interest.


    ¡°As I matter of fact, I can. I just did. Since you can¡¯t seem to help getting yourself into trouble , I¡¯ll restrict your movements even if it¡¯s thest thing I do.¡±


    Amelia gave a short, bitterugh. ¡°Now I can see you¡¯re delusional.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Am I? I¡¯m the sane one here. Do you have any idea of the sort of scandal that would have been created if anyone got wind of the fact that you were in jail? I can almost see the big, bold newspaper headlines. You-¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯M A GROWN WOMAN. YOU CANNOT GROUND ME!¡± she bellowed, her face going purple with anger.


    Anton stopped his ears and winced theatrically.


    ¡°Shout all you want, but that¡¯s my final word on the matter. Step out of line, and you¡¯ll likely find yourself being bundled back to this house. I don¡¯t want to discuss this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh  go to hell, Damian!¡± Amelia turned, ran upstairs. Secondster, I heard the door m and something break. I was even angrier than I had been this morning. Amelia still didn¡¯t seem to have realized the consequences of her actions, or how much worry she had put me through.


    ¡°Women,¡± Anton murmured.


    ¡°You mostly caused this so don¡¯t let me get started on you,¡± I warned.


    At least Anton had the good grace to look mildly ashamed of himself.


    ****************************


    AMELIA


    I took a deep, shaky breath before stepping out of the building. At once, the feeling of being watched returned. How long would this continue? I wondered. My nerves were taut, stretched almost to breaking point. Every single day for a whole week, whenever I closed the bakery for the day, I got the feeling that someone was watching me. It got more scary because I was always thest person to leave.


    Now, I squinted into the ces not illuminated by the lights outside. Everything was as it should be, but the feeling persisted. I briefly considered telling someone, maybe Rose, to always stay behind until I was ready to leave. But she would have stuff to do in the evenings, wouldn¡¯t she? She couldn¡¯t work overtime babysitting me. And besides, it was possible that no one was actually watching me. Maybe my imagination was ying tricks on me though deep down, I didn¡¯t think so.


    On my way to work the next morning, I bought a can of pepper spray and a taser. The taser and pepper spray were the first things I put into my handbag the next morning before I left the house.


    Nothing happened for a few days, and then one night, while I was locking the ce up, I got the odd feeling that whoever had been watching me was closer. I fiddled with the locks and purposely dawdled. I was ready for a confrontation now. I wanted to get this over with. Moving quietly, I peered around the right side of the building. I was just returning to the entrance when I caught sight of what looked like the figure of a man approaching. He was hunched over so I could not get a glimpse of his face.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I said, but my voice was barely even audible to my own ears.


    I tried to call out again, but all that escaped my lips was a soft hiss. My muscles were locked down with fright. As the man got closer, I remembered I remembered the pepper spray in my handbag. I nearly sobbed with relief.  I kept my eyes locked on the approaching figure while I groped inside my bag. My fingers encountered a tube of lipstick, something cold and metallic- a key, my credit card, a piece of paper. A frightened whimper escaped my lips. Had I somehow forgotten the pepper spray? Was it in my office right now when I needed it the most?


    And then I felt the smooth, cold surface of the can. Just as the man got close enough to touch, I yanked it out of my bag, and sprayed what had to be a quarter of the contents into his face.


    ¡°Aaaargh.¡± The man screamed and went down, wing at his face.


    That voice¡­ his voice sounded familiar. Slowly, I bent at the waist and really looked at the man writhing on the ground.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± I gasped. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

 Chapter 050

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Just give me a moment to see all this,¡± I told the project engineer tersely.


    The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on me as I moved around the site, checking out the equipment. Another engineer at my side hurried to keep up as he pointed out the various equipments that had been damaged.


    For the past week, I had been getting reports of damaged or malfunctioning equipment at the site of the bullet train railway. This time, the damage had been very extensive. When I checked and discovered that sugar had been poured into the gas tanks of some of the heavy duty machinery, my suspicions were proven. What had been happening at the site was sabotage.


    After about forty-five minutes of inspection, I gave the project engineer a defeated stare.


    ¡°We will have to put the entire project on hold for now,¡± I said. ¡°Call off the workers.¡±


    He nodded, paused to wipe a stream of sweat running down his face.


    ¡°But sir, the mayor¡­¡± he said.


    Ah. The mayor. He had been impressed by the pace of work on the project. He wasn¡¯t going to like this. Not one bit. His superiors were breathing down his neck for the project to bepleted, and he in turn was breathing down mine. Whoever was behind this sabotage wanted to ruin the reputation of mypany.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    The engineer raised a brow, asking a silent question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the mayor. I¡¯ll handle him,¡± I said.


    As I left the site in my car, I thought of what to do. I parked in the driveway of a mall and scrolled through my phone. A few seconds of this and I came upon the phone number of Curt. He was an ex marine who had gotten me some necessary information years ago. Without hesitation, I dialed his number. He answered as soon as it started to ring.


    ¡°Mr Donovan. To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± he said.


    ¡°Still in the biz?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a job for you.¡±


    ¡°It sounds urgent.¡± I didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Will Sam¡¯s bar and grill be good for a meeting in thirty minutes?¡±


    I checked my watch. I could make it to the meeting point in under thirty minutes. I got there a little before him and just had time to order a drink when through the ss windows, I saw him pull up in his convertible. He walked into the bar exactly thirty minutes after our phone conversation. Curt was neverte. He gripped my hand in a firm handshake, waved off a waiter, and stared at me with those piercing grey eyes of his.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I pointed to my ss. ¡°No drink?¡±


    ¡°I like to keep my head clear when I¡¯m undertaking a job. What¡¯s going on, Mr Donovan?¡±


    I briefly told him all that had been happening at the construction site over the past weeks, and how I had at first thought that we had just been having a run of bad luck.


    ¡°It¡¯s sabotage, alright,¡± he said grimly as he shut the little notebook he had been writing on and thrust it deep into the pocket of his tight jeans. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the project. It¡¯s a really big one. Chances are that someone high up is involved in this. It will exin why no one has gotten a glimpse of the culprits before now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. That¡¯s why I decided not to involve the police¡­ yet. These criminals may have friends in high ces.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°These things happen,¡± Curt agreed. ¡°I think you were right in calling me in first, and I¡¯m saying that not just because I want the job.¡± He permitted himself a small, fleeting smile.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I will get something concrete for you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± I echoed and he departed after shaking my hand.


    Just an hour after I got the office the next day, I received a text from Curt requesting a meeting at the ce we had met the previous day. I felt a smile curve my lips. The man was certainly worth his hire. He had news for me already. I looked up at my secretary who was wearing a puzzled look, probably wondering why I was smiling.


    ¡°Cancel all my other appointments for this morning,¡± I told her. ¡°and probably for most of the afternoon,¡± I added as an afterthought.


    After I hopefully got the identity of the persons messing up my project, I knew I wouldn¡¯t rest until I had personally dealt with them myself.


    This time, Curt was at the bar, sipping a ss of whisky on the rocks with the air of a man who had finished a job and done it well. It was I who waved the hopeful waiter away, desperate to hear what he had to say.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from leaning forward in my chair with my hands on my knees as I asked him, ¡°What have you got for me?¡±


    ¡°A lot, Mr Donovan, but I¡¯ll start at the beginning.¡± At a nod from me, he went on. ¡°After I left you, I scoped out the ce, talked to a few people living or doing business around the area where the site is located. From them, I got a general idea of the time the saboteurs would strike. So once it was dark, I went there and hid myself. For a long time, I thought they wouldn¡¯t show up, that maybe they would have the good sense not to show up at the same ce too often, but I guess I was giving the assholes too much credit for brains.¡± He paused. ¡°Pardon my French, Mr Donovan.¡±


    I shot him an amused nce. ¡°I do think they¡¯re assholes.¡±


    ¡°Right. I waited there all night and sure enough they came and began wrecking stuff. I jumped them and gave them a pretty good beating, if I do say so myself. Most of them ran away, but there was one of them who I beat up so bad that he couldn¡¯t run away after the others.¡± Curt¡¯s hand on the table clenched as though he were reliving the moment. For the first time, I noticed that his knuckles were reddened, abraded and bruised. ¡°I asked him who sent him. He was er- reluctant to spill the beans, but after a little¡­ persuasion, he confessed. The one who had sent them was Noah. Noah Allen.¡±


    There was a moment of silence as I gazed down at Curt¡¯s highly polished boots. Noah. I should have known that he was behind this. A tiny part of me had even suspected. He was after all, the major person who had a lot to gain by sabotaging the railway project since the mayor had deemed it fit to choose him over me. I was angry, so pissed that I forgot to breathe for a moment or two. Finally, I exhaled. A muscle jumped in my cheek as I regarded Curt once more.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do?¡± Curt asked.


    ¡°No. No. I will handle this myself. You did a good job. Thanks for your help. Send me your fee so I¡¯ll do the transfer.¡±


    I sped him on the shoulder, slid out of my chair and out the door. This time, my destination was Noah¡¯s house. I drove higher than the speed limit, wanting nothing more than to see the face of that coward who hired others to do his dirty work for him. In no time at all, I was banging on Noah¡¯s front door. No one answered but I knew that they were in the house. There was one of Noah¡¯s car parked in front of the house, as well as the candy pink abomination Lucy drove. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. A curtain had twitched. There were approaching footsteps. The door was flung open and Lucy stood there as pale as a sheet. She gulped when she got a close look at my face.


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing here?¡± she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°I want to see Noah,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°B-but why?¡± I made a move to get into the house. She moved, her body blocking the entrance. ¡°If you have a message, leave it with me.¡±


    She shot a frightened nce over her shoulder and I understood. She was scared of Noah finding out that she had been hitting on me. She probably thought I was here to report her misdemeanor.


    ¡°Look, Lucy. Get-¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s there?¡± The sound of Noah¡¯s voice almost made Lucy copse against the half open door. He came to stand beside Lucy and stared at me in surprise. ¡°You! What the hell are you doing in my house?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you that,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± he cried in astonishment.


    ¡°I should be the one asking you what you and your¡­ friends have been doing in a ce where you have no business being.¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Noah said less forcefully, but his eyes shifted and I knew that he knew what exactly I was talking about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you? I think you do.¡±


    Noah paled considerably. Lucy¡¯s mouth fell open. She looked from me to the man behind her in confusion.


    ¡°I have just a few words for you, Noah,¡± I went on. ¡°If you or the others are again caught where you aren¡¯t supposed to be next time, I won¡¯t be as lenient as I am now. I mean, think of the news headlines I could make sure pop up in the papers because of that infraction.¡±


    As I walked away, satisfied at the impact my threat had made, I heard Lucy ask him what I was talking about. He growled something at her in a shaky voiceced with fear, then shut the door.

 Chapter 051

    AMELIA


    ¡°Oh shit! Oh shit! Shit!¡± I eximed over again as soon as I realized what I had done.


    My mind was in a whirl as I tried to remember what the after effects of recieving a canister of pepper spray full in the eyes were. How I wished I had used the taser instead. Lucien¡¯s renewed howls of agony brought me to my senses. I hooked my hands under his armpits and with all my strength,  hoisted him up. He stood on unsteady legs, took a step forward and promptly rammed his head against the wall.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± he screamed and promptly pped a hand to his forehead while the other rubbed frantically at his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lucien,¡± I said miserably. ¡°I had no idea¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were the one¡­¡±


    I stopped apologizing because Lucien¡¯s couldn¡¯t hear me over his shouts anyway. I grabbed his arm to lead him inside. His groping hit the doorjamb and he swore again.


    ¡°Stop trying to find your way in and let me lead you,¡± I shouted.


    He seemed to have heard me because he leaned on me for support and let me lead him into the bakery. Once inside, I pressed him into a chair. My hands fluttered helplessly over him.


    ¡°My eyes. My eyes,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°What can I get you?¡± I asked. ¡°What can help?¡±


    He just kept screaming about his eyes. What was I doing? I wasn¡¯t even supposed to ask him of a solution anyway, not when he was almost incoherent with pain.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I ordered after a moment of wringing my hands helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I approached the counter, and after looking around helplessly for a moment or two, proceeded to the kitchen. I still felt a lot of the residual fear from earlier. I felt mortified and so guilty that I had hurt Lucien, one of the few real friends I had, that I couldn¡¯t exactly think straight. I found myself in front of the fridge I had opened, staring into it¡¯s depths, trying to remember what could help Lucien now. My eyes lighted on it after a few seconds.


    Milk! Of course. Milk would help soothe the stinging. I ran out of the kitchen, forgetting to close the refrigerator¡¯s door in my haste. Lucien was on his feet once more, with one hand stretched out in front of him, groping blindly.


    ¡°Water,¡± he croaked. ¡°I need¡­ water.¡±


    He stumbled and nearly knocked over a table, but I caught his arm in time.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve got something better.¡± In my experience, water would only aggravate the stinging.


    I half dragged, half pulled him towards the sink in the corner. By the time we got there, I was panting. Lucien was tall and outweighed me by far. Pulling him along was hard work. His groping hand touched the porcin sink.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Now bend over.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He did. I pulled away the hand he had covering his face. I pushed his head lower into the sink, unscrewed the cap on the carton of milk with my teeth and poured it over his head. The milk ran through his hair,pletely convering his face. I smeared it on his face, rubbing it around his eyes. I repeated the process over and over again until his cries mostly stopped. After rinsing out the milk with some water, bathing his face with the milk and rinsing it again, I led him back to the chair into which he copsed gratefully.


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡± I asked, peering into his reddened face.


    There were long, deep scratches from his fingernails extending from his brow to his cheeks. I winced. I would have to put something on those scratches soon.


    He gingerly passed his hand over his face once. ¡°Better, I think.¡±


    He tried to open one eye, and winced. I poured him a ss of milk and wrapped his hand around it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s milk. Drink up. It will make you feel better.¡±


    He drank and I spent some minutes watching him anxiously. Again, he opened one eye tentatively. He managed to keep it open before opened the other. I heaved a deep sigh of relief. His eyes were open, reddened, but it didn¡¯t look like there would be anysting damage.


    ¡°Thank goodness you can see,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He blinked, looked around the room. ¡°I can, but for a moment there, I thought I would go blind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said at once. ¡°I didn¡¯t know-¡±


    Lucien waved off my apology. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand. At least, there¡¯s nosting damage done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that I was so scared when I saw you approaching.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. About that¡­¡± He smiled sheepishly. ¡°I guess I also owe you an apology. I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡±


    I returned his smile, but it soon became a frown. Now I was sure that Lucien was not going to be permanently maimed because of me, I clearly remembered my fear of being watched today, and the days before that, the fear that had prompted me to buy the taser and the pepper spray in the first ce.


    ¡°Ummm. One of the reasons why I acted the way I did out there was because for a while now, I¡¯ve been feeling like I¡¯m being watched.¡± I paused. My next question could be termed as rude, but I just had to know. ¡°Tell me the truth, Lucien, have you been the one watching me?¡±


    Lucien reached for the ss of milk, found it empty, hesitated and then ventured to meet my curious stare.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I did that¡­ Once or twice¡­¡±


    I arched a brow. I had trouble believing this.  The feeling I had had been fairly consistent. ¡°Once or twice?¡±


    ¡°Or more,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been er- hanging around the area since Will and I and the others came here to see you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why didn¡¯t youe in to say hello then? It¡¯s sort of creepy that you just kept your distance. If I had known you were the one, I would not have gotten scared out of my wits the way I¡¯ve been thesest few days.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. My bad. It¡¯s just that you are always so busy here that I kept feeling it wasn¡¯t right toe in and take up your time, you know¡­¡±


    He trailed off. Perhaps it had struck him as it had struck me that his excuse of lurking around was not good enough. It was prettyme actually. I couldn¡¯t help feeling that there was more to Lucien¡¯s presence around the bakery than he had told me, but if he was willing to overlook the fact that I had almost blinded him, I was willing to overlook the fact that he had been acting a little weird.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said after a pause of some moments in which I refilled his ss with milk. ¡°There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t really been able to forget.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Our date.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°We never really finished having our date, you know? That guy, Damian, interrupted us before we could properly get started. I wish¡­ I wish he hadn¡¯t. You and I would have had a good time. I¡¯m sure of it, but he just had to butt in. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if I took you out one of these days. We could continue from where we left off.¡± He smiled hopefully at me. ¡°What do you say?¡±


    I answered him, choosing my words carefully. ¡°Lucien, I¡¯m really sorry that our dinner date got interrupted, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a good idea for us to go on another one-¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked before I could exin further.


    ¡°I¡¯m married, Lucien. My husband wasn¡¯t really happy to see both of us together that time, so I suggest we let it go.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face clouded over the moment his gaze strayed to my wedding ring. It felt like a shutter had fallen and the man I had an easy sort of friendship was gone. In his ce was someone I did not recognize.


    ¡°I want us to go on another date, Amelia,¡± he insisted. ¡°I stumbled across the perfect seafood restaurant the other day. You will enjoy it there. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t listening,¡± I said a trifle impatiently now. ¡°I can¡¯t go on a date with you, but you are wee to stop by the bakery to say hi-¡±


    ¡°No. You work here. What¡¯s that thing they say about all work and no y?¡± I started to say something, but he impatiently waved a hand, motioning me to silence. ¡°Fine. Since you don¡¯t like seafood, we¡¯ll go somewhere else like-¡±


    ¡°This is not about the kind of food I like.¡±


    But I could have been talking to the wall for all the attention he gave me.


    ¡°-the new five star restaurant that opened a few days ago. We¡¯ll go there. Tomorrow at seven, I¡¯lle pick you up and I¡¯m not taking no for an answer.¡±


    He glowered, then grinned. My unease slowly became fear. I suddenly realized that I was all alone with Lucien in the building. I felt a chill creep up spine. I got to my feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going out with you, Lucien,¡± I said firmly, proud of how steady my voice sounded even though I was quaking in my boots. ¡°And frankly, you¡¯re creeping me out.¡± I pointed to the door. ¡°Please leave. I was even about to lock the ce up before you showed up.¡±


    Lucien got to his feet, grinning crookedly. Suddenly, he let out augh.


    ¡°News sh, Amelia. I¡¯m not leaving until we go on that date,¡± he said.

 Chapter 052

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re the police?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± said the man on the other end of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m officer Harris¡­¡±


    The construction site! Had that scumbag, Noah, dared make another attempt to sabotage me after the warning I had given him? If he had, I would deal with him in a worse way than I had initially nned. Then Harry said Amelia¡¯s name and Noah was driven right out of my mind.


    ¡°Say that again. Did you just say Amelia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re her husband, Mr Donovan, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right. She was attacked at the bakery. She called the police¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest. I just snatched up my car keys lying on the table and left the house. It was when I was in my car, driving quickly to the bakery that I remembered all the questions I should have asked the police officer. Who had attacked Amelia? Why had she been attacked? And most importantly, was she safe?


    Thisst question preyed on my mind so much that I snatched up my phone from the passenger¡¯s seat and dialed Harri¡¯s number. I muttered a long list of profanities when I kept getting the busy signal.


    The parking space in front of the bakery was upied by three cars; Amelia¡¯s and two police patrol vehicles. The revolving red and blue lights of the patrol cars sent my heart plummeting to my stomach. It reminded me so much of a crime scene. I hit the brakes. My car lurched forward, rear-ending the police car in front of me. I scrambled out of the car and into the bakery.


    I had been half expecting to see smashed ss, bullet holes, broken furniture, and goodness knows what else. But apart from two knocked over tables and what looked like a puddle of milk on the floor, everything else was in order. In the centre of the showroom stood Amelia, deep in conversation with two uniformed police officers. Three other police men were gathered around and stooping over  something on the ground. I headed straight for Amelia. The relief at seeing her standing on her own two feet, safe and sound was indescribable. An officer detached himself from the second group and strode towards me.


    ¡°You must be Mr Donovan,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Officer Harry, the one who-¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes,¡± I said impatiently.


    I pushed aside the police officer closest to her, gripped Amelia¡¯s shoulders and looked her over.


    ¡°Damian,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she assured me with a little smile.


    The police officer closest to her moved a little impatiently. Amelia caught the movement.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she said. ¡°I was just giving them my statement.¡±


    She was okay, physically at least, so I nodded, a signal for her to continue, and stepped aside. I went closer to the second group of police officers. Now I saw that they were gathered around an unconscious man with a reddened face and a ridiculous looking mustache who looked oddly familiar. A secondter, I ced his face. He was the one who had taken Amelia out on a date.


    ¡°¡­ she knocked him out cold,¡± one of the officers was saying to the others as he tried to rouse the unconscious man.


    Amelia must have knocked him out. I was impressed. It was a good thing for him that he was insensible, else I would have given him some injuries to remember me by. Leaving the cops to their efforts, I took a turn around the showroom. By the time I wandered towards Amelia¡¯s again, the cops were pocketing their notebooks.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, we are. You can take her home now, sir.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry about your experience, ma¡¯am,¡± the other officer said.


    ¡°p all the charges you can on the creep,¡± I said to Officer Harry as I began to lead Amelia out of the door. ¡°Assault, destruction of property, threat to life, you name it. I want him in jail for a long, long time.¡±


    Amelia was silent during the drive home. I didn¡¯t ask her questions. I could tell she was shaken by what had happened though she was handling it very well. She sank gratefully on the leather sofa as soon as we got home.


    There was a twinkle in her eyes as she said, ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what happened?¡±


    I gave her a smile. ¡°I wanted to get you home first before I started the inquisition. So, tell me what happened.¡±


    She flexed her wrist. All traces of humour was wiped off her face as she said, ¡°For a while now, I¡¯ve been having the feeling that I¡¯m being watched. I felt I could take look of myself,¡± she added quickly, seeing I was about to say something. ¡°Just when I was about to lock up the bakery this evening, I saw Lucien approaching, only I didn¡¯t know it was him at the time. I couldn¡¯t see him clearly then. I panicked and almost emptied a can of pepper spray in his face.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Amelia¡¯s lips twitched in amusement. ¡°I recognized him, took him inside, tended to him and then he started acting really weird. He kept insisting that I go on a date with him, the date-¡±


    ¡°-I interrupted,¡± I finished.


    ¡°Yes. I refused and he in turn refused to leave. I was really scared by then so I grabbed the taser in my handbag and ran at him.¡± Her tone was somewhat apologetic as she continued. ¡°I have never used a taser before. I just meant to immobilize him long enough for me to run away but I ended up tasing him until he passed out. Then I called the police.¡±


    I arched a brow. ¡°Amelia, is that guilt I hear? You did the right thing by defending yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­  I was kind of scared when I saw him lying there so still. I knew tasing him wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, still¡­¡±


    ¡°If I were there, I would have done worse to him,¡± I said darkly. ¡°It¡¯s really lucky he was unconscious by the time I showed up. What are you holding?¡±


    I had just noticed that her right hand was balled into a fist.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    She followed the direction of my gaze and slowly opened her hand. She flexed it and winced. I took her hand in mine and inspected it. It was reddened and swollen.


    Amelia let out a nervousugh. ¡°Ipletely forgot¡­ when I ran at Lucien, I punched him before tasing him.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Where did you punch him?¡±


    ¡°In the gut.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m just sorry you got hurt doing it. Hang on.¡± I took a tube of ointment from my room and hurried back to Amelia. ¡°The swelling will go down eventually, but massaging it will help. Put it here.¡±


    I stretched out my hand to her, palm up. Amelia gingerly put her injured hand in it. I squeezed out some of the cold ointment onto her knuckles. She shivered a little. I gently began massaging her bruised hand. I ran my thumb over her fingers repeatedly, applying gentle pressure. After several minutes, I knew it was time to stop but Amelia¡¯s hand felt so good in mine that I didn¡¯t want to let go. I flipped her palm over, and made a series of figure eights on the sensitive skin of her palm. Judging by her suddenly increased andboured breathing, I knew that she was getting as turned on by this as I was.


    When I forced her head upwards to stare into her eyes, I was damned sure. She was staring right at me with those pretty green eyes. What else could I do but nt a swift kiss on those lush lips? The kiss was meant to be a quick one, but I couldn¡¯t help deepening it. Amelia let out one of her sexy little moans which was my undoing. I dragged her unresisting body into myp. She pulled away a bit, just for a moment and then she was straddling me, and our hands were roving over our bodies. I got the buttons of her blouse undone, buried my face into her heavy breasts that nearly overspilled hercy bra.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± I moaned.


    She pushed me back against the sofa. The tip of her tongue trailed a path of fire from the back of my ear to my lips. One small hand cupped my hardness. I went very still. Summoning all of my self control, I lifted her off me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amelia,¡± I gasped. ¡°I-I can¡¯t. It¡¯s not a good idea for us to have sex anymore. Continued intimacy will make it really hard for us to keep to the terms of our agreement.¡±


    Amelia blinked dazedly, but nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. I understand,¡± she said in a voice barely above a whisper. She couldn¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°Thank you for er- tending to my hand. It feels better already. Goodnight.¡±


    She walked away unsteadily.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

 Chapter 053

    NOAH


    ¡°Uncle Noah! Uncle Noah!¡±


    Louise¡¯s shrill urgent voice made me take my eyes off the road for a second. She had been really quiet during the ride because she had been so engrossed in looking at ces and people we passed. Now she was bouncing excitedly up and down in the car seat as she pointed at something.


    ¡°Yes, sweetheart?¡± I said.


    ¡°That way! Let¡¯s go that way,¡± she cried.


    I looked closely now and realized that she was pointing to the right side of the road, and I was just about to turn left.


    ¡°But honey, the candy store I want to take you to isn¡¯t in that direction. If we go my way, we¡¯ll be there in to time.¡±


    Louise shook her head, her blonde pigtails swinging from side to side.


    ¡°No, Uncle Noah. I don¡¯t want to go there. There¡¯s a nice store this way. It¡¯s called Candnd.¡± Candnd. I had heard of the store a couple of times.  ¡°I went there with mummy once and all my friends at school love it. They¡¯ve got-¡± She quickly dropped the popsicle she had been chewing on to tick items off her fingers. ¡°-candy, cakes, ice-cream, muffins and- and everything. Can we go there, please? Can we? Can we?¡±


    I hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°Okay. Fine then. I promised you a treat after all.¡±


    She squealed excitedly.


    ¡°Yay!¡± she cried, waving her arms up and down.


    My niece¡¯s excitement was infectious. I found myself grinning. I too couldn¡¯t wait to see this ce that had got Louise so pumped up. I turned right and Louise began giving me directions to the ce.


    After we had been driving for about fifteen minutes, I turned to Louise half teasingly and said, ¡°You know, your mom will have my head if I manage to get us lost, but then I¡¯ll tell her it was your fault.¡±


    I didn¡¯t tell her I had already keyed in the name of the store in my car¡¯s GPS. Louise looked away from the window to grin at me.


    ¡°I know the ce so we won¡¯t get lost,¡± she chirped. ¡°Mummy says I¡¯m a big five year old.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true five year old,¡± I said with a grin.


    Five minutester, another of Louise¡¯s squeals told me we had arrived at the ce.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I sighed as I pulled into the parking lot and circled to find parking space.


    ¡°See? I knew you would like it too,¡± said Louise triumphantly.


    The big store was built and designed like it was really made of candy. I could almost fancy that the dark brown roof was made was made of actual creamy chocte. It was a little hard finding parking space because there were cars everywhere. I looked around while Louise skipped beside me, pulling me by the hand. When I got into the store, I could clearly understand Louise¡¯s fascination with the ce. Cookies, candy, cakes and other yummy looking snacks were lined several wall to wall disy cases. Kids were not even the only ones drooling over these treats. I spied another room, just off the showroom where kids were running around, ying with bouncing castles and the like while being watched over by indulgent parents. Louise looked at the kids for a moment, but was distracted by a case of ice cream in different vours. There was another section of the store which catered to the adult clientele. Louise squeezed my hand, asking me a silent question.


    ¡°Knock yourself out, kiddo,¡± I said. ¡°Choose whatever you want, but just don¡¯t wander off, okay?¡±


    Louise¡¯s head bobbed up and down. She ran towards a group of children who were milling around the ce, trying to decide on what exactly to buy since there was so much to choose from. With the shop¡¯s strategic  location in the heart of the city and it¡¯s excellent decor, the ce would be making a killing. It would be an ideal ce to invest in if the owner needed a partner. If I only knew who the owner was¡­


    ¡°¡­ Yes. As soon as I came to the grand opening, I knew that this ce was going to be a sess,¡± a squat, bald man to my left said to his friend, or was it his brother?


    Both men looked very alike. I walked closer to them and tapped the speaker on the shoulder. I noticed that he had two stic bagsden with slices of cake.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said. I nodded politely to the other man.  ¡°I couldn¡¯t help overhearing your conversation. Do you happen to know who owns this ce?¡±


    The squat man grinned knowingly and nudged his friend. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? This ce grows on you. You like it here already, don¡¯t you, Mister?¡± I admitted I did. ¡°The owner is a Mrs Donovan. I was just telling my friend here that I knew this store was going to be a smashing sess the moment I came to the grand opening.


    I gulped, struggled not to show my shock. I was being silly. There had to be more than a hundred women in this city whosest names were ¡®Donovan¡¯. The man¡¯s beady eyes stared at something over my shoulder. With a jerk of his chin, he invited me to look.


    ¡°There she is now, talking to the little girl,¡± he said.


    Sure enough, the woman was Amelia, a smiling Amelia dressed in a colourful t-shirt emzoned with the name of the store, and what was worse was that she was talking to Louise. As though she had heard me think her name, Louise turned. Our eyes met and she beckoned me imperiously foward. There was nothing for it but to approach them.


    ¡°Uncle Noah, the nicedy said I should try the chocte chip cookies,¡± said Louise. ¡°Oh and the vani ice-cream too.¡±


    ¡°Did she now?¡± I smiled at Louise, deliberately postponing the moment when I would have to look Amelia full in the face.


    With a sigh, I finally straightened and gave Amelia a forced smile.


    ¡°Hello Amelia,¡± I murmured.


    Amelia¡¯s answering smile was warm. She was all politeness as she attended to us. Watching her, I was once again struck by the foolishness of my decision to divorce her. Sometimes, I wished I could kick myself for throwing her over for Lucy.


    Even Louise waspletely charmed by her when Amelia handed her an ice-cream cone and said with a wink, ¡°I added an extra scoop for you just for being a pretty little girl.¡±


    With a happily chattering Louise who was smearing ice-cream all over her face, I drove to my sister¡¯s ce in low spirits, cussing myself for being such a fool as to let Amelia go.


    ************************************


    AMELIA


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said into the phone again.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Someone had just called me, but all I could hear from the other end was deep, heavy breathing.


    ¡°Amelia? Can you hear me, dear?¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise as I sank into a chair.


    ¡°Mum? Is that you?¡± I asked.


    It was a pretty irrelevant question. Her voice was loud, high pitched as though she couldn¡¯t decide if I could hear her, but I would know that voice anywhere. I had not spoken to her in how long? Her next words drove the calctions of whenst we had spoken right out of my mind.


    ¡°I just heard you¡¯re remarried,¡± she said stiffly.


    ¡°Er- mum. I er-¡±


    I shut my mouth with a snap because really what could I possibly say to make the situation better? Lie? Say I forgot to tell her?


    It was surprising that my mother hadn¡¯t heard about my marriage to Damian before now. On a second thought, it was actually not that surprising. My mother had lived almost all her life in a small one-horse town. Electricity was the only modern improvement she had in her house, and then there was the old gramophone she used to y records when she felt like listening to some music. She had no television, no phone, not even a radio.  ¡®Useless modern contraptions¡¯ she would call them whenever I tried to talk her into fitting in with the times.


    ¡°How could you keep something that important away from me, your mother?¡± she said. ¡°Do you have any idea how foolish I felt about Mrs McCarthy knowing about my own daughter¡¯s marriage before I did? Mrs McCarthy, my new neighbor, told Ellen when she saw it in the newspapers and then they came over to the house and told me. I had to look at the pictures in the papers carefully to confirm that I was really you. I was so surprised that you could have knocked me over with a feather. Why did you keep it from me?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry, mum,¡± I finishedmely.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a good enough exnation, do you? Anyway I¡¯ming to see you and that husband of yours¡­ Damian, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said mechanically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be over soon,¡± she said and the line went dead. I put my phone down and swore under my breath.

 Chapter 054

    AMELIA


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said glumly.


    ¡°Sounds serious?¡± said Damian, arching his brow.


    I gestured impatiently for him to seat and sank into a chair myself. I hade home straight from the bakery. There had been no point in me staying there. I wasn¡¯t able to concentrate anyway.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±he prompted.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mother. She called.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Even in this situation, I couldn¡¯t help but see the humour. Damian and I had never really talked about our respective families. He had told me just what was necessary to know about his family in case someone, maybe a reporter, started asking me questions about him that I was supposed know. The subject of my mother had nevere up. All Damian knew about her was that she was alive.


    ¡°And you¡¯re amused because¡­¡±


    I arranged my face into an expression of seriousness. I had not even realised I had been smiling a little.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve just been thinking about how we are going to handle this.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have forgotten that you haven¡¯t told me what the problem is yet,¡± Damian said slowly. ¡°All I know is that it has something to do with your mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± I pped a hand to my head. ¡°Sorry. I have been so distracted. My mind has been going a mile a minute. What happened is this. My mother called today. She found out that I had gotten married to you. I kept that away from her for obvious reasons-¡±


    ¡°Er- but why has it taken so long for her to find that out?¡± Damain asked. I went on to exin about how my mother was very behind the times. He nodded. ¡°Well, that exins a lot, but I fail to see what the problem is unless she¡¯s really mad at you for not telling here earlier about our marriage.¡±


    ¡°The problem is that she¡¯sing over to see us.¡±


    ¡°But she can¡¯t!¡± he eximed, suddenly sitting up.


    ¡°That was exactly what I said¡­ Or what I would have said if she hadn¡¯t hung up almost immediately.¡±


    ¡°Shit! This is almost like having Petra here all over again. No offense to your mother,¡± he added quickly.


    ¡°None taken.¡± I meant it.


    My mother was nowhere near as bad as Petra, but having her around would put Damian and I under the spotlight again.


    ¡°But how long is she going to stay? Do you know? Maybe she¡¯s going to stay for only a few hours¡­ maybe¡­¡±


    I shook my head regretfully. There was hope in Damian¡¯s voice but I had no such hopes.


    ¡°The town my mum lives in is really, really far away from here,¡± I exined. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to make the journey here and back to her home on the same day. And even if she¡¯s onlying to visit for a day, which I doubt very much, she won¡¯t want to stay at a hotel. I¡¯ll probably be forgiven for keeping the news of our marriage from her, but suggesting she puts up at a hotel instead of this house¡­¡±


    I shook my head again. That would be a offense too many.


    Damian ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it. ¡°Damn! This is sure going to beplicated. We just have to keep acting like we are in love until she leaves and then we should be fine. ¡±


    ¡°Acting? No, Damian. I- I can¡¯t. This is my mother we are talking about here. I may be able to keep things from everyone else, but I don¡¯t ever keep things from her. I¡¯m sorry, but I will have to tell her that what we have going on here is a contract marriage.¡±


    ¡°Think about this, Amelia,¡± he said after a pause.


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t think you have. Now just listen and picture this. Your mother, who had no idea until today that you were married,es here and then you tell her that you married me for certain reasons and that you, her daughter, will be divorced in less than a year. Think about it for a moment. How do you think she will take it? How sure are you that she won¡¯t overreact? I mean¡­ you almost overreacted when I approached you with the proposal.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I opened my mouth to tell him I would tell my mother anyway, but I bit my lip instead. Damian was right. What if she didn¡¯t take it well? What if she overreacted and maybe told her friends? Her friends would tell others. Our secret would get out and then where would we be?


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how to handle this,¡± I said nervously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either, but we will just have to try. Did you get a particr time for her arrival?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°She hung up before I could ask her anything else.¡± He nced at the wall clock. ¡°I guess it¡¯s prettyte to expect her to show up today. By tomorrow we should get on with setting the stage before she arrives.¡±


    I did not sleep well that night. My mother featured in all my dreams. In one of them that felt so real, she found a copy of our contract in one of Damian¡¯s drawers. She marched up to my room to confront me, found my door locked and then she was banging on the door, hammering on it, asking to be let in so I could exin why on earth I agreed to a contract marriage.


    As I struggled towards wakefulness, I actually thought the pounding on my bedroom door was real, but then the sound resolved into the shrill beeping of my rm clock. I opened my eyes, relieved that it was just a dream and that my secret was still safe. While turning off the rm, I rolled out of bed. Sleep was impossible for me now. I had to ¡®set the stage¡¯ as Damain had put it. After a quick shower, I headed to the living room. Damain turned at the sound of my footsteps and beckoned me over.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re here,¡± he said. ¡°I was deciding toe wake you up. Which of these do you feel can hang here?¡±


    He pointed to a spot on the wall which he had marked with a tiny x. On the floor in front of him was a big cardboard box filled with portraits of us at our wedding and during some events we had attended together. I recognized most of the pictures. In the early days of our marriage, the portraits had been made, but had been gathering dust somewhere. I took a portrait Damian had set aside. It showed me, in my wedding gown, looking up to Dimitri, andughing.


    ¡°This will do,¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought so too. There, let me-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it up,¡± I said. ¡°Just keep sorting pictures. We have to spread the pictures out in the corridors too.¡±


    He grunted and set to work. About half an hourter, I squeaked and nearly dropped a heavy portrait on my foot.


    ¡°What?¡± Damian asked tersely as he looked around for what had disturbed me. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I just remembered¡­ I haven¡¯t even moved my things into your room yet. Imagine after putting all these up, and she found out that we have been sleeping in separate rooms. It will undo all this work.¡±


    ¡°Well, get going then,¡± Damian said through a mouthful of nails.


    I lugged my suitcases to Damian¡¯s room, arranged my clothes in the wardrobe, got a couple of portraits and put them up there. By the time I returned to the living room, Damian was done. We went around the house, inspecting our handiwork. I was satisfied. It looked like a happy couple lived here.


    ¡°We will probably have to go on dates sometimes, or I¡¯ll have to make efforts to be home more often so she can see that we¡¯re spending time together,¡± Damian said gloomily as we returned to the sitting room.


    ¡°What? No. I¡¯m very busy, Damian. I have lots of work to do at the bakery-¡±


    ¡°You have employees, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Look, I just can¡¯t spare the time for all that. She will have ample time to see that we¡¯re happy whenever we manage to make it home.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I am trying toe up with something here and you are just shooting down my suggestions. Do you want this to work or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I-¡±


    We looked at each other as the doorbell rang. This was it. It had to be her. I looked around quickly.


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± I whispered to Damian ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Her name is Dorothy.¡± Damian nodded, fiddled with the cor of his t-shirt which I imagined he thought was a tie. ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±


    When I opened the door, sure enough, my mother was standing there with arge suitcase at her feet.


    ¡°Hi mum,¡± I said, forcing a smile and bracing myself to implement the first stage in our deception.

 Chapter 055

    AMELIA


    My mother and I regarded each other for a moment. Then I leaned forward for a hug. She let me hold her. When I pulled away, she was smiling a little, and I knew I was on my way to being forgiven, though I wasn¡¯t there yet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that you don¡¯t look good,¡± she said grudgingly.


    ¡°Wee, mom and-¡±


    I felt a strong arm curve briefly around my waist.


    ¡°You must be Mrs Dorothy. I have heard so much about you from Amelia,¡± Damian lied smoothly.


    Damian took her hand, kissed it as my mother gave me a reproachful look.


    ¡°You have? Well, my daughter has not told me anything at all about you.¡±


    Damain turned the full force of his smile on her. She blinked. It was eerie how he was so good at this.


    ¡°There will be time to get to know me, I¡¯m sure. Please,e in. No don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll carry your luggage.¡±


    He allowed us precede him into the house while he carried her suitcase. He took it into the room we had prepared for her while I showed her into the living room and got her something to drink. Then Damian returned and we sat with my mother, and filled her in about the details of our wedding.


    The task of acting like a happily married couple only got more gruelling the next day. Damian and I had fixed schedules, certain modes of behaviour that we were already used to. It took effort for us to keep the illusion of being a happily married couple going. It was doubly hard on me because I felt so guilty about keeping the secret from my mother. The very next day, after I came back from work, my mother came to my room. One look at her face and I knew she had a lot to say to me. What I wasn¡¯t sure of was if I wanted to hear it.


    ¡°Hi, mum,¡± I said. ¡°Did you want something?¡±


    ¡°Sit down. I want to talk to you. I have been wanting to talk to you since I came but it¡¯s been so hard to get you alone.¡±


    I kept my expression deadpan. In truth, I had been sort of avoiding her.


    I perched on the edge of my bed. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°You and Damian,¡± she said promptly. ¡°You have been married for months now. Are you two trying for a baby?¡±


    ¡°A baby?¡± I echoed and tried to think of what else to say.


    ¡°Yes, Amelia. A baby. Married people need to have one or two. Which one do you want to have first? A boy or a girl? I think it will be better if you had a boy first.¡±


    ¡°Er-¡±


    ¡°I read a book once. I can¡¯t remember the name, but I think I could find it if I asked Ellen. I think I borrowed it from her. Anyway, the book was about choosing the gender of your baby. With all the gadgets you young people have, I¡¯m sure you know how to do all that. So are you and Damian using the right sexual positions to get a boy?¡±


    I gaped at her. ¡°E, mum. I am so not discussing my sex life with you.¡±


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s obviously something we should discuss since you aren¡¯t pregnant yet. Or are you pregnant already.¡±


    ¡°No, mum. Can we please not talk about this? It¡¯s awkward.¡±


    Thankfully, my phone rang at that moment and I was able to escape having that conversation. Though knowing her, she would definitely find a way to bring it up again. Anton came to visit the very next day. My mother was watching a movie when he arrived. I got the door and returned with him. He was chatting about a party he had been tost night.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve been keeping Damian all to yourself since you got married,¡± he joked. ¡°There were really lots of pretty girls I could have introduced him to if-¡± Anton broke off as soon as he saw my mother. Toote, I realized that I ought to have stopped him from going on and on about the party when my mother was within earshot. Now, my mother was looking very disapproving. She gave him a once over. Her gaze lingered on his artfully ripped jeans, jeans which had severalrge pieces of material missing. Most of his thigh was visible. I groaned inwardly. Why did Anton have to pick today to wear the most fashion-forward jeans he owed. One could tell that my mother¡¯s puritan sensibilities were offended. Anton flushed but recovered himself rather quickly. ¡°Oh. You must be Amelia¡¯s mother. She has told me- us so many wonderful things about you.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Which was a lie. Damian had merely told him that my mother was around and that was all. Anton¡¯s winning smile bounced off my mother.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± she said stiffly and proceeded to stare at the television with fixed concentration.


    ¡°Way to go, Anton,¡± Damian mouthed at his friend.


    He grinned when Anton proceeded to glower at him. Damain looked a lot happier than I had seen himtely, probably because Anton was at the recieving end of my mother¡¯s periodic stares. She obviously disapproved of Anton, but still seemed to find him curious. Damian had mostly been under my mother¡¯s radar, and he had confessed to me that she made him ufortable for some reason he couldn¡¯t ce, even though she was always very friendly towards him. I put it down to his guilt at pretending, and most times lying to her about romantic moments we had never shared.


    Damian did most of the talking that evening, while Anton seemed to be brooding over something. Suddenly, he visibly brightened and turned to my mother.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he said after regarding her for some seconds. ¡°Your sweater¡­ is it handknitted?¡±


    She reluctantly dragged her eyes away from the Old Western on the big screen to say, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I could tell.¡±


    Interest flickered in her eyes. ¡°You can?¡±


    Anton nodded, put out his hand, gestured to the cuff of her sweater. ¡°May I?¡± She nodded. He ran his fingers repeatedly over the material. ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I made it myself,¡± my mother said with a hint of pride.


    Anton¡¯s blue eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t say! The stitching is exquisite. I once made something like this myself. Hand stitched sweaters like this are the best.¡±


    ¡°You make clothes?¡±


    Anton¡¯s smile resurfaced. ¡°Oh yes, I do.¡±


    Damian and I watched, bemused as they began to talk about clothes. They moved on to talking about the town my mother lived in. She regaled him with stories of what old Mr McCarthy had done, the mischief the grocer¡¯s daughter had gotten up to, details of the fundraising event she was nning. Anton in turn talked to her of his trips around the world. At the end of an hour, he hadpletely charmed my mother. No one could argue that fact after she had insisted Anton call her Dorothy.


    Anton became a regr visitor at the house, particrly after my mother had taken to regrly asking when ¡®that nice young man wasing to visit again.¡¯


    Anton came visiting one Sunday morning when Damian and I were having ate breakfast.


    ¡°You have a knack of always showing up whenever there¡¯s food,¡± Damian teased.


    Antonughed and promptly began to heap his te with food. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯ll keep showing up as long as Amelia is notining.¡±


    We were halfway through the meal when my mother came into the dining room. She was fully dressed in a smart skirt suit with a fashionable hat perched on top of her head.


    ¡°What are you all doing?¡± she asked, giving us all a puzzled look.


    ¡°Eating, mum,¡± I said. ¡°Do you want to join us?¡±


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± Damian asked.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m going somewhere. The same ce you all should be heading to. It¡¯s a Sunday morning, isn¡¯t it. Church!¡± she said impatiently when we all continued to look nk.


    I nodded my head slowly. ¡°Oh! Church.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°You lot sound like you¡¯ve never set foot in church before.¡± She fixed her gaze on Anton, who coughed self-consciously. ¡°Are any of you going to work today?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Damian said quickly, too quickly.


    ¡°Alright then. Up you all get. You¡¯reing with me to church.¡±


    We protested but Damian¡¯s earlier confirmation that we didn¡¯t have to go to work made her keep insisting. In the end, we surrendered, got dressed and followed her there. Damian and I had a goodugh in the pew behind my mother¡¯s at Anton who looked like a fish out of water.


    Having my mother around had it¡¯s advantages too. One evening, when I came back from work, she offered to do Damian¡¯sundry which I had spoken of sorting out the previous day. I was thinking how nice it was to have her help me with chores, but that was until she marched into the living room minutester and held something out to me.


    ¡°Amelia, exin why on earth your husband has a stash of condoms in his stocking drawer,¡± she said.


    The blood drained out of my face and my mind gopletely nk as I stared at the packets of condoms in her hand.

 Chapter 056

    AMELIA


    ¡°I am asking you a question, Amelia,¡± said my mother impatiently. ¡°Exin these.¡±


    She tossed a handful of the condoms on the sofa. I licked my lips nervously. I still couldn¡¯t think of what to say. Why had I even allowed her to do Damian¡¯sundry in the first ce? I should have known that if there was something dodgy to be found  in his room, my mother would be the one to find it.


    I took a deep breath and tried again to speak. ¡°Mom, I-¡±


    What could I say? That Damian probably still used the condoms to sleep with other women? That some of the condoms were given to him as a sample by someone? I probably would have gone with theter exnation, wild though it seemed, if not for the fact that Damian probably had a lifetime¡¯s supply of condoms in his drawer.


    ¡°I know exactly what¡¯s going on here?¡± said my mother with a very disapproving look.


    My heart plummeted to somewhere in the region of my stomach. I felt beads of sweat pop out on my upper lip despite the fact that the air conditioner unit was going full st. Had my mother somehow found out about the nature of our marriage?


    ¡°You- you do?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she snapped. ¡°I suspected it the moment I asked you about you trying to determine the sex of your baby. You were  so ufortable.¡±


    ¡°I was?¡± I said again without thinking.


    Was it possible for the heart to sink any lower than the region of the stomach? It felt like mine was doing just that.


    ¡°Yes. Damian has all these condoms because you both, for some reason that is beyond me, have decided not to have kids yet.¡± I felt my eyes widen in surprise and relief, while my mother¡¯s narrowed suspiciously. ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. No. You¡¯re not. Not at all, mum.¡±


    Easy, I told myself. She thankfully hasn¡¯t figured out the truth yet, but don¡¯t mess it up. Act convincing.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ right,¡± I said. ¡°Damain and I talked about it just after we got married. We figured that we still have a lot of time ahead of us so we figured having kids could wait, so we have been using condoms. We decided we could start trying for kids maybe in another year or two.¡±


    ¡°Or ten,¡± she said tersely. ¡°I found enough in there to stock a small pharmacy, Amelia. And to think you didn¡¯t tell me the truth when I first spoke to you about having babies¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew you would not approve.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t approve! First, you keep news of your marriage away from me, and then you keep this away from me as well. I¡¯m disappointed at this decision of yours, Amelia.¡±


    I hung my head in the appropriate show of remorse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mum,¡± I murmured.


    Judging by the mollified look on her face when next I peeked up at her, my show of remorse was convincing.


    At least her tone was a lot more mellow when she said, ¡°You and your husband have to rethink this decision of yours. There is nothing wrong in having your kids now. Besides, I¡¯m not getting any younger, you know? It wouldn¡¯t be bad if I could boast to my friends back home that I have a grandchild on the way.¡±


    ¡°I know, mum. I will talk to Damian,¡± I promised.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The only thing I was actually going to talk to him about would be to find a better hiding ce for his damned condoms.


    ¡°Talk to him,¡± she reiterated right before she marched out with her back stiff with disapproval. When she was out of sight, I flopped onto the sofa, boneless with relief.


    *******************


    DAMIAN


    The door closed behind my secretary as she left my office, but the good news she had brought from the engineers on site still lingered in the room with me. Today, we hadpleted the first phase of the railway project. I felt a smile creep up my face at the thoughts of the many challenges mypany had surmounted during the execution of this project. The recent one had been putting a stop to Noah¡¯s attempts at sabotage.


    I was in a celebratory mood, and I could think of one person who would be overjoyed to know that the bullet train railway project was going so well. I called her up on the phone. Amelia reacted as I knew she would. She was full of congrattions when I told her of what had happened.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± I said when I could get a word in. ¡°I¡¯m taking you and your mother out for dinner to celebrate. I¡¯ll pick you both up in an hour¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Goody! She¡¯ll love that.¡±


    In under an hour, I picked up Amelia and Dorothy, took them to a restaurant I had already made reservations in.


    ¡°Nice ce,¡± said Dorothy as she seated herself and looked around. ¡°You people certainly do yourselves well here.¡±


    ¡°Makes you think of moving to the city, huh?¡± Amelia teased.


    Dorothy smirked. ¡°Not a chance. I will never get used to the hustle and bustle you all need to put up with here. I love the peace and quiet of the town. Besides, I¡¯m too old to change now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not that old, Dorothy,¡± I murmured.


    That earned me a warm smile. In a way, Amelia¡¯s mother was actually not too hard to please.  It was just that I constantly felt like a bug under a microscope whenever I was in her presence. Those shrewd, grey eyes of hers certainly didn¡¯t miss anything.


    When the first course of our meal was taken away, she turned to me and said, ¡°Tell me about this project Amelia says we are celebrating.¡±


    I caught Amelia¡¯s eye. Dorothy couldn¡¯t have asked a better question. This was the perfect opportunity to talk about how Amelia¡¯s influence with the mayor hadnded me the contract. While telling the tale, I put in anecdotes about how the mayor and his wife had been wowed by the love story between Amelia and I.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happens in good marriages,¡± said Dorothy when I had finished. ¡°Both parties are better together.¡±


    ¡°Champagne?¡± said a waiter who had appeared at our side.


    I nodded, signalled for him to pour. He filled our sses and left. Amelia was reaching for her ss when her phone rang. Her response was automatic. She reached for her handbag and almost knocked her ss over. I caught it in time.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she murmured. ¡°That was pretty careless of me.¡±


    She took the ss from me too quickly. Some drops of wine spilled on her dress, on the area just above her breasts. Instinctively, I snatched up a serviette and began to mop up the liquid before I realized that my fingers were actually brushing against her breasts. I jerked my hand back to stop the contact, identally spilling some more wine in the process. Ever since I had put a stop to our getting intimate thest time, I had been wary of touching Amelia intimately.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmured and quickly thrust the serviette into her hands so she could do dab at her dress herself.


    Amelia bit her lip and gave an infinitesimal shake of her head. Toote, I remembered that we had an audience- Amelia¡¯s mother. Shit! I had messed up. What husband apologized for identally touching his wife¡¯s breasts?


    Hoping to cover up the awkward moment, I forced a smile on my face, turned to Dorothy, who unfortunately had been keenly watching our exchange and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯re enjoying the food.¡±


    She nodded. Her lips were pursed, her eyes watchful as she kept shooting curious and suspicious nces from me to her daughter throughout dinner.


    To my intense surprise, Dorothy showed up at my office the very next day. I barely had time to recover from my surprise after my secretary informing me of her presence before she walked right in.


    ¡°Well, Dorothy,¡± I said, standing up to greet her.  ¡°This is a rather pleasant surprise.¡±


    She beamed and dropped into a seat. ¡°I thought it was time I paid you a visit. You have a really nice ce here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I returned her smile, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling that there was a very strong motive for her seeking me out at work.


    Amelia¡¯s mother didn¡¯t strike me as a woman who would just do something on a whim.


    Sure enough, she began to rummage in her handbag as she said, ¡°Hang on. I brought something for you.¡±


    She ced a bottle full of some frothy, reddish liquid in front of me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    I hefted the bottle, sniffed at it while wondering what on earth it was for.


    ¡°I bet you don¡¯t know what that is,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a herbal drink I got for you. Two teaspoonfuls of that before bed everyday will increase your chances of getting Amelia pregnant.¡±

 Chapter 057

    AMELIA


    ¡°Mom?¡± I looked from her to Damian who had a half amused, half exasperated expression on. They hade driven home together.  ¡°Did you run into each other on your way home?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± My mother came to sit beside me. ¡°I went to see Damian in his office. It¡¯s a really nice ce by the way. Did I mention that?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± said Damian.


    ¡°And¡­ why exactly did you go there, mum?¡± I said.


    My mother was not one to make visits without a purpose. Had she gone to confront him about the condoms? That was definitely something she could and would do.


    She frowned at me. ¡°To hear you talk, one would think I was trespassing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I countered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong in going to see my son-inw?¡±


    ¡°Mum-¡±


    She threw her hands up. ¡°Okay fine. I also stopped by to give him something I felt you two needed.¡±


    When I looked nk, Damian exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s a herbal drink. She says drinking it should increase my chances of getting you pregnant.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I groaned, passed my hands across my face as I felt my cheeks heat up in mortification. Why did my always manage to find every possible way to embarrass me?


    ¡°That really wasn¡¯t necessary, mum,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t need¡­ help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your husband is very virile, dear but I¡¯m sure a little help won¡¯t hurt, will it?¡±


    Damian was struggling to keep a straight face.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t,¡± he said quietly.


    She sniffed. ¡°What you should be saying is thank you, Amelia. Anyway, I¡¯m d one of you has the right attitude about it.  Damian thanked me. I¡¯m just looking out for you two, you know.¡±


    Damian mouthed ¡®What could I do?¡¯ when I caught his eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m off to bed,¡± mother dered, pushing to her feet. ¡°Remember, Damian. Two teaspoonfuls before bed everyday  should do the trick. And Amelia? Don¡¯t forget that you both should use those positions I told you about if you want a boy.¡±


    ¡°Positions? What positions?¡± Damian said when she had left.


    Judging by the way his lips twitched in amusement, I had a strong feeling he knew exactly what she had been talking about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask,¡± I groaned and hurried off to the bedroom, so he could not see my cheeks me at the thought of getting intimate with him.


    Anton was at the house early the next morning which happened to be a weekend. I had decided to stay home with my mum mostly because Damian was not home. Since he wasn¡¯t around, I wouldn¡¯t really have to make the effort to put up a show for my mum. Damian and I had been putting in a lot of effort tely after the serious slip he had made at the restaurant.


    My mother brightened the moment she heard Anton¡¯s voice from the hallway. He came into the living room, brandishing a rectangr gift wrapped bundle. I pointed to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you, Dorothy.¡±


    A smile spread across my mum¡¯s face. ¡°For me? But it isn¡¯t my birthday yet.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. But I figured this is something that can¡¯t wait until your birthday. It¡¯s something you really need.¡±


    I went to sit on the other sofa to give them space. They were best buddies now and they would want to sit together. My mother took the parcel from Anton, held it to her ear, shook it, nced at Anton who could hardly sit still for excitement. I leaned forward to look as her deft fingers undid the wrap.


    ¡°A phone?¡± She stared at the phone pack nkly.


    ¡°An iPhone,¡± Anton corrected. ¡°It¡¯s thetest model.¡±


    I fell back against the sofa, rolled my eyes. What was Anton thinking, getting her a phone? I had told them all about her dislike for phones and gadgets just over a week ago.


    ¡°What¡¯s an i- You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She slid the phone across to him. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Amelia told you that I don¡¯t use phones and gadgets?¡±


    ¡°She has, but-¡±


    Anton looked to me for help. I shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I told you.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, it¡¯s not just your regr kind of phone.¡± He removed the phone from it¡¯s pack and held it out to her. ¡°Look, it has¡­¡±


    My mum listened to him with the air of someone trying to get an irksome conversation over with. I hid a grin. Anton sounded like a car salesman trying to talk an unwilling customer into buying thetest model of a car. I could have told him to save his breath, but I didn¡¯t have enough energy to bother. I stopped listening to Anton after a while. Once more engrossed myself in the talkshow we had been watching on the television.


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± my mother finally said when he was done with his spiel. ¡°I¡¯m sure the phone has all the features you say it has, but I¡¯ve gotten by without having a phone all these years and I certainly don¡¯t need one now.¡±


    ¡°I told you so,¡± I mouthed at Anton who gave me a dirty look in return.


    To my surprise, he put the phone back in it¡¯s pack with a mournful air.


    ¡°I understand, Dorothy,¡± he said in low, sad voice. ¡°I was just so excited when I bought it. I was looking forward to show you all the cool stuff the phone could do. There¡¯s no problem though. I should be able to get some of my money back, though I don¡¯t think they will give me aplete refund since I¡¯ve already handled the product¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± my mother said.


    My mouth hung open.


    Anton demurred. ¡°Oh. But you really don¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°But I want to. You can¡¯t go through all that trouble getting me a phone for nothing. You say you can download a lot of country songs with it, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Anton tipped me a wink.


    In a second, he had handed the phone over to her. Her fingers hovered over the screen.


    ¡°Where do I tap? Oh. I know. This pink box with the sign of a music note, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s that one. You¡¯re a natural at this, Dorothy.¡±


    For the next half hour, my television show was forgotten as I watched Anton teach her how to operate the phone. After going through the basics, he started talking about dating apps. He actually talked her into creating a profile. If I wasn¡¯t there, I wouldn¡¯t have have believed that my mother would give a second¡¯s thought to anything that had to do with dating. Since my father died, she had never let herself be with another man. Anton bullied me into taking several pictures of her while he ¡®arranged the background¡¯. He even managed to get her to change her outfit twice.


    ¡°You have a hit,¡± he crowed minutes after posting her picture.


    My mother frowned. ¡°What¡¯s a hit?¡±


    Anton chuckled. ¡°Someone on the dating site liked your profile and sent you a friend request.¡±


    We gathered around to see his pictures. He was a good looking elderly man, looked well to do.


    ¡°He was certainly a looker when he was younger,¡± Anton said. ¡°He¡¯s still got the looks even now.¡±


    He nudged my arm, and jerked his head in my mother¡¯s direction while she stared at the picture.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, mum.¡± I rubbed my arm. ¡°He is good looking. He could be nice too. You could give him a try.¡±


    ¡°So what do you say? If you want to chat with him, just tap on that green circle and you both can get to know each other.¡±


    She thought for a moment, then shook her head decisively. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I want to-¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±


    I gave Anton a look that clearly said don¡¯t push it.


    ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve been able to get her to ept a phone,¡± Anton saidter that afternoon as I walked him to the door when he was leaving. ¡°At least, I aplished something today.¡±


    Frankly, I thought he had aplished a miracle.


    ********************


    DAMIAN


    A text message from Lora. I slowly picked up the phone as tried to recall whenst I had contact with her. Then I remembered. It was the evening I had gone to warn her off Amelia after she had foolishly tried to set Amelia¡¯s bakery on fire.


    I hesitated for a bit before tapping on the message icon because I had a strong feeling that I would not like whatever Lora had to say. The letters in bold, ck caps seemed to leap out at me from the screen.


    I¡¯VE GOT INFORMATION THAT WILL RUIN YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING YOUR UNCLE¡¯S COMPANY.  WANT TO KNOW MORE?


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I shoved my fingers through my hair and read the message again. I thought I had plugged up all the possible loopholes that could pose a threat to me acquiring thepany. What was this now? Did Lora actually have the information she said she had? Or was she just bluffing?

 Chapter 058

    DOROTHY


    Who was it? I thought as I saw the figure flit out into the grounds. I leaned out the window to get a better look. The figure was suddenly illuminated by the heamps of the car which had suddenlye on. Before the lights winked out, I saw Damian clearly. Something about his bowed head, his quick movement made me feel like he wanted to leave the house unnoticed.


    It was almost midnight! Where could be going off to? I stood there in front of bedroom window, undecided. The need to know what he was up to decided me. I hurried downstairs, grabbed a car key from the little tray on the dining table. Damian¡¯s car was almost at the gates  by the time I got outside. I pressed the button on the keys until one of the cars beeped. I got into that one and going after him. Luck was on my side. There was still some traffic on the roads. It wasn¡¯t as deserted as I thought it would by by this hour.


    I was able to stay behind a ck sedan all the way to the turning to a nearby building. I stopped and stared at the shing neon lights of the building Damian had driven into. I read the sign again and again. It didn¡¯t change. What was Amelia¡¯s husband doing at a motel at midnight? I got out of the car to follow Damain¡¯s slowly moving vehicle on foot, taking care to keep in the shadows. He turned back once to scan the ce behind him. I ducked out of sight. He walked slowly around the low building in front of him. He seemed to be looking up the  numbers. At the same time he came to a stop at the door with a big, golden ¡¯12¡¯ on it, a dark haired woman dressed in some sort of flimsy gown opened the door. Damian went inside with her.


    Someone bumped my shoulder.


    ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am,¡± said a young man from beside me who was was giving off a powerful stench of whiskey.


    I said nothing. He kept walking, turned back once to look at me curiously. How long had I standing there?  But there was no point in staying here anymore. That good-for-nothing man was cheating on my daughter and she had to know.


    ***************


    DAMIAN


    Lora¡¯s painted lips curved into a smile as soon as she threw open the door of number 12 and saw me standing there.


    ¡°I knew you woulde,¡± she purred.


    ¡°Move,¡± I ground out.


    She kept her smile fixed, but she did move out of my way, allowing me entrance into the motel room.


    ¡°I was considerate, wasn¡¯t I?¡± I stared, having no idea of what she was talking about. She began to move around to pour drinks from the decanter on the table. ¡± I chose this ce because it¡¯s really close to your house so you can nip back home in case your wife finds out you¡¯re gone.¡±


    A peal of derisiveughter followed this statement.


    ¡°Cut to the chase, Lora.¡± I waved aside her offer of a drink. ¡°Tell me what you meant by that text you sent.¡±


    ¡°Damian. Damian. Always so impatient.¡± Shenguidly lowered herself into a chair, crossed her legs. The movement caused her gown to slide up further up her thighs. She regarded me over the rim of her ss, guaging my reaction. Once, the sight of her bare skin would have made me pant with desire. Now it just made me really angry. I perched on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Lora. This had better not be about you trying to worm your way back into my bed, because if it is-¡±


    She let out a tinklingugh. ¡°Oh no. Your wife threw me out of your house, remember? You stood by and let that happen. You should know that I don¡¯t forgive and forget that easily.¡±


    ¡°And you should know that I also don¡¯t. You had better have a damned good reason for dragging me out here at this time of the night, or else-¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Threats. Threats and more threats. You are not in a position to make threats any more, Damian. I am.¡± She leaned forward so I could see her scarcely concealed cleavage, but it was her face, twisted with spite and malice, that I was fixated on. ¡± Like I said,  I have just the thing that will ruin your chances of getting your hands on your uncle¡¯spany. Your marriage to Amelia¡­ I have concrete proof that it¡¯s fake.¡±


    My heart sank, but I made sure that my face gave nothing away.  Once again, my marriage to Amelia was being held over my head. Would I never be free of all these nosey parkers out to ruin me? With some effort, I forced myself to concentrate on the issue at hand. Lora spoke of having proof. It was possible, but then what if she was lying?


    ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing,¡± I said, having decided to call her bluff.


    I leaned back, rested my hands on my thighs and looked more rxed than I felt.


    ¡°Aha!¡± She pointed a finger at me. ¡°You don¡¯t deny it, do you? You just admitted that your marriage to Amelia is fake, but that I don¡¯t have anything to prove that it is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. I admitted no such thing. I love Amelia and that¡¯s why I married her. End of story.¡±


    ¡°The wedding was so sudden. There was no way you could have loved her-¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware the process of falling in love had a time frame. But maybe you¡¯re an expert in such things. Oh. I take that back. You can¡¯t be an expert when you haven¡¯t even been able to hold on to a decent rtionship.¡±


    Lora flushed angrily.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about me, not you. I haven¡¯t forgotten a thing that happened at your house. Do you think I believed your stupid exnation about why you and Amelia had been sleeping in different rooms? Your marriage is a sham. Admit it!¡±


    I quirked a brow. Something about this scenario wasn¡¯t right, but for a second or two I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on it. Then it starteding to me in bits as I reyed the conversation of thest few minutes in my head.


    Admit it! she had said.


    I took a turn around the room, keeping an eye out for anything that was out of ce.


    ¡°Lora, why haven¡¯t we been talking about this proof you said you have?¡± I said slowly. ¡°Instead, you have been spending a whole lot of time trying to get me to¡­ admit something. Haven¡¯t you?¡±


    I turned around quickly and saw the look of fear that leaped into her eyes for a split second.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said coldly and began to rise.


    Acting on my instincts, I suddenly lunged at her, grabbed the folds of her gown. Her shrieks drowned out the sound of the material ripping. It was as I had suspected. She was wearing a wire. Before she back away, I grabbed the wires, yanked and proceeded to pull them apart. I blocked the exit, held out the pieces of wire to her.


    ¡°Who the bloody hell put you up to this?¡± I thundered. She opened her mouth, closed it and looked longingly at the door. ¡°You are not getting out of here until you tell me who is trying to set me up.¡±


    ¡°It- it was my idea.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Prove it then! Go now or let me go.¡± My fists clenched over the pieces of wire. She noted the movement. ¡°What are you going to do, Damian? Hit me? Torture me until I spilled my guts?¡±


    I hated to, but I took a step back and stormed out of the room. Lora was right. I couldn¡¯t torture the information I wanted out of her. There was one thing I was sure of though. Petra was the one behind this. The vicious gold digger was still after my uncle¡¯spany.


    ******************


    AMELIA


    I sat with my chin in my hands, watching my mother pace. A few minutes ago, she had woken me up by banging on my door then proceeded to tell me that she had followed Damian to a motel where he went to see another woman. I hadn¡¯t known what to say or do. She had insisted on us waiting up to confront him when he returned, and so here I was, waiting for him toe home with a very good and usible exnation.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t make sense of the sudden silence until I realized my mother had stopped pacing.


    ¡°He¡¯s back,¡± she said.


    An unsuspecting Damian walked through the door. He looked from me to my mother, and recoiled at the look on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You tell us!¡± she shot back. ¡°What were you doing in the motel room with that woman?¡±

 Chapter 059

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Another woman?¡± I mouthed the words, my mind nk and confused with no idea of what Dorothy was talking about.


    And then it hit me. Dorothy had somehow known thathad gone to see Lora. But how? I was sure that no one had followed me there. Or was I? I had actually been on edge and worried after Lora¡¯s text message that I hadn¡¯t actually been looking to see if I was being followed. But then again, why the hell would someone have wanted to follow me in the first ce?


    ¡°Answer the question, Damian,¡± Dorothy demanded. ¡°You were at a motel room with another woman. Or do you deny it?¡±


    I forced myself to meet her angry eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± I said quietly.


    Amelia shot me a panicked look. I tried to assure her with my eyes that I had the situation well in hand.


    Dorothy drew herself up to her full height. ¡°What nerve! You stand there without a hint of remorse and proudly say-¡±


    ¡°Please, calm down, Dorothy. I admitted to going into the motel room to see a woman. I didn¡¯t admit to having an affair with her or anyone else for that matter. I-¡±


    Dorothy turned her re on her daughter. ¡°Amelia! Don¡¯t just sit there like a dummy. Say something. Stand up to him!¡±


    With the air of one getting an unpleasant task over with, Amelia turned to me and asked, ¡°What were you doing with¡­ her, whoever she was, at this time of the night in a motel room?¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s eyes gleamed triumphantly as she turned to me. ¡°Exin that!¡±


    ¡°Which is what I¡¯ve been trying to do,¡± I said. ¡°The woman you saw me with is my client. I went there for a business meeting.¡±


    ¡°A business meeting!¡± Dorothy cried shrilly. ¡°Who conducts a business meeting in a motel room of all ces and at odd hours too?¡±


    ¡°The meeting was an urgent one,¡± I exined while racking my brains for a usible exnation. ¡°The woman is leaving town tomorrow morning. She won¡¯t return for months so it was imperative that I met with her so we could conclude our business.¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°I must look simple to you, Damian. Do you seriously expect me to believe you?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°We both know it¡¯s not. That¡¯s the flimsiest exnation I have ever heard. Well, I¡¯ll leave you two to sort out this mess. Good night!¡±


    With her head held high and her back stiff with disapproval, Dorothy left, leaving Amelia and I to stare at each other. When I was sure that Dorothy was in her room, I told Amelia all that had happened with Lora.


    For Dorothy¡¯s benefit, I was the picture of husbandly devotion the next day, which was mentally exhausting because Amelia and I were strained. We had been up half the night, trying to determine exactly how much Petra knew of our affairs, and guessing what her next course of action would be.


    **********************


    AMELIA


    I looked at the clock at the wall above my head and groaned. I had barely an hour before the bakery had to close for the day, and then I would be back to being under my mother¡¯s annoyingly watchful eyes. The bakery or the sweet shop were now my favourite ces of refuge.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t need toe in today. We can handle all the orders on our own,¡± Rose had said to me just this morning.


    I had smiled and told her I wanted to go through the ounts, which was a lie, because I had previously gone through it days ago with a fine toothb. How could I tell her or anybody that I needed this route of escape from my mother? Ever since the motel incident, my mother¡¯s new topic of conversation was, ¡®Now, Amelia! You really have to trash out this issue of cheating with Damian. Stop burying your head in the sand.¡¯


    Continuing to bury my head was what I still wanted to do an hourter when it was finally time to go home. But I couldn¡¯t very well sleep at the store. That would raised another round of questions from my mother.


    The television was on when I got home. That meant my mother was still up, which was not too good. But when I walked into the living room, I found Anton was with her, which was perfectly good, more than I hoped for even. I could always count on Anton to distract her from musings about my marriage.


    This evening, they were both poring over the screen of my mother¡¯s phone. My mum greeted me with a smile. Anton looked up and imperiously waved me into a chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re back,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Anton looked very pleased with himself, smug even when he said, ¡°I¡¯ve managed to fix a blind date for your mum.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, mum!¡± I eximed with genuine pleasure. ¡°What¡¯s the man like?¡±


    My mother pursed her lips until it almost seemed like they had disappeared. ¡°Anton¡¯s idea of the definition of a blind date is to almost literally go in blind. I have no idea what the man even looks like, and Anton refuses to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s the idea of a blind date, isn¡¯t it, Amelia? It has to have the element of surprise.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going,¡± she stated tly.


    Anton looked glum. ¡°And that¡¯s the impasse we¡¯re at. She refuses to go¡­ after all the effort I¡¯ve put into securing the date.¡±


    Anton¡¯s lips dramatically turned down at the corners, but my mother¡¯s face was set in an expression of stubborness I knew so well. I didn¡¯t think Anton¡¯s knack of getting his way would work this time, not without my help anyway.


    ¡°Mum-¡± I began.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going. After your father died, I¡¯ve not been on a date. Besides-¡± She gave a nervous, shakyugh. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to say on a date. I wouldn¡¯t know how to carry on a conversation. I¡¯m- I¡¯m so out of practice.¡±


    I took her hands in both of my own. ¡°You can¡¯t know whether you can do a thing until you try. Just go and you will be fine.¡±


    ¡°And if he turns out to be a creep?¡±


    I hid a grin, knowing that the battle was already have won.


    ¡°I have a solution to that,¡± Anton chirped.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve got this in the bag. Mum, I¡¯ve got pepper spray and a taser. I¡¯ll lend it to you. With that, I¡¯m sure you can put him out of action if he turns out to be a creep as you say.¡±


    She chuckled, raised her hands. ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯ll go. What other choice do I have when you two have ganged up on me?¡±


    Anton tipped me a wink.


    ¡°None,¡± he said. ¡°None at all.¡±


    **********


    With a sigh of exhaustion, I flopped onto the bed. I had spent thest half hour preparing my mother for her date. This had involved changing shades of her lipstick and eyeshadow more times than I wanted to count, styling her hair, now in a French braid, now in a bun. Finally, she had dered herself pleased with my attempts at a makeover. For someone who had not been keen to go on the date in the first ce, she had put a lot of effort into preparing for it.


    It was early afternoon and I didn¡¯t have to go to the bakery or to my other stores now that my reason for staying away from home was gone. I found my thoughts drifting to Damian. If I turned my head a little to the right, where he alwaysy, I could get a whiff of his aftershave.


    I couldn¡¯t think of the smell of his aftershave without thinking of how I had smelled it on him when I kissed him. I couldn¡¯t think of kissing him without remembering how it felt when those big, strong hands of his touched me. And now I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the fact that it had been ages since we had sex.


    I let my eyes drift close as I thought of the time he had taken me in the kitchen. Desire pooled between my legs. I slid off my skirt, my panties and spread my legs. I touched my breasts and imagined Damian was taking each rock hard nipple into his mouth. My breathing gotboured as my fingers found their way into that wet spot between my legs. I eased two fingers in, a little tremble leaving me. I fingered myself slowly but imagined Damian was with me. Thinking about him was like dreaming about an exotic wine and I wanted to be intoxicated.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Damian,¡± I sighed.


    I raised my hips when I felt the orgasming, like a tidal wanting to bury me beneath it. A sound suddenly intruded on my ears. I froze. My eyes fluttered open. There, standing at the door, his gaze drifting from my parted legs to my face, was Damian.

 Chapter 060

    DAMIAN


    I bit my lips to stifle a groan. My fingers unconsciously massaged my temples where I felt a headache building. The sound of rustling paper made me look up. My secretary had merely paused to turn over another page of the report she was reading. Beside her, two men, members of my staff were hanging on to her every word, making notes in the margin of the documents in front of them. My secretary saw me looking in some dismay at the remaining pages of the report she had yet to read.


    ¡°Should I¡­ go on, sir?¡± she asked after a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Yes. Please do,¡± I replied.


    The men who had looked startled at the idea that I could abruptly call off the meeting that hadn¡¯t evensted for up to twenty minutes, now looked expectantly at her as she once more began droning on about the project.


    I fought to keep my expression bright and alert, like everyone else, but I found myself spacing out once more.


    Damn! But I was so goddamn tired. Lately, I had been even under more stress than usual for the railway project.  The mayor had brought forward another proposed date for the finalization of the project and I was working like a pack horse to make his dream a reality. My firm was also handling other contracts apart from the railway project, and I couldn¡¯t neglect those too.


    My gaze fell on my phone which had brightened up because of an iing message. My screensaver was a picture of Amelia and I on our wedding day; just one more prop I had to put in ce in order to convince Dorothy that Amelia and I were happily married. Keeping up appearances had not proved easier with time, as I had imagined would be the case. Dorothy was too sharp-witted for her own good, so I constantly had to be on my toes. What with the stress at work and the stress at home, I was under a tremendous amount of pressure.


    I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment to shut out the re of the lights in the room which suddenly seemed too bright.


    And then there was Dorothy, angrily waving a document in my face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you cheated on my daughter in just less than a year of marriage,¡± she cried. ¡°And as if that isn¡¯t bad enough, your marriage to her is a fake one. I¡¯m so disappointed in both of you.¡±


    I opened my mouth to defend myself but I could form no words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it,¡± she continued but this time, her voice seemed toe from far down a tunnel. It got oddly distorted. ¡°I have the marriage documents right here.¡±


    I leaned forward, squinted to get a better look at the documents she was holding. I crowed withughter when I saw that was Dorothy held was not a copy of the marriage contract, but of the railway project contract. I blinked and the contract became two, then four, twenty. The number kept increasing and in a manner of seconds, I was literally buried under an avnche of multiplying papers.


    Someone shook my wrists. My eyes sprang open.


    ¡°Sir,¡± said my secretary. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m okay. Why wouldn¡¯t I be? What happened?¡± I added when I noticed the looks they were exchanging.


    ¡°You were muttering something in your sleep, sir.¡±


    Shit! Falling asleep was bad enough. I had been doing thattely, especially this past week. Muttering in my sleep was worse. I didn¡¯t even want to ask what they had heard. It was then realized then how physically and emotionally exhausted I was.


    The dreams of Dorothy, marriage contracts, railway contracts were a clear indication that my body was slowly but surely copsing under the strain it had been undertely. I needed to rest. It was just a quarter to 1 in the afternoon, hours away from closing time, but I was useless here, so I figured I might as well take a break. I passed a hand over my face and pushed to my feet.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just tired,¡± I exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t get much sleepst night. ¡± The others began to gather up their files. ¡°No. There is no need for that. You all carry on. I¡¯ll go through a report of your deliberations tomorrow.¡±


    I hurried to my office, grabbed my things and left the building. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open during the drive home. The house was silent when I got in. If Dorothy was in, she would most likely be curled up in front of the television at this hour, watching old westerns, so it seemed she had gone out. I felt my shoulders sag in relief. If Dorothy saw that I hade home early, I would be subjected to a barrage of questions which I would have had to grope for answers to.


    As I shuffled towards my room, my one thought was to peel off my clothes and get between the snowy white sheets. All thoughts of sleep were driven right out of my head the moment I pushed open my bedroom door. Amelia¡¯s wide open legs faced me. The view of her slit was blocked by the fingers that were working their way in and out of her. She was whimpering softly as her hips pumped. Her hair was spread out on the pillow. Her other hand roved over her full, perfect breasts. She paused periodically to tweak her nipples.


    My mouth went instantly dry at the erotic sight. The blood roared in my ears. I blinked rapidly, wondering if I was having another lucid dream. But if this was a dream, I would deal with anyone who dared wake me up. Without taking my eyes of her, I slowly pushed the door closed. I stared at her parted legs the way a parched man must stare at an oasis in the desert. Another of those sexy little whimpers escaped her.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Damian,¡± she sighed and I almost felt my heart explode with joy and pride at the evidence that I was the subject of her deepest, darkest fantasies.


    Her fingers, coated with her overflowing juices thrust in and out of her faster and I knew she was closing to orgasm. I must have made a sound because she suddenly froze, raised her head to stare at me. Colour instantly flooded her cheeks. She closed her legs and attempted to cover herself with the hem of her blouse, which was ridiculous, considering the fact that the blouse stopped short of her hips.


    ¡°I-I- You shouldn¡¯t have seen that,¡± she gasped. ¡°What are you doing home?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop on my ount, Amelia,¡± I said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.


    I gently pushed her back down as soon as she attempted to sit up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Damian, what are you-¡±


    ¡°Ssh.¡± Iid a finger across her lips, silencing her. ¡°I want to finish where you left off.¡±


    I pulled her legs apart before she could protest and glued my lips to that sweet, wet spot between her legs. Amelia gasped. Her fingers twined themselves in my hair as she pulled herself closer to my mouth. I flicked the tip of my tonguezily against her erect, sensitive nub and felt her shudder. She was already so close to the edge that she came then, arching her back and screaming my name. I let her ride the crest of her climax before pulling away.


    ¡°You¡¯re- hard,¡± she puffed.


    I followed the direction of her gaze and immediately became aware of the huge bulge in my trousers.


    ¡°That I am,¡± I said wryly. ¡°You can¡¯t me me for it, not when I walked in on you looking so damn sexy.¡±


    She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, scrambled out of bed and got on her knees before me.


    ¡°I can do something about it,¡± she said.


    She palmed my erection and I nearly bit off my tongue to keep back a cry. All my rules of not getting intimate with her went flying out of the window as she ever so slowly unbuckled my belt and unzipped my trousers. She ran her hands along the length of my now exposed member and before I could get used to the new, pleasant sensation, Amelia had taken me whole into her warm, wet mouth. She bobbed up and down on my engorged cock. When she suckled on its sensitive head, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    ¡°Shit! Amelia. I¡¯m going to-¡±


    She raised her head to look me in eye, silently giving me permission to find my release. With a strangled yell, I came in her mouth. Spent and satisfied, she climbed onto the bed beside me. Wey down together. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had felt this good. Amelia fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow. I followed soon after with a smile on my face.

 Chapter 061

    AMELIA


    I was still basking in a postcoital glow when the sound of a door closing made me thoroughly wake up. I sat up. Beside me, Damian stirred.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he said.


    His words punctuated by yawns which he tried to stifle unsessfully with one hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mother. I think she¡¯s back. She went on the blind date Anton nned for her today,¡± I exined further.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Interest red in Damian¡¯s eyes. He sat up quickly and began hunting about for his clothes. ¡°We have to go find out how it went. I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very curious,¡± I said.


    I pulled on my clothes. Together Damian and I went downstairs. We met my mother just returning to the living room from the kitchen. We exchanged greetings, and then I could rein in my curiousity no longer.


    ¡°Tell me, mum. How did it go?¡± I asked.


    She plonked down on the sofa. I perched on the sofa close to hers, and Damain settled down beside me.


    ¡°It was¡­¡± She hesitated and shrugged. ¡°It went okay, I guess. At least he didn¡¯t turn out to be a creep like we were scared of.¡± She pointed onecquered finger at her handbag ced on the center table. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to use your pepper spray and taser.¡±


    I shifted impatiently. ¡°Details, mum. Give me details to work with here. Even Damian wants to hear all about how your date went.¡±


    My mother¡¯s gaze slid to Damian¡¯s at once.


    He nodded. ¡°Yes. Anton got us all psyched up for your date and I can¡¯t help wondering if it was as interesting as he had promised.¡±


    ¡°Nothing of note happened. To tell the truth, the date was very uninteresting.¡±


    I leaned back against the sofa. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll be going on a second date the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Damian and I exchanged a look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I quite understand, Dorothy,¡± said Damain slowly. ¡°You said the date was far from interesting.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re going on another date with him.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    My mother did not exin further, but I was at least happy that the date had not been a total disaster. If she wanted to see him again, then the man, whoever it was, was not that bad. And since she didn¡¯t want to say more on the subject for now, I decided it to ask her particr details about the man after her second date.


    ¡°Anton will want to hear this for sure,¡± Damian said, half to himself.


    Anton heard of it, of course. He was in raptures about the sess of her date, and had already began envisaging a rtionship between her and the man.


    When I told him not to be too sure about it, he said airily, ¡°I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll end up together since I¡¯m the one who set this up after all. Your just wait. This second date won¡¯t be thest.¡±


    I rolled my eyes after that particr phone call. Anton could be so annoyingly sure of himself sometimes, but in this case, I kind of wanted him to be right. My mother deserved happiness in her life again once more. It turned out that Anton¡¯s prediction came true a weekter.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, by the way I forgot to tell you two something,¡± my mother said just when we had finished dinner a week after her second date.


    I felt my eyes narrow suspiciously at her airy, breezy tone, and also because my mother rarely ever forgot to do or say anything.


    ¡°Anthony will being over for dinner tomorrow evening,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Anthony?¡± Damian repeated, looking at me for rification.


    I shook my head, an indication that I didn¡¯t know who he was.


    ¡°Yes. Anthony is the guy I went on those blind dates with,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Well! I didn¡¯t know you two had hit it off so well,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as that, but he is really nice, so maybe something cane of it after all,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just dinner so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop grinning, and neither could Damian. My mother already really liked this guy. That much was obvious. She would not have invited him over to meet her family if she didn¡¯t.


    And so the next day came. I returned early from the bakery in order to make an borate dinner in preparation for Anthony¡¯s visit. By the time I got home, my mother had already gotten started. The best silverware was alreadyid out on the dining table and something that smelled delicious was simmering in the pot in the kitchen.


    ¡°I figured I should get started before you got here,¡± she said, handing me an apron while she resumed hunting for something in the kitchen cab. ¡°I don¡¯t want only you to bear the burden of entertaining Anthony. I¡¯m the one who invited him to dinner after all.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± I said with a twinkle in my eye. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait to blow him away with your delicious recipes.¡±


    She let out a peal ofughter. ¡°Okay. You got me. There¡¯s that too.¡±


    Damian and Anton got to the house a full hour before Anthony was to arrive. Damian looked expectant. Anton looked quite forbidding.


    ¡°I thought you would be the happiest, seeing as this was your idea from the start,¡± I said to him when my mother went to get dressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told him just minutes ago,¡± piped up Damian, pausing in the act of idly flicking through a magazine.


    ¡°I am happy,¡± Anton said. When I was about to tell him that he didn¡¯t look it, he added, ¡°On the inside, but I¡¯m going to give this guy a hard time at least because to be absolutely sure that he¡¯s the right person for Dorothy.¡±


    I caught Damian¡¯s eyes. He rolled them and shrugged. I didn¡¯t try to dissuade Anton from his line of action. I too wanted to make sure that she was with the right man. Exactly at 7pm, the doorbell rang.


    ¡°That must be him,¡± my mother trilled, straightening her pretty gown and hurrying to get the front door.


    ¡°Well, here goes nothing,¡± I murmured to Anton who sat beside me.


    A minuteter, she returned followed by a tall, rather distinguished looking man holding tworge bouquets of flowers. We all rose to greet him. He was friendly enough as he shook hands with Anthony and handed the flowers to my mother and I. My mother pressed hers to her nose and sniffed.


    ¡°Roses,¡± said Anthony, turning to her with a smile. ¡°I remembered that they were your favourite.¡±


    She smiled and a little colour suffused her cheeks. ¡°They are beautiful. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anthony?¡±


    We all turned to see Damian returning to the living room.


    ¡°Anthony it¡¯s you,¡± Damian said in surprise.


    Anthony¡¯s face split into a grin. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Damian Donovan.¡±


    The two men exchanged a handshake, pped each other on the back heartily.


    Anthony looked around at us. ¡°So this is your mother inw, your wife and your er-¡±


    ¡°Friend,¡± Damian said helpfully since Anton¡¯s lips remained pursed.


    ¡°So you two know each other?¡± my mother asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Damian. ¡°Incidentally, we are business partners. And I must say Anthony is a good man.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± murmured Anton.


    After talking for a while, we adjourned to the dining room.


    ¡°This is delicious,¡± Anthony dered after a bite to the food mother had made. He turned to my mother. ¡°I detect a faint taste of lemon. You must have made this. I remember you talking about a recipe that included adding a dash of lemon.¡±


    She beamed and nodded. Even Anton, who had been giving him a cool, assessing look, looked surprised. Damian looked impressed and so did I.


    ¡°A man that pays attention to details. How refreshing,¡± I said.


    Anthony waved off thepliment. ¡°Oh,  it¡¯s just that everything Dorothy has to say somehow turns out to be so interesting. It¡¯s hard not to y close attention to someone like that.¡±


    He smiled sweetly at her, took her hand. Anton cleared his throat loudly.


    ¡°So, what are your ns for this rtionship,¡± Anton asked coolly.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely here for the long haul,¡± Anthony replied promptly. ¡°I believe I have you to thank for setting up our first date.¡±


    Anton inclined his head. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    Anton was pleased but hid it well. He eventually thawed towards Anthony as the evening progressed. Anthony was an excellent conversationist. He was charming and friendly. The evening went better than anyone had expected.


    I was still riding on the euphoria that my mother had found someone nice the next morning when I got to the bakery that I really didn¡¯t notice the woman seating at a table, not until Rose jerked her head towards a spot behind me and said, ¡°There¡¯s a woman who¡¯s been waiting for you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Who-¡±


    The question died on my lips when I turned and saw Lora watching me.

 Chapter 062

    AMELIA


    ¡°Hello, Amelia,¡± she drawled. ¡°For a moment there I thought you had developed some kind of sixth sense that told you I was here. I thought you would nevere.¡±


    ¡°This is the exact time Ie here everyday,¡± I said shortly.


    While I spoke, my mind was going a mile a minute. Lora was again up to no good. That much was certain. Damian had told me everything about his meeting with her at the motel room, how she had tried to get him to say something incriminating. No doubt she hade to try the same tactic with me. My eyes skimmed over the skintight jeans and blouse she wore. I wondered whether she was wearing a wire under those clothes. I just had to be careful not to say anything that I wouldn¡¯t want recorded.


    ¡°Nice ce you got here,¡± she said, staring at me with a malevolent look in her eyes. ¡°I need us to talk about something very important. I assume there¡¯s a ce where we can talk.¡± I seriously considered telling her to go to hell when she added, ¡°Or we can talk right here if you want.¡±


    Behind me, I could feel the curious gazes of Rose and the other employees boring into my skin. It wouldn¡¯t do for them to hear what she had to say. I turned and marched past the showroom, along the corridor and straight to my office. The moment the door was shut, I whirled around to face her.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to at least offer me a seat?¡±


    ¡°State your business. I¡¯ve got work to do and you¡¯re presently taking up my time.¡±


    Lora¡¯s face twisted in hate. She bit back a retort, then spoke in a carefully controlled voice, ¡°I haven¡¯te here to fight. I just want us to have a heart to heart conversation about Damian. I know you think you two have something going on, but it can¡¯tst. You should know that.¡± She paused and when I said nothing, she continued, ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re a woman like me. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve ever been in love before, but if you have, you¡¯ll understand better what I¡¯m talking about. The bond Damian and I share, it¡¯s strong, really strong. I loved him and I still do. I know he loves me too, but he¡¯s just still too angry at me to admit it. Also, he feels trapped in your marriage. He feels it¡¯s his duty to remain married to you even if it¡¯s not what he wants. But if you left, if you set him free, I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle back to me.¡±


    I quirked a brow. ¡°Nice speech, Lora. Is that all you came to say?¡±


    Lora flushed angrily. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± She gave a frustrated sigh. ¡°Amelia. This is not the time for you to pretend. I know that you¡¯re not happy in your marriage, if you can call that a marriage. No offense, but I¡¯m stating the facts. Admit it.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about or what you¡¯re driving at for that matter.¡± I went behind my desk and sat down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want Damian to be happy? You must know that he¡¯ll be happy only with me. Didn¡¯t he tell you of our rtionship? Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rambling, Lora.¡± I idly flicked open the pages of a book lying on my desk. ¡°Listen, in the past, I may have given you the idea that you can speak to me anyhow you want. I invited you into my home even though it was very stupid of me to do that. But I promise you, if you cross one more line, I¡¯ll get you rotting behind bars.¡±


    She red at me for a full minute. ¡°Do you think Damian will support you? I¡¯m his first love. Everyone knows men never forget about their first love.¡±


    ¡°You may be his mother for all I care,¡± I chuckled and leaned back in my seat. ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to crush you like a bug if you try to mess with my marriage. Now, get out of my office before I throw you out.¡±


    She rose to her feet, opened her mouth to say something but shut it. Then, she stormed out, and mmed the door behind her.


    **********************************


    LORA


    I wasn¡¯t giving up. I was never going to give up on getting Damian all to myself. Already, I was beginning to regret being so nice and polite to that uppity bitch who acted like she was better than anyone else just because she was married to Damian. When I got Damian back, I would show her. I would-


    I looked closely at the approaching figure. It was Anton alright. I shifted so I was screened from view by the jeep close to Anton¡¯s car. He had not been taking my calls or replying my messages, so I had been reduced to lurking around hispany¡¯s parking lot just to get him to see me.


    ¡°Anton,¡± I said when he got closer.


    ¡°You!¡± His eyes widened like he had seen a ghost. ¡°What the hell are you doing here, Lora. Are you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°No. I just want to talk to you but you have been ignoring me.¡±


    Anton frowned. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been ignoring you. What business do you have with me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Damian. Please, Anton. You know how deeply Damian and I love each other. We¡¯re a perfect fit. Amelia can¡¯t give him the happiness he needs. I¡¯m ready to fight for Damian but I need your help. I need you to help me get him back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Anton said coolly.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m in love-¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not! You¡¯re delusional and I have nothing else to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I called.


    But he had brushed past me to get to his car. The next minute, the unfeeling idiot was driving away.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give up. You hear me?¡± I shouted after the fast disappearing car.


    I stood there, in thepany¡¯s parking lot, unheeding of the stares the nosey parkers who had witnessed the scene shot my way. I thought of what to do. There was an all consuming thought in my head right now and it was to get Damian away from Amelia. If I were able to find a way to be in his space, he would soon forget her. I was sure of it. I decided to go to his houseter that evening.


    I kept ringing the doorbell at his house for a long time and when the door opened, instead of Amelia or Damian who I had been expecting, was an elderly, severe looking woman. We stared at each other for a long, long moment.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Is Damian in?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question, youngdy.¡±


    ¡°I need to see Damian. It¡¯s urgent¡­ and he¡¯s expecting me.¡±


    She quirked a brow as though she didn¡¯t believe a word I said. ¡°I am not in the habit of letting strangers into the house, so if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    After onest searching look at me, she started to close the door. I quickly stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m Damian¡¯s lover,¡± I blurted out.


    The woman froze. Her eyes narrowed, and narrowed some more.


    ¡°You! I knew there was something familiar about you. You were the woman Damian went to see at the motel the other day, the one Damain said was a business associate.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Is that what he told you? I¡¯m his lover. We¡¯re in a rtionship and he¡¯s expecting to see me. You have to let me in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to do anything. Now get out and don¡¯t show yourself here every again.¡±


    I was just about to brush aside the old cow and go in anyway when she quickly stepped back and mmed the door in my face. Banging on the door and calling out didn¡¯t bring anyone to the door so I was forced to leave. But I promised myself that I would return and when I did, Damain would not be able to avoid me.


    ***********************


    AMELIA


    I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped through the living room. For one, my mother¡¯s expression was like a thundercloud.


    ¡°I want to talk to you,¡± she said.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear what she wanted to say. I looked longingly at the stairs. ¡°Mum, I just got back and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important, Amelia. You won¡¯t believe who showed up today. It was the woman I saw with Damian in the motel room-¡±


    Damn! Lora had certainly been very busy today. With a sinking feeling in my chest, I said, ¡°Oh. You mean his business associate.¡±


    ¡°Business associate my foot! She¡¯s Damian¡¯s lover. She told me that herself.¡±


    ¡°Oh er- I didn¡¯t want to burden you with too much information but the truth is that they were actually business associates at one time. They dated for a while, then broke up but Lora just can¡¯t seem to get over him. She constantly tries to use their business rtionship to get close to Damian, but of course he¡¯s not having it. So just ignore whatever she said.¡±


    My mother ruminated on this lie, and suddenly shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she dered. ¡°There is something more between them, else why on earth would Damian agree to meet such a person in a motel room at night. That is odd. And you know what else is odd?¡± Her eyes searched my face. ¡°What¡¯s odd is that you always seem to keep covering for him. You ept everything he says without question. Or¡­ is there something else going on here that I¡¯m not aware of? Amelia, I¡¯m your mother and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a contract marriage, okay?¡± I blurted out without thinking. ¡°My marriage to Damian¡­ it¡¯s an arrangement that terminates after a year. Now please, stop with all the investigations and queries. It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡±

 Chapter 063

    AMELIA


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    I could physically see how my confession hit my mother like a train. Her eyes were wide like she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Tell me¡­ this isn¡¯t true,¡± she said.


    I opened my mouth to say it wasn¡¯t true, to lie my way out this situation, but I knew deep down that it was no use. I could feel her eyes boring into my skin. She could read my expression. She knew me too well and I was sure it was in on my face that I had spoken the truth, at least this time.


    ¡°Amelia¡­¡± She took a turn around the room and came to stand before me once more. ¡°Amelia, I wouldn¡¯t have believed this of you. You disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice, mum.¡±


    ¡°You did. Everyone has a choice, but sometimes it¡¯s just easier pretending that you don¡¯t. What made you even decide to get into this?¡±


    ¡°Damian made the offer¡­¡±


    I told her about the condition of Damian¡¯s getting his uncle¡¯spany, about getting my revenge on Noah by marrying his hated business rival.


    ¡°So¡­ revenge and money. That¡¯s the driving force of your marriage? This can¡¯t be right. How many people even know about this¡­ arrangement of yours?¡±


    I sped my mother¡¯s hand. ¡°No one knows, mum apart from Anton and now you. Please, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone about this. If it ever came out that my marriage is based on a contract, I could get arrested and prosecuted.¡±


    Her eyes widened in rm. ¡°Oh my! Is it that serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I hesitated, but my need to get to appreciate the seriousness of the situation made me go on. ¡°There are even one or two people who already suspect what Damian and I have done, but they can¡¯t prove it.¡±


    ¡°But this is very serious, Amelia. Isn¡¯t there a way you can get out of this? No child of mine will go to jail.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go to jail as long as it remains a secret.¡±


    ¡°I certainly won¡¯t say anything to anyone.¡± I gave her a little smile of gratitude. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m still not disappointed by what you have done,¡± she snapped.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I sighed and plopped down on a chair. ¡°Noah broke me and Damian found me at a vulnerable condition. Trust me, I regret doing this sometimes but I¡¯vee too far to quit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry your marriage with Noah didn¡¯t work out. You should havee back home,¡± she licked her dry lips. ¡°You deserve better than what you¡¯re getting here.¡±


    Painfully, I knew she was right. ¡°I know mum,¡± I pulled her closer and shed her a weak smile. ¡°I promise you that Damian is not as bad you think he is. He¡¯s just dealing with a lot of things. And as for me, I¡¯m growing to be independent woman.¡±


    ¡°In a contract marriage?¡±


    ¡°With Noah, I could not do the things I loved. I didn¡¯t even realize I had skills until I left the marriage. Damian opened my eyes to see my capabilities and I¡¯m still grateful to him for that. He made me realize I could do anything and be anyone.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a man to know that,¡± she answered dryly.


    ¡°I know,¡± I pulled her in for a hug, tears pooling in my eyes. ¡°I know this is not the life you envisioned for me but I¡¯m positive it will get better. Alone or married.¡±


    ¡°I love you my child.¡±


    ¡°I love you too mom.¡±


    **********


    At dinner that night, my mother looked around in that way she did when she had something important to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon,¡± she announced.


    ¡°Mum! Does it have anything to do with- Is it because-¡±


    ¡°No, dear. It has nothing to do with what you told me the other day,¡± she said.


    She shot a re at Damian, who she still hadn¡¯t been forgiven. She still seemed to think that he had somehow manipted me into getting into the marriage no matter how many times I had told her that I had been a very willing participant.


    ¡°Then why, Dorothy?¡± asked Damian. ¡°You know you¡¯re always wee to stay as long as you want.¡±


    Underneath the table, I patted his thigh. All through my mother¡¯s stay, he had been nothing short of nice to her. She gave an offended sniff in Damian¡¯s direction before focusing on me. For some reason, she started blushing.


    ¡°Anthony wants us to go on a cruise around Europe. He talked me into it and now I find myself looking forward to the trip.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy, Dorothy,¡± Damian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have fun,¡± I said. ¡°Anthony is a good guy.¡±


    She beamed and continued with her meal. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee the same for my daughter.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°So when are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Very soon.¡±


    *********


    Two days to my mother¡¯s departure, we decided to go shopping. Or rather, I made her go shopping. There were some things, clothes especially, I felt she had to buy here to take along with her on her travels.


    ¡°This is fun,¡± she dered about an hourter. ¡°You know, the parking lot of this ce is a zillion times bigger than ourrgest store back home.¡±


    Iughed at her exaggeration, and then the smile froze on my face.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked. She picked up two pairs of thick, woollen socks. ¡°Should we take this or this. We¡­ Why- what¡¯s the matter, Amelia?¡± She asked when she noticed the pale look on my face.


    The matter was that I had just seen Noah and Lucy at an aisle close to us. I was about to hurry my mother along, but then Noah¡¯s eyes met mine, and widened when he saw my mother. He hesitated for just a second, and then came towards us. I groaned. My body was blocking my mother¡¯s view of Noah, but if I moved, she would see them and when she did, even if I wanted to avoid Noah, my mother would stand her ground.


    Just before I decided to try to get her to move anyway, Noah called out cheerfully, ¡°Hi Amelia. Dorothy? Is that you? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing you again.¡±


    She pushed me aside to get a better look.


    ¡°Noah,¡± she said after staring at Noah for a while. She somehow made his name sound like a swear word.


    Noah smiled at my mother despite the fact that she was looking daggers at him. Noah could be so stupid sometimes. The best thing he could have done was to ignore us, but his overconfidence in his charm had him approaching anyway. Even Lucy, who was trailing behind him, was looking from Noah to my mother. She seemed to think, as I did, that this was a bad idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, Dorothy,¡± he said, beaming at her like they were old friends. ¡°It¡¯s really a pleasure seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a pleasure seeing you again,¡± she said with a withering stare at the hand he had extended for a handshake.


    I hid a grin when Noah¡¯s smile slipped. He dropped his hand to his side. He started swinging his arm back and forth as though he didn¡¯t quite know what to do with it.


    ¡°I wonder why you would say something like that,¡± he said. ¡°We always got along so well.¡±


    My mother let out a peal of derisiveughter. ¡°You seriously didn¡¯t think we would actually continue to get along after all you put my daughter through, did you? If you did think that way, that would make you stupid, and I never would have described you as a stupid man. Or maybe I was wrong about that anyway¡­ in the light of fairly recent events.¡±


    ¡°Uhmmm. I know you¡¯re angry. Understandably so after our divorce, but er-¡± He nced at me as though wishing me to help him out. I almostughed. Was Noah so conceited he believed that I would save him from my mother¡¯s tongueshing? Seeing there was no help to be gotten from me, he shook his head slightly and continued. ¡°Amelia and I have gotten over what happened. We¡¯re both good now. Divorces do happen all the time after all. An unfortunate urrence, but sometimes necessary-¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not good, Noah and we never will be. I¡¯m really not surprised that you¡¯re so flippant about divorce seeing as you threw my daughter out of your house. But good riddance, I say! Thank goodness she¡¯s doing better than the likes of you.¡±


    Noah flushed angrily. ¡°Now, there¡¯s no need to be rude-¡±


    But my mother was now giving Lucy a once over. ¡°-and you left Amelia for this one, I suppose.¡± She tsked. ¡°I may be able to see the charm, but now I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a fool for not being able to see that she¡¯s a spiteful woman with the morals of a tomcat. A woman who steals her friend¡¯s husband intentionally should never show her face in public. You disgust me.¡±


    Lucy instantly drew herself up to her full height. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she shrieked.


    ¡°No. You excuse me,¡± my mother retorted. ¡°I can¡¯t stand being in the presence of you two any longer.¡± She linked her arm with mine and began to pull me away. ¡°Come on, dear. Let¡¯s get out of here and try another shopping mall.¡±


    I smirked at Noah, who for once had nothing to say, and marched off with my mother. It was during times like this that I really, really loved having my mother around.


    ******************************


    TWO DAYS LATER


    DAMIAN


    All too soon, the time came for Dorothy to leave. Her cab was at the door. I carried thest of her luggage down the stairs. The cabman took it from me to the car.


    ¡°This is it then,¡± Dorothy sighed as she nced at the cab.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to see you go,¡± I said and I really, actually meant it. She had grown on me. ¡°We¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you especially, mum,¡± Amelia pouted.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll miss you two,¡±


    Amelia hurried off to say something to the cabman who was trying to wrestle a suitcase into the trunk of the car. Dorothy gripped my shoulder.


    ¡°Damain, a few words of advice before I go. You will never see a woman as good as my daughter. I know all mothers will say that of their children, but it¡¯s the truth. Your marriage to her isn¡¯t real but you are lucky, really lucky to have her. If you¡¯re smart, and I know you are, you won¡¯t let her go. Don¡¯t be Noah or you¡¯ll spend the rest of your life regretting it. Good bye.¡±


    She patted my shoulder and headed for the cab. For some moments, I could not move, her words jabbing at me like a dagger. But I feared that what really shook me was the subtle realization that she was right.

 Chapter 064

    AMELIA


    ¡°I feel a strong connection between you and Damian.¡±


    I tried not to groan. I had known this wasing. For most of the drive to the airport, my mother had been strangely quiet. That usually meant that she had something weighty to say, and considering her frequent topic of discourse was usually about Damian and I, I could not say I was surprised. Since I quite agreed with her sentiments, I was half inclined to shed tears of vexation, so I settled for ¡®joking¡¯ about Anthony.


    ¡°I thought you were quiet because you¡¯ve been thinking about seeing Anthony,¡± I said.


    She took her eyes off the road to give me a reproachful look. ¡°Don¡¯t make jokes. I¡¯m being serious. You seem well suited to each other. I feel something¡­ strong and probably genuine between you two and if I, a third party can feel it, I¡¯m sure you and Damian do.¡±


    Ugh! Getting her to talk about Anthony usually guaranteed her not talking about anything else.


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°Mum, need I remind you that our marriage is merely transactional? There is nothing going on between us. Maybe what you¡¯re seeing is what we¡¯ve made everyone else see. We¡¯re getting pretty good at it, you know. Good at pretending that we are a happily married couple. Not that I¡¯m exactly proud of it,¡± I hastily added.


    ¡°I know pretence, Amelia but I still stand by what I said-¡±


    ¡°Mum, Damian and I will divorce in less than a year so¡­¡±


    I shrugged, a gesture that said things had already been set in motion and that there was nothing I could do to stop the divorce when the timees. The thought made me so sad surprisingly. I turned my head away to hide the sadness in my eyes. Her warm hand gently rested on my arm.


    ¡°Amelia¡­¡± Her voice was softer now, almost pleading. ¡°You may have gotten into this marriage with not so good intentions, but it doesn¡¯t mean things have to remain that way.¡±


    ¡°Damian and I will-¡±


    ¡°Get divorced in less than a year. I know. You know what I hear in your voice whenever you say that? I hear you repeating it to yourself because you want to convince yourself that is the right thing to do. My advice to you is this; if you are in love with Damain, which I strongly suspect you are, you have to try and save the marriage.¡± She shook her head sadly. ¡°That husband of yours¡­ he¡¯s stubborn. From what I¡¯ve seen, his pride might make him let you slip through his fingers but it¡¯s your job not to let that happen. You don¡¯t have to leave because it started off as a contract. You can have another wedding, in a different country. Hell.¡±


    I stared at her suspiciously, remembering the few minutes when she had had spoken to Damian right before we left. Damian had seemed very thoughtful after that.¡±Was that what you told him before we left?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Just think about what I said, dear.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She patted my arm one more time before folding it in herp. As much as I didn¡¯t want to, I found myself thinking about what she had said about saving my marriage. My mother was right as usual. I was in love with Damian but I would not set myself up for heartbreak by fighting to save something that was nothing more than a business transaction to Damian. Damian liked me. The sex was really good, great even. But like and good sex were not enough to sustain a marriage. Love was needed, but he could never love me back so what was the point in prolonging the marriage beyond a year? It would be foolish for me to even consider that. I had been a fool for Noah. I would never be a fool for another man.


    Just when I was thinking we weren¡¯t going to get there and I was going to sit through another lecture on marriage, the airport came into view. My mother¡¯s introspective mood vanished. Her excitement about the trip returned as we carried her suitcases to where they would be checked. By the time this had been done, I found we had ten minutes before her flight was due. We went over the list of things she was to go with.


    ¡°If you actually did forget something, you can always buy whatever you need over there,¡± I pointed out when she started worrying if she had packed a particr gown she was sure Anthony would like.


    She smiled sheepishly. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. It¡¯s just that-¡±


    A voice from the public address system, began to announce her flight.


    ¡°That¡¯s you, mum.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. I have to run now. Promise me you¡¯ll take care of yourself and that you¡¯ll call-¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°At least Anton has gotten me a phone.¡± She frowned at her bag. ¡°Where did I even put that thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in your pocket, mum. Now, hurry or you¡¯ll miss your flight for sure.¡±


    She gave me a quick hug, hurried along with the others. She turned back onest time to wave, and then I lost sight of her as she was swallowed by the small crowd.


    I could not believe she only stayed with us for a few days. She shook up the entire house like a tornado and I was quite sure Damian won¡¯t forget about her easily.


    With a slight chuckle, I turned and headed toward my car.


    I was strolling back to the car when I heard someone call my name. I stopped and turned. Everyone else was going about their business except a man in the distance who appeared to be waving at me. He was nked by four hefty men, dressed in dark power suits who could only be bodyguards. I couldn¡¯t see the features of this man since he was so far away but something in the way he held himself struck me as familiar. I waited for him toe closer.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said, beaming. ¡°I saw you and I almost couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.¡± I looked him over. That tall, lean figure, thoseughing blue eyes, close cropped hair, but without the beard now. I gasped. It could only be- ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Colin!¡± I squealed excitedly.


    His smile got wider as he hugged me tightly. He swung me around until I felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°Put me down,¡± I said,ughing. I mock punched him on the shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t you see people are watching? Oh Colin. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you because of the-¡±


    ¡°Beard, I know.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I get that all the time. I spotted you and I knew it just had to be you.¡± My gaze drifted to the bodyguard on his right who suddenly moved to prevent physical contact between Colin and a man who was barreling along, putting himself and his overge suitcases into people¡¯s paths and almost knocking half of them over. Colin jerked his head to include all of his bodyguards. ¡°Hey. Ignore them. I do.¡±


    Colin smiled good humouredly at the guard, who gave him a tight smile in return and resumed scanning the area with his eyes. My attention was again riveted on Colin.


    He was my friend from high school. Also, my first crush but I wasn¡¯t sure he knew that part. We had been inseparable for a long time before he suddenly left high school and never came back.


    ¡°You look good, Colin,¡± I said.


    ¡°And you look as beautiful- no- more beautiful than ever.¡±


    I blushed over theplement and asked, ¡°How have you been? Have you been in the city all this time?¡±


    ¡°To answer your first question, I¡¯ve been¡­ fine. I just flew in today. Business brings me here. I¡¯m now the CEO of Techfy.¡± Techfy. The name rang a dim bell. ¡°The biggest techpany in this city,¡± he added upon noticing my confusion. I was about to offer my congrattions when he told me he had be CEO after his father died.


    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m so sorry to hear that, Colin,¡± I murmured sympathetically.


    ¡°Thank you. Not having him around still takes some getting used to, but I¡¯ll survive. Enough of gloomy topics! Tell me about yourself. How are you really and what are you into now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I own a bakery now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I remember you used to love cooking then, especially baking. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re really good at what you do. I think I¡¯ll stop by your bakery sometime. We should totally catch up too but I can¡¯t do that if I don¡¯t have your digits.¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice him trying to pull out his phone but he suddenly held it up and smiled.


    ¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t see thating. Still up to your magic tricks, I see.¡±


    He bowed. ¡°Guilty as charged. You know, I was actually considering a career in magic before I was named owner of Techfy.¡± Laughing, I keyed in my number. He saved it, dialed it.


    ¡°Now you have my number too. I warn you though, I¡¯m really going to bug you with calls from now on.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± He smiled. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed so much. Well, you¡¯ve definitely be more beautiful. But you¡¯ve still got that young, cute face.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me, Colin.¡± I tried to hide my smile. ¡°It¡¯s great to have you in the city.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s catch up some other time.¡± His blue eyes glimmered as he smiled.


    ¡°Call me.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    We said our goodbyes and I watched him walk away, now nked by bodyguards who moved as one unit. Some people,dies especially, stopped to stare. I knew they were thinking exactly what I was thinking- about how good he looked.

 Chapter 065

    AMELIA


    I couldn¡¯t get my mother¡¯s words out of my head as I drove back home. If she had noticed my feelings for Damian, it truly meant it was getting out of control.


    I was falling for a man who would never feel the same way for me. I was stabbing myself in the heart with no hope of healing.


    ¡°Just one year, Amelia.¡± I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration and tucked a strand behind my ear. ¡°How can you be so stupid?¡±


    I knew what I had to do but I didn¡¯t know if I could do it. Shutting Damian out wasn¡¯t going to be easy, it was no trip to the park. But I had to shield my heart from him.


    If I didn¡¯t do it now, it would only get harder in the future. Already, like a creeper, he had wound himself around my heart. I hadn¡¯t been aware of how he had done it so insidiously. I had to cut him off to set myself free before he dug his hooks further into my already damaged, bleeding heart.


    As soon as I got home from the airport, I purposefully marched to our bedroom to pack my things.


    No. That was wrong. It wasn¡¯t our bedroom. It was Damian¡¯s bedroom. Thinking I owned what Damian owned was a sign that I was treading really dangerous waters already.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I paused in the act of stuffing a blouse into my suitcase and turned. Damian stood at the doorway looking surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m packing,¡± I exined.


    ¡°I can see that. But why?¡±


    With a shrug, I resumed packing. ¡°My mum¡¯s gone so there is now really no need for me to keep staying here.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I should have rephrased the question. I should have asked why you¡¯re moving out so soon. Your mother left just hours ago. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m chasing you out. So I ask, why are you moving out so soon?¡±


    I hid my surprise well. I had actually thought Damian would be more than relieved to have me out of his space. Apart from his study, this bedroom was his sanctum. Now it turned out he didn¡¯t mind me staying here after all. If he had, he would not be trying to get me to stay a little longer. I zipped up one of the suitcases before facing him again.


    ¡°I really need my privacy and it¡¯s not exactly private sharing this space with you.¡±


    Damian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll let you get on with it then.¡±


    I nodded and resumed packing. The sound of the door closing a momentter told me that he had left the room. I released a breath I had not been aware I had been holding.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± I told myself.


    Even my reaction to him whenever we shared the same space also told me that this was something I had to do. I unconsciously began to pack more slowly as I thought about the first days and weeks of our marriage when Damian did his best to avoid me. What had changed since then? Why did he care about me moving out of his room now? Was it possible that he had begun to-


    I shook my head firmly. No. That wasn¡¯t remotely possible. These kinds of thoughts would get me into trouble. I thrust the issue of Damian and his weird question out of my mind and hurried on with my task. There was no use deliberating if he had feelings for me. Men like him value money above everything and I should have valued the rules of our contract. By the time I had finished rearranging my clothes back in my room, it was almost time for dinner.


    I had gotten to the kitchen before I began considering getting takeout or cooking only for myself. Since my mother had been around, either I cooked or she cooked, and then we would all eat in the dining room. Now that she was gone, it was not necessary for me to y at being a wife.


    I decided then that I would stick with the routine but the routine would have a major variation. I would continue cooking, but I was not going to have my meals with Damian. No freaking way.


    After cooking, I served up my portion and took it to my room, but not before I ced his portion in a position where Damain couldn¡¯t fail to see it. My aim was to reducemunication to the barest minimum.


    I didn¡¯t even want him to ask me about his food or about all the other stuff we usually had to have conversations about since we lived together. I found myself listening for Damian as I took my tes into the kitchen after eating. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t run into him.


    I returned to my room and stood staring at the record of the sales the bakery had made in the past month. I had brought it home the previous day with vague ns to go through it, but I hadn¡¯t been able to find the time to.


    I figured it was high time I made ns for the future, my future. Soon, this fake marriage would be over. I had to see to it that before that happened, I had to be as financially independent as possible. Marriage to Noah had thought me a bitter lesson. I had been married to a wealthy man, who ¡®took care¡¯ of me by only giving me what I needed at the moment. I had had no money or investments of my own. I wasn¡¯t about to let that happen twice.


    Now, I opened the rather bulky book with grim determination. All my efforts would have to be put into my business. When this was all over, I would never be left penniless again. Never.


    ***********************


    DAMIAN


    The food was tasty as usual, but I found it rather difficult to swallow. I took another mouthful and chased it down with half a ss of water. I dallied at the dining table for as long as I could. When it became obvious that Amelia wasn¡¯ting down for dinner, I left, still dragging my feet. It felt really odd, not having dinner with Amelia. Ever since Dorothy came, and sometimes even before she came, Amelia and I usually had meals together.


    As the evening wore on, it became quite obvious that Amelia was avoiding me. There was no other exnation for why she was practically locking herself in her room and having separate meals. Now her attitude yesterday began to make sense. To the best of my knowledge we had been rooming along just fine these past few weeks and yet she had said she needed some privacy. Privacy! That was-


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± I growled.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    I looked up to see a very startled girl, my housekeepers assistant- I couldn¡¯t remember her name at that point- holding a feather duster over some statuettes she had been cleaning. She was staring at me. When had she evene into the living room?


    Without another word, I went outside the house where I proceeded to pace like a trapped animal. Worry and surprise at Amelia¡¯s recent behaviour kept giving way to anger at her behaviour. I wondered what on earth I had done to to make her angry. We had been perfectly okay right until her mother left. Had her mother said something to her to turn her against me?


    I mulled over that theory for a while, then shook my head decisively. No. That couldn¡¯t be right. Dorothy had made it as clear as day that she wanted Amelia and I together. Permanently. I supposed I could ask Amelia herself to tell me what the problem was, but then that would make me seem weak and needy, wouldn¡¯t it?


    About an hourter, I was going up to my room. I passed Amelia¡¯s room, retraced my steps. With my knuckles poised over the door, I hesitated.


    ¡°Screw it,¡± I muttered and knocked.


    I knocked again when I got no response. I just had time to wonder if she was in there, when she opened the door just enough to talk to me. Her posture showed she was not going to let me in.


    She quirked a brow. ¡°Yes? Is everything alright?¡±


    Damnit! Exactly how many seconds had I been standing there staring at her like an idiot? I cleared my throat and nodded.


    ¡°Okaaay.¡± She shifted so one hip was leaning against the doorframe, folded her arms across her chest. ¡°So¡­ did you want something?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Amelia¡¯s tone was guardedly polite, but her demeanor clearly told me she didn¡¯t want me here. I suddenly regretted the knocking on her door. There was no way in hell I was going to ask her what the problem was, not when she was currently treating me like I was some sort of nuisance and like she couldn¡¯t wait for me to be gone.


    I said the first thing toe to mind. ¡°I wanted to inform you that tomorrow, I¡¯lle home veryte.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Is that all? Well, you cane home at anytime you want. It¡¯s your house after all.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that so I settled for saying goodnight.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± she responded in clipped tone as she straightened and shut the door.


    I stalked off to my room and got ready for bed. Sleep wasn¡¯t forting. I tossed and turned so much that it took quite an effort for me to eventually untangle myself from the sheets. I thought of Amelia¡¯s sudden coldness towards me and then I wondered why the hell I was so bothered about it.


    Few months ago, I would have been happy that our rtionship was still formal. What the hell was happening to me?

 Chapter 066

    DAMIAN


    I woke up the next morning thinking that Amelia would have finally gotten over whatever was making her act so weirdly the previous day. I was wrong.


    When I went downstairs, breakfast had been prepared as usual, but a ce had beenid out for only one person. As I lowered myself into my seat, I nced at my watch. It was a few minutes to 7. Amelia didn¡¯t leave for the bakery until half past 7 or thereabout. Wasn¡¯t she going to work today then? Was she ill or just letting her staff handle business for the day?


    ¡°Good morning, sir. Do you need anything else?¡±


    The housekeeper, Molly, had appeared at my elbow. I swallowed the bit of toast lodged in my throat so fast I almost choked. Molly would know where Amelia was.


    ¡°Where is my wife?¡± I asked her. ¡°Has she had breakfast already?¡±


    ¡°I should think so, sir although I didn¡¯t see her eating. She was up very early this morning.¡±


    I frowned. So Amelia was still sticking to having her meals alone.


    ¡°And she¡¯s now in her room I suppose,¡± I said half to myself.


    ¡°Oh no sir. She left for work already. Very early too. Should I get you anything else?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I snapped. ¡°Just- just leave.¡±


    For a moment, Molly stared at me, surprised at my rudeness. Her mouth turned down at the corners as she huffily left the dining room. I couldn¡¯t care less. My morning was ruined. Totally and utterly ruined. All of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of the well prepared meal in front of me. Why would Amelia cook and then take off? Was I some kind of monster whosepany she couldn¡¯t endure even over breakfast?


    I was certain she had left that early because of me. What the hell was wrong with her anyway? How could someone move overnight from being friendly  to avoiding me like I had the gue? I angrily flung my napkin into my te of untouched food.


    In a thoroughly bad mood now, I finished getting dressed and headed off to work. After about a couple of hours there, I began to wonder if it wouldn¡¯t have been better for me to have spent the entire day at home. I was due for a meeting, but I wasn¡¯t even in the right frame of mind to attend. My thoughts kept going in circles; from how pissed I was at Amelia, to the work I at hand, and then back to Amelia. I could not help it. So I gave up,id my pen down, turned my chair to face the huge ss window which showed the city spread out before me, and thought of my problem.


    What was that Amelia¡¯s mother had said?


    ¡®You will never find a woman as good as my daughter.¡¯ And then the part that had struck me. ¡®If you¡¯re smart, and I know you are, you won¡¯t let her go.¡¯


    I had known all that, of course, even before Dorothy had mentioned it. In the few months of living with Amelia, the realization that she was a good woman, the sort that would make a man really happy, had not been hard toe by. But marriage wasn¡¯t the sort ofmitment I was willing to indulge in.


    Until yesterday, I had chosen not to dwell on that part since our course was already set because in a few more months, we were to go our separate ways.


    But what if there was an alternative ending to our story? What if our marriage didn¡¯t have to end? I was not the sort of person who practiced self deception. I knew a time in my life woulde when I would need to take a wife and maybe have a child or two or even three. I could actually do worse than marrying Amelia. It had been a master stroke of luck that I had chosen on Amelia to be my ¡®wife¡¯.


    How else would I have known that apart from her obvious good looks, she was hardworking, virtuous and had a ir for business too? Look what she had done with the bakery and the other businesses I opened up for her. She was churning out profits. She fit right into my world too. I could go to functions with her on my arm and feel confident that she could hold her own in any conversation. Wasn¡¯t it even because of her the mayor had given me the railway contract?


    Our marriage- or our continued marriage- would also be advantageous to her. Not many men would be inclined to marry a woman who had been married and divorced twice. They would erroneously think the problem was from her. They wouldn¡¯t know that one of the men she had married had been a douchebag and the other had married her for convenience-practically, she had married two douchebags.


    I did not believe in love, of course. Love was for high school kids and those poor souls who still managed to view the world with rose-tinted sses. Love is limiting: it takes a man and turns him into a weaker version of himself.


    Love would not y a role in our marriage. Amelia and I had other better things going on for us. Since we were already married, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to convince her to remain married to me, if she was reasonable, of course. In fact, if one looked at it carefully, one would see that I was even doing her a favour. She was everything a man could want in a woman, but then so was I. I was a catch and I knew it.


    The only problem now was pitching this idea to her. What would be the best offer to make? I wondered. After a while, I figured that maybe I wouldn¡¯t really need to rack my brains about finding a way for Amelia to ept my ¡®proposal¡¯. What had worked once before could still work again.


    50 million dors had been enough to convince her to be my contract wife for a year. Perhaps that amount or something higher could sway her once more. Could it? Would she really spend the rest of her life with me because of thefort I can provide? I really hoped she would.


    With that cheery thought, I turned back to my desk and pressed the button on the inte.


    ¡°Tell the others that I¡¯m ready for the meeting,¡± I said to my secretary.


    *******************


    AMELIA


    ¡®We should meet up today to catch up and have some fun. How does this evening sound?¡¯


    The text was from a strange number. I swiped up to get to the bottom of the screen where I saw Colin¡¯s name.


    Colin! I hadpletely forgotten to save his number after our meeting at the airport. I quickly remedied that. I re-read the text again and wondered if I had the time for it.


    Damian had told me he would be returning homete tonight. Besides, having some fun sounded good. I quickly typed a reply.


    ¡®I¡¯m in.¡¯


    Colin seemed to have been waiting for my answer because he called the minute I sent the message.


    ¡°You just made my day,¡± he said. ¡°Are you at work?¡± I said I was. ¡°At your bakery, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Text me the address of the bakery.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you nning to show up here unannounced?¡± I joked. ¡°You know I¡¯m a very professional woman and you¡¯d need an appointment to see me.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe, or maybe not. Now that you mention it, I will certainly put it on my to-do list.¡± From his end, I heard the sound of a pen scratching on paper as he said slowly. ¡°Number one¡­ showing up at Amelia¡¯s uninvited and unannounced.¡±


    Iughed. It felt good tough with all that was going on between Damian. I didn¡¯t expect Colin to show up in my life but it seemed he hade at the right time. I began to look forward to tonight because I so desperately needed some moreughter in my life right then.


    ¡°Text me that address,¡± Colin reminded me before hanging up.


    I sent it to him. In under an hour, Rose poked her head through the door and told me I had a delivery of flowers.


    ¡°Flowers. For me?¡± She nodded and smiled. ¡°Who¡¯s it from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, ma¡¯am, but I bet the delivery guy does,¡± she said.


    I followed her to the showroom where the delivery guy was waiting. I hardly nced at the dotted line where he asked me to sign. I had eyes only for therge bouquet of flowers he had handed over to me. They were tulips. And I now had a pretty good idea who they were from.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    As I carried them into my office, I searched for and a note with the word Colin written on it. I reced the old flowers on my desk with the beautiful ones Colin sent me. I stood back to admire the effect. The showy flowers seemed to light up the room.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I murmured.


    I wondered how after all these years, Colin still remembered that tulips were my favourite flowers. I was very touched by the gesture. With a slightly goofy smile on my face, I texted Colin again.


    ¡®Thank you. I got what you sent. They¡¯re beautiful. I was surprised you remembered that they were my favourite.¡¯


    Colin replied less than a minuteter.


    ¡®I remember everything about you from high school. Everything.¡¯

 Chapter 067

    AMELIA


    The restaurant Colin had invited me to was chic and nice and I was really surprised. The Palm was a five star restaurant and it took weeks to get a reservation. Colin had always had impable taste and I couldn¡¯t deny that. He must have made a lot of enquiries and effort to get a reservation in hours.


    After I had admired the exterior of the ce to my satisfaction, I made a mental note to myself to add a little of their decor to my business, if the need for renovations ever came up. As I went in, Colin spotted me before I saw him. He was sitting at what had to be the best table in the ce. He smiled and waved me over. I could see no signs of his bodyguards.


    ¡°Is it just me, or are you looking even better than you did at the airport?¡± he teased.


    ¡°Really? Well, I think you need your eyes examined.¡±


    Weughed and I felt myself already rxing. Colin beckoned to someone over my shoulder. A waiter came forward to take our orders. As we waited for him to bring our food, I really looked around. I noticed that there were not many people at the restaurant.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice and peaceful here,¡± I told him. ¡°No wonder it¡¯s tasking to get a reservation here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That was why I chose it. I remembered you really don¡¯t like crowded ces that much.¡± He smiled. ¡°I had actually requested for more privacy tonight. He expensive but I think it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    I smiled at him. ¡°Another thing you remembered. Thanks again for the flowers.¡±


    He waved off my thanks. ¡°Anytime.¡±


    ¡°Hey. I don¡¯t see your bodyguards today. You didn¡¯te with them?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he replied. ¡°I expect they are lurking around somewhere.¡± He suddenly straightened as our food arrived. ¡°Ah. Here it is. Trust me. You¡¯re going to enjoy every bite of this.¡±


    The meal was delicious as promised. Over the delicious meal and very pricey wine to top it off, our conversation turned to what each of us had been up to during the years we had lost contact.


    ¡°Nothing really eventful has happened in my life so far,¡± I said seconds after deciding that my divorce from Noah was hardly a suitable topic of conversation for dinner. I did not want his pity. Most of all, I did not want to relive painful memories. ¡°There have been ups and downs but er- I own my own business now and that¡¯s a huge plus if I do say so myself.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Colin nodded thoughtfully. He fingered the stem of his winess and stared at me.


    I had the feeling he was about to probe further for information, so I quickly said, ¡°You still haven¡¯t exined why you left high school so suddenly without a word to anyone. One moment you were there. The next moment¡­ it¡¯s like you just vanished into thin air. Your leaving got people talking, you know, especially since you were one of the popr kids.¡±


    Colin gave a sad smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave, but I had to, right after my mother died in a road ident. It was the best decision for my mental health.¡±


    I gasped and palmed my lips. ¡°Oh Colin, I¡¯m so sorry. I had no idea. I¡¯m so sorry I brought this up-¡±


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay, Amelia. Really. You didn¡¯t know. How could you have if I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± He leaned forward to pat my arm reassuringly before leaning back against his seat. ¡°It all happened a long time ago anyway. After she died, things at home weren¡¯t the same. My dad had a hard timeing to terms with her passing. I¡­ I had an even harder time. So I stoppeding to school and stopped doing all the other things I used to do. I wanted to start over, to sort myself out. You know what I mean?¡±I nodded because I understood clearly the need to start over, to seek for a new beginning. ¡°And that is the story of how I went off the grid, for a while at least.¡±


    I remembered as clearly as if it was the day before, how I had felt in the aftermath of Colin leaving.


    I couldn¡¯t quite meet his eyes when I said, ¡°You know¡­ after you left school, I was so sad that I cried my eyes out for a whole week.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I ventured a look at him and saw surprise etched on his features. ¡°But why? Why were you so heartbroken when I left?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I had a huge crush on you back then.¡±


    He considered this for a long moment, so long that I was beginning to feel ufortable with divulging that bit of information. A smile crept up Colin¡¯s face. ¡°Well. I must say I¡¯m beyond ttered that you took an interest in me even then. It now gives me a rather high opinion of myself.¡± He grinned and I giggled. The grin slowly faded off his face as he asked, ¡°So¡­ are you seeing someone presently?¡±


    Crap! I supposed I had set myself up for that one by telling him I once had a crush on him. What was I supposed to say now? I could lie and say I wasn¡¯t married, but that would not be a wise move. All it would take was for Colin to do a quick Google search and he would find out that I was married. The news of my marriage to Damian was practically littered across newspapers, blogs and even social media. How would I ever face Colin again when he eventually discovered the lie?


    ¡°In a manner of speaking¡­ yes. I¡¯m actually married. I got married some months ago to Damian Donovan.¡± Colin blinked and stared at me in shock. After several minutes of silence, I was forced to say, ¡°Hey. Is everything okay?¡±


    Colin rallied. He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I wouldn¡¯t have ever expected you to have gotten married to him. It¡¯s the Damian Donovan you are talking about, right? The popr one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a known yboy, Amelia. Didn¡¯t you know that? I have heard a lot, and I mean a lot about him and what kind of life he leads.¡±


    Colin shook his head pityingly. I felt very ashamed, but I could not very well tell Colin that all he had said was a lie, could I? Not when even I knew that it was all too true. Damian was a phnderer. But what did that matter to me anyway? It was not as if I was really his wife. I tried not to let the hurt I felt whenever I was reminded of the fact that Damian was seeing other women show.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious, Amelia. How did you two meet?¡± Colin seeped his wine slowly, his expression indicating casual interest in the topic.


    ¡°We met at a social function and spent a good time talking. I found I like his charisma and his dedication to business.¡± I lied. To take the focus off me, I added quickly, ¡°Tell me about your own love life. Have you found the one yet?¡±


    Colin sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t. I am very, very single. What I want is to settle for nothing less than the right partner¡­ when I find one.¡±


    Colin stared right at me so long and so hard that I blushed. Had he by any chance thought I was the one? I cleared my throat, thought of what to say to ease the tense moment. Thankfully, he went on to other topics of conversation and I found myself rxing again.


    He¡¯d ordered more food and weughed over several past experiences. Colin was fun to talk with, he always had something interesting to say. I slowly found myselfparing him to Damian in that aspect.


    It was quite difficult to get a conversation out of Damian. All he merely offered most of the time was a nod and if I was lucky, a grunt. Most of our conversations happened during disagreements or sex.


    It was veryte in the evening when we left the restaurant. I waspletely full and happy as Colin walked me to my car.


    ¡°Thank you for a pleasant evening.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. It was night hanging out with you again,¡± he said as he held the car door open for me. ¡°We should do this more often. I would really love that.¡±


    I hesitated, but figured this was the time to set things straight.


    ¡°Colin, I¡¯m married,¡± I said quietly.


    He let out augh. ¡°I know that now, Amelia. Just remember that you are free to make any decision. That being said, I still hope to see more of you.¡±


    With a smile and a wave, he walked away. I bit my lips anxiously as I watched him leave. At some minutes past 9, I got home. My steps faltered when I saw Damian in the sitting room, with his arms crossed on his chest, looking like a thundercloud. He had clearly told me he would bete from work, so why was he back so early?


    He red at me with visible anger. I looked away from him, not acknowledging him in any way. I tried to walked past him with the hope that I would get to my room without a confrontation. But I had no such luck.


    ¡°I¡¯m not invisible, am I?¡± He blurted, his tone dripping with sarcasm and anger.


    I raised an eyebrow. Someone was certainly really pissed and he wasn¡¯t doing a great job at hiding it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure-¡± I shrugged. ¡°Why are we having this conversation?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea howte it is? Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I got caught up at work. Good night.¡±


    Without waiting for a response- and he looked about ready to blow his top- I went up to my room.

 Chapter 068

    DAMIAN


    I didn¡¯t want to miss her, or have her sneak off to work without seeing her. Lately, she seemed to be avoiding contact with me-leaving early to work and returningte so we wouldn¡¯t have to see each other frequently. But I would be waiting for her today.


    She came down the stairs a whileter, hesitated on the bottom stairs when she saw me, but gave up on her hide and seek game. I gritted my teeth. If she thought she was going to leave without giving me a usible exnation as to why she had returned homete that night, then she was mistaken. I didn¡¯t care about her schedule but the terms of the contract had to be obeyed. She kept her eyes firmly fixed in the direction of the door.


    ¡°We need to talk right now,¡± I said in a tone of barely suppressed anger.


    She stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°About what?¡± she nced around before her eyes settled on me.


    ¡°About what you didst night,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Since when have you begun returning homete? Do you know how careless it was for you toe home at that ungodly hour? And then let¡¯s talk about your attitudest night. You were going to walk past me without even offering up a word of exnation regarding where you had been.¡±


    ¡°And why do I even have to exin myself to you in the first ce?¡± she shot back. ¡°Thest time I checked, I am not in a prison. I have the right to go wherever I like-¡±


    ¡°Still you are supposed to return at a reasonable hour too from wherever it is you went. I won¡¯t have you strolling into this house at whatever time you feel like, Amelia! You know it¡¯s against the rules of this marriage, against the contract!¡±


    She let out a peal of derisiveughter. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! You, Damian have absolutely no right to tell me when toe home. I¡¯m not your child neither are you my guardian.¡±


    ¡°It is my house-¡±


    ¡°I am not disputing that fact,¡± she cut in. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is you suddenly behaving like the outraged husband. Need I remind you that we are not legally married? Know that and maintain your boundaries, Damian.¡±


    With that parting shot, she stalked off, leaving me, for the first time in a very long time, speechless. Amelia¡¯s words really hurt. I knew that technically I had no right to confront her about keepingte nights, but did she have to rub it in my face like that? Why had she even begun to do thattely? What had I done wrong?


    Somehow, I wasn¡¯t satisfied with her exnation of having been detained at work. It didn¡¯t ring true at all. I stomped over to the window in time to see her start up her car and drive away. I waited for several minutes before storming out after her. When I got to the office, to my intense annoyance, I found that I had a meeting ted for that morning. I barely had time to get myself prepared before the secretary came in to tell me that the others were waiting.


    At the meeting, reports of progress on the railway project were brought up and eventually passed over. I had only half of my attention on Tyler, the one anchoring the meeting for that day, who droned on and on about the other projects mypany was currently handling. He gave feedback from the clients we had done jobs for and most of them were satisfied.


    Then he cleared his throat and said, ¡°We have a newpetitor.¡±


    That piece of information had me sitting up straight. Every cell in my body instantly became a part of the meeting.


    ¡°Exin,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is a newpany, sir but despite the fact that they are new, they are rising rapidly¡­ too rapidly. Thepany is called Techfy.¡±


    ¡°Techfy,¡± I repeated. ¡°Is there any chance that our formerpetitors are behind thispany? Maybe they just gave it a new name and a new face.¡±


    Tania, my secretary, shook her head. ¡°No. We don¡¯t think so, sir.¡±


    Tyler continued. ¡°Their advertising strategy is also quite aggressive. They are pushing themselves out there into the public eye, trying to make sure people don¡¯t have the time to see the other firms out there. They are rising rapidly in the stock market and we might be destabilized because of that.¡±


    I frowned as I thought. ¡°This sounds really serious. I want everyone in this room to get me aprehensive report on Techfy. Get me anything you can on them. I want to know who is running the show there, what they are up to, if they have started bidding for contracts too. Tania, you are topile all these reports. Get someone to assist you if you must. Also, I want someone to give me reports on the stock market every single day. We¡¯ll monitor Techfy¡¯s progress from there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Bill said.


    ¡°Good. That should be all for now. Everyone get to work on this right away.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I left the meeting room after it had been emptied of everyone. I gave instructions to my secretary that I was not to be disturbed for close to thirty minutes. Then I shut myself in my office and powered up myputer. I felt the faint stirrings of unease. I could not afford to let Techfy overthrow mypany. I had worked my ass off to get where I was today.


    If the otherpanies who had at this time already recognized my firm¡¯s superiority, got wind of the fact that mypany was being usurped by a neer, they would think I was loosing my grip. There would be renewed fighting for the top spot in this city.


    I ran my fingers over the keyboard and typed Techfy. A lot of results popped up. It was as Tyler had said. Techfy was everywhere. They were being hailed as one of the fastest rising, fastest growingpanies in the city and beyond. My frown deepened as I asked myself how the hell I had missed this. I took it a step further and searched for the CEO.


    About a secondter, I learnt that his name was Colin. He had inherited Techfy from histe father, and in no time at all, had managed to put thepany out there in a way his father had never done. It was surprising to learn that Colin had not been living in this city previously. How on earth could he have made such an impact in the business world in such a ridiculously short amount of time? I stared at the picture attached to the article.


    Colin was a man about my age, dressed in a dark suit. He had his hands thrust carelessly into his pockets. His whole attitude was suggestive of someone who went through life by ¡®winging it¡¯ but the shrewd look in his eyes belied that conclusion. He was definitely the consummate businessman. I had no problems with himing into the business world just as long as he didn¡¯t take the spotlight off my firm.


    I mmed myputer shut and thought about the possibilities of losing the reputation I had built for myself andpany. I couldn¡¯t let anyone take that away from me, not after everything.


    With the problems I was encountering with Amelia and the information I had gotten about Techfy, I was so wound up at the close of work that instead of going straight home, where I would most likely encounter an umunicative wife, I decided to go to a bar in order to get myself together.


    I pped the counter to get the barman¡¯s attention as I lowered myself onto a stool. He quickly served a customer and approached me with a smile of wee.


    ¡°What will you be having, sir?¡± he said. ¡°Your usual?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was moving away when I said, ¡°Add something stiffer to it.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You got it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t nning on getting drunk. Not really. I just wanted to get pleasantly high, so I could get out of my head for a bit. If that would help me take my mind off my problems¡­


    ¡°Here you go, sir.¡±


    The barman pushed over a ss of acid green liquid over to me. I tipped my head back, downed half the contents and shuddered. This was strong stuff, really strong. It ran down my throat harmlessly enough but then spread warmth through my insides.


    ¡°This is good.¡± I emptied the ss and pushed it back to the barman who was now cleaning a ss. ¡°Once you see I¡¯m empty, keep iting.¡±


    He nodded, refilled my ss. I quaffed that one in under a minute and pushed it over for another refill. As the barman started to push the now filled ss over to me, a man popped out of nowhere and settled beside me at the bar. He started talking to the barman and making his request m. As he started to point at a bottle behind the barman, his elbow knocked my drink off the counter and onto the floor. Some of the liquid spilled on my trousers. I heard him utter a startled exmation.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± I said angrily. ¡°Can¡¯t you watch what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    I raised my head from my now soppy trousers to look at the careless person who had managed to even more ruin my perfectly ruined day. I found myself staring straight at a familiar face, a face I had wished would disappear from the city. Colin, the CEO of Techfy.

 Chapter 069

    DAMIAN


    Goddamnit! What were the bloody odds that I would run into the very person whose existence had gotten me all worked up today? Could this shitty day get even more shittier? I noticed Mr bloody Techfy was sizing me up just as I was doing the same. The thing was, he had me at a distinct disadvantage because while he stood there looking all immacte in a natty suit, the front of my trousers were soaked right through so that it seemed I had just pissed myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this,¡±  Colin said.


    The sympathetic bartender also murmured an apology. He handed me a paper towel which Colin took from him and held out to me. Ipletely ignored it, grabbed one off the counter and mopped up my trousers as best as I could. Colin stooped, picked up the ss and handed it over to the bartender. The bartender looked like he wanted to say something to me, but wisely moved away after I shot him a re.


    ¡°My bad,¡± Colin murmured. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t looking-¡±


    ¡°Damn right, you weren¡¯t!¡± I growled.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that we are meeting under such circumstances.¡± He took a step towards me, stretched out his hand. ¡°Anyway, my name is-¡±


    ¡°Back off!¡± I snapped. ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough for one night?¡±


    Jeez! Didn¡¯t the man know when he wasn¡¯t wanted? Was he so dumb that he couldn¡¯t read the room? I wanted to yell at him, but the thought of the other people at the bar stopped me. Surprisingly, he actually smiled.


    ¡°You must be Damian Donovan,¡± he said.


    In his eyes, I could see that he was sure I was Damian. That meant that my initial assessment of him was dead on the nail. He was a shrewd businessman through and through, really shrewd. He had looked me up, probably the same way I had looked him up. Still, I felt weird at the way he had said it. I had a feeling that this man was the type who would keep digging until he knew everything single thing there was to know about me.


    I didn¡¯t ept or deny his knowledge of my name. I just stared him down, hoping that he would finally beat it and leave me the hell alone. But he had no intentions of doing that.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Er- if we aren¡¯t going to get properly introduced¡­¡± He brought out his wallet from his jacket pocket. ¡°¡­ how about I buy you a drink to apologize?¡±


    That was it. I had had it with this Colin guy. I quickly got to my feet before I could give in to the impulse to create a scene. I was already a tiny bit tipsy from whatever it was the bartender had given me.


    I took a step close to Colin and was savagely pleased when he involuntarily backed up a step.


    ¡°Keep your money and your drink,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    I sidled around him, careful not to make any form of bodily contact. I left the bar and as I walked to my car, I decided to head on home. Going into another bar to try to unwind would not work now as Colin had sessfully ruined my evening. I had scarcely stepped into the living room when I saw Amelia putting something into her handbag and zipping it closed. When I looked at her properly, I saw she was wearing something really dressy. It was definitely not her usual work ensemble. That meant she had been outte. Again. She had that look on her face that said she nned onpletely ignoring me.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing exactly what we had a fight over thest time,¡± I said, fighting to control the angry quaver in my voice.


    He tossed her head and scoffed. Apparently, she thought I didn¡¯t deserve a reply.


    ¡°For Pete¡¯s sake, Amelia!¡± I shoved my hands through my hair in a bid to relieve some of my angry feelings. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Not that you care anyway, but I have been under a whole lot of stress because I¡¯m trying so hard to keep mypany up at the top where it¡¯s always been. Then I return home after a really long day and what do I get? You! Stressing the hell out of me by contradicting me at every turn and staying outte. Can¡¯t you just behave?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like I¡¯m a child,¡± she retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t even understand what yourpany has to do with this conversation. Our marriage contract didn¡¯t state that your business concerns would be any concern of mine, did it? Well, did it?¡± she repeated loudly when I failed to answer.


    ¡°No, but-¡±


    ¡°So stop ming me for whatever is happening at work. It¡¯s none of my business. Sort it out yourself.¡±


    For a moment or two, I waspletely speechless. And hurt. Her response was just so cold. It was like she didn¡¯t even care about me at all.


    I hated to sound like I was pleading but I had to ask, ¡°Amelia¡­ have I done anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said tersely and turned to leave.


    She headed for the front door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I called. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    She stopped, slowly turned to stare at me like I had grown two heads.


    ¡°Is that even supposed to be a question?¡± She gestured to her dress. ¡°I¡¯m all dressed up, aren¡¯t I? That means I¡¯m going out.¡±


    ¡°I see. Who are you going out with?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    Her eyes dared me to make of that what I would.


    I fought to keep my calm when I asked, ¡°Do I know this friend?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    I puffed out a breath and prayed for patience because I felt like I wouldpletely loose it at any moment.


    ¡°Listen, Amelia. I¡¯m not asking you of the identity of this friend because I¡¯m idly curious. It is 7:30 pm already. I think it¡¯s safe to assume that you won¡¯t return before midnight. Now, remember that you are living under my roof-¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Something you remind me of at every opportunity you get-¡±


    ¡°And that means it is my responsibility to make make sure that you¡¯re safe,¡± I continued, talking loudly to be heard over her muttering.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be safe. I¡¯m perfectly able to take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°And how am I supposed to make sure of that? I can¡¯t guarantee your safety if you won¡¯t tell me who you are going out with. So you see? We havee back full circle. I have to know who this person is. Is it a man? Are you going out on a date?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Amelia took an annoyingly long time to inspect her fingernails before answering. ¡°Well, if you must know, I am going out with a man. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a date though, but I will certainly be back before midnight.¡±


    I felt my fists clench spasmodically. I wanted to hit something, punch something, specifically the face of this man Amelia was all dressed up to meet.


    ¡°Who the- Who is this man?¡±


    ¡°I think I have given you more than enough information as it is.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t! And you are not going out with this man.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes widened and widened some more. Then she chuckled. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go out with him? Because I¡¯m married to you?¡± She took several steps towards me, stopped when she was within touching distance. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hypocritical of you to talk about me not going out with someone when you have a bevy of women at your disposal? Or ismitment only expected from the wife in a marriage? I have never interfered in your¡­ flings so you should also learn to keep your nose away from my business. This was what you wanted in the beginning after all, wasn¡¯t it? I¡¯m just following your rules.¡±


    Amelia turned around and walked right out the door. I vented my feelings by mming my fists into the wall several times before storming into my room. I peeled off my clothes on my way to the shower. I turned the water all the way to really hot. I gritted my teeth and stood under the flow of scalding water. It felt the heat as the water seeped down my body but it did nothing to ease my tension.


    I stood there thinking of everything Amelia had said. I badly wanted to know who Amelia¡¯s date was and when she had started seeing him. I wanted to know all about him, though I supposed there really wouldn¡¯t be much to him after all.


    There was no way in hell he could be wealthier than me. As for looks, I bet I beat him in that department too. He was probably just another douchebag, like her ex, Noah. Or maybe this was all a ploy to make me lose my cool.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of this is a test, Amelia,¡± I muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it isn¡¯t. All I know is I don¡¯t like to lose and I won¡¯t lose.¡±

 Chapter 070

    AMELIA


    I stuffed arge piece of toast into my mouth and tried to swallow. It was hard to. I grabbed my cup of coffee and drank half the coffee so fast my eyes started to water. The toast eventually slid down my throat and I sighed in relief. I still ate quickly but a lot more carefully now. I wanted to finish eating breakfast before Damian woke up, not choke myself to death. Practically running away from the house so as not to confront Damain was a cowardly move, I knew that. But this morning, I could not bear to face Damian¡¯s wrath. He was sure to be pissed about my date with Colin. Though I knew I had held my own during our argumentst night, arguing with him wasn¡¯t something I was looking forward to doing on a daily basis.


    I identally scalded my tongue as I tried to gulp down the remaining coffee when I heard footsteps approaching. I visibly rxed when I secondster, I saw it was Molly, and not Damian as I had thought.


    ¡°Yes, Molly. What is it?¡± I asked.


    Please, let it not be Damian asking about my whereabouts.


    ¡°You have a delivery, ma¡¯am,¡± she said.


    I stared at her in surprise. A delivery? I was pretty sure that I had not ordered anything at all and if anyone at the bakery had ordered something, it was sure to have been delivered at the bakery, not in my house. Perhaps the delivery was for Damian. If that were the case, it would be wise for me to exit the scene before Molly went to wake him up.


    ¡°Are you sure the delivery is for me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. The deliveryman called your name.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Show him into the living room. I will be right behind you.¡±


    I quickly finished the rest of my breakfast in a few seconds. The delivery man, followed by Molly, came in with wrapped boxes of gifts and arge bouquet of flowers. When I saw the flowers were tulips, I immediately knew who they were from. Colin.


    I was really surprised at this. Colin had certainly gone all out to impress me. Why though? I could not remember giving him my house address. So how had he gotten it then?


    ¡°Madam?¡±


    I instantly focused my attention on the deliveryman who was valiantly trying to hold on to the gifts and flowers without dropping anyone. It was a battle he was fast loosing.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I pointed to the sofa behind him. ¡°You can put the gift boxes there.¡±


    He gratefully put the boxes down. I took the flowers from him. He held his clipboard out to me and showed me where to sign.


    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± he called on his way out the door.


    I reflected that I would really have a nice day only if I managed to get all this stuff to my room without Damian seeing me. Had I thought he would be pissed that I had gone on the date with Colin? That was augh! Damian would be more than royally pissed if he found out I was receiving flowers from another man. Him seeing this would be like adding salt to an already festering wound. I scooped up the gift boxes and turned to execute my n of hiding everything in my room.


    Damian was standing right behind me. He was staring-no- ring at me. How long had he even been standing there? I pushed the bouquet of flowers between both hands, unconsciously trying to make them as small as possible. It was useless. They were very visible. Damian¡¯s eyes drifted from my face to the flowers. If looks could kill, I was sure the flowers would have wilted on the spot.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said.


    He didn¡¯t respond but I could feel his eyes boring into my back as I walked past him and went into my room. I half expected Damian toe storming after me, demanding that I exin myself. I was relieved when he didn¡¯t do that. We didn¡¯t speak to each other until I left for work and I felt I had gotten off easy. The moment I settled down in my office, I texted Colin. Ever since I received Colin¡¯s gifts, and all through the drive to work, I kept racking my brains, trying to remember if I had told him my address.


    Thanks for the gifts, I typed. The flowers were beautiful as usual. Quick question though. How did you get my address?


    You told me your address during our date. Remember? Colin typed a few minutester. And you are always wee anytime.


    I stared at the first line of Colin¡¯s message again. Had I really told Colin where I lived? All I remembered telling him was the identity of the man I was married to. After some minutes of thinking, I shook my head to clear it. Colin was probably right. It¡¯s not as if I remembered every detail of our dinner date anyway. I had been a little tipsy then.


    Pushing thoughts of Colin, gifts and Damisny out of my mind with some effort, I pulled myputer towards me and turned it on. I found I had several important work emails from my staff at the mall. There was even a particr email which was time sensitive and which I had to reply within minutes. I nced at my watch and was d to see that I had time to type a reply. I replied that email first and then moved on to the others. After that, there were some details about the mall which I had to work on. I was still on this an hourter when Rose knocked and poked her head around the door. She was smiling widely and looked really pleased at something. Maybe we had gotten a really big order.


    ¡°A customer wants to see me?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. There¡¯s a delivery for you.¡±


    My pen slipped from my fingers and rolled onto the floor. What on earth was going on? Wasn¡¯t this too much? How could Colin send two packages within an interval of a few hours? Had he lost his mind? I had told him in clear terms that I was married. I wondered if this was his way of saying he didn¡¯t care about that.


    ¡°Rose, please sign whatever it is the deliveryman wants me to sign. When you are done, bring the package here to me.¡±


    ¡°Ummm. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that because the package is from your husband.¡±


    What? I could have sworn that I had not heard Rose properly except for the fact that she had been speaking clearly and distinctly. The big question was, what had Damian sent to me? I could have sworn that we were not even on talking terms, so where was thising from?


    I rushed out of my office to see if this was really true. I got to the showroom and at first, I could not see the deliveryman. Then I saw the flowers and I knew he was behind them. The deliveryman was short. Most of his upper body was almostpletely obscured by the humongous bouquet of flowers he was carrying. The flowers were about three timesrger than the ones Colin had sent this morning.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± I started to ask.


    But then I fell silent when I looked around and saw that I had quite an audience. Several of my staff, mostly thedies, had dreamy looks on their faces as they stared at the flowers. Several of them were standing in groups of two or three, smiling and whispering among themselves. It wasn¡¯t hard to know what they were talking about.


    It was definitely something along the lines of how sweet it was for a husband to deliver an oversize bouquet of flowers to his wife at her ce of work. They found it romantic. I, on the other hand was concerned, very concerned.  The flowers were undoubtedly a sweet gesture from Damian but why was he sending me flowers now? What had changed between us?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°They are beautiful,¡± one of the girls said to me as I passed her.


    I grunted something in reply. I tried to look pleased as I signed for the delivery. I took the flowers into my office. The tulips Colin had given were still on my desk but Damian¡¯s flowers were toorge to fit on my desk. In fact, they were toorge to fit anywhere. With a sigh, I went to the door and called for Rose.


    ¡°Do you like flowers?¡± I asked her when she came in.


    ¡°Oh yes. I do.¡±


    I gestured to the flowers upying more than half the space on my desk. ¡°That means you¡¯ll like these.¡±


    ¡°Of course. They are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You can have them then.¡±


    Rose was effusive in her thanks as she happily took the flowers away.

 Chapter 071

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Oh sir. You are back.¡±


    Molly dropped the rag she was using to clean the cooker. She hurried over to me.


    ¡°Hi. You¡¯re busy here I see.¡± She nodded, eyed the grocery bags I had justid on the counter and reached for them. I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I will take care of this. Go  home. You have the evening off.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thanks Mr Damian.¡±


    I watched her hurry out the kitchen door. I turned to the bags of groceries I had picked up on the way to work.


    ¡°Here I go,¡± I muttered to myself as I rolled up my sleeves and began unpacking the groceries in preparation for making dinner.


    On the menu tonight was Amelia¡¯s favourite meal and of course, fried chicken. She was partial to fried chicken. I didn¡¯t hurry the process, partly because I hade home from work much earlier than usual to cook, and also because I wanted the meal to be finger-licking perfect. Minutester, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of delicious food. An hour before Amelia was due toe home, I had finished cooking. I put a bottle of her favourite wine in the fridge, changed the television channel to one showing a football game and settled down to wait for her. I found that I felt much lighter.


    Talking myself into attempting to bridge the gap between Amelia and I had been hard, very hard. My ego had almost gotten in the way and frankly, no one could me me because I wasn¡¯t the one who had suddenly begun acting up in the first ce. But now, I felt the effort I was putting into making things right was well worth it. At exactly 7p. m, Amelia walked through the door. It hurt to see that she wasn¡¯t carrying the flowers I had sent. Whenever I had imagined seeing her at home this evening, I had always pictured her with the flowers.


    ¡°Hello, Damain,¡± she said, without breaking her stride.


    ¡°Hi. You¡¯re back.¡±


    She nodded. Without another word, she headed straight to her room. I couldn¡¯t believe talking to Amelia these days had been reduced to exchanging greetings like we were strangers.


    Still, dinner would set it right. I was sure of it. She would change,e down to dinner and then we would talk. I settled back into the sofa and waited. And waited.


    Thirty minutester it was freaking obvious that she had no intentions of dining with me. There was nothing for it but to go up to her room. I listened, then knocked. She opened the door just wide enough for me to see her face, and no further. By the look on her face, I knew she was going to ask if I wanted something.


    ¡°You wanted something?¡± she said.


    ¡°Typical,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Dinner is ready. It¡¯s getting cold actually. We should eat now.¡±


    I crossed my fingers behind my back. Chances were she would say no after all, and then-


    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a minute,¡± she said after a long pause.


    She came down just as Iid out the food. Without a word to me, she sat down and began eating.


    ¡°I made the food,¡± I said to break the awkward silence.


    ¡°Oh. Molly-¡±


    ¡°I sent her home, gave her the evening off.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Nice.¡±


    Nice. What did that even mean? Was it nice that I made dinner for her, or was it nice that I had given Molly the evening off? Amelia certainly wasn¡¯t going to make this easy for me. Still she was going to have to talk to me sometime while we ate, right?


    Wrong.


    Amelia¡¯s phone beeped a minuteter and she promptly began texting. I waited for her to eventually drop her phone, but the messages just kepting in. Less than half of her attention was on her food. More of it was on her phone. Things continued in this vein for a while when I suddenly thought ¡®Screw it! I was going to have to address the issue.¡¯


    ¡°I thought you would be more focused on dinner,¡± I said, trying hard to keep the censure out of my tone. ¡°Why are you focused on texting instead? You can reply those messages some other time, right?¡±


    She gave me only a cursory nce and shrugged. ¡°What else am I supposed to do? You don¡¯t actually engage me in conversations. That makes me bored. I¡¯m bored right now. So¡­ I¡¯ll rather text than just sit around eating.¡±


    I bit my lip hard to keep back a retort. How was I supposed to engage her in a conversation when she was acting like there was this great, impassable wall built around her?


    I took a deep breath and tried another tack. ¡°Did you receive the flowers I sent to you this morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks.¡±


    I waited for her to say something else. She didn¡¯t. Apparently, that was the only thanks I would get for that gesture. I had the feeling that if I hadn¡¯t brought the flowers up, she wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it at all. This made me want to ask her where she had kept them. This morning, after she left for work, I had peeked into her room and had seen the flowers she had gotten this morning. I was hoping that she would rece them with the ones I had gotten for her. It didn¡¯t seem like that was going to happen.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± I said halfway through dinner. She reluctantly put down her phone. It immediately gave another annoying buzz. ¡°I must confess that I¡¯m very concerned about the turn our rtionship has taken. You have been very alooftely. Most times, it feels like you are avoiding me.¡± I paused, waited for her to deny it. She didn¡¯t. ¡°I would like us to go back to the way things were between us. Let¡¯s both be close again.¡±


    ¡°Bad idea. Look, Damian the truth is this marriage would be much better if we maintain a formal rtionship like we agreed to in the beginning. It will make things way easier for us when things eventually end, so let¡¯s stick to the rules.¡±


    ¡°Rules are meant to be broken¡­ sometimes.¡±


    Something very much like anger darkened her face. ¡°Why is it that you suddenly want a change in our rtionship when you are the one whoid down the rules in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°I- Let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve grown on me,¡± I confessed. ¡°I have gotten used to having you around, to talking with you. It feels weird when we aren¡¯t really speaking to each other. You are the only friend I have now.¡±


    She looked at the hand I had stretched out towards her like it was a new specie of bug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me,¡± she said tersely. ¡°You¡¯ve got Anton, remember?¡±


    She scraped back her chair and the next moment, she was gone, leaving most of the food I had gone through so much trouble to prepare, untouched. Predictably, I could not eat another bite. Frustrated, I stormed off to my room. For hours after lying in bed, I couldn¡¯t sleep a wink. Amelia¡¯s words about me being boring and not being able to keep a conversation going yed over and over in my head until I thought I would go mad.


    She couldn¡¯t be right, could she? There had been a lot of women before her. None of them had ever remotely referred to me as boring. Take Lora for instance. I had to keep threatening her to get her to stay away from me. That was how badly she wanted to be with me. That meant I couldn¡¯t possibly be boring.


    I had almost convinced myself of this when I recalled how Amelia kept texting all through dinner. Maybe the guy she was texting- and I was damn sure it was a guy- was more interesting than I was. I got off the bed and began to pace. In desperation, I called Anton. He was yawning so much that I couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying.


    ¡°Listen,¡± I said. ¡°Quick question. Am I a boring guy?¡±


    ¡°Now, why on earth would you callte at night to-¡±


    ¡°Just answer the question, Anton.¡±


    ¡°Fine. What was it again?¡±


    I repeated the question. Anton was just not taking this seriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a question that has a double edged answer,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Patience, my friend. Patience. Now where was I? Yes. Sometimes, you can be boring and too er¡­ uptight. On the flip side, you can be fun when you want to be.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said bitterly.


    ¡°Now, what-¡±


    I hung up. I wished I hadn¡¯t called Anton. Now, what I had managed to do was make myself more upset. If my best friend thought I was a no fun, then it probably was true. Iy back down and ended up spending the entire night thinking of ways by which I could engage Amelia in conversation.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 072

    AMELIA


    Why did life have to be so damn difficult?


    That was the first thought I had the moment I opened my eyes the next morning. Right now, my life was not only difficult, butplicated too. I heaved a sigh and practically had to drag myself out of bed. I did not feel well rested. Not one bit. With battling feelings of guilt, confusion, sadness and more guilt, I had gone to sleep reallytest night. And then to top it all up, I had fallen asleep with an image of Damian¡¯s hurt expression in my mind¡¯s eye.


    The emotional torture continued this morning as I padded barefoot into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I could not stop thinking about what had happenedst night, about what Damain had said. I wanted badly, so badly, for things to go back to the way there were before between Damain and I. I missed our closeness, our camaraderie. I missed the intimacy. All I had to do was close my eyes and it would seem as though I could feel his hands sliding along my-


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    I let my toothbrush fall into the sink, spat out some foam and tentatively felt the inside of my mouth, which I had identally poked with the toothbrush, with my tongue. There were no traces of blood. Thank goodness!


    I sighed. This was exactly why I couldn¡¯t let things go back to the way there were. Just a random thought about Damian, and I was reduced to bungling, blundering idiot. Still, I wished I could tell Damian how I really felt, if only so he wouldn¡¯t look so hurt as he had when I had walked out on himst night. Now, he probably thought me callous and ungrateful. The truth was I had been so touched by him going to all the trouble to make dinner all by himself, just to apologize and it wasn¡¯t as if he had even done something wrong anyway. I hadn¡¯t let myself show I was touched by his gesture and his words though. I didn¡¯t want him to think that I was still helplessly impressed by everything he did, but if it was what had to happen for us to keep to the terms of our contract, then so it would be.


    I took a shower, got dressed and headed downstairs. My head still felt fuzzy so I went into the kitchen to make coffee. I found Damian already there, scrolling through his phone while sipping a cup of coffee. Just when I was trying to decide whether I felt up to exchanging greetings with a definitely pissed Damian, he looked up and saw me. He stood up at once like he had been pricked in the bottom by a needle.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said in a loud and cheerful voice. His face broke into a wide smile. ¡°Good morning. It¡¯s a lovely day, isn¡¯t it?.¡±


    I stared and stared at him, speechless and wondering which question I was to answer first when I finally recovered my ability to string words together. Whatever I had been expecting, it was not this. Damian was acting strange, very strange indeed. Apparently, Molly thought so too, because she had paused in the act of stacking the dishes, to stare at Damain like he had lost his mind. Her eyes met mine. She blushed, almost dropped a te on her foot and quickly resumed her duties. Damian seemed quite ignorant of the stir he was causing. He kept smiling at me, obviously expecting an answer to his questions.


    ¡°Er- Yes, it¡¯s a fine day. Good morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear that,¡± he called out. He sounded like a energetic presenter in a morning radio show. ¡°Oh. Please sit down.¡±


    He drew back the chair he had just vacated and gestured for me to sit. I didn¡¯t really think I had any choice, mostly because Molly was there, so I sat down. Damian drew a second steaming cup of coffee towards me.


    ¡°I made this for you just the way you like it,¡± he said. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    I nodded, obediently took a sip. I looked sideways at Molly. Her back was to us but I could tell that she was listening to every word of this weird conversation.


    ¡°How was your night?¡± he asked after he settled into the chair beside mine.


    Sitting there with him was like making me really tense. Where was the angry Damian? The proud one? the aloof one? The one who was supposed to be angry at my behaviourst night?


    ¡°Same as always. Fine,¡± I added when he continued to look at me expectantly.


    His head bobbed up and down. ¡°Good. Good. Tell me, what are your ns for today?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I said, even though I had heard him clearly. Was he high on¡­ caffeine maybe?


    ¡°What are you going to be doing today?¡±


    ¡°I will be at work, same as always.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good,¡± he said again. He looked positively delighted at that piece of information. For the life of me, I could not imagine why. ¡°After work today, how about I take you to dinner? I know a really good ce I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love.¡±


    I opened my mouth to refuse, but then I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how busy I will be so I will get back to you on that.¡±


    He nodded. I felt that if he said ¡®Good. Good¡¯ again, it would drive me straight out of my mind. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t. Instead, he did something equally weird. While he sipped his coffee, he kept staring at my hair for so long that I began to think there was something caught in it. I surreptitiously used the back of my spoon to look at my face and hair. I saw nothing amiss. It was in it¡¯s usual sleek bun which I usually wore to work.


    ¡°Did you do something different to your hair today?¡± he finally asked.


    I patted my head. ¡°My hair?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    His gaze slid from my hair to my face. ¡°Funny. I could have sworn you did. It looks really different and so beautiful. Maybe it¡¯s the way the sunlight catches the tints in it. You have such lovely hair, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said dryly. What the hell was happening to him? What did he mean by that?


    He looked like he wanted to say something else so I figured it was best if I kept my mouth busy. I didn¡¯t want to talk. Before he could startplementing me about my eyes, maybe, I started on the breakfast Molly ced before me. I stirred and sipped some more of my coffee.


    ¡°Do you like it? The coffee, I mean,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said.


    At this point, I was at nearing the end of my tether.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Damian repeated. ¡°If you don¡¯t really like it, just tell me what I can do to make it better. You want more milk with it? Or maybe more sugar?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, hoping he would hear the exasperation in my voice and leave me alone.


    It was then I noticed that Damian that he was holding a piece of paper he asionally ncing at. I had no idea what he was looking at but I was pretty sure it had something to do with his weird behaviour. I quickly finished my coffee and was about to leave when the doorbell rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Molly said, hurrying out of the room. She returned almost immediately. ¡°It¡¯s another delivery for you, ma¡¯am.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded, followed her to the living room where the deliveryman was waiting. I could feel Damian behind me all the way. As I had suspected, Colin had sent me yet another bouquet of flowers. Damian was enraged, though he tried hard not to show it. It was in the way he held his body as though he were restraining himself from snatching the flowers away from me. The tension was an almost a palpable thing. As Molly kept looking from one to the other of us, I thought it prudent to leave at once. I gave her the flowers and I didn¡¯t care what she wanted to do with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now,¡± I told him.


    He nodded, but said nothing more. The arrival of the flowers seemed to have shut him up.


    I hurriedly got my bag and left the house. As I drove, I thought of Damain. In my head, I searched for a possible exnation for why he had suddenly be so¡­ talkative. Yes, that was the word. Was he trying to drive me nuts? Or was it something I said? And what the hell was that piece of paper he was reading?


    A truck zoomed past, it¡¯s horn ring loudly. The sound startled me out of my reverie. I started, and for a second, my hands left the steering wheel. I gasped as I temporarily lost control of the car. I gripped the steering wheel tightly just as the car swerved. I identally elerated and hit another car with a bone jarring, metallic crunch. At the same time, I felt the breath knocked out of me as my head connected with something, probably the dashboard.


    I struggled to draw in a breath, but it was hard, so hard to breathe. I began to feel dizzy and for a moment, I gave in to the darkness.

 Chapter 073

    DAMIAN


    ¡°And why can¡¯t you ever give me any practical advice?¡± I snapped at Anton.


    He opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again. ¡°How on earth am I supposed to do that if you haven¡¯t told me what the problem is yet. I¡¯m not a wizard. Neither am I a mind reader.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s reflection, I realized that Anton was actually right. I hadn¡¯t told him anything yet. All I had told him was that I was on the verge of loosing it. I took it for granted that everyone knew my problem. How could they not when I wore it like a batch, day in and day out? I forced myself to stop drumming on the table. To keep them still, Iced my fingers together.


    ¡°The problem is Amelia,¡± I began. ¡°She¡¯s driving me crazy and trust me, I¡¯ve seen all kind of crazy.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Aaah. I should have known. She seems to be the only one who can manage to get you this worked up. What has she done this time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more like what hasn¡¯t she done? Ever since her mother left, we have gone back to square one. The first hint I got that something was wrong was when she moved out of my bedroom the moment she returned from taking her mother to the airport. Ever since then we practically live like strangers. She won¡¯t have meals with me. She won¡¯t talk to me unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary to do so. And then, she has this look on her face. A distant look that I despise. It¡¯s like she¡¯s only physically present with me but her mind is elsewhere. It¡¯s enraging.¡±


    ¡°And have you tried to find out from her what the problem is?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t shout-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Remember you are in your office. We don¡¯t want the secretary bursting in to see what the matter is. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°She told me that she wanted us to stick to the initial terms of our contract. That means us minimizing contact until the marriage ends but then¡­¡±


    ¡°But then what?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. I pushed back my chair, got up and began to pace.


    ¡°There is a new development. I think I know where the problem stems from. A guy has been sending her gifts and flowers. She¡¯s throwing me over because of another scummy douchebag like her ex. Doesn¡¯t the woman ever learn?¡±


    I went as far as the door, turned back to see Anton looking at me worriedly.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something helpful to say? I feel like I¡¯m going out of my damn mind.¡±


    ¡°I have something to say actually,¡± he said with sudden gravity. ¡°There is no better way to tell you this, so I¡¯ll juste out straight with it. You, my friend, are in love with Amelia.¡±


    My response was instant, automatic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Oh yes. You are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let¡¯s keep going back and forth with this. I recognize the signs. You are jealous of Amelia¡¯s mystery man.¡± I bit my tongue. Hard. I  wanted to tell him he wasn¡¯t Amelia¡¯s man, but then that would only reinforce his idea that I was in love with her, which was reallyughable. ¡°You are upset that she¡¯s about to move on.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Since when did you be a shrink, Anton? You are wrong, okay? I told you to give me advice, not diagnose me like your fucking patient. Tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°You want my advice?¡±


    I paused to re at him before walking past him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say so?¡±


    ¡°Well, my advice is this. Amelia is right. You two shouldn¡¯t be any closer. Detach yourself from her emotionally. That way, it won¡¯t be hard when your marriage eventually ends. Isn¡¯t that what we nned from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. No no no no. I have no intentions of ending the marriage soon.¡±


    Anton gaped at me, sagged against his chair. ¡°You havepletely lost me. When did the ns change?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that. The problem is this man that won¡¯t leave her alone. I swear, if I don¡¯t find out who he is soon, I¡¯ll go stark raving mad.¡±


    I shoved my hands through my hair, tugged on the strands.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Anton called sharply. ¡°Calm down, will you? Your pacing is making me dizzy and anxious.¡± On my return to the window, he grabbed my arm and shoved me into a chair.  ¡°That¡¯s better. Now let¡¯s talk solutions.¡±


    ¡°I have been trying to solve this, trust me. I have been trying to prove to Amelia that I¡¯m better. The same day he sent Amelia flowers, I sent flowers that were like three or four timesrger than his to Amelia at work.¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°But guess what? She acted like she didn¡¯t even receive it. She didn¡¯t bring it home and she didn¡¯t bring up the topic. I¡¯m sure my bouquet wasrger than his. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite¡­ something,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°I spent a sleepless night doing some research on how to hold a conversation with a girl so she wouldn¡¯t think I was¡­ boring.¡±


    ¡°Boring. Now why does that sound familiar?¡± Anton¡¯s thoughtful expression slowly became one of amusement. Suddenly, he burst outughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s so damn funny?¡± I growled, but he just kept letting out peal after peal ofughter that grated on my already raw nerves. He stopped only when I offered to punch him in the mouth.


    ¡°Keep your temper,¡± he said, chuckling and wiping tears ofughter from his eyes. ¡°Was Amelia telling you that you were boring the reason why you called me at that ungodly hour yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I grumbled, turning my face away to hide my embarrassment.


    ¡°I see.¡± He chortled.


    ¡°Anton!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Sorry. I¡¯ll be serious now, I promise. So did the research you did help you in any way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°I think it even made things worse. I obeyed every instruction. I even wrote some of them down, especially the part aboutpliments, but all through Amelia kept looking at me like I had lost my mind. My efforts didn¡¯t even seem to have made the faintest impression on her.¡± I angrily mmed my fists on the desk. ¡°I swear that I¡¯m not going to loose this fight. I will make sure that man, whoever he is, is out of Amelia¡¯s life for good.¡±


    ¡°There is no way you can win if you keep going head-to-head with this man.¡± Anton sighed. ¡°You¡¯re only going to look crazy and I see you¡¯ve started down that road.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? If you want me to just sit there and-¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. You are not supposed to react to what he does. For instance buying enough flowers to stock a florist¡¯s because he got her a bouquet of flowers was a pretty dumb idea. It will make her feel that you are reacting to whatever he does. That in turn makes it look like you¡¯re ying second fiddle. If you want to charm her, you must do it your own way. To do that, you-¡± He paused as my phone rang. ¡°Should I continue or are you going to get that?¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± I said when at nced at the screen.


    The call was from one of the men I employed to keep an eye on things.


    ¡°You are going to want to hear this, sir,¡± he said as soon as I picked up the call. ¡°Your wife just got into an ident.¡± I swallowed. I wanted to say something but the words wouldn¡¯te out. ¡°The incident has already been reported on the news.¡±


    ¡°Is she okay? Is she hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. She¡¯s fine but I think you still need toe to the scene.¡±


    I ended the call immediately, went to my browser and refreshed it. The news of Amelia¡¯s ident had just broken. The news article said she had crashed into a senator¡¯s car. Underneath the headline was a picture of Amelia¡¯s damaged car just beside a bank. Anton was saying something but I couldn¡¯t hear it over the roaring in my ears.


    I grabbed my keys and ran out of the office,pletely ignoring Anton who was shouting my name. As my car sped through the streets, I kept wondering why Amelia had not immediately called to tell me what had happened. I was the one she always called whenever she got into a fix.


    I rushed to the scene and almost jumped out of my car before I killed the engine. The crowd of reporters with their cameras, microspheres, vans announced the scene of the ident. I looked around and immediately spotted Amelia. I dashed toward her but that¡¯s when I noticed she was being helped out of the car by a man who seemed very familiar. I gasped when he turned and I saw his face clearly. Colin.


    In that moment, everything made perfect sense. The final piece of the puzzle fell into ce and I was gawking at them like a fool. He was- he had to be- Amelia¡¯s mystery man. He was the one she was always texting, the one who kept giving her flowers. Not satisfied with his desire to take the top business spot in this city, he also wanted to take Amelia away from me! He wanted to take my fucking wife from me!


    Some of the reporters had noticed me. They ran at me with their microphones thrust out, already shouting their endless questions. Their voices sounded to me like the buzz of very annoying insects. I only had eyes for the asshole whose arm was draped around Amelia¡¯s shoulders as he tried to carve a path through the flock of reporters. Rage burned in me like fire. I would kill him.


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± I yelled at a particrly tenacious reporter who was right in my path. ¡°Out of my goddamn way or I¡¯ll smash your face in.¡±


    I shoved him aside and rushed toward Amelia with heavy steps. Finally, I reached Colin. I grabbed his shoulder, spun him around to face me and nted my fist in his bastard face.


    ¡°You, son of a bitch!¡±

 Chapter 074

    AMELIA


    It was like it happened in slow motion. I watched it happen, but I was so surprised that I could not do anything about it. I felt Colin¡¯s hands leave my shoulders. My leg throbbed as my knee buckled without his support. As I turned quickly to know why Colin had just stopped supporting, Damian punched Colin in the face in full view of the busy street. Right in front of the reporters. Right in the front of the whole world, because sure as hell, those cameras were streaming what was happening, live.


    For a long moment, I was speechless. The force of the blow made Colin stagger back a step. He cried out, pped a hand to his face.


    Colin¡¯s face contorted in rage as he yelled, ¡°How dare you?¡±


    Damian growled something intelligible, made a fist and advanced. Colin began to charge forward. My paralysis broke then and I stepped in front of the men.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I cried. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, Damian?¡±


    ¡°Step aside,¡± Colin barked from behind me.


    ¡°Colin. No. Please,¡± I pleaded. I spread my aching arms wide so none of them could get around me.


    My heart sank when I looked around. The reporters were having a field day. Those with cameras seemed to have their fingers glued to them as they kept taking picture after picture. Everyone else, even the passersby, had their phones out as they recorded the scene. I groaned and refocused my attention on Damian.


    His hate filled eyes were fixed on Colin. ¡°And what are you going to do if she does step aside, huh? Just give me an excuse to knock your teeth out-¡±


    ¡°Damian!¡± I hissed. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. Look around you. You can¡¯t fight here. Look around you. Everyone is recording. You¡¯re going to ruin the reputation you care so much about.¡±


    The word ¡®recording¡¯ finally got through to him. He nced at me for the first time, at our audience, then back at me.


    ¡°Who the hell cares about them? Just let me at this bastard who dares interfere in our marriage.¡±


    ¡°Please-¡±


    ¡°Step aside, Amelia,¡± Colin repeated in a low, dangerous voice I thought more ominous than his earlier shouting. ¡°Let me teach this fool a lesson.¡±


    I turned to face him. ¡°Don¡¯t you speak to him like that ever.¡± I felt like I was drowning in my own mistakes at that moment. I saw the twitch in Colin¡¯s jaw, perhaps he didn¡¯t expect me to defend my husband.


    Colin gripped my shoulder, intending to push me out of the way. I grabbed his hand and held on.


    ¡°Colin, please you can¡¯t,¡± I told him. ¡°Think of the implications of what you¡¯re about to do. Just stop trying to hit him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You should listen to her,¡± Damian taunted. ¡°Think about what you¡¯re about to do because if youe within my reach, I¡¯ll send you to the hospital. Now, listen to me, Colin-¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I murmured. I was so close to tears. I felt like dying of embarrassment. ¡°Please, Damian.¡±


    ¡°This is your first andst warning. Stay away from Amelia else I¡¯ll find you and break your-¡±


    ¡°And what right do you think you have to tell me to stay away from her?¡± Colin shouted.


    I winced. A few of the reporters edged forward but thankfully, all of them kept a safe distance. They were probably wary of being at the recieving end of Damain¡¯s fists. I didn¡¯t me them. I knew that if it were anyone but me standing there, both men would have shoved the person aside to fight.


    ¡°I am her husband, asshole,¡± Damian growled.


    ¡°Husband!¡± Colin let out a mirthlessugh. ¡°You have no right to call yourself that. You are too busy with the sluts you sleep around with to realize how special Amelia is. You don¡¯t deserve her. Never have. Never will.¡±


    Damian took a step forward. ¡°Now you¡¯ve crossed the line.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± Colin smirked. ¡°Do I have to teach you how to be a good husband? Or do you justck the moral to treat her right?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I turned to Colin and he quietened when he noticed the look on my face.


    I knew that if I didn¡¯t break it off now, Colin and Damian would certainlye to blows. I grabbed Damian¡¯s hand, and with all my strength dragged him along with me to a considerable distance away from Colin. My fingers dug into his flesh, forcing him to keep his eyes on me.


    ¡°This is not the ce for this,¡± I said. ¡°You have to calm down.¡±


    Damian shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, I could see that a little reason hade into them.


    ¡°I¡¯m calm,¡± he said in a tone that was far from calm.


    Colin shouted something that could not be heard over the murmurs of the crowd.


    ¡°You have to leave now,¡± I said. ¡°If you remain here, you will only get triggered and you¡¯ll do something you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    ¡°Why should I leave? Why can¡¯t he leave? Why didn¡¯t you call me? Why did you have to seek his assistance?¡±


    ¡°Damian-¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t call you here. I have to apologize to Colin for the punch.¡±


    He stabbed a finger in the direction of his car. ¡°Get in there, Amelia, or so help me God, I¡¯ll-¡±


    I crossed my hands over my chest. ¡°And that is the major reason why I¡¯m not going anywhere with you. Your anger is making you irrational and I can¡¯t deal with that right now.¡±


    He muttered a string of expletives, mmed a fist in his palm and stormed away. Those in his path or close to it made way as he approached. In another minute, he was driving away at full speed. I heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to Colin.


    ¡°Noments,¡± he said harshly to several reporters who were approaching him tentatively with microphones. ¡°I said I have noments.¡±


    They fell back as I got to him. He walked me to a spot not in full view of everyone. His nose and cheek were reddened and swollen.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m so so sorry about this,¡± I told him,  ¡°I¡¯m sorry he hit you.¡±


    His ferocious look softened a little. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was not your fault.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m still sorry. I don¡¯t like what you said to Damain though. He is my husband and our rtionship should stay out of your mouth. As my friend, I didn¡¯t expect you to say all those things about the man I¡¯m married to.¡±


    ¡°I said nothing but the truth,¡± he insisted. ¡°You deserve-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think is the truth, but you have to remember that he is my husband. You don¡¯t have the right to interfere with my marriage or tell me what I deserve. Whatever happens is strictly between Damian and I. No one else.¡±


    There was a long, tense silence between us. A muscle ticked in Colin¡¯s jaw and I thought he was going to shout at me too. He exhaled in a rush.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was out of line.¡± He fixed his gaze on something some distance away. I followed the direction of his gaze. The senator whose car I had crashed into had his hand on the damaged hood of his car while he talked animatedly with some reporters. He actually seemed to be enjoying the attention he was getting.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s getting something out of this,¡± Colin observed with some return to humour.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be in the news tonight and he¡¯ll love it. Politicians!¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s go see him and sort this out.¡± Colin brought out his wallet as he walked towards the senator. ¡°I want to make it up to you, so I insist on paying for the damages.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue. I wanted this long, long day to be over as soon as possible.


    **************************************


    DAMIAN


    As I burst through the entrance, they all began staring at me as though I was out of my mind. Perhaps I was, but I didn¡¯t give a-


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t see you there sir,¡± a man with his arms full of papers apologized.


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± I growled.


    He blinked at me in surprise. I shoved him aside as he didn¡¯t get out of my way in time, and then I had to just keep shoving the rest of them out of my way because virtually everyone in the lobby had stopped moving and were all staring. I banged on my secretary¡¯s table to get her attention.


    ¡°Schedule an emergency meeting of all thepany¡¯s board members right now,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What the-¡± A startled Anton half rose from his chair when I barged into my office.


    ¡°Leave, Anton. I¡¯m having a meeting in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Leave? I¡¯ve been waiting here for news. What has happened?¡±


    In frustration, I shoved my hands through my hair. Why wouldn¡¯t anybody just do as they were told today? Just then, the news channel came on. It had been scheduled toe on during news hours, and when the media released any news of importance. Anton turned to look at it when the newscaster mentioned my name.


    On the screen in bold, ck letters were the words: Trouble In Paradise: Is Damian Donovan Loosing His Charms Or His Wife?


    Closely following this was a video clip of when I punched Colin. I grabbed the remote control and turned off the television, but Anton had already seen it. With his eyes bugging in surprise, he turned to me.


    ¡°Did that happen today?¡±


    ¡°It did. That son of a bitch has just proven that he¡¯s not just after mypany. He¡¯s also after my wife. I swear, Anton, I will make him pay for this. He must pay.¡±

 Chapter 075

    ANTON.


    I watched him work. It was a miracle that he was able to even function with how upset he was. I could see that he was just simply going through the motions, working with a doggedness that was kind of scary. I¡¯d never see him that way, not even when he was on the verge of losing everything.


    What had happened, Amelia, had sort of created another version of him that I didn¡¯t know quite well. This version terrified me; staring at what seemed to be the clone of your best friend isn¡¯t exactly a weing sight.


    With a sigh, I continued my search on theputer in front of me. Damian had made me promise to help him out with the ¡®Colin situation¡¯ as he called it. Seeing how worked up he was, I had been forced to agree. Now I was waiting for him to finish up work so we could go somewhere else to discuss his next course of action.


    Damian had also insisted that I looked up everything I could find on Colin on the inte, which was what I was currently doing now. So far, I had not found anything. Well, anything the public didn¡¯t know already. Colin was just a typical wealthy man¡¯s son. He was a model citizen apparently. What made him stand out from the pool of other persons who had inherited fortunes from their parents was his keen eye for business, his shrewdness, tenacity and a tendency to charm those he came across.


    I figured he had used thisst on Amelia, which was very unfortunate because I was now quite sure my friend was in love with Amelia. It was against the n for him to love her, but he loved her nheless even though he was just too proud or too stubborn to admit it. I had tried my best to talk him out of continuing to nurture feelings for her so it would be easier on him when the contract eventually got terminated, but my advice had all fallen on deaf ears. In all my years of knowing Damian, I had never seen anyone affect him the way  Amelia did. He waspletely besotted with her.  His heart was bound to her and so, I had decided to help him if that would make him happy.


    ¡°Got anything yet?¡± Damian asked, rousing me from my reverie.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°All I got was what you have told me before.¡±


    He muttered something that sounded like ¡®slippery snake¡¯ and mmed a book closed with a little too much force than necessary.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally done.¡± He stopped in his arrangement of his desk to massage his temples. It looked like he felt the beginnings of a headache. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was the case with how agitated he was. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here to a ce where I can think,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°I know just the ce,¡± I said, getting to my feet.


    The moment we got into the car, I instructed my driver to take us to a bar where we were not likely to see a lot of people. The incident of him punching Colin was still very fresh. Thest thing Damian needed was the whispers and stares. I hoped that a few drinks in Damain would help calm him down a little.


    Hushfall bar was as peaceful as I imagined it to be when we arrived. We took our seats and ordered drinks to wash down our anxiety and problems.


    Damian had hardly touched the drinks the bartender had brought when he asked eagerly, ¡°So what do you think I should do now? Have you gotten any ideas yet?¡±


    ¡°I have been thinking about it,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I think that instead of you trying to win the game Colin is ying, it¡¯s best if you confront him. Tell him you care for Amelia. Tell him to leave her alone.¡±


    Damain gagged on the drink he was sipping. After a prolonged coughing fit, he stared at me like I had lost my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be joking,¡± he said. ¡°Is that really your big solution? Go beg the man trying to ruin my marriage? In your dedicated thinking, did you really imagine how I would look if I did that? I would simply be the weak and incapable man he¡¯s been trying to prove I am. So, is this really your big solution?¡±


    I shook my head slowly. ¡°Not beg, a talk. You can talk to him like a gentleman. I have given this a lot of thought.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t do that! If I go to speak with him, it will make me look weak. It will look like I¡¯m bothered. Besides, I just can¡¯t stand the thought of being in the same space with that creep.¡±


    ¡°Er- but you are bothered, Damian,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Everyone already knows that. You punched the guy on TV for all the world to see. So it¡¯s toote for you to start acting all cool and unbothered, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea. I don¡¯t like it at all. Aren¡¯t there any other suggestions you cane up with? We could find something on Colin, something that will convince Amelia that he¡¯s not the nice, good guy she thinks he is.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. So tell me, where is the dirt on him, and how sure are you that he even has something shady going on?¡±


    His scowl deepened. ¡°Maybe I can intensify my efforts to not only ce mypany back at the top spot, but to also run him out of this city at least.¡±


    ¡°Again, a good idea. But how long do you suppose that will take? In that time, he would have sunk his ws deep into Amelia. And who is to say he won¡¯t eventually decide to remain in this city even if you do eventually manage to get hispany out of the city business? Or worse, take Amelia from you when he¡¯s leaving?¡±


    Damian sighed. His shoulders sagged in defeat. Everything hade down to winning over Colin like he had tried to do from the beginning. But how?


    It was then I realized that the only way Damian could win this was to beat Colin in his own game. I leaned forward, rapped on the table to get Damian¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Here¡¯s another suggestion,¡± I said. ¡°You have to opt for something other than flowers. Flowers are¡­¡±


    ¡°Cliche?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I was relieved he was finally getting the point. ¡°Yes. Flowers are very cliche. You have to find out what other things she likes beside the usual things she does. Pay attention to the little details. By doing that, you will win her heart. Remember, you have to always be one step ahead of Colin at all times, else Amelia will fall for him.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ reasonable,¡± he allowed. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure how I can keep Amelia upied enough to know the things she love.¡±


    ¡°Start with baking, event nning. Think about the things she loves doing and how to integrate them into your life.¡±


    ¡°Excellent n.¡±


    ¡°It sure is. Now, let¡¯s drink and forget your troubles for a while, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now I can drink.¡± He chuckled and requested for the bartender.


    We had a few bottles and when we were done, we called for Damian¡¯s driver who came to take him home.


    *****************************


    AMELIA


    I was fluffing off my pillows in preparation for bed, when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it to see Damian standing there, his hair looking windblown, fiddling with his loose tie and looking a bit drunk.


    He had been leaning against the door before I opened it. He overbnced, quickly righted himself and mumbled an apology. Seeing him brought back memories of the public disgrace he had subjected us to. I opened my mouth to scold him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said and the words instantly died on my lips. ¡°You were right. I waspletely out of line. I should not have punched Colin, especially in public.¡± He staggered again and I realized he was drunk.


    ¡°Then why did you?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. ¡°What can I say? Seeing him with you with made me so angry and jealous too. I didn¡¯t expect Colin, my biggest business rival, to be the person you have been hanging out with.¡±


    That gave me pause. ¡°Colin¡¯s your business rival?¡±


    ¡°He is. Hispany, Techfy, is trying to push all the otherpanies, mine especially, out of the limelight.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I had no idea Colin is the business rival you have been talking about. I have known Colin since high school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of those coincidences, I guess.¡± Damian reeled a little. He took a step closer and leaned against the doorframe. The movement brought us close, too close. I could see the flecks in his eyes, the tints in his hair, the-


    I took a step back to put some space between us. If he noticed, he gave no indication.


    ¡°There was something Colin said I wanted to address.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re a rare jewel, Amelia. He was wrong to say I didn¡¯t realize that. I don¡¯t need Colin to tell me how very special you are¡­ and that I¡¯m not worthy of you.¡±


    I waspletely, utterly speechless. What could I say to this? Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn¡¯t this. I opened my mouth to say something- I didn¡¯t know what- when Damian straightened.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you from your bed any longer,¡± he said. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    I stood there watching him until he was out of sight. I shut the door very slowly. Damian¡¯s words had touched me, more than anything he had said before. That he considered me special¡­ It made me both happy and sad at the same time. Sad that nothing coulde of this even though he now was admitting how he felt about me.


    I was also surprised that he had actually apologized to me. I had been expecting an argument with him, a shouting match maybe, considering the fact that I had refused to go with him earlier and had clearly taken Colin¡¯s side.


    As Iy in bed and in time drifted off to sleep, I couldn¡¯t help wondering if I had taken the right decision by acting all aloof with Damian. Could I really dream of a life with him? Did he love me?

 Chapter 076

    AMELIA


    I cracked my knuckles, put on an apron but stopped moving. Someone was behind me. I turned to see Molly staring at me in surprise. She had a weird expression on her face but I smiled back.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll be wanting breakfast. I¡¯ll get it started.¡±


    She started to move towards the cooker.


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m making breakfast for myself and Damian this morning so you don¡¯t have to bother.¡±


    Molly stared at me in surprise before nodding and moving on. She was no doubt thinking that things were now being done differently around here which was true. I had woken up this morning with a desire to cook for Damian as I used to. It was the least I could do to apologize for my behaviour yesterday. I finished making breakfast fifteen minutes before he was due toe downstairs. I set the table, dished out the food and settled down to wait while sipping a cup of coffee.


    Damian walked into the kitchen a few minutester. He was already dressed and looked much better than the previous day. He paused at the door of the kitchen when he caught sight of me, guaging my reaction. I smiled at him.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said.


    He blinked, looked behind him. When he saw no one else there, he mumbled a greeting. He walked into the kitchen, looked around as though he didn¡¯t quite know what was going on or where he was.


    ¡°Come and sit down. I made breakfast for us.¡±


    ¡°You made breakfast for¡­ us.¡± He repeated the words slowly, appeared to be processing them.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I patted the chair to get his attention. ¡°Come and eat or your food will get cold.¡±


    ¡°My food¡­ Cold.. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep repeating everything I say?¡± I asked in amusement.


    ¡°Sorry. What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He hesitated, nodded, shuffled to the chair, slowly lowered himself into it and began to eat really slowly. After every mouthful, he would pause to stare at me before eating again. The befuddled expression on his face was quite amusing, moreso when he attempted to dip his sausage into his cup of coffee before recollecting himself and conveying the sausage to his mouth. I pped my hand to my mouth, but a giggle escaped anyway.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You.¡± I snortedughter. ¡°The way you look and the way you¡¯re acting is really funny.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± He shook his head as if to clear it. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m in shock. You actually spoke to me. You made breakfast. For a moment there, I thought I was dreaming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Do you remember what you saidst night? Or anything at all fromst night?¡±


    His fork fell into his te with a tter. ¡°Last night? You mean yesterday at the er- scene of the ident.¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t mean that at all. I actually meanst night. You came to my room and-¡± Seeing the increasingly puzzled expression on his face, I broke off. He obviously could not remember. Must have been the alcohol. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s obvious you can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°But what did I say? I can¡¯t remember a thing. Damn! I must have been more messed up than I thought after those drinks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Forget it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± I pretended to reconsider, then shook my head. ¡°Please, Amelia. I want to know if I made a fool of myself.¡±


    I hid a grin. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll never find out then.¡±


    He groaned, but the mood between us lightened considerably when we resumed eating. When we finished, Damian cleared his throat loudly.


    ¡°Amelia, I er- wanted to ask you to have dinner with me tonight,¡± he rubbed his jaw delicately. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had an evening together. Also, there are certain important things I would like to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°We will have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± he cried excitedly before recovering his equanimity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home by 7 then.¡± He downed his remaining coffee, smacked his lips. ¡°Breakfast was delicious by the way. I didn¡¯t realize until now how much I missed your cooking.¡± He suddenly leaned forward and for a moment, I didn¡¯t realize what he was about to do.


    I began to think that perhaps he had dropped something. I started to ask what it was when I looked up and saw his lips close to my cheek. There was a very long, awkward moment when we stared each other in the eye. I could feel my cheeks heating up. Damian gulped and quickly pressed a kiss to my cheek. He hastily got up. He coughed quite loudly and started to say something and then went out. He was obviously very embarrassed. Myughter followed him out the door.


    I spent some time that morning ordering a dress online for dinner that night. By the time I was done, I found I was already runningte so I decided to pick up the dress on my way back from work that evening.


    ¡°Someone is here to see you,¡± Rose told me the moment I walked through the doors of the bakery.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I muttered.


    The person in question had spotted me too. He pushed aside histte and came to me, grinning from ear to ear, evidently pleased to see me. My decision to no longer be distant with Damian had finally put things into perspective for me and I sighed as I realized that I had been using Colin as just a distraction, a distraction I no longer needed. Now, it looked like he had gotten his lines crossed. I supposed I was partly to me for encouraging him. In a way.


    I fixed a smile on my face. We exchanged greetings. He fell in step with me as I walked to my office.


    ¡°What brings you here this early in the morning?¡± I inquired after going through the motions of waving him in to seat and offering him refreshments which he refused.


    ¡°First of all, I must say it¡¯s a nice ce you¡¯ve got here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°And that is why I¡¯vee. Precisely because of this ce. I want to share my ideas of a partnership with you.¡±


    I said nothing, not thinking, but certain that I had heard Colin correctly. The first question to cross my mind was what on earth a techpany could want with a bakery. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the concept. The very idea of a partnership was ludicrous. I was about to tell him this, though not using such strong terms, when my phone rang. My face broke into a smile when I saw it was my mother calling.


    ¡°A moment please while I take this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I left Colin fiddling with the knick-knacks on my desk as I walked over to the window to take the call.


    ¡°Hi, mum. How¡¯s it going?¡± I asked. ¡°Did you have a great time?¡±


    That was all it took for her tounch into details about her travels with Anthony. I was d to note that what she and Anthony had had not waned one bit. Rather, it seemed to have grown even stronger.


    Surprisingly, she seemed excited to visit more ces with him. I knew she liked him but it was clearer now that their rtionship might work out.


    ¡°I have to go now, dear,¡± she said about five minutester. ¡°I can see Anthony waving to me. We¡¯re going on a boat cruise this morning.¡±


    ¡°Have fun, mum.¡± I told her. ¡°And send my greetings to Anthony.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± She ended the call and I sighed.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I said, returning to Colin who was still waiting in my office. ¡°It was my mother on the phone. She¡¯s on a vacation with her love interest. She called to give me the scoop on things.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± he said. ¡°Dorothy must finally be living her best life now. I¡¯m very happy for her.¡±


    I froze, his words seemingly stopping me from sitting. A second or two passed and I slowly lowered myself into my chair.


    Before I could school my expression, he noticed and leaned closer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just-uh.¡± I chuckled dryly, trying to find a way to politely speak to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I recall mentioning my mother¡¯s name to-¡±


    I was interrupted by Colin¡¯s chuckle. ¡°You should see your face right now. Don¡¯t be so surprised. You¡¯re married to the Damian Donovan. You are celebrity whether you like it or not. Everyone knows everything about you.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I nodded but I didn¡¯t believe it myself.


    It did not make sense at all. With keeping my mother¡¯s identity under wraps and her not having ess to the buzz and social media for many years, I was quite sure no one knew about her. I began to have an eerie feeling about Colin.


    He had sent flowers to my home and imed I told him the address. Perhaps, I didn¡¯t tell him and I had med it on alcohol. I had always found that suspicious but knowing my mother¡¯s name was far stretched.


    I did my best not to show the direction of my thoughts or that I was displeased until he left a whileter.


    When I was finally alone, I turned on myputer, and typed my name in the search bar. I painstakingly read the articles on my background that came up. There were about ten of them. In none of them was my mother¡¯s name mentioned. The articles all stated that my mother was alive but that was it.


    I spent the next fifteen minutes reading more articles about me. My mother was never mentioned in those articles. The emphasis was on my marriage and divorce with Noah.


    I eventually pushed aside myputer to ponder on everything since Colin had clearly lied to me.


    If this was all the information on my mother that was avable in the public space, then how had Colin found out her name?

 Chapter 077

    AMELIA


    ¡°Leaving, ma¡¯am?¡±


    I turned to Rose.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, smiling briefly at her. ¡°I have somewhere to be now.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Have a great day, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll leave the report on your table.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    A minute after that, I left the bakery. It was half past 5. I wanted to pick up my dress before heading home for dinner with Damian. On my way to the dress shop, I registered the fact that I was driving in the general direction of the shopping mall I owned. Since I didn¡¯t have jewellery to match the dress I had ordered, and the dress shop hadn¡¯t had any jewelry I liked, I figured it would be an excellent idea to get some jewellery from the mall first before going to pick up my dress.


    Damian would certainly be speechless tonight. I was sure of that. I would look a vision in that dress. I was picturing how different nes and earrings would go with the dress when I looked in the side mirror and saw a car with rolled up tinted windows right behind me. I didn¡¯t know why, but for some reason I felt uneasy, like I was being followed. I told myself not to think too much of it, though all thoughts of dresses and romantic candlelit dinners where driven clean out of my mind as I drove.


    My unease became rm when I took a turn and saw the same car behind me. Half of it¡¯s license te number was obscured by something that looked like mud. I took in a deep breath, exhaled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± I muttered to myself.


    It was just a few minutes to 6. There was plenty of daylight left. If I was actually being followed, the person wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to me on a busy road. I hoped.


    I didn¡¯t want to ignore my feelingspletely because thest time I had such suspicions, I was right. I picked up my phone to call Damian but after some seconds, I threw it back to my hand bag.


    I decided to call Damain when I got to the mall since I was almost there. I drove so fast into the parking lot that I almost rear-ended another car pulling out of it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I called out to the driver while leaning out of the window. My fingers were trembling as I wrapped them around the steering wheel. ¡°Take a deep breath, Amelia.¡±


    I tried not to give the impression that I knew I was being followed when I exited my car. I slowly looked around like I was expecting the environs of the mall.


    I didn¡¯t see the car or anyone suspicious as I made my way into the mall. Once inside, I rxed. Perhaps my imagination had just been ying tricks on me and I wasn¡¯t being followed.


    I decided to focus on getting the jewelries I came for before I ran out of time. I still had to get my dress and makeup done before 7 pm.


    There were some very nice jewellery on disy. They were all beautiful pieces. It was hard to choose just one. Finally, after some minutes, I was trying to decide between a diamond pearl drop earrings or an emerald one when I felt something cold, hard and metallic pressed against my neck. My body seized up and I could feel my heart thumping violently against my rib cage. Cold chills crashed through my body and a gasp escaped my lips. I started to turn.


    ¡°One wrong move and you¡¯re dead,¡± a low, male voice said from behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t turn back. Don¡¯t make any sudden movements, and most importantly, don¡¯t bloody scream or it will be thest thing you ever do. Got it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how I did it because I was paralysed by fear, but I managed to force my neck muscles to move. I nodded. The gun left my neck and was pressed against my back. That cold, hard metal could only be a gun. I was being assaulted right in a mall, in full view of other people.


    No. That wasn¡¯t quite right. By a stroke of bad luck, I was nearly the only one in the jewellery section. The salesgirl was some distance away, chatting happily to another customer. Anyone looking my way would think the man and I were in the middle of a conversation.


    ¡°Please,¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Shut the hell up,¡± he hissed. ¡°Now, do exactly what I say. Drop your phone in your handbag then drop the bag on the floor.¡± With shaky hands, I did as he instructed. I felt his breath tickle my neck as he said, ¡°Good girl. Now, we are going to take a little walk outside. Move slowly. Remember no sudden movements, no screaming, no- Shit! You must have watched quite a lot of gangster movie so you know the drill. Now move your ass.¡±


    He dug the gun painfully into my back when I remained still. The fear of getting shot unlocked my muscles enough for me to move slowly. It was hard not to shake, because inside, I was trembling all over. The other shoppers paid me little or no attention but I noticed that most of the staff looked at me oddly, no doubt because they saw a man pressed almost indecently close to me. Never before had I wished for a nosy, talkative employee as I did at that moment but none of them said anything. We finally got outside.


    He ordered me to get into his car, the very same one I had spotted following me. Tears formed quickly in my eyes as I considered that I was right. There were two other men in the car, waiting for us. My abductor quickly got in beside me. The door mmed shut. I just had time to cuss myself for not calling Damian or the police the moment I had gotten into the mall before a bag was pulled over my head, cutting off my sight. I started to struggle. Strong hands gripped my hands, bound them tightly. My legs suffered the same treatment.


    ¡°Please,¡± I cried. ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    Someone growled. ¡°What are you waiting for? Shut the bitch up.¡±


    I heard a ripping, tearing sound. The next moment, the sack over my head was pulled up and duct-tape pped onto my mouth. Once again, my head was covered with the sack.


    The man beside me jabbed his gun painfully against my ribs.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re in our hands,¡± he said. ¡°If you fucking yell or attract attention, we will blow your head off. You¡¯re not worth quite much to us, dead or alive.¡±


    I nodded but I could feel myself slowly dying from fear.


    ********************************


    DAMIAN


    I pulled back my sleeve to check my watch. It was some minutes past 8. Our dinner date had been for 7. This was an hour past. What on earth was keeping her? Surely, she couldn¡¯t still be working at the bakery by this time. Even if she somehow was, why hadn¡¯t she returned any of my calls or replied my messages? Except she was with that creep, Colin, but I didn¡¯t want to believe that was true. She wouldn¡¯t have promised to have dinner with me if she had no intentions of showing up.


    ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± I tried calling again, pacing the sitting room anxiously. The phone rang but there was no response as usual. Was Amelia intentionally ignoring me?


    When it was 8:30 and she still hadn¡¯t made an appearance, with my phone, I checked her location. It was either she came to me or I would go to her.


    I was shocked to see that she was at the mall at half past eight. That was so unlike her. I began to get a strange feeling about herteness as I set out for the mall. She would have texted me if she was going to bete. Could something have happened and she was too scared to call me?


    My drive to the mall was quick, my thoughts upied by Amelia and her absence. When I arrived, an eerie feeling suddenly overwhelmed me.


    I spotted her car in the parking lot almost immediately, confirming she was indeed at the mall. I walked over to it but she wasn¡¯t in it. The hood of the car was cool to the touch, suggesting that she had arrived at the mall at least more than an hour ago. Could she have been shopping for hours? Even Anton¡¯s morous models never shopped for so long.


    The receptionist, who was writing something in a notebook looked up as I approached her. She immediately stood to acknowledge me when she saw who I was.


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± she said, straightening her clothes and patting her hair at the same time. ¡°Wee. Is there anything you need?¡±


    ¡°My wife¡­¡± I looked around. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t here, sir. I mean she was here, but she¡¯s gone now.¡±


    I shut my eyes briefly in exasperation. ¡°Can you try to be more coherent? This is important.¡±


    Her head bobbed up and down. ¡°She came to the mall this evening. Ellen, that¡¯s the girl who works at the jewellery section, says she saw here there. Ms Amelia didn¡¯t stay long though. She left with a man. With the way they were walking close together, I think they are really close friends.¡±


    Her eyes suddenly widened. Realizing she had said too much, she shut her mouth with a snap. I was confused. Who was this man so important as to make her note home after promising that she would do so. Was it Colin? How could she go out with him when we were supposed to have a date?


    ¡°Describe this man,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really see much of him. He was wearing a face cap and sses. Oh. And a really big coat too. All I can say for certain is that he had really long hair.¡±


    Long hair. Colin didn¡¯t have long hair. This man had to be someone else. But who? I was still as confused as ever. The only fact I had been able to establish was that Amelia had been at the mall and had left to heaven knows where with a man.


    ¡°Are you alright sir?¡± the receptionist asked.


    I looked up to find her staring at me worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I murmured. ¡°Thank you for the information. If she returns anytime, please give me a call.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, Sir. Have a good night.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I turned to leave when I heard her call my name.


    ¡°Mr Donovan! I forgot to give you something,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± I said, turning back anding to a stop in front of her station.


    ¡°A second, sir.¡± She bent, unlocked a drawer and brought out a bag which she ced it on the counter. ¡°After she left, we found her handbag on the floor at the jewellery section. Her phone was in the bag along with some other important documents.¡±


    I took the bag from her and examined it. I felt a chill creep up my spine as I inspected the contents of the bag and found it was indeed Amelia¡¯s. My breath came in short gasps and I staggered back. Something was wrong with my wife.

 Chapter 078

    AMELIA


    Just when I felt my lungs were closing up because of theck of air, I found I could breathe again. Someone had yanked the bag off my head and shoved me into a hardbacked chair. I took in deep, rattling breaths. I blinked rapidly as my eyes tried to adjust to the very dim light in the room. Struggling against my restraints was useless because I was still bound tightly.


    My hands were already numb from theck of cirction. Finally, I could make out the figures of six men most of which were standing in a loose circle around me. I whimpered and flinched when one of them stepped towards me, but he did that only to savagely peel the duct-tape off my mouth. I cried out in pain. The area around my mouth seemed to be on fire. The man who had peeled the duct tape off made a threatning gesture and I fell silent.


    These people had to be kidnappers. They could be a gang who kidnapped wealthy people in the city. Being the wife of Damian had made me a target. The thought made me want to puke. I fought hard, really hard to control my panic. I had to do my best to talk myself out of this situation.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whimpered. ¡°Please let me go. If you let me go now, I swear I won¡¯t say anything to anyone about this.¡± The man closest to me nudged the man next to him. They allughed. My teeth caught my bottom lip. Appealing to them clearly wasn¡¯t working. I turned to the only one of them who hadn¡¯tughed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡± he said with a leer which made my blood run cold.


    ¡°I- I mean money. My husband is very wealthy. He¡¯ll pay you any amount for my release.¡± I paused to blink back tears. ¡°I beg you don¡¯t hurt me. Take my offer. Name your price. I promise you he¡¯ll pay it.¡±


    ¡°Very smart move, Amelia,¡± said a familiar voice and I felt my blood freeze up. I heard approaching footsteps and turned in that direction. ¡°Offering them money would have worked but unfortunately for you, these men are under my payroll. There is no amount of money you can offer that I can¡¯t double or triple. Right boys?¡±


    There was a murmur of assent from the other men. Two men stepped aside so the speaker came to stand in front of me. My eyes felt like they would pop right out of their sockets as I stared at him. I had identified his voice the moment he had spoken, but I had thought my ears and mind had been ying tricks on me. Now, here he was in the flesh, standing right before me. For a moment, the room spun and I thought I was going to faint. My body felt numb as I sat in the chair and despite how my mind was raging with thoughts, I couldn¡¯t muster any words.


    I blinked rapidly to be sure I wasn¡¯t hallucinating. No! It couldn¡¯t be Colin. I was only dreaming but it felt so real. So real.


    ¡°Colin!¡± I said in a whisper.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    A smile curved his lips. He spread his arms wide. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Colin. Right here. Ughh. I still can¡¯t believe I blew my cover so soon. I should have made my entrance more dramatic.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him. It still felt like I was in a horrible dream.


    I forced my lips to move, ¡°What am I doing here?¡±


    ¡°Excellent question.¡± He leaned forward to pat my cheek. ¡°I always knew you were a smart girl. I thought you would never ask. Before I answer you, I have a question of my own. What are you married to a murderer¡¯s son?¡±


    I blinked, not sure I had heard him clearly. What the hell was he talking about?


    ¡°What? A murderer¡¯s son?¡± I repeated, not knowing what else to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    ¡°Colin, I think you must be mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e off it! Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. Pretending here won¡¯t get you anywhere. Your husband is the son of a murderer and yet you married him. You knew everything his family did but you married him out of greed. Money, Amelia, money! You married that asshole for money!¡±


    Tears ran down my face. I was getting more scared by the second. I could barely stop my lips from quivering out of fright. Colin looked terrifying and I didn¡¯t want to think about my fate.


    ¡°Colin, I swear I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Please, I have no idea. You have to believe me.¡± I shook my head, my eyes begging him to believe me. ¡°If this is about Damon, we can talk this out. This is not the way to fix the problem.¡±


    He paced the room for a bit beforeing to a stop in front of me again.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Y-you believe me?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°No. Since you want to y games with me, how about we y a better one. Huh? I won¡¯t kill you slowly and gruesomely like I had nned if you admit your crimes. Tell me the truth and I¡¯ll give you a quick and painless death, which is actually the best you can hope for.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m telling you the truth. I have no idea of what you¡¯re talking about. If I did, I would tell you.¡± I cried. The talk of death had my eyes burning in my socket. ¡°Colin, this isn¡¯t you. You¡¯ve been so kind to me, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll want to hurt me. If this is a joke, just stop it!¡±


    He tsked. ¡°Fine. Stubborn much. Here¡¯s the deal. You have 48 hours to tell the truth. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have all these men have their way with you. When they¡¯re done, I¡¯ll grab your bloody neck and strangle you with my bare hands. 48 hours, Amelia. That¡¯s all you have. Think about it. I¡¯ll be back when you¡¯re prepared to be reasonable.¡±


    He turned and began to walk away.


    ¡°Colin,¡± I called. ¡°Colin please. I swear I don¡¯t know what you think I know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even turn once like he heard me. He walked out of the door and mmed it shut. One of the men began to advance with another roll of duct tape.


    ¡°Please,¡± I said to him. ¡°I won¡¯t scream. Please, just hear me out. I¡¯m telling the-¡±


    He pped the tape over my mouth, cutting off the rest of my words.


    *********************************


    DAMIAN


    I felt my fists clench in myp. I had never felt so much like punching something the way I did now. Every second I spent here at the police station were seconds in which Amelia could be getting farther away from me.


    I was scared, so scared but I tried not to let my emotions distract me. Wherever she was, she must be terrified and hopeless. She needed me to be strong and I had to be.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got it,¡± Anton called over his shoulder.


    In a sh, I was standing behind the policeman, peering over his shoulder at theputer where the CCTV footage of the mall was ying. On the screen, I saw Amelia joined by a man in a trench coat who pressed something against her back.


    Within minutes, he left the mall with her. None of her staff had bothered to stop them. How could they be so stupid or nonchnt?


    ¡°We need to see his face,¡± I said, pointing at the man who had taken Amelia. ¡°Can you rey the footage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not sure it will be of any help.¡±


    He was right. No matter how many times the detectives rewound and reyed the video footage, none of us could get a clear view of the man¡¯s features. His face was hidden by a facecap pulled down low over his brow andrge, dark sunsses.


    ¡°He¡¯s almost unidentifiable,¡± the detective in charge of the case mmed his file on the table. ¡°This was nned.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± I yelled.


    I had put a lot of hope in seeing what was on the footage. I mmed my fists on the table, spraying coffee everywhere. Unable to sit still, I began to pace the room. I didn¡¯t think I had ever been this terrified in my life. If anything had happened to Amelia¡­ I shook my head.


    No. That thought was intolerable. She had to be fine. She just had to be. I couldn¡¯t live with the alternative. Anton walked up to me,id a hand on my sleeve.


    ¡°Damian, you have to calm down,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s going to be found. Just take a seat and-¡±


    I shook off his grip and resumed pacing. Amelia wouldn¡¯t be in danger if she hadn¡¯te into my life. No one would have known her enough to hurt her if I hadn¡¯t brought her into the limelight. Oh, what have I done?


    ¡°Mr Donovan. We will do our best to find her,¡± the detective picked up his file again.


    I abruptly stopped pacing. ¡°No. I don¡¯t just want you to do your best. You must find her. You understand? You must.¡±


    ¡°Of course we will.¡±


    ¡°Those to be questioned are here.¡± We all turned to see a uniformed policeman at the door.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The detective turned to me. ¡°We called in your wife¡¯s staff at the bakery for questioning.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I started moving but the detectiveid a gentle but firm hand on my arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you aren¡¯t going to be allowed into the questioning room.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± I growled.


    ¡°You¡¯ll only get in the way,¡± Anton said.


    I shot him a re.


    ¡°Your friend is right,¡± he said. ¡°I promise you¡¯ll know everything we do.¡±


    With that I had to be content. After what felt like hours, the detective came out of the questioning room holding a little notebook. He took me aside, asked if my rtionship with Amelia had been difficulttely. I just didn¡¯t understand why he was asking.


    ¡°We just resolved a fight we¡¯ve been having. We were supposed to have a special dinner together tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you, or have you ever suspected your wife of having an affair?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I snapped. ¡°What have these questions got to do with finding my wife?¡±


    ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve gathered, your wife was visited this morning by a man. They seemed very friendly.¡±


    ¡°A man.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­ have a description of this man?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right here¡­¡± He turned a page of the notebook. ¡°He was about six feet tall. Blue eyes, very well dressed, a friendly, easy going manner. All thedies agree that he was also very good looking.¡±


    I knew who that description fit. Colin.

 Chapter 079

    DAMIAN


    I brought the car to a stop inches away from the entrance steps to the building. The doorman jumped out of the way even though he had not been in danger of getting hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t park here, sir,¡± he called out as I marched up the stairs.


    Ignoring him, I threw the ss doors open, stormed up to the reception area, pounded my fists on the startled receptionist¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Where the hell is he?¡± I asked.


    She blinked. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Your boss. Where is he? Take me to see him right now.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°To hell with that!¡± I yelled. The massive lobby suddenly became very quiet. ¡°Tell me where his office is. What floor?¡±


    Someone tapped my arm. I turned to see a man dressed in a dark suit right beside me. Two other men in security uniforms detached themselves from those watching and hurried forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to tell you to leave, sir,¡± said the man in the suit. ¡°You¡¯re disrupting the peaceful environment of thispany.¡±


    I pped his hand away. ¡°Get your hands off me. Tell me where Colin is.¡±


    The other two reached me. They stood on either side of me, and touched me lightly. I darted forward but their hands immediately closed on my arms. ¡°Let me go,¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until I see him.¡±


    I began to struggle in earnest as they dragged me towards the door. I nted my feet, and kept shaking off their hold. A small crowd had gathered. They were all staring but I didn¡¯t care. The man wearing a suit pressed his hand to themunication device in his ear and began to talk rapidly in low tones. I knew what that meant. He was calling for back up. In a few seconds, maybe less, other security personnel would arrive to throw me out. I decided then that desperate times called for desperate measures. I balled up my fists. I would punch one of them in the face, then run up the stairs.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I stopped struggling. The sound of Colin¡¯s voice fanned the fires of the fury I felt bubbling on the inside of me.


    ¡°He was demanding to see you, sir,¡± exined one of the security guards. ¡°He was threatening the receptionist and causing a-¡±


    ¡°I can speak for myself!¡± I said.


    ¡°That voice¡­¡± Colin murmured. In the silence, I heard his approaching footsteps. He stepped around the guard blocking my view of him. His eyes widened in surprise the moment he saw me. ¡°Damian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡± I took a threatening step toward him. I was stopped from going further by the hands holding onto my arms very tightly. ¡°Are you surprised to see me after everything you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Colin ordered. They hesitated, but let go and stepped back. Colin¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°You came to see me. Please, let¡¯s talk in my office.¡±


    My fists clenched again. They ached to punch him in the mouth.


    ¡°Tell me what you did to her,¡± I demanded.


    He frowned a little. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but I think that whatever you want to discuss with me should be discussed in private.¡±


    He stepped back so I could get a clear view of our audience, most of whom were slowly edging closer to hear us better. If I said anything, I was sure to be recorded and news would spread faster than a wild fire.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    Colin walked to his office with a jaunty air. I followed him closely in case he decided to make a break for it.


    ¡°Here we a-¡± The door closed behind him. I grabbed him by the cor, and pinned him to the wall.


    ¡°Damian,¡± he gasped. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and listen to me,¡± I hissed. ¡°You see this?¡± His gaze drifted from my face to my fists which was right against his nose. ¡°I¡¯m going to break your nose in the next few seconds if you don¡¯t tell me where Amelia is and what you¡¯ve done to her.¡±


    ¡°What ha-¡± The rest of his words were lost in gasps.


    I pulled him forward, and mmed him against the wall.¡±Speak up, damn you!¡±


    He pointed to his throat and I eased my hold a little, just enough for him to speak. He sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°What happened to Amelia?¡± he enquired. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pretend. You visited her at the bakery this morning and she got missing on the same day. I know you have something to do with this. Maybe you got upset she rejected you?¡±


    Colin¡¯s mouth hung open in surprise for a moment or two. ¡°I can assure you, Damian,  that I have nothing to do with her disappearance. The very idea is absurd. I care about her.¡± I mmed him against the wall again. Hard. He went on in a higher, slightly panicked voice. ¡°I swear it. Since high school, I¡¯ve liked Amelia. You can¡¯t begin to imagine how disappointed I was when she told me she had gotten married to you and-¡±


    ¡°And then you decided to kidnap her!¡±


    ¡°No. Yes, I was jealous, especially when she always managed to bring you into every conversation we had, but I could never hurt her. Not even if I tried. Instead of hurting her, I¡¯ve been finding ways to make her happy. I¡¯ve been sending her flowers, gifts. Hell! I¡¯ve asked her to dinner more times than I can count just to give her a good time. Tell me, Damian, how could I hurt someone who I always want to see happy?¡±


    My grip on Colin¡¯s shirt cor ckened. Now I wasn¡¯t sure he had a hand in Amelia¡¯s kidnapping after all. His words had a ring of sincerity to it. Most of the things he said he¡¯d done, I had seen first hand. But one question remained.


    ¡°Why did you go to see her at the bakery?¡±


    ¡°For goodness sake! Is that why you suspected me of having anything to do with her disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Answer the damn question!¡±


    ¡°I went there to talk about ns I had for a partnership. Oh don¡¯t look at me like that! I know how it sounds; a techpany and a bakery, partnering together. The truth is the proposed partnership was just a way of getting close to her.¡± His voice broke when he asked, ¡°What has happened to her?¡±


    I exhaled, and let Colin go. The rage that had kept me going had ebbed away. What was left now was a crushing feeling of disappointment that I hadn¡¯t gone further in finding Amelia, and fear that something bad had happened to her.


    ¡°She¡¯s missing. I haven¡¯t heard from her since she left for work that morning.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure you didn¡¯t upset her?¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s been kidnapped and there¡¯s evidence of that. The police are investigating,¡± I told him. ¡°Call me if you get anything or if you hear from her.¡±


    I was walking to the door, but stopped when Colin called my name.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help with the investigation,¡± he promised. ¡°Amelia is a very dear friend to me and I cannot imagine her getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°Then, I look forward to hearing from you.¡± With a defeated sigh, I exited his office.


    ******************************************


    AMELIA


    One of the men came around to the back of the chair I sat in. I held my breath, waiting for something to happen. The pressure of the ropes tying my hands to my midsection lessened. He had untied me. That meant only one thing. Colin wasing to see me.


    While thinking of ways I could stop Colin from carrying out his threat, I had resolved to tell him that my marriage to Damian was just a contract. Hopefully, he would realize I was not deeply connected to Damian. That his act of revenge was useless because Damian didn¡¯t truly care about me.


    Suddenly, the door was flung open. Colin rushed in, and made a beeline for me. With his face inches from my own, I saw that his face was contorted in rage. I gulped, already seeing my life shing before my eyes.


    ¡°Can you imagine what I¡¯ve been through because of you?¡± he shouted. ¡°Answer me!¡± It was funny to think he considered himself a victim while keeping me locked up like a maniac.


    ¡°I- I-¡±


    He straightened, threw back his head and let out peal after peal ofughter.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he finally said, wiping tears ofughter from his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just that the situation is aggravating yet funny at the same time.¡± He frowned, and then began to chuckle. It was then I realized Colin was a psychopath and would probably never let me go. I was in trouble, deep trouble. ¡°Tell me, Amelia, do I look like a viin? That husband of yours stormed into mypany. He pushed me around, almost half strangled me as he asked me what I had done with you.¡±


    ¡°Colin. Please,¡± I cried. ¡°I beg you. Let me go. I swear I won¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    He stared at me, then doubled up withughter. ¡°You¡¯re more stupid than I thought if you actually think you¡¯re leaving here alive. I¡¯ve nned this moment for years even though I didn¡¯t expect you to be his wife. Such a shame that I have to go through with it. Though I must admit that I¡¯m doing this sooner than I had anticipated. I sensed you were about to cut me off. What gave me away?¡±


    He raised his hand threateningly and I quickly answered the question.


    ¡°My mother,¡± I said. ¡°I never told you her name or my home address, yet you knew¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me. How long?¡± I managed to ask.


    ¡°Since you got married to Damian.¡±


    I opened my mouth to tell him about the contract just as he ordered his men to tie me up again.


    ¡°Wait! There¡¯s something I-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± he snapped. ¡°Remember you have just 24 hours to tell me the truth. Tick tock, Amelia. Tick tock.¡±

 Chapter 080

    DAMIAN


    My head buzzed. My eyes ached and I could hear my stomach rumbling. I had been staring at the same set of files over and over again, trying to discover any leads the police might have missed. So far, I had not found anything helpful. I turned to Anton to ask if he had better luck than I did but he clearly didn¡¯t look like he did. With his head cradled in his palm, he was nodding off to sleep. I sighed. I didn¡¯t me him though.


    We had been up all night, searching for leads to Amelia¡¯s kidnap. I hadn¡¯t slept a wink. I was conscious of the fact that with every passing second, Amelia sunk deeper into danger. I hadn¡¯t gotten a ransom call yet and I wondered why. If her abductors wanted money, why wouldn¡¯t they call me? All I needed was a number, any amount to get Amelia back and safe.


    I nudged Anton in the ribs. He stirred sleepily, and opened one bleary eye.


    ¡°Anton, why do you think Amelia¡¯s kidnappers haven¡¯t asked for a ransom yet? Isn¡¯t that what they must be after?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really tell.¡± He shuffled around some papers in front of him, stared at one with fixed concentration and began nodding off again after a few seconds.


    I decided to get some coffee. I hoped it would keep my mind keen. I was almost at the kitchen when my phone rang. I sighed and trudged back to get it.


    ¡°Damian? It¡¯s me, Colin,¡± said the voice at the other end immediately I took the call.


    I exhaled.


    ¡°Colin,¡± I breathed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been worried sick about Amelia. I just hired a team of seasoned investigators to look into her disappearance. They have started work already, but they will need all the information you and the police have gathered so far on the case. They need the information to work with.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Colin,¡± I said and meant it. It feltforting to know that there was someone else trying to get Amelia free. ¡°I will send over the files the moment I drop this call. I must warn you that some of the files and pictures I¡¯ll send might be useless. The police couldn¡¯t do anything with it so your investigators shouldn¡¯t put much hope into it.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°The face of Amelia¡¯s abductor wasn¡¯t really visible. He wore a cap, sses that made it impossible to identify him.¡±


    Colin swore under his breath. ¡°The CCTV cameras are one thing, but how is it that no one spotted a strange looking guy in arge, frequented shopping mall? That¡¯s ludicrous, but I¡¯m sure my investigators will find something.¡±


    Wait, what? I slowly took the phone off my ears to think about my conversation with Colin in thest few days. Despite my attempt to keep my head calm, I found that his words kept ringing a bell. It was like a jolt of electricity that suddenly coursed through me and I felt nothing but shock.


    Had I told him that Amelia had been kidnapped at the mall? I didn¡¯t think so. How did he know? Or maybe I was thinking about it too much. He could have gotten the information from the police or maybe his investigators were indeed top notch. Yes, that could be the perfect exnation.


    The silence between us lengthened and then, surprisingly, Colinughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done it again, haven¡¯t I?¡± he asked. You didn¡¯t tell me she was taken from the mall, did you? Damn! I just can¡¯t seem to be able to keep my big mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°You-¡±


    The line went dead. Petrified, I stared straight ahead. My phone slipped from my hand and fell onto the desk with a thud. The sound roused Anton. He looked from the phone to my face, and immediately sat up straight.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, grabbing my sleeve.


    I managed to swallow past the lump of fear in my throat. ¡°It¡¯s Colin. Colin kidnapped Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Colin? What are you saying? How do you even know this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± I shouted, now beginning to recover my wits. ¡°Call the detective now. Call 911. Now that his cover is blown, he will want to hurt her.¡±


    I grabbed my phone and car keys and made for the door. I couldn¡¯t let Colin get away with this.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Anton asked, his eyes almost bulging out of his socket. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find her,¡± I said hurriedly, my words tumbling over each other in their haste to get out. ¡°My location is turned on so you can track me. Get the police to me as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°Damian, you need to-¡±


    ¡°Anton! Get the police to me or I¡¯ll lose her!¡±


    ***********************************


    AMELIA


    The fear I felt was intensified ten times over when three of my abductors suddenly barged into the room. They marched towards me, and began to untie me quickly. Fear settled like an icy feeling in my chest. This was it. They finally were going to kill me.


    ¡°Up you get,¡± growled one of the men.


    ¡°No,¡± I cried. ¡°No, please¡­¡±


    They grabbed my arm in a bid to get me to stand up. I held on to the chair tightly and kept pleading. The next moment, Colin stormed into the room, took in the scene, drew back his hand and pped me across the face. The pain was instant and blinding. Before I could recover, he grabbed and yanked my hair backward so I was looking him straight in the face.


    ¡°Guess what, bitch,¡± he said in a conversational tone. ¡°My ns have changed. Now, I¡¯m going to kill you right in front of Damian.¡±


    The tears I had been struggling to hold back ran down my cheeks.


    ¡°No. Colin. Please don¡¯t do this,¡± I begged.


    Ignoring me, he addressed one of the men. ¡°Tell the others to very ready. Damian knows what I did. It¡¯s possible he will be able to trace our whereabouts.¡±


    The man smirked. ¡°I think that¡¯s very unlikely. This building is not only abandoned, but in an out-of-the-way spot. No one will think of looking here.¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Colin barked. ¡°Do what I say. Damian is smart and ruthless. You can¡¯t underestimate him.¡±


    Colin was right: Damian was smart and he would stop at nothing to get whatever he wanted. I offered up a silent prayer for Damian to actually find and rescue me.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Colin suddenly grabbed me by the hair and the pain rippled through me. He dragged me to another room, much smaller than the one I had been tied up in, and pushed me to the floor. I fell painfully on my side. He was about to say something when his phone rang. He stared at it, held it out to me so I could see the screen.


    ¡°See that? It¡¯s you blood loving husband calling. I¡¯m going to end both your lives soon. How would you like that?¡±


    I choked on a sob. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. If you let me go, I swear that I won¡¯t press charges. What happened in the past shouldn¡¯t make you hurt me. Please. Don¡¯t ruin the good life you have built for yourself bymitting murder. I know you¡¯re a good man-¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°SHUT UP,¡± he bellowed. His eyes were red and seemed to be bulging out of their sockets. ¡°My mother¡¯s life wasn¡¯t spared, so why the hell should I spare yours? She died and now, it¡¯s your turn!¡±


    I gaped at him in surprise. His mother?


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°The Donovans took everything from me. Everything! They killed my mother. They ruined my life.¡±


    ¡°Colin, pl-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not walking out alive in any version of this story. Get that into your head!¡±


    I leaned as far away from him as I could and burst into tears. Colin was blinded by revenge and pain. I didn¡¯t know how his mother had died, but I was sure now that it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that he hade after me. He wanted me dead.


    ¡°Colin,¡± I managed to say through tears.  ¡°Your mother wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to do this. I don¡¯t know what the Donovans did to your family but I wasn¡¯t a part of it. Even Damian might not know what happened.¡±


    Colin took a step closer and I whimpered.


    ¡°Want to know what happened? They killed my mother. They left me in the hands of my abusive father who hated me even more after my mother died.¡± His face broke into a smile. ¡°Now I¡¯m going to make him feel the pain I felt all those years ago. I won¡¯t kill him anymore. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be let off that easily. I¡¯ll make him have nightmares. I want him to see my face every night as I rip out your throat. I want him to feel excruciating pain whenever he thinks of you. Every time he wakes up, I want him to regret living. He will have no choice but to keep himself out of misery.¡±


    ¡°But he won¡¯t think of me. Damian will move on a week after my death and all this would have been for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Lying won¡¯t change your fate,¡± he threatened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying! My marriage to Damian is fake. Damian and I signed a contract so he could get to keep his uncle¡¯spany.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me,¡± Colin shrieked. ¡°You¡¯re fucking lying.¡± Again, he pped me and I fell to the ground weakly.


    Realizing this could well be myst chance to convince him, I went on yelling, ¡°I¡¯m not lying. He won¡¯te for me. He¡¯ll only use me as bait to flush you out. Damian only cares about hispany. Nothing more. You¡¯ve got the wrong person and you¡¯ve done all these for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re telling the truth, shall we?¡±


    Right there, he called Damian, and gave him the location to the ce. He told him toe alone if he loved me and any involvement with the police would be thest time he¡¯d see me. Then he called for his men.


    ¡°Get yourselves into position,¡± he told them. ¡°Damian ising.¡±


    I watched in horror as they got their guns ready. Though I was scared, I felt that Damian wouldn¡¯t put himself wilfully into danger like this. I knew he cared for me but there was no way he would risk his life for me. No, he wouldn¡¯t.


    When I felt more than ten minutes had passed, I chuckled and shook my head, ¡°I was right. Damian won¡¯te. Only the cops will.¡± But the joke was on me.


    At that moment, I heard the screeching of car tyres. One of Colin¡¯s men hurried into the room.


    ¡°Damian is here,¡± he told Colin.


    ¡°Well well,¡± Colin said, smiling at me. ¡°I guess you¡¯re a lying bitch after all.¡±

 Chapter 081

    DAMIAN


    I took in a deep, shaky breath. This was it. This was when I either got to rescue Amelia or died trying. Colin had chosen his hideout well. It was an abandoned, dpidated building in an out-of-the-way spot. It was a ce hardly anyone would think to look. I stuffed my phone under the passenger seat. I looked around as I slowly stepped out of the car. I could only hope that Anton would act swiftly. Minutes before driving into thepound, I had texted Anton my location though I knew he had been tracking my phone. If everything went ording to n, he would alert the police, who hopefully would find some way to infiltrate this ce without calling attention to themselves.


    I shifted, and exhaled as I registered movement out of the corner of my eyes. Before I could blink, I was surrounded by four masked men. My survival instincts kicked in. I tensed up, clenched my fists, ready to take them out, ready to defend myself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a hero, Romeo,¡± the man closest to me said with augh. ¡°Remember we still have her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hit us once, we¡¯ll return the favour a hundred times. Only it won¡¯t be you, we¡¯ll hit. It will be her. Now move your ass!¡±


    ¡°Cowards!¡± I spat, staring at them with rage.


    ¡°Whatever makes you feel better,¡± they chuckled.


    While they had been talking, someone tied my hands behind my back. One of them suddenly shoved me foward. I stumbled, and almost fell. My arms were grabbed and I was dragged into the semi dark, huge building. I blinked as my eyes tried to adjust to the dim light. The only sounds I could hear was the tramping of feet and the steady dripping of water. The atmosphere of the ce was oppressive. I wondered how Amelia had been holding up for so long. She would be terrified.


    I tried to keep theyout of the ce in my head as they led me down a corridor full of rusted machinery and broken furniture, down another empty corridor and finally into a room where I saw-


    ¡°Amelia,¡± I gasped.


    She was half sitting, half lying on the dirty floor. Her face was puffy and bruised but otherwise, she was okay. She was alive!


    ¡°Damian.¡± Her voice choked on a sob. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee. Why did youe here? Why?¡±


    I thought she would have been happy to see me, at least, the hope that I would try to get her out. But she looked scared and angry even. What had Colin done to her?


    When I tried to get closer to her, I was dragged to the opposite end of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch me!¡± I yelled, trying to struggle with the men who surrounded me. My efforts were futile of course because we were easily outnumbered.


    ¡°This is quite a reunion,¡± Colin pped loudly and strolled toward Amelia. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± He dragged her forward by her hair.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Not a chance, buster. I¡¯m going to kill her just the way your family killed my mother.¡± He waited a beat, then continued, ¡°Does that ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? My family would never-¡± And then, it hit me. They had only been one murder victim in my family, one that always haunted my dreams. The victim had a son who was roughly my age when it happened.


    I lifted my eyes to meet Colin¡¯s gaze. Fuck. It couldn¡¯t be him, could it? All these time, he wasn¡¯t really after mypany. It was just a diversion from his real target. He was here for revenge for his mother.


    ¡°Colin, please,¡± my voice softened. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t know it was your mother. If I had, I would have apologized the moment I met you.¡±


    Colin let out a peal of derisiveughter. ¡°You seriously expect me to believe that? Oh please, Damian, there is no way in hell you didn¡¯t know. You Donovan¡¯s are the worst schemers on earth!¡±


    I kept my eyes fixed on Colin¡¯s, hoping that he would somehow sense my sincerity. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you the truth. You have to believe me. All that happened so many years ago. I was just a teenager then. Listen, my mother¡¯s actions have nothing to do with me or¡­ Amelia. Please let her go. Let¡¯s end this.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Colin gave Amelia¡¯s hair another savage yank that brought tears of pain to her eyes. ¡°Why are you so concerned about the bitch, huh? It¡¯s just a contract marriage after all. You disappointed her bying, you know. She told me your marriage to her was fake and that you didn¡¯t love her. It had to be a lie, right? Else you wouldn¡¯t be here. And if she¡¯s right, I don¡¯t think she matters much to you. A life for a life is what I want!¡±


    ¡®Lie¡¯ a voice in my head screamed. Lie to save her life.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± I blurted. ¡°I came because I need her alive. If she dies before a year pses, I will loose my right to own my uncle¡¯spany. That is something I don¡¯t intend to let happen.¡±


    Behind my back, I crossed my fingers, hoping that he would believe me and let Amelia go. With his head cocked at an angle, Colin hissed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he finally said. ¡°I think you both are lying. You¡¯re lying to save her ass just as she was lying for you.¡±


    He reached for the gun in his back pocket.


    ¡°No!¡± I swallowed. ¡°Listen to me. Let me exin. I carefully nned my marriage to Amelia to get a hold of my uncle¡¯spany. One of the conditions in his will was that I get married and stay married for a year. And then there was the other reason.¡±


    ¡°What other reason?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Her ex husband, Noah Allen, is my business rival. I had hoped me getting married to his ex-wife would destroy him, throw him off bnce. It¡¯s been working so far.¡±


    Colin¡¯s face worked. A muscle ticked in his jaw.


    ¡°You scheming bastard!¡± he hissed furiously. ¡°Do you mean I went through all the trouble to kidnap her for nothing?¡± I wanted to say yes, but my throat suddenly felt very dry. I had a feeling that the time for talking was past. Colin was finally about to do something drastic at this point. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s really all fucking simple! I¡¯ll kill her since she¡¯s of no importance to either of us-¡± Amelia whimpered in fright. ¡°-and then I¡¯ll kill you selfish, cold-hearted bastard, since you care about nothing more than your bloodypany. The world would be a better ce to live in without scums like you tainting the air the rest of us breathe. When you die, someone else, most likely a total stranger, will take over your preciouspany. That means the only thing you care about will be taken away from you.¡± His face split into a grin. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? It¡¯s a win-win, for me at least. So, here goes.¡± The grin was wiped off his face as he suddenly red at the men holding me. ¡°Now, keep a tight hold on him. I want him to watch this very closely. I mean, it¡¯s not everyday one gets to watch their wife die.¡±


    ¡°No!!!!¡± I lunged forward but forceful hands held me back. ¡°Let her go! I¡¯m the one you want! Let her go!¡±


    With adrenaline rushing through me, I watched as Colin tittered and cocked his gun. His men kept hitting me as I struggled to get free. I shouted and I threatened. I begged. I made promises to Colin, promises I couldn¡¯t remember the moment the words left my mouth. Amelia fought him, but he was too strong for her. Amelia froze the moment he put the gun to her head. I saw his finger slowly and deliberately squeezing the trigger.


    And then, there was a loud bang.


    One of Colin¡¯s men fell to the ground with a loud thud and a bullet hole in his head. Before I could make out what was happening, more gunshots were fired and two more men dropped to the ground with identical wounds. The men holding me immediately let go and scurried to safety. I started towards Colin who dragged Amelia with him as he ran for cover.


    There was a loud hissing sound. In a second, the whole room was filled with gas. I found I couldn¡¯t see an inch in front of me. I stumbled around, backed up against something with a sharp, jagged edge. I worked the ropes binding me up and down on it until they cut. When I got roughly to the spot where Amelia had been, I couldn¡¯t find her. I held my breath as I crawled out of the room. Up ahead, I saw Colin dragging her along. I broke into a stumbling run and collided with him. He fell to the floor, the gun with him.


    ¡°Run!¡± I yelled at Amelia who had fallen too, but was trying to get to her feet. ¡°Anton must be here somewhere. Find him.¡±


    She reached for me. ¡°Damian-¡±


    ¡°GO!¡±


    She turned and fled down the corridor just as I felt Colin¡¯s hands close around my throat. I broke his hold, punched him several times in the gut. He let go of me and staggered back.


    He spat out blood from his mouth and inhaled fiercely. Then he pulled out a knife from his pocket and dashed toward me.


    He was fast and before I could stop him, I felt the sharp de prate my stomach. I swayed back, clutching my bleeding stomach. The wound wasn¡¯t deep as I had managed to push him away before the de pierced deeper.


    I leaped at him and we both crumbled to the ground. Colin and I rolled over, throwing punches at each other. The breath was knocked out of me when he hit me over the head with the butt of his gun.


    ¡°Got you.¡± Heughed. He pressed the gun against my temple, pulled me up so I was on my knees. ¡°You¡¯re a fool for giving up your life for a woman you don¡¯t love!¡±


    This was it. I was going to die now but wasn¡¯t going to die sniveling and begging for my life. I would die proud. I just hoped Amelia had gotten to safety so my sacrifice wouldn¡¯t be for nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I ground out.  ¡°I love Amelia against all odds just as your mother loved my father. Do you think your mother really hated my family? She was in love with my father!¡±


    Colin¡¯s voice shook, ¡°Then you will die as she died, loving the wrong person. Goodbye, Damian.¡±


    Bang!


    The sound of a gunshot pierced the air. I jerked and closed my eyes to embrace the darkness.

 Chapter 082

    DAMIAN


    Where was the sh of pain, the darkness, the oblivion people said came with dying? Colin had pointed the gun right at my head so that meant I ought to be dead. Through the ringing in my ears, I could hear the sounds of people running, yelling, panting. I took in a deep breath, felt it expand my lungs and my heartbeat quickened.


    The feeling could only mean one thing- I was still in thend of the living. I opened first one eye, then the other. The first thing I saw was Colin, staring in horror at his midsection which was stained a deep crimson. Blood pattered from his wound onto the floor. Slowly, he sank to his knees, and then with a thud he fell to the floor, unconscious. Behind him stood Anton, panting, with his smoking gun still pointed at Colin. Anton kicked Colin¡¯s gun away. For a moment, I felt dizzy. That was a really close call. Anton had saved my life in the nick of time.


    ¡°Damian,¡± he gasped, his hands shaking uncontrobly. ¡°Are you- Were you-¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hit,¡± I assured him. My gaze went from him to the wounded Colin who was fast loosing a lot of blood. ¡°Quick! Call an ambnce or- or get anyone that can take him to the hospital.¡±


    Anton, who had been walking towards me, stopped in his tracks to gape at me. ¡°Were you hit on the head? You want me to get an ambnce for him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Colin. Do it quickly.¡±


    I would have done it myself but I didn¡¯t think I was strong enough to stand up yet. My limbs were still trembling. I supposed almost getting shot did that to a person. Anton shook his head, muttered under his breath, turned and ran out of the room. Colin¡¯s men were nowhere to be found. I supposed they were already making a break for it. Not that they would get very far. I hoped.


    I managed to pull myself into a sitting position. Soon enough, I heard the distant warble of sirens that got closer every minute. My eyes kept getting drawn to the pool of blood that now surrounded Colin.


    ¡°In here,¡± I heard Anton shout.


    Two paramedics carrying a stretcher between them burst into the room, followed by Anton. One of them started for me.


    I held up a hand, and pointed to Colin. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. He needs your attention. Please make sure he survives.¡±


    The other paramedic dropped on both knees beside Colin, pressed his fingers against his neck for some seconds.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive,¡± he cried. I released a breath I wasn¡¯t aware I had been holding. ¡°Quick! Let¡¯s get him on the stretcher.¡±


    Colin was quickly ced on the stretcher and carried out. I pushed to my feet and hobbled after them. My ankle was on fire. I had probably sprained it at some point during my fight with Colin, but the rush of adrenaline hadn¡¯t made me notice it up until now. A police officer came hurrying up to me, asked me if I was fine, and helped me to get outside the building. Several patrol cars were in thepound. Colin¡¯s goons who were still alive were being handcuffed, pressed against patrol cars, and shoved inside them.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± an officer noticed my stomach and came toward me. He pointed towards an ambnce. ¡°Come on. Over there.¡±


    ¡°Amelia, my wife-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. I promise.¡± He said. ¡°She was found and she¡¯s safe. You should worry about yourself now. You¡¯re losing blood and that¡¯s not good.¡±


    I began to walk with him towards the ambnce. I could see several police men dashing around, some carrying corpses. But what truly mattered was that Amelia was safe.


    ***************************


    AMELIA


    My heart leaped with joy as I caught sight of him leaving the building. I fought my way through the small crowd of policemen and paramedicsing in and out of the building. Damian looked up as I ran to him. The policeman with him stepped aside. There was happiness and relief on Damian¡¯s face, the same expression I was sure was on mine. I enfolded him in my arms, buried my face in his chest. Tears of relief ran down my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t control them even if I wanted to. He held me tightly.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he murmured against my hair. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how scared I was.¡±


    I pulled away to get a closer look at him. ¡°I know. I- You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    All my fear returned. What if it was a mortal injury? What if-


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Damian said. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch, nothing more. I¡¯ll soon be patched up.¡± I touched him all over, and finally believed him when I didn¡¯t detect any serious injury. He smiled a little. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Get me some more bandages,¡± someone called from behind me.


    Damian and I turned to see Colin on the stretcher. Two paramedics were frantically working on him. I shook my head slowly. I felt no pity for him, only relief that he was finally getting what he deserved.


    ¡°I overheard one of the medics say that it was your idea to call an ambnce for Colin,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you did that considering the fact that he tried to kill us. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to just let him die?¡±


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said after a long pause. ¡°I don¡¯t wish him to see him dead. Colin has been hurting for so many years without anyone to see into his ravaged soul and help him. He did what he did because he was blinded by rage and pain. He wasn¡¯t thinking straight. A man like him should be given another chance to live, especially since he lost someone he truly loved.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything as I led him to a parked ambnce. I was surprised at seeing this side of Damian. I never knew he could be so forgiving and¡­ empathetic, especially after almost getting killed.


    As I watched Damian getting treated, a hand fell on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Anton asked.


    ¡°Yes. Thanks, Anton. I¡¯m fine.¡± I told him. ¡°Thank you foring so quickly to save us. You saved our lives and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do. Damian was ready to risk it all for you.¡±


    ¡°And you helped him.¡±


    He nodded and patted my shoulder before strolling over to Damian.


    The police, having secured their prisoners, came to take our statements. I told them everything I knew. So did Damian. I felt my blood run cold, and my grip on Damian¡¯s hand tighten when he got to the part where he had set out for this ce without any backup.


    ¡°You took a really great risk,¡± said a policeman, looking both disapproving and admiring.


    ¡°I know,¡± Damian answered. ¡°But her life was in danger. If Colin had suspected I had disobeyed him and hade with someone else, he would have killed my wife on the spot, and then what would have been the point of calling in the police?¡±


    ¡°Still, you might have given us a little credit to handle the situation,¡± grumbled the policeman. ¡°There are several ideas we could havee up with, none of which would have put her in danger.¡±


    ¡°I had ten minutes,¡± Damian reminded him.


    The policeman looked set to argue, but the other one told Damian to continue his narrative.


    ¡°We won¡¯t detain you any longer,¡± said one of the policemen about fifteen minutester as he shut the notebook he had been writing in. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you posted about the case.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Damian said.


    Some minutes after that, Damian¡¯s driver took us home. All through the drive, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Damian had said about Colin. It had turned out that most of what Colin had said hadn¡¯t been gibberish after all as I had thought. I wondered how Damian¡¯s family had been involved in the death of Colin¡¯s mother, and if Damain had known about Colin right from the start.


    I was exhausted by the time we eventually made it home. The moment the house came into view, I felt like singing or crying with happiness. Several times during my abduction, I had thought I would never see it again. More than that, I had thought I would never see Damian again. The moment we were inside the house, I shut the door and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°I promise that you¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± I replied.


    With my face pressed against his shoulder, my voice sounded muffled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± I repeated. ¡°I¡¯m just relieved and grateful.¡±


    ¡°Grateful! Whatever for?¡±


    ¡°You saved me, Damian. Thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯ll be dead now.¡± Against me, I felt him shudder at the words. ¡°You came to save me from Colin even when you knew it was a trap, even when you had no reason to.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I had every reason to try to save you.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because you couldn¡¯t bear to loose your uncle¡¯spany?¡±


    ¡°All that was a lie to throw Colin off track.¡±


    I pulled back a little, smiled at him so he would know it was a joke. ¡°I know. I was just-¡±


    ¡°Amelia, believe it or not, you have be the center of my world. Those hours after I realized you had been kidnapped were the worst of my life. I wouldn¡¯t go through all that emotional torture for all the money in the world. I have to protect you with everything I¡¯ve got.¡±

 Chapter 083

    AMELIA


    I changed the channel to another, and it was almost exactly the same thing.


    This time, the headlines were, ¡®Kidnap And Attempted Murder Of Business Tycoon¡¯s Wife: A Glimpse Into The Criminal¡¯s Mind.


    It had just clocked 9 pm. It was the news hour and this was the very first news item the TV station was showing. I sighed. It was the same, day after day. It had been a week now since Colin had kidnapped me. A week of being hounded by the media. Since they couldn¡¯t get to me, they fell to featuring the case on the news all the time. I kept wishing for another big event to happen that would take their attention off me, but so far I was still the most interesting topic of discussion.


    The newscaster finished reading out the major facts of the case. To my annoyance, he informed viewers that they would be connected to their studios where there were seasoned reporters ready to analyse the case.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    One of these reporters went on and on about how Colin looked so innocent and charming, about how he seemed to be the kind of man who would never hurt a fly. It seemed to me that she admired him because she was so fixated on his charming smile. Talking about smiles like penny wise didn¡¯t smile and hand balloons over to kids before eating them for dinner.


    ¡°It just goes to show you howplex the human mind can be,¡± her colleague said, shaking his head. ¡°Most times, an innocent, unassuming demeanor could mask a scheming, devious mind. It was actually shocking to hear the news especially since he was a reputable figure.¡±


    At this point, he paused to remind the viewers that of course Colin was still presumed innocent until he was proven guilty by a court ofpetent jurisdiction. Innocent my foot! Did he have to chop off my head before he was deemed guilty? And under what circumstances is abduction justifiable?


    The camera zoomed in on the third reporter who started talking about how she was one of the reporters present when I had the ident with the senator.


    ¡°The moment I saw Damian Donovan punch Colin, who was to all appearances, trying to help his wife, I knew that something was up,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like I knew he was dangerous.¡± Yeah. No shit, Sherlock.


    I turned off the television as I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Lately, I had begun wondering how Damain managed to endure being constantly in the news, the object of wild spections. It just one week and I was losing my mind. Seeing so many pictures of myself sometimes made me nauseous. This-was a whole different experience.


    I sprawled on the sofa, and stared up at the ceiling. I was bored to tears. Ever since the incident, Damian had bluntly refused to let me out of the house. He had installed cameras everywhere in the house and the grounds.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be too careful,¡± he had said when I told him that the person who had masterminded the attack was safely under lock and key. ¡°Colin may have other aplices on his payroll out there. Until the police have gotten all the information out of him, my job is to keep you safe and that is what I must do.¡±


    I understood his paranoia but that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling like a prisoner, trapped in the house. Again, I had tentatively asked Damian to at least let me go to specific ces like the bakery. He had promptly informed me that since his house was the size of arge estate, the grounds wererge enough to amodate a huge aircraft and a horse farm, I should feel free to take a walk in the property whenever I was bored.


    I didn¡¯t need a walk, I needed human interaction. I missed the delicious smell of freshly baked loaves. I missed feeding sourdough and handing out doughnuts to kids. A walk in his so called estate wouldn¡¯t provide any of those.


    I had spent the day reading magazines, going through the ounts of my businesses which I had already done several times before, and mostly just wandering around the house, counting the hours and finally minutes until Damain returned.


    When he did, I stopped myself fromunching myself into his arms. It wouldn¡¯t want to give the impression that I was enjoying myself during my enforced stay-at-home holiday.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said dryly, not rising from the sofa. He needed to see I was dying internally. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    Damian smiled, and held up tworge nylon bags.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got pizza,¡± he said in a singsong voice.


    ¡°Pizza!¡± I eximed in delight.


    In a second, I was sitting up, looking all expectant before I could stop myself. He didn¡¯t bother to change his clothes as we both struggled over the pizza slices.


    ¡°Damian,¡± I said while munching on a slice. ¡°I was bored today. I¡¯m always bored here. I don¡¯t know what to do with myself during the day. Most of the time, I don¡¯t feel alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the perfect solution,¡± he sipped from his juice. ¡°I know what to do to lighten your mood.¡±


    It would no doubt be a suggestion to find something in the house that would keep me busy.


    ¡°Do you now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. I know¡­ a few ways to make you feel alive.¡±


    ¡°What ways?¡±


    ¡°First, a vacation. I¡¯m taking you on a vacation tomorrow.¡±


    I chuckled, waited for him tough, but he didn¡¯t. I looked up at him. He looked serious.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re serious?¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°Where? Where will we go?¡±


    ¡°Moro,¡± he said without hesitation, proving that he had thought it all out before now. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful country, idyllic, picture perfect. You need to see firsthand the beauty of the desert, stretching as far as the eye can see.¡± I felt a smile stretch my lips. In my mind¡¯s eye, I could already picture the scenery he had described. ¡°Judging by that smile, I¡¯m assuming the idea of a vacation sits well with you?¡±


    Goodness! I was so excited I wished we could leave already. Now I could better rte to how my mother had felt when Anthony asked her to travel with him.


    ¡°It does. I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He added in a low tone, ¡°Because I¡¯ve been dying to fuck you somece that isn¡¯t this boring house.¡±


    With my fingers holding a slice of pizza inches from my mouth, I froze. All of a sudden, the room was too hot, too muggy. It was hard to breathe. There was a long, charged silence between us. While keeping his eyes on mine, he slowly and deliberately leaned forward to take a bite of my pizza. His tongue flicked across the tips of my fingers. I felt a tingling sensation all the way from my fingertips to my toes.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong.¡± My voice unconsciously sank into a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t think the house is boring. You justck imagination.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see. Enlighten me please.¡±


    I took a deep breath, climbed onto hisp and straddled him. I could feel his hardness throbbing my legs as I slowly moved my hips. There was nothing I wanted more than to taste his lips again but I forced myself to wait, to take it slowly. I wanted Damian to be totally seduced. I traced my tongue and a slight moan escaped his lips. He pulled me back swiftly, his eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re breathtaking.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± He mmed his lips into mine before I could muster a word. My lips parted as he deepened the kiss. His hands, holding my hips grew more rigid and tense as I returned his embrace hungrily.


    Suddenly, I could hear my phone ringing. But I was so lost in him. His lips were so soft, his body so manly, his smell so intoxicating. As I ran my fingers down his chest, over his shirt, I felt the press of his muscled chest against my breast.


    I could hear been hours or even days that he kissed me, holding my body tightly against his. With a sigh of pleasure, I leaned toward him, my arms tightening around his shoulders.


    Lifting me into his arms, never ending our kiss, he carried me to his bed. Cupping my face, he kissed me passionately, stretching my back against the bed. His hands moved up and down my body until he reached beneath my cotton shirt. My fingertips ran along his t belly and t chest, and he gasped. His fingers were suddenly clumsy as he tried to unbutton my shirt.


    Yanking off my shirt, he threw it to the bedroom floor and his eyes explored my body with an intensifying desire. He sucked in his breath as my fingers ran over his cock. Distracted, he didn¡¯t notice me with his buttons until the shirt was pulled off his body.


    He cupped his hands over my breast, and pushed my legs apart with his knee, grinding himself against me slowly, with only thin clothing separating us.


    My fingers tangled in his hair as he kissed down the curve of my belly. And then he slowly pulled off my linen pant, soaked. He swiftly removed his shorts, his eyes lingering between my thighs before he slid his hips in between my legs.


    First, he kissed my thighs. Then he moved higher and slowly. Pressed against the bed, I felt the warmth and sensation of his breath before he slowly moved the kisses to the core of my pleasure.


    The sensation hit me like a cold wave and I gasped. He licked me again, swirling his tongue lightly against my folds.


    I felt my body tense up as his movement quickened. But he held me down with one arm and pleasured me till I was a trembling mess, twisting in an agony of need.


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    My back arched off the bed and higher until I exploded with a scream of joy. And just in time, Damian could no longer wait. In a swift movement, he drew back and positioned himself between my legs.


    I heard his sharp intake of breath as his cock pressed against my wet core. His breathing became ragged as he thrust inpletely. I cried out, writhing beneath him and grabbed the sheets.


    He filled me in a way I¡¯d never imagined, each time better than thest. Our hot naked bodies twisted and moved together, sweaty, passionate and hard. I felt the tauntness of his muscles, heard the hoarse pant of his breath and knew he was fighting to keep his body under control.


    ¡°Stop holding back.¡±


    A growl came from the back of his throat as he pushed me back hard against the bed and pushed more roughly inside me. The pleasure was deepening and pleasantly suffocating. Clutching his shoulders, I pulled him closer to myself as the pleasure erupted inside me.


    In that same instant, I heard his low answering moan. He mmed inside me with one deep thrust, gripping me tightly as he moaned out loud. His muscr body was heavy as he copsed and rolled next to me on the bed.


    A smile traced my lips as I closed my eyes, pressing my cheek against his chest. I knew right then that I had given him my heart.

 Chapter 084

    AMELIA


    I felt a tap, gentle as the touch of a feather, on my arm. I stirred sleepily. I felt another, still gentle but a lot more insistent this time.


    ¡°Amelia.¡± I opened my eyes.


    Damian was leaning over me.


    ¡°Rise and shine,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a new day.¡±


    He was already fully dressed, already prepared to go to work. I, on the other hand, was as naked as the day I was born. I stretchednguidly. I could still feel the pleasant ache between my legs caused byst night¡¯s pleasurable exertions. I watched his eyes greedily follow the movement of my und body before they snapped back up to my face.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he breathed. ¡°You can make a man forget everything.¡±


    I batted myshes at him. ¡°Maybe that isn¡¯t such a bad thing. If youe a little closer, perhaps I can make you forget a thing or two.¡±


    With some effort, he kept his gaze fixed on mine.


    ¡°Tempting, but no. If I get into bed with you, I may not be able to drag myself away again today.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know.¡± He rxed visibly as I drew the sheets over my body. ¡°You have to work.¡±


    ¡°Not work. No. Remember what I told you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°That you wanted me?¡±


    ¡°That among other things. I told you we were going on vacation today. You have to get dressed.¡±


    The smile froze on my face. I sat up quickly. ¡°What? You¡¯re- We¡¯re going through with that?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. I told you I was serious about it yesterday, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°No- I mean, yes. I knew you meant it, but I didn¡¯t really think it would be so soon. I thought you said it was tomorrow¡­ I mean today, just to stop me from sulking about feeling bored.¡±


    ¡°Well, I meant every word. Now, go and shower, get dressed and let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    ¡°But- but I haven¡¯t packed anything yet,¡± Iined. ¡°Packing will take time. I haven¡¯t bought things I will have to take along.¡±


    Damian waved a hand dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. You can buy anything you need once we get to Moro.¡± He arched a brow. ¡°Any further concerns?¡±


    There were none. Now that my concern about preparations had been addressed, I found I was excited. I flung the sheets away, ignored Damain¡¯s short, sharp intake of breath as my und body was once more exposed to his ardent gaze. At this point, not even the prospect of going to bed with him could distract me from getting ready. In no time at all, I had showered, dressed and packed only the barest necessities. Damian¡¯s driver took us to a private hangar housing several private aircrafts and jets.


    ¡°Er- what are we doing here?¡± I asked him. ¡°This is not the airport ¡±


    ¡°Our transport to Moro is here. I actually own two aircrafts here.¡±


    I gaped at the man whose other sides I was discovering everyday. He casually dished out information that would leave me dizzy with thoughts. He¡¯d never mentioned he owned a private aircraft and he actually owned two.


    ¡°You own an aircraft,¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Two. It¡¯s convenient when I want to make quick trips. That way, I don¡¯t have to put up with dys at the airport.¡± He shrugged.


    He rambled it in such amonce tone, as though it was perfectly normal for most people to own an aircraft. I began to wonder just how much money Damian had. He had a lot, but how much was a lot?


    ¡°Howe you¡¯ve never mentioned this?¡±


    He chuckled at my shocked expression. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to tell you about everything I own because the list is endless.¡± He extended his hand to me. ¡°Maybe one day you¡¯ll get a special tour to some of my properties.¡±


    I supposed he had an endless list of properties, but I still thought the ownership of private aircrafts at least deserved a mention. We strolled to his private jet which was already prepped to go. The pilot weed us on board, informed us that there was good weather conditions and that the flight wouldst for only 9 hours. There were flight checks and then we were in the air.


    I¡¯ve been on several flights but being in a private jet with Damian felt exotic. The flight attendants made an appearance, offering us wine and a list of mouth watery snacks. I chose a strange looking pastry just because I liked the way the name sounded. If I were soon to start having Moran food, I figured it was about time I began to trying something new.


    ¡°Make that two,¡± Damian chipped in. The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement. ¡°I bet you don¡¯t know what it is you ordered.¡±


    I admitted that I didn¡¯t. ¡°Since you ordered it too, it can¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    And it was. It felt good to do what I liked without worrying about disturbing other people as would have been the case if I was in a public aircraft. One of the flight attendants offered me a selection of movies I could watch. She told me how to work the controls, which were a bit different from those of regr aircrafts.


    ¡°Watch with me,¡± I told Damian when the movie began to y.


    ¡°Oh. No.¡± He turned a page of the business magazine he was reading. ¡°You go ahead. The stock market is crazy this week.¡±


    I ced a palm on the page. ¡°This is supposed to be a vacation, remember? That means no work or work rted stuff. You can¡¯t be trying to escape stress by reading all that stuff.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Touche¡¯.¡± He grinned, and put the magazine down with a defeated air.


    We watched the movie together. It was a thriller titled ¡°Fractured.¡± Damian was pretty annoyed that the horrific scenes were not real but only imagined by the lead actor. And then at the end, heined it was too boring for him. I enjoyed the movie but I couldn¡¯t say the same for him.


    Throughout the flight, the attendants made sure we were alwaysfortable. 9 hours went by so fast and then the nended at Marrakech airport where a jeep was already waiting for us. After about twenty minutes, it stopped in a-


    ¡°Desert,¡± I mumbled.


    There was no other word for it. I was literally standing in the middle of the Sahara desert. Damian stood quietly beside me, waiting for me to take in the view. He was grinning widely as he waited for a reaction from me.


    ¡°Is this where we are going to stay?¡± I asked him.


    Say no. Say no.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    I tried my best to school my expression. I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings after he had gone through so much trouble to bring us here. But it was hard to keep a straight face. I had pictured a lot of things, but not this.


    ¡°You¡¯re not impressed.¡± It was not a question. It was a statement of fact. He looked disappointed when he realized I wasn¡¯t excited and I felt guilty.


    I swallowed, and considered lying.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I answered, forcing a fake smile.


    ¡°Well, you will be,¡± he said confidently. ¡°My camp is thergest and most luxurious camp in the Sahara desert. There¡¯s a lot you need to see here. You will really love it here. I promise.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I eyed my surroundings dubiously. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not just sand you¡¯ve got for us.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what. If after taking you sightseeing around my property and you¡¯re still not impressed, we¡¯ll go back to the Marrakech airport and then head home.¡± He held out his hand. ¡°Deal?¡±


    I put mine in it. ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s walk.¡±


    He led me through a part bordered by mounds of golden sand. We walked for quite a while and I asked him why we hadn¡¯t just taken the jeep straight to the entrance of his camp.


    ¡°I want you to experience the full effect of the ce,¡± was his reply. ¡°You have to¡­ discover it, not just barge it on it, so to speak.¡±


    I still did not get his point, but I nodded anyway, allowed him to lead me on. We carefully went down a hilly path and then there was one of the most beautiful sights that met my eyes. I hurried along to get a good look at therge building that looked more like a pce. In the distance, I could see the dark crags of the As mountains illuminated by the bright morning sun. Birds were twittering and calling to each other as they soared around the wide desert sky. I caught sight of a pool which glimmered in the sunlight. It looked like there were diamonds in it¡¯s depths. The leaves of the palm trees nted at even intervals, swayed in the breeze.


    I felt a pleased smile curve my lips as I realized that Damian¡¯s camp was situated in an oasis. Damian led me through an exotic, lush garden towards the house. As we walked past the soaring Moorish arches, I looked up in amazement. The foyer was painted with intertwined vines, flowers and geometric motifs in gold leaves and bright colours. Raised Arabic calligraphy was embedded into the ster on the walls. I had never seen anything quite so beautiful and so foreign.


    ¡°Like it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I breathed.


    Inside the house, I pointed out some artifacts on the walls which I was able to identify.


    Damian beamed at me with pride. ¡°You know, you are way smarter than Noah. He caged you, stifled you. I¡¯m so d you left him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± I told him jokingly but I knew he was right. Damian liberated me.


    Next, he showed me into a room with a wardrobe full of dresses. I was surprised as they were all my size. It almost seemed like the entire wardrobe was made for me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been nning this trip for quite a while,¡± he exined.


    I gave him a sidelong look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°Come on, you had a maximum of one week to n the trip. The clothes probably belong to the women you bring here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± His voice rang with sincerity as he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t brought anyone here before. You¡¯re the one first woman toe here, and definitely thest.¡±

 Chapter 085

    AMELIA


    I was again enthralled the moment I opened my eyes. The ornate clock on the wall told me that it was 8 in the evening. Feeling refreshed from my little nap, I slid out of bed. Damian was nowhere in sight. I went outside and all thoughts of Damian were wiped clean right out of my mind by the breathtaking view outside.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I muttered to myself.


    It was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. The night sky was spangled with a million twinkling stars.  The sand dunes in the distance looked like small mountains that reached the top of the sky. I had the feeling that I was at the edge of the world and could touch the stars if I only reached high enough. I don¡¯t know how long I stood there, taking in the view, feeling the nippy evening air y across my face and hair. Eventually I roused myself enough to move away.


    Damian had shown me around most of the house, but there had not yet taken me around the property. I decided to explore myself. I passed through the gardens he had shown me earlier, found several smaller houses in which the servants lived.


    ¡°Good evening, madam.¡±


    I turned sharply to see a man, his tunic billowing in the breeze, bowing to me, then cing his right hand over his heart.


    There were other murmurs of ¡®Good evening.¡¯ I had been so caught up in the scenery that I hadpletely failed to notice the people. Now I was looking properly, I could see that there were quite a number of them, some engaged in one task or the other in front of their houses, others seeming to enjoy the evening air as I was. But now I found that they had all stopped what they were doing, and seemed to be waiting for me to do something¡­ or say something.


    Realizing that I had not yet responded to their greetings, I gave a sweeping nce at them all, smiled and said ¡®Good evening¡¯ as loudly as I could.


    They bowed in acknowledgement of my greeting which really felt very weird. I repeated my greeting when they all still remained in their previous expectant attitudes.


    I addressed the man I had first seen, but spoke loudly enough so the others could hear too.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t let me disturb you. You er- can go back to what you were doing before I came along.¡±


    He and the others I could see looked disconcerted at the very idea that I could be disturbing them.


    ¡°Please, tell us how we may assist you,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you need a snack or anything at all, I will be able to help,¡± said a woman at his side, who stepped forward eagerly.


    ¡°No.¡± I turned to the man. ¡°er-¡±


    ¡°Aamir,¡± said the man, giving a little bow. ¡°My name is Aamir, at your service.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aamir and you all. I don¡¯t need anything. I¡¯m just taking a walk.¡± I told him. ¡°You may all continue your chores.¡±


    ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let us know.¡± I turned to leave before he finished.


    ¡°That was weird,¡± I muttered to myself when I was finally out of earshot.


    I stopped to steal a nce over my shoulder at the servants who had finally returned to what they had doing. I wasn¡¯t used to this sort of worshipful devotion even among Damian¡¯s other staff back home.


    It made me feel like I had been transported back in time where royalty or the very rich were fawned on. I half expected to see Damian appear around the corner, on a horse, dressed as a sheik or maybe a sultan, with a ceremonial sword dangling by his side. I chuckled at my absurd fantasies. I figured I was not entirely to me though. There was something about this ce that encouraged one to dream, to fantasize.


    I walked on with the assumption that I was getting this sort of special treatment because of Damian. After I had walked my fill, my clothes were sticking to my skin with sweat. A vacation in the desert had its perks but a cool body wasn¡¯t one of them. I returned to the house and asked the first woman I came across where I could have a bath.


    She nodded to show she understood me, said something to another woman in the native tongue. They had a brief, hurried conversation before the woman I had spoken turned to me.


    ¡°For bath. Come with me¡­ Us. Please,¡± she said in broken English.


    I followed the women roughly back in the direction from which I came. We eventually stopped at arge, open tent. I looked around for a glimpse of a building serving as a bathroom, but I could see nothing of the sort. I opened my mouth to reiterate that I wanted a bath, thinking that perhaps I had been misunderstood.


    ¡°Bath. In here. Inside,¡± the woman said with a reassuring smile while pointing a finger in the direction of the tent.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I went in and found I hadn¡¯t been misunderstood after all. In the tent were severalrge, cast iron tubs. I walked over to look in one while the women I hade with went over to talk to the Berber servants there.


    They nodded, hurried out and soon returned with buckets of hot water which they poured into a tub until it was filled up. The male servants left and then it was just the females, telling me through words and gestictions to take my clothes off.


    Hesitantly, I began to undress. Not used to taking my bath in the presence of others and with the tent being an open one, I was very shy. It felt like having my bath outdoors. The women, evidently used to this sort of thing, invited me with smiles to soak in. They stared at my und body, but it was not in a curious way. They were just being matter-of-fact, their only intention to offer service.


    I removed one hand I had been using to cover my breasts and let myself be helped into the tub. Coloured salts were thrown into the water which immediately began to give off a sweet scent. I felt my muscles rx the moment my foot went into the water.


    All my shyness was instantly forgotten at the pleasurable feel of the water on my skin. I immersed myselfpletely for a few seconds, leaned against the tub. I felt pleasantly lethargic, like I could soak in it for hours and hours. The bath salts just had to be therapeutic.


    I tuned out the sounds of the women happily chattering amongst themselves and began to drift off. I could definitely get used to this. Some unknown timeter, I became aware of my surroundings once more. The tent was quiet, too quiet.


    I was wondering why the servants had stopped talking  so suddenly when I heard Damian say, ¡°You can go now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t turn, didn¡¯t move. How on earth did he get in here without my permission? And why did the women say nothing to alert me? When the silence in the tent lengthened, I opened my eyes to see him standing over me, watching me with lustful eyes. Eyes that screamed desire in the most ruthless way.


    ¡°If you want to have a bath, you have to wait for your turn,¡± I said, knowing that the farthest thing from his mind was taking a bath.


    *********************************


    DAMIAN


    My intention had been to have a long, warm bath.  All thoughts of bathing was driven right out of my head when I got into the tent and saw her. Amelia¡¯s breasts were scarcely concealed by the water. The thought of her naked fairly drove me wild. I wanted to be the water, running all over her skin.


    ¡°You can go now,¡± I said to the servants, with my eyes still fixed on Amelia.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I drew the tent p closed when they were gone. Amelia said something about me having to wait if I wanted to have a bath.


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± I murmured.


    I picked up the loofah, rubbed it gently up and down her back. Goosebumps formed on her arms though the water was still hot. When I kissed her lips, she didn¡¯t resist. I led her out of the tub into an empty one. Iid her down on her back, spread her thighs wide open. When I knelt before her, the scent of her wetness nearly drove me insane.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, arching her back to stare down at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Close your eyes.¡±


    She did and I immediately kissed her inner thigh softly. She whimpered, her fingers digging into my skin as I kissed her inner thighs even more. She pulled me closer, and I knew just how to satisfy her needs. In slow strokes, I licked her core and felt her legs tremble with desire. I wanted to take it slow, to punish her with a passionate night but she wanted more.


    Amelia¡¯s moans, the convulsive twitches on her buttocks, the pressure of her hands on my head, showed how much she was enjoying it. I slipped my hand under my chin and managed to thrust a finger inside her. I worked it in and out whilen staring into her eyes. I needed to see just how much she could take. Her whole body quivered with excitement and then she stiffened, crying out my name as she came.


    ¡°Oh Damian,¡± she sighed.


    I drew myself up to kiss her, sheathing my erection inside her slowly. She gasped and clutched my shoulders. I sealed her mouth with my kisses and tongue. I thrust into her slowly at first, then faster until we exploded at the same time and we sank momentarily exhausted in each other¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 086

    AMELIA


    Iy in bed for a while after I had woken up. Everything about this ce demanded that I sleep in, but the thought of seeing Damian again and maybe exploring got me out of bed and out of the house.


    It was just after dawn but already, the servants were up and about their business for the day. They greeted me cheerfully as I passed. A woman, carrying arge basket filled with fresh vegetables into the house, told me breakfast would soon be served.


    Damian had left me sometimest night to go sleep in a tent at some distance from the grounds. I pressed my ear against the p of the tent when I got there, but there was no sound of movement from inside, only soft, even breathing.


    I tiptoed in. Damian was wrapped up in a nkets, still fast asleep. He looked so innocent, harmless in sleep. A lock of his dark hair fell across his brow. My hands inched with the urge to stroke it. I jumped on the bed, raised his eyelids and kept them open.


    ¡°What the-¡± he began, then chuckled when I let go and he saw it was me.


    ¡°Were you nning to sleep the whole day?¡± I teased.


    He yawned, stretched. ¡°Only because you wore me outst night. You¡¯re insatiable.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± I murmured against his lips before I pressed my lips to his. The tip of my tongue sought entry into his mouth. He nibbled the corners of my mouth before deepening the kiss. I giggled when he pulled me up until I was lying on top of him. Already, his breath wasing in short, sharp pants. I had to put an end to this before we ended up taking our clothes off. There would be time enough for thatter. I ced my hands on his chest, pulled away.


    ¡°I was informed breakfast will soon be served,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t want them to catch us in apromising position, do you?¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± he growled and reached for me.


    Just then, we heard footsteps approaching the tent.


    ¡°Breakfast,¡± the woman I had spoken to earlier cheerfully announced.


    She set down a heavilyden tray and uncovered the dishes. Then she stood back, looking at me expectantly. Obviously, I was expected to voice my  thoughts on the food.


    ¡°This,¡± she said pointing to a te of rounded thin and fluffy looking things that looked like pancakes. ¡°is called Msemen. And this-¡± She pointed to the other dish. ¡°is Maakouda. I brought you tea too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°It looks delicious.¡±


    It smelled delicious too. The woman gave me a sunny, rather toothy smile and left the tent.


    ¡°Do they taste as good as they look?¡± I asked Damian as I broke off a tiny portion of the pancake-like food.


    ¡°They taste even better. Take a bite.¡±


    I did, and it was like biting into a slice of heaven.


    ¡°What are in these?¡± I asked through a mouthful of food, quite forgetting my manners.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of pancake they make here in Moro. It¡¯s topped with melted butter and honey. It¡¯s usually eaten as breakfast. The other one, Maakouda, is basically mashed potatoes. It¡¯s one of the mostmon street foods here in these parts.¡±


    I stopped eating long enough to take several pictures of the meal with my phone. If there were any Moran restaurants back home, I would definitely be stopping in to buy these.


    After a very hearty breakfast, Damian and I sat on the floor outside the tent, admiring thendscape which I was beginning to love. I shielded my eyes from the sun, stared off into the distance at something that had caught my eyes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those your cars?¡± I asked him. He said they were and I asked if I could drive one of them.


    ¡°Of course you can. Where do you n on going to though? I don¡¯t think you know a lot of ces here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I n to. I just want to take a little trip and familiarise myself with the ce,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Good.¡± He got to his feet and helped me up. ¡°I¡¯lle with you as your er- tour guide.¡±


    A quarter of an hourter, after Damian and I had freshened up and gotten dressed. We headed out to where he had his cars parked.


    ¡°Make your choice,¡± he said gesturing to all the cars with a sweeping gesture of his arm.


    After a moment¡¯s deliberation, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll take¡­ the Ford Raptor.¡±


    He tossed me the keys with a grin. ¡°Very good, Amelia. You know your cars.¡±


    ¡°Only because you talk my ear off about them most of the time,¡± I said in mock exasperation.


    Damian¡¯s grin got wider. ¡°That¡¯s only because I sometimes forget you¡¯re not Anton.¡±


    The drive was a pleasant one and as I told Damian a few minutes in, he was a very good ¡®tour¡¯ guide.


    ¡°I do my best.¡± He leaned close, pointed to something in the distance, south of the desert. ¡°Look over there.¡± I squinted at the spot through my sunsses. ¡°There¡¯s a small vige there with a thriving market. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to buy some keepsakes. That is the perfect ce to get some.¡±


    I bounced in my seat excitedly, stepped on the gas.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I cried.


    Damian was telling me bits about the history of the ce, but broke off when his phone rang. Even without looking at him, I felt his mood change the moment he got a look at the screen.


    ¡°Please, stop the car,¡± he said, a terse note in his voice. ¡°This is important. I have to take it.¡±


    I did as he asked even though I found it strange that I had to park for him to take a call. The moment I pulled over, he hurried out of the car and went to stand by the side of the road, pressing his phone to his ear. This was odd, really odd. Usually, Damian never minded taking his calls while I was present.


    That meant something very unusual was happening right in front of me. I had to know what it was. I quietly exited the car. When I was close enough, I heard him asking someone if a contract was ready.


    I frowned, wondering what contract he was talking about.


    ¡°And what do you mean by that?¡± he suddenly yelled. ¡°The only time I can convince Amelia to sign the contract is now that she¡¯s happy and on a vacation!¡±


    It was about me then, this contract he was talking about! He hadn¡¯t been kidding when he had said he had been nning this vacation for quite a while. He was sure that after giving me a good time, I would be sure to sign whatever it was. I didn¡¯t know what this contract was about but I was sure I wouldn¡¯t like it.


    ********************************


    DAMIAN


    I suddenly felt the urge to turn around. I did, and there she was, looking really pissed. I really should have chosen a better time and ce to have this conversation with mywyer.


    I had no doubt that she must have listened to the conversation. I ended the call immediately.


    ¡°Um- you look angry,¡± I ventured. ¡°The conversation was not about you.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to someone who believes it because I sure as hell heard you say my name,¡± she bit off. ¡°What is this that I¡¯m supposed to sign?¡±


    There was nothing for it but to confess. ¡°I wanted to tell youter, but since you¡¯ve already heard¡­ I was talking to mywyer about delivering the contract I had him draw up to extend our marriage.¡±


    I waited for the explosion. I did not happen. Amelia was surprisingly calm and in a calm tone of voice, she asked, ¡°Why do you want to extend the contract?¡±


    It was then I realized that she was hoping for a deration of love from me or something of that sort. That was something I knew I was incapable of. Something that I couldn¡¯t offer her.


    ¡°This marriage benefits both of us,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a win-win situation for us all. Your ex-husband now realizes your true worth. Added to that, you¡¯re the wife of Damain Donovan, which at the risk of sounding proud, is every woman¡¯s dream. I¡¯m capable of giving you the life Noah was unable to give you. And then you can help me by having my children who will continue my legacy. In fact, I might be doing you a favour. Other people, men especially, may not take kindly to the fact that you got divorced twice.¡±


    To my immense relief, she smiled, took a step towards me. I leaned forward, anticipating a hug.


    Instead I got a p across my cheek. I pressed a hand to my stinging cheek, too surprised to even move.


    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡± I watched as she rushed into the car in anger.


    ¡°Amelia, don¡¯t-¡± In seconds, she was gone, driving as fast and crazy as possible, leaving me in the middle of nowhere.

 Chapter 087

    AMELIA


    I was furious;pletely, and utterly enraged. If I wasn¡¯t so angry, I supposed I would be crying. I didn¡¯t want to cry so I held on to the anger which was probably not a good idea considering the fact I had almost crashed the car into one of the tents a few seconds ago.


    I sat in the car, breathing hard, thankful that a rather nasty ident had just been averted because I was sure there were people in that tent. I could hear their raised, confused voices. Momentster, I saw a couple of faces, peering out at me from their tents in surprise. In another moment, they woulde to check if I was okay. I pushed the door open, scrambled out of the car and ran towards the pce. Already, my eyes were getting blurry with tears I didn¡¯t want to shed. I couldn¡¯t clearly see the faces of the people in my path, but I could see that they were reaching for me, evidently concerned.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Out of my way!¡± I shouted. ¡°Get out!¡±


    Later, I would be sorry for my rudeness to these people who had been nothing short of nice to me, but that time was not now. They fell back. I saw, thankfully, a clear path to the front door. I tore through the foyer and to my room where I proceeded to vent my feelings by screaming over and over again until I was hoarse.


    I fought back a sob. My breath hitched in my throat and then I burst into tears. My legs suddenly felt like jelly. They wouldn¡¯t hold me up anymore. I fell to my knees, pressed a pillow to my face to stifle the sound of my sobs.


    Oh, but Damian¡¯s words hurt. They hurt so much. They brought back painful memories. I remembered all too clearly how Noah had kept berating me about not being able to bear him children that would continue his legacy.


    Like a blind, stupid fool, I had thought that those days were finally behind me. How wrong I was! Damian wanted the same thing as Noah did. He wanted children. Why did it seem that the only value I had to the men I loved was to bear them children? Children were precious gifts. Yes. But wasn¡¯t there more to a marriage than having children?


    I had actually thought that Damian wanted our marriage to go on because he was in love with me. Love! That was augh. The man was incapable of love. The marriage he wanted was just one of convenience.


    It would be too inconvenient for him to hunt for another wife, to go through all that bother of getting married once again. He currently had a very docile, very tractable ¡®wife¡¯ in me already, someone who hadn¡¯t had a farthing to her name before he came along, someone he thought would be all too willing to what he was offering. I was to fit into the well ordered structure of his life so he could continue to be Damain Donovan, the envied¡­ the sessful.


    He wanted to keep using me as he had been using me during thest six months of this sham of a marriage. I pressed my face more into the pillow as the tears kept streaming hard and fast, showing no signs of stopping.


    I suddenly mped my hand to my mouth and listened. Had I heard Damian¡¯s voice? Yes. It was him, talking to someone, probably one of the servants who had told him the state I had arrived in. Vaguely, I remembered passing one of his bodyguards who was driving speedily on my way here. They must have given him a lift. That would exin why he had gotten here so quickly. Damian¡¯s footsteps approached, and stopped in front of my door. There was a full minute of silence as I listened and he listened.


    He knocked.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± He didn¡¯t push the door open like I expected.


    ¡°Go away. Now!¡± I replied in a more resolute tone.


    What could he possibly want to say to me now? List more advantages of marrying him? Tell me how I¡¯m nothing without him?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± came his voice from the side of the door. ¡°I guess I was a bit too abrupt in my actions. I should not have drawn up the contract without seeking your permission first. For that, I apologize.¡±


    I bit my lip, and held my words in. They threatened to burst out of my lips. I put into more effort to hold it in some more. Maybe if I kept quiet, he would go away and leave me the hell alone, I thought. Then the dam broke.


    ¡°This is not about the damn contract,¡± I blurted out in spite of myself.


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t understand. What is this about then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand since you always manage to make everything about you. Why do you always have to do that?¡±


    ¡°And how am I making this about me?¡± His pleading tone had gradually slipped away. In it¡¯s ce was that smug, self assured tone he had used earlier that made me want to club him over the head with something. ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m doing this because it¡¯s mutually-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use that word anymore,¡± I thundered, nearly exploding with rage. ¡°It¡¯s not mutually beneficial! You¡¯re only thinking about yourself, so don¡¯t even try to make it sound as if you are thinking about me or how I feel.¡±


    ¡°Amelia-¡±


    ¡°There! You¡¯re doing it again. Would it kill you to shut up and listen to what I have to say for once?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ Fine.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    I turned to face the door. I wanted him to hear every word I was about to say. I needed him to realize that I was not as stupid and gullible as he thought I was.


    ¡°I know what you did there,¡± I ground out. ¡°You wanted Noah out of the way. He was your biggestpetition and so you came to me. You were honest about that at least,¡± I exhaled, my feelings overwhelming me. ¡°All this time you made it look as if you were helping me seek revenge on him. But your scheming didn¡¯t stop there.¡±


    I paused, painfully remembering hisment just the previous day about how d he was that I had left Noah. To think I had been so happy when he had told me I was smart. The memory brought fresh tears to my eyes. I angrily blinked them back. This was not the time for tears. This was the time to tell him exactly what I thought of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for a breeding stock who will bear children that will inherit your preciouspany after you die. What I didn¡¯t realize all this time was that you are just like Noah. Well, I¡¯m not going to let you use me this time.¡±


    ¡°For Pete¡¯s sake, Amelia!¡± His voice sounded strangled. ¡°I¡¯m not using you. What I¡¯m doing is offering you the opportunity of a lifetime.¡±


    I barked out a bitterugh. ¡°Really? The opportunity of a lifetime? Filling my stomach with your babies which I¡¯m supposed to pop out every other year is supposed to be an opportunity for me? I really, really thought you were different, Damian, but you are just as backwards and misogynistic as every man out there.¡±


    He pounded on the door. Once. ¡°Amelia, can you please calm down for a second to think about this? After a year, what are you going to do? What do you n to do with 50 million dors that could be more reasonable than what I¡¯m offering? Don¡¯t you want to have kids of your own someday? Do you think it will be easy for you to remarry if you divorce me? People will-¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to thank you for your thoughtfulness? Is that it?¡± I interrupted. ¡°I guess I ought to appreciate you for epting a woman like me who has been divorced and rejected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Oh I know what you mean, all right. Listen, what I do with my life once this contract is over is none of your business, but trust me, I¡¯ll never agree to be a pawn in your games.¡±


    ¡°Amelia, why won¡¯t you marry me?¡± he asked softly, so softly that I barely heard him.


    ¡°Because you love nobody but yourself,¡± I retorted. ¡°You only think of yourself whenever you make decisions. You¡¯re Damian Donovan, after all, the greatest man to ever exist. Your heart is-¡±


    ¡°What is it with love?¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything you need. Isn¡¯t that far more important than love and silly promises?¡±


    ¡°Just leave,¡± I said tiredly. ¡°I¡¯ll never want a man who is incapable of love, whose only interest is wealth and power. Other women will jump at your offer, I¡¯m sure, but not me. Now get out!¡±


    The moment I heard him leave, I curled up in bed and cried my eyes out, wishing a man would love me the way I wanted to be loved.

 Chapter 088

    AMELIA


    I stirred, and opened my eyes. I couldn¡¯t suppress a groan. There was no escaping the crushing weight of sadness I felt now that I was awake. Some time after I had cried my eyes out, I must have fallen asleep. The clock chimed 8pm and I realized I¡¯d slept for hours. The mental and emotional exhaustion must have really gotten to me.


    Through the half open window came the sound of crickets chirping. Their song filled the silence of the night. Slowly, I sat up to wipe the tear tracks I could feel on my face. Just then, my stomach growled loudly and I realized that I was hungry, really hungry.


    I hadn¡¯t gotten anything to eat since breakfast. I nced at the door, feeling hesitant to go out. I didn¡¯t want to set my eyes on Damian. Not now. Probably not ever but the hunger pangs grew insistent with every passing second.


    Finally, after another moment¡¯s deliberation, I swung my legs out of bed, having decided that I would go get dinner and immediately return to my room. That way, the chances of running into Damian would be reduced to the barest minimum. The house was quiet, but as I neared the kitchen area, I could hear sounds of activity. I peered around the kitchen door and saw three servants busily engaged in chores.. A man stood off to the side, watching them go about their business. One of the working servants was the woman who had served Damian and I breakfast this morning.


    I couldn¡¯t suppress a sigh. It was hard to believe that just this morning, I had been so happy. What a difference a few hours could make!


    ¡°Madam, did you want something?¡±


    I blinked, refocused on my surroundings. The servants had noticed me while I had been busy staring off into space. I nodded, and entered the kitchen.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m really quite hungry. I came to get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°We will get you something at once,¡± One of the responded eagerly. They always seemed eager to work which was one of the strangest things about them.


    She moved over to one of the pots still simmering on the cooker and began todle food into a te. It was then I noticed how sad-faced they all were, how they carried out their duties with a mournful air. It was like somebody had died. I thanked the woman who handed me my food on a tray. I was almost at the door when I hesitated. I dropped the food on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Did anything happen?¡± I asked, looking around at them all ¡°Why do you all look so sad?¡±


    The servants exchanged a look. At some unspoken signal, they elected the man who was the oldest looking servant I had seen, to be their mouthpiece.


    The man stroked his greying beard meditatively as he said in a low, deep voice, ¡°We call him the Tsar of the desert.¡±


    This was really quite different from my enquiry.


    ¡°What?¡± I managed. ¡°Who? Who are you talking about?¡±


    And what does that have to do with the question I asked? I thought, but did not say.


    ¡°Mr Donovan,¡± he gave me a weak smile. ¡°He came here with a broken heart. He ended up healing ours instead.¡±


    I snorted. The idea of Damian possessing a heart, a sentimental side, wasughable. I would haveughed if I didn¡¯t still feel angry at him and very, very hurt.


    ¡°A broken heart?¡± I said. ¡°Wait a minute. Are we talking about the same person? Damian Donovan? That¡¯s not possible. He doesn¡¯t have a heart neither can he conceive feelings.¡±


    He inclined his head in a bow. ¡°Mr. Donovan is kind. Really kind.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Damian doesn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    The man looked at me with a sad and somewhat pitying expression. I didn¡¯t know why but he seemed to know something about Damian that I didn¡¯t know. That most people didn¡¯t know. And Damian wouldn¡¯t easily tell.


    He started to say something, but reconsidered. He looked to the others who gave him a silent go-ahead. Then they filed out, still with that same mournful air. I was finally alone with him and he cleared his throat, ¡°Do you know what happened to him ten years ago?¡±


    I quirked a brow. I had a strong feeling that we were getting to the reason why the man assumed Damian had a broken heart.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Did he loose his biggest investors?¡±


    He chuckled in spite of himself, then slowly shook his head from side to side. ¡°No. That is not what happened at all.¡± His expression suddenly became serious once more. ¡°I know it is hard to understand Mr Donovan sometimes, but he has a big heart. All he needs is someone to make him let go of the past. You need to give him that chance to thaw.¡±


    It was all so confusing, this conversation we were having. It even took me some time to remember the question I had initially asked. What did the sadness of the servants have to do with Damian¡¯s heart or theck of it?


    ¡°You are speaking in riddles,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. You all seemed so sad and I just wanted to know why. Did Damian do something to you all? Are you scared of him?¡±


    ¡°I heard your conversation with him.¡± He finally admitted. ¡°Marriage is often conflicting especially with a man like him. I do not me you for your feelings.¡±


    I staggered back. ¡°You¡¯re sad because-¡± I didn¡¯t know how to word my feelings correctly. ¡°Do you really care about Damian that much?¡±


    ¡°Benti al-aziza, please ask him to tell you about his mother. Convince him to tell you about his family and maybe then you will realize that you are all he¡¯s got.¡±


    A frown creased my brow at his words. ¡°Why are you telling me all this? Isn¡¯t it his secret to tell?¡±


    ¡°I think it is right for me to tell you this. You are the first woman he has brought here in years and-¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you but your master has been with a lot of women. When I say a lot, I mean a lot. I¡¯m no one special.¡±


    It hurt to admit it to a total stranger but it was the truth.


    ¡°qlbo lik wkn mashi anti  hu likna3rfu,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± I pointed out.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°His heart is yours but neither you nor him can be convinced.¡± He turned sea and disappeared through the door. I exhaled, feeling more conflicted than earlier. What was happening?


    ********************************


    DAMIAN


    Someone knocked on my door. If the ce hadn¡¯t been so quiet, I would probably not have heard it. It sounded like whoever it was was not sure if they should be knocking. I pushed to my feet, opened the door and then just stared. Amelia was thest person I expected to seek me out after what had happened this morning.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I stood there, staring at her in surprise until she cleared her throat, ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    I stepped back immediately.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said quickly.


    She crossed the room, running her fingers absentmindedly over the objects she could touch. She settled on my bed. I cleared my throat, not quite knowing what to say to her because my greatest fear at the moment was saying the wrong thing.


    ¡°Tell me about your mother,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wh- what?¡± I knew she could be direct sometimes but I wasn¡¯t prepared for this. For the stories, or the pain.


    ¡°Your mother¡­ tell me about her, all about her.¡±


    Whatever I was expecting her to say, it wasn¡¯t this. If it were anyone else but Amelia asking this question, I wouldn¡¯t even have considered answering. It was still a painful topic. I took a long moment to gather my thoughts.


    ¡°She was a lovely woman, wasn¡¯t the kindest but-¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.¡± Her eyes shone brightly to mine, demanding sincerity.


    ¡°My mother¡­¡± I sighed, not quite meeting her eyes. ¡°She er- she found out my dad was having an affair with another woman after several years of marriage. The fact that the affair wasn¡¯t a casual one was what drove her wild. She found out my father loved this woman by reading his messages and¡­ stalking them. My father didn¡¯t love her and she¡¯d always known that, in fact, she wanted him to love her. When she found out about this woman, it did something to her and she lost herself. She confronted my father, hoping for an exnation, seeking excuses for what he did. I remember them arguing and then he asked for a divorce and told her he had never loved her. The very thing she never wanted to hear from him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± Amelia muttered, almost inaudibly.


    ¡°My father told her he had only gotten married to her because they were both from influential families who wanted to be even more powerful through marriage. My mother lost it then. She tracked the woman, murdered her by stabbing her sixteen times before killing herself. The police found their bodies and a note addressed to my father.¡± The words of that note had been burned into my brain. I closed my eyes and recited, ¡°If you can¡¯t love me, then you can¡¯t love her either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Damain¡­¡±


    ¡°My father was a broken man after that. He became an alcoholic, suffered a stroke a couple of yearster. He died 2 yearster. Colin was result of the affair.¡±


    Amelia gasped, and clutch her chest.


    ¡°C-Colin,¡± she stuttered.


    I let her work through it, through the reasons why Colin had done what he did.


    ¡°Is this why you don¡¯t believe in love?¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Love¡­ Love only ends up hurting anyone foolish enough to believe in it, Amelia. It¡¯s not for the likes of me. I can¡¯t bear being like my father. I would rather be alone.¡±


    I ventured a look at her. Tears ran down her cheeks. She leaned forward and hugged me tightly, offeringfort the only way she could. I held her close.


    ¡°I¡¯m incapable of love,¡± I murmured against her hair. ¡°Know that. I will always protect you from myself.¡±

 Chapter 089

    AMELIA


    It was morning. I had woken up a few hours before, but I hadn¡¯t even thought of leaving my room. I justy on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in silence. They were two reasons was hiding away in my room: I wasn¡¯t ready to speak to anyone yet. And the second- the most important reason- was that I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what had happenedst night.


    With a sigh, I turned over to my side. It was a wonder I had gotten any sleep at all considering the state of mind I had been in. The sadness I had felt after Damian had made his odd proposal was nothingpared to the gut wrenching sorrow I felt now. My agony had somehow created a rope of despair around my heart and with each passing moment, I felt like it would crush me to death.


    ¡®I will always protect you from myself.¡¯


    Those words echoed in my head over and over again. How did a man, a good man, get to the point where he thought of himself like he was some kind of monster, a monster I needed protecting from?


    But when I recalled all that he had told me about his dysfunctional family, I was able to understand his pain. I had thought my life was tough, what with Noah divorcing me, my best friend betraying me, and all that, but Damian had had it worse.  I knew I could not have endured what he had ande out unscathed.


    He was broken and I feared that he was beyond redemption. He¡¯d managed to seal his heart from fear that he would turn out like his father, a man he bore no resemnce to in attitude.


    Why was life so hard? Why did the man I love have to be the one with such a horrible past? Why was he so broken? Why couldn¡¯t I fix him?


    I felt something warm and wet slide down my cheeks. I tried to hold the tears in but I couldn¡¯t. I stopped trying and let them have free rein as I wondered whether I would ever be able to change Damian¡¯s mind about love. Whether he would someday let go of all the hurt in his heart.


    ¡°Never,¡± I murmured.


    But a part of me believed otherwise. A part of me believed I was giving up too easily, letting him wallow in his self misery. And I felt guilty for that.


    Had I tried everything in my power to change his mind? People said love was worth fighting for. Surely, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for me to just give up on Damian. Though I hadn¡¯t been lucky with love, I was sure that love was a beautiful thing. We have both been hurt before. We were imperfect, broken, but perhaps we could heal each other somehow. Perhaps I could make Damian believe that not all rtionships would end like that of his parents. That there was still hope for us despite what he believed.


    I slid off my bed with a sense of purpose. It was still very early in the morning, almost an hour before dawn, but I knew I would not be able to sleep anymore.


    The feeling of hopelessness and defeat was gone as I considered the possibility of changing Damian. In its ce was a determination to help him ovee his fears.


    I got dressed, decided to take a stroll around the grounds until everyone woke up and I could have a conversation with Damian. I couldn¡¯t resist looking into the tent where he usually slept. I was surprised to find it empty. The bed barely looked slept in. I was about going into the house when I caught sight of a familiar figure that turned out to be him.


    I went closer. It was a windy morning. Damian stood on top of a heap of golden sand that looked ck in the dim light preceding dawn. The wind blew particles of sand all around him. It tousled his hair, made the loose, unbuttoned shirt billow out behind him, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. He stood as still as a sculpture, staring out towards the vast desert.


    ¡°Damian,¡± I called out when I got close enough to be heard over the moaning of the wind.


    Slowly, he began to turn. With a sinking heart, I saw nothing of the man I had spoken tost night. He was still the same old handsome Damian, but the expression he wore was cold and forbidding in the extreme. It was like he was wearing a mask, an invisible one, but still there. This took me back to the early days of our marriage, when he had rted to me like he was a robot.


    He seemed to be waiting for me to say something, so I smiled, ¡°You¡¯re up really early today.¡±


    His head bobbed up and down stiffly, slowly and he turned once more to resume gazing at thendscape.


    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± I asked,ing to a stop beside him. ¡°You don¡¯t look- I mean, you look troubled.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I am fine. Very fine.¡±


    To reassure me of that fact, he proceeded to give me a forced smile that looked more like a grimace.


    I frowned. I was tired of this. Tired of the games and the lies. Why did he have to lie to me constantly? If he was scared of hurting me, he should let me in. I could deal with the painful truth. It did not make any sense.


    ¡°Why are you lying?¡± I hissed.


    He raised one arched brow, still not looking at me. ¡°And what am I supposed to have lied about?¡±


    ¡°Wasst night some sort of joke to you?¡±


    ¡°Last night,¡± he repeated. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t remember anything that happenedst night which is of great importance.¡±


    I sucked in a breath, my anger abating with each passing second. Instead of anger, I felt pity. Damian was so used to being all put together, to having everything under control. It couldn¡¯t have been easy, telling me all about his vulnerabilities. Now, he was probably feeling slightly ashamed of himself.


    ¡°I know this must all be very hard for you and I understand.¡± I paused, took a moment to go through all I had just said in my head. It was important that I said the right things so I didn¡¯t scare him off. ¡°I¡¯m happy you confided in me about¡­ your family. It has made me understand you better. I know you care deeply about me, but you¡¯re just scared of letting yourself love me. Don¡¯t be scared to. Please.¡±


    He barked out an unkindugh. He looked me full in the face this time, his lips curving into a sneering smile.


    ¡°You are obviously having petty dreams, Amelia, because I don¡¯t know what you mean when you used-¡± He swallowed convulsively. ¡°-that word.¡± Of course, the word he was talking about was love. ¡°I never said I felt that way about you, did I? I think- no I¡¯m sure- that it¡¯s better if you focus on the offer I made earlier during our road trip. I¡¯m a realistic man, Amelia, and I can say that there will be no fairy tale ending for us.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean that,¡± I breathed. ¡°You can¡¯t just block your heart an-¡±


    ¡°I wonder how you can know what I do or do not mean,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I assure you that in this case, that I mean every word I say. We are not getting younger and I¡¯m sure you know that. Don¡¯t waste your time dreaming about something you can¡¯t have. You can¡¯t save everyone, Amelia. I mean that.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You are just trying to push me away,¡± I tried to stop my lips from quivering. ¡°I can¡¯t save everyone but I won¡¯t let you remain cold and dead inside.¡±


    He went on in the same maddeningly calm tone. ¡°And you are wrong. If I wanted to push you away, I would not have drawn up a contract to extend our marriage now, would I?¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t just want to confront the feelings you have for me. Admit it. That¡¯s the first step towards healing.¡± He muttered something that sounded a lot like delusional.  I ignored that, andid my hand on his arm. Underneath my fingers, I felt his muscles tense. ¡°Where is the man I spoke withst night, the one who was brave enough to confront his emotions? Where is he?¡±


    He shifted a little. The movement dislodged my hold on his arm.


    ¡°He does not exist,¡± Damian ground out. ¡°Trust me, Amelia, the man you want me to be will only hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you told yourself this morning? Is that how you managed to convince yourself you¡¯re on the right path?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one person on the right path and it¡¯s definitely not the one who¡¯s delusional about love.¡±


    I bit back a sob and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Without another word, I stormed back to my room, trembles of agony coursing through my body.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ***************************************


    DAMIAN


    I stood there, my shoulders slumped in defeat. I desired to love Amelia, but whenever I even so much as thought about the possibility of it, I balked. There was no way I could give her the love she deserved. If I attempted to¡­ love her, I would only end up hurting her and then, she¡¯d hate me. She¡¯d hate me and leave eventually.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be a terrible husband like my father was to my mother. A contract marriage would leave Amelia with no expectations. She couldn¡¯t see it now, of course, but I knew I was right.


    There was also the possibility that she could fall out of love for with me too. That made me scared, so scared. How would I be able to pick up the broken pieces of my life if I allowed myself to love her and that love was taken from me?


    There was only one way and it was my way-a contract marriage.

 Chapter 090

    DAMIAN


    The moment I closed my eyes, I found myself back in time to the neat living room of my father¡¯s mansion with the perpetual smell of pine air freshener. There are lights everywhere, too many to count, because of mother¡¯s fear of darkness.


    In the room, with my favourite action figure tucked into my side pocket, I was joined by my mother, a tall, plump, kind-faced woman who spotted me and eximed, ¡°Oh Damian, there you are! Did you go to y in the toolshed again? Remember how many times I have-¡±


    ¡°Mum!¡± I interrupted with a frown. ¡°You promised that we would y. Can we y now? Please?¡±


    Her plump face rxed into a smile as she bent to ruffle my hair.


    ¡°Okay, kiddo,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll y. How does hide and seek sound?¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± I excitedly jumped up and down on my sneaked feet until she told me to hide so she could find me.


    ¡°Make sure you get a good hiding ce,¡± she called after me.


    ¡°And count to a hundred, mum!¡± I called back.


    As I ran up the stairs, I heard her say twenty-five and then fifty-two.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡± I yelled, screeching withughter.


    I ran through the house, opening and shutting doors, looking for the best hiding spot. Finally, I settled on hiding in my parent¡¯s room. I started to slide under the bed, changed my mind at thest second and hid in the wardrobe instead. I pulled one of my mother¡¯s hats over my head and giggled at how silly I must look. Then, I sat very still as I listened to her approaching footsteps. The seconds ticked past as I waited, my heart thumping excitedly in my chest.


    Minutester, instead of hearing her voice yell, ¡®Ready or not? Here Ie¡¯, I heard my father yelling loudly from somewhere in the house. He sounded angry and mean. I knew he was talking to my mother and they were about to have a fight. Again.


    My expectant smile became a frown. I didn¡¯t want him to hurt her anymore. I was about to go to my room when I heard the door open.


    ¡°¡­ Oh shut up!¡± My father¡¯s voice thundered and I flinched. ¡°You never have anything worth hearing to say, so shut the hell up before I shut your pie hole.¡±


    ¡°Keep it down!¡± From the little crack between the doors of the wardrobe, I saw my mother¡¯s eyes roving uneasily around. ¡°Please. Damian is around here somewhere. You don¡¯t want him to hear us and get sad about it. He¡¯s just a child and we can resolve our differences quietly.¡±


    My father swelled with indignation. ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do in my house, you bitch! And for thest time, shut up!¡±


    She went red in the face. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve had enough of you for one da-¡±


    She had started to leave when my father turned to her, his face contorted with so much anger that I shrunk back to the wardrobe. He dragged her back, and hit her across the face. Twice. She fell on the bed, her face ck with shock. Then she began to cry.


    ¡°Mummyeee,¡± I screamed, dashing out of the wardrobe immediately. I was crying and blubbering and running up to her.


    Suddenly, I was running on just air. It took me a second to realize that my father had lifted me bodily by one arm.


    ¡°You snotty brat!¡± he hissed, giving me a shake after every word. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll teach you never to eavesdrop on your elders and betters.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± My mother cried, reaching for me while my tears became those of pain. My arm felt like it was on fire. ¡°No please he was just hiding. We were ying a game.¡±


    My mother¡¯s tears and entreaties, my struggles and cries didn¡¯t move him one bit. When she almost got me out of his grip, he pushed her back savagely and she hit her lower back on the wooden frame of the bed. Our screams echoed in unison as he whipped me with his belt at that same instant, his fingers digging into my flesh to keep me steady. When he¡¯d whipped me to his content, he pulled me through the doors of his room.


    And then I found myself elsewhere, another dream, another door.


    My other arm was being held in a viselike grip by my nanny, a fat, sturdy woman with wicked eyes, as she marched me through the door of her room. This time, I was in a shirt and my favourite Captain Power boxers. Tears and snot ran down my sweaty face.


    ¡°Please,¡± I begged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it. Please don¡¯t make me. Don¡¯t make me. Please. Just let me go and I¡¯ll be good. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Her eyes shed as she mmed the door closed.


    ¡°Shut up. Take off your clothes or I¡¯ll hurt you,¡± she threatened. ¡°I¡¯ll break your skinny little arms and no one will believe you if you tell them I did it.¡±


    Shaking from head to foot, I squeezed my eyes shut and began to take off my shirt.


    And then, it was just another nightmare.


    I was slowly pulling off the white, gauzy cloth draped over my father¡¯s corpse the way I had on the day he wasid to rest.


    Only this time, when I pulled the cloth down, his eyes were wide open, filled with awareness and staring right at me. I tried to scream in horror, tried to back away but I couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t make a sound, couldn¡¯t even look away.


    ¡°You will end up like me,¡± he said, his voice hoarse from disuse and whatever chemical the mortician had used to embalm him. ¡°You can¡¯t escape it. You will end up like me, son.¡±


    ******************************


    I jerked awake, heart pounding, sweat pouring from my body despite the fact that it was a chilly night. I pressed my hands to my eyes to blot out the horrible images.


    ¡°It was just a dream. Just a dream,¡± I muttered to myself.


    I kept on saying that until I had myself under some semnce of control. Then I turned to look at the clock. It was just a few minutes past 5 a. m. I knew I would not be able to sleep even though I tried so Iy awake.


    I tried to stop my body from visibly shaking, but the torment of the dream was too much to bear. Why were they back? I¡¯d tried so hard to get rid of them in the past and it had worked. Why could I see still see the horrid face of my father?C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I mmed a pillow over my face, hoping it would blur the images floating in my mind. But it did nothing. They were everywhere, tormenting my mind for several minutes.


    At about 6 a. m, my ears picked up the sound of somemotion outside the house. It was finally bright enough for me to get busy with myself instead of wallowing in anger and sadness. I left my room immediately to check out the source of the sound.


    Outside the house, Amelia who was clutching a suitcase, was trying unsessfully to shove her way through three of my bodyguards.


    ¡°Just get out of my way,¡± she screeched.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam, but we can¡¯t let you leave,¡± One of them told her respectfully.


    ¡°Out of-¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Four pairs of eyes turned towards me. Three pairs were relieved. One- Amelia¡¯s- was furious.


    ¡°Tell them to let me pass,¡± Amelia said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°You can¡¯t go on your own. You don¡¯t know the terrain well. You won¡¯t get far in the desert. It would only take hours and you¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep in the desert! I¡¯ll rather die than remain here. I want to be anywhere but here. Your coldness is- is-¡± She made a wildly impatient gesture. ¡°It¡¯s suffocating me! I can¡¯t stay with you or around you. I demand to leave. Now!¡±


    I saw and recognised the stubborn look in her eyes and knew that she couldn¡¯t be persuaded to stay.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll leave. Just give me an hour at least to contact my pilot who will fly us home.¡±


    She considered this for a full minute.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she bit off. ¡°An hour. No more.¡±


    She dragged her suitcase to the steps of the pce. She didn¡¯t set foot in it again until we were ready to leave. Throughout the flight home, we didn¡¯t say a word to each other. With her arms crossed across her chest, she stared resolutely out the window. Several times I wanted to talk to her but I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Finally, I cleared my throat, ¡°Amelia, I wish the vacation had turned out better. I had it nned especially for you.¡±


    She snorted, and shot me a re. ¡°You expect me to believe that? I know you nned it all for yourself just so you could get what you wanted.¡± She started to stare out the window again but stopped. ¡°I really thought about why you couldn¡¯t love anyone and I believe I now know why.¡±


    ¡°Amelia-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are too damn selfish. You believe that marriage will diminish you, that it will take away your fortune which is the only thing you care about in this world.¡±


    ¡°You are reading the situation wrongly-¡±


    ¡°Oh. Am I?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I sat forcefully. ¡°I¡¯m a realist. That doesn¡¯t make me selfish or as cold blooded as you¡¯re making me out to be. All you need to do is just try to see things from my point of view for once and you¡¯ll know I¡¯m right. I-¡±


    She held up a hand. ¡°Save it, Damian. I have watched you for the past six months of this sham of a marriage. I¡¯ve realized that every single promise you have ever made ensured only your sess, not mine or anyone else¡¯s. That¡¯s how scheming and maniptive you can be.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°There is no point in discussing this further,¡± she said firmly. I fell silent. There was nothing to say anyway. Amelia was convinced that I was simply cold-hearted and scheming. There was no way I could convince her otherwise except by loving her which I could never do.  ¡°I have decided to continue fulfilling my duties to you as a wife but once the year is over, I¡¯ll leave immediately. It¡¯s ridiculous to think that I wanted to stay, to help you. But you can¡¯t even help yourself. After a year, we are done and never crossing paths with each other.¡±


    Sadly, I nodded.


    ¡°If that is what you want, then I agree.¡±

 Chapter 091

    DAMIAN


    I turned on the television. On the news channel, I already knew what I would find. Only one thing had been the most talked about topic of conversation for thest couple of days since Amelia and I returned home from our ill fated trip to Moro. Every news outfit, every blog was talking about the city¡¯s new sensation. This sensation was a big time investor who had recently moved into the city and looked set to settle here. Her appearance in the city had caused quite a buzz both in the business and entertainment circles.


    Amelia knew about her, of course. In fact, she had just been watching a news feature on the investor, but had immediately turned off the television and taken herself off to her room the moment I came in.


    I could not suppress a sad sigh. She had been avoiding me a lot these days. I understood why she was doing it but it hadn¡¯t made it easy to get used to. I turned off the television, more focused on my own problems than in some rich woman who had taken the city by storm.


    But I was destined to make a closer acquaintance of this big time investor. I got to get to know more about her from Anton who stopped by my office for a midday visit as he called it.


    ¡°You look¡­ good,¡± he said after studying me for several seconds from across my desk. ¡°I would have expected you to return with a darker tan, but then you were not actually gone long enough to get one. Anyway, you sure missed a lot when you were gone. Pity you probably don¡¯t know about what has been happening recently.¡±


    ¡°Not really but I¡¯m sure you will tell me,¡± I said dryly, not really wanting to hear but knowing Anton would tell anyway. He had a way of making me feel guilty if I didn¡¯t let him gossip.


    Anton beamed at me. ¡°Damn right, I am! Now, where exactly do I start?¡± He steepled his fingers together, scrunched up his face as though in deep thought. ¡°Ah! I know. The biggest topic of conversation now is Monique. She¡¯s the investor who just arrived in this city or so they say. She is¡­¡± He swallowed several times beforeing up with an adequate adjective. ¡°She is stunning. There is no other word for it. I mean, her money is stunning too but apart from being very rich, she¡¯s so beautiful. Oh. Have I mentioned that she¡¯s rich? Rumour has it that she buys everything she wants without a thought of the cost. In just days after her arrival here, she bought a ranch mansion close to Noah¡¯s house and she¡­¡±


    I unconsciously tuned Anton out as I thought about those few perfect days I spent in Moro.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I jumped a little in my seat.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You. I was beginning to think you had gone into a trance or something. I called your name several times. You have not been listening to a word I¡¯ve been saying.¡± Anton¡¯s thoughtful expression suddenly became concerned. ¡°You seem¡­ distracted. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I think I just have work on my mind.¡± I sighed. ¡°And besides, you talk about this woman like she¡¯s a billionaire or something. Can¡¯t you afford your pleasures and extravagance like she does? Or is it because she¡¯s a woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s just hard to see a woman who¡¯s digging deep into the business hierarchy. I¡¯m not trying to be a sexist.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. There are severalpetitors of mine who are women. You¡¯re interested in Monique because she¡¯s ¡®stunning¡¯ and you think you might have a chance of getting in her bed. I have work to do so she¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    He waved a hand impatiently. ¡°Forget about work for a second. Yes, I might be interested in her because she¡¯s beautiful but I¡¯m certainly not the only one. You actually returned in time, you know. A lot of influential businessmen are going to attend a party at her mansion tonight.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°Her?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Anton threw up his hands in exasperation. ¡°Monique, Damian. Monique!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s hosting a party tonight. You have to go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can-¡±


    ¡°You must. It¡¯s a good ce towork and discuss business too. Also you¡¯ll get to see for yourself how amazing she is. I haven¡¯t been exaggerating.¡±


    Eventually, Anton talked me into going even though thest thing on my mind was to party.  He had an urgent business meeting the next day so he insisted I get all the details for him.


    Amelia hadn¡¯t been kidding when she had told me that she would continue ying the part of a wife until our contract expired. She epted to apany me without a demur, though her bodynguage suggested that if she had her way, she would not be going anywhere with me.


    Anton was right about the woman¡¯s wealth, I thought, as I drove into her parking lotter that evening. The house was actually a mansion and the party was being held on the grounds. Everything had been splendidly decorated. There were lots of people in attendance. I spotted a lot of well known faces among the attendees and I realized she had a lot of influence already. Amelia and I joined the party.


    I spotted the mayor and a few other politicians talking animatedly with someone. I went over to say hello.


    ¡°Damian Donovan,¡± the mayor eximed, wringing my hand warmly. ¡°Have you met Monique yet?¡±


    Monique. I looked away from the mayor, and for the first time, focused on the woman he and the others had been talking to.


    Monique wore a floor length dinner gown. She was a very beautiful woman with exotically nted eyes. She stared at me, her lips twisted in a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Mr. Donovan,¡± Monique said in a full, throaty voice. ¡°I believe the mayor mentioned that yourpany is handling the bullet train railway project.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s good to meet you too. d to make your acquaintance.¡± I briefly took her proffered hand, and then introduced her to Amelia.


    ¡°This is my wife, Amelia.¡± I took a step back to let them engage in a brief conversation as women but she dryly acknowledged Amelia.


    Amelia didn¡¯t seem offended by her gestures. In fact, she seemed uninterested and unimpressed by Monique. And I think that ruined Monique¡¯s mood.


    Noah walked up then and began to engage Monique in conversation. Others joined soon enough. I noticed they allughed at her jokes no matter how banal. They all hung on to her every word, and when she broke off from speaking to mention that she needed a drink, Noah nearly fell t on his stupid face in his haste to get her a ss of champagne. He looked like an Easter bunny, hopping along to satisfy Monique.


    One other man I recognized, a businessman whose face I had seen appearing on the newstely, keptplimenting her house, her dress in so many different words that I wondered how she could stand it. Everyone was obviously falling over themselves to kiss her ass and she seemed to be enjoying all of the attention. I stood at the edge of the small crowd and the moment the mayor had stopped drawing me into the conversation every few seconds, I quickly left the group with Amelia.


    From then on, I steered clear of the Monique fan club as I had named it. I had no wish to fawn over her. I banished her entirely from my thoughts as I tried to enjoy the party. About an hourter, my attention was caught by Lucy who kept ring at something. I followed the direction of her gaze and saw that she was looking at Noah.


    Monique¡¯s flock of admirers had finally giving her a breather, but Noah was still sticking to Monique¡¯s side like glue. He seemed to be trying so extra hard to make an impression on her. I shook my head, sighed, snagged a ss of wine and went over to the table I shared with Amelia.


    ¡°I must speak with Damian Donovan.¡± Even though I¡¯d only met her that night, I could recognize her slippery voice.


    I turned to see Monique making her way towards me. Noah hurried over to say something to her. She shook her head impatiently and kepting. Noah, having been given the brush-off scowled at me but fell back.


    ¡°Enjoying my party?¡± Monique asked, smiling at me.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a great party.¡±


    She had abandoned the silken wrap that had been draped over her shoulders. Now, her dress was strapless, showing off her wless skin to perfection. She beamed a smile at me and I forced myself to smile back. It seemed that despite the flock of men at her party, she was interested in me. I wished Anton had made it. How unfortunate.


    **********************************


    AMELIA


    Moniqueughed,id her hand lightly on Damian¡¯s shoulder like he had said something really funny. All he had said was that her party was a great one, so what on earth was there tough about? She turned a little to mumble some words to me, then refocused her attention on Damian.


    ¡°Can I sit?¡± she asked, pointing to the chair next to Damian.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    She sank into a chair close him with an exaggerated sigh.


    ¡°I love parties, but they can be so exhausting,¡± she flicked her tongue slightly. Ugh! How desperate and depressing.


    ¡°True,¡± Damian didn¡¯t seem to notice her gestures but I did. I could sense her shamelessly throwing herself at him right from the mayor¡¯s introduction.


    I made a nomittal sound and wished she would just get up and leave. She didn¡¯t. Instead, she leaned close to Damian and began talking about how much she had heard about hispany and how brilliant he was to dominate the business market in the city.


    Damian ept the obvious ttery quietly, then shifted the conversation to business. Even then Monique still managed to keep flirting with him. She gave him little touches every opportunity she got which made me want to rip her hands off.


    And when she inched closer, almost pushing her cleavage to his face and I thought I was going to puke, someone called for her. Finally.


    ¡°Damian, I would like you to have breakfast with me here tomorrow while we talk about doing business together,¡± she said as she pushed to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ve not really been impressed with the partnership offers I¡¯ve received so far. I¡¯m really eager to work with you.¡±


    Say no. Say no.


    My fingers clenched around my winess as he nodded, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be here tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 092

    AMELIA


    I waited until I was sure he had gone downstairs before I quickly got off the bed and curled by the window side. I took care to stay behind the curtains in case he decided to look up. It would be embarrassing for him to find me watching him especially since I¡¯d made it clear for the past days that I wasn¡¯t interested in him. If he spotted me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face him for a while.


    As I watched, Damian got into his car and drove off quickly. Something dark and ugly fluttered in my chest. Something I recognized as jealousy. Damian was off to a so-called breakfast meeting with that woman, Monique. There was something about the socialite that I did not like, something that made me feel threatened. I felt like she was up to something, something more than her obvious attempts to try to get her ws into Damian.


    I had tried, and was still trying, to shake off the feeling, but the more I tried to, the more it affected me.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably just desperate for partners.¡± I told myself, hoping it would make me feel better. But it didn¡¯t.


    I despised women with no boundaries, women who couldn¡¯t respect rtionships. Damian had clearly introduced me to her as his wife, yet, she couldn¡¯t stop flirting with him the entire night. Even with Damian¡¯s cold responses, she still managed to find a way tough like a hyena.


    ¡°I hate this.¡± I dragged myself to the bathroom for a shower. I had time on my hands to think about Monique because I wasn¡¯t busy. An hour in the bakery was all I needed to get that nasty woman out of my head.


    ******************************


    DAMIAN


    I nced at my watch as I drove. It was still a full twenty minutes before the ted time for my breakfast meeting with Monique. The traffic was light. I estimated that I would arrive at her house in about fifteen minutes.


    I was there in ten. Monique was taking a walk along the grounds, waiting for me as she said. Though it was early, she was already impably dressed with not a hair out of ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you could make it,¡± she said, taking my hand warmly and only letting go to throw open the front door. ¡°Pleasee in. Breakfast is already served.¡±


    I had been to a lot of beautiful houses; houses of celebrities, socialites, businessmen, tycoons. I was not so easily impressed as I had mostly seen it all.


    But Monique¡¯s house was a work of art. The interior was sumptuously decorated. Every bit of the house was designed to enthrall her guests. She seemed to know what she liked and how to get it.


    ¡°Your house is¡­ beautiful,¡± I said, and meant it.


    ¡°Oh. Thank you. That means a lot because my impression of you is that you are a man who is not so easily impressed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I admitted. ¡°You did a great job with the interior. My wife and I appreciate simple interior designs but yours is still amazing.¡± I told her and noticed a brief sh of disapproval on her face.


    ¡°You can take a look around.¡±


    From a ss window off the living room, I could catch a glimpse of the pool area. I walked closer to the window, and frowned at what I saw. A man was hurriedly leaving through the back door. His movements were sly, furtive. There was something familiar about him and though I ended up not seeing his face, I could swear that the man was Noah. Or maybe I was just hallucinating because he¡¯d been stuck to Monique the entire party. I shelved Noah¡¯s odd behaviour for considerationter.


    I turned away from the window and focused on Monique. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you are hungry,¡± she repeated, smiling at me.


    ¡°Please lead the way,¡± I said.


    Soon, we were in arge dining room where breakfast, which was enough to feed five, had been served. I didn¡¯t know if the extravagance was to impress me but that much food didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I sent away the domestic staff,¡± she exined. ¡°I wanted us to serve ourselves so we won¡¯t be disturbed.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I told her it was fine, even though I felt she was clearly doing too much. We settled down to eat.


    ¡°Everyone is talking about you, but to me you¡¯re still quite the enigma,¡± I said after I had praised the food. She had in turn ascribed the sess of the meal to her chef who she had bribed to work for her from a restaurant in France.


    ¡°There is hardly anything about me that everyone doesn¡¯t know already,¡± she demurred.


    ¡°I suppose so. Everyone knows about your immense wealth, of course,¡± I joked. ¡°Did you er- stumble across an oil well or a gold mine?¡±


    The tone I used in asking these questions was lighthearted enough, but I really wanted to know more about her. Such new faces in the city could be threatening, especially if you underestimate them. Monique was sly, I could see it from the wicked glint in her eyes.


    Sheughed. ¡°No. The secret to my wealth is nothing so dramatic. My husband¡­ he died just a year ago.¡± I murmured my apologies. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Life goes on, I guess. My husband was very wealthy. He left me everything he owned. But I don¡¯t want to be like one of those women who just sit around, content with what has been left for them. Now, I¡¯m doing my best to expand and improve my fortune.¡±


    I nodded in approval. ¡°That¡¯s good. And er- does this city have anything at all to do with this expansion you are talking about? It seems you have settled in here so I believe you¡¯re here to stay.¡±


    She pointed briefly at me with her fork. ¡°Smart man. I knew you were smart. You are absolutely right. I am interested in acquiring somepanies in this city. I have marked out quite a few of them. When I¡¯ve bought thesepanies, I¡¯ll run them like awork.¡±


    I nodded, and took arge bite of my food in a bid hide my thoughts from her. I realized now that Monique was not just the regr wealthy widow. She was trying her best to dominate the city. If she managed to do this, with her money and the influence she wouldmand, she will be unstoppable.


    I would have been lying if I said I wasn¡¯t deeply concerned at this point. I was concerned about the extent of her ns, about how she had just appeared in the city and had gotten so ambitious already. Who knew whatpanies she would try to swallow up in her quest to dominate. And thest time someone¡¯s debut shook the city, he¡¯d turned out to be a psychopath.


    I had a feeling that there was more up her sleeve. Also, though the media seemed to know a lot about her. I had a feeling that she was keeping the most important details about herself under wraps while letting everyone else hear and know what she wanted them to hear.


    ¡°So¡­ Tell me about thesepanies you want to acquire,¡± I said as casually as I could. ¡°Are theypanies I know well?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. The deals are still in the works. Everyone will know about them soon enough.¡±


    I nodded. My first question had been cleverly deflected. I tried another.


    ¡°What else will you do after you finish acquiring thesepanies?¡±


    ¡°Lots of possibilities,¡± she said and in the same breath asked if I wanted more coffee. ¡°How about you?¡± she said after a pause. ¡°What other big project is yourpany working on these days? I know you¡¯re sitting at the top of the city¡¯s hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m currently working on stability, nothing extra or sophisticated. There is no need to bore you with details.¡±


    She didn¡¯t press it but I noticed she looked a bit disappointed that I did not go into more details. I hid a grin as I reflected that two could y at that game. She was obviously guarded about giving out information about herself and I was just doing the same.


    ¡°This city is quite¡­ interesting,¡± she said after a while. ¡°While I have been socializing, I have also been learning what I can about everything and about everyone important here too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know about where you¡¯re living,¡± I said. ¡°If you must thrive in the city, you have to know the city.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have mostly been trying to find the right business partners.¡±


    ¡°Found some?¡±


    She raised a shoulder in a shrug. ¡°Maybe¡­ but I¡¯ve certainly found someone whosepany I enjoy.¡±


    I looked up, about to ask her who, that was if she would tell me. I found her staring at me dreamily. Thepliment had evidently been directed at me!


    Monique leaned over, and patted my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re here with me, Damian,¡± she purred. ¡°The moment I saw you yesterday, I knew we were going to hit it off. You¡¯re kind of my vibe.¡±


    Her fingers danced across my hand and I withdrew sharply. I shifted ufortably in my seat as she batted her eyshes at me. I cleared my throat, reached for my coffee mug, and sipped its content slowly.


    ¡°I hope business has been good,¡± I said quickly. ¡°You know, my wife runs a sessful bakery and sometimes, she talks about how business is harder for women in the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. ¡°It has been. In fact, I have a business proposal for you. Just a moment.¡±


    She reached for a handbag on the chair next to her, drew out an envelope from it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rough draft,¡± she exined. ¡°I want yourpany to join mywork. If you agree, you¡¯ll get.. roughly $1m yearly.¡±


    I smoothed out the document and read through while Monique continued talking about the benefits of the deal. Though the conditions in the document were worded in really attractive terms, I was able to spot that it was a bad deal.


    In a year, I could make the sum in the contract myself without having to sign away my ownership rights.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, folding up the documents and handing it back to her. ¡°I have to refuse your offer.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I could give you time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. That¡¯s my answer, but thanks for the offer anyway.¡±


    ¡°As you wish¡­ but I have another offer for you, Damian. If you don¡¯t want to join mywork, then please be my lover.¡±

 Chapter 093

    DAMIAN


    I was so shocked I nearly choked on the coffee I was sipping. I coughed, and the coffee spilled over, staining my pants slightly. With a half smile on her face, Monique calmly handed me a napkin. I dabbed at my lips, and then my clothes.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe my ears. The woman had actually asked me to be her lover! Yes, she had been flirting with me despite my constant attempts to remind her I was married. But this offer was¡­ outrageous. I paused to study her face, looking for signs that she was joking or just having me on.


    ¡°You seem very¡­ surprised,¡± she said, licking her lips slightly.


    ¡°I am,¡± I admitted. ¡°When you said you had a proposal, I wasn¡¯t expecting this. Did you just ask me-¡±


    ¡°To be my lover. Yes, Damian I just did. I¡¯m a woman who sees what she wants and goes for it. I¡¯ve wanted you since the first second Iid my eyes on you and I don¡¯t feel there is any need to pretend about it. We are both adults after all.¡±


    As I searched for ways to express how I felt correctly. Monique¡¯s hand slid across the table to mine and she blushed. I took my hands off the table quickly, and folded it in myp. Hell no.


    ¡°Why-¡±


    ¡°I could give you a hundred reasons why,¡± she interrupted. ¡°But then that would be beside the point. Just know that I have thought this over, Damain. We could have a very good partnership, a partnership that gives each person what they want. What do you say? You in?¡±


    I spread my fingers, waved my right hand in front of my face to call attention to my wedding ring in case she missed it.


    ¡°Monique, I¡¯m married, remember?¡± I told her. ¡°Perhaps, you haven¡¯t forgotten about that. Do you know I have a wife?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. Did you think I would let that detail slip my attention? Your marriage is not necessarily a reason why this partnership between us cannot exist. I mean, men like you have mistresses even with loving wives. Please, think about this carefully. It¡¯s a good offer if I do say so myself. Your¡­ wife Amelia has nothing to offer you. In fact, everything she is today, she owes it all to you. From the research I did on you, I know you¡¯re not the kind of man who will reject a good deal for¡­ love or sentiments.¡±


    Research? Was I some sort ofb rat or specimen? ¡°Monique, your offer is preposterous. I still can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re actually discussing this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not and there are other benefits of being with me. If you eventually agree to be my lover, I will make you my business partner. Together, we can improve this businesswork I¡¯m working on. Together, we can bag deals that will bring us both billions of dors.¡±


    I opened my mouth to refuse her offer again, more vehemently this time but Monique held up a hand.


    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t just refuse outrightly. Think about it at least.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I have to think about,¡± I responded and rose to my feet. ¡°I cannot be your lover. I respect my wife greatly and this will be an insult to her. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone else who might be interested in this proposal.¡±


    She nodded with a forced smile. ¡°Of course. I understandpletely.¡± But I could see the displeasure masking her face.


    ***********************************


    AMELIA¡¯S POV


    I nced at the clock in my office and sighed. What was wrong with me? I rose from my seat and started to pace the room, my mind racing with thoughts.


    Damian was with Monique.


    Just picturing them together made me so angry I felt like screaming. From what I¡¯d gathered, Damian was the first to receive a breakfast invitation to her house. Why? Why did she have to go after him?


    With the way she was over himst night, they probably hadn¡¯t even gotten to the breakfast part. Maybe they were behind closed doors in one of the rooms in her oversized house fucking. Ugh! I mmed a hand over my forehead.


    Why did Damian ept her invitation in the first ce? Couldn¡¯t he tell she was romantically interested in him and was only looking for a way to express her desires? Hadn¡¯t he figured out that she was the sort of woman with the morals of a tomcat? Or maybe he did know and was basking in the euphoria of having caught the attention of the most sought-after woman in the city.


    I felt like puking as I thought about them together.


    I paced for almost another hour. By this time, all the what-ifs were driving me crazy. Several times, I reached for my phone to call Damian. I reminded myself that I was supposed to be pretending he didn¡¯t exist, not feeling the urge to monitor his movements. I didn¡¯t have to let him know I was jealous he was meeting up with Monique. Men had a weird way of using your fears against you.


    But fifteen minutester, I couldn¡¯t take the suspense anymore. I could go crazy.


    ¡°Screw it!¡± I muttered.


    I grabbed my phone, dialed Damian¡¯s number before I could think it through. I was lucky he picked up on the first ring else I would have probably have chickened out from calling him. Or maybe not.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked, trying to hide my nervousness.


    There was silence from his end for a second, then, ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple question, Damian. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in my office now. I got here a few minutes ago. What is this about?¡±


    I exhaled slightly, my mind calming gently. He was not with Monique which meant their meeting was brief. And Damian was never brief with me, never.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a harmless question. I needed something from home so I thought you could help me get it.¡± I lied.


    ¡°I could ask Miller to get that for you.¡± He offered but I couldn¡¯t stress his driver over nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Have a great day.¡± I murmured, then hung up before he could ask any more questions.


    ***********************


    I exhaled in defeat, staring at the small dinner te before me. I¡¯d cooked for Damian and I, expecting him home earlier. But it has been 2 hours and he wasn¡¯t back yet.


    I found myself watching the clock more and more often as the time passed. Again, I began to get all worked up and began to wonder if Damian had decided to spend the evening with Monique after all. Maybe she invited him over to her ce for dinner too. I would be able to tell by his appearance if he had paid her a visit.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I heard the rumble of a car engine. I dashed over to the window, shifted the curtains in time to see Damain¡¯s car disappear around the corner. I was back in my position on the sofa, looking unruffled when he came in. We exchanged greetings in the stiff manner we had gotten quite used to. And then I spotted something on his shirt as he headed for his room.


    ¡°What is that on your shirt?¡± I shrieked and he froze in his track.


    ¡°What is what?¡± He hastily untucked his shirt, and looked it over. ¡°Is there a stain or-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got lipstick on your shirt!¡±


    Finally, his eyes zeroed in on the stain just slightly below his breast pocket.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He blinked. ¡°I wonder how that got there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare y dumb with me!¡± My vision narrowed with anger. ¡°You know damn well whose lipstick that is and you know exactly how it got there. So how about you stop bloody lying and tell me the truth.¡±


    A flush of anger stained Damian¡¯s cheeks as he took a step towards me. I stood my ground, ready to talk back at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had just about enough of this,¡± he growled. ¡°First you call to know where I am and then you make all these spurious usations I can¡¯t make sense of. If you have something to say, Amelia, just spit it out already.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You¡¯ve been sleeping with Monique, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    He threw me a puzzled look. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her lipstick on your shirt.¡± I scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless, Damian. Wasn¡¯t it just yesterday you met her? Do you have to fuck everything with a pussy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me names,¡± he thundered.


    ¡°Why not? Does the truth hurt?¡±


    ¡°You have no damn right to ask me about who I may or may not have been with. Our contract doesn¡¯t give you the authority to question or police me like I¡¯m a child. If you had epted my offer to extend our marriage, you would have had been justified to question me. But thest time I checked, you rejected that clearly. As it stands, I don¡¯t owe you any exnation. You get that?¡±


    My eyes stung and prickled at his words. I will not cry. I will not let him get to me. I said over and over in my head.


    ¡°Whose lipstick is that?¡± I asked, ring at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to exin myself to you. You made that clear in Moro.¡± He turned on his heels to leave.


    ¡°Fine then!¡± I yelled. ¡°I¡¯m happy I never got to sign your stupid contract because I can see that you¡¯re just like your father. Selfish and irresponsible.¡±


    There was a moment of tense, charged silence as Damian froze briefly and turned back to face me. For the first time that night, I was afraid of him. He looked livid enough to hit me. I flinched when he moved his hand, but it was only to reach for his phone.


    Without breaking eye contact with me, he tapped a number, put the phone to his ear.


    ¡°Hi, Monique,¡± he said and I listened. Oh, what the hell was he doing? ¡°Yes. I actually didn¡¯t think I would be contacting you so soon as well. I have made a decision already as regards our earlier conversation.¡± His eyes shed with malice. ¡°I ept the offer to be your lover.¡±


    **********************


    DAMIAN¡¯S POV


    I mmed myself on my bed, a frustrated sigh escaping my lips. What the hell did I just do?


    The look on Amelia¡¯s face when I¡¯d made that call was enough to tell me that I made a grave mistake.


    I had no intentions of being Monique¡¯s lover but Amelia drove me off the edge. How could she say that to me? She knew I despised my father, yet, she used her knowledge of him against me.


    I fumbled with my buttons and inhaled sharply. I¡¯d visit Monique soon and let her know it was a mistake; I was simply drunk and confused.


    She would probably lose her mind but I couldn¡¯t hurt Amelia like that. I couldn¡¯t.

 Chapter 094

    AMELIA


    The guilt came in stages. First I was so pissed at what Damian did that I did not want to pay attention to the voice in my head which kept telling me that I had made a wrong move.


    Then I told myself that I had perhaps been too harsh, but that Damian had deserved it.


    But by the next day, I was convinced that Damian had not deserved thement I made about his father. That had been hitting way below the belt, and I never felt more ashamed of myself as I did when I woke up. I didn¡¯t know how to apologize to him, what to say, especially since it was a very sensitive topic to him.


    I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when Molly told me that Damian had left for work really early. Relief because I did not know to face him. Disappointment because I really wanted to talk to him. And then there was a crippling fear that he had gone to see Monique, still desperate to piss me off.


    I wouldn¡¯t ever forgive myself if he did something stupid because of myment. Ugh.


    I took myself off to work after managing to grab a few bites of the sandwich I made. Then I began to wish I had just stayed home because I could not concentrate on anything. I thought about Damian, about our argument, about how I had stupidly managed to alienate him further. He had told me about the most vulnerable part of him and then what did I do?


    I had turned around and used it against him. What would my mother say if she knew the mess I had made of our rtionship? Ever since she left, I have made one foolish mistake and yet, another.


    I groaned, buried my face among the papers littered across my desk, and allowed the misery wash over me.


    Several times that day, I picked up my phone, debating on whether to call Damian. But I had nothing to say to him or maybe I just didn¡¯t know how to speak to him. He needed someone that would soften his heart without a long dramatic speech.


    And I knew just the right person.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Anton said the moment I murmured a hello.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    He exhaled. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve never called me this early. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You have to help me,¡± I said desperately. ¡°Please say you will help me.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Hold up and tell me what the problem is.¡±


    I heaved a deep sigh before answering. ¡°It¡¯s Damian¡­ I think I messed things up with him. We had an argument and my big mouth ruined everything. I said things I shouldn¡¯t have, used what he had told me against him and now¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever forgive me. I need you to help me reach him and talk to him.¡±


    ¡°What on earth did you say?¡±


    There was a deliberate silence from me as I contemted telling him. I had to. ¡°I told him he is just like his father.¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Amelia!¡±


    I expected his reaction. ¡°I feel so stupid.¡± I rubbed my forehead. ¡°Please, tell me you¡¯ll help me. I don¡¯t know how to face him.¡±


    ¡°I will, Amelia,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°I promise. Just hang in there.¡±


    Hang in there.


    Easy for him to say. I felt like I was falling apart, unraveling every second as I relieved every horrible second of our argument.


    ¡°We have a big client in the showroom,¡± Rose eximed excitedly, her head poking through my door.


    I had been so engrossed in thought that I nearly jumped out of my skin.


    ¡°Rose!¡± I scolded, bending to pick the pen that had fallen from the table. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard of knocking?¡±


    ¡°But- but I knocked and-¡±


    And I didn¡¯t hear her because I was lost in thought. I gave my head a little shake. I really really had to get it together. I softened my tone when I asked her to repeat what she had said.


    ¡°We have a really important customer,¡± she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get her name but most other people seemed to know who she is¡­ I didn¡¯t get her name¡­¡± she repeated.


    She looked like she expected me to shout at her and that made me feel bad. I gave her a smile to gloss over my earlier peevishness. Rose and I had a cordial, easy rtionship so it wasn¡¯t strange for her to pop into my office to give me ¡®tidbits¡¯ of information she felt I needed to know.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see who she is then,¡± I said. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    My steps faltered as I got to the showroom. I saw a hated, familiar looking figure who unfortunately had already seen me before I could leave.


    ¡°Amelia Donovan, right?¡± Monique drawled, her carefully painted lips curving into a smile. ¡°How good to see you.¡±


    I cleared my throat and murmured ¡®Likewise¡¯ purely for the sake of the others in the area. I would have probably wed at her if my staff weren¡¯t staring at us.


    ¡°A little bird told me this was your ce,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s lucky you¡¯re here. I was just about to send one of your staff to call you. As the boss, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to advice me better.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The question came out sounding terse so I forced my suddenly uncooperative facial muscles into the semnce of a polite smile.


    Monique raised a brow, deliberately smoothed her designer dress over her hips before saying, ¡°What else am I here for but to buy what you sell? I¡¯ll need a custom made cake. Something like this.¡± She picked up a cake brochure, pointed to a picture. ¡°Advice me on the best vours for this, please.¡±


    I grabbed a writing pad, made a quick sketch of the cake and of every detail of it. Not wanting to touch her, I pped the paper down on the counter. She picked it up, and studied it for a long time.


    I looked her over. I knew it was pathetic, but I couldn¡¯t help feel threatened by her. Monique was rich, beautiful, independent, fierce all the things I could never be. All the things I was trying to be.


    She had confidence too, lots of it. I saw it in the way she carried herself. She drew attention to herself wherever she went even without trying. It was certainly true now. Arge number of my customers kept giving her quick admiring nces.


    ¡°This will do,¡± she finally and handed the paper to me.


    I quickly signalled for Rose to take it as the sight of her made my skin crawl. Monique began to look around, her eyes dancing on every object in the room.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get working on your order,¡± I said, getting ready to beat a hasty retreat. ¡°We¡¯ll get it over to you when-¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡±


    She looked me right in the eyes. ¡°I was merely referring to your use of the pronoun we. I assumed you were the baker here, and would be the one to bake and design my cake. You should give your orders a personal touch, you know. It¡¯s good for up anding small businesses like yours. When you¡¯re finally established in¡­ say a decade or so, you can then relypletely on your staff to do the work for you.¡±


    I felt my cheeks heat up. The bitch was deliberately goading me. I supposed it had been too much to hope that she hade just to purchase a damn cake. And would leave without being an absolute bitch.


    As loftily as I could, I said, ¡°I¡¯m the boss here, Monique. I have a lot of people working for me so I don¡¯t usually concern myself with some¡­ aspects except I want to. My staff is quite capable of handling your order. And this is the biggest establishment of its kind in the city. I assume you don¡¯t know that because you¡¯re still new.¡±


    She gave me another one of her abominable smiles. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right. You must forgive me. I tend to always give business advice to people I meet. I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m a genius when ites to business.¡± Her lips curled as she looked around once more. ¡°But I¡¯m beginning to understand that not everyone, not every woman, can be as sessful as me.¡±


    I gritted my teeth to keep back a retort. I knew if I opened my mouth, there would be dire consequences. For her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± she continued. ¡°Please ensure my order is sent over in time. Make sure it is made exactly to the specifications I approved. Damian will being to my ceter for dinner. The cake is for dessert so it¡¯s got to be really special. See you around, Amelia.¡±


    A muscle ticked on my cheek when she mentioned Damian but before I could muster a word, she sashayed out dramatically.


    I marched into my office, locked the door and then I lost it.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I yelled, sweeping the contents of my desk onto the floor.


    ********************************


    DAMIAN


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t count how many times I had said that today. Each time I remembered I¡¯d epted Monique¡¯s proposal, I felt like taking a piece of my skin off. How could I let Amelia get to me so easily?C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She hadn¡¯t even called or texted me all day. But I didn¡¯t me her. Everything I¡¯d done for the past week was infuriating at least. Completely uneptable.


    I didn¡¯t want to see Monique after work but I knew I had to. I needed to end what I started as quickly as possible. Maybe I just-


    My phone started to ring noisily and I rushed to pick it, hoping it was Amelia. Disappointed, I sighed when Anton¡¯s voice came on.


    ¡°Amelia told me you both had a falling out,¡± He without preamble. ¡°She¡¯s really sorry about what she said. But tell me what¡¯s actually going on.¡±


    Sorry? Did she me herself for what I did? I guess that makes my situation even worse.


    I told Anton of all what had happened between Monique, Amelia and I.


    ¡°¡­ and when Amelia said that, I snapped. I called Monique immediately and epted her offer. Now, I can¡¯t easily back out of it.¡±


    ¡°But you have to find a way to,¡± Anton answered. Yes genius, I already knew that. ¡°Or do you n on being her gigolo now? Because that¡¯s more or less what you¡¯re going to be if you go through with this.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll carefully back out of this.¡± I sighed and leaned back into my seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go see her tonight and end what I started.¡±

 Chapter 095

    DAMIAN


    I looked up from myputer in surprise as Anton settled himself into the chair opposite mine with an odd expression on his face.


    He proceeded to steeple his hands over his chin, jerked his head towards theputer and asked if I was about done. I pushed aside myputer and turned to him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would being either, but I just had to so I could impress the seriousness of the situation on you. I didn¡¯t think just a phone call would do.¡±


    ¡°What situation?¡± I asked curiously, wondering what would have made him leave work very early on a weekday toe see me. It wasn¡¯t like he usually didn¡¯t do that but he had been busy recently.


    Anton suddenly leaned forward. ¡°Tell me. Have you told that woman that the deal you struck with her is off?¡±


    ¡°What woman?¡±


    ¡°Who else? Monique, of course.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Monique? And since when did she be ¡®that woman¡¯? Last I remember, you were going on and on about her, singing her praises to the skies¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, a man can change his mind, can¡¯t he?¡± He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s bad news and I know it.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± I leaned back in my chair to better study Anton. Though I had a lot on my mind- Amelia mostly- and hadn¡¯t been in a rxed mood for quite a while, it was so strange to see Anton in such a serious mood. I couldn¡¯t help teasing him a bit, a little halfhearted though it was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I continued as he opened his mouth to say something. ¡°Isn¡¯t she beautiful enough anymore?¡±


    Anton rapped impatiently on the desk.


    ¡°Get serious, Damian,¡± he said tersely.


    Hearing Anton telling me to get serious made me reconsider my situation. I frowned, realizing it had to be an important issue he wanted to discuss with me. From the direction of our conversation, it was something to do with Monique.


    I threw up my hands. ¡°Fine. You talk. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Damian, I think you need to be careful, really careful with Monique. There is something more to her than meets the public eye. I heard some rumors about her the other day.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes. Rumors that will most likely turn out to be true. One of the persons I heard it from is almost never wrong about these things¡­¡± He waved a hand impatiently. ¡°But we are putting the cart before the horse. The thing is I heard Monique has been going after the most influential and powerful men in the city. She has made them her lovers. Some of these men are married. Some are single. Apparently, a man¡¯s marital status doesn¡¯t stop her from going after him.¡±


    I scoffed, shook my head. ¡°This is-¡±


    ¡°When you told me about her offer to you, I thought she fell for you at the party even though you¡¯re married, which is really not a strange thing.  Although the strange part was that you got to get paid for being her lover. But that is not the point. The point is if she has a whole collection of wealthy married and unmarried men, she must be up to something, something not good. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    It was my turn to wave off his words. ¡°Anton, you are not even sure about this.¡±


    ¡°I told you-¡±


    ¡°-That the information came from a more or less reliable source. Yes, but that doesn¡¯t make it true. It could be just what you said it was- a rumour.¡±


    He thought about this and shrugged. ¡°Ever heard the expression that rumours are like smoke, and that there is no smoke without fire?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, rumours are just¡­ rumours.¡±


    ¡°You may be right,¡± he conceded. ¡°Still be careful around Monique, especially since like an ass, you agreed to be her lover. I hope she doesn¡¯t get you to sign a document to that effect.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Besides, I told you I was going to decline her offer¡­¡±


    I trailed off as Anton shrugged once more and began to help himself to some of the snacks my secretary had brought in for me earlier.


    Though, I had just given the appearance of not believing Anton¡¯s report, something about it troubled me. I knew Anton was always right about most of his gossips and it frightened me a bit.


    Why would Monique intentionally go after married men in the city? It confirmed my suspicion that she was hiding something, and most likely nning a dangerous thing.


    Anton left an hourter but not before he reminded me that I was stupid to ept her proposal. He warned me to be smart with dealing with Monique and to ensure I don¡¯t let her ruin my rtionship with Amelia.


    At half past four, I left work and headed home. I didn¡¯t want to have my meeting with Moniquete at night.


    Amelia wasn¡¯t home when I arrived and I was relived. I didn¡¯t know how to face after what I¡¯d done. But I was going to right my wrongs before she came home.


    I changed my clothes and drove to Monique¡¯s ce. She was waiting inside the house this time, dressed in a formal dinner dress.


    ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± I asked after we had exchanged pleasantries. ¡°You are dressed to the nines.¡±


    She looked down at herself, smiled. ¡°No. We are having dinner here. I just like to look my best at all times.¡±


    We went over to the dining room where as usual, the food was alreadyid out.


    ¡°You were earlyst time,¡± she said. ¡°So I told them to serve the food. I knew it wouldn¡¯t get cold before you arrived.¡±


    I whipped the cover off the te in front of me.


    ¡°Seafood,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. Compliments of the chef. It¡¯s really delicious. Dig in.¡±


    I did so, andplemented her chef. For dessert, there was cake. I didn¡¯t want to outrightly reject her proposal and give her the impression that we had bad blood between us. Such a woman with many men wrapped around her fingers could be dangerous.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± I said the moment I took a bite. ¡°Did your chef make it too?¡±


    ¡°No. I bought it from your wife¡¯s bakery.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I suddenly didn¡¯t feel like having cake anymore. What the hell was wrong with this woman?


    Why was she at Amelia¡¯s bakery? That would have been a disaster. I didn¡¯t need a soothsayer to tell me that Amelia hated Monique¡¯s guts. It was in the way she had spoken about her when she used me of cheating.


    I turned to see Monique watching me closely, though she appeared not to be doing so. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she was nning. There were a hundred other bakeries scattered across the city. A lot of ces she could have gotten her cake from. Why did it have to be from Amelia¡¯s? She was desperately trying inching at something and I wouldn¡¯t let her do that.


    It was my mistake to ever get involved with her. Hence, I had to deal with her appropriately.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As I took sips of the wine she had provided, carefully preparing my words, I decided that her motives were really not my business anymore. It had been my intention long before this dinner to tell her that I was no longer interested in her offer. I could not wait to tell her about that and excuse myself.


    When we both finished eating, I set down my winess and cleared my throat, ¡°Monique, there is something-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve finished eating?¡± she wiped her lips with a napkin.


    ¡°Er- yes.¡±


    Before the words were out of my mouth, she had pushed back her chair and was on her feet.


    ¡°Come,¡± she said. ¡°I have something important I¡¯ve been dying to show you.¡±


    I remained seated. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary. Why don¡¯t you sit back down and let¡¯s talk?¡±


    ¡°Oh. There will be time for talkingter. I held off until now because I wanted you to enjoy your meal first. Please, Damian. Let¡¯s go. What I am about to show you will blow your mind away.¡±


    Reluctantly, I followed her down a long corridor. After many twists and turns, we got to a door that almost blended into the wall surrounding it. She unlocked it by pressing her thumb against a panel. There was a muted click. The door swung open.


    We stepped into a room with screens everywhere, CCTV cameras and recording equipment. I went closer to get a better look, ignoring Monique¡¯s cry of ¡®Here we are.¡¯


    At first, I thought I was looking at the surveince footage of her house and it¡¯s grounds. But then I realized that theyout of the grounds I saw didn¡¯t match with hers. I could see other people on the screens, men mostly, going about their normal routine in their houses and even¡­ offices. In one screen, I could see a bald, pudgy looking man taking off his clothes in his bedroom.


    My mouth hung open as I realized what I was looking at. These were live CCTV footages of other people¡¯s houses.


    Monique had been monitoring the entire city, spying on families and creeping around in several homes.


    This was¡­ sick.


    ¡°Impressive, right?¡± Monique said as she came to stand beside me. ¡°This is what gives me the upper hand. For months, I have been monitoring many wealthy men in this city. I know some of their deepest, darkest secrets.¡± She barked out augh. ¡°It will shock you to know some of them. With this-¡± She waved a hand to epass the room. ¡°-and with you by my side, we will be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been doing this?¡± I managed to ask, feeling cold to my bones.


    ¡°Ummmm.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°This has been going on for four months. I¡¯ve been in the city for a long time, just watching, waiting for the right time. It will surprise you to know how dirty some of your colleagues are.¡±


    So Anton was right after all. I was appalled at the glimpse she had gotten into the lives of these unsuspecting men. The room was vile and I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I murmured. ¡°This is outrageous.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    My vision narrowed with anger, ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t be your partner or your lover. What you are doing is wrong. It is illegal. You have to stop!¡±


    She turned to re at me, her eyes glimmering in anger. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you, Damian. I never thought you would be a pussy who would judge me for being a tactical business woman.¡±


    ¡°Tactical business woman? That¡¯s bullshit and you know it. I want no part of anything you have to offer.¡±


    ¡°With this, we can control-¡±


    I closed the distance between us, my eyes boring into hers. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you close to either my wife or me. You¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    ¡°It takes guts to be number one, to rise at the top. Tell me you haven¡¯t gotten your hands dirty to be where you are.¡±


    ¡°My hands may be dirty, Monique. But you, your soul stinks. You¡¯re one dirty, desperate witch. Stay away from me.¡±


    Feeling sick to my stomach, I hurried out of the room and her house.

 Chapter 096

    DAMIAN


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± I mmed my hand aggressively on my steering wheel, my mind hazy with thoughts. How did I get myself into this mess? Monique was a psycho, and I just fell right into her clutches.


    I drove like a madman all the way home. I could feel my heart racing as I clutched the steering wheel, trying to beat the traffic.


    I jumped out of the car before it was barely parked and dashed inside. The moment I got in, I yelled for Molly. She came running from the kitchen.


    ¡°Call a technician,¡± I barked. ¡°Now!¡±


    She nodded and hurried off. I began to walk around the house, looking out for cameras. I had to find out if Monique had also bugged my house. If she had, I had to get rid of the cameras before Amelia returned.


    ¡°The technician is on his way, sir,¡± Molly returned. ¡°Sir, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Tell me¡­ and think carefully before you answer. Has any form of maintenance taken ce here recently?¡±


    She thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes. Three days before you and your wife left for Moro, there was an electrical maintenance.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call for a goddamn maintenance.¡±


    ¡°They came to ess the cameras you installed,¡± Molly answered, shaking slightly. ¡°We thought you paid them to do it.¡±


    Which meant the house might have been bugged. And that Monique had been watching us for a long time. Fuck!


    For the longest twenty minutes of my life, I waited for the technicians to arrive while praying that Amelia would return homete. I could not face her if she learned Monique was spying on us.


    Soon, the team of technicians arrived. Their job would be harder, considering the fact that I had already installed cameras to watch Amelia after Colin attempted to hurt her.


    ¡°I need your eyes to scout every single room in this house. Bring me every hidden camera besides the obvious ones.¡± I instructed the technicians, and they started work immediately.


    It took ten minutes to find a camera hidden in the smoke detector. And another five to find two more in the wall clocks. By the time the technicians had scoured the entire ce for two hours, seventeen hidden cameras were found.


    Monique had yed me, and she had yed me well.


    ********************


    Anton put up a hand, a gesture for me to stop.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wait. Wait. Back up a little and take it from when she took you out of the dining room.¡±


    Again, I told him about Monique¡¯s offer and her surveince screens in a hidden room. Anton gaped at me, his mouth hanging slightly open.


    ¡°She¡¯s been bugging people¡¯s houses?¡± he yelled.


    ¡°Hey! Keep your voice down.¡± I nced at my office door to make sure it was firmly closed. ¡°And yes, she has been. I found seventeen cameras at mine.¡±


    ¡°Damian!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s worse than you described.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s some creepy shit!¡± Anton tugged at a strand of his hair. ¡°My mind is literally blown away. How did she even manage to get those cameras in people¡¯s homes? There has to be like a hundred different charges that can be mmed against her; breaking and entering, invasion of privacy¡­ A whole lot!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it!¡± I sighed. ¡°Apparently, she had scheduled maintenance at home and installed them. She¡¯s smart and dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That means the rumour I heard was right. She is as dangerous as I thought, even more dangerous than I realized. She has been keeping an eye on everyone all this time. She has probably been doing that before she came into the city.¡± He sat up straighter as a thought urred to him. ¡°The borate parties she throws must be covers to find out dirty secrets about wealthy and influential men.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I figured that out already. The woman is a sneak for want of a better word.¡±


    Anton sighed and slumped back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯m just happy she wasn¡¯t able to get her hooks into you.¡±


    But Anton spoke a little too soon. The words were barely out of his mouth before my phone rang.


    ¡°Monique,¡± I breathed, pointing at the phone.


    ¡°Monique,¡± Anton repeated. ¡°What does she want?¡±


    ¡°Search me.¡± My finger hovered over the screen. ¡°There is only one way to find out.¡±


    I took the call, thinking she was calling to ask me to reconsider her offer, which I had no bloody intention of doing.


    Monique¡¯s voice came over the line, clear and cold the moment I said hello.


    ¡°Damian, no one, and I repeat, no one can see my surveince room and not ept my proposal.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe you should have spelt it out before taking me to your room of horrors,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°I mean what I just said. You know my secret now. That means we must work together because I can¡¯t risk letting you expose me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I meant all I said, Monique. It will be a cold day in hell before I decide to work with the likes of you. I have gone far in business without resorting to your underhand methods. The thought of what you do literally makes my skin crawl.¡±


    She waited a beat before saying, ¡°I think I¡¯ve been persuasive enough. You have exactly 15 seconds from the time I drop this call to think about my offer. If you refuse me, I will release files to the general public, files that will damage your reputation forever.¡±


    ¡°I said no, and my no means NO.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Your time starts now.¡±


    The line immediately went dead.


    ¡°Dramatic,¡± I scoffed.


    Anton leaned forward eagerly. ¡°What? What did she say? What did she want?¡± Anton¡¯s expression quickly became one of rm when I told him what Monique had said.


    ¡°That woman is dangerous,¡± he said worriedly. ¡°What can she have on you?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing,¡± I replied promptly. ¡°She is a sour loser. She¡¯s just bluffing, trying to scare me. I¡¯m sure as I am of my name that she has nothing on me that can tarnish my reputation.¡±


    ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Enough of that woman. Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s angry she didn¡¯t get what she wanted. Nothing more.¡±


    Anton didn¡¯t still look convinced by the time he left, but I felt easy in my mind for the rest of the day. A few minutes after I was done with work for the day, I was in the parking lot when I received a phone call from Anton.


    I was about to tell him I hoped he wasn¡¯t calling to talk about Monique¡¯s stupid threats when he said, ¡°Have you seen the news yet?¡±


    ¡°Er- no. I have been busy and¡­ Why? What¡¯s so special about today¡¯s news?¡±


    Anton sighed deeply. ¡°It-It¡¯s not something I can say. Just google¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°Google Damian Donovan with the tag, child trafficker.¡±


    I spluttered and ended the call immediately. With dread in my heart, I did a quick Google search of the terms Anton had given me. The search results made my blood run cold. On the inte were articles, lots of them, that gave ¡®evidence¡¯ that I was a child trafficker. For about twenty minutes, I stood beside my car, clicking on article after article, and then I just stood there, staring into space, wondering what the hell was happening.


    And then I remembered Monique. Her threats. She had done this!


    Already beginning to panic, I rapped sharply on the window of my car as I got in.


    ¡°Quickly,¡± I said to my driver. ¡°Take me home now!¡±


    In no time at all, I was home. I was out of the car before it fully came to a stop. From the front door, I could hear the sound of the television turned all the way up.


    ¡°Damian,¡± Amelia cried,ing around the sofa to clutch at my sleeve. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    The voice from the television rose and swelled. Amelia and I both turned to it.


    ¡°¡­ tycoon Damian Donovan is allegedly involved in child trafficking.¡± The talking reporter¡¯s face was reced with several of my pictures and then pictures of dirty-looking, half-starved children. ¡°Reports have it that his trafficking ring focuses in countries like Moro and Rwanda.¡±


    The children¡¯s faces changed to pictures of the Moran dishes Amelia had taken and posted on Instagram during our short vacation. I couldn¡¯t believe the fools were actually using that as proof that I had visited Moro recently.


    I grabbed the remote, turned down the volume of the television and faced Amelia.


    ¡°Exin to me. What¡¯s happening?¡± she said in a tiny voice.


    ¡°Monique,¡± I said, and I went on to tell her about everything, about my dinner with her, her surveince room and her threats. ¡°I was so sure she had nothing on me. I didn¡¯t think for one moment that she would go as far as framing me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Damian. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Her eyes grew shiny and wet. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the one who pushed you into epting her proposal.¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t me yourself. Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m a grown man, responsible for my own decisions. The mistake was mine.¡±


    ¡°But how are you going to get out of this? Do you have a n?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ And Amelia, I don¡¯t mean to spell doom, but I have to let you know that this will be a difficult case for me to win, especially since the media are not basing their spections on hearsay. There are files backing up these false ims.¡±


    ¡°But Damian, they are just pictures and mere spections,¡± she argued. ¡°Once they probe the so-called evidence, they¡¯ll discover it¡¯s all fake.¡±


    ¡°Monique would have thought of that part,¡± I pointed out. ¡°That woman is dangerous. She¡¯s not who she says she is.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°Amelia, we are about to enter a difficult phase of our marriage. I¡¯m going to lose a lot. I¡¯ve seen something like this happen to others. Most of the shareholders in mypany will pull out. Mypany will suffer. You see, no one wants to remain in a sinking ship. And as for you¡­ people will believe that, as my wife, you are in on this. They will bully you. They will call your names. Your business could also be affected.¡± I watched her eyes widen with fright at every word out of my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to frighten you, but I don¡¯t want to keep you in the dark about anything.¡±


    Her face suddenly tightened in resolve. ¡°Whatever happens, know that I am with you in this.¡±


    Just as I was about to thank her, my phone rang.


    ¡°The mayor,¡± I said to her. ¡°Keep your fingers crossed. This could turn out to be what I just told you about.¡±


    Sure enough, it was.


    ¡°Damian,¡± the mayor said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring this up, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the rumours flying around about you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. Needless to say, they are all lies. Every one of them. You know I¡¯m not, and can¡¯t ever be that kind of person. Someone is trying hard to frame me. I will clear my name soon enough, so I have no worries there.¡±


    His tone turned apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m afraid what I know or don¡¯t know about you doesn¡¯t count, especially with people higher up than me.¡± He paused for breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but until your name is cleared, the railway project must be put on hold.¡±

 Chapter 097

    DAMIAN


    I woke up the following day with the hope that everything would have blown over, that someone somewhere had realized that all the usations against me couldn¡¯t possibly be true.


    How wrong I was! If anything, the lies against me had even gotten worse. When I surfed the that morning, I found that even more ¡®proof¡¯ about me being a child trafficker had surfaced. Monique was undoubtedly working around the clock to make sure I was ruined. She was doing a pretty damn good job of it.


    I paced my room, thinking of what to do, of what other steps to take to nip this situation in the bud. On my return from the window, I spotted my phone.


    Without thinking, I grabbed it and dialed Monique¡¯s number. She picked up on the very first ring, and I wondered if she had been sitting by her phone, waiting for me to call.


    ¡°Monique,¡± I growled. ¡°This ends now.¡±


    ¡°What ends?¡± she drawled.


    ¡°You have had your fun, and it ends now. Listen, I give you less than twenty-four hours to take down all the lies you spread about me. If you don¡¯t do this, there will be consequences that will destroy you. Do you-¡±


    Monique let out peal after peal of derisiveughter. When herughing fit subsided, she said, ¡°Now, who¡¯s bluffing, Damian? Let me tell you this¡­ You think your life is hell right now, but it¡¯s actually paradise. This is only the beginning. Get ready for¡­ more. You can¡¯t possibly begin to imagine all I have in store for you.¡±


    ¡°Monique, you won¡¯t get away with this.¡±


    She giggled again. ¡°Oh, Damian, I have already gotten away with it.¡±


    I hung up. Calling her was a mistake. She was enjoying herself, and I could not give her the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten to me that much. I flopped into a chair and powered up myptop. It had just urred to me that I had to check exactly how much damage Monique¡¯s lies had caused me. I knew it would be not good.


    But it was worse, worse than I thought. A quick check of my analytics revealed that my stocks were falling. They had not fallen and teaued. No.


    My stocks were still falling rapidly with no signs of stopping. I sighed and turned off myptop; seeing the damage Monique had caused could give me a heartache.


    I went down to get breakfast, and when I returned, my secretary had called to give me more terrible news.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that 40% of the shareholders have withdrawn from thepany.¡± She told me timidly over the phone. ¡°I fear more will drop, but I thought you should know the recent development.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen?¡±


    ¡°They apologized, sir,¡± she said. ¡°but they said in light of what had happened, they had to cut off ties with thepany.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said slowly, but I was losing my mind inwardly.


    First, the mayor, now the shareholders. What next? I thought.


    ¡°Keep me posted,¡± I informed her and hung up. My entire world was spinning out of control, and I felt like throwing up in my mouth.


    I pulled out myptop again to find out more about my statistics. I found a news article on the information my secretary had given me. My shareholders, in addition to pulling out of mypany, had diverted their funds to Noah since he was my closestpetitor.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    In anger, I pushed my table over, and myptop crashed with it. How could this be happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?


    I could imagine how overjoyed this must have made Noah feel. The fact that he had scored one over me would be more important to him than all the money hispany was currently making.


    The need, the urge to give Monique a taste of her own medicine, budded and grew within me until it became a burning desire. I figured that a woman like that, who was involved in so many illegal dealings, would have something in her past that I could use against her, something that would be to my advantage.


    I picked up myptop, which I was beginning to do often and ran a quick search on Monique. I read several articles on her, but nothing important or out of the ordinary came up. All the information about her was just the ones she had nted in the media. After searching the inte for over an hour anding up with nothing, I became desperate. I knew then that I had to have help before things got out of hand.


    I hurried into my study, rifled through the drawers and came up with a little notebook into which I always jotted things that I thought would be of importance. After flipping through the pages, my fingers ran over an entry and a phone number. A while ago, I hade to know of a top-rated private investigative firm, and it was to this I turned for help. I dialled the number.


    ¡°Third Eye Private Investigators,¡± said the voice from the other end. ¡°How may we help you?¡±


    I asked to speak with the owner of the outfit and was put through to him when I mentioned who I was.


    ¡°Ace Sloane at your service,¡± he said.


    I went straight to the point. ¡°I am being framed by a woman called Monique.¡±


    ¡°Monique¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°You are familiar with the name?¡±


    ¡°I believe everyone is, sir.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m quite sure that she is involved in several illegal activities, but she has been hiding her trail very well. I want you to dig deep into her past. As deep as you can get, even deeper. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Get everything you can about her and further investigate anything that seems even a little off. There must be something in her past that she is hiding, something I can use to my advantage.¡±


    ¡°I will get right to it,¡± Ace assured me. ¡°My best agents will be on the job.¡±


    ¡°I need everything you can get on her. I¡¯ll pay you triple your normal fee.¡±


    I hung up. For the rest of the day, I felt like I was going out of my mind. I felt useless, sitting around the house, doing nothing. Even the fact that an investigative firm was looking into Monique did not make me feel better. I wished I could confront her face to face.


    But I knew that would not be possible. I couldn¡¯t risk driving out, no matter the amount of bodyguards I took with me. Monique had chosen her story well. The public would have been outraged at the news of human trafficking, no doubt, but the thought of children being trafficked would drive them crazy, crazy enough to lynch me if I ever showed my face in public before all this blew over.


    I had no other choice but to sit and wait.


    ***********************************


    AMELIA


    On my way back home from the bakery, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some things I would use in making dinner that evening. I had finished buying almost everything and was just making my way to another aisle when someone¡¯s shopping cart hit me on the foot. I turned around to apologize because, frankly, I had not been paying attention to where I was going.


    The apology died on my lips as I looked straight into Noah¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You!¡± he said, and then a cold, cruel smile twisted his lips. ¡°What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be home looking after your¡­ husband after what¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°I have as much right to be here as much as anyone else,¡± I retorted. ¡°And nothing has happened to my husband. Keep your meddling nose out of our business.¡±


    I started to walk away. He stepped right in my path. ¡°Don¡¯t run away,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°I never knew you to be a coward.¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of my way,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    I struggled with the urge to raise my voice, knowing that Noah would like nothing better than for me to inadvertently cause a scene.


    Noah clucked his tongue. ¡°Language, Amelia. Language. I¡¯d advise you to be careful of how you talk to me. I¡¯m probably the only one you cane to ask for help, considering the fact that mypany is now the best in the city.¡± He smirked, and I felt like knocking all his front teeth out.


    I scoffed, not letting my expression betray how much his words hurt. ¡°And I¡¯ll advise you to enjoy it while itsts, Noah. Damian was framed. That is the only reason you are in the limelight. You could onlye out of the shadows when Damian took a step out of the light. When Damian is the centre of attention once more, you¡¯ll be back to lurking in the shadows as you always have been. Let¡¯s face it. You arepletely irrelevant, always were, and always will be.¡±


    To my delight, Noah¡¯s cheeks flushed in anger.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, you barren bitch,¡± he shot back. He gestured to his cart. ¡°Did I mention that I¡¯m shopping for Lucy? She will soon give birth.¡± He gave me a once-over. ¡°As for you, I have to ask, why aren¡¯t you pregnant yet? Is it that your child trafficker of a husband is impotent or¡­ Could it be because your womb is just a useless organ, unfit for bearing children? Yes¡­ I think that¡¯s the case. You can¡¯t bear children. Even nature thinks you are unfit to be a mother. Ha!¡±


    Noah¡¯s words hurt so bad. He always had the uncanny ability to hit me where it hurt the most, but there was no way in hell I would let him see my scars.


    I fought to keep my expression deadpan as I said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to keep bandying words with you. Never show your face around me ever again.¡±


    I turned and walked away.

 Chapter 098

    AMELIA


    It was funny how people are always able to think of the right things to say after a confrontation was over. This was exactly my case now. There were so many things I wanted to tell Noah, so many things I had just thought of, things that would have taken him down a peg or two. But he had more or less thest word with that jibe about my inability to conceive.


    Somehow, I was paranoid that he was right. That I was somehow barren and destined to have no kids. I didn¡¯t have any evidence to prove he was wrong so silence was all I could offer.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My day was totally and utterly ruined. As soon as I pulled up in front of the house, I grabbed the groceries on the passenger seat, and marched angrily into the house.


    And then my anger deted the moment I saw Damian. He was on the living room settee. The television was on, but muted and I could see that the news vultures as I had taken to calling them, were running yet another news feature on the child trafficking case against him. He must have been watching the news a while ago, but now he sat staring at the wall opposite, lost in thought. He stirred, blinked and focused on me when I crossed his line of vision.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said with a smile thatcked a lot of it¡¯s former cheeriness. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± I pressed the bag of groceries tightly against my chest, drawing his attention to it. ¡°I want to get dinner started.¡±


    He started to lean back against the sofa, but stopped to ask about my day. I arranged my expression to look pleased.


    ¡°It was great,¡± I lied.


    He nodded once andpsed into thought again. It had been on the tip of my tongue to tell him about Noah, but then what good would it do? He would want to get back at Noah for harassing me, but right now he was in no position to do so. I was hurting too, but how could I bother him with my problems while he was going through a lot on his own? I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how it felt to have the whole world hating on you for something you didn¡¯t do.


    And so I told him again that I was going to get dinner started, and took myself off to the kitchen. I threw in everything I had into making his favourite meal in the hopes that it would cheer him up a little. There was some cake I had brought back from the bakery, and this I used as dessert. Though a bit tired out, I took pains to make that dinner setting quite borate. When I was finished, I stepped back to take in my handiwork.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I murmured.


    At the entrance of the dining room, I called out to tell him that dinner was served. He took a moment before I heard him sigh and rise from his seat.


    He shuffled in, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His face brightened a little when he took in the spread before him.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± he said and sat with me. He started eating¡­ or pushing his food around on his te was more like it.


    After a few minutes of pretending to eat while watching him, I dropped my fork. I had to call his name twice to get his attention. His furrowed brow smoothed out as he focused on me.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°You are not eating. Don¡¯t you like the food?¡±


    He looked down at his te.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I¡­ just don¡¯t seem to have an appetite.¡±


    ¡°And I know exactly what¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s the Monique issue, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Damian gave a weary shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡°You read me so well, like a book,¡± he said with some attempt at humour.


    I smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m sure this issue will be fixed eventually, Damian. You don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±


    ¡°I would like to think so,¡± he murmured after a thoughtful silence. ¡°But I have always prided myself on being a practical man. The enemy here, Monique, is very dangerous, very slippery. It may be dangerous, even impossible to bring these rumours back to her.¡± He gave up on the pretence of eating and pushed his te away. ¡°To tell the truth, I think this could be the end for me. Everything is going downhill so fast. I don¡¯t think I can ever recover from this.¡± He suddenly leaned forward, pinning me with his stare. ¡°Amelia, I willpletely understand if you want to end our contract now.¡±


    ¡°What? Why-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a sinking man, a drowning man. If you stay, some of this scandal will surely rub off on you. Your name will be dragged down into that mud with me if you stay. Already, people are looking for new angles to this case. Hell! You might even be named as my aplice.¡± Heughed humourlessly. ¡°That kind of news item will be fodder for their fire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± I pointed out, crossing my arms over my chest.


    ¡°Believe me, it¡¯s not my intention to scare you at all. I¡¯m just telling you how bad it can get. I want you to know the worst case scenario. It¡¯s not going to be pretty, Amelia, and if you walk away, I won¡¯t me you. In fact, I think it¡¯s the best thing for you to do at this point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I have thought of all that?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°Have you? Have you really?¡±


    I could it in his eyes, the way he hoped, but was desperately trying not to. Again, he was building a wall of defense around himself so he wouldn¡¯t get hurt. I could not say I med him this time.


    ¡°Yes. I know all that can happen and I have made my decision. I am going to stand by you through this phase. Yes, it is a phase,¡± I added, knowing what he had been about to say. ¡°I will be here no matter what happens until the year stated in our contract is over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your¡­ loyalty,¡± he said, his voice thick with emotion. ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t regret your decision.¡±


    I leaned over the table to pat his hand.


    ¡°I won¡¯t and er- contrary to your predictions, I don¡¯t think these events have affected me much. Just yesterday, I received an invitation to attend a business g that will hold in three days.¡±


    ¡°A g? Was it one of your clients who invited you?¡±


    ¡°No. I received the invitation via email. Apparently, it¡¯s an event for all major business owners in the city.¡±


    ¡°Then I must have received an invite as well,¡± he said half to himself.


    But a few minutester, I could tell from the sudden slump of his shoulders that he hadn¡¯t received the email.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t receive an email,¡± he said. ¡°Looks like in addition to everything, I have also been cklisted from events.¡±


    I thought fast and came to a decision.


    ¡°Well then, if you aren¡¯t going to be there, I¡¯m not going to attend too.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he said quickly. ¡°You have to go.¡±


    ¡°Why? If the organizers can¡¯t verify news before ostracizing people, then it¡¯s not an event I need to attend.¡±


    ¡°But I need you there,¡± he exined. ¡°I need eyes on everything happening in the business world. Who better than you to fill that role than you? Also, if you¡¯re still within business circles, I might be able to know if Monique is nning something more. We have to be steps ahead of the enemy, understand?¡±


    I did understand. Damian needed someone on the inside now that this closest associates were abandoning him. It made sense for me to y the role of the insider, but that didn¡¯t mean I liked it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I told him. ¡°But have you thought of involving the police in this? You could tell them everything you saw and they would search her house. The truth will be revealed and you¡¯ll free.¡±


    Damien shook his head. ¡°Monique must have thought of all those things. Do you know how long it takes to get a search warrant? She would know immediately I contact the police and take steps to defeat me. I will look like a fool if they bust into her house and find nothing.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I guess you are right. What are you going to do then? You can¡¯t wait till everyone forgets about this, will you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He responded. ¡°I¡¯m trying to work out a solution. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing my best.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine.¡±


    He nodded, nced briefly at his untouched food and told me he was going up to bed. I cleaned up after him, my mind trying to find ways to help him.


    When I went to bed that night, all my insecurities came out to y. I could not stop thinking about what Noah had said to me at the grocery store. Tossing, turning and trying to get a morefortable spot to sleep in did not help.


    I kept wondering if Noah was right and the problem with conception was actually from me. The thought of growing old and dying without having a child to call my own brought tears to my eyes. I eventually fell asleep, still crying.


    ******************************


    DAMIAN


    I couldn¡¯t sleep. I just couldn¡¯t.


    I had to be the most stupid person on earth, which was odd because not too long ago, I had prided myself on being very clever. Already, I was about to loose every damn thing I had worked so hard for because I had been such a mug for epting Monique¡¯s proposal in the first ce.


    Getting cklisted from events was undoubtedly the beginning of the end. It could only get worse from here onwards. The big question was if I would be able to clear my name before mypany was run to the ground.

 Chapter 099

    AMELIA


    THREE DAYS LATER


    I smoothed my hands over my dress. The dress, bought specially for the asion of the g was beautiful, fitted me to perfection. I knew that, but still I was nervous, very nervous.


    I tried to hide my nervousness from Damian but with each passing minute, it got worse.


    Perhaps it was because this was the first time I was attending an event of this kind without Damian or anywhere close to me. And then there was the fact that this was my first real outing since the scandal Monique had stirred up.


    I didn¡¯t know what people would say about me or if I would eventually be allowed into the venue. What if they invited me to humiliate me? I had a thousand questions running through my mind and I had answers to none.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Damian¡¯s voice came from the doorway.


    I yelped in surprise, my hairbrush falling from my hand and onto the floor. I bent to pick it up but Damian beat me to it.


    I smiled weakly. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just nerves, I guess. I¡¯m a little jumpy tonight.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be,¡± he said kindly. ¡°That dress¡­¡± His eyes roved over me appreciatively. Somehow, I gained a little more confidence. ¡°You look absolutely stunning in it. You¡¯re definitely going to distract everyone.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said and meant it. ¡°I really need a distraction so they wouldn¡¯t think about the disgusting rumor Monique spread.¡±


    He nodded, bent his wrist to take a look at his watch. ¡°Give me a call if anyone tries to harass you. I think you should be on your way now so you don¡¯t get therete.¡±


    I quickly grabbed my purse, my keys and was heading out the door when he called me back, ¡°A minute. You are forgetting something.¡±


    I looked around, wondering what that could be and then I noticed he held something small, round and ck between two fingers.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°This-¡± He made the object rest in his palm. ¡°-is a very hi-tech, very sensitive microphone. With it, and with your help, I will be able to hear everything happening at the g. If¡­ say, you engage someone in a conversation, the person won¡¯t know they are being listened to. They wouldn¡¯t know they are being recorded. Yes. I can record the conversation if I want.¡±


    He looked at me, silently asking for my permission. I nodded. Damian clipped the microphone to the front of my dress. When he passed his hand across it, the microphone waspletely hidden from view by the folds of the dress.


    I eyed it dubiously. ¡°It won¡¯t¡­ fall off?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t. It¡¯s not easily dislodged. Just remember you¡¯re putting it on, and you will be fine.¡±


    I sucked in a breath. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do my best to get some details you can use.¡±


    He gave me a reassuring smile which did a lot to calm my nerves. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. Oh and¡­ there is one other thing.¡±


    Before I could say a word, he was out the door of the bedroom. While I waited for him to return, I smoothed back my hair, applied a little more lipstick.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Damian said to someone.


    I spun around in time to see Damian ushering in two hefty, heavily built men in dark suits who nodded to me in greeting.


    ¡°These are bodyguards to apany you,¡± Damian announced.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the event tonight.¡±


    I marched up to Damian and drew him aside, out of earshot of the bodyguards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need bodyguards,¡± I hissed. ¡°Damian, this is ridiculous! I¡¯m going for a g, not going into a den of kidnappers or murderers or¡­ or why on earth do I even need bodyguards in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re dealing with an unusual situation here,¡± he said. ¡°I have no idea of what else Monique is nning. That woman is dangerous. My priority now is to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Please. They are professionals. You won¡¯t even know they are there. You have to let them go with you.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said.


    He exhaled and motioned for the bodyguards to escort me out. I was driven by one of them while the other rode in the front seat. By the time I got to the venue of the event, there were already so many people there that I began to wonder whether I waste.


    A look at my invite told me this was not the case.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be within sight,¡± said one of the bodyguards as he killed the engine.


    I slowly got out of the car, and nodded.


    ¡°Please make sure you don¡¯t disrupt the event while trying to do your job.¡± I told them and they nodded in unison.


    In front of the building, a red carpet was set up.  Several people were granting interviews and taking photographs.


    I decided topletely avoid the red carpet. It would give me unwanted attention. Drawing attention to myself was thest thing I wanted at the moment. All I wanted to do was blend in, have conversations that would be beneficial to Damian and leave.


    I figured it would be easy to get into the building as the paparazzi were all crowded around someone, taking pictures. But luck wasn¡¯t on my side. As I swiftly tried to get into the building, one of the paparazzi, a tall youngish man with a beard, looked up as I passed him.


    ¡°Mrs Donovan,¡± he called.


    The others turned, caught sight of me. Before I could make another move to escape, they were on me like a swarm of bees with their cameras and microphones held out. I happened to get a clear look at the spot where they had previously all been focused on and realized they had all been photographing Monique.


    Monique, in a stunning ck velvet dress with a diamond choker around her throat, was staring daggers at me, evidently pissed that I had stolen the spotlight, however inadvertently. She turned and marched into the building, the train of her dress trailing behind her.


    The paparazzi had a whole lot of questions. I fielded them expertly, let them take a few pictures and then went into the conference hall. Nearly everyone else was seated. Again, I studied my invite to get my seat number. I nced at the numbers of the table closest to me. My seat number had to be farther in. As I weaved my way along the tables, I felt that that virtually all eyes were on me.


    I shrugged off the Feeling, putting it down to me overthinking things. If they were indeed staring, it had to be my dress.


    ¡°Such a shame she can show her face boldly at events like this,¡± someone, a woman, murmured as I passed.


    I turned quickly and saw that she was looking right at me. As soon as our eyes met, she whispered something inaudible to the woman sitting beside her and turned away.


    And then I really looked and realized my first impression had been right after all. Everyone in my immediate vicinity was whispering and talking. With their eyes trained on me, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess who they were all talking about. Me.


    ¡°Trafficker!¡± someone a few tables away hissed.


    With my head held high, I kept moving.


    ¡°¡­ low ss bitch,¡± a woman in front was saying to another in a loud whisper. ¡°It¡¯s obvious she is there for his money. She¡¯ll soon go back to slums where she belongs now that everything is falling apart.¡±


    ¡°Money!¡± the other woman scoffed. ¡°His dirty money is obviously gotten from child trafficking. That Damian is a monster. Death is too good for him.¡±


    I wanted to walk past. I really did. But I knew I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I let the stupid women get away with this insults so I stopped right in front of their table.


    They both looked up at me. With my hands syed on their table, I leaned forward.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, my smile tight and ferocious.


    ¡°Er-¡± the first woman began.


    ¡°Shut up and let me talk,¡± I hissed. ¡°After all, you have had your say, haven¡¯t you? I heard you both. I think it¡¯s a shame that silly females like you were allowed to attend events like this just to mock another woman like you. Youck intelligence if you can judge a man based off what the media says. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure you both came as a plus one for your husband.¡± I showed them my invitation band. ¡°I, on the other hand was invited because I run a sessful business. If you both spent half the time you spend gossiping to improve yourselves, maybe you wouldn¡¯t be so bitter.¡±


    They stared at me, their mouths agape.


    ¡°Look here!¡± said the first woman. ¡°You can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Oh shut it!¡± I said. ¡°Your husbands are involved in much more shady stuff than mine. If you¡¯re really concerned about the society, you should donate more to charities, adopt animals and travel less with your private jets. But guess what? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t care. So shut the hell up and enjoy the evening.¡±


    Before they could recover and move their lips, I walked away. I found my seat, and noticed that Noah was seated two tables away from me. Since Lucy wasn¡¯t with him, that meant she was probably far into the third trimester. Noah nced over at me, and frowned. I looked away and engrossed myself in the event.


    The event started momentarily and the hall quietened. After several speeches, it was time for awards to be given to the top business men in the city.


    After giving a short speech on the history of the awards, the MC paused and said, ¡°This year¡¯s award for the most innovative man of the year was supposed to go to Damian Donovan, but due to some unexpected turn of events-¡± There were murmurs from the crowd at this. ¡°-involving Mr Donovan being investigated on charges of child trafficking, there will be a slight change in this presentation. Since the award list waspiled before the files were leaked, his award will be withheld until his name is cleared.¡±


    I found this very absurd. These people had invited me to this event. They knew I was married to Damian, so why the hell were they going through all this rigmarole? Why couldn¡¯t I ept the award on his behalf?


    Without giving myself time to think, I shot to my feet. All eyes turned to me and a round of whispers broke out.


    In a voice loud enough to be heard through the hall, I called out, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ll ept the award on behalf of my husband.¡±

 Chapter 100

    AMELIA


    The whole hall went so silent that one could hear a pin drop. I had been expecting this, of course. I would have been a fool not to, but the silence was unnerving all the same. I fought the urge to cower, to back down. Instead I held my head high, looked right at the MC. These people thought the Donovans were finished, but I was going to correct that impression no matter what it took.


    The silence was broken by the MC clearing his throat while adjusting the bow tie of his midnight blue suit. He took a sweeping look at the crowd and his shock changed to amusement at their surprised faces.


    He chuckled and said, ¡°Mrs Donovan. This is rather¡­ unusual.¡± He stole a nce at the table close to the stage where the mayor sat cleaning his sses and blinking like an owl. ¡°I will need a second to ask the mayor if you can ept the award on his behalf.¡±


    There was a rumble of conversation the moment the MC got off the stage. I kept my eyes fixed on their exchange, ignored the whispers and hissing going on all around me. Knowing that I was the focus of the cameras, I maintained my poise.


    It shouldn¡¯t have been a topic of discussion if I could ept Damien¡¯s award. But since we were being scrutinized by the public, we had to endure the consequences.


    The seconds passed. Then a minute. And the MC returned to the stage, wearing a bold smile.


    ¡°It turns out Mrs Donovan¡¯s request is valid,¡± he said. In a loud, booming voice, he continued, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let¡¯s wee to the stage Mrs Amelia Donovan as she epts the award for the most innovative man of the year on behalf of her husband, Damian Donovan.¡±


    There was a smattering of apuse which quickly died down before I got halfway to the stage. Thankfully, the sound of the music masked this. I didn¡¯t care about their less than enthusiastic response because a win for Damien was all that mattered in the face of our recent challenges, and this was definitely a win.


    I climbed majestically up to the stage, received the award, waited a beat for pictures to be taken and was going back down before the MC stopped me with a ¡°If you please Mrs Donovan, your husband¡¯s name is on yet another award.¡±


    To my delight, I climbed back up the stage, received the second award. The MC chuckled when he flipped another card with Damian¡¯s name on it. It turned out that Damian had won seven awards consecutively. I epted them all.


    By the time I returned to my seat, it felt like I was walking on air. I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt and I just couldn¡¯t stop. My grin got wider when I noticed Noah visibily fuming. I sat back down gracefully and proceeded to ignore him.


    He had always seen Damien as his biggest rival before we even got divorced. I could only imagine how he was feeling but I knew he didn¡¯t feel good.


    ¡°Well, that was quite something,¡± said the MC good humouredly, distracting me from my thoughts and a few of the peopleughed. ¡°Now, it is time to announce the winner of themunity impact award¡­¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Themunity impact award. It was an award the city voted for, an award Noah always won because he somehow managed to charm the city with his hypocrisy. I remembered that he always came home with it. A lot of these awards had pride of ce in his study. The upside of this particr award was that whoever won it got the opportunity to create a unique project with the mayor for the year.


    It was the reason Noah could even boast of being rivals with Damien. With themunity impact award, he had leverage over the city.


    Now Noah shifted in his seat, his eyes alight with excitement and anticipation. I couldn¡¯t resist rolling my eyes. Already, he was preening himself like a peacock, about to ept the award he no doubt thought of as his birthright.


    Again, I banished Noah from my thoughts and refocused on the MC who had just flipped the card to check the winner of the award. There was a look of the utmost surprise on his face. I began to wonder if Noah was not going to get the award this year after all.


    ¡°This is indeed an evening of surprises,¡± the MC said with augh. ¡°It¡¯s funny how women always seem to take everything with them after a divorce happens, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    From the nk stares of the others, I could tell that no one, like me, understood his joke. And then the MC went ahead to mention that my bakery had won this year¡¯smunity impact award.


    For a second or two, I believed that I hadn¡¯t heard him properly, but then everyone was staring at me, so it just had to be me. I forced myself to get to my feet again and walked up to the stage.


    ¡°Please, say a few words to everyone,¡± the MC said after I had received the award.


    Iunched into an unrehearsed speech thanking the organizers and themunity for voting for me. I spoke without making a single blunder, despite their stares, most of them hostile.


    After that, I walked regally back to my seat. Noah was so livid that I half expected to see smoke pouring out of his ears as he red at me. Though I knew it was somewhat petty, I couldn¡¯t resist waving the award in his face just before I took my seat.


    He rolled his eyes and grit his teeth in anger. I could see veins popping out around his head and I almostughed out. He must have thought I was enjoying Damien¡¯s spotlight for the night. But jokes on him now.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Noah murmured angrily to the woman sharing his table minutester when he couldn¡¯t stand the heat of me winning.


    He rather rudely pushed her aside as he stormed out of the venue.


    I chuckled, and rxed in my seat. The evening wore on but I found I could not really pay attention to everything else. I was still riding on the high of my sess. After the event, I was congratted by very few people. The rest just up and left but I didn¡¯t really care. After thest person offered her congrattions, I left the venue. I had just stepped out of the hall when I was suddenly pulled aside.


    ¡°Noah!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Yes. Me,¡± he ground out. ¡°I know what you did.¡±


    I raised a brow, assumed my most intimidating expression. ¡°And what did I do?¡±


    ¡°You bought the votes for the award. I¡¯m sure of it. There is no way in hell Damian and¡­ you could have won that many awards fairly.¡± He spat. ¡°Or did you also fuck the major to change the decision of the votes? You¡¯re quite capable of doing that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Need I remind you that I didn¡¯t even know when the voting took ce? So stop making stupid usations.¡± I fired back. ¡°And I think you¡¯ve mistaken me for Lucy. If there¡¯s anyone you should insult for fucking around, it has to be her.¡±


    ¡°All you do is try to take what you don¡¯t earn. What you are is a filthy gold digger.¡± His voice deepened. ¡°You¡¯ve taken this award from me, what else?¡±


    I barked out augh. ¡°Your words can¡¯t hurt me. You are just bitter because you didn¡¯t win the award. But here¡¯s the thing, if I have more opportunities, I¡¯ll crush you, Noah.¡±


    Noah flushed angrily and raised a threatening finger. ¡°A warning for you, Amelia. If you don¡¯t back down, the same thing that happened to Damian will happen to you. I will make damn sure of it. I will destroy you so you can rot with him.¡±


    ¡°Do your worst, Noah,¡± I spat out.


    With a pert head toss, I left Noah only to run into Monique a few paces away.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± she called, her lips curving into a practised smile. ¡°Allow me to offer my congra-¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡±


    Leaving her standing there, I made it to the car where the bodyguards were already waiting to drive me home.


    *********************************************


    DAMIAN


    My heart still felt like it would burst with pride more than an hour after the event.


    The microphone had been excellent as promised. I had heard everything that had happened at the award presentation. More than the awards I had earned, I was d and proud that Amelia had stood up for me.


    Themunity impact award she had won hade as a shock though, but I was happy that she had earned it.


    There was something else I had learned.


    Noah¡¯s threats to Amelia had proven that he was working hand in hand with Monique. This meant I hadn¡¯t been imagining things during my breakfast meeting at Monique¡¯s house. The man I had seen leaving through the back door had been Noah. But what was his intention? Did he really think that I would go down for long?


    I pondered on this until Amelia got home.


    ¡°Damian,¡± she called excitedly the moment she sailed into the house. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Smiling, I pulled her into my arms for a brief hug before pulling her onto the sofa.


    ¡°I heard everything,¡± I said. ¡°You were wonderful there.¡±


    We spoke about everything at the event. I knew by the look on her face the moment her thoughts turned to Noah and Monique.


    ¡°Noah and Monique are in league,¡± she said.


    ¡°I deduced that from the way he threatened you. It had urred to me that Monique had to have help for her scheme to have worked as well as it did. Who better to assist her than my archenemy, Noah?¡±


    ¡°Now we know that they are working together, we have to find their weaknesses. We should focus on getting to Noah. I think he will be harder to get to than Monique.¡±


    ¡°That makes a whole lot of sense,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll get to work on him right away. aq¡±


    Just then Amelia¡¯s phone beeped. I gestured for her to check it. She dug it out of her purse and quickly read through.


    ¡°It¡¯s a text message from the mayor,¡± she told me. ¡°I¡¯m to meet him tomorrow to discuss the details of the award.¡±

 Chapter 101

    AMELIA


    Bright and early the next morning, I was at the mayor¡¯s office. I was so excited to be there, hoping we were to immediately start preparations for the yearly project.


    ¡°He is expecting you,¡± the secretary said immediately I introduced myself. ¡°Please step into his office. He will be right with you.¡±


    I nodded my thanks, confidently marched into his outer office and immediately stopped short. Already seated in one of the chairs, smirking and looking very pleased with himself was Noah. After recovering a little, I took a seat as far away from him as possible. I ignored him, but couldn¡¯t help noticing that he kept smiling sheepishly.


    What was his doing at the mayor¡¯s office? And why did he have that dirty look of his?


    Minutester, the door to the mayor¡¯s inner office opened. He appeared at the door and smiled at us.


    ¡°Mrs. Amelia. Mr. Noah. Please,e right in. I was making some urgent phone calls just now. Sorry for keeping you both waiting.¡±


    I frowned. I thought Noah was here for something else entirely, but being called in by the mayor at the same time was odd. Very odd. It almost seemed we were here to discuss the very same thing with the mayor. Still I forced myself to be pleasant enough as we exchanged pleasantries.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point,¡± the mayor said once he had ushered us into seats. ¡°Amelia, there are some¡­¡± He paused with his head to one side while searching for the right words. ¡°¡­plications with the award you receivedst night. I am talking specifically of themunity impact award.¡±


    My frown deepened as I tersely said, ¡°I don¡¯t recall there being aplication. Everything looked very straightforward to me. I had enough votes to make me bag the award. I did.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± Noah drawled.


    ¡°Of course, I did.¡±


    I threw a nce at Noah, silently daring him to say anything to the contrary, but he just kept looking at the mayor expectantly.


    ¡°You are right, of course,¡± the mayor said.


    ¡°Then what-¡±


    ¡°-In a way.¡± I pursed my lips as he went on. ¡°You won the award. No contest there. Normally, you are to be the one who will handle the yearly project, but the businessmittee has decided that you and Mr. Noah are topete for this position.¡±


    I felt angry warmth flood my cheeks especially when Noah nodded in a satisfied manner. What an absolute asshole.


    Why did I have topete with him when I won the award fair and square?


    I knew Noah was behind the scheme but how could they easily let him have his way?This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry, but that is ridiculous,¡± I ground out. ¡°I mean why on earth do I have topete with him for anything? You know as well as I do that I am perfectly capable of handling any project, so why does it seem like my capabilities being undermined? Does this have anything to do with the fact that I¡¯m a woman? I have to know.¡±


    The mayor cleared his throat self consciously. ¡°No. We are not sexists here. This has nothing to do with the fact that you are a woman.¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Noah chipped in.


    This time, I didn¡¯t bother acknowledging him with a stare.


    ¡°Yes. Er- you see Mr. Noah has been winning this award for a really, really long time. This year, he contested the transparency of the award since it is unusual that he lost. We had to look into his suit. It is not in our nature to simply discard the views of others in matters like this. The board came up with the idea of making everything fair and square.


    Noah couldn¡¯t hold back his triumphant grin. Not wanting to give the impression that I was very upset, I bit back an angry retort.


    ¡°What are the details of this¡­petition?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Good question.¡± He flipped through some files on hisrge desk. ¡°You and Noah will have to each propose an idea to the city¡¯s nning and zoning board. They will vet your ideas. Whoever they select will be the one to handle the project for the year.¡±


    ¡°That is not how the social impact award works,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Why have the rules changed because of him?¡±


    The mayor lifted one shoulder in a shrug. ¡°Well, special situations call for special¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no. There is nothing special about this situation. What is going on here simply reeks of unfairness. You all have gotten used to Noah¡¯s face and name on the award, and it is pretty obvious that Noah is definitely going to be favoured by the board.¡±


    ¡°I understand your anger, Amelia,¡± he murmured sympathetically.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°However, let me be the first to assure you that the board members will be very fair in their judgment of your ideas. They will be free of any forms of prejudice against either of you.¡±


    He was wrong, of course. He was wrong and he knew it. I was so angry it felt like I would explode at any moment. To be given the award, to have been publicly recognized as having done something better than Noah, and to have all that snatched away with twenty-four hours was cruelty at its peak.


    The city voted for me, they believed I deserved the award. Why was the council trying to take it away from me?


    Though I should have known Noah would not let it go that easily. He was petty. Making sure he got the better of some other person by underhand means was sort of his specialty.


    ¡°What else are we expected to do?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°You are both toe up with your proposals in less than twenty-four hours. This is because you will meet with the board members tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I understand. I will have something for the board by then.¡± Noah turned to me expectantly.


    I said nothing, merely pushed to my feet and took my leave of the mayor. I was just several steps out of the building when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around.


    ¡°What is it, Noah?¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Hi, Amelia. You were such in a hurry to leave. I wonder why. I needed a word. Do me a favour and answer this question, will you? I have been trying to decide if you are angry that I contested the award or if you¡¯re scared that I will get the contract. So tell me-¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest of what he had to say. Standing there, listening to him goad me would only make me end up bandying words with him. He was such a childish prick, looking for attention at all times.


    Besides, I was sure he wanted to give everyone who cared to know the impression that I was jealous of him, that I somehow was too wed to merit such an award. No one needed to tell me that this time, Damian and I needed only more of positive publicity.


    I turned on my heel, and marched to my car where my driver was waiting to take me home.


    ****************************


    NOAH


    I was in a state by the time I got to Monique¡¯s house. Seeing that bitch and hearing her talk always managed to do things to me. Never would I have believed that Amelia would grow from being a minor irritant to a royal, consistent, insistent pain in my backside.


    Fuming, I stormed through Monique¡¯s house and went straight to the room she used for yoga practice. She was in tight yoga pants, bending her body into fantastic shapes. She paused in her routine to nce at me.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve swallowed a bee,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her¡­ Amelia. She just won¡¯t get off my back. Anywhere I turn, she¡¯s there and I¡¯m just realizing that most of this is your fault.¡±


    Monique¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°My fault?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I bit off. ¡°You promised to help me dominate the city, but you sit here doing yoga, while my ex wife does a damn good job of trying to take the city from me. And guess what? She is seeding in some ways.¡±


    She sat on the mat, and reached for a bottle of water by her side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Noah,¡± Monique said with augh. ¡°No one is taking anything away from you, least of all Amelia. That woman is nothing but an irrelevant fly. I can get rid of her with just a snap of my finger. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Irrelevant or not, I don¡¯t want to take any chances. I can¡¯t afford to. I want you to handle her before we meet the board tomorrow. You have to deal her a heavy blow, one that will be guaranteed to make her not even show up for tomorrow¡¯s meeting. I¡¯m sure if she doesn¡¯t show, they will think she chickened out. Working on the mayor and then board members from then on will be easy. I¡¯ll get the contract and she will be put in her ce. Monique, you have to see to it that this happens. You must.¡±


    Still smiling, she waved a hand airily. ¡°There is no need to get your panties in a twist. I got it. I will handle her.¡± Slowly and sensuously, she pushed to her feet until we were inches apart. ¡°Speaking of panties, why don¡¯t you stop talking and worrying so you can take mine off? For some reason, I really want you in my bed this morning.¡±


    A smile curved my lips as I took a long, leisurely look at her perfect body. My inspection did not escape her notice.


    ¡°The bedroom?¡± she asked.


    I nodded. She took my hand and led me to it.

 Chapter 102

    AMELIA


    I was nervous, but again, I took my time to painstakingly go through the contents of the bag I was carrying. I brought out the bulky file, taking special care not to crease the edges. A nce at the wall clock told me I still had a little time left before leaving to meet with membegs of the board. I flipped through the file again, checking if I had not forgotten anything essential for the meeting.


    The proposal, which I had worked on throughout the previous day and mainly during the night, was good, at least to me.  I just hoped the board would not be biased like the mayor had promised.


    A hand fell on my shoulders. I flinched a little and almost dropped the files. Before they could slip from my grasp, Damian¡¯s hands shot out from behind me. He grabbed it, closed it and handed it over to me.


    ¡°I startled you,¡± he said. He came to stand in front of me so he could look me over. ¡°You look stunning¡­ and very smart.¡±


    I looked at my clothes: a dark blue pantsuit and matching heels. I had chosen it for the aura of power and confidence it gave me. But maybe I could have worn something better. Maybe Damian was just being kind with hispliments.


    ¡°I suddenly don¡¯t feel good about my choice. I¡¯m going to change.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head with a smile. He tipped my chin up so I was looking right at him. ¡°Your choice of clothing is perfect. You look like you are going to bag that project, and I¡¯m confident that you will.¡±


    I nodded, hesitated, but decided to voice my fears to him. He was the only one, after all, who I could talk to about this.


    ¡°I wonder what the board-¡±


    His finger across my lips silenced me. ¡°The board will love your proposal. You will go in there and you¡¯ll give them enough reason to throw Noah out. Don¡¯t worry about-¡±


    My phone started to ring but I ignored it.


    ¡°You know Noah has a way of getting what he wants. What if-¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get that?¡±


    He was referring to my phone which had begun ringing again. I sighed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I dug it out from my purse. ¡°It might be from¡­ It¡¯s Rose.¡±


    Damian moved away while I took the call. From Rose¡¯s very first words, I knew something was wrong. Very wrong. There was some noise, sounds of people talking loudly in the background. It seemed like they were arguing.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked her.


    A door mmed shut. I didn¡¯t hear those sounds anymore, just the sound of Rose breathing heavily.


    ¡°There are some inspection officers here at the bakery,¡± she said. ¡°They are examining everything.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. This was surprising news. The office of the inspection unit always gave notice before every inspection so what had changed? Had the head of the unit been reced? Even if he had been, their department had a code of conduct, didn¡¯t they?


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said finally. ¡°This is highly irregr, but let them inspect whatever they came to inspect. We have nothing to hide. If there is any problem, give me a call.¡±


    ¡°There is a problem already,¡± Rose said quickly. A note of outrage crept into her voice when she said, ¡°They are talking about closing down the ce-¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Because of some bizzare vitions we aremitted.¡±


    ¡°What vitions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, ma¡¯am. They have been talking and I can¡¯t make sense of anything they are saying. I¡¯m sure we didn¡¯t do anything wrong. They are just -¡± Rose broke off when a knock sounded on the door at her end. I heard someone call her name. ¡°I think my attention is needed there. What am I to do?¡±


    ¡°Just be calm. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    I hung up and looked up into Damian¡¯s worried face.


    ¡°Trouble at the bakery, I presume?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    In very few words, I told him what Rose had told me. ¡°I have to go there right now.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? But the bakery-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go there¡­ at least not now.¡± Damien sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was thinking of something and I knew that. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is unusual that inspection officers decide to visit your bakery on the very same morning you are to meet with the board?¡±


    I blinked, my panic receding a little bit as I thought of what Damain had said. Actually it was unusual.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Do you think this is a distraction?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe a note of inspection should have been sent, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Did you get anything from them?¡±


    I shook my head.


    Damian spread his hands. ¡°See? Something is fishy here. Be focused. Go to the meeting with the board. I will go to the bakery to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I shifted uneasily. ¡°Maybe I could just look in at the bakery.¡±


    ¡°Trust me. You¡¯ll eventually just end up spending the whole day there. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Another look at the clock told me I had to make a quick choice. I was almost runningte. I said a quick goodbye to Damian, instructed my driver to drive me to the council building as fast as he could.


    **********************************


    NOAH


    The only sounds to be heard in the room was the rustle of paper and the periodic creaking of chairs as the upants of the room adjusted themselves.


    I watched the hands on the clock made a full revolution before clearing my throat and saying, ¡°Gentlemen, I  am not sure Amelia¡­ Mrs Donovan is interested in this project. She might have cheated to get the award, and if she did, she is certainly not prepared for a task such as this.¡±


    I was treated to a steely stare by all four members of the board.


    The bald one said, ¡°Mr Allen, if you please, we would rather not hear such usations.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the man seated next to him as he nced at his wristwatch. ¡°We will wait another five minutes for her. Some circumstances may have dyed her but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to throw out usations.¡±


    I nodded, and leaned back in my seat while the board members had a whispered conversation amongst themselves. I felt like crowing withughter.


    There was no way Amelia would make it to the meeting. We would all stay in this room and stare at ourselves till they were ready to award me the project.


    I smiled and leaned back in my seat, watching as time went by.


    Five minutes crept by in a second.


    How liberating it would be for me to tell them that they could wait five hours and Amelia would still not show up. I interested myself in watching the clock.


    Six minute passed, then seven. I was confident she would not get here in ten minutes. For this, Monique certainly deserved a-


    ¡°Good morning, gentlemen.¡±


    The sound of Amelia¡¯s voice pushed me up from my seat.


    She was standing at the door, wearing a big smile as she nced across the room. What was she doing here?


    Monique had assured me she wouldn¡¯t show up for the meeting. What the hell!


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs Donovan,¡± the board members said almost in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte. I got stuck in traffic.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s quite alright,¡± the head of the board said with a gracious smile at her. ¡°Please take a seat so we can begin immediately.¡±


    Just as she took her seat, with a smile on her face, she leaned close to me, ¡°Are you surprised to see me, bitch?¡±


    For some reason, a shiver crept up my spine. But I ignored her.


    Gritting my teeth in anger, I looked straight ahead. The board members introduced themselves to her and then the head of the board turned to me.


    ¡°Mr Allen, we will like to hear your proposal first.¡±


    I shook off the shock of seeing Amelia, opened the file I came with, and distributed copies of my proposal to the men. I thenunched into my well rehearsed pitch.


    ¡°Art, they say is the best form of expression, and I propose building an art gallery or museum where rare and expensive art will be disyed. I will be in charge of procuring the art.¡± I gave them a winning smile. ¡°Now I know this will be a very expensive project. I have put that fact into consideration. However, we have a lot of wealthy individuals in this city who also appreciate art. They will pay a lot to visit this gallery. The ce will literally be a gold mine. That is my proposal.¡±


    They thanked me and asked Amelia for hers.


    ¡°I propose the building of an amusement park,¡± she said.


    I snorted augh.


    The board members shot me stern looks as the room turned silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I murmured under their quailing stare.


    But really? An amusement park? How infantile could she get? An amusement park indeed!


    ¡°Please, continue,¡± the board¡¯s head urged.


    Amelia smiled her thanks. ¡°There are many kinds of businesses in this city but norge recreational center exists. The park will be a project that the wealthy and less fortunate will enjoy, but apart from that, it will provide lots of job opportunities for people, especially women.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°It ismon knowledge that most women will likely put up small businesses in amusement parks, businesses that will sustain them. And that is not the only benefit of this project. With the revenue generated from the park, homes for orphans and schools for children with disabilities will be built.¡± With a mocking sideways nce at me, she added, ¡°This is my proposal.¡±


    ¡°That is quite¡­ something,¡± the board head chimed immediately.


    ¡°I agree. Your idea is quite impressive.¡±


    Amelia beamed.


    What the hell was so special about a bloody amusement park anyway? How could theypare the resources and structural development of an amusement park to an art gallery?


    I fumed. Why hadn¡¯t they shown interest in my own proposal? This lot were certainly as dumb as Monique¡­ Monique certainly had a lot to answer for. If she had kept Amelia away as we had agreed, none of this would be happening.


    After a brief silence, one of the board members spoke up. ¡°Thank you Mrs Donovan, Mr Allen for your proposals. Please leave the room for some minutes so we can agree on the winning proposal.¡±

 Chapter 103

    AMELIA


    I couldn¡¯t sit still for long. I stood with my hands sped together, offering a silent prayer to whatever force was out there. I had to get this contract. I just had to.


    Even the universe had to agree that I deserved a break after all I had been through.


    I couldn¡¯t let Noah take this one thing from me again. I had to get this.


    Noah¡¯s voice interrupted my musings.


    ¡°Scared already?¡± he smirked. ¡°I think I  understand how you feel. You must feel like a fish out of water. You shouldn¡¯t have tried to fit into where you obviously don¡¯t belong in the first ce. Next time, stick to epting your husband¡¯s award on his behalf. Women have no ce in the business world.¡±


    I said nothing, but my eyes did the talking. His taunts were probably a way to ovee his nervousness about the board¡¯s decision.


    I knew he was nervous, too, and I had seen it on his face when the boardmended my proposal. I had to get this contract so I could shut him up once and for all.


    I nced at my watch, wondering how long it had been since the board members told us to wait outside. Had it been only five minutes? It felt like thirty.


    ¡°Not toote for you to beat it,¡± Noah said again. ¡°Save yourself the humiliation. Get back to your bakery because my proposal is sure as hell going to be the winning one. This so-called decision of theirs? Just a formality.¡±


    Obviously, ignoring him was giving him the erroneous impression that I was afraid. I turned to face him.


    ¡°I know what you did, Noah,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You tried to sabotage my bakery this morning so I wouldn¡¯t show up here.¡± Iughed in his face. ¡°For someone so sure his proposal will win, you sure seem threatened. Maybe some part of you has realized, like I have, that you are not as good as you say you are. You¡¯re scared that a woman will beat you at your game, and hell, I will.¡±


    Colour flooded Noah¡¯s cheeks, but he quickly iced up. ¡°You think being here makes you part of the city¡¯s wealthy society, huh? Let me tell you something, Amelia, the importance you attach to yourself is all in your head. You¡¯re very insignificant, and I¡¯ll be a fool to ever go out of my way to squash you.¡±


    I opened my mouth to tell him that if that were the case, he was actually a fool, but the meeting room door opened.


    ¡°Please,e back in,¡± the man holding open the door beckoned to us.


    ¡°We havee to a decision,¡± Mr Thompson, the head of the board, said immediately after Noah and I were seated before them. Both of your proposals were quite impressive.¡± Noah moved impatiently. For someone who imed he was sure he had bagged the contract, he looked very uneasy. ¡°After much consideration, the proposal we chose was Amelia¡¯s. We believe her idea is a novel¡­¡±


    What?


    I didn¡¯t hear the rest of what he said. I was still trying to convince myself I had heard correctly. Had he actually said my proposal had been chosen?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I gulped. ¡°You mean my proposal was chosen?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°And I offer you my congrattions.¡±


    I almost leapt to my feet in excitement. It felt like a dream, but it was so real at the same time. I had to remind myself that I was in the midst of dignified men, which stopped me from screaming out with joy.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± We were all startled when Noah mmed his fist on the table. ¡°How can you give her the contract?¡±


    ¡°Mr Allen. Pleasepose yourself and calm down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bloody tell me to calm down. I know what¡¯s happening here. You let her get the contract because she is screwing one of you. Which one of you is it, huh?¡± His eyes fell on Mr Thompson, a grey-haired man pushing seventy. ¡°It must be you. Have you no shame sleeping with a woman your daughter¡¯s age?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± One of the board members rose to his feet. Surprisingly, Mr. Thompson was calm. ¡°Mr Allen, we can get you arrested for making such allegations¡­ but we will let it go this once.¡±


    Mr Thompson fixed him with a steely stare.


    ¡°There will be consequences for your actions,¡± he shook his head. ¡°You will be barred from ever winning themunity impact award.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Noah cried. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to do that!¡±


    I noticed one of the men press the inte on his desk. Secondster, a couple of security officers burst into the room. They began to advance to Noah even before they were told to escort him out of the premises.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Noah screamed as he backed away from them. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re treating like this? You¡¯re going to regret this. All of you!¡±


    Disgust was written on the faces of each board member as Noah kept attempting to fight the security. Finally, he was dragged out, screaming and cursing. When the attention of the others was utterly engrossed in his tantrum, I gave him a wave and smile, which served to enrage him further. And then the door closed behind him, restoring silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Mrs Donovan.¡± Mr Thompson was unusually calm.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I gave them a smile to show I was not offended. In fact, I was doing a jig on the inside. It was all I could do to maintain a professional manner. I could not have scripted Noah¡¯s disgrace better. Not in a million years.


    A board member cleared his throat. ¡°Now, to return to the business at hand. For the amusement park you intend to build, we are willing to provide you with a sum of four hundred million dors.¡±


    I nodded as though I had worked with such a humongous amount before. It was thergest amount of money I¡¯ve ever dreamt of managing or spending on a project.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good offer,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°We are d you think so. Also, you will be granted permission to demolish any buildings on the construction path. On this project, you will be working closely with the mayor, and you have the right to give the contract to the contractors of your choice.¡±


    ¡°That is all for now,¡± Mr Thompson added. ¡°We will notify you if there is anything else for you to know.¡±


    I thanked them, shook hands all round and left with the feeling that I was walking on air.


    It wasn¡¯t just bagging the contract that mattered. I finally put my ex-husband in his ce. A woman has no ce in the business world my foot.


    ****************************************¡±*****¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±*****


    NOAH


    I kicked the door to Monique¡¯s house open. Ignoring the sudden re of pain in my foot, I stormed into the house in search of her. She jumped to her feet the moment she saw me.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± she said. ¡°Is someone here? What¡¯s wrong? You almost took down my door.¡±


    ¡°Everything is wrong,¡± She frowned. ¡°Why the hell couldn¡¯t you destabilise Amelia like we agreed on?¡±


    ¡°I did¡­ I did try.¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t try hard enough. Amelia won the fucking contract bid.¡±


    Monique¡¯s jaw went ck with shock. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me! What do you have to say about that, huh? You said she wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance! Do you know how embarrassing it was for me?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t supposed to be there,¡± Monique nced around in confusion. ¡°Yesterday, I bribed some inspection officers. I told them to close down her bakery so she would forget about the board meeting and attend to her business.¡±


    ¡°You should have devised a better n then,¡± I snapped. ¡°Listen, we have to find a way to stop Amelia¡¯s disturbances once and for all. We must do something drastic if that is what it will take. I want to get rid of her. She¡¯s a fucking bug in my hair!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Moniqueid a hand on my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t let your brain get clouded with anger. We¡¯ll stop her, all right, but doing something now will only attract attention to us. People might begin to think we have a hand in sabotaging her. Don¡¯t let anger cloud your judgment.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell cares what people think?¡± I angrily knocked her hand off. I couldn¡¯t believe Monique was the one preaching about caution now. What happened to doing everything it took to bring Amelia and her fool of a husband down? I could picture them now, having a goodugh at the way I had disgraced myself before the board members. ¡°Get your head in the game, Monique! Get off your ass and do something to stop her before she gets even more grasping. This was not part of our deal, and I¡¯ve been keeping to my own end of the bargain. You¡¯re the one messing up every-¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± Monique yelled angrily. ¡°You should be more worried about Lucy than Amelia. Stop barking orders at me!¡±


    It took a few seconds for me to process her words.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°What has Lucy got to do with this?¡±


    Monique sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell you this, at least not yet, until I confirmed what it was all about.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out!¡±


    ¡°I have seen Lucy visit Mr Thompson twice. Although I think it¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Thompson? Who is he?¡±


    ¡°The head of the nning and zoning board. One of the men you met this morning.¡±


    I remembered him. He was even the one I had used of screwing around with Amelia.


    ¡°But- but why on earth would Lucy visit him? What possible business could she have with him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Monique admitted. ¡°That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t told you. Until I have more information or they meet in a ce I can tap into theirmunication, I have nothing to give you.¡±


    I got over my surprise-a little. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure that Lucy would never do anything against my interests. There must be perfectly reasonable exnations for her visits.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to brush this off, Noah,¡± she warned. ¡°Mr Thompson is not on our side. I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m afraid that Lucy might be leaking information to him. If that is what she is doing, it could jeopardise everything we worked hard for. You also have to try to find out what these visits are about.¡±


    She was right. I had to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, but your focus should be on Amelia. I want her down, and I want her down fast.¡±

 Chapter 104

    AMELIA


    I had felt happy before, but it had been a long time since I had felt this. I was literally brimming with joy. I hoped of winning the contract but didn¡¯t think it woulde so true. The moment I walked through the door, I threw myself into Damian¡¯s arms.


    My decision to put some distance between us was temporarily gone as he hugged me tightly. For now, I just wanted him to share in my joy. He was still in my embrace for a moment, and then his arms went around me. I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt.


    ¡°I take it the meeting with the board went well,¡± he murmured against my hair.


    ¡°Oh. Yes. It was-¡± I paused for breath. ¡°It was surprising.¡±


    ¡°Surprising?¡± He took my hand and led me to the sofa. ¡°Tell me about it. How was it¡­ surprising as you say.¡±


    ¡°What I meant was I never expected things to turn out the way they did. So, Noah proposed the building of an art gallery. My proposal was for the building of an-¡±


    ¡°-amusement park. Yes.¡± He smiled fondly. ¡°I saw you work all night on it.¡±


    ¡°It paid off. Long story short, I got the contract, but he lost it. He threw a tantrum when they told him that. ording to him, I could only win because I was fucking a board member. How small-minded is he?¡±


    Damian¡¯s grin became a chuckle. ¡°Typical Noah. I would have been surprised if he hadn¡¯t thrown a fit. He¡¯s like a baby in the body of an overgrown man. The board didn¡¯t take it likely, I presume?¡±


    ¡°They sure didn¡¯t. Noah was barred from receiving themunity impact award ever again. You should have seen the look on his face when they told him that. I really wanted to take a picture.¡±


    ¡°That will help to take him down a peg or two. I¡¯m happy, Amelia. I really am. This is a big win for you, for us.¡±


    ¡°I know. I can¡¯t believe I will handle such a big project.¡± And I honestly didn¡¯t. From a hopeless ex-wife with no prospects of sess to who I am today. I really didn¡¯t see iting.


    ¡°This will definitely boost your bakery¡¯s reputation.¡±


    My smile slipped a little as I remembered the bakery issue for the first time since meeting with the board this morning.


    ¡°Whatter happened at the bakery? Did you manage to do something?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did my best, but I couldn¡¯t stop them from temporarily closing the ce. Monique was involved in this. Noah too. I¡¯m pretty sure.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in league with Noah,¡± I said. ¡°I confronted him about it, and he didn¡¯t really seem to deny it.¡±


    ¡°She sure is.¡± Damian visibly brightened. ¡°But Monique¡¯s days are numbered. It turns out there are a lot of rotting skeletons in her cupboard.¡± I found myself holding Damian¡¯s hand tightly, hanging onto his every word. If Damian had got something on Monique, then half our problems would have been solved. ¡°The private detective I employed found everything I need to take her down.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? What did he find?¡±


    ¡°Come with me. I would rather show you than tell you.¡± I followed him to his bedroom. He unlocked a drawer and pulled out a bulky file. He held it up and waved it in the air like a banner. ¡°This right here is a gold mine of information. This is everything- everything we have been waiting for.¡±


    *****************************************************


    DAMIAN


    ¡°Mr Donovan.¡±


    Monique¡¯s butler looked very surprised to see me. He eyed my briefcase warily for a second.


    ¡°Is Monique in?¡± I asked him when I had been standing at the doorstep for a little more time than was considered polite.


    He gave a quick nod. ¡°Yes. Pleasee with me. No. This way.¡±


    He led me around the house to the pool area. Monique was swimming in a bikini that showed her body to perfection. Her movements were lithe and graceful.


    ¡°Mr Donovan is here to see you, madam,¡± the butler said.


    Monique turned onto her back slowly,zily and began to swim face up. Her face brightened with a smile when she saw me.


    ¡°Well. Well. This is a pleasant surprise,¡± she drawled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me? It¡¯s a hot day, but it¡¯s really cool here.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± I dropped my briefcase right next to me.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Damian. Loosen up a little.¡± She threaded water and ran her hands over her bosom to call my attention to them, no doubt. At this point, she could go stark naked and dance the h, and I couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about your shorts getting wet, then don¡¯t worry.¡± She eyed the part of my anatomy she was most interested in. ¡°I should have something inside the house that will fit you. Join me.¡±


    ¡°No, Monique. I¡¯m not swimming.¡±


    She lifted her bare shoulders in a shrug. ¡°Alright then. A drink?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She nodded to the butler, who took himself off. ¡°I have been expecting you to visit for a while now. I¡¯m sure you havee to your senses and now want to work with me. Fortunately, I¡¯m quite understanding. I can make your little media problem vanish just like that.¡± She opened her hand and let water drip through her fingers and into the pool. ¡°All you have to do is sign the contract. Luck for you, it¡¯s in my study. Shall we go and get it?¡±


    I chuckled and took a step closer to the pool.


    ¡°There will be no need for that, Lisa Evans.¡± The expression of shock on her face almost made the days of being hounded by the media worth it. Her jaw went ck with shock, and her eyes widened like she¡¯d seen a ghost.


    The next second, she managed to regain herposure, but I had already seen what I had hoped to see. If there was ever an admittance of guilt on a human countenance, it had been on Monique¡¯s.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she said with an unconvincing return to her earlier manner. ¡°Who is¡­ what¡¯s her name? Why did you call me that?¡±


    ¡°Lisa Evans,¡± I said, carefully enunciating each syble. ¡°Yes. I know who you are. I know all about how you were a pickpocket, how you became the maid of a very wealthy man, Thomas Finch, the man you imed as your husband who left all his wealth just before conveniently dying.¡±


    She licked her lips nervously. ¡°Conveniently?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Conveniently. I know you poisoned Thomas Finch and then his butler, who would have exposed you. When they were out of the way, you made sure you got your hands on all his wealth. He didn¡¯t have a family, so it was easier for you to steal everything. And you have been on a roll ever since, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Damian. Di-did you drink something beforeing here?¡±


    ¡°Still trying to bluff your way out of this?¡± I nodded. ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± I went through through the briefcase I had brought along with me until I found the file I had shown to Amelia. I indicated the file. ¡°It¡¯s all in here, the evidence I need to support my im.¡± She climbed out of the pool and made a snatch at the file. Iughed with genuine amusement at this.


    ¡°Give me some credit, Lisa. Did you think I¡¯d be that stupid to bring the only copies of my evidence here? You can take this if you want, but I have plenty more where that came from.¡±


    ¡°All you said. Lies¡­ All lies,¡± she gasped, her bosom heaving. ¡°I don¡¯t know who Lisa Evans is, and I have never been a maid. Do you really think a woman like me could ever be a maid? You¡¯re hrious, and everyone who listens to your petty story willugh at you.¡±


    ¡°Lies. Is it a lie that you are on the FBI¡¯s watchlist? You¡¯re wanted for murder and theft. You came into the city because no one here knew who you really were, and so you took up the name Monique. Do you know what the police would do to you if they found you now?¡±


    She went as white as a sheet, and her lips started to quiver.


    ¡°I-¡± But the following words got stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Your time is up,¡± I said. ¡°You should have nevere to this city. It¡¯s over now.¡±


    I raised a hand to give a signal to the police officers who were watching from their established perimeters. Before she could run, she was surrounded by police officers. I chuckled and shook my head. I couldn¡¯t have timed the whole thing more perfectly.


    ¡°Very smart,¡± I said when she didn¡¯t try to struggle as the policemen handcuffed and read her rights.


    ¡°Officers,¡± I called loudly, and several of them came to my side. ¡°Remember the camera room? You need to see it.¡±


    ¡°Can you take us there?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Follow me.¡±


    I led them to the automated door of Lisa¡¯s spy room. I was about to suggest someone send for her to unlock the door, but a tech guy attached to the force stepped forward and unlocked it after a few seconds of trying.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± he swore the moment he got a good look at the room¡¯s contents. ¡°This is really some messed up shit. I can¡¯t believe she has been watching the entire city for some time now. She¡¯s a psychopath.¡±


    ¡°Confiscate everything,¡± the officer leading the team barked to the others standing around.


    The room was sealed off in no time, and its contents confiscated.


    I went back outside. Monique had been allowed to put on a robe over her skimpy bikini. She sat huddled in on herself in the back seat of the cruiser. In the front seat, a policeman sat, scowling at her. I knocked on the ss, and she red at me.


    Already, she looked years older. I wondered what years in prison would do to her. I knew one thing, though. She would have a terrible time adjusting to the life there.


    ¡°Are you enjoying your new amodation?¡± I mocked. ¡°Enjoy this while itsts because you will go straight from here into your cell. This may be thest car ride you will have in a while. Enjoy it while itsts. You should never have messed with me. Never.¡±


    I straightened as the policeman driving quickly got in. I stood there and watched them drive her away.


    ¡°Good riddance, Monique,¡± I muttered. ¡°Good riddance.¡±

 Chapter 105

    NOAH


    ¡°Tell me, Lucy, who have you been visitingtely?¡±


    Her look of surprise was very believable-almost. I knew very well that Monique never gave untrue information. Her vast informationwork was always urate. If she said Lucy had been paying frequent visits to this, Mr Thompson, then Lucy was doing just that.


    ¡°Talk to me, Lucy,¡± I said. ¡°Have you suddenly gone mute?¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± she said with a slight shake. ¡°What is all this talk about visiting people? Who am I supposed to have visited?¡±


    ¡°You visited a Mr Thompson,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah. I can see from that look on your face that you already know who I am talking about. So what¡¯s this about you and Thompson? Oh, wait. Before you answer that, tell me how you manage to visit this guy regrly. You always im you can¡¯t do anything, move or go anywhere because of your pregnancy, so tell me how you find the time and strength to sneak off to visit people.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That,¡± I said, mimicking her tone. ¡°If you have been going off to see someone, why didn¡¯t you just tell me about it the minute I asked you about it.¡±


    ¡°Because-¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Because? Or do you have anything to hide?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that at all. I didn¡¯t want to tell you about that part until you got the contract.¡± She took a deep breath and continued. ¡°I have been seeing Thompson to try and convince him to give you the contract. It was my way of trying to help, especially after I heard Amelia was inpetition to get the contract.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I was only trying to help.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t help,¡± I barked. ¡°You didn¡¯t do any bloody thing. Amelia still got the bloody contract, so what the hell was the use of your visits? Huh? You were of no help and that is because Mr Thompson is not the kind of man you can bribe or seduce. Couldn¡¯t you even study the man you intended to work on first to know his weaknesses and how you could use them to your advantage?  Maybe if you did, I¡¯ll not be so pissed at you right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking-¡±


    ¡°Obviously, you weren¡¯t! You know how much of a fool I looked when I heard about what you did? For your sake, I¡¯m hoping you didn¡¯t b to him about anything to do with me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She sounded indignant. ¡°I just thought he would consider my condition and give you the contract.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the first woman to get pregnant, and you won¡¯t be thest. He won¡¯t just throw a contract at me because of your condition.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t be of help.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure-¡± My phone rang. ¡°Who is this now?¡±


    I checked my phone and saw that my manager was calling. I exhaled and shook my head. This was bad timing. I really was in the mood to rake an interfering Lucy over the coals.


    Somehow, it was taking the edge off my frustration. I picked up the call, hoping for my manager¡¯s sake that he had something really important to say to me.


    ¡°Speak,¡± I bit off.


    ¡°Sir,¡± his voice was clipped as he stammered. ¡°Si-Sir, have you seen the news?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, thinking about all possible news items that could interest me. ¡°What news are you talking about, and why should it be important to me?¡±


    ¡°You have to check the news. There¡¯s a terrible crisis going on, and we are about to sink if it¡¯s not handled.¡±


    And then I heard the beep of a broken connection. How could mypany sink? What had happened? Vaguely, I was aware that Lucy was asking me a question, but I couldn¡¯t make out the words. I hurried to the living room, turned on the television and found the news channel.


    As my gaze fell on the screen, the world seemed to slow down around me, sounds bing distant and muffled.


    A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and my head started to tremble uncontrobly.


    On the screen was a video of Monique handcuffed and being escorted by two police officers into a police cruiser.


    I managed to turn up the volume in time to hear the newscaster say, ¡°¡­ She was arrested at her residence today. She has been on the FBI¡¯s list for a long time and was exposed by Damian Donovan, a businessman who suffered one of her fatal blows. It was gathered that Monique, whose real name is Lisa Evans, has been working with some businessmen and corrupt officials. Notable among the former is Noah Allen-¡±


    ¡°Noah? Is that you?¡± Lucy asked from behind me.


    A picture of me appeared on the screen, cancelling her doubts. My skin prickled with a sudden chill, and I staggered back. It was as if my body was disconnecting from my mind, and I was trapped in a nightmare.


    The newscaster continued to my dismay.


    ¡°Noah Allen is also suspected of being an aplice in many of her schemes to undermine other businesses, but at this time, detailed information is yet to be released. We¡¯ll be sure to bring you updates on this case. Meanwhile, our correspondent was at the police station where-¡±


    A sudden sharp knock on the door jolted me back to reality.


    ¡°Someone is at the door.¡±


    I turned to see Lucy, eyes wide with fright, staring toward the front door. She made no move to get the door. With dread in my heart and legs that felt like stilts, I walked over to the door.


    I opened the door to see three men outside, uniformed police officers who immediately stepped into the house when the door opened. I took a step backwards but was immediately surrounded.


    ¡°You are under arrest,¡± the first one said and went on to read me my rights.


    ¡°Am I going to jail?¡± I managed to say.


    ¡°You are needed for further questioning. Now move!¡±


    ¡°Noah, what can I do?¡± I heard Lucy ask as they shoved me out. ¡°Noah! Noah!¡±


    I turned to her and mumbled. ¡°Call mywyer.¡±


    AMELIA


    I could not stop the grin spreading across my face as Damian and I sat in front of the TV, watching the news details on Monique¡¯s and then Noah¡¯s arrest. Not that I wanted to stop smiling, though.


    I felt like singing or waltzing across the room when I reflected that just barely twenty-four hours ago, the situation seemed hopeless. There had even been hints of Damian going to jail on the trumped-up charges of child trafficking. Now, those who had conspired to destroy him were the ones taking a one-way trip to jail.


    And then the best part came when the newscaster said, ¡°And in many circles, business mogul Damian Donovan has been hailed as staunch and clever. Reports have it that he was the one who unearthed the identity of Lisa Evans, also known in the Los Angeles business world as Monique. The business world, the people whose businesses she has already wrecked and indeed the police are much indebted to Mr Donovan for his help and ingenuity in helping to solve this case. And, of course, all charges of child trafficking against him have been dropped. They were found to be a concoction of Lisa Evans as she sought to punish him for not agreeing to join in her schemes to-¡±


    With a chuckle, Damian turned down the volume of the television.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how they can¡¯t stop praising me now, considering the fact that they were all calling for my head a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± I said with another goofy smile on my face. ¡°I¡¯m happy and relieved. I honestly don¡¯t know how you do it, but you always manage to get us out of every situation. Remember the situation with L and Petra?¡±


    ¡°All too clearly,¡± he said.


    ¡°You got us out of that too. You¡¯re really everything they say, you know. You are smart and clever and very, very resourceful. Congrattions on clearing your name.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions to us then.¡± He grinned and pushed to his feet. ¡°I think this calls for drinks. There is a bottle of wine I¡¯ve been saving¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off as he walked away. He returned soon with two sses and a cold bottle of wine.


    ¡°There are only 17 bottles of this wine in the world.¡± He said as he poured some into my ss. ¡°To more sess!¡±


    ¡°To more sess,¡± I repeated. I held out my empty ss to him after I drank. ¡°More, please. This is very good.¡±


    ¡°I know. I brought out the very best.¡±


    ¡°What about business? Do you think things will get better¡­¡± I nced at the television, where a video of Monique in handcuffs being arrested was being shown. ¡°¡­ after this news broke?¡±


    ¡°Oh. They areing back in droves. Most of them have been emailing my secretary about how they never really believed the charges against me were true.¡± He waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Most of them are lying through their teeth, of course, but I don¡¯t really care one way or the other as long as I¡¯m back in business, which I am, by the way. So all my shareholders are returning, and I¡¯m sure things will return to normal within two or more weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    I inched closer to him and crawled into hisp. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I knew our proximity was dangerous, especially if I wanted to avoid intimacy. But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t stop staring at his eyes-his blue, enthralling eyes that always made me weak in the knees.


    Before I could pull away, he pressed his soft lips to mine. I didn¡¯t immediately respond. I contemted if I was making the right decision.


    But when he started to draw away, I wrapped my hands around his neck and returned the kiss.


    I deepened the kiss, touching and tasting him. It had been so long since we had been together like this, and I missed it.


    I missed him.


    My fingers ran through his hair. He moaned into my mouth and pulled me closer till my breasts were squashed across his chest.


    ¡°Should we take this upstairs?¡± He asked me hungrily as his fingers ran up my chest.


    ¡°Y-¡±


    Damien¡¯s phone rang before I could answer, and it was suddenly my cue to get myself together. I exhaled and crawled back to my previous possible.


    Damian regretfully picked up his phone, but his smile brightened when he saw it was the mayor calling. He took the call, listened for some minutes, and spoke a few words.


    ¡°Certainly, sir,¡± he finally said and hung up. He turned to me, his eyes alight with excitement. ¡°The railway project is back.¡±

 Chapter 106

    NOAH


    TWO WEEKS LATER


    I had a headache, one that grew in intensity every second I spent poring over mypany¡¯s financial records. The figures on the screen seemed to blur and run together the longer I stared at them.


    Despite all these, I could still tell I was in financial trouble. My finances had never looked this bad, even in years when I encountered some business challenges.


    My world was crashing down on me, and I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I had spent so much, especially in the court case with Monique. Now, I was left with next to nothing. With apany to run and little financesing in, it was safe to say that bankruptcy was knocking. How did I get myself to this point?


    I thought back to a week ago during the whole case with Monique. It had taken a team of excellentwyers to prove in court that I had no connection to Monique. But then thewyers had charged me a hefty sum of money for their services, money I had been willing to part with to avoid being charged and probably jail time if I was found guilty.


    I remembered the lies I was forced to recite over and over again. As mywyer suggested, I had to im to be one of Monique¡¯s victims. That was the only way I would not be charged to court or stand trial.


    And like they predicted, it worked. The judge found it pretty easy to believe that I was trying to protect Lucy and my unborn child, which was why I agreed to Monique¡¯s schemes.


    And with the FBI on Monique¡¯s neck, she really didn¡¯t have a case. She was going to jail, and the only thing up for debate was how long her term would be.


    Now, I was back to square one, to the very beginning. It was like a fresh start without any moral or financial boost. Just me, alone, against the whole fucking world.


    I scrolled further and saw more debts I was yet to clear. I leaned back against my chair with a sigh.


    All of this was worrying, to say the least. I didn¡¯t want to think about it, but I wondered if I could ever recover from this loss.


    Things had not gotten better since I exonerated myself from Monique¡¯s activities. Many of my shareholders had left and were still leaving, and my protestations of innocence did not move them one bit. I supposed they all still thought I was guilty and had gotten off on a technicality.


    The most important consideration for me now was how to get mypany up and running again. I drew myptop closer and painstakingly went through it, hoping to figure out how to salvage the situation.


    My phone rang, shattering the silence of my office. Why was Peter calling me?


    The man managed one of mypany¡¯s extensions at Milkirk Avenue, and I wondered what he was calling for.


    ¡°Hello, Peter. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sir, there is a problem at the branch,¡± he said, sounding agitated. ¡°I need you to help me sort it out. I don¡¯t know what else to do or say.¡±


    ¡°What is the problem?¡± I asked, sitting up suddenly.


    But the line went dead. I hoped that whatever he called me for wasn¡¯t serious. I couldn¡¯t afford to deal with another problem.


    I called for my secretary, and she arrived swiftly. ¡°Find out what¡¯s going on at Milkirk Avenue. And handle it if you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    She left, and I sighed. Just as I was about to rx again, she knocked on my door and entered my office, looking worried.


    ¡°Sir, I just got off the phone with the manager, and he insisted that he needs your help urgently.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. He was shouting, and it was quite noisy.¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± She scurried away, and I rose to my feet in anger. Whatever this was, it had better be really important.


    I left my office and headed to the parking lot at once. My driver, who was wandering around the ce, appeared at my side.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Milkirk Avenue,¡± I told him. ¡°Take the fastest route and get me there as soon as possible.¡±


    He nodded, and in no time at all, we were on our way there. When we arrived, I was surprised to see a small crowd of about ten men standing in front of the building. By the looks on their faces and their hand gestures, they seemed to be engaged in an argument with my staff and the manager, who looked harassed.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± I said boldly as I walked up to them. ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    The conversation broke off, and as one, they all turned to face me.


    ¡°I am Noah Allen,¡± I said, addressing the man who seemed to be in charge of the others. ¡°I am the CEO of this ce, and I want to know what is happening.¡±


    The other men looked to the man I guessed was their leader. He took a step forward.


    ¡°Mr Allen,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m a demolition contractor working for the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I have orders to demolish this branch of yourpany. I am here to tell you that you have twenty-four hours to vacate the premises before that demolition begins.¡±


    I stared at him for some seconds. Then I chuckled. I pressed my hand against my side to keep me from doubling over inughter. It was a joke. Of course, it was. What a very funny man.


    First of all, with all my connections, apany building of mine could never be demolished. And then, who ever heard of only twenty-four notice given to someone to clear out?


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course you are! This is an borate joke, and I¡¯m amused. I must confess, for a second, you got me there. Funny.¡±


    The man¡¯s face remained stony. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it isn¡¯t a joke, sir.¡± He paused to nce at his wristwatch. ¡°Time is ticking by. Now you have less than twenty-four hours to leave this ce. I strongly suggest you get a move on, or else I will be forced to bring down the building and everything in it.¡±


    It was then it began to dawn on me that he was actually serious about this. I took a step forward, and with one finger, I jabbed the man on the shoulder.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± I growled. He stood his ground and gazed up at me fearlessly. ¡°If you actually know who I am, you wouldn¡¯t be standing there, talking absolute nonsense. Now take my advice, Mr demolition Contractor or whatever your name is, because it may be thest one you ever get.¡± I made a sweeping gesture to include all the other men he hade with. ¡°Take your men and get the hell out of here, or you will regret evering here. I promise you that.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°With all due respect, Mr Allen, I do not take orders from you. My orders are gotten directly from my contract supervisor, not you.¡±


    I fumed but did my best to keep my cool. It wouldn¡¯t do topletely lose it and punch him in the mouth.


    ¡°I demand to know who this so-called contract supervisor is,¡± I said. ¡°Tell me, who is that person who wants to mess with me?¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for me,¡± a familiar voice said from the distance, and I froze.


    As I turned slowly, I prayed it wasn¡¯t who I thought it was, but it was.


    My gaze fell on Amelia, and she started to walk toward me with a cold smile on her face. No fucking way.


    ***************************************


    AMELIA


    The look on his face the moment he saw me was priceless. He gulped and became temporarily speechless. I slowly and deliberately walked up to him.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yourpany is in the path of the new infrastructural project I¡¯m working on.¡± I paused, then continued. ¡°You are aware of the infrastructural project, right? The amusement park contract¡­ remember that?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Colour flooded his cheeks the same way it had at the board¡¯s office, and I knew he remembered that day all too well. ¡°So, since yourpany will hinder my project from continuing, it must be demolished. I hope that exins it all in case you didn¡¯t understand what my demolition contractor said.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the bloody right to demolish mypany,¡± he said through his teeth.


    ¡°Oh. But I have every right,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Want me to show you my permit? That would be time-wasting, don¡¯t you think? And besides, you have won this city¡¯s award several times, so you know how this project works.¡±


    ¡°That is not how-¡±


    I snapped my fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t be emotional, Noah. When you handled the building projectst year, you demolished a shopping mall so you could erect a business consulting firm. Well, now I¡¯m handling it. It¡¯s unfortunate, though, that I chose to build the park close to yourpany, but it is what it is.¡±


    ¡°You have to stop this madness at once, Amelia. Thend you are nning to build on belongs to me and a few others. You cannot take it from me or demolish this building.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that is a problem.¡± She turned to the demolition contractor. ¡°Do you?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°See? You will all bepensated one million dors each for thend, but this building will be brought down in 24 hours. There is no debate, nor will you receivepensation for your loss.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He bellowed in outrage. ¡°That is preposterous. That¡¯s not even worth half of what we used to purchase thends, and we haven¡¯t even started talking about the worth of the structures to be erected on it.¡±


    I cocked my head to one side and pretended to ponder on this. ¡°Well¡­ in that case, there are only two options. You can either ept the money, or you can go to hell.¡± There were sniggers from my workers. Noah flushed again.


    ¡°You¡¯re crossing your boundaries.¡± He was as red as a tomato this time, and I had to force back augh.


    ¡°Now listen and listen carefully. I want to be very clear on what I want to say next so everyone will understand that I gave you a fair warning.¡± I looked around at everyone gathered, listening to every word of our exchange. ¡°If I return in the next twenty-four hours and find anyone, I mean anyone in the building, I will bring the roof down on them, whoever they are.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± He took steps toward me, but one of my contractors shoved him back.


    ¡°Noah, your time is ticking. I¡¯ll see you in twenty-four hours.¡± I turned on my heels and walked away.

 Chapter 107

    NOAH


    I drew back the sleeve of my shirt to check the time, almost tearing the fabric in the process. Was it only five minutes I had been waiting in this damned reception area? It felt more like twenty. And what the hell was the mayor still doing in there anyway? Didn¡¯t his secretarymunicate to him how urgent my business with him was?


    I shook back my sleeve. Sitting was not an option. I could not have managed it even if I tried. With every second I spent here, my building remained under threat of demolition. I couldn¡¯t trust that Amelia bitch not to bring the whole ce down even before the twenty-four hours were up. The mayor would help me. I knew he would. When Amelia¡¯s stupid decisions were questioned, that would take her down a peg or two. I resumed pacing. I had not taken more than a couple of steps when I heard my name.


    ¡°Mr Allen, the mayor will see you now.¡±


    About time! I nearly growled at the secretary. With a curt nod in her direction, I marched into the mayor¡¯s office. I found him pushing around some papers on his desk.


    ¡°Ah. Noah,¡± he said. ¡°Please take a seat.¡±


    ¡°I have a problem. You have to help me,¡± I said at once.


    His brow furrowed. ¡°A problem? What is the nature of this problem?¡± He nced again at the unupied chair in front of him. ¡°The seat, Noah, if you please.¡±


    I dropped into the chair, but perched on the very edge of it. ¡°I received a call from the manager of one of my branch office at the Milkirk Avenue. I got there and found that Amelia was going to demolish the ce in twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours, mayor! Who gives anyone that ridiculous time frame to vacate not a house, but an entire building? Arge one for that matter? She imed mypany was in the path of thend she had mapped out for her amusement park project and that it had to go down. I told her the very idea was ridiculous, of course, but she insisted.¡± I ced my hands on the table, and leaned forward. ¡°You have to help me stop this madness, because madness is what it is. Mypany cannot be demolished. Please instruct Amelia to find another suitable location for her¡­ project. I can¡¯t stand to see all I have worked for destroyed because of a woman who knows nothing about business or projects.¡±


    The mayor sighed, and shook his head slowly from side to side. ¡°Imiserate with you on your plight, Noah, but I¡¯m afraid that there is nothing I can do in this particr situation. If it was something I could help you with, I would. But it isn¡¯t. So¡­¡±


    I gaped, not sure I had heard correctly. Had be just said there was nothing he could do? ¡°There has to something you can do. Amelia is just¡­ Amelia. You are the mayor of this city.¡±


    ¡°That I am, but even a mayor has his limitations.¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t understand. Surely, if you give Amelia an order, she will be forced to obey.¡±


    ¡°The execution of this yearly project is bigger than the office of the mayor. There are other parties involved in this so I cannot simply do as I please. Remember that I am an elected official too so my power is not absolute.  I would have thought that you of all people knew how this thing worked, seeing as you have won this award for more times than I can count. In previous years, when you were in charge of other projects, remember that you were given absolute liberty to demolish any building of your choice which you thought was in the way of development. No one stopped or questioned your decisions.¡±


    ¡°That is different,¡± I protested. ¡°Completely different.¡±


    He raised one greying brow. ¡°It is? How so?¡±


    I opened my mouth to exin how, but I could not think of anything to say. Yet. All I knew was that it wasplete madness for anyone to even think of bringing down my building, especially when there were other sites where stretches of her damned amusement park could be built.


    ¡°Mypany can¡¯t be demolished,¡± I insisted. ¡°There has to be something that can be done. You can¡¯t just expect me to sit back and watch what I have worked for get destroyed, do you?¡±


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry but what you must understand is that Amelia wields all the power here. I will advise you though. Talk with her. Plead with her to leave your building standing and site her project somewhere else. There is no way you¡¯ll be able to stop her by ranting or demanding for help. She might listen to you if you calmly talk to her.¡±


    Just the thought of begging Amelia for a favour set my blood boiling. Begging her was an aberration and I wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°I won¡¯t plead with her. Even if I did, she would never listen to me because she is bent on punishing me for some perceived wrong. She is using the tform of executing the project to carry out a personal vendetta on me. Don¡¯t you see what I¡¯m saying? She¡¯s just a bitter ex wife who has finally seen a way to get back at me.¡±


    The mayor shrugged. ¡°Well, that is your problem, not mine. In my opinion, I still stand by asking you to settle whatever issues you have with her. I have given all the advice I can give.¡±


    One look at the mayor¡¯s face and I knew it waspletely pointless appealing to him. I felt disappointment, like lead in my stomach. I shot to my feet and without another word stormed out of his office.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I had not taken more than a few steps towards the door when he stopped me.


    ¡°One more piece of advice before you go, Noah,¡± he said. ¡°Pray that Amelia doesn¡¯t intend to destroy every structure you own because the truth is if that is her intention, she will be able to do it. This may just be the tip of the iceberg for her and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to lose everything to your ¡®bitter ex wife.¡¯ Do you?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be able to stop her? It will beplete madness if shees after me. Don¡¯t you have any power to stop her as a mayor?¡± I asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°That will be highly unlikely, Noah, especially when it has to do with anything concerning this project. Like it or not, Amelia has be one of the most powerful women in this city. Do everything to be in her good books. I am trying too because I do not want to get in the way of such a woman. She wields grace and strength.¡±


    *************************¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    AMELIA


    I stirred the food in the pot, then tasted it. It was perfect. I covered it up and left it to boil. Damian knocked and pocketed his phone. He sniffed the air appreciatively.


    ¡°Dinner smells really nice,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you. It will be ready soon.¡±


    ¡°You have outdone yourself again. You are a good cook, you know. A good baker too. Ever thought of expanding your business¡­ your bakery, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I have. In fact, I n on doing that very soon. I have just been looking for a suitable location so I will kickstart the process.¡±


    ¡°A location? That is not a problem at all. I will keep an eye out for a good location which I am sure I will find in no time and then whenever you are ready, I will help you with whatever amount you need for the expansion. How¡¯s that?¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Thank you but I can handle the expansion myself. I have been saving a lot of money from the bakery and the mall. The money I have put by will be enough to handle the expansion. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I saw the pride in Damian¡¯s eyes as he looked at me.


    ¡°You mean you were able to save that amount of money within this short period of time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. The mall and bakery have been churning out huge profits.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, Amelia. Even though you have been making a lot of sales and profits, it takes a lot of discipline to save so much money in so little time. I must say, I am impressed, Amelia. Very impressed. You are a natural at business.¡±


    I beamed at hispliment. It was good to know that I was doing something right, and that someone so sessful in the business world thought so too.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    He pushed back from the kitchen counter, approached me with a lopsided grin on his face and a teasing light in his eyes.


    ¡°A simple ¡®thank you¡¯ won¡¯t do,¡± he murmured. ¡°How about giving me a kiss instead. Huh?¡±


    He enfolded me in his arms, and pulled me to him. As he brought his lips to mine, the oddest thing happened. Out of nowhere, bile rose in my throat and I had the overwhelming urge to throw up.


    ¡°Amelia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he said.


    I could not answer. Making gagging noises, I pped my hand to my mouth and began to struggle to break free of Damian¡¯s arms. Eventually, he let go and just in time too. I felt the puke making it¡¯s way past my mouth.


    I ran from the kitchen to the nearest bathroom, praying that I would make it before making a mess on the floor. I wrenched the door open, bent over the sink and threw up.

 Chapter 108

    AMELIA


    I hesitated at the entrance to the dining room, taking in the scene before me. Damian was sitting, but he had not started his breakfast yet. He appeared to have been waiting for me to join him. I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, especially after what happened the previous night. But I didn¡¯t have a choice but to join him.


    Damian mumbled a greeting as I walked in, then said, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I could feel the awkwardness in the air. It was like a tangible thing between us, something that drove our previous camaraderie away. I knew we were both thinking of the moment yesterday when I had abruptly left the kitchen to throw up. After I had vomited until I felt empty, I rinsed my face and mouth and took myself off to my room. And I had note out until this morning.


    Damian and I stared at each other for a long, ufortable moment. He gestured to the covered dishes on one side of the table.


    ¡°Breakfast?¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I mumbled.


    I dropped into a chair and pushed my food around my te the entire time while Damian cleared his throat unnecessarily.


    Several times when I nced at Damian, I found him opening his mouth, about to talk to me, but he gave up the attempt every single time.


    I didn¡¯t me him. What was there to say anyway? Was I to apologize for throwing up? And then, if I did, what would he say in return? And so I said nothing. Eager to end the charade of eating together, I began to shovel forkfuls of food into my mouth.


    I stopped when Damain cleared his throat, more loudly this time. I felt he was about to say something, and it turned out that I was right.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he began, not looking at me but at the bacon on his te. ¡°Are you going to take a pregnancy test?¡±


    My mouth went dry, but I managed to ask him, in a believable tone of puzzlement, ¡°A pregnancy test? Why on earth do I have to take a pregnancy test?¡±


    Damianid his fork down and looked up at me sharply.


    ¡°You should know why,¡± he said slowly. ¡°You threw up while cooking yesterday and then went to your room without dinner. You didn¡¯t bother saying a word to me before going to bed, and I waited several minutes. That is certainly not usual behaviour, and I think-


    ¡°You think that automatically makes me pregnant?¡± I gave a humourlessugh. ¡°I was just feeling sick, that¡¯s all. Not every feeling of nausea is a pregnancy symptom, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you do know,¡± I said dryly, hoping he would take the hint and drop the subject.


    I had no such luck.


    ¡°But I still think you should take a pregnancy test,¡± he pursued. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s necessary? I think some women asionally take those tests just to be on the safe side. Why are youpletely shutting down the idea like there¡¯s more to it?¡±


    I let my fork fall onto my te with a tter. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Damian. I thought you just agreed that throwing up isn¡¯t necessarily a sign of pregnancy. And what exactly do I stand to gain by hiding the pregnancy if I¡¯m truly pregnant?¡±


    ¡°But it is one sign.¡± His tone turned pleading as he said, ¡°I learnt these tests are automatic. They don¡¯t waste time at all, and they are easy to do. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to make sure that-¡±


    ¡°I SAID NO!¡± I shouted. I pushed my te away, and he fell silent immediately. ¡°Give it a rest, will you? I told you I¡¯m not taking any stupid test. I¡¯m not pregnant. I will never be pregnant! So don¡¯t act like you believe any different.¡±


    After my unnned outburst, Damian kept staring at me in wide-eyed surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I upset you, Amelia,¡± he said quietly. ¡°But why would you ever think that you will never be pregnant?¡± My eyes narrowed angrily, and he backtracked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I was just making a suggestion for you to-¡±


    ¡°Save it!¡±


    I pushed my chair back, grabbed my handbag and stormed out of the house.


    ¡°Take me to the bakery,¡± I snapped at my driver.


    Tears I was too powerless to withhold slipped down my cheeks in the backseat of the quickly moving car. I angrily wiped them off before my bodyguard noticed as I thought about what had happenedst night. After I locked myself in my room, I took a pregnancy test with a test strip.


    I was so anxious as I waited for the positive line, for any possibility that Noah was wrong and I could be a mother.


    The disappointment I felt when the test came out negative was so crushing that I spent the rest of the night awake and weeping.


    Damian and I have been together for months, eight months, to be precise. And we¡¯ve had sex countless times. I didn¡¯t want to think about Noah. He couldn¡¯t be right. He shouldn¡¯t be right.


    To make things worse, Damian had brought it up again this morning. Why did he have to get so concerned about the damn pregnancy? Why was it always so important to them? Why couldn¡¯t they just love me?


    Even though I had not lost sight of the fact that my marriage to Damian was temporal, I had really hoped for a baby, or at least a sign that I wasn¡¯t barren. We got closer to the office, and I wiped my tears. I resolved to put my personal issues behind me for the rest of the day.


    And then my day got worse.


    Noah was standing and waiting impatiently for me at the entrance of the bakery.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I snapped, walking up to him.


    He raised one arrogant brow. ¡°I would have thought that was fairly obvious, Amelia. I¡¯m here to tell you to put a stop to your demolition ns.¡±


    ¡°To tell me-¡± I broke off and shook my head. The nerve of this man! Coming here to give me orders. ¡°Listen, Noah. Just leave. I am not in the mood to discuss anything with you.¡±


    We stared at each other. He did not move to leave, so I tried walking past him and into the building.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done talking,¡± he said, gripping my arms tightly.


    ¡°Hands off.¡± My bodyguard, whose presence I had almost forgotten, growled and pushed Noah back, breaking his tight hold on me.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Noah growled as he stumbled back a few steps.


    I angrily smoothed down my rumpled sleeve.


    ¡°Listen and listen good,¡± I said as I struggled not to raise my voice. I kept reminding myself that my employees were within earshot and it wouldn¡¯t be proper for them to see me involved in an altercation with my ex-husband. That would only serve as fodder for gossip. ¡°Don¡¯t you every your hands on me again. If you do, I promise you that I will demolish more than one of your buildings. I wille after you and take everything you have.¡±


    His face turned ugly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I will, Noah. I will. I promise you. You know, if you hade off your high horse and asked nicely, I might have considered your plea and left your building alone. But as it is, with you showing up at my ce of business and attempting to manhandle me¡­¡± I flicked my wrist to check the time and did a quick calction. ¡°You roughly have just four hours before your buildinges down. I advise you to use those hours well.¡±


    Noah stepped back when my glowering bodyguard took a threatening step toward him. He left the path to the bakery clear, and I swept past him.


    ******************************************************¡±


    I was worried about Amelia¡¯s outburst. Ever since I came into the office this morning, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what she had said to me.


    Never had I seen her as angry as she had been this morning. I thought back to all I said yesterday and even today, wondering if I said anything wrong. After a minute or two, I concluded that there was nothing I could possibly have said to upset her. So, what suddenly went wrong?


    My thoughts drifted and dwelt on the possibility of Amelia getting pregnant with my child. Just the thought of it made me break out in a cold sweat.


    I didn¡¯t want her to get pregnant for me. Not in a million years. I would not be a good father. I just didn¡¯t have it in me to be one. It would be wicked to bring children into this world just to traumatize them or to give them less of the love and attention they deserve.


    My father had done the very thing, and I couldn¡¯t be him. I didn¡¯t want to be that deadbeat dad that would have a child who resented him. I couldn¡¯t.


    I straightened in my seat and a thousand questions started to flit into my mind at the same time. What if Amelia was actually pregnant, but wanted to hide it from me because she knew how I would react?


    ¡°Shit!¡± I muttered, scrubbing my hands over my face.


    Now, that was a scary prospect indeed. The thought of it sent my heart pumping in my chest.


    Or maybe she wants child support, I thought. Child support? How much more money did she want?


    And then my thoughts went haywire as I began to imagine several other things Amelia could want. These ¡®wants¡¯ became more horrifying the longer I pondered on them.


    I had a sudden, vivid mental image of myself surrounded by children who were mine.  Their eyes were peering into mine as they asked for help.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    It suddenly felt very hard to breathe. In a panic, I  pushed away the files on my desk. I shot to my feet, grabbed a bottle of wine, and, with shaky hands, poured a generous amount into a ss.

 Chapter 109

    NOAH


    I returned home in a foul temper. Only ¡®foul¡¯ was not good enough to describe my mood. If Amelia were here, I probably would do something both of us would regret. Or maybe just me because she would not be alive to entertain regrets.


    How could she? How could she do that to me?


    I kicked the front door open and stormed into my sitting room. I dumped all the files I was carrying onto the centre table. Some files slid off and fell on the floor, but I didn¡¯t care. They could burn to ashes for all I cared, just like the way I was currently burning with anger.


    Mypany¡¯s branch at Milkirk Avenue was gone, reduced to dust, mortar, and rubble. I had barely managed to supervise getting most of thepany¡¯s equipment out in time before the demolition had begun. Amelia had left not one stone standing.


    I watched it. I had raved. I had threatened, but there had been nothing, absolutely nothing I was able to do about it. It wasn¡¯t just my building that was brought down. My name, reputation, and everything I worked hard for were reduced to nothing.


    How Amelia wouldugh. How she would gloat at the fact that she had scored one over me.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± I hissed.


    I kicked the sofa and felt the veins bulging in my neck and my eyes. Amelia would pay! By hell, she would pay for this. I would make sure that happened even if it was the veryst thing I did.


    The question was how.


    I was still too caught up in my emotions that I couldn¡¯t think straight to form a proper n for revenge. I swore to myself right then and there that my revenge against Amelia would be most diabolical. She would face the most gruesome punishment, and she would pray for death.


    If there was one thing I could not picture myself doing, it was letting her get away with what she had done. If I did, it would be a loss, not only to me but also to my reputation. Thanks to her, I was almost nobody in the city, but I still had a reputation or something of that sort to preserve. No one would mess with me and walk away freely.


    I couldn¡¯t even consider what people would think when they learnt that my ex-wife had ridiculed me like a tiny ant, and I had done nothing about it. If I just so much as closed my eyes, I could picture the faces sneering and theughter bouncing off their lips.


    ¡®She obviously wore the pants during their marriage¡­,¡± they would say.


    ¡®Now I think she left him, and not the other way round.¡¯


    And then there would be those who would say conclusively that the Allen-Donovan debate on who was more influential was over, that Damian was better than me, and so was hispany.


    With a snarl, I began to pace the room.


    To think that everything had been going so smoothly for me just a few weeks ago! First Damian, then Amelia hade around and spoilt it all.


    Of course, the fool of a mayor had a huge role to y in this mess, too. He could have helped stop Amelia if he wanted to. I was sure of it. Maybe the bald-headed creep had a liking for Amelia.


    I snorted. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him, the dirty old man! Probably, he thought standing by and letting me crash and burn would earn him a ce in Amelia¡¯s good books and maybe into her bed.


    I would not be surprised if she was fucking him too. Amelia was capable of anything; jumping into another marriage right after ours ended was just enough proof. She didn¡¯t even grieve the marriage. Not once!


    And then, there was Damian. He had a role to y in this shitstorm. He had been the one who had given Amelia wings, wings which badly needed to be clipped. If not for him, she would have continued being a mousy, frightened little nobody.


    Damian showed her that she could be somebody. Hell! She was nobody! Amelia would always be my stupid, dumb ex-wife. No matter who she fucked.


    But Damian would still have to pay. Amelia would have been useless without him, just like Lucy had been for several months.


    My face contracted in anger as I thought of Lucy. Her fashion designing business was as good as useless. She was more or less a trophy wife, and I had been the one forced to fund her veryvish lifestyle. She had brought nothing to the table, had done nothing for me but to get pregnant with my child.


    I heaved a sigh. At least she was pregnant and would make me a father in a week or two. Amelia would never be capable of doing that.


    Speaking of Lucy¡­


    For the first time, I looked around me, reflecting that it was rather strange that she hadn¡¯te downstairs to say hi to me. She almost always knew when I arrived home, as her bedroom, where she virtually spent all her time these days, overlooked the garage. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her absence, as all my thoughts had been about Amelia.


    ¡°Lucy,¡± I called, turning my head towards the stairs. ¡°Lucy.¡±


    I called her name several times but didn¡¯t get an answer. I marched up the stairs in search of her. As I climbed the stairs tiredly, I reflected bitterly on how easy it would have been a while ago when I hadn¡¯t sacked all my domestic staff to save money. I would simply have sent one of them to call Lucy. Now, that luxury was gone because of Amelia.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Thoughts of Amelia were driven clean out of my mind after I had searched the entire house and had found no signs of Lucy. She was not home. That was odd. Because of the pregnancy, she always imed that she couldn¡¯t move properly, so where had she gone?


    Just as I went outside the house, I saw her driver driving in. He parked the car, got out and did a double-take the instant he saw me.


    ¡°Sir!¡± he eximed with a swallow.


    ¡°Yess.¡±


    A quick look into the car told me Lucy wasn¡¯t there.


    By the time I turned again to the driver, his expression was under control, but he could not mask his first look of surprise.


    ¡°Jacob, where is Lucy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°S-sir-¡± he stuttered.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I was not expecting you to be home so early.¡±


    That was a queer answer indeed. I wondered briefly how this was rted to the question I had asked.


    ¡°That is not the answer to my question. This is my house. I cane and go as I please.¡± I paused to let this fact sink in. I could already feel the anger, temporarily dampened by Lucy¡¯s absence, rising to the surface. ¡°Now I ask you again. Where. Is. Lucy?¡±


    ¡°I er- she isn¡¯t here, sir.¡±


    ¡°Obviously she isn¡¯t. I¡¯m not blind.¡±


    ¡°I dropped her off somewhere. She told me to pick her up after two hours.¡±


    ¡°Two hours!¡± I eximed.


    Where could Lucy possibly have gone off to for two hours? Today certainly wasn¡¯t the day for her prenatal visit. I was sure of that.


    ¡°So where exactly is somewhere?¡± I queried. ¡°Is it the mall?¡± Jacob shook his head. ¡°Or a boutique, maybe. Did she go shopping?¡±


    I thought this was the ce where Lucy was most likely to be, as her propensity for shopping didn¡¯t seem to have reduced even though I wasn¡¯t financially buoyant now.


    But Jacob again shook his head. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t go shopping.¡±


    ¡°Then where the bloody hell did she go?¡± I thundered. I shut my eyes briefly and counted to ten in my head. In a calmer tone, I said, ¡°Take me to where you dropped Lucy off. Now!¡±


    ******************************


    I sat in the car, staring at the sprawling mansion before me. Beside me, Jacob sat trembling. I could feel him alternating his nces from me to the building and back again.


    ¡°This is the ce?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you bring her here often?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°She usuallyes here, but I don¡¯t know who lives here. I often drop her off, go back or wait at a cafe for when she wants to be picked up.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    From the look of the building, it was obvious that someone very wealthy lived there. The house was imposing enough to rival mine, which was saying something.


    ¡°We will wait for her. I must know who she has been visiting while on bed rest.¡±


    Jacob nodded and sank back into his seat.


    Time went by as we sat in ufortable silence. A little over an hourter, the front door opened, and Lucy emerged from the porch. I sat up but managed to keep my head down to avoid being spotted, eager to see who herpanion would be.


    To my utmost surprise, it was Thompson, the very person Monique had told me about. My stomach churned, and I thought I might be sick. It had to be a mistake, and my mind refused to process the reality before me.


    I blinked rapidly, hoping that everything would be normal again when I opened my eyes. But it wasn¡¯t.


    My thoughts raced, each one more frantic than thest. Why did Lucy visit Thompson after the ridiculous lies that she was trying to help me secure the contract?


    She couldn¡¯t be¡­No. She wouldn¡¯t dare.


    I watched them with anger rising in my throat. They were talking animatedly, like friends. As I watched, Thompson hugged her. My fingers gripped the car seat in anger, and my knuckles turned white. I dug my fingers into the seat, fighting the urge to run out of the car, run up to them and ask her what the hell they were doing together.


    The thought that I wouldn¡¯t get the truth using that sort of approach kept me on my seat.


    ¡°Take me home. Take me home,¡± I repeated angrily to Jacob, who was engrossed in the unfolding scene between Lucy and Thompson. She was still talking to Thompson, and it looked like they would be doing that for some time. ¡°Come and get her once I¡¯m home. And make sure you don¡¯t say a word to her.¡±


    Jacob nodded again. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As we drove home, I tried to focus andtch onto something positive in my mind, but my thoughts were too chaotic. I couldn¡¯t stop the thoughts in my head or the questions, especially the one that bothered me the most.


    Was Lucy cheating on me with Thompson?

 Chapter 110

    A hundred different thoughts, not one of them pleasant, whirled in Noah¡¯s mind as he paced the living room and waited impatiently for Lucy to return home.


    About forty-five minutes had passed since he had left Thompson¡¯s residence. If Thompson and Lucy still found something to keep chatting about all this time, then they were very close indeed.


    A storm of rage brewed inside him as he thought about how long Lucy had been lying to him. He knew it was impossible that she had bonded with Thompson recently, especially given how close they looked.


    As he pictured the sight of Thompson and Lucy talking, it frustrated him that he had not been close enough to hear what they were saying.


    He wished he had because he instinctively felt that Lucy would lie through her teeth about their rtionship.


    Although he rather thought the sight of him should be enough to startle her enough to say the truth as he had given very strict instructions to Lucy¡¯s driver not to tell her he was home.


    Noah sat up suddenly, his ears perking up. Was that the sound of a car approaching?


    A momentter, he was sure it was. He sat down on the sofa and waited for Lucy to make an appearance. Soon, she walked in. The moment she saw him, the pleased expression on her face changed to shock.


    Noah felt his eyes narrow suspiciously. He figured she wouldn¡¯t react like that if she didn¡¯t have some guilty secret.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re back,¡± Lucy stuttered when he kept staring at her but said nothing.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I suppose I am.¡±


    She tried to regain herposure but failed. ¡°I-I did not expect you back home so soon.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Noah said through gritted teeth. Before she could stop herself, Lucy recoiled as though the word had struck her. Noah chuckled. ¡°Just as you did not expect to see me back home so soon, I didn¡¯t expect to see you returning from¡­ somewhere, especially since you im you can¡¯t move about like you used to. You are supposed to be on bed rest, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± She slowly lowered herself into a sofa. ¡°I actually didn¡¯t n on going out today. I just decided to make a quick stop at the hospital to see my doctor. He told me to see him if I felt I needed to.¡±


    ¡°Your doctor, you say?¡± Noah let out a bitterugh. ¡°Lucy, I know you are lying.¡± He stoppedughing at once and fixed her with a level stare. ¡°Now tell me the truth. Where exactly are youing from?¡±


    She bit her lip and blurted out, ¡°The salon.¡± Then, hastened to add, ¡°I knew you would be upset if I told you that was where I had gone instead of staying home to rest. My hair was a mess, and I needed to fix it up. I¡¯ve been lyingzily in bed for days, and I thought it would be a great way to-¡±


    ¡°Lucy!¡± Noah¡¯s voice rang out, startling her into silence. ¡°Where the bloody hell have you been? Don¡¯t fucking lie to me again!¡±


    ¡°I told you, I went to the salon to get my hair done. I know I should have told you, but I didn¡¯t want to bother you at work.¡± Lucy could barely hide her nervousness while waiting to see if Noah had bought her lies.


    Noah shook his head, and his eyes darkened with anger. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask you one more time. You better choose your next words wisely.¡±


    And Lucy went off on a spiel about how she had suddenly had pregnancy cravings and had decided to go eat at a restaurant. At Noah¡¯s look of disbelief, she swore she had gone to meet with a prospective model for her clothing line. With each word out of her mouth, it was obvious that she was lying and would continue to do so.


    Noah shut his eyes tightly, the rage he felt at Lucy¡¯s lies as well as everything else that had happened almost choking him to death. In five minutes, Lucy had told him more than five different versions of a lie. He wondered if she¡¯d ever told him the truth or she had been lying to him throughout.


    Before Lucy knew what was happening, Noah was on his feet. He closed up the distance between them in seconds, and she staggered back out of fear.


    ¡°Noah-¡±


    Before she could form words, his hands shot out, and he pped her. Hard. As she opened her mouth to scream, he held her by the neck.


    ¡°This is yourst chance to tell me the truth,¡± he threatened. ¡°Or I swear I¡¯m going to do something both of us will regret.¡±


    ¡°I-I went to see Thompson!¡± Lucy cried out, her face pale and eyes brimming with tears.


    Noah¡¯s hand on her neck tightened for a few seconds, and then he suddenly let her go when she started to choke.


    ¡°Why did you go to see him?¡± Noah demanded hotly.


    Lucy said nothing. She buried her face in her hands and wept.


    ¡°Stop snivelling and tell me why the hell you went to see him!¡± Noah roared with anger. ¡°What were you doing at his house for two bloody hours? Are you cheating on me with him? Huh? Is that it?¡±


    Noah took a threatening step towards her. She quickly looked up and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not cheating on you,¡± she wailed. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Within the past few minutes, you have already told me a truckload of lies. Now tell me what you want with Thompson. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kick you in the stomach until you start talking.¡±


    Lucy gasped, suddenly forgetting to cry.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Try me,¡± he said. ¡°I give you ten seconds to tell me the truth!¡±


    But Lucy was no more moved. Something fundamentally shifted in her after Noah¡¯s threat to kick her tummy.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± Noah yelled again.


    ¡°Go to hell, Noah,¡± Lucy suddenly shrieked. ¡°I went to see Thompson because of his brother, Jason. Happy now?¡±


    Noah blinked in confusion. ¡°Jason? Who is Jason?¡±


    Something steely and ugly crept onto Lucy¡¯s face as she sneered and said, ¡°Yes, Jason. You must be the world¡¯s biggest fool to think that you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve been fucking this whole time.¡±


    Now, it was Noah¡¯s turn to react as though he had been pped.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he finally asked when he had found his voice.


    Lucy wiped her previously teary face. ¡°I should have thought it was fairly obvious. While you were busy cheating on Amelia with me, I was also seeing other men. I never owed you my loyalty, and I never will,¡± she finished with a venomous re at him.


    Noah felt a chill crawl up his spine as he realized that Lucy was going somewhere with this confession. Something told Noah that he would not like the eventual oue of this, but he had to know, however bad it was.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he took a step closer to her. ¡°Has Thompson been sleeping with you?¡±


    Lucy gave him a look of the utmost contempt before answering. ¡°Is that what has got you so worked up? The thought that one of the men who denied you the contract is screwing me? Ha! Well, if you must know, I am not sleeping with him. I was dating Jason, Thompson¡¯s younger brother, but no thanks to you, he dumped me the moment he found out about us.¡±


    A shocked Noah knew there was more to the story. He muttered, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then, just two days after Jason broke up with me, I discovered I was pregnant. I told Jason about the pregnancy, but he kept insisting that the pregnancy was not his¡­ because of you.¡± She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. ¡°Since you were so desperate to have a child, it was pretty convenient for me to im you as the one responsible for my pregnancy, even if I didn¡¯t know who the father was.¡±


    Noah waspletely tongue-tied as he struggled to make sense of what Lucy had just told him. ¡°Who is the father of the baby?¡± he finally managed to ask.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear a word I said? I told you that I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m certainly not going to stick around until you finally go bankrupt to find out.¡±


    It then dawned on Noah that Lucy had been going frequently to see Thompson in the hopes of getting him to convince his brother to ept the pregnancy.


    With his eyes zing with anger, Noah pointed to her stomach and said, ¡°That baby is mine. There is no way in hell that I divorced Amelia for nothing. That child you¡¯re carrying belongs to me. Hear me?¡±


    ¡°The baby is not yours,¡± Lucy returned. ¡°Besides, what do you want a child for now? You will soon be too poor to provide for the child and even me. Look at Amelia. She is rich, enjoying everything money can buy while I¡¯m here, suffering with you. Listen, Jason is the father of my child. Since I¡¯m about to give birth, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to convince him toe back from London and im the child.¡±


    Noah shook his head, unwilling to even consider the possibility that Lucy was pregnant for someone else. If that were the case, then he would be forced to reconsider all the decisions he had made thesest few months. His mind baulked from doing that.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Noah yelled. ¡°You won¡¯t get your way this time, you gold digging bitch! I don¡¯t care where you go, but the baby is mine. Jason, or whatever his name is, won¡¯t get his hands on you. Never!¡±


    Lucy pointed at him furiously, yelling and telling him that as long as she lived, he would never im her child, as it was not his. Noah could no longer offer her the luxury she desired, so Jason was her next option.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Next time, you better choose the women you fuck with. This baby is not yours, and you had better ept it. Jason will be the father, and he will take care of me!¡± Lucy spat.


    ¡°There is only one way to find out,¡± Noah responded after deliberation. He could no longer wait for her to dish out spections. He would find out the truth once and for all.


    Before Lucy knew what was happening, Noah grabbed her hand and began to drag her out the door. Despite her protest, he hauled her toward the garage. Lucy¡¯s driver, who was cleaning the car¡¯s interior, quickly got out, his eyes bulging with surprise at the scene ying out before him.


    Noah motioned to him. ¡°Take us to the hospital. Now!¡±

 Chapter 111

    AMELIA


    There was a muted buzz of conversation in the room as I waited for the entire staff to assemble. Soon, the girl in charge of the showroom disy came in and the door was shut.


    ¡°That¡¯s everyone, I suppose,¡± I said to no one in particr.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Rose.


    I nodded, looked around at all the staff of my bakery.


    ¡°Some of you, if not most of you must have heard of the city¡¯s project that I¡¯m handling.¡± There were nods from most of them and murmurs of assent and a few calls of ¡®congrattions, ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡°Well, the project has added to my many responsibilities. But before I continue, I will like to thank you all for your help in winning the award. Your contributions are noted and appreciated. That being said, to be able to cope with all that I am supposed to be doing, I will no longer being to work here as frequently as I used to. To help me manage the bakery full time¡­ I give you Rose.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rose, staring and then beaming as she realized the import of what I had said, epted congrattions from her colleagues.


    I waited until the apuse died down before continuing, ¡°She will do all I¡¯ve been doing here. I expect you all to give her your cooperation. Thank you. That is all.¡±


    There was the sound of chairs being scraped back and then they began to file out. I called for Rose, who was one of the people in line to leave first.


    ¡°I want to see you,¡± I said.


    I waved her into sit in the chair opposite me.


    ¡°Thank you so much for the opportunity, ma¡¯am,¡± she said excitedly before I started talking.


    ¡°You deserve it. You have been most helpful here. You¡¯re literally the one that holds this ce together when I¡¯m not around. I give you total control of the bakery. I¡¯ll just be in to supervise once in a while. Of course, this responsibilityes with an increase in your pay.¡±


    She shifted so she was sitting on the very edge of her chair with her hands sped together. ¡°Thank you so much for this opportunity. I promise I will not let you down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t. I know I made the right choice in letting you run the ce. I- Yes? Come in.¡±


    There had been a knock on the door. It was pushed open an one of my staff poked her head around the door.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but there is a woman out there who is insisting to see you. Won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡±


    I raised a brow. ¡°This woman¡­ Did she tell you her name?¡±


    She nodded at once. ¡°Yes. She said her name is Queenie.¡±


    ¡°Queenie!¡± I eximed before I could stop myself.


    I was out of my seat in a sh. There was only one Queenie I knew. She was my long time friend. I couldn¡¯t believe she was actually here, unless¡­


    Seated on one of the chairs in the showroom, absently flipping through a menu was a familiar figure that was unmistakably Queenie¡¯s.


    ¡°Queenie!¡± I eximed again.


    She turned. A broad smile lit up her face as she took me in. And then we were closing the distance between us at the same time. The next moment, we were in each other¡¯s arms, enveloped in a tight hug, talking excitedly at the same time. It was a while before either of us could calm down enough to hear what the other was saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long,¡± I said, holding her by the hands to take her in.


    She still looked as beautiful as ever but was with a noticeable tan that suited her to perfection.


    ¡°It¡¯s been ages!¡± she eximed with a full, throatyugh.


    I looked around, noticed we were being observed by more than a few customers. I promptly linked my arm through Queenie¡¯s.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s continue this in my office,¡± I said.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from hugging her again when we got there.


    ¡°I was going to call you before I came here,¡± she said when I had waved her into a seat. ¡°But your number wasn¡¯t going through and hasn¡¯t been for a while¡±


    ¡°Oh. It won¡¯t go. I¡¯m no longer using my old phone. But how did you even find me in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°That was nothing.¡± She waved a hand airily. ¡°I saw your name and even pictures of you on the news. I did a quick Google search on you and vo!¡± Her tone grew serious as she added, ¡°During the inte search and all that, I found out you and Noah got divorced. How did that even happen?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°He threw me out of his house on the very same day I found out he was sleeping with Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Lucy? The one I know?¡±


    ¡°The very one. Lucy, our friend. She was pregnant for Noah then. I think she is even about to give birth now.¡±


    Queenie scowled. ¡°I never liked her, you know. To me there was always something¡­ off about her. The truth is I actually distanced myself from you because I wasn¡¯tfortable being around her. You on the other hand were perfectlyfortable with her. Now I know I was right to dislike her.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now. What¡¯s done is done after all.¡± I sat up straighter. ¡°So tell me about yourself. What have you been up to all this time?¡±


    ¡°Well, since I left, I have been working as an emergency nurse in Ghana.¡±


    I nodded. Already I knew all about Queenie¡¯s passion for helping people. Immediately after college, she had traveled to some remote part of Ghana to work as a nurse. What I didn¡¯t know was that she had been there all this time.


    ¡°I lost most of my things in a hospital fire and then thest text I got from you was about¡­¡± She scrunched up her brow in an effort to remember. ¡°fourteen months ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry for not reaching out sooner. I honestly can¡¯t say that I have a real excuse.¡±


    She leaned forward, patted my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand. You have had so much on your te. But I¡¯m d to see that you have moved on from that douchebag, Noah and even set up a ce this nice for yourself.¡±


    I chuckled, a little awkwardly at her assumption that I had initially set up this ce.


    ¡°We really do have a lot to discuss,¡± I said.


    *****************************


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your marriage to Damian is a contract marriage,¡± Queenie said, putting her ss down in surprise.


    We were back at the house, in the sitting room, and I had just told her of the real circumstances surrounding my marriage to Damian.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± I said with augh. ¡°Our¡­ marriage will soon be over and then I¡¯ll bepletely on my own.¡±


    She eyed me spectively. ¡°Tell me, Amelia is that what you really want?¡±


    Before I could answer the rather ufortable question, Damian walked in. I stood up and quickly did the introductions.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Damian said courteously as he shook Queenie hand.


    Queenie mentioned she had been in Ghana and Damian made a little small talk about it. Damian then drifted away to take a call. Queenie nudged me.


    ¡°He¡¯s back and I have to go,¡± she said in a stage whisper.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave now,¡± I said.


    ¡°But we have lots of time to spend together. I¡¯m in town now. I¡¯ll be in to visit so often you¡¯ll get tired of me.¡±


    Laughing, I walked her to the door. She promised to visit soon and then left. When I returned to the sitting room, it was to see Damian ncing at the bottle of wine Queenie and I had been drinking.


    ¡°That confirms it then,¡± he said, half to himself. ¡°You¡¯re not pregnant.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you and me getting pregnant?¡± I demanded hotly. ¡°You always bring it up every opportunity you get. Can¡¯t you give it a damn rest?¡±


    He whirled angrily to face me.


    ¡°And why do you get so worked up wheneever the word ¡®pregnancy¡¯es up, huh? Sometimes, I wonder¡­ if you¡¯re angry that you¡¯re not pregnant so you can get child support from me.¡±


    The asshole! After everything that had happened thesest few months, he actually thought that I would try to entrap him with a baby?


    I was so angry that I reacted without thinking. My hand shot out and I pped him in the face. I relished the stunned look on his face as he pped a hand to his reddening cheek.


    ¡°Everything is not about money,¡± I screamed. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t want to have your babies. Not now. Not ever. So you and your money can go to hell!¡±


    I turned around and stalked off to my room in anger.

 Chapter 112

    NOAH


    THREE DAYS LATER


    A call came in just as I was mulling over the events of the past few days. I muted the television in the living room just before taking the call. The voice at the other end was female, but the phone number was strange and unfamiliar.


    ¡°Mr Noah Allen?¡± she asked.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Speaking,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling from the Health camp hospital¡­¡±


    I sat up quickly. My heart was pounding so hard and loudly in my chest that it quite drowned out the nurse¡¯s words. The Health camp hospital was where I did the DNA test about three days ago.


    I had dragged Lucy there, tired of all her lies. I knew it was the only way to prove I was the father of her baby, and she was only trying to push the pregnancy on Jason or whatever his name was because he was wealthier.


    Even though that greatly angered me, there was nothing I could do. I could only me Amelia for ruining everything for me.


    The nurse went on talking, but I cut in.


    ¡°Please, repeat what you just said,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Okay. I was saying the DNA test result is out. You cane pick it up anytime.¡±


    I forced myself to speak past the sudden lump in my throat as I asked, ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°What does the result say?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I cannot disclose such confidential information over the phone, Mr Allen,¡± she said huffily. ¡°To know the test results, you muste to the hospital. Have a good day.¡±


    She hung up. I sat staring at the phone for a moment. What a fucking bitch. I paid for the test, so why couldn¡¯t I get the result over the phone?


    I was on my feet the next moment, tearing up the stairs to Lucy¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°The test results are out,¡± I gasped, holding the door open. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lucy shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go,¡± she said, and I noticed her hands were mped over her distended stomach. I was about to ask her why the hell not when she said, with a tear I felt was false, slipping down her cheeks, ¡°I¡¯m having serious contractions. I can¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°How convenient!¡± I snarled. ¡°The test results are out, and you suddenly can¡¯t move an inch? What next, Lucy? Will you tell me the baby ising right now? You had better hope for your sake that I get there and find that the baby is mine. There will be hell to pay if it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve already told you that it¡¯s possible that you are not the father.¡± She spat. ¡°You can¡¯t change what has happened. Your denial will not automatically make the baby yours or change his DNA.¡±


    I red at Lucy, wanting nothing but to go over to her bed and p her. She couldn¡¯t move because of her contractions but could move her mouth incredibly well.


    Instead, I turned away and stormed out of the house. I got outside and barked an order to the driver to take me to the hospital immediately.


    I could not remember the drive to the hospital. All I was conscious of was a feeling of eager anticipation that almost made me ill. There was a persistent debate in my head about whether the baby was mine or not.


    But somehow, I was confident that the baby was mine. Lucy was only spewing lies about her rtionship with Jason. I would be a father, and Amelia would rot with her dry womb.


    I tore through the reception hall immediately after I got to the hospital. I even bumped into someone on my way to the receptionist¡¯s desk but ignored them. I beat an elderly-looking man who favoured me with a scowl to the receptionist.


    ¡°Good after-¡± she began.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to collect DNA test results,¡± I interrupted, cleanly cutting through the bullshit of greetings. ¡°Where do I go?¡±


    ¡°Please go down the corridor to the nurse¡¯s desk; someone will attend to you shortly.¡±


    A cold-looking nurse asked me to wait at the nurse¡¯s desk while she contacted the doctor.


    ¡°He¡¯s with a patient,¡± she said after their phone conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll send you right in the moment he tells me to.¡±


    And so I waited there for the longest ten minutes of my life before she told me I could see him. If she had wasted any more time, I might have barged into the doctor¡¯s office out of anxiety.


    The moment I stepped through the door of his office, the seated doctor said, ¡°Please, have a seat, Mr Allen.¡±


    I sat ramrod straight in the chair he had indicated and asked, ¡°The DNA test results¡­ where is it? What does it say?¡±


    ¡°All in good time, Mr Allen. All in good time. Meanwhile, I must say that it is quite rare to see men demanding for a fetal DNA test.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. What was with the people in the hospital? Didn¡¯t any one of them ever give a straight answer? Couldn¡¯t they see that this was important, or were they trying to irritate me?


    ¡°Just go straight to the damn point,¡± I snapped. ¡°I didn¡¯te all the way here for you to lecture me on the history of DNA tests. If I need that, I have a phone and a stable inte connection. Please, fucking tell me what the result says.¡±


    ¡°Please, calm down-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that! Tell me what I need to know and tell me now. Did I pay you for the result or a history ss?¡±


    When the doctor sighed, it gave me a very bad feeling. He pushed aside some papers in front of him and put aside a single envelope.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have good news,¡± he said, shaking his head sadly. He steepled his hands together and levelled me with a stare. ¡°The cheek swap taken from you doesn¡¯t match the DNA of the fetus. That means-¡± he quickly added, seeing that I was getting impatient again. ¡°-that you are not the father of the baby.¡±


    It took a few seconds for what the doctor said to sink in, and I could feel the room spinning in those few seconds. It was as if reality had shattered in an instant.


    My mouth went dry, and I found it hard to breathe. Each breath felt shallow and strained. No. It wasn¡¯t possible.


    My world had been shifted off its axis, and I was hanging off the edge. Every detail around me sharpened, yet I struggled to focus on one thing.


    My mind was screaming, but my body was fixed in one spot. Everything seemed surreal, like a bad dream that I couldn¡¯t wake up from.


    Then reason set in. Perhaps the doctor was telling me this because of how rudely I had just behaved to him. Or maybe he had made a mistake and was talking about someone else¡¯s results. That had to be it because there was no way the child Lucy was carrying wasn¡¯t mine. No way in hell! And after all, I hadn¡¯t seen the results yet, had I?


    ¡°The test result,¡± I murmured, stretching my hand out for it.


    The doctor leaned forward. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The test result¡­ I need to see it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He carefully ced the envelope in my hand. I tore it open in haste to get the sheet of paper out. Holding it open with two shaky hands, I quickly read through it, and then, at the bottom of the page, I saw that what the doctor had said was true. I was not the father of the child.


    I checked the name at the top of the result, and it was mine. It wasn¡¯t a random name; it was mine. Which meant the result was mine.


    I found myself slowly rising out of my seat. The doctor was saying something, but it was like listening to a poorly tuned radio. Again, the room spun, and I fell, but a strong pair of arms steadied me. All the sounds in the room came back to me in a rush.


    ¡°Please, try to be calm,¡± the doctor said softly as he supported me until I stood upright. ¡°It¡¯s not the end of the world. These results have shattered many people, but they manage to get over it. There¡¯s still hope for you to repair your rtionship with your wife, and through therapy, I¡¯m sure you will forgive her for cheating.¡±


    I felt tears I was powerless to stop cascade down my cheeks. I felt a sharp pain in my heart and clutched my heart. Was this how heartbreak and betrayal felt like?


    ¡°But it is the end,¡± I said between sobs. ¡°I have lost everything, everything because of this pregnancy. I divorced my ex-wife because she couldn¡¯t give me a child, and-¡± a vision of Amelia¡¯s face rose in my mind. ¡°AMELIA!¡± I screamed over and over again till I felt hoarse.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I had foolishly lost Amelia forever over this and was only realizing my mistakes when it was already toote to fix them.


    ¡°I realize how disappointing this must be for you.¡± He ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°But have you tried doing a fertility test for yourself? You can find out the real reason your ex-wife was unable to conceive, and you can start treatment if there¡¯s a problem.¡±


    I took my hands off my face at once.


    ¡°What the hell are you implying? I am not infertile,¡± I barked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were. All I¡¯m saying is if you have difficulty getting women pregnant as you seem to be doing, then I think it is necessary that you take the test just to be a hundred per cent sure where the problem lies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem,¡± I yelled. ¡°I have told you that I am perfectly capable of getting a woman pregnant.¡± I mmed a fist on the table as a thought urred to me and shot to my feet. ¡°In fact, I know what is going on here. You took money from Lucy so you could alter the test results, didn¡¯t you? You want to embarrass me in the city, right? Or is this Amelia¡¯s handwork? Who are you working for? Who wants to put me down in this city?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The doctor looked amused for a second. ¡°What on earth are you talking about? I don¡¯t know who Amelia is, and I have never met either you or your wife before you visited this hospital.¡±


    ¡°You heard me! Lucy knew she would lose all of the money that Jason¡¯s guy would give her when I found out the baby was mine. So she bribed you to tell me lies, to tell me the baby isn¡¯t mine.¡± I banged on the table again so hard that the startled doctor jumped backwards. ¡°Do you realize you could lose your license for this?¡± The doctor simply stared. ¡°You are a disgrace to the medical profession. How dare you try to change the results?¡±


    ¡°Mr Allen, you are being absurd. No one bribed anyone, and I certainly did not alter the results-¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, please. I still advise you to go for the test. There¡¯s still time for you to-¡±


    ¡°I AM NOT INFERTILE,¡± I bellowed.


    My hands closed on a paperweight. I threw it at the doctor. He ducked in time, and it smashed against the wall. He ran around his desk, snatched up his phone and called security. The door was pushed open before I could get my hands fisted in his coat. Two security guards stormed in and grabbed me by both arms.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I screamed. ¡°Let me go! He changed the test results! He did!¡±


    ¡°Throw him out,¡± the doctor ordered. ¡°And make sure he doesn¡¯t return.¡±


    While kicking and struggling, I was dragged out of the doctor¡¯s office.

 Chapter 113

    NOAH


    ¡°How?!¡±


    ¡°How did it happen?!¡±


    ¡°Is this a terrible dream?¡±


    As I sat in the back seat of my car, tears pooling in my eyes, I couldn¡¯t stop these thoughts from flitting into my mind.


    They were driving me crazy, or maybe that was what I needed. I needed to just let everything go.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that Lucy would betray me after everything I¡¯d done for her. How could she?


    She was nothing but a fashion designer when she met me. Nothing! I was the important one, the man who had everything I wanted. Who did she think she was?


    My pain shifted to anger as I thought about her. She ruined my life, she took everything from me. How could I let her get away with all these? No. I wouldn¡¯t.


    I returned home furious. The long drive from the hospital to my house had not done anything whatsoever to calm me down or change my mind about Lucy. My fingers were hooked into ws and twitched spasmodically as the driver brought the car to a stop in front of my house.


    I could only hope I would not do something hurtful and irreversible when I eventually got my hands on Lucy. My hands inched to wrap themselves around her throat while I asked, no demanded, for her to tell me why she had lied to me, why she had foisted another man¡¯s child on me until it was toote for me to rectify the mess I had made of my life.


    Did she even deserve a second more to live? She deserved death and I would kill her with my own hands.


    I got out of my car, took a couple of steps forward and froze. Lucy¡¯s car was not parked in its spot in the garage. Had she gone out? Where did she go and did she think she could escape me?


    I chuckled as my eyes roamed the garage.


    I clearly remembered her telling me she couldn¡¯t move because she was having contractions, although I believed then as I certainly believed now, that she was lying. There was only one reason she wasn¡¯t home.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I ran to the house, and went straight up to her room. She was not there. The half open door of her wardrobe gave me a sinking feeling inside. I walked up to it, not wanting to, but having to.


    All of Lucy¡¯s clothes were gone. I checked every drawer, every ce she kept stuff and I found that all of her important things were also gone.


    And then I was running through the house, opening and shutting doors, calling out for Lucy.


    After about five minutes of this, I returned, panting to the living room. She had managed to move out during my visit to the hospital. She had clearly nned this but I had underestimated her because of her condition.


    Clearly, she was a clever, maniptive bitch. She was the devil and not even pregnancy could stop her from executing her ns.


    I dug my phone out of my pocket, and dialed her number. Thework provider¡¯s bot kept telling me that she was unreachable.


    The phone slipped from my grasp, and fell on the sofa. It was then I finally epted what I had begun to realize the moment I noticed Lucy¡¯s car was not in the garage. She was gone.


    She had left me, and from the looks of things, she was nevering back. More than hurt, I was enraged that she would wreck my life and then decide to bail. The moment she came into my life, everything started to go downhill. Yet, she had the guts to leave me to deal with the consequences of her actions.


    If she thought she was going to get off that easily, then she clearly underestimated me. I would find her wherever she is and-


    At that very moment, a brilliant idea popped into my mind. I knew exactly where Lucy would run to. She would definitely go to the whore house she had been visiting in secret. Yes.


    I rose to my feet and picked up my phone.


    ¡°Carl,¡± I barked the moment I was out the door of my house.


    I opened my mouth to shout his name again just as I heard, ¡°Sir.¡±


    I turned to see the driver hurrying towards me.


    ¡°Take me to Thompson¡¯s house.¡± I said then gave him the directions to the ce.


    Lucy had nowhere else to go because she would be too ashamed to return to her parents. She would be trying all she could now to make Jason ept the child. But she wouldn¡¯t seed.


    If I was going down, I would bring her with me. There was certainly no escape for her.


    Before the driver brought the car to a stop in front of Thompson¡¯s residence, I was out of the vehicle. My intention was to barrel my way into the house, get Lucy and drag her out by the hairs on her head if she put up any form of resistance. I found my way blocked by three security personnel in uniform who seemed to appear out of nowhere, but must have been keeping a close watch on the gate.


    I thought it best to ignore them, to act like they weren¡¯t there and like I had business with Thompson. I was popr in this city. They must have seen pictures and videos of me in the news. They could not deny me ess into the house.


    But as I moved, they moved also, ensuring I wasn¡¯t able to approach the gate. Their eyes glimmered with authority and the stubborn look on their faces told me all I needed to know.


    I addressed the biggest and tallest guard. ¡°Get out of my way, all of you! I am here to see Thompson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you in, sir. Mr Thompson didn¡¯t tell us he was expecting anyone.¡± The guard looked at the others for confirmation. They gave identical nods.


    I looked from one to the other. Putting on my most menacing air, I drew myself up to my full height. These bastards must not know who they are talking to.


    ¡°Do you know who I am? I am Noah Allen. If I say I want to go in there, I will go in. You understand? Now move!¡±


    The biggest of the guards, a stony faced brute who looked like his features were chipped out of wood or concrete, inclined his head in acknowledgement of my words.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t matter who you are, sir. You can¡¯t go in.¡±


    And that was apparently that, as all three stared straight ahead with an air of finality. With a cry of rage, I let out a string of curses, ordering them to let me in and calling for Thompson as loudly as I could.


    His guards made no reaction and I considered pushing my way past them and into the house. I made my move but it was stopped before it even began by the guards holding me.


    A hatefully familiar voice pierced the air, ¡°And what is going on here?¡±


    Thompson, within the safety of his gates, came out, adjusted his sses and peered at me.


    ¡°Noah!¡± he eximed. ¡°Is that- What are you doing here?¡± To the guards, he yelled at them, ¡°Let him go.¡±


    They let me go at once and I straightened my rumpled shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you and them for this,¡± I threatened.


    Thompson motioned for his hovering guards to take a few steps backwards.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, creating a scene in front of my house?¡± He demanded angrily. ¡°If you wished to see me, why didn¡¯t you ce a call through my secretary? What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I want to see Lucy. Tell her I¡¯m here so she¡¯lle out or let me go in there and get her out.¡± I swallowed. ¡°I know she can hear me!¡±


    ¡°Lucy? I don¡¯t understand. Why would you be looking for Lucy at my house?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t y dumb with me! I know everything. I know that Lucy had beening to see you regrly. So don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t know where she is.¡±


    ¡°Oh that.¡± The man¡¯s lips twisted into a half smile. ¡°I¡¯m not Lucy¡¯s keeper, Noah. She has been visiting because of my brother, Jason. I have been trying my best to get them back together especially since Lucy is pregnant for him. I thought-thought you knew about that.¡±


    Fury tasted like hotva on my tongue.


    ¡°You knew,¡± I said in a choked sort of voice. ¡°You knew Lucy was pregnant for him, not me and yet you kept quiet all this time. All this time you let me cater for her while she carried another man¡¯s child. How could you be so heartless?! How?¡±


    Thompson raised a brow. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t imagine what you think I have to do with your er- personal issues, but I¡¯ll say this. I had no idea Lucy told you that the pregnancy was yours. In fact, she told me she was living with you because you were married to her best friend. She said you took her in after your divorce and you were just helping her out. I mean, you didn¡¯t publicly and officially marry her. Did you?¡±


    ¡°What? Did you just hear yourself? How did that kind of exnation even make sense to you?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°She told me that in your magnanimity, you decided to take her in. Who was I to question your supposed decisions?¡±


    ¡°LIES!¡± I bellowed, my eyes narrowing suspiciously at him. ¡°All lies! She told you what to say, didn¡¯t she? Because she is in there. I want to see get now!¡±


    ¡°For thest time, Noah, Lucy is not in my house. In fact, I have not seen her in about three days.¡±


    Of course I didn¡¯t believe him. Lucy was in there and he had every reason to shield her. He was lying to me because of his brother.


    I made up my mind on what to do and mentally prepared myself.


    At the count of three, I dashed at the gates, at the point where it was open. But someone grabbed me around the waist as I tried to push myself in. I hit out blindly. The guard¡¯s grip ckened and then I was wrestled to the ground immediately.


    With every ounce of strength in me, I rolled over andshed out, my arms and legs iling. I was trying to hit someone or anything at all.


    ¡°Noah! Get a hold of yourself!¡± I heard Thompson yell from somewhere above me or was it beside me now?


    The guards had me almost pinned to the ground and I had no idea which way was up or down. But somehow, I managed to get to my feet. I aimed a punch at one of them. He dodged the blow and for the second time that day, I was floored. Inded painfully on my right arm, and heard a sickening crack as it broke.


    The pain that followed made me feel sick enough to vomit. I couldn¡¯t stand up, couldn¡¯t even move. Iy there, groaning and clutching my broken arm which though excruciatingly painful was not as painful as my broken heart. I heard clearly the sound of retreating footsteps and then the sound of the gate being shut and locked.


    I don¡¯t know how long Iy there nursing my broken arm and crying out in anger. But I was trying to summon up the courage to get to my feet.


    ¡°Sir, can you stand?¡±


    It was Carl, my driver. He had convenientlye to my rescue when my arm was broken.


    I shook my head and told him I couldn¡¯t move. Even the little movement managed to send sharp stabs of pain through my hurt arm. He carefully helped me up, and lead me to the car.


    ¡°I will get you to a clinic, Sir. Please hold on.¡± I closed my eyes and nodded. I didn¡¯t have a choice, did I?

 Chapter 114

    AMELIA


    ¡°Are you sure that we can proceed with basic mapping?¡±


    I nced at the project engineer, who had been poring over aputer-generated picture of the project I had in mind for thest few minutes.


    It looked doable to me, but for some reason, he was skeptical. I mean, it was not every day you¡¯d start a massive project like this, but he had to have a little faith in me.


    I stared out at the vast expanse ofnd. I had been on site with him from the first day. He saw the newest tract ofnd that had been levelled and was ready to be developed. Why was he not as excited as I was?


    ¡°Yes, we can,¡± I said in response to his question. I waved a hand to indicate the entire ce. ¡°Because this is a government project, the owners of thend in question will bepensated. This is not a private project where we will require them to sell thend to us. I am sure the city will adequatelypensate all thendowners. You don¡¯t need to be scared of awsuit or whatever is going on in your mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I¡¯m sure you are right,¡± he said, nodding and mopping his brow at the same time. ¡°And I must say, the suggestions you gave to improve the n I made will go quite nicely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will.¡± After all, I had spent half of two nights nning and writing them down. ¡°How much morend do you think we¡¯ll need to finish this? Have you gotten an exact estimate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I have. There¡¯s a possibility¡­¡­¡­¡±


    From the pocket of his coveralls, he drew out a sheet of paper covered with figures and began to exin the scale of the project while I took in every word.


    Engineer Sam was easy to work with and, most importantly, patient. I would not stand an impatient man, especially on these projects.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Once we have concluded that, I think-¡±


    ¡°Amelia!¡± A sharp voice cut through the air like a knife, making me flinch.


    The familiar voice was female and, from its tone, was pissed at me for some reason.


    The engineer and I turned at the same time to see a woman, whom I immediately recognized, approaching me.


    She looked aggressive. The handbag she held tightly by its straps at her side moved back and forth as she walked. It wasn¡¯t the perfect sashay I remembered, but she only managed to waddle toward me.


    For the first time, I saw that her usually perfectly styled blonde hair was mussed, and some of it looked dull and ubed. Even the clothes she wore looked like they had been quickly thrown on.


    I frowned, surprised and taken aback. What could cause the always immacte Lucy to seek me out when she looked like that? Also, she looked like she was due. ording to the news making the rounds, she was rarely seen in Noah¡¯spany these days as she preferred to stay home and put her feet up because of the baby.


    ¡°Amelia!¡± she called again, a look of pure hatred marring her features.


    I looked beyond her to the distance, where I was sure security guards were stationed. To get to where I was, she had to have passed them.


    The big question was how she managed to get past all those officers who were under strict instructions not to let anyone or anything unrted to the project in.


    About a secondter, I answered my own question. It was her bulging stomach, of course, which was easily the most noticeable part of her. No one, not even the guards, would want to say no to an irritable pregnant woman demanding to have her way.


    And God knows the lies she must have fed them. She seemed to share that charming simrity with Noah.


    Lucy stopped in front of me, panting, eyes shing in anger. The engineer, sensing the tension, started forward. I gave him a little nod, indicating that I could handle this. He then withdrew with the papers.


    ¡°How did you know where I was?¡± I asked the still-panting, Lucy. ¡°Are you stalking me now?¡±


    ¡°Noah won¡¯t stop ranting about your stupid project, so how could I not know where you were?¡± She spat. ¡°And I would not stalk you even if I had all the time in the world and nothing to do.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest, the very picture of unconcern. ¡°You wanted my attention. Now you have it. What do you want¡­ here of all ces?¡±


    ¡°You bitch,¡± she snarled in the same high-pitched voice she had used to call my name. ¡°Stop pretending already! You know damn well why I¡¯m here. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t have the guts to call you out? Huh?¡±


    Judging by the way she looked, she had some sort of problem. I just couldn¡¯t begin to fathom what it was and why she thought it had anything to do with me. Also, frankly, I did not care what it was.


    I was tired of her and Noah¡¯s bullshit. The marriage got too crowded, and they kicked me out. But somehow, they could not stop seeking me out. Perhaps they both shared an obsession with me, and I wouldn¡¯t me them.


    ¡°Look-¡± I snapped my fingers impatiently. ¡°I have loads to do, as you can see. As I¡¯m sure you have already figured out, if you have eyes that, I have no idea of what you¡¯re talking about. Look around you; this is no ce for you, and I say this with the best intentions. Now I strongly suggest you leave here at once. Leave before you attract the attention of my bodyguards, who might handle you roughly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± she fairly screeched. I sighed internally. I had really been looking forward to a stress-free day after the talks with Sam, but by the looks of things, I would not get what I wanted. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them, and I¡¯m not afraid of you either! If I could survive Noah, I can survive anything!¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± I pped and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your trauma. You relieved me of that asshole, and I¡¯m d you¡¯re eating his shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have the guts, Amelia. Who do you think you are? Do you think you¡¯re better than me? Driving your fancy car, giving fucking fake speech on TV, you¡¯re nothing!¡±


    ¡°Look, Lucy-¡±


    ¡°You snitched on me to Noah. I know you did. You just couldn¡¯t get over your failed marriage, and you decided to ruin my ns. You really are so envious of me that you would snatch every chance of happiness I get!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, bitch! Don¡¯t act dumb. I can see right through you. You were still so jealous of me even after you married your good-for-nothing new husband. You were still so pained that you told Noah that I was seeing Mr Thompson.¡±


    Mr Thompson. The name rang a faint bell, but I couldn¡¯t figure out even the shadow of a connection between me, him, Lucy and Noah¡¯s rtionship. It was all very confusing, and every word out of Lucy¡¯s mouth made it more so.


    ¡°You are not making any sense,¡± I said. ¡°If you weren¡¯t pregnant, I would have suspected that you had a little too much to drink. Since that isn¡¯t the case, I¡¯m forced to think that you havepletely lost your mind.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± she screamed, her voice breaking. ¡°I know what you did. Admit it. Own up to your shit. I was almost lucky. I was almost there. My baby.¡±


    I sensed from her tone and appearance that she was simply frustrated and looking for someone to vent on. She was forcing back her tears, and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me she was hurting.


    My first instinct was to send her away, but the fact that she was heavily pregnant gave me pause. I took a deep breath, willing my baser instincts to take a back seat.


    ¡°Alright. Now take a moment to calm down and tell me exactly what happened.¡±


    For one moment, it looked like she was going to hit me. Then her lips wobbled, and she burst into tears.


    ¡°I- I have nowhere else to go,¡± she wailed. ¡°Nowhere. I don¡¯t know what to do or- or where to go from here.¡±


    ¡°What about Noah¡¯s ce? You have been staying with him, haven¡¯t you? Why can¡¯t you go there anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t.¡± She wiped her eyes, which still didn¡¯t stem the flood of tears running down her cheeks. ¡°Noah did a DNA test. He has already probably found out that the child is not his. He will kill me if he sees me.¡±


    Words ultimately failed me at that point. I gaped at Lucy in shock. Did I hear her right? Noah was not the father of the baby?


    My mind whirled with all the implications of that fact. If Noah had not fathered Lucy¡¯s child, that meant he had ended our marriage for nothing. It had been ruined over a lie that Noah had believed.


    While still shocked, I felt a flutter of something that felt like hope because there was a strong possibility that if Noah hadn¡¯t been the one to get Lucy pregnant, the problem of infertility could lie with him and not with me.


    The thought of this sent chills down my spine, but I forced myself to focus on the situation at hand. In front of me was a miserable Lucy, and I had to figure out what to do in this awkward situation.


    When I looked at her, I just felt a mix of pity and disgust. Queenie had been right, after all. There was no level to which Lucy could not stoop if it meant getting what she wanted. Taking over her best friend¡¯s husband was bad enough, but doing it by lying to everyone about the paternity of the child was more than worse.


    I really wanted to just hate her but my heart felt something more than that. She didn¡¯t deserve anything from me.


    However, she came to me, and I had to do something or get rid of her one way or another.


    ¡°Lucy,¡± I licked my dry lips. She raised her tear-streaked face and gazed at me with a mixture of defiance and shame, shame that I would upbraid her for ruining my marriage with a lie. ¡°Lucy, tell me who the father of the baby is. Do you know him? Can he help you out in this condition?¡±


    She opened her mouth to say something but didn¡¯t get any further than that. Her mouth stayed open. Her eyes widened in rm, and she her lips started to quiver.,


    ¡°Lucy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I said, moving forward.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She covered the distance between us by taking a shaky step forward and grabbed my arm. It was then I noticed the liquid flowing down her legs and her frantic effort to remain standing. I kept staring, also frozen in that instant, out of shock and panic.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± she gasped, her voiceced with fear. ¡°My water just broke. The baby ising.¡±

 Chapter 115

    AMELIA


    I sat in the hospital¡¯s waiting room, fancying I could still hear Lucy¡¯s screams. In actual fact, I couldn¡¯t. The moment I had gotten her to the hospital, several nurses had wheeled her away into thebour room which was quite far away from where I was sitting.


    Between Lucy and I was a long corridor, several wards and a closed door. I sighed, and nced at the clock on the wall. Its hands seemed not to have only moved an inch for thest five minutes.


    Was itonly five minutes that had passed? It actually felt like fifty to me. With another sigh, I settled back into my seat. I had just been about to ask a doctor, a nurse, anyone if Lucy had given birth yet though I knew she hadn¡¯t. It was much too soon. I raked my fingers through my hair. Damn! The suspense was killing me.


    I kept seeing the fear and panic on Lucy¡¯s face as she realized the baby was about toe, and for some reason, seeing firsthand what a woman went through just before the birthing process began made me emotional.


    I wondered, for what felt like the umpteenth time, if I would ever be in Lucy¡¯s position, if I would ever bring a new life into the world. If that would ever happen, I wondered who the father would be.


    For a brief moment, I saw Damian¡¯s face in my mind¡¯s eye. I saw a fond smile on his face as he held a tiny infant which had a perfect blend of my feature and his. I saw him rock the baby, coo nonsensical words to it and then look at me with pride and love, so my love. The picture was immediately shattered by the sound of my phone ringing.


    Gosh! But I was stupid, and was stupidly engaging in silly fantasies.


    I dug the phone quickly out of my purse, feeling indescribably sad that I couldn¡¯t indulge in my fantasy for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Where are you, girl?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Queenie spoke that I realized I had the phone pressed against my ear.


    ¡°Hi Queenie,¡± I said.


    There was a long silence from her end. I was about to rouse myself long enough to ask her how her day had gone when she asked if I was okay.


    ¡°I am. I-¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at a hospital.¡±


    ¡°Give me the address.¡±


    I did and she immediately hung up. That was one of the things about Queenie. She liked to ask all the questions she had face to face if possible and my stay at a hospital was definitely going to call up a lot of questions.


    Thirty minutester, Lucy was still inbour. Queenie arrived, made a beeline for me.


    ¡°And what are you doing here?¡± she asked with a worried frown on her face. ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No, I-¡± I hesitated, suddenly realizing Queenie would not at all be pleased when she learnt of the reason why I was here. But then I couldn¡¯t hide the truth at this point. She would find out anyway. ¡°Lucy came over to the project site and started using me of something-¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What does she think you are supposed to have done now?¡±


    Briefly, I told her of all she had said about the paternity of her child.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Like I said before, I wouldn¡¯t put anything past her but that does not still exin what you are doing here.¡±


    ¡°While she was talking, her water broke.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°I brought her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Okaaaay?¡±


    ¡°Right now she¡¯s er-¡±


    ¡°Giving birth?¡± I nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re waiting here because of her?¡± I nodded again, sheepishly. Queenie threw up her hands in exasperation. ¡°Well, damn me! I can¡¯t believe you, Amelia! Are we talking about the same Lucy here? The one who took your husband, broke your home? The friend who betrayed you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but. I just had to help. It was an emergency. A baby was involved.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s just say for argument¡¯s sake that you had to, why are you still here then? Lucy is not your responsibility. In fact, not to sound callous, though I suppose in a way I am, that woman deserves everything that ising to her after what she did to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it that way,¡± I said quietly.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°And just how am I supposed to think of it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look on the bright side. Lucy did me a favour even if she didn¡¯t know it at the time. She saved me from spending the rest of my life with a terrible man.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy!¡± Queenie rolled her eyes, leaned back against the chair. ¡°I swear, Amelia, you¡¯re to good for this world. If I were in your shoes and that blonde bitch had-¡±


    She stopped and stared at someone walking towards. I followed the direction of her gaze and saw Noah who had a very sour expression on his face. Just like Lucy, he looked unkempt. His shirt was rumpled in several ces and in one spot it looked torn. As he walked, he held his arm stiffly by his side and I got the impression that it had been broken. It looked like he had been given a sound beating from someone. The moment he spotted me, he stopped walking. We stared at each other for a moment. He nced at Queenie who didn¡¯t bother to hide the fact that she was openly staring with curiousity and hostility. Noah flushed and I who knew him well knew that a cutting word was rising to his lips. I was the first to break the tense silence.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°None of your business really,¡± Noah replied with a sneer. ¡°But if you must know, the hospital called me, told me toe here since my so called wife is giving birth.¡± His face suddenly twisted into an expression of hate so intense that it made him ugly. He seemed topletely forget that Queenie and I were right in front of him when he said, ¡°It will serve her right if I took the baby before she even got a chance to see it. Then Lucy would feel my pain. She would know how it feels to have something you want so badly taken away from you.¡±


    I was on my feet before I even made the conscious decision to stand up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think of hurting the baby.¡±


    Noah stared at me in surprise, then burst intoughter.


    ¡°And who are you to tell me what I can or can¡¯t do?¡± he demanded sharply.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± I heard Queenie call but I didn¡¯t so much as nce in her direction.


    I had eyes only for the horrible man who would dare think of seperating a newborn from it¡¯s mother just because of some issues he was having with it¡¯s mother.


    ¡°You¡¯re sick in the head if you¡¯re actually thinking of doing that. Have you no limits?¡± I rapidly began to close the distance between us but was stopped by Queenie holding on to my arm. ¡°If you hurt the baby, I¡¯ll-¡±


    But Noah had already disappeared down the corridor. I wanted to go after him, to make sure he didn¡¯t get to carry out his threat. Queenie pulled me aside, snapped her fingers in my face.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± she hissed. ¡°Snap out of it. What did you think you were about to do?¡±


    ¡°You heard him. He-¡±


    She grabbed both arms, gave me a little shake. ¡°Stop this right now. Bringing Lucy here and waiting was bad enough. Now you¡¯re meddling in their affairs? Listen, whatever happens between Lucy and Noah is none of your business. Stop getting involved! Do you understand? Do you?¡±


    Realizing she was right, I nodded. I wasn¡¯t really achieving anything by sitting here other than worrying myself half to death about something that didn¡¯t really concern me.


    Queenie let go of me long enough to pick up my bag. She gestured towards the exit.


    ¡°Now please can we leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I kind of understand why you did all what you did back there,¡± she said when we got to my car. ¡°It was all for the baby.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I- I just couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    Sheid a hand on mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t ask me how I know, but I know that you are going to be a mother, an amazing one at that.¡± She regarded the little smile I gave her. ¡°I¡¯m actually being serious now. It¡¯s going to happen for you, Amelia. It is.¡±


    During that drive back home, I pondered on Queenie¡¯s words. I would have liked badly to have believed what she said about knowing I would experience the joys of motherhood, but hope was cruel and my heart had been broken enough already. I spent the entire drive wiping tears from my eyes.

 Chapter 116

    AMELIA


    It was two dayster, after the Lucy pregnancy episode that I decided it was time for me to go to the bakery. The amusement park project had taken up a huge chunk of my time but the project engineer was handling some things at the site and it gave me a little breather for that day.


    A few minutes of going through the bakery¡¯s record books made me doubly sure that Rose and the other of my employees were doing a really good job. I couldn¡¯t find a single thing toin about. I was just putting away the record books and pulling closer the book detailing orders when there was a knock at the door of my office.


    ¡°What is it, Rose?¡± I asked when she came in.


    She jerked her thumb in the direction of the corridor. ¡°There is someone outside insisting she has to see you.¡±


    ¡°Send her in,¡± I said.


    It was either Queenieing to visit or perhaps a very important customer who was about to make arge order. Some of those kinds of customers often tended to want to see the owner of the ce before cing their orders.


    The fact that I hadn¡¯t told anybody that I was going to be here today made me think my visitor was going to be thetter.


    To my utmost surprise, it wasn¡¯t Queenie or a customer. It was Lucy.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I eximed in surprise.


    Hanging her head, she shuffled into the room. She held a little wrapped bundle close to her chest. The bundle stirred. One tiny, dimpled fist shot out. It was a baby, her baby. After a few moments, I dragged my gaze from the baby, focused it on Lucy. She was shaking a bit and it looked like her strength would give out at any moment. She looked even more unkempt than thest time I had seen her.


    I slowly got to my feet.


    ¡°I ask again. What are you doing here in my office?¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lucy replied in a tiny, squeaky voice. ¡°This ce¡­ You were the only thing I could think of. I have nowhere else to go now.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Seriously? You have nowhere else to go, but you¡¯re here? What now, Lucy? You suddenly decided toe back to the best friend you betrayed? It¡¯s a little toote in the day for all that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Lucy¡¯s face crumpled and she began to cry weakly. I just stood there watching her until she wasposed enough to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amelia. I- I have no one else, nowhere to turn to now. My mom is ill, seriously ill. I can¡¯t bother her with my baby right in her condition. My father won¡¯t take me in.¡± She paused to wipe a stray tear. ¡°He says he won¡¯t have anything to do with me unless I find the father of my child. How can I even do that when I just gave birth two days ago? I¡¯m not even strong to move about yet. I told him all this but he didn¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯ve been rejected by my own family.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say I was surprised. Lucy¡¯s parents were sort of reputable and very conservative. They didn¡¯t stand for indecent behaviour and I mostly had a hard time reconciling the fact that Lucy, who had no moral code guiding her, was their daughter. In her case, the apple really did fall far from the tree. Very far.


    I watched her and waited until she had cried herself out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said again looking very sorry indeed. ¡°I know I¡¯m taking your time but I need your help. I¡¯mpletely out of cash. I need some money to take care of myself and the baby for now until I get back on my feet. Please can you lend me some money? I promise to pay it back as soon as I get some money.¡±


    She had nerve. Lucy did, toe here asking for help after all she had done. I pretended to consider her request.


    ¡°How much do you need?¡± I asked her.


    She gaped at me and then her face lighted up almost immediately. Then I realized that Lucy was here, not because she was sorry, but because she really didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. If her n to entrap Noah had worked out the way she had nned, she would never ever have felt remorseful.


    ¡°Really?¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll help me?¡±


    ¡°How much do you need?¡± I repeated, letting a hint of impatience creep into my voice.


    ¡°Oh. Er- I need about five thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Five thousand dors!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have a lot of bills to pay and I haven¡¯t got a dime. Please say you¡¯ll help me. Please-¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have a n that can help you.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple really. All you have to do is convince five thousand people to give you some money. If each of them gives you a dor, you¡¯ll have five thousand dors in no time.¡±


    It was fun to watch the dime finally drop, fun to watch her slowly realize I had no intention of helping her.


    ¡°Amelia, please-¡±


    I held up my hand. ¡°Save it, Lucy. What I would like to know is why you slept with Noah. What did I ever do to you that made you hate me enough to destroy me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was jealous of you,¡± she admitted in a tiny voice. ¡°To me, you had everything, a husband, a wealthy one. I wasn¡¯t married-¡±


    ¡°But you had men flocking all over you. You could have chosen anyone of them.¡±


    ¡°Now I know that, but I was still jealous of what you had. I thought getting married to Noah would make me happier.¡±


    ¡°It obviously didn¡¯t, huh? Well one thing I¡¯m grateful for is that it all worked out great for me in the end. I mean, look at this.¡± I spread my arms wide, inviting her to look around my office. ¡°As you can see, your betrayal helped give me all this. I doubt I would have advanced so much if I hadn¡¯t left Noah. Unknown to you, you took away a potential problem from my life. I¡¯m really happy you did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m happy things turned out well for you.¡±


    I gave her a mocking smile. ¡°Oh. Are you now? Just a couple of days ago when you came to the site, you were singing apletely different song, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Colour flooded her cheeks at the reminder. ¡°That was in the past-¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Of course. I forgot how far in the past two days is,¡± she said sarcastically.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She opened and closed her mouth, finally short of words to excuse her behaviour.


    ¡°Yes, Lucy. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll simply forget what you did just because I took you to the hospital that day! I did that only for the baby, not for you.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m grateful for it. If you¡¯ll just-¡±


    I raised a finger, motioning her to silence. ¡°Now listen and listen good. I don¡¯t want you to ever step your feet anywhere close to me. I don¡¯t want to see you. I don¡¯t want to hear from you and I don¡¯t want anything that will remind me of you. Got it?¡±


    Fresh tears stood in Lucy¡¯s eyes as she stared at me. No doubt she still thought I going to be the same softhearted, foolish Amelia that would help her out after all she had done.


    ¡°But- but where will I go now?¡± she wailed.


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know and I frankly don¡¯t care either. Oh. Here¡¯s an idea! Why don¡¯t you go back to your Noah since both of you are a match made in heaven. I remember you telling me almost those exact words more than a few times thesest few months.¡±


    Lucy caught her bottom lip. She adjusted the beat-to-shit bag over her shoulder, held the baby closer to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go ever go back to Noah now,¡± she said. ¡°He got arrested.¡± I raised a brow, inviting her to exin. ¡°He came to the hospital while I was giving birth and he tried to take the baby away from me right there. Someone called security and the police then¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t bad at all that Noah was also getting his deserts. It seemed that finally, everyone was getting what they deserved.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for not forgiving me,¡± Lucy continued. ¡°I¡¯d be angry if I were in your shoes too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding. Now you may leave.¡±


    She nodded, turned towards the door and stopped again. I sighed in exasperation. Was I going to have to leave the office for her? Or have her thrown out?


    ¡°I just wanted to say from the bottom of my heart that I¡¯m sorry for everything,¡± she said, and then she quietly left the way she hade in.

 Chapter 117

    AMELIA


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I sighed when I stepped back to survey the dinner table.


    I stepped forward, made a few tiny adjustments to the ce mats and then it was truly perfect.


    I had invited Queenie over to the house for dinner and she was due at any moment. Just then, the doorbell rang. I hurried away to the front door to show Queenie into the house.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not mad I¡¯m a bitte,¡± she said the moment I opened the door.


    ¡°Of course not. Come in. I just made dinner.¡± I said.


    She began sniffing the air the moment she stepped over the threshold.


    ¡°Something smells really good in here,¡± she smiled. ¡°I can see you¡¯re still the chef I know.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I cooked in the kitchen, not here.¡±


    ¡°Fine then. Where¡¯s dinner? Let¡¯s start eating already.¡±


    I shook my head, and nced at my watch. ¡°Not yet. We will have to wait a bit. Damian is not home yet.¡±


    Queenie and I sat, chatting to pass the time while I waited for Damain who was due toe home soon.


    After about thirty minutes, I heard his car pulling into the driveway.


    Soon, he walked into the house, closely followed by Anton. What a surprise. He didn¡¯t inform me of his ns but Anton was practically family at this point.


    Damian greeted me and gave way for Anton to do the same.


    Anton¡¯s wide smile for me faltered and slipped the moment he caught sight of Queenie.


    Queenie exchanged pleasantries with Damian, and her eyesnded on Anton who was already staring at her.


    For a moment, I thought they were drooling at each other. There was a slight glint in Anton¡¯s eyes and even a toddler would know that Queenie caught his eyes.


    On the other hand, Queenie was flushed. Her fingers were ying with the hem of her dress as she stared at him.


    It took Anton quite a while to realize the room had suddenly gone silent. When he did, he lurched forward and almost tripped over his own feet.


    ¡°H-hi. I¡¯m Anton,¡± he said, extending his hands towards Queenie who blushed. I watched them and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I couldn¡¯t let myughter be the reason dinner would be awkward between them.


    But I was quite amused and shocked at the same time that Queenie was briefly taken by him.


    Queenie was a master of self control and it was quite shocking to see her so¡­ shaken and thunderstruck. Yes. That was the word.


    After a long, long moment Damian cleared his throat and I thought it prudent to say cheerfully, ¡°Dinner is ready, everyone. Shall we?¡±


    Damian changed into somethingfortable beforeing down again.


    We all went into the dining room. I noticed Anton took every opportunity to nce at Queenie even though he was trying not to. Despite Damian¡¯s numerous attempts to hold a conversation with him, Anton was distracted.


    ¡°Can you pass the hot sauce?¡± Damian asked me, pulling me from my careful observation.


    ¡°Ummmm,¡± my eyes nced around the table. ¡°I think it¡¯s in the kitchen. I¡¯ll grab it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I added.


    In the kitchen, I had just picked up the bottle when Damian came in.


    ¡°Dinner is turning out to be¡­ interesting,¡± he said quietly.


    I turned, trying to figure out what he was talking about. There was a twinkle in his eyes. The corners of his mouth were lifted just a fraction in a quirky smile.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°And why are you smiling, or trying to smile?¡±


    He moved forward until we were standing really close. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Anton is¡­ what¡¯s the word now? Smitten with your friend. He still can¡¯t seem to string two words together even though it seems like he¡¯s making a very serious effort to do just that.¡±


    Iughed. I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. The idea of Anton, always so talkative, always so confident, reduced to a mute all because of Queenie was hrious. Damian joined in theughter, and took the hot sauce I was about to take to the dining table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with this,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯d better get going, or they will be wondering where we went off to.¡± He thought for a moment and amended his statement. ¡°At least Queenie will. Anton doesn¡¯t seem capable of noticing anything else apart from her.¡±


    Weughed and returned to the table together.


    Dinner continued with more conversations. Then a lot of it. Mostly Anton¡¯s. It seemed he had finally snapped out of his trance.


    As the evening progressed, he became desperate, even frantic, to impress Queenie.


    ¡°Damian,¡± he said loudly, giving Queenie a quick sideways nce. ¡°Have I told you how good business is these days?¡±


    ¡°Uhm. You must have mentioned it,¡± Damian said with a knowing smile fixed on his face.


    Anton nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m into the fashion business, you know,¡± he said, finally addressing Queenie.


    ¡°Oh. You are?¡± Queenie replied. ¡°It¡¯s a really good business. You must know a lot of designers.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. I design a lot of clothes as well.¡± He boasted.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Damian said in an undertone, but low enough so only I heard him.


    I hid a grin by putting a forkful of food into my mouth.


    ¡°My outfits are mostly only the creations of very popr designers. I work with models. Lots of popr models. Do you watch or attend fashion shows?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I do,¡± Queenie was reluctant to impress him but Anton couldn¡¯t take the hint.


    Before the next words were out of her mouth, Anton asked, ¡°Do you travel often? There¡¯s so much to see when you¡¯re not buried in work. Do you have a dream vacation country?¡±


    His questions was so unrted to what he had been saying earlier and it was amusing. Damian and I exchanged nces with each other and smiled.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really travel,¡± Queenie said slowly. ¡°But I have been to some countries, mostly for work and my passion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to a lot of countries,¡± Anton boasted again. ¡°My work takes me to many exotic locations, you know¡­¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    And he went off on a spiel about all the countries he had been to, what he had done there, all the famous people he had met or was sure to meet, and how everyone in the fashion industry practically worshipped the ground he walked on. While he said all this, it was a struggle for Damian and I to keep straight faces.


    Queenie hung on to his every word but there was a misty expression in her eyes that told me she was not really concentrating on what he was saying, but was just drinking in the sight of him. And then Anton finally ran out of things to say to impress Queenie.


    ¡°How long have you known Amelia?¡± he asked after drawing in a much needed breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known her for a really long time,¡± Queenie said with a fond nce at me, a nce she hadn¡¯t spared me in a long while this evening. ¡°In the beginning we were a trio, three best friends, but then I found that I didn¡¯t really like Lucy. Amelia had insisted we get along with her since she was bullied a lot in school. I guess I wasn¡¯t wrong about Lucy especially after what she did.¡±


    ¡°Lucy,¡± Damian and Anton said at the same time as they gave me an inquiring look.


    ¡°Yes. Lucy.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the Lucy you both know. She seems sorry for what she did now. Just the other day, she came by the bakery with her baby. She asked me for help, for some money. She told me she was sorry for everything she had done.¡±


    Damian waved a hand impatiently. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be fooled by that. People- and Lucy is no exception- only make a u-turn and beg for forgiveness and help only when they know they arepletely helpless. It¡¯s just basic maniption to y on your emotions. Don¡¯t fall for it. If things were going well for her, she would not have spared you a thought.


    ¡°I agree one hundred percent,¡± Queenie said fiercely. ¡°Lucy is bad news. She¡¯s just looking for someone to leech on, Amelia. Don¡¯t be that person. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t think her actions would backfire on her.¡±


    Anton simply nodded. He still was too engrossed with Queenie to add his two cents to the conversation. Or maybe he was afraid of saying the wrong thing and blowing his chances.


    Thankfully, the topic drifted away from Lucy to other things. Anton and Queenie grew more rxed around each other and the rest of the evening was fun. Some hourster, I shut the door behind Anton and Queenie who were making their way to their homes.


    I went into the kitchen to wash the used dishes and Damian followed me quietly. He had been all smiles andughter, but now he looked serious. Very serious.


    ¡°Is anything wrong?¡± I asked, studying his expression once more.


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you.¡±


    I dropped the dishes and gave him my full attention. ¡°I¡¯m listening. What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to say- to tell you that I¡¯m really sorry for what I said about you wanting to get pregnant so you¡¯d get child support from me. I was just angry at that moment. I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to what I was saying. I didn¡¯t really mean it. I know you¡¯re not the type of woman who is maniptive and desperate for money.¡±


    I felt something in me- my heart maybe- thaw at his words. It felt like a huge weight had been rolled off me. He didn¡¯t know how much it meant to me to have him say he hadn¡¯t meant those words.


    I wanted to say something, but I sensed there was a lot more he had to say. So I watched him and waited.


    He swallowed convulsively before saying, ¡°Actually, the thing is the thought of being a father makes me really nervous. I know I¡¯m a major asshole. I don¡¯t want to be a bad father.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so worried. I¡¯m not pregnant. I¡¯m sure. And maybe you¡¯re not an asshole, you just think you¡¯re an asshole, which makes you act like an asshole.¡± Iughed. ¡°That¡¯s difficult to phrase but give yourself a chance to embrace happiness. You won¡¯t lose everything good thing thates into your life. Trust me.¡±


    He sighed and his eyes softened. ¡°You always know the right things to say. Thank you, Amelia. You¡¯re my light and I hope you can drive away this darkness inside me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Damian.¡±


    Damian nodded and took his leave. I finished my task in the kitchen, and went up to my room to change.


    I had just bent to grab a pair of pajamas when I felt a rush of liquid making its way from my throat to my mouth.


    I bolted to the bathroom, bent over the sink just in time to puke out my entire dinner.

 Chapter 118

    AMELIA


    It felt like my eyes and ears were working overtime. My eyes kept roving all over the waiting room of the hospital. My ears were perked up to catch the slightest sounds. They waited to hear the footsteps of anyone who would give me the information I so desperately needed.


    I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. It felt impossible to. I took several deep breaths, thrust my hands between my knees and tried to put my racing heart under control.


    It felt like I was on the verge of having a full scale panic attack. Thoughts kept flitting through my head. Worrying thoughts. I couldn¡¯t stop them no matter how hard I tried.


    Last night, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to take the test again. I didn¡¯t know if I could handle the result and I wanted to put my mind at ease.


    People throw up once in a while, don¡¯t they? But not me. Something strange was happening to me and I had my suspicions. Suspicions that my doctor would confirm.


    When I strolled in here in the morning, I was barely able to answer any of the questions asked. I was so scared, too nervous. The nurse had assured me the result would be out in hours so here I was, sitting and waiting for it after work.


    Now, I didn¡¯t even know how to feel. What if, just what if I was pregnant? It would be a wonderful thing, but it would affect my rtionship with Damian in so many ways.


    Justst night, I had assured Damian that I wasn¡¯t pregnant. If it eventually turned out that I was, it would look as though I had hidden the pregnancy from him for ulterior motives.


    ¡®I know you¡¯re not the type of woman that¡¯s maniptive¡­¡¯ he had said.


    Now it would seem as if I was actually a gold-digger nning to hide the pregnancy from him until it became toote to terminate it and then request for child support. I cringed as I imagined the disappointment on Damian¡¯s face if and when this happened.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed, burying my face in my hands.


    But I wanted a baby. I wanted one.


    ¡°Mrs Donovan?¡±


    I looked up quickly at the doctor and immediately shot to my feet.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to see you now.¡±


    I wanted to shout, to demand that he cut right to the chase and tell me the results but he was already walking towards his office. I was forced to follow on legs that felt like stilts.


    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± he said, waving to a chair opposite his while he lowered himself into one.


    I started to sit and then just dropped into the chair.


    I leaned forward quickly. ¡°Doctor. Tell me¡­ The result¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Calm yourself, Mrs Donovan.¡± He raised an envelope stuffed full of papers. ¡°I have the results right here.¡± His face broke into a smile. ¡°I am pleased to let you know that you are six weeks pregnant. Congrattions.¡±


    My jaw hung open. I found I couldn¡¯t close it again. I was pregnant? Had the doctor just said I was pregnant?


    I forced my lips to shape the words, ¡°I¡¯m going to have a baby?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Oh yes. Certainly. A baby in a little over seven months.¡±


    Not until the doctor confirmed it did I realize how much I had doubted the fact that I could possibly be pregnant. I felt a confusing myriad of emotions go through me at that moment. I felt shocked, happy and then sad all at the same time.


    The doctor probably interpreted my shocked silence for being overjoyed because he said, ¡°I imagine it¡¯s a lot to take in. Having a child is rather life changing. I¡¯m also happy to say that the pregnancy is progressing rather nicely, but for the next two weeks, I will like you toe around the hospital more often so I examine you. Now-¡± He extracted a sheet of paper from between the files on his desk. ¡°I have here a list of things you should do during this period. I would like you to listen and also do them. First, for the sake of the baby, you have to eat right. You see, a good diet can¡­¡±


    He went on and on about what I had to do and what I wasn¡¯t supposed to do during the period of pregnancy. With only half an ear, I listened to him. All the while, I was trying to grasp the implications of this baby on the way and how it would change everything.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s that,¡± the doctor said minutester as he got to his feet. ¡°Congrattions once more.¡±


    He took my limp hand, gave me a handshake and led me out of his office. It was only when I was out of the building that I realized he had slipped the pregnancy test results into my hand. I held onto it tightly. Only the feel of the paper on my skin felt real. Everything else that had happened still felt very unreal.


    I felt happy tears run down my cheeks as I walked. I couldn¡¯t care less about the curious stares of people I passed.


    It felt wonderful to know that I could be a mother, that I could hold my child in my arms, hold it to my breasts. Nothing was wrong with me. I wasn¡¯t deformed or inadequate. My body could actually nurture my own baby!


    For months, I thought something was wrong with me. That I was somehow infertile, an empty woman with no prospects of motherhood.


    But all that wasn¡¯t true. I could have my own baby.


    As I walked to my car, I felt loads lighter, like something heavy had been lifted off me. And indeed, it had.


    When I got into my car, I made a decision, a decision that had been ringing in my mind from the very moment the doctor had told me that I was pregnant.


    Whatever happened, I would not tell Damian about the pregnancy.


    ******************


    I perched on the edge of the sofa, watched Queenie pace the living room of her small apartment. Her eyes ran over the pregnancy test results thaty open in her hands.


    ¡°Positive,¡± she muttered, her gaze fixed on a spot close to the bottom of the page. ¡°You¡¯re actually pregnant, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said in a hushed whisper.


    A grin split Queenie¡¯s face as she stopped right in front of me.


    ¡°I said it, you know. I told you it was going to happen for you, that you were going to have a baby. Now it¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I murmured absently.


    Queenie¡¯s smile became a frown as she sat beside me.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t pretend that there isn¡¯t an issue here,¡± she said. ¡°Amelia¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    I shook my head sadly. I really didn¡¯t know what to do or where to go from here. But just as I had earlier made the decision not to tell Damian about the pregnancy, I had also made the decision to keep the baby.


    As though of their own volition, my hands curved protectively around my stomach. The baby was a part of me now, as necessary to me as breathing. I would never get rid of it for love or money.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping the baby,¡± I told Queenie.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Of course you are, dear. Of course you are.¡± She ced her hand over mine, stroked it reassuringly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less from you but then there is still the issue of the baby¡¯s father. Are you going to tell him about it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said vehemently.


    Queenie reared back a little. ¡°Whoa! That was fast. Howe you are making that decision so quickly? Aren¡¯t you at least going to think about it?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to.¡± And I went ahead to tell her of what Damain had said to me after dinner the previous day. ¡°All his suspicions of me will be back once I tell him of the baby. I¡¯ve seen him so angry about me having a baby before. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight, Queenie. I don¡¯t want his negativity to spoil this for me. He would rather I terminate the pregnancy. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Which is why I think it will be best for me to leave him before he finds out.¡±


    She heaved a deep sigh. ¡°Yes. Much as I hate to admit it because I was hoping there could be really something between you and Damian, I think you are right this time. Leave. You¡¯re big enough on your own now. You have the bakery and several other businesses?¡± She looked to me for confirmation. I nodded. ¡°You see? You have all that and you¡¯re also in charge of the city project. All the resources you need to take care of the baby, you¡¯ve got them. You don¡¯t really need Damian anymore.¡±


    I shook my head slowly. Queenie couldn¡¯t possibly begin to understand the different facets of this matter. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as that¡­ Damian¡­ when he finds out, he¡¯lle after me. He can bring me down just to get back at me. I know the kind of person he is. He¡¯s not a man to cross. There are several ways this can end up.¡±


    ¡°And it can end up in your favour too.¡± She pressed down on my hands now moving nervously in myp. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that Noah hurt you and paid for it. The same thing can happen to Damian if he underestimates you.¡±

 Chapter 119

    DAMIAN


    I knew Anton was watching me. I turned a little in my seat to see him actually doing that. I sighed. I supposed I was being very obvious. Something was bothering me and try as I might, I couldn¡¯t shake it off.


    ¡°Ah. I knew you would finally get to it,¡± Anton said lightly the moment I opened my mouth.


    In no mood for any form of levity, I waved off his words.


    ¡°Something is wrong with Amelia,¡± I said. ¡°But I can¡¯t just figure out what it is. It¡¯s not forck of trying.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Anton said again as he took one leg off the top of the table in my office. ¡°This¡­ problem of yours must have a root, does it not?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well¡­¡± I thought back to the dinner we had with Anton and Queenie days ago. That day had changed everything. ¡°The other day she threw up and the first thing that came to mind was pregnancy. I thought she was pregnant-¡±


    ¡°And is she?¡± Anton asked quickly.


    ¡°No. She isn¡¯t. She told me that herself. I then I apologized for my mouth running away with me.¡± Anton¡¯s next words were going to be somewhere along the lines of ¡®What exactly did you say to her?¡¯ so I saved him the trouble of asking by adding, ¡°I may have told her something about her being angry at me saying I suspected she was pregnant because she was disappointed she wouldn¡¯t get child support. We settled things eventually but there¡¯s been this reserve on her path towards me since then. Apart from that, What really irks me is the fact that I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to feel about the fact that she isn¡¯t pregnant. Am I supposed to be happy or not?¡±


    ¡°That, my friend, is a question only you can answer, but if you ask me-¡±


    ¡°I am asking you.¡±


    ¡°-Then I will say you should be happy to have your own child. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m talking from experience but I intimately know people who have kids. I must say it¡¯s a rather rewarding experience. No feeling in the worldpares to it.¡±


    ¡°I know. Of course I know all that, but you don¡¯t understand. You don¡¯t¡­¡±


    I paused, feeling my throat close up. Having kids or even a kid wasn¡¯t simple, at least for me. Especially for me. How could I even begin tomunicate the way I felt?


    ¡°Then make me understand,¡± Anton urged quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to mess it up. I know I am¡­ Fatherhood, I mean. I feel I don¡¯t have what it takes to be a father. I have absolutely no idea how to raise a kid. There¡¯s this fear I¡¯ve always that I¡¯m not going to be a good father, that I¡¯ll be a terrible father like my own father. I didn¡¯t have anyone teaching me different growing up. And Amelia¡­ She¡¯s too good for me. After all she¡¯s been through, the woman needs a man whole who will give her the kind of of love she deserves.¡±


    Anton raised a brow at this. ¡°You¡¯re quick to write yourself off. What makes you think you can¡¯t be that kind of man for her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it. I know it. I know what she wants in a man. She wants a traditional man, a man who will garden, be a perfect father to her children, do cute, romantic stuff and all that. I don¡¯t see myself being that kind of man. It just isn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you what I know, the few things I know, Damian.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°The first is that you are not going to be a bad father because even the very idea of being one troubles you. Instead of ruining what you have going on with Amelia because of your doubts, why don¡¯t you just share them with her? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand and then you both can work all this out together.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even in the state I was in, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the change in Anton. When had my party hard, happy-go-lucky friend be this deep? And his expression was solemn too. The look was so out of ce on Anton¡¯s face that it was like looking at a stranger. I chuckled.


    The corners of Anton¡¯s lips twitched in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m d to see something I said amused you.¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering when you had be a therapist. Also you seem to have forgotten that you never wanted Amelia and I to end up together in the first ce. In fact, you were all for not getting too emotionally attached to her before the contract was over.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes. But then I changed my mind when I saw firsthand what you and Amelia share. What you both share¡­¡± He paused to search for the right words. ¡°It¡¯s deep. It¡¯s strong and you, my friend, will be stupid to let something like that go.¡±


    ¡°And may I ask what brought about this¡­ enlightenment?¡±


    ¡°Queenie.¡±


    ¡°Queenie?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The bond I feel growing for her. It¡¯s strong. It has changed my perspective about rtionships. I¡¯ve never met any girl quite like her. She is unimpressed by me, by what I¡¯ve achieved. She doesn¡¯t fawn over me like other women do.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was rather taken with you the other day at my house,¡± I observed.


    ¡°She was interested, maybe a little bit, but she¡¯s not forcing anything between us. She¡¯s a woman that knows what she wants. My usual tactics with women won¡¯t work on her. It drives me crazy, man, even though I have only known her for just a few days. I¡¯m trying to get through to her as soon as possible because the thought of another man being with her¡­ it just drives me wild.¡±


    Anton relieved some of his feelings by shoving his hands through his hair.


    I realized then that Anton was right. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of loosing Amelia to another man.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked desperately. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start. With all I¡¯ve told Amelia I think I may have pushed her away already. She must have given me up as a lost cause. I don¡¯t want to loose her, Anton. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Therapy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You need a little help to get past this. I¡¯m suggesting therapy to deal with the issues you have. It-¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I said, mming my fist on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not going to see a therapist to talk about my childhood.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all-¡±


    ¡°Nothing will ever make me do that. Nothing!¡±


    *******************************


    ¡°I must say, I¡¯m really happy you have decided to choose therapy, Mr Donovan,¡± the therapist said.


    I rolled my eyes at the ceiling as I took a seat.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea toe,¡± I pointed out. ¡°My best friend insisted that this was for the best. I decided to give it a shot. I hope to see positive results immediately.¡±


    She let out a quietugh. ¡°I¡¯m Mryra by the way, and first I must tell you that is not how therapy works. The results are not instant. It requires work for therapy to work.¡± She chuckled at her own joke which I thought was ratherme. She grew serious again as she adjusted the sses perched on her nose. ¡°Mr Donovan, may I ask why you decided to try therapy? Please exin your answer in as detailed a way as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple actually. I¡¯m trying to stop myself from hurting someone I love.¡± The word ¡®love¡¯ got stuck in my throat on it¡¯s way out. But it was the truth. I did love Amelia. I loved her almost to the point of distraction.


    ¡°I see.¡± Myra tapped the notebook she was writing in before saying. ¡°And why do you think you are going to hurt her?¡±


    ¡°Because I am hurty her already. She wants kids, love¡­ everything I can¡¯t possibly give her.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said again and I was left wondering what she really did see. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about love for a moment. Why do you think you are incapable of loving her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± I bit off.


    She nodded, made a note. ¡°Please, tell me about your childhood.¡±


    So much for Anton telling me this was the best thing to do!


    What the hell was with shrinks and people¡¯s childhoods anyway? They seemed to have a fixation about it from all I had heard and watched on TV. This one was proving me damn right.


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about what happened to me years ago.¡±


    I got to my feet immediately to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Donovan, please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in the wrong ce,¡± I told her. ¡°Scratch that. I know I am in the wrong ce. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°I just have one question for you. Are you truly hurting the person you love or yourself?¡±

 Chapter 120

    AMELIA


    It was ironic really how one could get everything other people wanted and yet not be happy.


    It was currently my situation now. I looked around my plush new office. My business expansion had been sessful. Business was good. It was thriving and yet I was not happy. Not one bit.


    My hands wandered over to my still t stomach. I found myself doing this so often these days. I still found it hard to believe that a tiny version of me was growing in there, a version Damian was not yet aware of.


    And for the umpteenth time, I found myself thinking about my decision to keep my pregnancy hidden from Damian. Actually it was thest thing I wanted to do- to keep it from him. I wanted to tell him I was carrying his baby but I had no idea of how to break the news to him.


    There were several ways he could react. What if he got mad at me for hiding it? What if he denied being the father of the baby? It would break my heart. It really would. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I didn¡¯t tell him about it at all? If that didn¡¯t happen, it meant I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with all that hurt. Perhaps it was the coward¡¯s way out but still¡­


    I frowned at my phone as it rang, breaking into my thoughts. However, one look at the screen and I could feel my mood lift. I snatched it up, and pressed it to my ear.


    ¡°Hi mum,¡± I said.


    From thousands of miles away, her voice washed over me like salve put on a wound.


    ¡°Amelia dear, how have you been?¡±


    ¡®Not good. Not good at all¡¯ hung on the very top of my tongue.


    I swallowed, pulling the words back in. It wouldn¡¯t do for me to ruin my mother¡¯s fun moments with tales of my problems. Besides, what could she do to remedy the situation?


    She always had a way of overthinking and ming herself for my predicaments. I couldn¡¯t put her through that.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°What was that dear? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I- It¡¯s nothing important,¡± I said quickly. ¡°How is your trip going and how is Anthony?¡±


    I could clearly hear the love for him in her voice as she told me he was fine.


    ¡°¡­ And there¡¯s something else you need to know. Anthony and I are getting married.¡±


    It took me a few seconds to wrap my head around what she had just said. And then when I did, I couldn¡¯t stop congratting them.


    My mother finding happiness after my father was the best thing that could happen to her.


    ¡°Oh. Thank you dear,¡± she said. ¡°Anthony and I are nning to keep things really quiet though. It¡¯s going to be a private wedding. It will happen in two months.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good. I¡¯m- I¡¯m really happy for you, mum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy too.¡± She squirmed. ¡°I may be old but I think there¡¯s still love for me in this world.¡±


    ¡°Come on, mum. You¡¯re not old. I can¡¯t imagine how d you must be. Oh, I¡¯m really happy.¡±


    And I was. I really was. But to my horror, I felt tears prickle the backs of my eyes. My throat closed up and I knew I was going to cry.


    My fingers hovered over the phone screen, seeking the red button to end the call as my eyes blurred with tears. I couldn¡¯t let my mother hear me cry but the sobs came out anyway before I could stop them. My mother began calling my name over and over again in a panicked voice.


    ¡°Amelia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked again. ¡°Are you crying? What happened? Talk to me!¡±


    I quickly wiped my eyes, and took in a deep breath. ¡°N-nothing mum. I¡¯m just so happy for you.¡±


    ¡°Amelia! Don¡¯t you even think about deceiving me. No matter how grown you are, I¡¯m still your mother and I think I know the difference between your happy tears and sad tears. I can hear the pain in your voice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing and tell me what the problem is.¡±


    ¡°I really was happy but then everything, all the emotions I had bottled away just came back-¡± I paused to take a really deep breath. I figured there was really no need now to hide what I was going through from her. She would wheedle it out of me anyway. ¡°Mum, the truth is¡­ I love Damian and I¡¯m pregnant for him. But he has made it very clear that he doesn¡¯t want a child. Not now. Not ever. I¡¯ve decided to keep the pregnancy a secret from him.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant-¡±


    ¡°No. Not that part. However unnned it may be, I¡¯m happy you are pregnant. This is such a blessing!¡± I could hear the excitement in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯ve always wanted, to have a baby of your own. I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t tell me about this until now. I¡¯m so happy, child.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mum,¡± I wiped my tears again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell you since Damian doesn¡¯t want the baby.¡±


    ¡°Have you told him about the baby? Or are you making assumptions? Amelia, he is the father. He has every right to know about it. Please don¡¯t make stupid decisions. Open up to him. I didn¡¯t raise you to be crafty. Tell him the truth and don¡¯t bear the weight of this alone. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°But what if-¡±


    ¡°There are no what if¡¯s in this situation. Tell him and if he cannot act like a man, you have the right to leave. You must tell him first and whatever you do next will depend on his reaction.¡±


    I paused for a moment before I nodded.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell Damian about it. I think I really need to hear from you before making any decision.¡±


    ¡°Good. And what about that no-good ex-husband of yours, Noah?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going bankrupt now. I got to handle a city project he thought he would get. He still hasn¡¯t recovered from the blow. Lucy, who he left me for, has given birth. It turns out the baby is not Noah¡¯s after all. She was ying him. In fact, I think he¡¯s the one who is sterile.¡±


    My mother let out a peal ofughter. ¡°Good. Very good. That would teach him to examine himself before pointing fingers at other people. A cheater deserves the worst punishment. As for the project you got, rub it in his face every opportunity you get. Deal with him. Since he left you on the streets to fend for yourself, make sure he has nothing left when you¡¯re through with him. How does that sound?¡±


    My mother¡¯s advice to deal with Noah brought me out of my sad state. I found my lips stretching into a smile as I said, ¡°It sounds like a wonderful idea. You know I will always listen to you, mum.¡±


    *********************


    The aroma of food sizzling in the fry pan filled the kitchen as I made dinner.


    I wanted to make something special tonight, to set the mood for my announcement. I had decided to tell Damian about the pregnancy, thanks to my mother.


    Deep down, I knew the oue would not be good but at least, I would leave the marriage with a clear conscience. I wouldn¡¯t have to feel my guilt gnawing at me every day for lying to him about something like that.


    I heard shuffling footsteps, and looked up at the door to find Damian walking in. All my determination to tell him about the pregnancy went flying out of the window the moment I saw the look on his face. He looked gloomy and I began to wonder what could have happened to make him look this way.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I say tentatively, not exactly sure how to approach him.


    He gave a quick nod of his head in acknowledgement, pulled out something from his pocket and held it out to me. I took it. It was a card of some sort, blue in colour.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I guess but what is this?¡± I asked, turning the card this way and that.


    Damian¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t quite meet my eyes when he said, ¡°It¡¯s a feelings card.¡± A what? ¡°My therapist gave it to me. She was sure it would help.¡±


    ¡°Your th- therapist,¡± I spluttered. ¡°A therapist? You? Therapy?¡± Several emotions and questions hit me at the same time.


    ¡°Yes. Er-¡± He cleared his throat loudly. ¡°In the card, you are supposed to write in it and describe exactly how you view me. You have got to be very honest. What you write in there might help me understand what I need to do to fix myself.¡±


    I was gaping at Damian. I couldn¡¯t help it. I could have sworn with my life that he was thest person who would want to visit a therapist. What was going on? How on earth had he even managed to make such a decision in the first ce?


    ¡°Uhmm. Damian,¡± I said, keeping my tone serious. ¡°Tell me the truth. Did someone hit you over the head?¡±


    He grinned, thenughed. I joined in but I had a thousand questions to ask. Why was he in therapy? Or why did he suddenly decide to try therapy?


    ¡°No. I¡¯m still sane and I¡¯m still the same old Damian.¡± He said, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s really still you. I¡¯m going to fill the card.¡± I replied. ¡°Even though I have lots of questions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Maybe I can answer the questions during dinner.¡±


    ¡°There is something I want to tell you.¡± I blurted, gathering up the courage to tell him about the pregnancy. Something told me if I didn¡¯t tell him immediately, I would never be able to tell him again.


    Before I could say another word, we both clearly heard my name and Noah¡¯sing from the living room.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked Damian.


    ¡°It¡¯s the TV, I think. Let¡¯s see.¡±


    I followed Damian to the living room. On the big screen was Noah, seated in a studio somewhere granting an interview.


    I scoffed. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± His desperation had led him to a gossip TV show, ¡®the Hot and Juicy Details.¡¯ What could he possibly be doing?


    One of the interviewers asked, ¡°And are you in any form ofpetition with your ex-wife?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not,¡± was his reply. ¡°Amelia can never be at my level no matter what she does. She¡¯s a small fry. Everyone knows that.¡±


    A frown crept to my face. It wasn¡¯t just bad that this TV show was the most hateful thing ever. They had managed to capture Noah¡¯s stupidity and hatred toward me as well.


    ¡°How does it feel to have be arrested twice in thest few weeks?¡± another interviewer asked.


    ¡°Those are just obstacles, obstacles Amelia and that stupid husband of hers keep throwing my way but I¡¯m still thriving in spite of it. In fact, the top investors at mypany have not budged. They are still solidly behind me. Whatever damage happened to mypanies is just a temporary setback. Mypanies will be bigger and better than ever.¡± Noah shifted in his seat to face the cameras and it felt like he was looking right at me when he said, ¡°Watch out, Amelia. I¡¯ming for you.¡±

 Chapter 121

    AMELIA


    With my fingers steepled under my chin, I sat in my office, thinking about all Noah had said on TV during the interview, an interview which I was sure had been watched by the practically the whole city. Or maybe the entire world.


    The man certainly could sink to the lowest depths I myself would not even have considered for a moment. Even right now, I still couldn¡¯t fathom how he could continue being so petty and stupid. Petty enough to continue throwing shades and making wild usations against Damian and I.


    Mostly, I felt that Noah was stupid. Very stupid indeed to have crossed me. I would have thought that by now, he would have realised the fact that it would be against his interests to keep antagonising me but he kept on doing it over and over and over again.


    It was obvious the interview was a way to salvage his dying reputation and financial status. But he could have simply tried to save his ass without dragging me down with him.


    The most aggravating part of it all this was that the stupid interview hade just when I had been about to tell Damian about the pregnancy.


    Noah hadpletely ruined the mood, the perfect mood. Damian had stalked off to his room quietly but I could tell he was angry. Perhaps, he tried to hide it because of his sudden therapy sessions.


    Now I didn¡¯t know when I would ever get the courage to even broach the subject of the pregnancy to Damian. With each passing day, the secret got too difficult to keep.


    Even though Queenie suggested telling him over a dinner date, I was still terrified that he would react angrily in public.


    But I had to tell him somehow.


    Only if Noah wasn¡¯t such an asshole. Only if he managed to keep his mouth shut for another night instead of threatening me on Tv.


    Anger coursed through me and I swiveled in my seat. Noah couldn¡¯t threaten me and get away with it. No.


    I had to do something. We were certainly not in apetition but I needed to show him who¡¯s boss.


    But how?


    I thought hard for some minutes and then the perfect idea flitted into my mind.


    ¡°In fact, the top investors at mypany have not budged,¡± Noah¡¯s words suddenly came back to me.


    His investors!


    What investors was he talking about when I knew that his business was on the verge of bankruptcy. Or wasn¡¯t it?


    Quickly drawing myputer close to me, my fingers flew over the keyboard as I did a quick Yahoo finance search for Noah¡¯s top investors and then-


    ¡°Bingo!¡± I eximed triumphantly.


    I lipread the information that popped up on the screen. There were twopanies, two majorpanies, who were funding Noah¡¯spany. I whistled at the amount of money thesepanies were reputed to have pumped into Noah¡¯spany over the past year alone. I knew then that if thesepanies pulled out their funding, Noah¡¯spany would loose it¡¯s buffer and would almost certainly crash.


    Imitted the names of thesepanies to memory. Their names were Prudential Financial and Fidelity Investments. I thought for a brief moment, and wrote their names down in the little notebook I always carried around.


    Next, I checked out theirpany websites and got the contact information of their investment portfolio managers. I noted the phone numbers down too.


    ¡°Here goes phase two,¡± I muttered to myself as I shifted in my seat.


    This was it. I was about to put the n into motion. Noah was about to go down and I was going to facilitate the process without any scruples. Noah had asked for it after all. He had drawn the battle line himself and I would be a bleeding coward if I did not respond. He had left me no choice but to do this.


    I decided to put a call across to the firstpany- Prudential Financial. I dialed the number and waited.


    A female voice came on the line. ¡°You are on to the offices of Prudential Financial. How may we help you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Amelia Donovan.¡± By her sharp intake of breath, I knew that the woman on the other end knew who I was. ¡°I suppose you are familiar with the name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe I am.¡± Her voice was professional once more, the show of momentary surprise immediately glossed over. ¡°How may we help you, Mrs Donovan?¡±


    ¡°Well as you may also know, I am also currently in charge of the yearly city project. I will like to make you an offer, a really juicy offer if I say so myself.¡±


    ¡°May I know the nature of this offer you speak of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. What I have to discuss is not something that can be talked about over the phone. I will like to have a meeting with your investment manager tomorrow if possible.¡±


    ¡°Very well, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°That is great.¡±


    And we concluded on the meeting tomorrow and the time. The moment I finished talking with her, I called Fidelity Investments and scheduled a meeting with them also.


    ******************************


    The office of the managing director of Fidelity Investments was plush. It screamed money and affluence. A name que, with the name ¡®Smith M. D¡¯ engraved in gold sat on therge oak desk.


    Mr Smith and I stared at each other from opposite sides of the desk. His gaze was very assessing. I daresay mine was too. It looked like he was the sort of man who would be a very hard nut to crack. But crack him I certainly would.


    I was absolutely prepared for anything that would be in my way to get revenge. Noah wouldn¡¯t see meing and I¡¯ll hit him hard. Too hard that he would never recover.


    ¡°So Mr Smith,¡± I said. ¡°Business brings me here. I am a business owner as you are well aware. I need amitted investment from yourpany. I have a lot of market potential so I¡¯m sure this partnership would be profitable to us both of us in the short and long run.¡±


    His lips twitched and I thought he was having a little muscle spasm. The next moment, he burst intoughter. Mockingughter. I let him finish, and kept myposure. He couldugh all he wanted but I would get my way. I promised myself that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs Donovan,¡± he said, dabbing at the corner of his eyes with a silk, monogrammed handkerchief. ¡°But you must see the humour in this as well. Listen, you own a bakery and a mall. Is that not so?¡±


    I kept my expression deadpan as I said, ¡°It is. But they are business, are they not?¡±


    ¡°They are but I mentioned them just so I could confirm if there were any other businesses you owned which may have skipped my mind. But the answer is now apparent. You own just those two. Now I¡¯ll be honest with you. Fidelity Investments partners with certain sses of businesses. Your mall and bakery can in no way bepared to thepanies we are currently funding. I understand that you are trying to expand your business and you¡¯re a big shot in the city but we can¡¯t help you.¡±


    I let out a littleugh of my own. ¡°Oh now I see where your skepticism ising from, Mr Smith. It would interest you to know that my mall and bakery generates more than 1 million dors monthly. With the projected expansion, there is a guarantee that they will generate more.¡± I paused, well aware that the amount I had mentioned had given him a pause. Perhaps at this moment, he was telling himself that he had been too quick to dismiss my offer. Still, I knew he would need more details to agree to my request. ¡°Of course, the amount I say my businesses make can be verified if you wish so you can be certain that I¡¯m not exaggerating. There¡¯s also a little detail I feel it¡¯s important for you to know. Perhaps you are not aware but Noah Carter, whosepany you fund, is on the edge of bankruptcy. It will not be in your best interests to still fund a dyingpany. I¡¯m sure that my ¡®little businesses¡¯ are currently doing better than his.¡±


    ¡°And how are you so sure of this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a question in turn, Mr Smith. When was thest time you were even marginally satisfied with the return of yourpany¡¯s investment into Noah¡¯spany? I¡¯ll go out on a limb and say with certainty that it¡¯s been quite a while. And then there is another thing. Noah has been all over the newstely so much so that he has acquired quite a bad reputation. He makes spurious, inciting usations without a shred of evidence. I have said before, and still say again that those are the signs of a man who is fast going downhill. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Smith¡¯s brow furrowed as he thought, staring sightlessly as the blotter on his desk.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long now, I thought.


    He finally raised his head.


    ¡°I would like to know what you can offer then.¡± He rubbed his nose. ¡°And for client confidentiality, I would not discuss your ex-husband with you. I am aware of his recent situation but he has survived simr circumstances. Thepany hopes he will survive this too.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that,¡± I replied with a wide smile. ¡°He¡¯s going down this time.¡±


    He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your proposal? Why should we invest in you, Mrs. Donovan?¡±


    I gave him a small, confident smile. ¡°I give you a guarantee that I am the best person you could work with since I am already working on a multi million dor project for the city. The returns on that single project if thispany agrees to work with me will be enormous. There is nothing we won¡¯t be able to achieve. That is a fact.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Smith murmured after thinking for some seconds. ¡°All you have told me about the project is impressive.¡± He quickly typed on hisputer and I suspected he was doing a quick google search. His eyes widened for some seconds before he focused on me again. ¡°I can see that this project will be enormous and it could house thousands of businesses. It¡¯s the biggest investment ever. You have convinced me. Let¡¯s shake on it.¡± He leaned forward, and stretched his hand across the desk to shake my hand. I took it, and gave him a firm handshake. ¡°I look forward to doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Mr Smith. Likewise.¡± I replied casually.


    Iposed myself even though I could barely contain my excitement. I had actually done it! But there was still one thing left in my n.


    ¡°Before I present your offer to the board for approval, is there anything else you would like to add? Any conditions you would insist on since you want to work with us?¡±


    And that was it. My final n.


    ¡°Actually. Yes. There is one more thing,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m listening.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want you topletely withdraw your funds from Noah¡¯spany.¡± His eyes widened but I continued. ¡°I would not want to partner with apany funding my ex husband. You must have calcted the possible return of your investment in my project. Now, what does Noah bring to the table?¡±

 Chapter 122

    DAMIAN


    I desperately fought the urge to fidget. I was not some erring four year old brought into the principal¡¯s office for goodness sake!


    Mrya who was smiling down at the card I was holding out to her was certainly no principal.


    Besides, I had already read what Amelia had written so it came as no surprise. That meant I wasn¡¯t supposed to be this tense.


    Myra took the feelings card from between my tight fingers. It was a struggle for me to finally let it go because it felt like I was giving her a piece of my essence. If she noticed how tightly I was holding on to it, she did notment. She merely waited patiently until I had relinquished my hold on it before taking it and reading it.


    I leaned back immediately against thefortable couch and waited for her verdict. For what seemed like several endless minutes, I watched her eyes dart left and right as she read. When she was done, she closed the card and smiled at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s just I had thought. It is now quite obvious that you are not the monster you think you are. You have been so scared of yourself,¡± she said quietly. ¡°This card can prove it. But you disagree?¡±


    She must have seen the expression of utter disbelief on my face to have asked that question.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not as good and meless as Amelia has painted me. The thing is I still have no idea why she still sees me as a good person despite all I have done.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly have you done?¡±


    I nced at the therapist, and saw that the little notebook was out. Her pen was poised over the paper, ready to take down words, words that would enable her to dissect my brain so to speak. It seemed the therapy section had begun officially after all, but now I wasn¡¯t worried about spilling my guts. Not really. I just wanted to get the way I really felt off my chest.


    ¡°I have failed her,¡± I said. ¡°I have done that over and over again in so many different ways and yet- and yet she wrote that about me.¡± I gestured to the feelings card lying now on herp. ¡°Maybe she was just trying to be nice to me because how could she even write that?¡±


    Myra¡¯s answer was prompt and straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why, Mr Donovan. Your wife understands a very important fact that you seem to have overlooked. She understands that you are human and are capable of making mistakes. She doesn¡¯t judge you for it because¡­ aren¡¯t we all imperfect? Besides, she highlighted some things she dislikes about you.¡± She picked up the card, skimmed through its contents once more. ¡°Amelia genuinely thinks you are one of the best men she has ever met and from I¡¯ve seen of you so far, I¡¯m very inclined to agree with her. Tell me, would your mother describe your father that way¡­ as a good man, as perhaps the best choice of a partner?¡±


    Hell no! I thought but did not say.


    If anything, my father was the worst choice she had ever made. Just the fact that he was my father had scarred me in ways I hadn¡¯t thought possible hence my need to undergo therapy.


    I phrased my answer in a more eptable way by shaking my head.


    ¡°Now tell me. Do you in all honesty think you are like your father?¡± Myra asked. ¡°Do you think that you¡¯ll hurt Amelia like your father hurt your mother?¡±


    My eyes widened and for the first time in many years, I felt small-almost invisible.


    ***************


    Anton waited until the bartender had served us drinks before leaning slightly forward to ask, ¡°So how are the therapy sessions going?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Really well,¡± I admitted. ¡°They have been going really well. For the first time in forever, I finally felt free enough to talk about what happened when I was a child. The feeling is¡­¡± I paused to grope mentally for a word that would best describe how I felt now; light, unburdened, free, like a weight- an invisible one- had been taken off me. ¡°¡­ liberating. It felt really good to let out all of the hate and anger I felt towards my parents. I may not be totally rid of the pain yet but I¡¯m loads better now. Or maybe that¡¯s what she has convinced me to believe.¡±


    ¡°Ipletely agree. Even I can tell. I told you-¡±


    I tipped my ss in Anton¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say you told me so,¡± I joked.


    ¡°Well I did. I told you so.¡±


    ¡°Anton¡­¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. I knew therapy would work wonders for you and now look at you. You even look years younger. I¡¯m really happy for you, man.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop pulling my legs?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I feel exposed whenever I¡¯m there but in a good way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point, man.¡± Anton replied. ¡°You will be able to talk about yourself freely.¡±


    ¡°You know what else I want to do? I want to make a fresh start. I want to propose properly to Amelia, re-do a private wedding and in fact do everything I missed out on because of all the hate I had bottled in. What do you think?¡± When Anton didn¡¯t reply, I looked up from my ss to him, and found him staring at me with surprise written all over his face. I reyed myst two sentences in my head, and found nothing wanting. ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Anton shook his head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not that you said anything wrong. It¡¯s actually a matter of what you said. So I have to ask, is my best friend still in there? Or has he been reced by a sugary sweet version?¡±


    I gave him an eye roll.


    ¡°It¡¯s an improved version,¡± I stated. ¡°Besides, I could have said the same thing about you just a few days ago when you were giving me a lifetime¡¯s worth of rtionship advice because of Queenie. You should have seen your face. Far worse than mine at the moment.¡±


    Anton chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Well it worked, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded.


    And then I began to hope that it was not toote for me to make amends. Now I regretted a whole lot of things that I had done.


    I regretted not realizing sooner that I could be the kind of man Amelia wanted, the kind of man I wanted myself to be right now. It turned out Amelia¡¯s demands were far from unreasonable after all.


    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Anton said with a hand on my arm. ¡°You look like you have a lot on your mind. Care to share?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about some things.¡±


    ¡°Things like what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯m suddenly beginning to realise that I can be Amelia¡¯s type of man because our marriage contract ends in about six weeks.¡± Saying it out loud somehow made it worse. I scrubbed a hand over my face. ¡°Damnit! That means I have just six weeks to make things right. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s even possible to repair all the damage I have done in the little time I have. I mean, what if Amelia isn¡¯t in to me anymore? It¡¯s possible and I wouldn¡¯t me her for it. I¡¯ve certainly messed up these past few months. Even you can attest to that.¡±


    Anton held up one hand then the other. ¡°And you¡¯re weighing the time you used in screwing things up with the time you have to make things right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Anton said without hesitation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much time you have left with Amelia. What matters most is the amount of effort you put in so you don¡¯t loose her.¡±


    There! Anton had just put his finger on my greatest fear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine loosing Amelia. Just the mere thought of the contract ending in a few short weeks drives me crazy. I start to ask myself how I will cope if Ie home and Amelia isn¡¯t there to smile at me, to wee me home.¡± A little smile curved my lips as I remembered that this was not always the case. A lot of times she got mad at me, although it was usually more of my fault than hers. ¡°Or to yell at me whenever I mess up. I would miss those times too. Oh and believe it or not she looks cute when she¡¯s mad and when she yells. But I really hate it when she cries.¡±


    ¡°Holy crow!¡± Anton eximed in mock horror. ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought. What has that therapist done to you? You just spilled a lot of sentimental stuff. What next? Are we to hold hands and hug now?¡±


    ¡°In your dreams,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you how I feel.¡±


    Anton patted me on my shoulder, causing me to spill my drink a little- purposely I presumed- from the mischievous glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on telling her how you feel and er- I think the best ce to start will be by proposing to her properly. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°My very thoughts. I¡¯m already making ns to propose to her.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. I will handle getting you the engagement and wedding rings. I know a really good jewelry store.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but I¡¯ve already ordered the rings myself. Once they arrive, I¡¯ll propose.¡±

 Chapter 123

    NOAH


    I stopped typing on myputer long enough to adjust the shirt I was wearing. I felt ufortable as I tugged the fabric, feeling unusually small in my shirt.


    I sighed, a deep, weary sigh.


    That was what came of a reduced appetite, worry, manyte nights of staying awake thinking of how best to get asting solution to all the problems I had been having. I made a mental note to myself to eat more and hit the gym before my enemies noticed my weight loss- if they hadn¡¯t already.


    I hoped they hadn¡¯t. There was nothing as aggravating as a well timed news headline to set the sharks at my door. Sitting here, I could just picture the sort of headlines those news vultures would print.


    BUSINESS MOGUL NOAH CARTER GOES TO PIECES FOLLOWING RUMOURS OF BANKRUPTCY.


    I clenched my fists, and found myself already getting worked up over the imaginary headline. Recently, a lot of news had been circting around me. I would be damned before they printed something like that about me, before-


    I frowned at the door of my office as a knock interrupted my thoughts. Who was it? My next appointment wasn¡¯t until five minutes. A secondter, my secretary poked her head around the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, sir,¡± she said with a nce at theputer on which my fingers were still poised. ¡°But the investment manager of Fidelity Investments is here to see you. Should I send him up?¡±


    What could he possibly want now? The man hadn¡¯t even called on phone to tell me he wasing.


    I despised him. He always had a pompous attitude like he had somehow established mypany for me. Of course, they invested hugely in my enterprise but I worked hard to get where I was.


    He was just an investment manager, snooping around and looking for where to direct hispany funds. Aplete nobody. His arrogance waspletely bewildering to me sometimes.


    ¡°Look, I have an appointment with someone else in-¡± I took a nce at my watch. ¡°Five minutes, almost four minutes now. You can tell the manager to go ande back some other time. Or maybe he can wait until I¡¯m done with my next appointment. Since he didn¡¯t bother to call me, I think he deserves to wait.¡±


    She shook her head regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he insisted on seeing you immediately. Whatever he wants to talk to you about seems rather urgent. I tried to dy him for some minutes, hoping he would leave but he kept demanding to see you.¡±


    I leaned back against my chair with another sigh. It seemed I was doing a lot of sighing these days. ¡°Fine then. Send him in.¡±


    I thought, before he came in, that it was just another shitty day with too many interruptions. The man had better have a damned good reason for barging in on me like this. Today was a really busy day for me and I couldn¡¯t deal with idle chitchat.


    Since my interview, I was hoping to double my work load, assuming that it would bring positive result to my revenue.


    So far, it wasn¡¯t really working but I was optimistic it would.


    The investment manager walked in a few secondster. I rose to shake his hand, and waved him into a chair.


    ¡°Mr. Smith, I really didn¡¯t expect to see you.¡± I said as he sat.


    He smiled but it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°I know. It¡¯s been a long time, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe thest time we met was when I closed that ShellySphere deal. Good old days.¡± I said and sat down.


    He cleared his throat, ignoring my weing joke and I knew he wanted to get straight to the point.


    ¡°There is something important I have to talk to you about,¡± he said, his voice and face grave. ¡°I would have called you to disclose the news or have had one of the investment portfolio managers schedule an appointment with you, but I¡¯m here because of the urgency of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Situation? What situation?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°There isn¡¯t a problem, is there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there is, Noah. Mypany, after a lot of deliberation, has decided to stop investing in yourpany. Even though we initially considered the move to be a bad idea, we are not the only ones who think you¡¯re sinking. We discussed it with the second investmentpany funding you, Prudential Financial. They agreed it was the only course of action to take at this time. Long story short, we have all decided to pull our funds.¡±


    I found myself rising to my feet with no recollection of having made a conscious decision to do so. His words were shocking to say the least. I felt like I was in some sort of bad, lucid dream. This couldn¡¯t be happening, could it?


    It was simply trapped in a trance, right? There was no way my biggest investment partners were ditching me. No way.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I croaked. ¡°This is some kind of prank or- or a joke. I mean, we¡¯ve had a good deal for years, haven¡¯t we? Come on, tell me you¡¯re here to pull my legs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it isn¡¯t a joke. I know this news is all rather sudden. The process ofpletely stopping cash inflow to yourpany will take a few days or maybe weeks depending on how coborative you are. I just thought it wise to inform you in person about thepany¡¯s decision in time since we are currently preventing yourpany from goingpletely bankrupt. Well, that is from our calctions.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I suddenly found myself begging. ¡°Please, you can¡¯t do this. You can¡¯t bail on me now, not at this time. I am not bankrupt now but I certainly will be if you decide to pull your funds from mypany. Is that- Is that what you really want to happen to mypany, apany you have already worked so hard to keep afloat all these years?¡±


    To my surprise and immense annoyance, the man chuckled. He actually chuckled! He was sitting there, telling me mypany would be practically bankrupt in a few days and he had the guts tough? I held onto my temper with a lot of effort.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to guilt trip me, Noah. This is business, purely business. There are no sentiments attached. Besides if you really cared about yourpany like you im you do, in the first ce, you wouldn¡¯t have been associating with the caliber of people who ruined your reputation-¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do I really need to call names? Let¡¯s start with the Monique scandal¡­¡± Yes, the Monique scandal had raised a bit of dust but I had managed it rather well. I told him so. He smiled wryly. ¡°The media and the inte never forgets. As a businessman, you should know that. And then there are the interviews you have been granting. They haven¡¯t done much to paint you in a very good light. Anyway-¡± His voice suddenly became brisk and businesslike. ¡°We all are channeling our funds to the city¡¯s amusement park project which will generate at least 2 million dors monthly. Oh and Mrs. Amelia Donovan¡¯s businesses are not left out. The turnover of her businesses is quite impressive so we¡¯ll be funding those as well. It¡¯s a win-win for her and for us.¡±


    I froze for almost a minute, a high-pitched sound ringing in my ears like I had been pped with a chair.


    Amelia?


    I didn¡¯t want to believe I heard him right.


    ¡°Did you just say Amelia?¡±


    He nodded casually. ¡°Yes.¡±


    This could not be happening. No.


    Again, Amelia at the core of my troubles. She was fueling everything that was going badly in my life. Anger slowly began to rece shock.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I ground out. ¡°I cannot believe that you are all pulling funds from mypany to invest in my ex-wife¡¯s businesses. Need I remind you that the sort of business she does cannot bepared to what I do? Her businesses are SME¡¯s at best. You can¡¯t possibly want to fund a business like that which still has a strong likelihood to fold up at any moment.¡±


    Before he could respond, I continued. ¡°Do I also need to remind you that she¡¯s a woman? You don¡¯t do business with a woman! That¡¯s the first rule ofw! She will sink you.¡±


    ¡°That will likely not happen. You speak of durability of businesses. Now how about you print out copies of thest revenue generated by yourpany and then exin how you paid your workers with that revenue. You underestimate Mrs. Donovan because she¡¯s a woman but you¡¯re not doing better than her. Her businesses are thriving, far better than yours. And wasn¡¯t it just few months ago she brought them one of your business branch? Again, provide evidence to show you¡¯ve been paying your workers with the revenue generated from thispany and we will consider keeping you on board.¡±


    My cor began to grow ufortably tight. I resisted the urge to adjust it. He would read it as a gesture of nervousness. I swallowed. How long had this creep and the others been snooping into my affairs?


    ¡°I have everything under control,¡± I stated, sounding as sure as I possibly could. ¡°I can pay my workers without having to exin where the funds came from. And if you really think Amelia is better than me, I want you to remember she fucked her way to the top. She would be nothing without her husband. I have everything under control!¡±


    ¡°Do you now? Mypany doesn¡¯t take affairs of business lightly, Noah, so I know a bit more than you think. For instance, I know you borrowed a lot of money from the bank and you are trying desperately hard to rescue your sinking business with part of the money.¡±


    ¡°That is not your business. That was a personal matter,pletely unrted to-¡±


    ¡°Oh but your business is my business- or was¡­ since we aren¡¯t going to be working with you anymore. And the money you borrowed was certainly rted to yourpany. And if you¡¯re going to sit here and spew sexist opinions, my humble opinion is that you also fuck your way to the top. It¡¯s not hard, is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Amelia wants you to think,¡± I said, torn between the idea of punching his face or punching the wall. ¡°She¡¯s feeding you lies about me. You¡¯re taking her bait without even considering my side. I¡¯ve worked with you for years! Years!¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know the sort of battle going on between you and your ex-wife but one thing is obvious. She has won.¡± He pushed to his feet. ¡°Mr. Noah, you¡¯re sinking and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll never recover. Now, If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have quite a number of other clients I have to see now.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smith, please wait.¡± I called after him as he turned on his heels to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s negotiate. There¡¯s got to be something we can do.¡±


    But he ignored me. Without a backward nce, he left my office taking all my chances at keeping mypany afloat with him.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I yelled.


    In one quick movement, I swept all the contents of my desk onto the floor, my chest rising and falling in anger.


    I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. Amelia had struck again and this was her final blow. What did I ever do to deserve this? What!Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I could picture her smile and her lips curving to whisper the words, ¡°Checkmate.¡± She was capable of doing that.


    Goosebumps masked my skin as I paced around the room, my mind hazy with thoughts.


    There was no way I could recover from thistest attack. Everything keeping mypany grounded was gone. With no more money and no investors, not even new ones, I would have to dere bankruptcy. Amelia had ruined me.

 Chapter 124

    AMELIA


    ¡°We¡¯ll see soon then, Mrs Donovan.¡±


    I blinked and once more, turned to focus on Engineer Sam who I had quite a lengthy meeting with. His team was hanging back a little, deeply engrossed in some conversation about the amusement park project.


    ¡°Yes of course,¡± I replied, with a nce at my watch. ¡°I have somewhere to be. Good bye.¡±


    I was barely focused during the meeting, my mind drifting to all the things in my schedule. There were several other things I needed to do.


    As I left the project site, I waved absently at Sam who walked off with his team as I dug out my phone to call Rose.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± she said when she picked up. ¡°Are you stopping over by the bakery today?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid not. Do you have your notepad with you?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°Good. I got a call some hours ago from the office of the CEO of Sharecare. He¡¯s celebrating the 10th year anniversary of hispany soon. He wants us to handle the cakes and the event in general. So what do you think?¡± Rose reeled out a couple of possible themes for the event, and gave suggestions on how we could spice things up. ¡°Good. Note down all you said and implement them. I¡¯ll call youter to check up on this.¡±


    I had barely ended the call and taken two steps forward before I was surrounded on both sides by two of my bodyguards.


    They always had the knack of seemingly materializing out of nowhere and of also being everywhere all at the same time. I felt more than a little irritated as they moved in sync with me. The taller one kept scanning the area like he was expecting a robber to leap out at me at any moment.


    I snorted. Fat chance of that happening!


    ¡°Madam?¡± the shorter guard said, looking down at me with a question in his eyes.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I murmured. When I reached my car, with my hand on the door handle, I hesitated. ¡°Actually there is something. I need to go to the mall to shop-¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be only too happy to escort you.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. That is the point. I want to go alone.¡± I paused to let that sink in, and watched them exchange a nce. ¡°You are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, ma¡¯am?¡± the taller one asked. ¡°It¡¯s our job to protect you and Mr Donovan will not be happy if he learns of this.¡±


    ¡°Keith, right? You¡¯re dismissed for the day.¡± I shifted from one foot to the other, already impatient. ¡°I need some time alone. Besides, I¡¯m not likely to get mugged on my solo trip to the mall, am I? I have to go now.¡±


    They nodded in unison, and stepped back like robots. I jumped into the car, and started the ignition before they could find something else to say.


    The more distance the car put between the bodyguards and I, the better I felt. I wound down the window, and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Being followed around all the time hadtely been feeling so¡­ suffocating, though I had to admit that it wasn¡¯t my bodyguard¡¯s fault. They were really very professional.


    It was irrational to have dismissed them even for a few hours without any form of backup. I knew that, but the only excuse I had was the pregnancy.


    With my hormones all over the ce, I found myself doing irrational stuff more and more often. I just hoped for all our sakes that I could get it together before Damian who was a pretty urate observer, detected I was pregnant. I had to be the one to tell him first or he would be convinced I was merely going to leave with his baby.


    About thirty minutester, I pulled into a parking space at the mall. I got out, and started walking towards the entrance, my mind going over what I was supposed to buy.


    I had barely taken ten steps toward the entrance when a voice called out to me.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    No shit! I knew that voice. That hated voice. He was thest person I wanted to see or talk to at this point.


    ¡°Amelia, please wait up.¡±


    I forced my legs to go faster. If only I could get into the mall, I could easily be lost in it¡¯s vastness. He would have a hard time locating me. And if he attempted anything, I would ask the security personnels to throw him out.


    ¡°Amelia, I¡¯m talking to you.¡± He continued. ¡°Just give me a moment.¡± He was gaining on me.


    Almost there. Just a little more now¡­


    Before I knew it, Noah caught up with me. He made a grab at my arm. With a snarl, I pushed him away.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I said angrily.


    ¡°I was just trying to get-¡±


    My eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡°Wait a minute! How are you even here? Are you stalking me now?¡±


    Noah gave a gasp of surprise that was almost believable. Almost but not quite. ¡°No I¡¯m not stalking you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So you somehow manage to conveniently show up at the moment when I¡¯m not with my bodyguards? How did you know that you would find me here at this particr time huh?¡±


    He opened his mouth, hesitated and spilled the truth. ¡°Fine. I followed you.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°But I did it out of desperation. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± He looked around, and took in the shoppers hurrying in and out of the mall. ¡°Look, can we go somewhere private to talk?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Noah, I would rather sweep the entire mall with a toothpick than go anywhere with you.¡±


    His lips turned down at the corners. Noah was sad, distraught and I knew why. The bottom had fallen out from under him now. He had no where else to run to, just me. Inwardly, I smiled. My n has worked to perfection.


    ¡°Amelia, please I need your help,¡± he said. ¡°I really do.¡±


    ¡°Oh you do? You didn¡¯t look like you needed it¡­ what was it now?¡± I pretended to think. ¡°Yes. a few days ago when you were ranting on TV. You seemed perfectly fine with throwing insults at me and my husband. You even threatened me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You know I had to do that.¡±


    ¡°I know no such thing.¡±


    ¡°I had to,¡± he insisted. ¡°With everything going against me, I had to find a way to put myself out there and paint the picture that I was fine, that things weren¡¯t as bad as they seemed. Come on, you¡¯re a businesswoman now. I assume you know how things work.¡±


    ¡°Fine then. Let¡¯s assume you really had to do all that. But why did you have to involve my husband and I in¡­ whatever it is you were saying? Couldn¡¯t you paint the perfect picture without me?¡±


    He sighed. Obviously, he didn¡¯t have anything to say in his defence. All he had spewed at the interviews was fueled by hate and spite. Nothing else. And so he reverted back to pleading.


    ¡°You have to help me, Amelia. Mypany is on the brink of ruin. If you don¡¯t step in now, if you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll loose everything.¡± He inched closer to me and I stepped back, careful to maintain a good distance between us. ¡°You¡¯re the only person that can help me right now. I¡¯ve invested everything I have to push myself up but it¡¯s not working out.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Well I really don¡¯t care, Noah. Find someone who does.¡±


    I turned on my heels to leave but his hand closed on my arm. I turned back to face him and shoved him backwards with all my strength.


    ¡°For thest time get your paws off me!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just a desperate man. Consider my plea, I beg of you. See, I¡¯m putting all my pride aside. I¡¯m at your mercy.¡±


    ¡°Noah, what do you want me to do? I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°We were once married, remember? Help me.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to guilt trip.¡± It wasical. ¡°You know what, tell me exactly what you want me to do. It¡¯s not my fault that your life is going downhill.¡±


    He swallowed. ¡°If you can¡¯t help me talk to the investors, you could lend me some money so my business can pick up.¡± I watched his eyes dart here and there as he racked his brain for a solution to his problems. ¡°Or you can invest in mypany. You coulde in as a partner. I¡¯ll work hard, really hard and you¡¯ll get returns on your investment. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°I chuckled. What do I have to do with your investors?¡±


    ¡°I know they¡¯re moving to you. I know you spoke with them. I know they¡¯re investing in your project. You can be my partner instead.¡±


    I shook my head from side to side. Slowly. ¡°That n of yours won¡¯t work, Noah Allen. I mean, why should I lend you money? My kids are going to inherit all my wealth. Every dime I will work for is for them.¡±


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he groaned. ¡°Please let¡¯s talk like two grown adults. We can help each other.¡±


    ¡°No we can¡¯t. Noah, we are done. Now let¡¯s look at it this way. Why should I invest in yourpany when my husband haspanies? He certainly wouldn¡¯t be a liability like you. As it is, you¡¯re practically a nobody at this point. You¡¯ve lost your respect in this city. You have no money, no charm and no reputation to speak of. No one would want to be associated with you now and I am definitely not remotely interested in helping you get your name out of the gutter. I wouldn¡¯t want to taint myself by association, you see. Thest thing I want to do is carry the Allen name.¡±


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°Oh? And what am I doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using my own words against me, the words I said to you the day I served you the divorce papers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I lied.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry for what I did to you. I regret everything that happened, the way I behaved towards you. Please forgive me and help me.¡± He lowered his head, an attempt to make me feel sorry for him. ¡°Lucy was the devil who ruined our marriage. I will never forgive her foring between us. I would have never betrayed you if she didn¡¯t deceive me. Amelia, I¡¯m saying the truth. Please help me.¡±


    I pretended to think about his request for a some seconds. Bold of him to me Lucy entirely for what happened to our marriage. He obviously thought I was gullible enough to believe him.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± I said in a tone like I had made a decision. ¡°If you want my help and money, go down on your knees and ask for it.¡±


    His face immediately tightened. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Good bye.¡±


    I turned to leave once more but stopped when he called my name.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he bit off. ¡°If that¡¯s what it¡¯s going to take, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    And right there in the parking lot, Noah reluctantly got down on his knees. I never thought I would see the day!


    I drew out the moment for as long as I could while he looked up at me, his face burning with humiliation. Some passerby¡¯s were staring at us, shocked to see him on his knees in the middle of the parking lot.


    ¡°Will you help me now?¡± he asked.


    I smiled coldly and leaned closer to him. ¡°My answer is no! Get out of my life and stay out.¡±


    With a wide smile on my face, I turned on my heel and walked away.

 Chapter 125

    AMELIA


    Noah got to his feet seconds after the initial surprise of my rejection had worn off. Luckily, I was already walking to the mall as fast as possible. When I looked back, I saw himing after me. I increased my pace but managed to get into the building with Noah right at my heels, his face as red as a tomato. Red with rage.


    ¡°Stop him,¡± I said to the first security personnel I saw. I pointed to Noah, who was quickly approaching the mall¡¯s entrance. That man is after me. He wants to cause a scene. Make sure he doesn¡¯t get in here. Quickly!¡±


    Thankfully, the security guard didn¡¯t ask any questions. He just nodded to his colleague on his other side. They hurried to Noah and intercepted him before he could get to the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t go in, sir,¡± the guard I had spoken to told him and turned back to nce at me. I nodded, indicating that I was content with their actions.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Noah was too busy staring at me even to notice that one of the guards had his hand on his sleeve. He tried to push past the guards, but they wouldn¡¯t let him budge.


    ¡°Get your hands off me,¡± he growled at them, his eyes burning with so much anger.


    ¡°I was telling you, sir, that you must leave,¡± the guard said. ¡°You can¡¯t go in.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I have to leave?¡± Noah barked. ¡°Out of my way! I need to see that woman. I will see her. What right do you have to stop me?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible.¡± One of them answered. ¡°We try to ensure a safe environment for everyone, but right now, you seem to be threatening that woman.¡±


    I waved at Noah and smiled. His jaw ticked, and he hit one of the guards on the chest.


    ¡°She¡¯s right there. Who the hell are you to tell me what¡¯s possible and what is not? Do you know who I am?¡±


    I sighed. Typical narcissistic Noah! Everyone had to crouch at his feet because he was somehow the King.


    The second guard gave the first an exasperated look. They both rounded Noah and began to back him out of the ce.


    Noah suddenly stopped and lunged at me. The guard¡¯s response was instantaneous. As one, they gripped each of his arms and refused to let go, no matter how much he shouted, raved, and cursed.


    ¡°Call them off now, bitch!¡± he kept shouting. ¡°Tell them to let me go.¡±


    As they half dragged him away, I smiled and waved at him again, taking special care to make sure that he saw me. His face reddened, and he let loose a vile string of curses that were enough to make a person¡¯s ears blister.


    When they had dragged him out of sight, I turned and went further into the mall. I found I was somewhat uneasy even though he had been dismissed. I quickly dug out my purse and called one of my bodyguards, who picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°I need you here, at the mall,¡± I said, my eyes involuntarily darting from ce to ce. ¡°Heroshe Mall. Please get here as soon as possible.¡±


    I felt stupid. What had I been thinking,ing here without at least one bodyguard? And then calling them after insisting I could take care of myself.


    I should have known that there was a strong chance of running into Noah or someone I really didn¡¯t want to interact with. And with what had just happened, I was pretty sure that he would be waiting outside the mall for me.


    Noah would wait till I exited the mall to strike, even if it was until the next day. I knew more than anyone how petty he could be, but more than that, he was also dangerous. He coulde up with the idea that the best way to get back at me for what I had done to him was to hurt me. Physically.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Mrs Donovan?¡± the bodyguard asked quietly over the phone, and I snapped back to reality.


    ¡°A man threatened me at the mall. I need you all toe quickly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right there,¡± he said, and the line went dead.


    I shook off my worried feeling and continued shopping, confident that backup was on its way. My bodyguards arrived just as I put thest item I wanted to buy into my shopping cart.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, Is he here?¡± one of them asked as he looked around. ¡°The man threatening you.¡±


    ¡°No- well, I don¡¯t know. Maybe he is about somewhere. Just keep a close lookout.¡±


    They nodded and apanied me to the counter to pay for my purchases.


    And then, it was just as I had expected.


    Noah was there waiting when we exited the mall and went to the parking lot. As soon as he set his eyes on me, he began to advance angrily, his fingers clenching and unclenching like he was practising how to wrap them around my throat.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± he yelled. ¡°You thought you were going to hide in there forever, huh? Now I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯ll teach you a damned good lesson.¡±


    Just as he broke into a run, my bodyguards advanced and cut him off. Noah had really lost his mind because any sane man would not publicly embarrass himself like he was. Only a man who had lost everything and wasn¡¯t scared of losing more would act like him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch me! Let me talk to her!¡± he yelled, utterly oblivious to the scene he was creating. ¡°You are nothing but a gold-digging bitch, Amelia. You hear me? Nothing but a nobody!¡±


    He went on and on in the same vein, calling me unprintable names, all the while trying to break free of the guard¡¯s hold on him as he cursed.


    It was pathetic to watch him making a fool of himself, but also rather satisfying in a way. I had never seen him so angry before, though. He had gone from red to almost purple with rage. If he were an older man, one would think he was about to have a stroke or a heart attack.


    ¡°Go home, Noah,¡± I cut in when he mentioned my mother. ¡°Go home and take a chill pill. My mother and I have done nothing wrong to you, have we? You can channel your anger into something else, maybe roller derby, since you want to be such a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Chill? I¡¯ll show you, chill!¡± he cried and actually tried to tackle my bodyguards. It wasical, especially since the shortest of them was his height.


    He was immediately wrestled to the ground, and I burst into unrestrainedughter. Pregnancy hormones were really doing a number on me.


    But I couldn¡¯t help it. One minute, he was standing and yelling; the next moment, he was lying t on his back, blinking up at the sky and me in a dazed sort of way.


    I heard voices, looked around and saw that quite a crowd had gathered. Lots of people were watching and also taking videos.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, madam,¡± I turned to see one of my bodyguards pointing at our car. ¡°We should leave before this gets out of hand.¡±


    I nodded, silently agreeing that it was the right time to go. Even though I wanted Noah to be humiliated so badly, I didn¡¯t want to end up on TV with him. I followed my bodyguards to the car.


    Just as they were about to drive away, something smashed into the windshield of my car, and I screamed.


    I opened my eyes to see a damaged windscreen. I gasped and stared in shock. Noah, reeling on his feet, his clothes dirtied and torn, had just thrown arge stone at my car.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± he shouted, shaking his fists at the sky. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, Amelia, even if it¡¯s thest thing I do.¡±


    At that moment, the mall¡¯s security personnel came running to intervene. They grabbed Noah and dragged him away just as my car shot forward.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡±


    I nodded even though I felt far from okay. I wrapped my arms around myself, goosebumps masking my skin a little. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Noah would resort to violence, but I was. The man was simply an asshole without trying so hard.


    As we drove home, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what would have happened if that stone had hit me instead. I supposed I had aggravated Noah much more than I thought.


    I scoffed at the memory of him getting down on his knees, foolishly believing I would forgive him because of hisme apologies. And then threatening to kill me less than an hourter.


    I came to the conclusion that he was just bluffing. Noah couldn¡¯t really harm me. I was too well protected.


    But those videos of us would circte online now or maybe soon. Noah, vengeful as he was, could use the videos against me. He could tell people that my bodyguards attacked him for no reason, to gain sympathy and, of course, to turn everyone against me. I had to use this incident against him before he could use it.


    But whose help could I enlist?


    ¡°Anton!¡± I eximed in my mind a momentter. I pulled out my phone and dialled him immediately.


    ¡°Well. Well. This is rather a pleasant surprise,¡± he answered, and I could picture him smiling.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if you called me often,¡± I replied and chuckled. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I need a favour from you-an urgent one.¡±


    Anton, due to his work and personality, was well-connected in the city. He knew many journalists and celebrity gossip talk show hosts, exactly the people I needed to put my n into action.


    ¡°Ah. This sounds serious. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    I briefly recounted the incident at the mall and my fears of what would happen if Noah were allowed to twist the facts to suit him.


    ¡°That¡¯s good thinking there, Amelia. Excellent thinking. You are right to call me because that is exactly the sort of thing that Noah would do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So what next? Do you think I should like¡­ grant an interview with a newspaper or a blog or something of that sort?¡±


    ¡°Umm. Well, something like that. I don¡¯t think you need to be interviewed personally. A good friend of mine runs a top-rated celebrity gossip show. He will be only too happy to do me a favour and get your story firsthand. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect,¡± I said without hesitation. ¡°I will text you every detail I want him to air on the show.¡±

 Chapter 126

    AMELIA


    I turned my head a little to get a good look at the wall clock and saw it was just a quarter past eight.


    Good. I nodded. The gossip show would start soon, and I was amped for it. I adjusted until I was veryfortable in my seat and took yet another bite of popcorn.


    On the big television, an ad for a new washing machine was being aired, and then my phone pinged, signalling that it was time for the show. I grabbed the remote and quickly changed the channel. Just as I did, the familiar soundtrack of the gossip talk show came on.


    The words ¡®STRAIGHT TALK WITH MILES¡¯ popped up on the screen in bold caps. The message grew more extensive and slowly faded into the background.


    What appeared next on the screen was a live studio in which was seated a tall, youngish man, very much like Anton in looks. I immediately recognized him as Anton¡¯s friend in the talk show biz, the one who was going to help me dig up dirt on Noah, the one who was to talk about Noah today on his show based on all the information I had given him. A smile stretched across my lips as a thrill of excitement shot through me.


    This was it. This was where Noah got served for what he had done. If Anton was right about his friend¡¯s capability -and I was pretty sure he was-then Noah would never be able to retaliate.


    I turned up the television volume just as Miles said, ¡°¡­ and wee to yet another episode of Straight Talk with Miles where we tell you of thetest happenings and give you thetest gossip, gossip that you wouldn¡¯t have heard anywhere else. I guarantee it.¡± Miles started to talk about a trendy A-list actress and the messy divorce she was undergoing.


    After a few minutes dedicated to this story, he waved his hand airily and said, ¡°Now enough about all that. Tonight, I will give you some insider information about someone who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.¡± I found myself leaning forward even though I could hear everything he was saying. This had to be the news feature on Noah. It had to.


    Miles smiled into the camera. ¡°Guess who it is. Guessed right? Well, it¡¯s none other than Noah Allen. Yes. You heard right. Right here on this show, you¡¯ll hear what you¡¯ve never heard about Noah before. I guarantee that every word you hear will be the truth and nothing but the truth. Stay tuned. We¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The television screen nked out, and an ad began ying. Munching on some popcorn, I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for the program to resume. It did after a couple of minutes.


    ¡°Wee back,¡± Miles said, his smile getting wider. ¡°Now, it would interest you viewers to note that contrary to what Mr Allen has been publicising, there are other¡­ reasons as to why Noah¡¯s marriage crashed. All the reasons he gave were not true. I have it from a good source that he divorced his wife, the now Mrs Donovan, because he thought she was barren. But in actual fact, reports have it that he was the sterile one. Sad right? Ironic right? And this is not even all. Not by half. Instead of seeking medical help just like any other man would do, Mr Allen has been going around attacking his ex-wife, calling her names online and offline, harassing her any chance he gets, inferring that she was the one incapable of bearing children. By the way, the ex-wife, Amelia, has never for oncee out to say something bad about him. In my opinion, that is being petty, really petty of him, don¡¯t you all agree? Let me see yourments. You know our social media handles, people. For those of you just joining the show, our handles are now disyed at the bottom of the screen.¡± He swiped through the tablet he had on hisp. ¡°Jane herepletely agrees with me, and so do other listeners.¡± Miles paused in his narration to read somements, all of which were against Noah and what he had done. I knew then that if the video of my bodyguards defending me from Noah resurfaced now, it would do me no harm. No one would support him with all his errorsid out bare for all the world to see. In fact, they would all use him of harassing me, which was basically what he had done.


    ¡°¡­ Lynn here says Noah has done so much bad.¡± Miles looked up from his tab and shook his head at the camera. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong there, Lynn. You don¡¯t know the half of it yet. Now, let¡¯s talk about Lucy, the one Noah left Amelia for. I also have it on record that Noah was still unable to get her pregnant, and that¡¯s what led to the end of the marriage. Who¡¯s the father of the child she was carrying, you say? Well, your guess is as good as mine, people. But if you ask me, I¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s Karma that came for Noah. He cheated on his ex-wife with her best friend, and the one he cheated with cheated on him right back.¡±


    Miles tsked and shook his head slowly from side to side. ¡°I guess it¡¯s no wonder that the man has been all over the cetely, behaving oddly and making usations that he can¡¯t prove. He¡¯s been acting all¡­ loco.¡± Miles pulled aical face of a crazy person that left me in stitches. I shook withughter, holding on to my sides when they began to ache a little.


    ¡°Let¡¯s also talk about his business, something the man takes great pride in.¡± Miles continued. ¡°The truth is that Noah Allen¡¯s business is sinking. He¡¯s been literally begging people to do business with him to save him from bankruptcy. So far, he¡¯s been unsessful. No investor thinks hispany is worth saving, especially given all the bad publicity he¡¯s been getting. At this point, I must give some kudos to Amelia for staying with such a man as Noah for all those years. I wished she could have even left him earlier. I mean, everyone can see how she almost immediately became sessful and popr after she married Damian Donovan. Now she¡¯s a household name, but she was under Noah¡¯s shadow when she was with him.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, all smiles. The show was great, and Miles was brilliant. I couldn¡¯t have wished for anything better. I wished I had thought of exposing Noah a long time ago, but somehow, this moment was perfect.


    As I was about to grab more popcorn, I heard footsteps and turned to see Damian walking towards me.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said. ¡°Wee.¡±


    To my surprise, he dropped his briefcase at my feet and hugged me tightly. After hesitating, I hugged him back warmly before letting go.


    ¡°Er- what¡¯s going on?¡± I queried. ¡°That hug was-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I had a really good day at work and missed you so much, so I had to hug you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I found myself blushing a little. It felt good to hear him say that he missed me.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± He pointed to the tray of snacks on the centre table. ¡°Did you invite someone?¡±


    I blushed and licked my lips. There were different snacks on the table, most of them half-eaten.


    ¡°I was a little hungry,¡± I admitted. ¡°And I was waiting for you so we could have dinner together. Hence, the snacks.¡±


    ¡°A little?¡± Damian raised one brow. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you are a little to me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve noticed you have been eating quite a lottely. Are you bored? I know most people binge eat when they¡¯re bored or depressed.¡±


    I felt my heart literally skip a beat at his words. I sat looking at him with a frozen smile on my face. Would he now immediately figure things out and realize the secret I had been keeping from him? He was smart, way too smart to notice something like this and not ask to probe further. He would find out the truth.


    Oh, but if he did, he would be so pissed. It would look like I had been lying to him all the time I had denied being pregnant. To my immense relief, he didn¡¯t say anything more, he just yfully chucked me under the chin.


    Iughed a little,ughter that sounded forced to my ears.


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± I said. ¡°I got a little bored waiting for you toe home, so I decided to eat a little. Oh, and by the way, I made your favourite.¡±


    ¡°My favourite?¡± He rubbed his hands together excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry already. Where¡¯s the food?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Certainly not here. Why don¡¯t you go and change? Before you¡¯re done, food will be served, and we¡¯ll have dinner together. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°A delicious idea,¡± he joked and nudged me yfully on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll change right away.¡± What had gotten into him?


    In one quick movement, he snatched up his briefcase and hurried upstairs to get changed. I stood up slowly, more than a little nervous.


    I couldn¡¯t keep this secret any longer. I had to tell him that I was carrying his baby, no matter the circumstances.


    ¡°It¡¯s tonight or never,¡± I muttered to myself.

 Chapter 127

    AMELIA


    With a slightly shaky hand, I pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at my sweaty brow. I had been taking deep, steady breaths for the past few minutes, but it had done nothing to alleviate my nervousness. I didn¡¯t think any woman had been this nervous to tell the father of his child that she was pregnant. Damian was unwittingly making my nervousness a hundred times worse the longer he stayed away. What was he still doing up there anyway?


    I straightened and straightened the cemats on the dining table for what felt like the umpteenth time. And then I heard his approaching footsteps and immediately stood straight.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the food?¡± Damian said cheerfully, standing just inside the door and looking around.


    ¡°In a- in a minute,¡± I said. ¡°I wanted you toe down first. I didn¡¯t want your food to get cold.¡±


    I stumbled into the kitchen and stumbled back out. My hands trembled so badly that I almost dropped a dish cover on Damian¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Sorry. Sorry,¡± I apologized as I caught it in time.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said.


    I was sure nothing like that would happen again, but just momentster, I identally tipped the ss of water over as I was about to sit down. I reached for it at the same time Damian did.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get it,¡± he said. ¡°You seem to be awfully clumsy tonight.¡±


    As he mopped up the spill with a napkin, he looked at me curiously.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked tentatively. ¡°You¡¯re acting all out of sorts today. You¡¯re not usually this¡­ unsettled. Is anything the matter?¡±


    Iughed a little. ¡°Clumsy, you mean? I¡¯m fine. Very fine. There is no problem at all.¡± I blurted. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not every day you get to spill your ex-husband¡¯s secrets on TV.¡±


    ¡°Really? What did you do?¡±


    I licked my lips and dug my fingers into my thighs, hoping it would make me feel less tense as I recounted what happened to him.


    When I finished, he was gawking at me with a mixture of awe and displeasure.


    ¡°You really did take a huge risk going after Noah like that at the mall. What if he had done something to hurt you?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Anyway, he got what he deserved, and I¡¯m sure he will stay away from you. He¡¯s already ruined, and nothing can save him.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Anton¡¯s friend really outdid himself. I¡¯m so tired of being the bigger person. Noah deserves to be hurt for everything he has done.¡±


    He nodded, taking my exnation, and then he began eating. The anxiety settled immediately, almost like it was waiting for our conversation to end.


    I managed to take a spoonful of my meal. It stuck in my throat like sawdust, not going up oring down. After chasing down the lump with arge swallow of water, I pushed the food around on my te. My appetite had flown out the window the moment I decided to tell Damian about the pregnancy, and it showed no signs of returning.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± I blinked, a little startled to see Damian¡¯s hand on my arm. ¡°You looked like you were lost in thought. I was telling you the meal is delicious. As always.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. It¡¯s your favourite, so I took extra care in making it.¡±


    Damian nodded, sparing me a suspicious nce before devouring his meal again. I slowly took out the pregnancy test report that I had put in my purse, which was sitting on the ground next to me. I agitatedly tapped the test result against my thigh under the table.


    I could not afford to stall anymore. I had to take the bull by the horns and tell Damian. But how? How could I break such news to him when he was dead set against having kids? The situation alone was enough to drive one crazy. And I was definitely losing my mind.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but Damian¡¯s hand fell on my arm.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± he said quietly.


    My heart stopped for a second and restarted.


    What was he sure of? Had he found out somehow?


    ¡°What are you¡­ talking about?¡± I asked, keeping my tone light.


    ¡°I am sure that something is bothering you. Since I walked through the door this evening, it has been obvious that something is off.¡± He dropped his fork into his te with a tter. ¡°Now out with it. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said softly. ¡°Tell me what it is. I¡¯m all ears.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°First off, I don¡¯t want you to freak out with what I¡¯m about to tell you. I know that you¡¯ll probably hate me after this, but I¡¯ve been dying to tell you the truth. Despite what you may think, I only found out right after you asked me about it. I did not lie to you. You have to believe me. I didn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°Amelia, you are getting me all worried now. What is it? Talk to me. Please. Whatever it is, I can take it.¡±


    I took in another breath. I wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to take it.


    Damn! This was even harder than I thought. At this point, words failed me. I knew that if I opened my mouth to exin again, I would end up rambling. I pulled out my hand from under the table and held out the folded sheets of paper to him. He frowned at it, then at me.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he said.


    ¡°Open it,¡± I said breathlessly.


    I watched his fingers unfold the paper, and his eyes roamed the paper, scanning its contents. When he reached the end, he remained very still, and his eyes bulged out with shock.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re pregnant?¡± he asked. It sounded like a question but was also an unbelievable statement.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed. ¡°I am. I know you don¡¯t want a baby. I know this, but I badly want to keep this baby. I cannot lie-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant? Actually pregnant?¡± he repeated. He was obviously still in shock, trying to process what I had just told him. He didn¡¯t sound angry. Yet. But he would be right after he realized what it meant. ¡°You mean¡­ I¡¯m going to be a father?¡±


    ¡°Damian-¡±


    He slowly rose to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a father!¡± he eximed.


    I watched him with some trepidation. This was not at all how I had envisioned this moment or believed his initial reaction would be. Now, I couldn¡¯t tell if he was happy or upset.


    I wished he would juste out with it so I could know the worst I was to face. The suspense was killing me. As I watched him, I noticed his expression began to change as he paced.


    Perhaps he was beginning to realize the implications of me getting pregnant. Any moment now and the row would begin. I shrunk in on myself, waiting for an explosion that never came.


    Damian¡¯s eyes glistened with unshed tears as he closed the distance between us and went down on one knee before me. What was happening?


    ¡°I also want to tell you something,¡± he said in a voice made gruff by emotion. ¡°In my office three weeks ago, while I was deep in thought, I realized that I had everything I had ever wanted. Do you know what else I realized?¡±


    Initially, I didn¡¯t respond, obviously swept away by shock. But when I finally snapped back to reality, I shook my head slowly. ¡°No. What? What did you realize?¡±


    A part of me screamed the answer: He had gotten his uncle¡¯spany and everything he wanted, so he didn¡¯t need me anymore. Our contract woulde to an end, and I would never see him again.


    But those words never came from him. Instead, he took my hand and caressed it gently.


    ¡°I realized that I felt that way because of you, only because of you.¡± He admitted.


    Damian¡¯s face blurred, then doubled and tripled. I quickly blinked back, the tears pooling in my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really¡­ understand,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that several times, I have imagineding home to this big house if you leave. I imagined going back to my old routine before I met you. All I could think was that I would return to a silent,rge, cold house. It would not be home anymore.¡±


    ¡°Damian, what are you saying?¡± I choked, tears streaming down my eyes.


    This wasn¡¯t real. This was just a dream or a hallucination. None of these would happen in real life. None.


    But his voice made it real, and the sincerity in his eyes reached my soul.


    He shifted closer to me, still on his knees. His voice was low and honest. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re the home I have been trying to find my entire life, the peace I thought I could never have. You are my home.¡±


    ¡°Then why did it take you so long to realize this?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been too independent for too long. I tried so so hard to convince myself that you deserve someone better than me, which you do, but when you were going to leave me, within a few weeks of therapy, I realized something else that changed my entire perspective.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My voice was barely audible now.


    ¡°I can be that man, the one you deserve.¡± He tenderly took my hand and ced it on my stomach. ¡°I mean every word I¡¯m saying. I can be the kind of man who will love and appreciate you, the one who will be by your side forever, worshipping you for the rest of our lives. You¡¯ve made me be the most loyal and romantic person. And I don¡¯t regret it all. This is the man I was born to be.¡±


    Covering my face with my hands, I sobbed. I bit my lip to keep myself from t-out bawling. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I spent all this time hiding the truth from you, scared that you¡¯ll ask me to get rid of the baby.¡± My body trembled as I cried, too many emotions jolting through me. It was.. overwhelming. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never love me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He looked up at me, his eyes soft with unshed tears. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t me you at all if you hate me already. I have been despicable, more than despicable, in what I have done and what I have said to you. Still, I want you to know that you have changed me in more ways than I thought possible. Sometimes, I can¡¯t recognize myself, the new and better version of myself that I¡¯ve be thanks to you. You have given me a reason to strive to be better, to find joy in this life.¡±


    And then it broke- the wall I had erected over my emotions. I cried out, my hands on my belly as the sob ripped through me. Damian put his arms around me and held me to him tightly.


    ¡°I know I have been selfish. I was a coward when I met you, too scared tomit to the best thing that had happened to me because of my ego and past. But I should have thought of you, of us, and of the future we could possibly have. Even if you don¡¯t want to be with me any longer, all I want is for you to be happy and-¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± I wiped my face. ¡°You know very well I can take care of this baby alone, that I can live without you.¡± His face saddened. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ve tried to stop loving you many times, but I couldn¡¯t stop. I guess my heart is stubborn.¡±


    He cupped my face, searching my gaze with delicate eyes. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be my wife for real this time?¡±


    Through tears, I nodded, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Amelia,¡± he said, his voice muffled by his face in my hair. ¡°I promise to love you always. I will make you happy for the rest of your life. It¡¯s all I will ever do. I love you.¡±


    He vowed with all his heart, and I knew it; I felt it. Taking me into his arms, he kissed me with all the passion of a lifetime and the promises of forever.


    When he finally pulled away, he pressed his hand gently on my belly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that we are going to have a baby together, a tiny miniature of you¡­ and of me.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m happy too. You¡¯re going to be a wonderful father. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

 Chapter 128

    DAMIAN


    I looked up the stairs, checking to see if she was heading down the stairs. She wasn¡¯t. Not yet.


    What a surprise she would get tonight, I thought.


    With what was no doubt a goofy smile on my face, I touched the ring safely nestling in a box deep in the linings of my pocket. It felt like lead was there, a pound of it. I felt my smile slip a little bit as I thought of what this night would bring. I was nervous as hell about proposing to Amelia even though I was entirely sure that she would not refuse me. I wanted to do it right. I wanted the moment to be perfect for the both of us. Sighing, I willed my lips to speak the right words when the time came to dere my love for her, to ask her to marry me.


    Perhaps a simple ¡®I love you. Will you marry me?¡¯ would be best.


    Or not. The direct approach wasn¡¯t always the best, especially in romantic situations.


    ¡°What are you shaking your head for?¡± Amelia asked in a voice I could detect the humour in.


    I raised my head to look and then just¡­ stared. Damn but she was beautiful. Drop dead gorgeous. So beautiful that for one long moment, she literally took my breath away. I had to consciously tell myself to breathe.


    The ck strapless gown she wore fit her curves to perfection. The diamond choker called attention to the hint of cleavage she was showing and the highlights in her hair. She looked as though she had stepped right out of the pages of a fashion magazine.


    Smiling at me, she continueding slowly down the stairs.


    ¡°It looked like you were having a conversation with yourself right there,¡± she said. ¡°What was it about?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that.¡± I caught her hand in mine as she came down thest stair. I pressed her hand to my lips, kissed it until pretty spots of colour rose in her cheeks. ¡°You look exquisite. You must be the most beautiful woman in the world. You have to be.¡±


    Her giggle was a melodious sound that warmed the blood in my veins.


    ¡°Ohe now, Damian. You know¡­ we both know that you are ttering me.¡±


    ¡°I know no such thing. I¡¯m saying what I see, and what I¡¯m seeing is perfection.¡±


    I stepped aside, leaving her path to the door clear. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes please.¡± She mimed fanning herself with her clutch purse. ¡°If I stay here for much longer, I think I will spontaneouslybust from your excessive praise.¡±


    With Amelia¡¯s arm in mine, I walked her to the car.


    The restaurant I had chosen for our date was about twenty minutes drive from the house. It was a really good one, a plush one if I did say so myself. Amelia was quite the expert on all things food so I had also chosen the ce for it¡¯s unmatched cuisine. The chef was said to be the best in the city. From the taste of the food I had beforeing here, there was no reason to doubt that conclusion.


    Amelia¡¯s hand tightened on my arm just as we were walking through the door of the restaurant. I turned to see what had got her hesitating.


    ¡°Is the ce closed?¡± Amelia asked as she looked around the ce. ¡°There is no-one else here but us. Don¡¯t they have any more customers?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that.¡±


    She whipped around to stare at me. ¡°Why is it empty? Did you do something?¡±


    I patted her hand. ¡°I do. I booked the entire restaurant for this evening. I wanted it just to be for the two of us tonight, no distractions. Just us and some of the restaurant staff of course. We can¡¯t serve ourselves now, can we?¡±


    Sheughed. I noticed her eyes begining to glisten a little. She sniffed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling so emotional. Pregnancy hormones should also have a hand in this too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m incredibly romantic.¡±


    ¡°You wish,¡± she joked.


    ¡°Now let the evening begin.¡± I dashed foward to pull out the chair for her when she was going to sit.


    She thanked me with a smile. ¡°Are you going to pamper me like this all evening?¡±


    ¡°Not all evening.¡±


    She raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°All your life, I n on doing this.¡±


    In my eyes were all the promises I wanted to make to her, all the promises that I meant to keep. I was sure she saw it too. The attraction crackled between us like electricity in the air and then the moment passed when a shadow fell on us.


    ¡°Sir. Madam,¡± said the waiter who was dressed in an immacte white shirt and bow tie. ¡°Wee. Are you ready to order now?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Amelia said, stirring a little. ¡°What do you rmend?¡±


    Several minutester, our food was served. She made a face as she sipped the mineral water she was having.


    ¡°No wine for you, sweetheart,¡± I teased. ¡°At least not until our baby is born.¡±


    ¡°Our baby.¡± She sighed happily. ¡°I like the sound of that.¡±


    Talking with Amelia was as easy as always. The time spent over dinner passed enjoyably.


    While she was in the middle of telling me about what she had been working ontely, I turned a little to give a prearranged signal one of the waiters who had been standing at a spot where he wouldn¡¯t be easily noticed but could be called on. He nodded, turned on his heel and left.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you want him to do?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°To bring more food? Call him back. I can¡¯t manage to eat another bite.¡±


    ¡°Who says it¡¯s about food?¡± I held out a hand to her as the first strains of soft, romantic music came wafting out of hidden speakers. ¡°I just gave him a cue. It¡¯s time to dance.¡±


    ¡°Dance?¡± She slowly stood up but still looked around self consciously. ¡°We¡¯re in a restaurant, Damian, not on a dance floor.¡±


    I waved my arm to epass the room. All the chairs and tables had been arranged to one side, leaving a big space in the centre of the room.


    ¡°You forget¡­ I booked this ce for just us. So we can dance.¡±


    Amelia murmured something that sounded like ¡®romantic¡¯ as she rested her head on my shoulder. My arms went around her. I swayed to the music, her body moving in time with mine. A few minutes and the song changed.


    ¡°My favourite,¡± Amelia cried, her head snapping up to look at me with delight.


    ¡°I know. I gave them a list of songs to y. I wanted to make this night really special for you.¡±


    ¡°It is special. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been this happy. Well except for the time you said you wanted me to keep the baby,¡± she added after some thought.


    I gave her a twirl across the dance floor, held her to me again. ¡°Well, that now we are talking about how we feel, I¡¯lle clean. My therapist says it¡¯s best if I keep baring myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Please do. I¡¯ll like that very much. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve always wanted you to do.¡±


    I took in a deep, audible breath. ¡°Okay then. Here it goes. The truth is that I am a bit scared of the next step of our rtionship. It¡¯s like I¡¯m about to walk through uncharted waters. I feel that way mostly because I want to be perfect for you.¡±


    ¡°Perfect? I don¡¯t want perfection. Damian, I¡¯m not perfect either. All I need is you and true love. That¡¯s all. I want you with all your shorings, all your ws. Together, we¡¯ll make ourselves better.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You stole my line.¡±


    She blinked in some confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was about to say something simr,¡± I exined. ¡°But you just said it so I¡¯ll say this instead.¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡±


    But I had already gotten down on one knee. There was a pretty awkward moment when the ring box for some reason got stuck in the lining of my pocket, but then I got it out.


    Her reaction to the sight of the ring was everything I had expected. It was lovely to see the way her face lighted up. I knew I had made the perfect choice.


    ¡°Marry me, Amelia,¡± I said. ¡°I love you so much that I can¡¯t imagine life with someone else. Would do me the honour of properly bing my wife? Not a contract wife this time, but a real one.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes,¡± she said, holding out her finger so I could slip the ring on it. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    Again when she hugged me, I felt like my heart would burst with happiness.


    And there I was, my lifeplete, everything I had wanted and never thought I could have right there in my arms.

 Chapter 129

    THREE MONTHS LATER


    Noah¡¯s head throbbed. It banged like the world¡¯s noisest drummers were having a nonstop concert in it. His eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of their sockets as he walked-no- stumbled his way out of the bar he had been getting wasted in for hours.


    ¡°Out of my way, you,¡± Noah growled, shoving someone out of his way.


    ¡°What the- Watch where you¡¯re going,¡± the man he had pushed shouted. ¡°Such a fucking asshole.¡±


    If only everything wasn¡¯t spinning so fast, Noah would have gone back to nt his fist in that asshole¡¯s face. It might have made him feel slightly better, hurting someone.


    Hate burned within him. He hated his life. He hated this noisy, shitty bar he had chosen to get drunk in. He hated every freaking thing.


    Eager to get some fresh air, Noah hastened his steps the closer he got to the door. He had just gotten outside when he  lost his footing and-


    THUD!


    He fell on his face, gasping for breath, inhaling the smell of dust on the cold floor.


    ¡°Look! It¡¯s Noah Allen!¡± someone yelled.


    And in a sh, reporters swamped Noah just as he began to shakily get to his feet. They were nothing more than a flock of damned vultures, Noah thought as he watched them surround him.


    Vultures, sensing weakness and closing in for the kill. Vultures with shing lights, cameras, phones, microphones which they were getting ready to shove into his face the first chance they got. And shove it they did. The questions starteding like a flood as their cameras shed and whirled while a bunch of lookie-loos stood and gawked at the scene.


    ¡°Mr Allen,¡± shouted a reporter who wanted to be heard over the others. ¡°Is it true that yourpany is now bankrupt?¡±


    With barely a split second¡¯s pause, the next question came from another.


    ¡°Rumours have it that you are on the verge of dering bankruptcy. Can you confirm or deny this?¡±


    ¡°Have your investors really pulled out?¡±


    ¡°What other options will you explore to get yourpany back on it¡¯s feet if the rumours are true?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could have done something to stop your supposedly downward spiral?¡± a nerdy looking reporter asked, pushing his rimless sses up his sweaty nose.


    Downward spiral. He¡¯d show them a bloody downward spiral, Noah thought. No. He was drunk. A part of his brain knew that. His first priority was getting out of here, out of the reach of this media circus. The ground still felt like it was shifting beneath his feet as Noah shoved reporters out of his way as he staggered to his car. But did they leave him alone? Hell no!


    They dogged his footsteps. One of them, more excitable than the rest, maybe eager to get a notable mention in that evening¡¯s news, rushed forward, nted himself in front of Noah and said, ¡°Mr Allen, tell us, do you regret wrecking and ending your marriage to Amelia?¡±


    Amelia! That was it!


    The name of his ex-wife was potent enough to prate the fumes of alcohol clouding Noah¡¯s brain. His fury spiked to an insane high. He saw the reporter who had asked the question through a haze of red. With a growl of rage, he smashed the bottle of booze he  had been gripping on his car. The bottle shattered, spilling ss and liquid everywhere.


    The overeager reporter, perhaps reading the murderous intent in Noah¡¯s eyes slowly began to back away. Noah charged at him like a bull, the jagged tip of the bottle held out in front of him. It sank into the reporter¡¯s stomach. There were shocked, panicked gasps from the crowd.


    ¡°That will teach you, you nosy piece of shit!¡± Noah gibbered at the reporter down on his knees, clutching his bleeding stomach. ¡°That will teach all of you!¡±


    Before Noah could pull the weapon out of the wound, he was conscious of feeling a draught of air around him. He looked around to see that the reporters had all fled to a safe distance, out of his reach.


    Noah shoved his hands into his pockets, and pulled out his key. He really needed to get out of here. His fingers slipped on the keys as he struggled to press the button that would unlock the door of his car.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    As he struggled, he could hear panicked voices. People were calling the police, an ambnce, anything that could help the man he had stabbed.


    He knew it a few minutes that the entire area would be swamped with policemen. And even if he did manage to escape them, his brutality was captured on camera. They woulde after him.


    But he had nothing to lose, he thought. He had lost it all, hadn¡¯t it? What else could he fight to protect in his life?


    He managed to unlock his door and just as he was about to get in, he heard the siren of police cars.


    ¡°Hey! Freeze! Police,¡± someone cried.


    In a thrice, Noah had been surrounded by the police. The next moment, he was wrestled to the ground while the broken bottle was wrenched out of his grip.


    ¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± said an officer. ¡°Anything you say-¡±


    ¡°No. No. No,¡± Noah croaked, shaking his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Just a few seconds ago, he thought he didn¡¯t have anything to lose. But being handcuffed somehow jolted him back to reality.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to stab him,¡± he begged. They ignored his pleas and pushed him into a car and drove him away. ¡°Please, I didn¡¯t want to hurt him.¡±


    He kept saying this even when he was bundled into the police station. The police officers who brought him in had a conversation amongst themselves, and then with others through the phone when they got there.


    ¡°You,¡± sneered the officer who took Noah to a cell and locked him in. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you are being locked up for bail. Thank your lucky stars that the man you stabbed survived. If he hadn¡¯t, you would have been thinking of doing jail time now. Years in jail time.¡±


    ¡°He survived?¡± Noah asked breathlessly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The officer hissed. ¡°You stabbed a fucking journalist. Are you crazy?¡±


    Noah shook his head and sank to the ground. The hours passed with Noah hunkered down in one corner of his cell and with no one to bail him out. He was still too drunk to think for himself, too drunk to n his next course of action.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a sorrier sight than that?¡± the policeman who had locked him in asked one of his colleagues as he jerked his chin in Noah¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have, Mark,¡± his colleague answered with a slight shake of the head. ¡°He looks like a whipped dog.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. No one has evene forward to bail him out,¡± another chipped in. ¡°No one seems to care about him now.¡±


    ¡°I just keep asking myself everyday how the mighty Noah Allen fell from grace. He¡¯s practically nothing now.¡± Mark exhaled. ¡°I used to envy men like him but it just seems they are all twisted. Their lives are nothing more but an endless cycle of misery.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should judge others based on him,¡± one of them chuckled. ¡°That one is nothing already.¡±


    ¡°Less than nothing,¡± another officer corrected as he walked over to join in the conversation. ¡°I heard on the news that most of his workers have resigned. It was after hispany went under that he took to drinking.¡± He shook his head pityingly. ¡°Such a damn shame, a man like that, going to waste.¡±


    They all turned to look at Noah, pity and shame gleaming in their eyes.


    More hours passed. Still no one came by the police station to bail Noah out or even to enquire about him. The officer who had locked him in, who also happened to be on night duty, finally approached his cell with a mixture of pity and slight disgust.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he called. Noah¡¯s head snapped up. He had more or less sobered up by this time. He had been weeping quietly in his corner. ¡°Hey no one hase to get you out of here. If you have enough money to bail yourself out, you can do so.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah sighed.


    The officer frowned, perplexed. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to- What are you even saying? You want to stay locked up in there?¡±


    ¡°In here. Yes.¡± Noah nodded while the shocked officer just gaped at him, thinking Noah still had to be drunk to have made such a statement. ¡°I know what I¡¯m saying,¡± Noah said, guessing the officer¡¯s thoughts. ¡°At least here, in this cell, there won¡¯t be reporters flocking around me like a bunch of crows. In here, people won¡¯t keep pointing fingers at me wherever I go shouting ¡®Here goes Noah, the drunk former golden boy of this city, now down on his fucking luck.¡± Noah pulled himself to his feet by holding the bars, and gave a bitter, shakyugh. ¡°Look at me now. Know what I had always wanted so badly, officer?¡±


    The man shook his head.


    ¡°Kids,¡± Noah said. ¡°Children. I wanted them desperately. I wanted to have them so when I was gone there would be people, versions of me, who would inherit all the wealth I worked so hard to acquire. I wanted them to push my name. To tell the fucking world that I was the greatest man to exist in our time. Now look at me. I have nothing left, absolutely nothing. No children and no wealth. Ironic, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s like life is ying cruel tricks on me. Or no. No. I have to say the truth now. I¡¯ve been the one sabotaging myself all this time. I¡¯m only just realizing it. Want to know something else? What I regret the most?¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± said the policeman quietly, slightly invested in his pity story.


    ¡°I regret cheating on Amelia. I curse the day I took that dumb decision.¡± He impatiently wiped off the tears trickling down his face. ¡°I wish I could turn back time. I really told myself that hurting her would have no consequences. That life wasn¡¯t the movies and¡­and I would be happy with Lucy. My life wouldn¡¯t be such a mess as it is right now if I didn¡¯t ruin our marriage. She turned her grief to vengeance and destroyed everything. Now¡­ I¡¯m finished.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± the policeman mumbled sympathetically. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to turn your life back around. Hey, I¡¯ve seen people fall but they get up. You can do that.¡±


    Noah shook his head sadly. ¡°It¡¯s toote for me, here in this city at least. If I ever get out of this cell, I¡¯ll leave the city. I¡¯ll go somewhere else, somewhere far away where I can try to start afresh but I doubt I can even make it.¡± He chuckled again. ¡°I¡¯m a pathetic failure. That¡¯s what I am.¡±

 Chapter 130

    THREE MONTHS LATER


    DAMIAN


    ¡°Oh,e on!¡± I muttered to myself as, for what felt like the umpteenth time, my fingers slipped on my silk tie.


    I had tied knots, dozens, even hundreds of times before. But this time, I couldn¡¯t even manage to tie a decent one.


    I knew what the problem was, though. Apart from the fact that my hands were sweaty, I was anxious and nervous. Seeing as I had gotten wedded once before, one would have thought that I was used to the whole process by now. This time was the first time, in a way, the first phase of my new beginning with Amelia.


    ¡°My wife,¡± I said aloud, pausing to stare at my reflection in the mirror. A smile lifted the corners of my mouth.


    The word ¡®wife¡¯ did have a nice ring to it. Amelia was still technically my wife, but today, she became mine for real, not only in name. And it wasn¡¯t like our first wedding, which concluded in minutes and was void of any emotions.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I flinched a little and turned to the door, then shot an irritated look at Anton, who had just popped into the room like some annoying jack-in-the-box dressed in a natty dark blue suit with slicked-back hair. The half-made knot on my tiepletely unravelled, and I was back to square A.


    Iined, ¡°You just ruined a perfectly good knot in the making.¡±


    Anton,ughing, shut the door behind him. ¡°It was not a perfectly good thing. It looked like you were trying to tie your shoces, not your tie. You have been a long time in here, though. What gives?¡± He stopped to give me a once-over. And you look nervous as hell. What¡¯s the matter, man? Are you scared of the priest or maybe how many hundred guests you¡¯ve got waiting back there?¡±


    I chuckled, which was good becauseughing a little helped relieve some of my tension.


    ¡°Well, you would be the same way, probably-no-certainly even worse if you were in my shoes. After all, it¡¯s not every day one gets to marry the love of his life. At least for real this time,¡± I added in an undertone.


    ¡°What? Thest time was a fake?¡± Anton gasped in mock horror. ¡°I would never have imagined that of you, Damian. Bad, bad, boy!¡±


    I shook my head. The man was a clown, but I was d of it this time. Now, I was more or less my old self. He somehow knew how to calm me down, even without making an impression that he was trying to do so. My fingers inched up to my neck as I resumed the process of knotting my tie.


    Anton¡¯s fingers beat me to it. ¡°Hold still. Let me help with that. Looks like you¡¯re trying to strangle yourself with it.¡± He smirked. ¡°It would be a shame if you died just a few minutes before your wedding. You wouldn¡¯t want to traumatise your wife.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy,¡± I said as his nimble fingers moved around my throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m doing it just this one time. Soon, Amelia will be doing this for you. It¡¯s the sort of thing wives do to perfection.¡±


    ¡°Have you been watching those romance sis?¡± I teased. ¡°But on a more serious note, Anton. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°For this? Come on, it was nothing.¡±


    Afterpleting his task, he tapped my chest and stepped back to survey his handwork.


    ¡°Not for this¡­ obviously,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for sticking with me for so long. Not many people could have understood me or handled my mood changes the way you did. You were kind and patient with me, and I really appreciate that. Oh!¡± I eximed as though suddenly remembering something else. ¡°How can I forget to also thank you for doing a shitty job as an adviser when it concerned Amelia. Really, I am d you did a shitty job.¡±


    Antonughed. ¡°Well, that makes two of us. If I had not been such a terrible adviser, I would probably never have met Queenie. But I did try my best. You were just too stubborn to listen to me. I don¡¯t know why you needed an adviser in the first ce when you would already make up your mind on everything. It¡¯s one thing you have inmon with my Queenie.¡±


    Anton¡¯s eyes got that longing, faraway look they always did whenever Queenie was mentioned.


    ¡°She is the best,¡± he said half to himself.


    ¡°So she must be,¡± I teased, then grew serious. ¡°Listen, Anton. You¡¯ve given me a lot of advice over the years. I think it¡¯s time I returned the favour. You now finally have a chance with a good woman. You have to do everything in your power not to let her slip away because, trust me, the real thing is hard to find. That¡¯s one of the reasons I¡¯m d I¡¯ve got Amelia. You, my friend, have to make sure you don¡¯t mess it up because no amount of money or sex will ever make you truly happy. Whether you like it or not, whether you are conscious of it or not, your heart will always yearn for true love. Without it, you will feel¡­ empty. Without it, you will die without feeling how great it is to give your heart to someone else, for them to nourish and love you. Without it, you¡¯ll be nothing. Take it from someone who knows.¡±


    Anton nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, Damian. I won¡¯t mess this one up.¡± He rubbed his jaw. I just hope Queenie will ept the man I am.¡±


    ¡°When you love someone, the man you are may not be enough. You¡¯ll have to do better to win her heart. You¡¯ll have to let go of those terrible habits that could hurt her. It would be best if you tried to give her nothing but the best version of you. That¡¯s the only eptable thing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m hearing this from you,¡± he chuckled. I¡¯m d you¡¯re here for me, and trust me, I¡¯ll need your wise words often.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He moved in about the same time I did, and I gave him a brief hug.


    He pulled away and pped my back. Hard enough to hurt. The solemn Anton was gone. Mischievous Anton was back.


    ¡°Right!¡± he said, grinning from ear to ear and practically skipping on his feet. ¡°Everyone is waiting. Let¡¯s get a move on. It will be rude if your bride gets there before you.¡±


    ******************


    I stood there, gaze fixed on the very end of the pew, as I waited. The familiar strains of the wedding march started up.


    And then, there she was.


    Amelia dressed all in white, looked like a fairy princess, and she radiated brightly, a glowing from inside her. At her side was Dorothy, looking proud and happy. Everyone stood up at once as my bride, my wife, walked down the aisle.


    I felt tears, happy tears, sting my eyes. I really wasn¡¯t all panicked about wiping them off as I would have been a while ago. They were a sign of strength, not weakness. Like it was yesterday,  I remembered how I had found her, alone and heartbroken. Yet she had somehow healed my own heart. My gaze drifted to her baby bump. Soon, we would be three. My life was perfect.


    The bishop¡¯s sonorous voice boomed as Amelia came to stand beside me. ¡°We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Damian and Amelia. Marriage is¡­¡±


    I lost track of the bishop¡¯s words as I stared at her perfect face. When it was time to say the wedding vows, I said them with every fibre of my being, meaning every single word.


    ¡°I choose you and promise to choose you as my wife every day we wake. I will love you in word and deed. I willugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all of life¡¯s adventures is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don¡¯t yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself the good, the bad, and the yet-toe. I¡¯m madly in love with you, my wife. Not only do I promise that my love for you will grow with each day, but I promise to be your friend and partner every step of the way. I will be there for you, day or night, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I trust, appreciate, cherish, and respect you. I promise to share my hopes and dreams with you as we build our lives together. I promise to put you first every time. You, my love, are my everything.¡±


    This time, unfamiliar feelings swamped me, and emotions I could not describe coursed through my heart as I finished my vows. Yet, I was sure of one thing: I meant every word I¡¯d told her and every promise to Amelia.


    I watched as tears streamed down her eyes as she tried to read her vows to me. It might have just been words to her, but to me, they gave me everything-hope for a better future for us, a promise of a lifetime of love. She gave me everything with the words she spoke.


    ¡°Damian,¡± she started, then paused to wipe her tears. ¡°Of all the people you¡¯ve met and ces you¡¯ve visited, you ended up here-with me. It is a very powerful and humbling fact. Through the past months, we have faced obstacles, some harder than others, that have helped us build the strong foundation of our rtionship. It has shown me your unwavering love, constant support, and silent strength. Thank you for loving my fun, crazy, and loud self as much as I do. I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promise to continue to challenge you to be the best version of yourself. I promise to make youugh when you¡¯re taking life too seriously. I promise to love you unconditionally. I promise to put you first and never lose our spark. I promise never to stop singing my own made-up songs, although I know you wish I would. Our journey as a family has only just begun, and I can¡¯t wait to see what the future holds for us. Damian, you are my true soulmate, and I have chosen to spend forever with you. I chose you back then, I chose you today, and I will continue choosing you forever. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I now dere you husband and wife,¡± the bishop said before saying the words I had been waiting impatiently to hear. ¡°You may now kiss your bride.¡±


    Gently pulling her into my arms, into which she came unresistingly, I pressed my lips to hers while our guests pped and cheered. Our kiss was long and slow. Itmunicated all the words we wanted to say to each other.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I said to Amelia as we pulled away. ¡°I love you now, and I will love you forever.¡±


    **********


    AMELIA


    The hours passed by in a blur and haze of happiness. If I had ever been this happy, I couldn¡¯t remember it. My heart felt like it would burst from the sheer amount of happiness within it.


    From my seat, I watched Damain, my husband for real this time, walk up to the stage to the sound of apuse. Anton, the groomsman, had just dered in a humourous way that this was a wedding reception and that Damian must say a few words and give a toast.


    ¡°Friends, family, colleagues,¡± Damian began, his gaze sweeping through the assemge of guests. ¡°I¡¯m here as my friend said, to give a toast, but also to say a few words about my beautiful, darling wife, Amelia.¡±


    His eyes found mine, and I felt myself tearing up a little. Someone slipped their hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was probably my mother, but I couldn¡¯t be sure because I only had eyes for Damian. For a long, long moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said, hesitating a little. ¡°I know this sounds corny and that Anton would tease me nonstop for it, but I just have to say that you are my sunshine, my life.¡±


    ¡°Hear! Hear!¡± Anton cried, sending a ripple ofughter through the crowd.


    With a broad smile that made him all the more handsome, Damian continued. ¡°You are a breath of fresh air, sweetheart. I never knew what love was until I found you. You have changed my life in more ways than one. Today, in front of all these witnesses, I promise to love and cherish every single day of our existence. I promise to love you unconditionally, as well as the kids we will have and raise together. I will be there with you every step of the way, holding your hand in the good and bad times. I love you, Amelia, and-¡± He raised his winess. ¡°-here is forever with you.¡±


    ¡°To forever,¡± everyone echoed.


    There wereughs and then sses clinking. Damian downed the contents of his ss and handed it over to someone with a flourish.


    ¡°Now,¡± he said, hopping down from the stage. ¡°Enough of speeches. If you would all excuse me, I think it¡¯s time to dance with my wife.¡±


    He pulled me into his arms and led me to the middle of the dance floor. All eyes turned to us, but I could not feel them. All I could feel was Damian¡¯s deep and overwhelming love for me.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he whispered against my ears. ¡°Tell me that you¡¯ll never stop loving me.¡±


    I shook my head slowly. ¡°I would never dream of it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because it would kill me.¡± He wrapped his arms around my waist. ¡°You and I are meant to be together forever. And if you don¡¯t think so, I¡¯ll do anything possible to prove that to you for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°You do not have to prove anything to me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I love you, Damian. I love every bit of you, maybe, more than I love myself.¡±


    He smiled softly before he rubbed my stomach. As he looked down at me, I knew that I would give up anything in the world to spend the rest of my life with him. I knew that with him, I didn¡¯t need anything else. My heart loved him, my soul wanted him, and my being epted him.

 Epilogue

    EPILOGUE


    AMELIA


    FIVE YEARS LATER


    ¡°Yay! Pancakes! Mum made pancakes!¡±


    The excited shouts¡­ or screeches were followed by the sound of running footsteps. I sincerely hoped they were not¡­


    But of course they were, I thought in mild exasperation.


    Lily and Liam came racing towards me on their little feet, their eyes much like Damian¡¯s, fixed on the te of pancakes I held.


    ¡°Hey! Please slow down, guys,¡± I called when Lily, still running, looked over her shoulder and screeched excitedly when she saw Damian. Damian was chasing them with Liam¡¯s favourite stuffed animal.


    ¡°Slow down! Slow down!¡± I called more loudly as the twins approached me. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself if you keep running around!¡±


    At the same time, they got to me and clutched my dress, giggling. I red at Damian, who gave me a boyish, unrepentant grin.


    ¡°Liam! Lily!¡± I said, turning my attention back to my kids. ¡°How many times have I told you to stop running in the house? And Damian-¡±


    ¡°Yes, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°You are supposed to stop them from running around. Howe you¡¯re the one encouraging them?¡±


    ¡°I like it when Daddy chases us in the house,¡± Liam said with a grin. It¡¯s fun.¡±


    Damianughed. Iughed, too; I couldn¡¯t help it, even though I did my best to look stern.


    ¡°Okay, honey,¡± Damian said when theughter had died down. ¡°I will stop chasing these cuties around the house.¡± He moved close and ced a hand on my bulging stomach. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop soon anyway when the babyes.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened in wonder, as they always did whenever there was a mention of the baby I was just expecting.


    ¡°Is the baby growing in mummy¡¯s tummy?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh yes, sweetie. Your little brother is growing in there, all nice andfy. Now, why don¡¯t you, too, run along to continue eating?¡±


    They didn¡¯t need to be told twice. They ran back the way they came.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Damian called after them. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to run literally. You two can actually walk, you know.¡±


    But they paid him no mind. A secondter, they were out of sight.


    ¡°Nice going¡­ dad,¡± I said dryly.


    He shrugged. ¡°You can¡¯t me me.¡±


    ¡°Here, honey. For you.¡± I handed him the te of pancakes.


    He took it, dropped it on the table and grabbed my waist.


    ¡°Give me you instead,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°No,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I¡¯m too tired for this, Damian. I need to rest.¡±


    ¡°You can rest, but¡­ the condition for that is that you give me a big kiss.¡±


    ¡°Just a kiss?¡±


    For an answer, he puckered his lips at me and closed his eyes. With a chuckle, I kissed him and pulled away when he showed signs of wanting more.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t, Romeo. You have to go and tend to thewn before Queenie and Anton get here.¡±


    ¡°You worry too much. They won¡¯t be here for another hour or two, so I have time.¡± He stepped closer. ¡°Lots of time to-¡±


    ¡°Helloooo everyone. Who¡¯s home?¡±


    That loud, cheery voice was unmistakably Queenie¡¯s. Damian and I exchanged a look of surprise. Queenie and Anton were actually not supposed to arrive for at least another hour.


    The kids, hopping, skipping, andughing, reached Anton and Queenie before us. Queenie scooped them both up.


    ¡°Well, look at you two adorable,¡± Queenie cried. You have both grown so much.¡±


    ¡°Especially Liam. He¡¯s almost as tall as me now,¡± said Anton, ruffling Lily¡¯s and Liam¡¯s hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Lily said with a giggle.


    And then a little squabble ensued between Lily and her brother over who was taller.


    When the twins squirmed out of Queenie¡¯s arms to inspect the bags of toys she had brought for them, Queenie rushed forward, her arms outstretched.


    ¡°I missed you, Queenie,¡± I said, giving her a side hug.


    ¡°I missed you too and er- someone can¡¯t even give a proper hug these days,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Yeah. Look at my stomach. I can¡¯t manage one. Not in this state.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I can see that. It looks like you¡¯ll even give birth soon.¡± Slipping an arm around my waist, she turned to Damian, who was exchanging pleasantries with Anton. You really have to calm down, Damian. If you keep getting her pregnant like this, you¡¯ll soon have a full house.¡±


    We all chuckled, and our attention was once again drawn to the kids trying to get the toys out of the bags.


    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll help with that,¡± Queenie said. She squatted between them to unbox the toys.


    I heaved a deep sigh. ¡°More toys. The drum set you got them put me through a lot. Even when I slept, I could still hear those drums banging in my head.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. I know already. You told me like a thousand times, remember? This time, I nned for that.¡±


    After Queenie handed the toys to the kids, Damian led the way to the inner sitting room.


    Anton looked puzzled as he looked around. ¡°I thought the sitting room was that other way.¡±


    ¡°It was, but not anymore,¡± Damian exined. ¡°I gradually converted that room to the kid¡¯s semi-outdoor room. You know how they love to y with dirt a lot. I figured it was better they got that room to y in since it¡¯s not close to other rooms where they can end up dirtying bedsheets.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Anton said with amusement. ¡°Daddy Damian is really doing good.¡±


    Damian rolled his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous.¡±


    While we settled down, Damian went off to get drinks for Anton and Queenie.


    ¡°So Anton and I have an announcement to make,¡± Queenie said excitedly when we were done with the usual chitchat about their trip. ¡°After many years of travelling worldwide, helping those in need and all, we have decided to settle down.¡±


    After a second of surprise, Damian and I burst into spontaneous apuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± Damian and I gushed, thenughed at the realization that we had said the same thing at the exact same time.


    ¡°Queenie, this is wonderful news,¡± I said. ¡°Where¡¯s your ring? Howe I didn¡¯t see it?¡±


    ¡°Safely tucked into her purse,¡± said Anton. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to spoil the surprise for you two.¡±


    ¡°Oh-oh.¡± Queenie cocked her head towards the door. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s trouble.¡±


    Momentster, Lily, in tears, ran straight to Damian.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sweetie?¡± Damian said softly, dropping to one knee before her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Liam,¡± Lily wailed. ¡°He took my toy. He doesn¡¯t want to give it back. I want my teddy!¡±


    Damian sighed. ¡°Excuse me, guys, while I sort this out.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, bro.¡± Anton tipped his ss toward Damian.


    Damian managed to quiet her down before they got to the door.


    ¡°Howe Lily went to Damian first instead of you?¡± Queenie asked. ¡°Damian hasn¡¯t stolen away all your charm, has he?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well. If it¡¯s for my kids, then I don¡¯t mind. Damian has a way with them. The way he loves them is totally mind-blowing. Whenever I imagined raising children, there wasn¡¯t a time I thought I would never be the favourite parent, but then I don¡¯t really me the kids. I would gravitate towards Damian, too, if I were in their shoes.¡±


    ¡°My friend, is that a good dad, huh?¡± Anton said.


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s like he was made for fatherhood. He is more patient with the kids than I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Damian announced as he swept into the room, carrying a twin in each arm. He mimed arming sweat off his brow. ¡°Can you believe these two didn¡¯t want me to leave? They insisted oning here with me.¡±


    He flopped onto the sofa, and the twins proceeded to take turns tickling and poking him for fun, screaming withughter whenever he winced dramatically for their benefit.


    ¡°Hey, Damian,¡± Anton started. ¡°Have you heard about Noah¡¯spany about to be demolished?¡±


    Damian sat up. ¡°No, I barely know what¡¯s happening at that end. It¡¯s going to be demolished?¡±


    ¡°It is. Someone bought the ce at a really cheap price. The buyer ns to tear it down and build an entertainment centre in its ce.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll say good luck with that, though luck doesn¡¯t reallye into it. That entertainment center is going to be a bad investment because Wonderworld will certainly send them out of business. If there is one business in this city that won¡¯t die, it¡¯s my wife¡¯s park.¡± He leaned back with a rxed sigh. It¡¯s so sessful that I may decide whenever I want to resign and be a stay-at-home dad.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You sound just like my mother. She keeps bragging to everyone who cares to listen that her daughter¡­ wait for it¡­ owns the park!¡±


    Anton, Damian and Queenie choked onughter.


    ¡°I totally believe that,¡± Anton said. ¡°Amelia, your mum and her husband visit the park more than some kids do.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, can we go to the park?¡± Lily suddenly asked.


    ¡°Yes, Dad. Can we? Can we?¡± Liam added.


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Queenie said in a low whisper. ¡°Who mentioned the park in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Anton responded with a grin at Damian, who was trying to keep up with two persistent kids who kept begging to be taken to the park and showed no signs of letting up.


    ¡°Okay. Okay. I surrender,¡± Damian said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯ll take you two to the park tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± the kids screamed in unison, pulling themselves into hisp for a hug.


    A smile curved my lips as I watched Damian with the kids. Life, I thought, had indeed worked out.


    ***********


    Dearest gentle readers, thank you for taking your time to read my book, for loving this story and sticking with me till the end. Your feedback and encouragement have been overwhelming and inspiring. Knowing that many of you bought my book is a tremendous honor, and it fuels my passion to continue writing.


    I initially wanted to extend this book but many of you wanted me toplete it. I initially wanted to include Anton¡¯s story with Queenie in this book but after reading yourments, I realized it¡¯s better to go with your wishes. After all, you all have been my greatest supporters.


    I know many of you expressed your dislike for some of my characters and for a rtively new writer, it almost made me give up sometimes. Writing this book toiled with my emotions several times especially when I read yourments and they are not positive. Truly, I feel like most of you contributed to this book more than you think.


    I would have loved for book 2 to be about some of the characters in the book but I decided to give you fresh characters. I¡¯ve read all yourments, noted all theints and have poured all that into my next book.


    I am thrilled to announce that ¡°The Unwanted Wife: Arranged To The Cursed Alpha¡±, is on the horizon. In this new tale, you¡¯ll find amazing characters with deep chemistry. It¡¯s a werewolf romance book but I promise you, it¡¯s not the usual story you read every time. Our female lead, na, is feisty and passionate. I can¡¯t wait for you all to read about her because I¡¯ve never written about a character I love so much. The male lead, Darius, is just as stubborn as Damian. But there¡¯s a twist. He is everything a woman would want, only if he manages tomunicate with na who is dying to figure him out like a puzzle. I can¡¯t wait for you to meet the new characters and explore the worlds I¡¯ve created.


    I¡¯ll be leaving the blurb and a few excerpts from the book. If you want to be notified on the release date, please follow me and check my page often for updates.


    BLURB:


    A curse. A feisty mate. An unwanted wife. And a whole lot of steamy interactions.


    *************


    Darius Dawson might not be the devil, but being married to him is na¡¯s idea of hell. He is thest person she expects to be her mate, but a forced marriage brings them together. She loathes him for everything he is and for the wall he erects between them.


    Darius has only one problem: his mate and new wife. She¡¯s feisty, blunt, andpletely irresistible. He wants to kiss her, but he can¡¯t. He needs to touch her, but he shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s time to break his curse and f*ck his wife-but one at a time.


    EXCERPTS


    ALANA


    He is my mate and for some reason, I don¡¯t feel happy to know that he is my mate.


    I feel trapped. A bride shouldn¡¯t feel trapped on her wedding day, should she? After all, it¡¯s supposed to be the happiest day of my life.


    Yet, I know nothing about my husband.


    He would not speak to me, hell, he wouldn¡¯t even nce at me. He scrambled away when he felt the mate bond with nothing but a nce of disappointment at me. Didn¡¯t he approve of me?


    I turned to the maids who were scurrying around to get me dressed. ¡°Tell me about him.¡±


    They froze and turned to me. ¡°About who, my princess?¡±


    ¡°Him,¡± I threw the butterfly clip on my hair against the wall. ¡°Darius. He will be my husband soon and I don¡¯t know anything about him. Why?¡±


    ¡°He is a wonderful man!¡± The first maid eximed.


    ¡°Yes. And he¡¯s the Alpha.¡± Another added.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be Luna.¡± The third said.


    I knew that. I knew all that. But I did not know a thing about my husband-the man everyone called the dark one, the man I was doomed to love.


    *******************************


    ALANA


    Darius¡¯ mother, Elizabeth, stared at me, her eyes raking me from hair to toe in my wedding dress. Then she coughed and nodded in approval.


    ¡°You look fine,¡± she uttered.


    ¡°Tha-¡±


    ¡°But in this marriage, you must do better than fine.¡± She stated firmly, cutting me off. ¡°I selected you for a reason.¡±


    When she noticed the constipated look on my face, she tilted her head. ¡°You are aware I selected you, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Although I had a thousand things to say and a thousand more to scream at her, I simply nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she smiled and walked around me slowly. ¡°My son doesn¡¯t like you. He might even hate you just like the other girls I¡¯ve attempted to match with him. But you must convince him to ept you because he needs an heir. The council members are talking and if you¡¯re not able to bear a son in a year, Darius will face opposition from them. That is the real reason he has agreed to marry you. That is the reason you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t love me?¡± I asked in a timid voice.


    Her eyes widened slowly like I had suddenly sprouted a second head, then her lips curved into a small smile. ¡°Love? You¡¯re not here for love, child.¡± She said that like love was a despicable thing, a disease that could kill her precious son. ¡°You¡¯re here to fill up your womb with babies, to preserve my son¡¯s legacy. Love is thest thing you should worry about.¡±


    **********************


    ALANA


    ¡°Darius!!¡± I screamed, running after him as fast as my long wedding dress could allow me. ¡°Stop walking away from me. Darius!¡±


    He paused in his tracks at once, his shoulders rigid and held up high. His bodyguards were the first to react as they turned and made toe after me.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Darius told them in a thick voice. I¡¯d barely heard him speak and thus, goosebumps masked my skin at the sound of his voice.


    The guards scurried away and he slowly turned to me, his sses still perched over his eyes. What kind of man wears sunsses to his own wedding and doesn¡¯t take them off for even a second?


    ¡°What do you want, na?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What do I want?¡± I scoffed. ¡°I should ask you that. What do you want from me? Why do you marry me and condemn me to a life of misery?¡±


    ¡°Many women would do anything to be in your shoes,¡± he answered dryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not those women,¡± I inched towards him, my heart thumping in my chest. ¡°You¡¯re my mate. I felt it yesterday and I know you did too. So why are you treating me like this? Why is my room at the other end of the estate? Why do I feel like I¡¯ve just married a stone, not a man? Answer me because I¡¯m now your Luna, your equal, and I swear to the goddess, I¡¯m not those girls who used to warm your bed and cower away at the sound of your voice!¡±


    ******************


    DARIUS


    ¡°She sure is fiesty, I¡¯ll give her that,¡± I muttered to myself, marvelling at how she was able to stand her ground against me. Recalling her defiant stance despite her small frame and the twitching of her lips as she demanded an exnation from me, made meugh even more.


    na was just as amusing as she was interesting. She was full of surprises, as I hade to learn. What woman had ever rendered me speechless? None at all, with the exception of na Cruz.


    *******************


    ALANA


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t want you, na,¡± he said.


    Maybe it was the desire in his eyes. Maybe it was the crack in his voice as he spoke. Maybe it was the way he called my name. But that single sentence lit my entire body ame. And that was enough. I surrendered myselfpletely.


    I almost could not think straight when his fingers trailed up and down my body. Tracing every line, every curve, electrifying all the nerves inside me. The ones that wanted so badly to have every inch of Darius merged into me.


    A low moan slipped from my throat as his hands found their way to my breasts. He squeezed them, yanking my top off and tossing it to the floor.


    With one hand squeezing my breast, the other slid into my skirt and moved my panties aside, sliding two fingers into my wet pussy. My mouth fell open as the moans erupted from the pit of my stomach, and once he began to pump his fingers in and out, I held onto him for dear life.


    ¡°You like that?¡± He whispered, varying the tempo from slow to fast.


    I threw my head back. ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± I moaned loudly. ¡°P-Please¡­don¡¯t s-stop¡­¡±


    **********************


    ALANA


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    I swallowed, hope bubbling in my chest. ¡°Darius, I am asking you to mark me.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn¡¯t for Darius to practically leap from the bed. His sharp movement pushed my head to the side aggressively, almost making me lose my bnce. Shocked, I looked up to see him picking his clothes off the floor.


    ¡°Are you leaving? I-I don¡¯t understand. What did I say wrong?¡±


    But he ignored my words. Hastily, he threw on his clothes and bounded out of the room.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wait, Dariu-¡±


    But he had already banged the door behind him. I shrank into the bed, my heart pounding and my eyes wide in confusion.


    What did I say to get him so upset?


    *******************


    DARIUS


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had to find a ce to get a phone. I lost mine and I had to get a recement.¡±


    I noticed she was more subdued than usual, more quiet. She didn¡¯t even look me in the face. But I decided it would be best not toment on that.


    ¡°How did you pay for it?¡±


    She looked at me strangely. ¡°With my card.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°When I say I own you, that includes your expenses, everything that has to do with your finances.¡±


    She stared at me as though she wanted to say something snappy. But changed her mind at thest second. ¡°I apologize, I wasn¡¯t aware of that arrangement. But.. I don¡¯t think that will be necessary. I can handle some of my own bills an¡±


    ¡°This is not up for debate. Next time, put it on my tab.¡±


    She nodded stiffly and then turned away from me, saying nothing else on the matter. She took the window across me and I watched her stare outside the window as the pilot prepared to take off. A long silence stretched out between for a while.


    Finally, her eyes left the view outside and I saw her gaze flicker around the jet. It was luxurious, but na gave no expression to show that she was impressed. On the contrary, her gaze was one of boredom. I would never admit this aloud but it was frustrating that she never seemed impressed by anything, even when I was trying hard to impress her.


    *******************


    I believe this is the all excerpt I can spare. Thank you once again for being part of my journey. Your support means everything to me, and I am eager to share more stories with you in the future.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!