《Reyona’s Revenge》


 The Arrest

    Thomas Lanoth couldn¡¯t believe his ears as he stood in front of Kayooma International Airport. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened within an hour after they arrived at the airport.


    He had believed that today would probably be thest day in a long time that he would see the shores of Kayooma. Of course, he intended to be back; this was after all thend of his birth, but that would have been in the not-so-soon future.


    After everything had died down,. After everybody had moved on,. Well, after she had moved on,. The wrench thrown in his n infuriated him as he stood there, looking at the waning light in the sky.


    It would be dark soon, and he would still be on the soil of thend he had known for years instead of Luxembourg, the country that he and his partner had checkmarked on the map and had started making preparations for.


    It had been painstaking, and it had taken more than he expected. They started their ns about a year ago when he realised that he had been able to save money without her knowledge. Susan had been so happy when he informed her that they could start the preparation for the life of their dreams, and she had been active in the ns. Even though she did not work and had been unable to make any mary contribution, she was immersed in getting things ready for all of them. Just that morning, when he went to her ce to pick them up, they hugged and kissed each other, and they promised to make wild love the moment they touched down in Luxembourg.


    ¡°Who could have known?¡± he thought sadly as he stood there like a lost mongrel as his world crashed around his ears. Thomas had no idea what he should think about first. The money spent? Was it the years of preparation and secrecy? All the years of pretence? Everything is now down the drain, as if he did not try at all.


    His situation was even worse than when he started all these ns. Now, he was next to penniless. Their passports were confiscated. His partner was arrested, and he might still be charged as an essory himself as he was asked to check in periodically even while his partner¡¯s case was being investigated.


    ¡°Me, an essory! To drug trafficking of all things,¡± he thought bitterly just as he felt a hand tug at his tailored suit, a suit he had gotten especially for the doomed trip.


    Allysyn, the eldest of his children, looked up at him with the doe-like eyes of her mother as she asked, ¡°Daddy, when will Mummy be allowed toe home?¡±


    Interesting question. Thomas thought as heid his hand on his seven-year-old¡¯s head, ¡°Soon, my dear. Soon,¡±


    He had a bigger dilemma at hand. Where would he take the children? The payment of the house he rented for Susan psed the month before, and he had only paid thendlord a month extra with the promise that they would leave this month.


    Before they departed that morning, he had personally gone to thendlord¡¯s ce to drop off the key.


    ¡°No way on earth would that man give me the key again,¡± he thought in exasperation as he looked at his children again.


    Allysyn was now looking straight ahead, as if she had found something fascinating that she did not want to take her eyes off. Thomas Junior was turning his baseball cap over and over on his head. Baby Leah had her thumb stuck in her mouth as she looked back at the entrance to the terminal.


    Thomas bent down to carry her. She was only three after all and did not ask for all these. He was sorry for her siblings too, of course. He just couldn¡¯t carry them.


    Thomas thought of what to do, as the children had to be with someone who would be able to take good care of them, and that person couldn¡¯t be him. He removed his phone, as only one person came to mind.


    ¡°Hello, mum¡±


    ¡°Hello, son. What happened? This is not an international line; I thought you would be on the ne by now.¡± His mother¡¯s voice could be heard over the phone.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Thomas sighed as he looked at his children, who were looking up at him when they heard their grandmother¡¯s voice: ¡°Mum, something has happened. We are still at the airport as we speak, and Susan has been arrested.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would she be arrested? What happened?¡± The older woman eximed over the phone.


    ¡°Something was found in her bag. Well, that was not the main reason I called; I would deal with that, but the children¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. I understand. You cannot possibly take them home with you, of course. Bring them here. I will take care of them till all this mess is solved. When you arrived, you had to exin what happened to me. This is so upsetting.¡±


    ¡°I know, mom. Thank you, mom. You are the best. We are on our way now,¡± he said, disconnecting the call and looking at the children. ¡°Who wants to go stay with Grandma till Mummy gets back?¡±


    The younger ones chorused, ¡°Me! Me!¡± and Allysyn nodded her head.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go.¡± He shepherded them towards the airport entrance, hailing a cab that just dropped someone off, and they entered.


    ¡°Time for a new n,¡± he thought as he thought of the person he was going home to meet.


    The woman he thought he wouldn¡¯t see again. At least not anytime soon. He hoped she had not seen it yet. He checked his watch and knew that she would still be in one of her boring meetings by now. He should have ample time to drop the kids off with his mother, exin whatever he could, and quickly get home to get rid of it before she gets back.


    Only then could he think of the next step to take. There would be many steps to be taken before things could get back on track again.


    Close to the terminal door, ady who had her head bent towards her phone, like she was browsing, looked up as Thomas entered the cab and left. Then she speed-dialled a number.


    The man on the other end said, ¡°Hello, is it done?¡±


    ¡°Don, you should trust your girl. Smooth as butter. I was there when she was taken away, and he just left the airport now as well. With his brood,¡± she reported.


    ¡°Motherfucker,¡± the man replied, ¡°You are all done there.¡±


    He disconnected the call. She had not expected anything else.

 Farewell Note

    Reyona disconnected the call and looked out of the window of her office.


    The picturesque view outside the building didn¡¯t prate her consciousness at all. No, she was unable to enjoy the view as always, nor could the faraway sound of the traffic mingled with the voices of her employees thrill her the way it normally did.


    Not when her heart was filled with so much betrayal that she had no idea how she could stand it.


    Not when her mind¡¯s eye was focused on theughing picture of the man who had promised to love her for better or worse.


    Not when she could still see herself as the blushing bride who had been so happy to marry the love of her life, the man she intended to make a life with. The man she vowed to raise a beautiful family with.


    The man who promised to always be there for her.


    She could see the girl she had been then-one who thought she was mature. One who thought that all would be well with her world now that she was married to the man who cherishes her above all others. One who was proud to call her his own.


    ¡°How naive,¡± Reyona muttered to herself as a lone tear trailed down her face, marring her lightly made-up face.


    ¡°How stupid. How utterly foolish that girl had been.¡±


    She looked at herself through the ss wall of her office.


    She was a beautiful woman with a heart-shaped face, a full mouth, and clear skin. Her face had matured from what it used to be, but she was one of those kinds of women whose maturity made their beauty bloom.


    Reyona flicked off the lone tear that left a track on her face and trailed her index finger over her facial features.


    ¡°You will never be that stupid again, Rey. Nobody will y you for a fool again. And those who did, every single one of them would pay,¡± she chillingly smiled to herself as she thought of the call she just received.


    The man hade through. She saw his number online and picked it up to give him a call. She had doubted her sanity. Even when she exined what she wanted done for him and he told her he would get it done without stress, she hadn¡¯t believed that it would work.


    Just that morning, she had called him again and again until she was sure that his patience had been tried. She was so scared that everything she nned would be in vain, all because of a flop.


    She had not been rxed throughout her meeting with her team; her mind had been on the phone, and when it would ring, she could hear the news of the sess of their n. Or the failure of it.


    She knew it could only be either of the two, but she would rather learn that they seeded than fail. She had already failed once when she tried to stop them from getting the visa, but that had not worked as she couldn¡¯t provide valid evidence why the couple should not be allowed to leave the country.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She shuddered as she thought of what the result would have been if she had failed. Those two would have been making fun of how foolish she was when they got to their destination while they patted themselves on the back for how clever they were.


    ¡°I have truly been foolish,¡± she muttered to herself as she wondered how today would have been for her if she had not known about these days beforehand. Suppose she had not made sure that she did not end up as aughing stock for someone who thought that he was wiser than any other person. For the one to whom she gave all her whole life.


    ¡°How ironic,¡± she thought as she remembered how she had vowed to herself as she walked down the aisle that she wouldn¡¯t have a broken home like her parents did. ¡°Divorce was not an option¡± was the promise she had made to herself that day.


    ¡°Whatever happens between us, please let us talk about it. Let us air it out and make amends. Let us seek help if we have to, but please let us never forget this love of ours that brought us together.¡±


    She cringed as she remembered how full of love she had been for him when she said that. He had smiled at her, closed the distance by drawing her tighter against himself, and told her that he understood.


    ¡°The bastard. He understood, he said. Yet this was what I would have gone back home to meet today. Naive, little me,¡± she thought in anger as she squeezed the slip of paper in her hand tightly.


    She did not need to read it again before she could recite it. The letters jumped behind her eyelids even though she closed her eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry, Reyona. I know I don¡¯t deserve you. Please forgive me. I wish you all the best in life.¡±


    That was it.


    All her ten years with the man, and that was all she got from him; she did not even deserve an epistle that exined the reason for his action. All she got was a one-line, hastily scribbled note.


    She gave a curtugh as she turned away from the perusal of her reflection in the ss. She unclenched her fist and straightened out the paper in her hand. She kept it in her drawer for safekeeping.


    She picked up her bag and looked around to check if there was something she forgot to take. She had a question for the man who thought this was what she deserved after all they shared.


    ¡°But as for today, I have my dear husband to go home to. He would need all thefort he could get today. What kind of wife would I be if I couldn¡¯t be there for him to provide it?¡±

 Dance With Me

    Thomas was going crazy.


    He was sure that he would be carted to the loony house soon, as he turned over the house in his search for it. He thought he kept it on the coffee table but he couldn¡¯t find it yet.


    She was not back yet. So where could it be?


    Had he merely thought of it but had forgotten in his haste to join his partner? He searched some more. The couch? Nope, could he have ced it on the TV? Not there. Did he stick it on the stick-it board in the kitchen? That was ridiculous, he thought after running back to the living room when he couldn¡¯t find it.


    Thomas sat on the couch and decided to calm down. What good will it be for Reyona toe back home and meet him in a frenzy like this?


    ¡°I probably took it with me when I was rushing out, or I didn¡¯t write it after all, yes, that must be it,¡± Thomas thought as he stood up and went to the bar to get a drink.


    A scotch. Yes, that would be just the thing. He heard the sound of her car as he was on his way to the bar though and he rushed back to where he was seated then he thought of how weird it would look if he was just sitting down there doing nothing.


    ¡°Would she find it suspicious that I am at home by this time of the day?¡± he thought as he stood up, moved to the other couch and sat back down.


    He stood up again and rushed to the window. He couldn¡¯t see her yet, she must be parking in the garage. Thomas tried to remember all the training he gave people and how he had always emphasized control, the control over their emotions. He wondered why he couldn¡¯t seem to remember any of those right now.


    ¡°That slip of paper is somewhere,¡± his mind whispered sinisterly to him.


    ¡°Damn it. Now was not the time to lose control, man. You have been handling her fine, don¡¯t blow it now. You just need to get Susan out and all this shit would be over,¡± he thought to himself as he finally decided to go meet her out on the porch.¡±No better time to act the lover than now,¡± he thought as he opened the screen door.


    ¡°Hey, babe. You are home early¡± he heard from behind him. He thought of how chirpy his wife¡¯s voice sounded as he pasted a smile on. He had not heard her like that in a while, not until she had be insistent about the baby business.


    ¡°Yeah, honey. Business was slow today so I decided to close early¡­euf, what has got you in such a mood?¡± he asked as she hugged him suddenly and tightly.


    He patted her back and held her at arm¡¯s length. She really was a beauty, if only he hadn¡¯t met Susan first.


    Reyona rolled her eyes as she thought ¡°It is you, bastard. The fact that I could best you if only just for this once¡±


    Then she said ¡°What do you mean? I am happy because I aming home to my love of course, and to see you waiting out here for me? Even better!¡± she said brightly as she moved in to kiss him.


    He turned his cheek to her but she leaned around and kiss him fully on the mouth with a humming sound in her throat.¡±Rey, Rey, hold on, Rey,¡± he said against her lips as he tried to move back from her but she merely encircled his neck with her arm and kissed him deeply.


    She finally let go and he pulled at his ears as he looked at her with a sheepish smile on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is all about but..¡±


    Reyona grinned ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. You don¡¯t like public disy. I know, forgive me. I was just so happy to see you. Moreover,¡± she said as she looked around and waved her hands at the quiet neighbourhood


    ¡°Nobody will see us, you know. They are too busy getting actions of their own to care about a loving couple smooching on their porch. We could even do it right here and they wouldn¡¯t bat an eye¡±


    Reyona was shocked at herself that she could talk like this and by the look on her husband¡¯s face, she saw that he was amazed as well. She had never been so direct with him before, well maybe once upon a time when they first started dating, but not in a long while in the past eight years.


    Things had cooled considerably between them, especially since she started talking about starting a family more frequently.


    Reyona knew that it was either this. It was either she became this chatty, chirpy creature that confused him or she would be screaming right now. The turmoil in her heart only increased as she saw the way he was talking to her as if all was well.


    He was pretending like he was not about to leave her for another woman, another family. A family he had denied her. She wanted to pull at her hair, scream, shout and punched the bastard in his face for his deceit as she looked at the face he had always shown her all while he was cheating on her.


    How had he done it that she had no clue? Had she fancied herself so much in love that she had been so blind to everything? She trusted the bastard with her life and this crippling betrayal was all she got? Well, two could y at that game.


    Her bright countenance slipped but she firmly put it back on as she smiled more brightly when he said ¡°Rey, what hase over you? Is there something you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Or is there something you want to tell me?¡± Reyona thought bitterly as she pulled on his arms and opened the door ¡°Okay, okay, okay, I know¡± she said as they entered and she dropped her bag before she twirled.


    She had to do something with the adrenaline in her system. Something that had nothing to do with wrapping her hands around his neck and throttling him.


    ¡°I know, no public disy. I got you, buddy¡± she said with a salute.


    Thomas gave her a sceptical look as he asked ¡°Are you sure you are fine, Rey?¡± she sure was acting strange.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, honey. I am dandy!¡± she twirled again before she pped her hand ¡°Stereo, y ¡°I am in love by starqueen¡±.


    A tinny voice sounded from the sound system ¡°I am in love by starqueening up¡± right before a breezy note filled the room.¡±Do you remember this, Tommy? This was what you yed for me the day you proposed to me and I said yes¡± she said as she danced back to him.


    ¡°Eight years, it¡¯s been eight years of light and love, darling. Dance with me¡±

 Till The End

    Thomas held her as they moved to the gentle beat of the song. He didn¡¯t want to remember that day. No, not now.¡±Are you sure you are fine?¡± he asked his wife again.


    Reyona tilted her head back as she looked keenly into the eyes she hade to love so much. The eyes she had believed she would stare into for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Yes, honey,¡± she said breathily. ¡°I am dancing with you, the love of my life, ain¡¯t I?¡±Thomas nodded.


    He had no idea what else to do but to nod. He knew he should let it go. He should let her have her moment, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the niggling feeling that something was not right. He had to ask her.


    Reyona saw the look that entered his eyes as they moved without missing a step-the way they have moved for years. They were so perfectly synced, and she thought that he was not so closed off with his expressions after all. She must have been the one who had not noticed.


    She knew he wanted to ask something, just as she knew what he wanted to ask, so sheid her head back on his shoulder as they waltzed and sighed. ¡°This is perfect. You always know what I need,¡± she whispered into his ear.


    Thomas tamped down his guilt. ¡°Babe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling?¡±


    ¡°Did youe back home this morning after you left for work? I mean, after I have left for work.¡±You couldn¡¯t hold yourself, could you? Reyona thought in disdain.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Then, ¡°I think I¡­¡± she felt him tense and she deliberately paused for a while to make him sweat before she finallypleted, ¡°Oh, no. I did note back home.¡±


    Breath rushed out of his mouth before he said, ¡°But you were saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was yesterday. I almost mistook yesterday for today. I dide back home yesterday for a file I forgot, but not today. Why?¡± She raised her eyes with a curious look.


    ¡°Oh, nothing, nothing at all. So you did not.¡± He stopped himself in time as he thought of leaving it be. She definitely couldn¡¯t have seen the paper and still acted like this towards him. Reyona was more sensitive than anyone he knew, and she would not let such a thing slide.


    ¡°I did not what?¡± she asked with a smile.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing at all. Ooh, look, the song has ended,¡± he said suddenly as he thought ¡°Thank God, I didn¡¯t write the note after all. Now I can focus on other things, as that is already out of the way.¡±


    Reyona gave anothermand to the system, and another soul-stirring song started ying. She encircled his neck with her arms as she looked lovingly into his eyes.


    They were barely moving in the same spot as she thought, ¡°How had I gotten it wrong? Where did I fail you? Where did I fail myself?¡±


    She could remember how she had kept herself through school. When her friends were going out, partying, and falling in and out of love,. Reyona had been focused on her studies. She had been hellbent on making something of herself, believing that the right man for her woulde when the time was right. She had believed that Thomas was that man.


    When her sister, Toria, decided that the gym was the new rage for getting hot men, she dragged Reyona along despite all the protests. After guilt-tripping Reyona into being her training buddy, Toria had not spent up to one week before she decided that she had rather stay fat and single than put herself through any torture called exercise again, and she bowed out. Reyona, at this point, had be hooked on the habit of going to the gym, and she just stuck to it.


    That was when she met him, the handsome, responsible-looking gym operation manager. Theirs had not been love at first sight. He had been consistently pursuing her before she gave in. Even when she stopped going to the gym to dissuade him, he still found her. Herpany was just a startup then; she worked for about a year after college and decided to start her own. Thomas had been patient with her, consistently showing her love. Even when she was not giving him attention after epting to be his girlfriend,


    Finally, she fully epted him into her heart when she realised that he had grown on her and that she couldn¡¯t even imagine her life without him. Who could have thought it was all a lie? Such meticulous nning. Reyonaid her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. The heart she had believed beat for her. Just as hers beat for him. Another lie.


    As the current song blended into the next, she closed her eyes tightly against the tears that wanted to pool in her eyes.¡±No, girl. You cannot afford to be soft now. He does not deserve your crying. Let this be a passage rite,¡± her mind whispered to her as she held him more tightly. She reached around and ced his hand more firmly around her.


    Reyona knew that after this dance, it was truly over. Her nurtured dreams for many years would be truly over.


    ¡°And that song is over as well. I could dance with you forever, babe. You know I could, but I need a drink.¡±


    Reyona smiled and stepped back, her hands reluctantly leaving his body. Reyona looked at his back as he went to the bar after he asked if she wanted a drink. Renewed disappointment filled her heart as she realised that she had held little hope in her heart that he might decide to confess to her now that his ns had failed, but he seemed adamant. Yet she had to give him onest chance.


    ¡°Babe?¡± Reyona called.


    ¡°Ye.. yes,¡± he said as the scotch whiskey he was taking to his mouth sshed on his shirt. ¡°Oh damn, sorry, that was¡­ Well, you wanted to say something?¡± he said as he looked at her.


    Looking at the face she had trusted for ten years of her life, she asked, ¡°Tommy, do you want to tell me anything?¡±


    ¡°What? No, why would you think that? No, babe. I can¡¯t think of anything I might want to tell you,¡± he said as he downed his whiskey, then looked at her appreciatively ¡°Except maybe to tell you how gorgeous you look in that dress,¡± he said as he dropped his ss. Then he moved closer to pick her up and twirled her.


    ¡°Lying till the end, I see,¡± Reyona thought as sheughed when he twirled her. ¡°Good, there is no going back now.¡±She looked down at him when he raised her above his head.


    And kissed his lips.

 Sold

    Thomas looked at his friend like he had just informed him that the apocalypse had happened already.


    ¡°What do you mean by you have sold it? Both? How is that even possible?¡± he asked his friend, Lance.


    Thetter beckoned on the waiter to bring beers over to their table. He looked over at Thomas. ¡°The usual?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about no crappy beer, man. What do you mean by that?¡± Thomas fired back at the man, who seemed nonchnt about his plight.


    ¡°Cool your jets, man. I have been up and about since morning, and I am not about to miss out on a cold beer because you suddenly changed your mind. ¡± He turned to the waiter. ¡°Just give me a chilled Guinness, thank you. ¡± My friend here would be having none.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± the waiter said before going back to get the order.


    Lance Pratchet loosened his tie before sitting more rxed in his chair. Work had been hectic recently, and his ex-wife seemed to think he plucked money out of the air with the way she had been on his neck about alimony. The deal with Thomas hade at the right time and he was so happy when it was snapped up instantly too.


    ¡°So, can you hear me out now?¡± Thomas asked impatiently.¡±


    Nope, hold on, Tom,¡± he said, raised his hand and smiled as the waiter handed him his beer.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks, man. I would probably ask for more of this. Anytime you see me raise my hand in your direction, just keep ¡¯eming.¡±


    The waiter smiled and left.¡±Hmm,¡± Lance moaned as he drank deeply, the tangy taste of the chilled beer rejuvenating his system.


    ¡°And now?¡± Thomas said impatiently that he should lean over and jerk the bastard out of his seat.


    ¡°What has got you in a shitty mood?¡± Lance asked, then he remembered, ¡°By the way, ain¡¯t you supposed to be in Luxembourg right now instead of you sulking here at Johnny¡¯s Bar?¡±


    ¡°If you can see me here, that means I did not go, didn¡¯t it?¡± Thomas replied in a bristling tone.


    ¡°Wha..?¡±


    ¡°Quit your yapping about my travel ns. What do you mean by the gym and the other facility having been sold?¡± he asked as sweat popped out on his face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? I put it up for sale, and it was just as if someone was already waiting for it. It was snapped up instantly,¡± Lance said with a smile, but his smile faded when he realised that his friend was not happy.


    Nope, not happy at all.


    ¡°No, I do not believe you,¡± Thomas said in a loud voice as he swiped his hand over his forehead, only to realise that it was dry, He saw people looking over and he reduced his voice as he leaned towards Lance.


    ¡°I do not believe you, Lance. What are you trying to pull here? I just told you about those facilities three days ago, and now you want me to believe they are gone? Try again, buddy,¡± he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about? Did you give me a timeline for the sale? I could remember how you were so anxious about getting it sold as soon as possible, as you needed the money over there. What is wrong with you? I know you are not about to sit down there and call me a liar. Are you, you asshole? I busted my ass to get things done for you as fast as possible, and this is what I get? How is it my problem that you couldn¡¯t make up your damn mind?¡±


    Lance was getting angry too, and he was not about to care about whoever heard him. If his friend was saying this because he wanted him to return themission money he got from the deal, he would have to think again because a huge chunk of that money was now in Alexa¡¯s pocket. That would earn him at least a week¡¯s rest before he started getting her calls again.


    Thomas knew he had to handle this well, or Lance might just flip and he wouldn¡¯t get any coherent answers again.¡±Okay, calm down buddy. I am sorry¡± he said as he raised his hands towards Lance in a truce.


    ¡°You had better be. I did not take shit from Alexa and I am not about to take any from you¡± he looked back at the waiter who was standing by the bar at the moment and raised his hand.


    The man brought the beer readily, like he had been expecting his signal.


    ¡°When exactly did you put them up for sale?¡± Thomas asked gently when the waiter left.


    Lance took a long pull of his beer and rubbed his cold hand over his bald head before replying, ¡°The same day.¡±


    ¡°When did you get a buyer?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday morning¡±


    ¡°About the time I was supposed to leave?¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know when you left?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, sorry. The same person bought the two properties?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a guy I did not even meet with. He was weird, but he paid instantly. I forwarded the papers to him, and the deal was done.¡±


    ¡°People could sell things just like that.¡± Thomas asked in surprise.


    ¡°Which cave have you been living in, man? Do you think most people do transactions face-to-face anymore? You could be anywhere and buy any damn thing you want.¡± Lance drank his beer.


    Thomas shook his head. How would he exin that to Reyona while he wasted his time?


    Yes, he could just repurchase it from the person who bought it. That might be difficult, but it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    He looked at Lance, who just put his drink to his mouth again ¡°Alright then, the money. What about the mo¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯tplete his sentence as cold liquid hit his face when his friend sputtered and the beer in his mouth flew.


    Lance looked down at the mess he caused and back up at his friend¡¯s face.¡±Are you nuts? What kind of y is that?¡±

 Bad Feeling

    Lance Pratchet gaped at his friend when thetter looked at him iprehensibly.


    He had never known Thomas to be a prankster. The man might be an asshole in Lance¡¯s book because of what he had done to his wife of many years, but bros had got to stick together, and that was why he had agreed to help him with the sales of the two properties that Thomas had acquired with the help of the wife he was leaving for his side chick.


    Lance had never liked the bimbo-looking babe with her voluptuous body and wiles that had hooked his friend for years, but Lance did not really like females these days anyway, not with the way Alexa had frustrated his life throughout their three years of marriage and continued to do so since they finalized their divorce a year ago.


    She had gotten everything she nned with her friends, and they had used him of being abusive. Fat, dark bruises had shown up in graphic details in court, and with a long line of witnesses to corroborate her ims, Lance knew that he could be hot-tempered, but he had never raised his hand against the bitch. Even he had not been that bad.


    The court believed her.


    Lance had counted himself lucky to scale through with the clothes on his back; she had jetted off to fucking Arizona, yet she still found ways to torment him by threatening to never let him set his eyes on his kid again if he did not pay the alimony and the one thousand and one expenses she was alwaysing up with, all in the name of Davies.


    Lance couldn¡¯t let the kid suffer because his father had been a loser at choosing a partner. No, Lance does not care much for any woman now. He had justified his involvement in Thomas¡¯s deceit by telling himself that he was not close to Reyona anyway; he doubted if she even liked him. So he couldn¡¯t be expected to tell her anything, right?


    When his conscience wanted to raise any guilt regarding what he knew about, he firmly reminded it of how they would have some peace of mind from themission he would make from the deal and just how much someone like Reyona had made him suffer for years too. His conscience had chosen toy dormant with no stirring whatsoever.


    Moreover, he had not expected to see Thomas anytime soon anyway, as he had intended to stop his friendship with him before he got him involved in anything else like that again, not that they would be close by anyway. He fully intended to steer clear of Reyona, too.


    He had not expected this.


    To be seated with Thomas mere dayster in the same bar he had done sent off to the about-to-start-afresh jerk. And now what?


    Thomas looked at him quizzically ¡°What do you mean by ¡°Am I ying?¡± I am talking about the payments for the properties, of course. You did say that you had sold it, and the man paid immediately. So what¡¯s the hold-up, man?¡±


    ¡°What hold-up? Didn¡¯t you check the ount you gave me? I sent it immediately after the payment came through. I deducted mymission, and I sent the bnce immediately the moment I got home two days ago. What then are you talking about again?¡± Lance said it with trepidation as he lifted his drink to his mouth before he realised that he had drained it.


    He turned to look at the waiter, but thed had his back turned to him. Lance turned back instead of calling out to him. He doubted if he would be able to take another drink anyway.


    Something was amiss.


    He did not like the way Thomas¡¯s eyes had narrowed.


    ¡°Are you messing with me, man?¡± Thomas asked in a strangled tone.


    ¡°What do you mean by I am messing with you? Would I joke with that much money? I did send it to you. What are you talking about?¡±


    Lance became more serious as he realised that Thomas meant what he was saying, and this was no joke or prank of any kind.


    ¡°You are serious.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am¡­ What are you saying?¡± Lance said as he realised that he needed not to stress himself when he had the evidence with him. He brought his phone out and opened his bank app ¡°Why will I joke with over a million grand? If this is a joke, I would appreciate it if you stopped it right now. I have enough shit to deal with already, and I am not obligated to add yours to it. Here,¡± he handed the phone over to Thomas and leaned back in his chair as he half expected Thomas tough anytime and told him gotcha.


    Lance could see that that was unlikely, though, as Thomas¡¯s face nched when he checked the transaction that Lance disyed in his app. He looked up at Lance and said, ¡°I never got this. Are you sure you sent it to the correct number?¡±


    ¡°Of course I sent it to the correct number; check it yourself. That was the Luxembourg ount details you gave me, Applegate, yeah? Thomas Lanoth. Of course, I am not crazy not to verify something like that over and over again before sending it. I sent yours, then I sent most of the agreedmission to¡­ well, you know who. I called her to confirm, and she confirmed she had gotten it. I called you, but your number was not going through, and I figured that you were probably busy with your ns and all. How could I¡­¡±


    ¡°You should have called me again; you should have. I didn¡¯t get anything.¡± Thomas thumped his fist on the table so hard that the ss bounced.


    The barman looked over and asked if everything was fine. Lance replied to him that all was fine before leaning closer to Thomas.


    ¡°Calm down, man. What are you getting agitated for? Did you get any alerts? No, you couldn¡¯t possibly have,¡± he corrected himself when he saw the look Thomas gave him ¡°Still, it could be the bank¡¯s server error or something. How did you even open the ount without being there? I never thought to ask about that.¡±


    ¡°Through their online medium, of course. I opened it and forwarded my documents for verification. I have a little fund left with me that I have sent, and I got an alert for that. How can I possibly not get an alert for this kind of amount?¡±


    Thomas had a very bad feeling about this. Why is everything happening together now? The initial heat he was feeling turned to chills as he thought of what this could mean. No, he had to stay optimistic. Even if Applegate was a Luxembourg bank, he should be able to rectify whatever could be causing the dy in the transaction from here.


    ¡°It could be a bank issue, as I said,¡± Lance repeated.


    He desperately wanted to believe that the opposite was not even worth thinking about. ¡°Just give them a call or an email to exin this to them. I am sure they will get it sorted out in no time at all. This is a twenty-first-century man; you need not sweat over things like that,¡± he said with a hint of a smile.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, man. A bad one,¡± Thomas said as he handed Lance¡¯s phone back to him.


    He brought out his phone to check his messages again. Nothing.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He checked his email. All he saw was the little over one thousand grand he had sent over to the bank to tide them over before Lance would send the money after the sales of the buildings.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Lance had sent it even before he left the country, and now the money had not been acknowledged. When he got the bank authorities to sort out the error that caused that, he would have to withdraw his money from that bank.


    When. Thomas knew he had to focus on when; he couldn¡¯t possibly think of the word if. No, the money was intact and safe in his ount; he just did not get an alert for it. That was all; nothing else was worth thinking about.


    He brought out his phone and sent an email. He leaned back and decided to take his mind off it. No, he would not think about it. He just needed to wait; they had been pretty fast with their mail when he got in touch with them for the opening of his ount. Yes, that was it.


    Two hours, was it? Yeah, it wasn¡¯t up to two hours before he got a reply. He would get a reply, and they would apologize, and all would be fine. He would receive the alert. Or they would simply update his ount. Yes, it would either be one way or the other; yes, that would be it. Nothing else but that would happen.


    ¡°Are you okay, man?¡± Lance¡¯s voice jolted him out of his reverie.


    ¡°What? Yeah, yeah, I am fine. Just as you said, it can only be a server issue. I already sent them a message, and they would reply to me, and all this would be okay. We would even have a drink over this. Why did you think I was not okay?¡± He asked anxiously when he suddenly thought that if Lance could detect that he was not okay, then his sensitive wife could as well.


    Lance gave him a sceptical look. ¡°Maybe because you are about to drill a hole through that table,¡± he said, nodding towards Thomas¡¯s hand.


    Thomas looked at his hands and realised that he had been drumming his fingers agitatedly on the table. He forced his hand to rx, then looked up at Lance with a tight smile ¡°There,¡± he said, looking away from Lance¡¯s unconvinced look and shouting at the barman to send two beers over.


    The waiter served them, and he hurriedly drank his beer as he thought that he needed to get his act together. He had a wife to go home to, after all, and it wouldn¡¯t do at all for her to catch on to anything.


    ¡°Susan was arrested,¡± he said suddenly, earning himself another cold drink on the face.


    Lance, who had his drink in his mouth before Thomas dropped his bombshell, tossed his handkerchief at Thomas to clean up the drink he had spewed on him as he coughed.


    He red at his friend the moment his cough stopped. ¡°Jesus Christ, do you want to kill me, man?¡± He pointed at the side Thomas had missed. ¡°There, around your nose too.¡±


    Then he leaned forward as he lowered his voice. ¡°What do you mean by she got arrested?¡±


    Yeah, good question. Thomas thought.


    He cleaned his face and drank his beer.


    That email had bettere fast.

 The Transaction

    ¡°The transaction went through. Sorry about the dy. There was a little transactional error with the mule ount. Check out the ount now.¡±


    Reyona set aside her phone as she got the message and looked up at her assistant, who was standing in front of her. Thedy was telling her about onepany that would like them to handle their audit this year.


    The owner of thepany intended to use the audit to test the strength of ReyDexter LLC. If they are satisfied with Reyona¡¯spany, they intend to hand over their portfolio to them and make them their official ounting firm.


    Reyona was a Certified Public ountant who had realised earlier that she would rather have a firm of her own than be in apany where she only dealt with thepany¡¯s finances. Reyona loved challenges, and she believed that one way she could get them in her chosen profession would be to have apany of her own where she could handle the cases of the differentpanies, as she believed that no two transactions could be the same.


    It might just be ounting to ayman, but to Reyona, the kick she gets from bncing a book, connecting the dots in apany¡¯s ledger, and solvingpany issues that could have stemmed from an unreconciled ount was more than anything else. She loved her business, and she wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything else.


    Reyona¡¯spany dealt with forensic ounting, personal financial nning, and taxation. ReyDexter LLC had clients that ranged from individuals to corporate entities to government bodies.


    Her firm had grown from apany of two ountants to a full-fledged firm of about eleven seasoned ountants, four of whom were currently certified public ountants like Reyona and Samantha.


    The first ountant who had believed enough in Reyona to join herpany when she started was now doing a part-time course to get a PhD in ounting, all expenses paid by thepany. Reyona currently has more than fifty people working under her, including secretaries, investigative officers, cleaners, and frencers.


    ReyDexter LLC now had a whole building of eight floors to itself, unlike when she just started with an office in a businessplex.¡±Charlotte, just inform Phil about this, okay? Tell him toe up with a draft for them and ask him if he can take this on with the Robocop work.


    ¡°Okay, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± Charlotte answered as she noted something down.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That will be all for now. You can go.¡± Reyona dismissed her as her mind had already switched to the next thing she had to deal with, a challenge she had never expected to take up.


    One that her dear, dear husband had dropped in herp.


    Charlotte turned to leave, then turned back to her boss just as she was about to leave the tastefully furnished office.


    Reyona, who had turned towards her system, raised her head to look at her assistant. ¡°Any other things, Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°No, ma. I just wanted to ask if everything is okay, ma.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, ma. It is just that I have noticed a change in you for some months now. At first, I thought it had to do with the work we have been swamped with, but I can see that even now that the pressure has reduced and everyone is working at a regr pace, that change in you has only seemed to increase more, especially in the past few weeks. You used to smile more, but not anymore now. You seem on edge, like something is about to happen¡±


    Reyona smiled and looked at her assistant.


    She had employed the girl directly without going through the HR office, as she had seen how observant and intelligent she was. The same traits she was disying now. That was a little over a year ago. Months before she discovered her husband¡¯s deceit,


    ¡°I am okay, Charlotte. As you said, It could be the strain of the work. Moreover, I am not getting any younger, you know. I can¡¯t be expected to be as chirpy as you.¡±


    Says who? You are a beautiful woman who only gets better with age, ma. Just like a fine wine, my ma would say. You just need to smile more and let go of those strains on your face,¡±


    Reyonaughed. Genuineughter that she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had experienced ¡°Your ma is a wise woman. Thank you, Charlotte. I will keep your advice in mind. Now go and exin to Phil before he gets off work,¡± she said as she looked at the clock.


    It¡¯s almost time to go home. It was almost time to switch on her pretence face.


    She sighed.


    Charlotte left, and Reyona turned to her system again. Even a stranger could detect the change in her, but not her so-called loving husband. He bought all the fake smiles, all the chirpy behaviour, and all the doting wife charade. Whereas she could see how tense he was, despite how much he pretended otherwise.


    He had no idea how much she burned inside with rage. The bastard. She had meant nothing to him after all. Neither her feelings nor her time. The fact that she felt guilt for what she was doing to him now infuriated her, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She tossed and turned when she was supposed to be having a guilt-free, love-filled sleep in her happy-ever-after marriage.


    The bastard had turned her into a wreck as she held her breath whenever he wanted to say anything. Oh, he would confess everything now, and they would find ways to sort it out, she would think. Only for him to say something else, and disappointment wouldy cold in her heart, fueling her determination. She had to teach this bastard a lesson.


    Reyona opened a new tab on her system and logged in with the details the man had given her. The site disyed it right there. Sittingfortably in the Cayman International ount was the money that had been intercepted. Had it all been because of this? Had her marriage all been a sham because of something as fickle as money?


    Sheid her head on her table and wept.

 Dutiful Wife

    Reyona was sleeping, or at least trying to sleep, when she felt the bed depressed, and Thomas stood up and went out.


    She waited for it as she heard his phone vibrate where he had kept it beside him. He wouldn¡¯t put his phone so close to him like that normally, as he had said that the radiation from the phone was not meant to be kept anywhere near the brain, especially in sleep.


    Reyona knew that today was a special day, though.


    She was sure he was expecting something, so she didn¡¯tment on his out-of-habit move; she had merely curled up against his side,id her head on his chest as she took his hand, and wrapped it around herself before kissing him good night.


    She smiled to herself as she heard the phone vibrate, and he checked if she was asleep before gently removing her arms from around him. She had thought briefly of tightening her arms around him to see what his reaction would be, but then she decided to let him go. The show was about to start anyway.


    He had been on edge since he got home, even though he tried to hide it with intermittentughter. Reyona had gone home and ensured she made a very sumptuous meal for him. She had never believed in hiring domestic staff, even though she could afford them. She had a woman who came twice a week for cleaning, but she cooked and did other little things in the house herself.


    For all of the eight years that they had been married, she had made his meals herself. Thomas couldn¡¯t cook, and she had not minded that the domestic tasks had all fallen on her in their home. She had been content with doing things for him, as she believed that the little things matter, and she wouldn¡¯t deny the fact that she had a bit of a traditionalist in her; she must have gotten that from her grandma. Her paternal grandmother believed that there were tasks meant for the man and those meant solely for the woman in the home.


    Reyona had loved doing things for her husband because she believed that made them closer throughout their eight years of marriage, and he had been so appreciative that she would never have believed that while he was ying the doting, attentive husband, he had been ying her all along.


    While she had been looking forward to all they could have together, he had beenughing at her all along. Well, this would be her time tough as well. Wasted time could not be gotten back, but she would make sure he remembered her when they finally left. Oh, he would remember her.


    So she made him his favourite Garganelli pasta with bolognese sauce that evening with some chicken and waffles in case he wanted to take the lighter food. He opted for the pasta and had eaten heartily even as he discreetly checked his phone, then smiled at her, saying that her cooking was the best in the whole wide world. With an infectious grin, one of the main things that made her fall for him.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The bastard.


    ¡°Is it? Is my cooking really all that? Or is this another one of your lies? Is pasta even your favourite, or is it another one of your fabrications? Is this what you tell her as well? That she cooks better than anyone else? Than me?¡±


    She took her mind off the path it was going down as she felt a new rage welling up in her when she looked at the way he was smiling at her with a twinkle in his eyes, even as she saw the worry in his eyes that he thought he had masked so well.


    ¡°Would it kill you toe clean with me? I am your wife, for God¡¯s sake. I willingly entered this. I am here willingly. Why? Why do you have to do this to us?¡± She thought right before she asked him if he wanted a second helping, and he nodded enthusiastically. She had been unable to eat. She had no appetite at all, so she told him she had eaten already when he asked why she was not eating.


    ¡°What? You had your dinner without me? That is a new one,¡± he smiled before settling down to eat.


    ¡°How was your day? How was work today?¡± she asked with her eyes on his to gauge his reaction.


    His reaction had not changed. The bastard¡¯s smile had been nted firmly on his face without any change at all.


    If not that she had been watching him, she wouldn¡¯t have caught the way his hand jerked once and the fork in his hand ttered briefly against the te, but then he picked up his fork and said to her with a smile ¡°Well, you know. Just the same old¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah? Were you at the gym or the fitness centre? Both?¡±


    ¡°Oh well, I was out with Lance. We were checking out some things,¡± he added weakly.


    ¡°Oh? Cool, eat up. Don¡¯t let the pasta get soggy,¡± she told him as she decided that she had made him sweat enough.


    There would be plenty of time for his sweat.


    Reyona turned over in bed as the thought cascaded through her mind, and she listened to her husband¡¯s movement. She could hear him in the living room now. He probably had not realised it yet. She contemted whether she should get up to go find out what he was up to, but then she decided to hold on.


    ¡°Patience, girl. You have been¡­¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡± she heard him shout from the living room.


    Well, it seemed the bubble had burst. She smiled sadly at herself.


    ¡°Game on,¡± she muttered as she stretched.


    ¡°Babe, is that you? What happened?¡± she called out in a sleepy tone.


    And smiled when he grew silent.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t count on me waking up, did you? Well, this dutiful wife of yours has got to do her job,¡± she thought as she stood up from the bed to go meet him.

 I Want You

    Thomas looked back sharply when he heard her voice.


    Damn it. He had not realised that he had spoken out loud. That was why he left the bedroom to the living room, after all. He should have just gone downstairs to the sitting room or the library. Yeah, the library would have been okay.


    With all the volumes of books in there and the soundproof padding his wife had installed in there as it doubled as her workspace when she wanted to as well, he could have shouted all he wanted and she wouldn¡¯t have realised.


    He knew that his shout was inevitable, even as he med himself and turned in the direction where he heard her soft footsteps. He knew he couldn¡¯t have helped his reaction, not even if a gun had been put to his head when he opened his email earlier.


    Even a hardcore guy would have reacted as he did.


    Thomas was no hardcore guy. Just a 35-year-old man looking for a softnding in life. Ah, what would he do? He thought as he recalled the message that was burning a hole through his phone at the moment, even as it seemed to him like his wife¡¯s footsteps had slowed.


    Did she mistake where he was? That wasn¡¯t possible; she wouldn¡¯t have heard him like that if he had gone to the kitchen or¡­


    ¡°Oh, here you are,¡± Reyona said as she saw him facing her; his phone was not in his hand.


    ¡°Must be in his pyjama pocket,¡± she thought as she smiled and made her eyes look drowsy as she came to him, she hugged his neck and gave him a brief kiss.


    ¡°What was that? I thought I heard a voice. Oh yes, it was a shout. Something like¡­ what the heck or something? I don¡¯t know. Was that my imagination, or you really shouted like that?¡± she asked innocently, like she was not sure of what she heard.


    She wanted to see if he would take the bait and lie more or simply tell the truth.


    Of course, he took the bait.


    Thomas summoned all the acting skill in him to calm himself down when he realised that he was fidgeting and he returned his wife¡¯s smile with guile ¡°What, what shout?¡± he said, like he was confused ¡°No, babe. Could it be that you were dreaming and it seemed like a reality to you?¡± he asked, and wished fervently that that would work.


    He had no idea if he could exin anything to her right now without messing up. No, he needed time to recover from the shock he just got.¡±What would I do? Susan is waiting for me toe to save her¡± he thought in anguish even as he smiled at his gullible wife.


    She believed it, it seemed. Just as she had always believed every other thing he told her. He really should feel sorry for her. Thomas thought, but he knew that he was in no condition to feel sorry for anyone right now. He was in more mess than she was. Maybe when all this was over and he was ready to leave with his woman, this time he might write her a more lengthy note than the one he had in mind to write before.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    In fact, he might be so generous as to give her a call and exin things to her directly when he was safely on the soil of Luxembourg, but for now, he wouldn¡¯t dare. If the gibberish that seemed to be sent to him in the form of mail was correct, then he would have a lot to do to build his finances back.


    This time with less time than he had before. She couldn¡¯t be so stupid as not to realise this time around. No, not if he spent as much time as he did thest time.


    Reyona nodded her head ¡°You are right. It must be a dream.¡±


    Then sheid her head on her husband¡¯s chest as he hugged her to himself. It was more to hide the rage that shone in her eyes as she wondered how many times she had gullibly believed him like this.


    When he told her something, she¡¯d never had a reason to mistrust him, and she had vowed not to let any negative feelings in her marriage so she had been open with him about everything and expected the same from her.


    How long had she been hearing lies and epting them as truth? Had he always lied to her? Was there anything, anything at all in their sham of a marriage that had been built on truth and not lies? Had he ever said the truth to her at all, even once?


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± she said drowsily as they stood there holding each other like two lovebirds, one holding him tightly as an alternative to the urge she felt to wrap her hands around his neck and wrung it.


    The other held her as the tension left his body. The tension of what he would have told her if she wasn¡¯t such a sleepy head that believed she was dreaming. Tension about what he would do about this new development.


    He couldn¡¯t even go to Luxembourg without his damned passport. The Kayooma anti-drugs agency would not look lightly upon him if he told them he wanted to go to Luxembourg to sort something out, would they?


    Of course not. He would be an idiot to even contemte that. He might even get himself taken in like Susan. He thought.


    Reyona looked up at him with a pout ¡°What are you doing out here by the way? You should be in bed, not out here skulking about¡±


    Thomas gave a curtugh as a chilling feeling went through him as he sensed hatred shed at him beneath his wife¡¯s drowsy, heavy-lidded look, but the look passed, and he sighed as he thought that he must have grown fanciful from the jolt his system got earlier.¡±What do you mean by skulking about? I ain¡¯t no squirrel, woman,¡± he said withughter as he yfully bopped her on the nose.


    Reyona grinned ¡°You don¡¯t look like no squirrel to me, maybe something bigger,¡± she said in a low tone as she drew him closer and ran her finger down his chest before looking up back at him seductively.


    ¡°I want you back in bed with me. I want you¡± she said suggestively.


    Damn it, right now?


    Thomas doubted if he could get his brain up right now not to talk of a certain member.


    Drat!

 Bedmate With A Legal Title

    Reyona tamped down the revulsion in her as she said those words. She could feel bile in her throat as she closed her eyes tightly. Who could have believed that there would be a day on earth when she would feel her skin crawl at the thought of intimacy with her man? What did she know?


    Theirs had never been a super passionate ¡°get wet with just a look at you¡± kind of sex life, but they had a healthy sex life. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and she could turn to him whenever she wanted to do it with the assurance that he would amodate her and vice versa.


    She remembered a saying that a man¡¯s penis could be separated from his heart. She couldn¡¯t remember where she heard the saying from, but she remembered that the person had said that a man could be having regr sex with ady while, in his heart, he held someone else dear.


    ¡°It is just how they are wired; just because he is fucking you every day does not mean he loves you. You are just that. A fuck buddy.¡±


    Reyona released the tension in her system that had infused her body after she told him that she wanted him. She doubted if he noticed anyway, as he had grown tensed as well.


    The bastard.


    She knew it had more to do with the news he just received than anything that had to do with remorse for his deceit. After all, he had been having fun with her all along while deceiving her. She was just that.


    A fuck buddy with a legal title. Wife.


    Initially, Reyona had thought out her n, how she would rte to him until she was ready to let him out of her life, and finally, the way she had met him. With nothing.


    She first thought that she wouldn¡¯t let him touch her again, but then she reconsidered that, as she knew that would make him suspicious. She sure intended to let him know what he did to her, and when she was done with him, she would show him just who had bested him in his game, but not a moment sooner.


    A moment sooner would not make her achieve what she wanted. Showing him that she was no fool. She was just an intelligent woman who gave her heart to the wrong man. Oh, he would rue the day he decided to deceive her.


    But for now¡­


    Her voice went buttery as she trailed her hands lightly on his chest through the pyjama top, then slowly reached for his button.


    ¡°I want to feel you. I know I have been busy in the past week and you have been upied as well, but right now, baby, I just want to let go of sleep and feel my man.¡±


    So, saying that, two buttons hade undone. She could feel his reluctance, but she was not about to take no for an answer. If she could swallow her disgust to do this, the least he could do would be to cooperate.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona had no idea it would be this hard; when she first learned of his deception, she had been able to have intimacy with him without much reserve. When she discovered other things, things had cooled between them for a while, and he had notined. Reyona knew it was because he was taking action elsewhere. She did extensive checkups and was d to realise that he had not infected her with any disease.


    Now that she had her ns underway, especially since the day she realised he would have left her if she had not foreseen his n, doing intimate things with him had be more difficult for her, yet she knew that she had to keep up the pretence. This was a path she chose for herself, and she would walk it.


    If he saw her as a fuck buddy, well, then she might as well be one, she thought. As she grabbed hold of his pyjama top and jerked it, the remnant buttons flew.


    ¡°Woah, woah,¡± Thomas said as he tried to hold her off. ¡°What is happening, babe?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She grinned up at him, then slowly trailed the tip of her tongue across his lips before saying against his mouth, ¡°I just want my man so badly that I don¡¯t want to be deterred by stupid buttons.¡±


    Thomas gave a curtugh as his body heated up when she moved sinuously against him. He had no idea what came over her, and his libido seemed to agree with her as he felt a swell in his groin. So much for not being able to get it up.


    He thought as he wondered how he could even be aroused now with all he had on his mind. Well, there was no getting around this. He had to keep up a front with her anyway.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± he said, holding her hand to lead her back to bed. He fleetingly thought of carrying her to bed-anything to get the ruse going-but then he dismissed the idea. He was in no mood for chivalry; he just wanted to get this over and done with. This was one of the perks she got for being married to him anyway.


    Free ess to his hot, toned body. He was amazed, though, when she held back.¡±What babe? Don¡¯t you want to get it on again?¡± He asked with ascivious smile as he wondered while she was holding back.


    Oh, I will get it on, alright. On my term. Reyona thought as she smiled at him, ¡°Of course, I want nothing more. I just want us to do it here. Right on the couch.¡±


    A genuine surprise showed on Thomas¡¯s face as he asked, ¡°What? You are joking.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Reyona sidled over to the couch and she gestured to it like a salesman showing his disy ¡°We have a big ass couch right here; why not make use of it?¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t¡­ you know, we don¡¯t do couch. We have a big bed right there for use,¡± he said, pointing in the direction of the room as he wondered if this was another ploy of hers regarding their pregnancy talks.


    Had she found a surefire way of getting pregnant? A different positioning?


    He felt a kick in his gut as he thought of the possibility that she might have stopped her contraceptives. She wouldn¡¯t be that stupid, would she? Not after he had made himself clear on that topic.¡±Well, we do couch today. Don¡¯t you think we should spice up our sexual lives too? Well, this is one hot way to do that,¡± she pouted. ¡°You don¡¯t want to deny me that, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just nothing,¡± she said as she stood up and pushed him onto the couch.


    She climbed over him.


    She swooped on his mouth with a hot kiss as she thought, ¡°Let¡¯s see how you do it. Let¡¯s see how well you separate your dick from your heart. I will learn from you, then I will do it better,¡± she said, angling her head and deepening the kiss while slowly rocking on him.


    ¡°Well, not so hard it seemed,¡± she thought as she realised that despite how much turmoil her emotions were in, she felt a stirring of passion.


    She held on tightly to that and let go of all the feelings that wanted to dampen her ardour.


    When he looked back on this day, she wanted him to know that she learned well; she wanted him to know that he was being a fool while he thought her to be one.


    Two could y at that game.

 No-Holds Barred

    Thomas groaned as he held his wife closely to himself.


    He could feel his eyes crossing behind their lids. He had no idea what hade over her, but he was not about to mind.


    Not when his libido could reap the benefit.


    She was all he had for now anyway. Susan was not avable for all their games. Even though he had always been careful with her and only went to a limit when it came to their bedroom activities, unlike he did with Susan, he loved the fact that she was taking the initiative to introduce this. Most of what she did these days made it seem like he didn¡¯t know his wife that well, not that he¡¯d been paying much attention before.


    He had been trying his best to be a double agent with such carefulness that his cover would not be blown. He loved this new side of her. His eyes jerked open when he felt her hands wrap around him, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he wondered when she had pulled the drawstring of his pyjama bottoms.


    He was close to bursting, and he felt he should slow her down so he wouldn¡¯t just spill all over. ¡°Babe, I¡­ ah,¡± he groaned as she came down harder and faster on him, her fingers seesawing in a fast motion that made him breathless.


    Reyona saw the ecstasy on his face and ignored her reservations as she lifted over him and came down on him. Her moan mingled with her grunts as she rode him faster and harder.


    He lifted against her, matching her momentum, even as he shouted, ¡°Babe, easy. I am going toe!¡±


    She ignored him as she rode him faster. ¡°This is what you want; this is what you get. A proper fuck buddy,¡± she thought bitterly as she rolled her waist in a way that had him jerk into her with a loud shout.


    She rode him still as the powerful ejaction rocked his body. She rode him as she began to feel herself build up inside. Well, what did she know? Even orgasm was not limited to what she had thought was lovemaking; pure sex too could make here; after all, she rode him faster and longer as she got tipped over the edge.


    Tears came to her eyes as she spasmed against him when he came again, and she felt his seeds within her. Seeds that were useless to her now. Seeds that he had ensured were useful for someone else.


    Reyona had changed her contraceptives to one of the most foolproof. At the end of the day, she was not about to leave this hellhole with more regrets than she had. No, she wouldn¡¯t let any child pay for her mistake.


    ¡°Oh, my world. That was¡­ babe, you have been holding off on me,¡± Thomas said in amazement when he could finally speak coherently. He felt as if his brains had leaked out of his ears, but in a good way. Damn, what else had he not noticed about this woman? Not even his bouts with Susan had been¡­


    Reyona kissed him soundly, with a humming sound in her throat, before she leaned back and lifted him off. ¡°I am d you like it. There is more where that came from.¡±Thomas grinned like someone who had just been offered the best of candies as he hollered, ¡°Oh yes!¡±


    Bastard. Reyona smiled and looked at his naked form appreciatively as she tied back the belt of her robe. ¡°You might get lucky before the night is over, you know,¡± she said with a heated look and a syrupy voice before she left him there, bared to the cool air and grinning up at her like an idiot as she turned to enter the bathroom.


    She turned on the shower jets full on as she entered with her clothes on. She scraped her hair back from her face as she looked at herself in the side mirror. Tears mingled with water as her lips trembled once before she firmed them and thought of how a line had been crossed today.


    Today, she stopped being his wife in one of the ways that she had deluded herself. Now, she has officially be his fuck buddy. There would be no crossing that line back.


    As Reyona scrubbed her skin till it got raw, she thought of how her grandmother would not approve of this, but she knew she had to do something to keep her sane from the enormity of this betrayal.


    There would be no bouts of crying for her. No, there would be no pity for this woman or mockery from the world. When she walked away from this, it would be with her head raised. She would not be the only victim in this game.


    She sensed him behind her even before she felt him put his arms around her to lift her breast. She allowed it and even let out a moan that was not entirely fake. When he entered her from behind and she had to hang on to the shower walls, she clenched her muscles against him and epted the sensation that washed through her.


    They climaxed together, and when he turned her over again and started his ministrations on her body all over again, she allowed it and participated fully. They did it in the shower, at the sink, and then finally went to bed.


    When they both finally copsed in exhaustion, Thomas thought of his surprise at the way Reyona had met him at every point and exceeded his expectations. She sure had a lot of surprises in store for her.


    Too bad that there was no going back on the path he had chosen, he thought as he held her in the crook of his arms and pretended to sleep.


    ¡°Dear Thomas Lanoth, as regards the mail you sent, our experts had worked on it, and it had been ascertained that the said amount of funds entered the ount but was instantly wired to another offshore ount. It was a rerouting case that had a slight dy, but the money was intercepted anyway. The reason you did not get an alert for it was that it was intercepted so fast that the system did not acknowledge the deposit. We are working on sending you a detailed description of the transaction; you should get it in no time. Regards. Applegate Bank¡±


    The rey of the mail he had gotten, which made him shout out without realising that his wife would hear him, yed behind his lids again as he tried to school his breathing to that of someone who was sleeping already.


    While lying there, satisfied by the no-holds-barred sex he just had with his wife on the couch, his phone vibrated again. His heart raced as he saw the details of the transaction. No wonder the system had not acknowledged it.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The money had shown in and left the ount so instantly that if he had not checked the time very well, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed that there was a two-second difference between the arrival and departure.


    Just two secondster, everything he had nned seemed to be down the drain. He no longer had any establishments or the money to show for them. He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell.


    He wanted to yell at the damn moon, sky, or whatever was avable. He wanted to wail like a baby, but he couldn¡¯t do any of those, not when she was around.


    The woman who had provided before would still provide again. The woman to whom he had to find ways to exin how he ended up losing the establishments.


    He stood up slowly to go clean up, and when he saw her standing there in the shower with water sluicing off her luscious body,. The angst in him had morphed instantly into a raging sexual drive. Thankfully, she had amodated him.


    Thomas decided to take his mind off anything else that could make him crazy tonight. If he was going to start concrete ns for getting Susan out.


    He has to get his sh*t together. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.


    Reyona felt it when the man beside her, with a racing heart, finally fell into a genuine sleep.¡±How stupid does he think I am?¡± she thought as she remembered how he had deliberately made it seem like he was sleeping.


    Idiot.


    Maybe he thought she was asleep already. Yeah, right, she thought as she rolled her eyes.


    Enough thoughts about him for tonight, she thought as she smiled to herself when she remembered the task she had set out for herself tomorrow.


    Time to give his aplices a jolt as well, which would inevitably shake him up, of course.


    She sighed as she settled more into the crook of his arms as she thought of things she would need to buy on her way there tomorrow, as she had always done.


    After all, what sort of daughter-inw would she be if she couldn¡¯t pay her mother-inw an unexpected visit?


    She almost patted herself on the back for how filial she was.

 The Woman She Called Mum

    Reyona almostughed out loud at the priceless expression on Ruth Lanoth¡¯s face as she entered and met her with the kids. They were eating the crackers that Reyona bought on her way to the house and surfing through the channels to see what show would satisfy all parties involved, as she had met the kids arguing over the channel that the eldest had put on.


    Thomas¡¯s mother had never learned the habit of locking up her door, as she had said that she did not have a property that belonged to a burr. So, it was quite normal for Reyona to simply walk through the door and call out to her mother-inw if she didn¡¯t immediately see her in the living room.


    Lugging the grocery bags she had with her, she opened the door, picked up the bags, and used one of them to push the door wider. She entered and called out even before she fully raised her head.¡±Mum, are you¡­?¡±


    She trailed off as she saw the three miniature copies of her husband staring back at her. Two of them had been in a tussle over the remote while the baby was waving her arms excitedly at the antics of her siblings. They all stopped their activities and looked at Reyona in confusion.


    She had been expecting to see them.


    Of course, they were the reason why she came there today. She had even bought some cereals she wouldn¡¯t normally buy for Ruth after the salesgirls had said they were nutritious for children. She had bought them, intending to shock her two-faced mother-inw.


    She hade there to see the shock on her mother-inw¡¯s face when she saw her, but she was the one who got the shock of her life when she saw the facial characteristics of her husband on the children¡¯s innocent faces. The kind of faces she had expected to see in individuals they would call their children. Unexpected tears burned the back of her eyes, but she knew she had to hold them off.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the only boy among them asked in curiosity as he lifted off the couch where he had been trying to get the remote from his sister.


    Reyona smiled as she gave him an appreciative look.


    The boy was brave. She would give him that; she knew of kids his age who would turn mute at the sight of strangers.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Reyona asked as she felt the pull on her arms, and she dropped the groceries on the table.


    The boy raised himself to his full height as he thumped his chest and dered that he was the man of the house.


    The eldest of his sisters snorted from behind him and told him to dream on.


    ¡°Grandma said so!¡± the boy said petntly as he faced his sister, forgetting about Reyona for the moment.


    The girl rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Grandma was just trying to be nice because she knew that you are a crybaby and she didn¡¯t want you to¡­.¡±


    She couldn¡¯tplete her sentence as her brotherunched at her with outrage that only a man could muster because she was called a crybaby.


    ¡°I am no crybaby!¡± he dered again as he looked for what to do for his sister after jumping on her and decided that collecting the remote from her would be the best punishment. His mother had told him to never pull her hair again after all.


    The sister was also bent on stretching her hand farther so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to collect the remote. Just as Reyona wanted to intervene, she felt a slight tug on her pants leg, and she looked down to see their baby sister¡¯s hand on her clothes.


    The child beamed at Reyona so sweetly that she almost teared up again as she bent down to the level of the beautiful child, who seemed to have lost interest in her sibling¡¯s uninteresting squabble as she admired Reyona¡¯s hair.


    When Reyona was at face level with her, the kid raised her chubby hand to Reyona¡¯s hair, which she pulled gently and rubbed against her cheek as she said ¡°Pwety¡± and then gave Reyona a cheeky grin again.


    ¡°Oh, this is too much,¡± Reyona thought as she almost lost herposure when she thought briefly that this was the kind of sweet kid she had instigated her separation from her mother.


    She nodded at the girl who moved closer to her and checked out her patterned tunic top as she bestowed another ¡°Pwety¡±ment on Reyona.¡±You are pretty too,¡± Reyona said to the child, who beamed beautifully before she turned around in a pirouette like she was on a runway. The girl was a beauty with her curly brown hair, piercing pale blue eyes, and clear skin devoid of freckles that were most prominent on the faces of kids her age.


    ¡°Do you think we should let her get close to Leah like that? We don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°She is cool; she called Grandma Mom the other time. She is not a bad type.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Quit your yapping and get your mouth off my face. Your breath stinks.¡±


    ¡°No, it did not!¡± The boy dumped the whispers they had been speaking in before and shouted at his sister, then his eyes alighted on the remote that his sister had dropped.


    His sister wouldn¡¯t let him have it, though, and they started their tussle again.


    The baby, Leah, was it? She turned to Reyona and said, ¡°I want Disney Junior.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you will watch¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± her elder siblings both chorused as they looked over at Reyona.


    ¡°No, anything but Disney Junior! All they do there is baby stuff!¡± The boymented, and his sister nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°Okay, what about we do it like this? Let¡¯s all surf through the channels, anyone you feel like watching, and Leah¡­ It¡¯s Leah, right?¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Leah nodded, and the boy asked, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned it, dummy,¡± his sister bopped him on the head. ¡°Let her continue.¡±


    ¡°I am no dummy,¡± he whispered, not willing to let his sister have thest words as he turned back to Reyona.


    ¡°So if Leah agrees with what you two agree on, that is what we will pick, yeah?¡±


    The two of them looked at each other before they nodded reluctantly.¡±Leah?¡±The kid shook her head; her hair bounced with her movements, and then she smiled at Reyona again.


    Disarmed in the face of such sweetness, Reyona hurriedly looked around as she pondered aloud, ¡°I need something to munch on. Who wants some crackers and juice?¡±


    The boy shouted enthusiastically that he wanted it, and Leah nodded her head as she pped her hands excitedly.


    Their sister called the boy ¡°Glutton¡± before she said she could eat one or two.


    Reyona smiled as she took the groceries to the kitchen.


    Spoken like a diva. She shook her head as she thought of how well-behaved the children were.


    ¡°If only your sire was not such a scum,¡± she thought as she got out the tter to pour the cracker. She dropped the groceries on the counter. Ruth could stock her fridge. She thought in anger as she left the kitchen again.


    She collected the remote after bringing out the juices, and as she sat, she saw Leah looking at herp.¡±Do you want me to carry you?¡± she asked, and the child nodded.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t deny the fact that the baby knew how to warm her way to her heart. She was sorry for these kids, but that wouldn¡¯t change anything. ¡°Come,¡± she said to the baby with her arms spread in invitation.


    ¡°It was because mum used to¡­¡±The older one jabbed her brother in the sides, and he shut his mouth.


    Reyona, of course, knew what he wanted to say. It was about the bitch who decided to trick her fellow woman with Thomas. She remembered that she didn¡¯t get the kids¡¯ names as she surfed through the channels, and they all kept saying, ¡°No, no.¡±.


    Of course, she had their names, but it would seem weird if she blurted them out without them telling her, so she asked them.


    The boy said, ¡°You already know my sister¡¯s name is Leah.¡± His sister smacked her forehead as she rolled her eyes at him.


    He poked his tongue out at her. ¡°My name is¡­¡±He jerked his head towards the door when he heard, ¡°Where are my sweethearts?¡±


    ¡°Grandma!¡± he shouted.


    Ruth, who was removing her outdoor shoes by the door, raised her head, and the smile on her face morphed into a horrified look.


    Reyona had to hold herself fromughing even as she felt the well of sadness deepen within her.


    This was the woman she had treated like family since she knew her.


    The woman she called mom.

 Daddy Said…

    ¡°Reyona?¡± Ruth Lanoth spoke as she seemed to recover from her shock. She looked at the groceries in her hand, then back at Reyona and the kids, her eyes darting from them to her.


    She seemed to almost have a seizure when she saw Leah on Reyona¡¯sp.


    Reyona smiled inwardly as she doubted that the woman had any idea how transparent her face was. Her son must have learned his highly deceptive face from someone else. His father?


    Well, she would never know; the man had been long dead before Reyona met Thomas.


    ¡°Mum!¡± Reyona replied excitedly as she gave the remote in her hands to Allysyn and carried Leah at her waist as she went to meet her mother-inw, where the woman still stood as if she had no idea if she should proceed into the room or bolt.


    Reyona saw the way the woman¡¯s eyes darted between her and the children, as if pondering if she should get the children out first or Reyona herself.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Reyona thought as she hugged the woman.¡±Hi, I have missed you,¡± she said as she hugged her tightly, sideways though because of the child on her arm.


    ¡°Yes, I have missed you too. It¡¯s been a while since you came around.¡± Ruth muttered as she patted Reyona¡¯s back awkwardly, then tilted her head to Leah, who was smiling excitedly at her grandmother as she kicked her leg lightly off Reyona¡¯sp.


    Who could be med for that? Reyona thought as she remembered how Ruth has been giving her one excuse or another for not being at homete.


    If she was not going for a program, it would be that her book club had an event.


    Reyona deliberately did not call beforeing over because she knew that her evasive mother-inw would havee up with an excuse.


    What could be better than the priceless look she had seen on the older woman¡¯s face? Reyona decided that she couldn¡¯t think of one.


    ¡°Yes, I am sorry. I have been a bit busy at the office. You did say you are busy with a lot of events these days-the times we have discussed, remember?¡± Reyona asked with a grin as she adjusted Leah at her waist. Ruth¡¯s eyes went to the baby again, and her unease became more evident.


    ¡°I see you have met Leah already,¡± she said with such a strain in her smile that Reyona pondered that it was a miracle that the child in her hand did not get down and run off.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied as she looked at Leah and then back at Ruth. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a cutie?¡±


    Leah preened at being called a cutie, then Reyona turned to epass the older siblings with her arm as she said, ¡°And her siblings too. They were just about to tell me their names. Are they your neighbour¡¯s grandchildren?¡± She asked innocently with a smile as she turned back to her mother-inw.


    ¡°Err¡­¡±¡±No, she is our grandma! Can¡¯t you tell? Daddy said that I resembled her! My name is Th¡­.


    ¡°Junior. That is his name.¡± Ruth said hurriedly, and Reyona turned back to her mother-inw as the woman continued, ¡°And she, her name is Allysyn. Yes, the eldest. I¡­Here, Allysyn,e and help me with these groceries. Take them to the kitchen and arrange them on the counter carefully, okay? Junior. Go with her.¡±


    ¡°No, grandma. She¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior?¡± Ruth called with a tilt of her head, and the boy stopped this grumbling.


    Just as Allysyn was collecting the grocery bag from her grandma, Reyona said, ¡°Oh. I can help them. Here, Allysyn, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Ruth quickly said as sheid her hand on Reyona¡¯s arm to steer her back to the couch ¡°Let them do it,¡± then she reduced her voice to a stage whisper as she said, ¡°I am merely sending them to do that so they would stop bickering for a moment. Having something to do will¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandma! Ally is calling me a dunce!¡± Junior yelled from the kitchen.


    Reyona raised her eyebrow slightly as she thought, ¡°Well, so much for that.¡±


    ¡°Allysyn, be nice!¡± Ruth called to the children before turning to Reyona with a smile ¡°Children. Always naughty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wouldn¡¯t know, though. Seeing that I have never had one,¡± Reyona said as if she were pitying herself as she leaned forward to take another cracker.


    Leah hade down from herp and was moving towards the kitchen.¡±What? Oh no, don¡¯t think of it like that. I am sure you will soon have your kids too,¡± Ruth assured her.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Reyona asked suddenly, in a serious tone that made her mother-inw look sharply at her.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Don¡¯t worry. When the time is right, God will provide. Do not fret. I¡­¡±


    ¡°It was Thomas who said we shouldn¡¯t have a kid yet and that he wanted his businesses to be stable first,¡± Reyona said suddenly, with her eyes on the woman¡¯s to catch her reaction.


    The sly fox looked away, though.¡±What? He was?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you did not know? I am sorry; I thought Thomas told you. Would you like a cracker? They are very crispy,¡± Reyona said as she handed a cracker to the woman like she had no care in the world.


    Ruth collected it automatically as she said, ¡°Of course not. Why would he tell me something like that? It is a matter between couples, apparently.¡±


    Reyona nodded like she just realised that.¡±Yes, you are right. Whose children did you say they were?¡±


    The cracker Ruth put in her mouth flew out as she coughed.


    She looked at Reyona in confusion. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The kids who have such a great resemnce to Thomas?¡± Reyona said with a smile as she patted the older woman¡¯s back.¡±They do?¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t tell?¡±


    Ruth became engulfed in a non-ending fitful cough.


    Reyona smiled to herself as she went to get water for her mother-inw.¡±Your child did learn a few tricks from you, after all,¡± she thought to herself.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Cousin’s Children?

    ¡°Hey, sweetheart. Ain¡¯t you having a game with your associates?¡± Reyona asked as she looked up at the little clock face on the fridge door before lifting the bowl of quartered yams in her hand ¡°You are back early,¡± she said with a smile, and she angled her face up for a kiss.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You know, we were not feeling much like ying, so we just hung out for a while, and we called it a day,¡± Thomas answered distractedly as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before going to the fridge to take out a chilled bottle of water, which he guzzled down.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, that means I get to have you more to myself then. It has been a while since you stayed at home longer on a weekend. I have to thank your friends,¡± she said with a wink.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. They sent their regards,¡± he said as he looked over at her, then drank more water before capping it back.


    ¡°Oh yeah? They did? Your associates that do not know me?¡± She asked with a feigned curious expression as she smiled inwardly at the way he was trying to hide his agitation.


    She knew he was trying to find the right way to frame whatever question he intended to ask her, and the way she was asking him questions was not helping at all.


    She ced the bowl in her hand at the sink and turned on the tap as she gave the yams special attention


    ¡°What? Yes, it was Lance who mentioned you when he asked how you were doing, and the rest caught on, so they sent their regards.¡±


    ¡°Right. How nice of them.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she thought, ¡°I guess Lance is a certain brte at the KDLEA.


    She knew he had been to the agency that day to check on his woman even though he had told her straight to her face that he was going out with his associates for a baseball game, just as she knew that his mother had probably called him the moment she left her ce to inform him of her visit. She didn¡¯t inform Thomas that she would be going over, so she could only imagine his panic when his mother called. Yes, she could imagine the way he had run over.


    It was a miracle that he hadn¡¯t crashed the car.


    Thomas swallowed hard, yet he couldn¡¯t bring himself to voice the question that was burning on the tip of his tongue.


    He knew if he asked it directly like that, it would seem like he ran home for that purpose, and that would only make him look more suspicious. He knew, yet he knew that he couldn¡¯t keep it in for long. He had to know if she suspected anything. His mother had voiced her doubts after all.


    He looked at the yam she was washing and wondered why she had insisted on being the one to cook for him since their marriage. He knew she could afford to hire as many maids as she wanted, but she had never collected a cook before, and the other workers were not lived-in.


    Warmth filled him as he remembered the delicious meals she had conjured up for him from time to time, especially when there was anything to celebrate. Even on his birthdays, she did the baking and never minded how hard she would work at any new recipe she took interest in. ¡°In as much as you are happy,¡± she had always said.


    Thomas shook his head slightly as a vestige of guilt wanted to rise in him. He knew that he couldn¡¯t allow that now. No, not when he could still see the teary face of Susan in his mind¡¯s eye. Not when he could remember how her sultry lips trembled in fright as she clung to his hands while telling him that she did not want to go to jail.


    No, guilt was the least of what he could feel now. First, he had to be sure that his wife had not found out anything yet and had believed what his mother told her.


    He needed to get Susan out, and to do that, he needed to get a good attorney to get her out, and to do that, he would need money. He did not have enough money at the moment. He was still reeling from the blow he had been dealt when his money got intercepted.


    He had been able to converse directly with his assigned ount manager, and all the woman could assure him was that they would try their best to see if the money could be tracked.


    Thomas knew that there was a high possibility that he might end up getting a negative answer regarding that. Susan needed a good attorney. He had no idea where he could get a good attorney who would be willing to take up her case without money. No, guilt couldn¡¯t be allowed.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°What are we having for dinner?¡± he asked with a more confident smile after getting his initial misgivings under check.


    ¡°Oh, these?¡± Reyona smiled as she looked back at him over her shoulder. ¡°It is yam. I quartered it. I am going to make you yam pottage.¡±


    He gave her a sceptical look ¡°What is a yam pottage?¡±


    She turned to him excitedly as she said, ¡°Oh, it is a new recipe I found. It¡¯s an African recipe with a lot of reviews for its taste. I wanted to experiment with it, and I can assure you that you would enjoy it if it turned out fine. If not, we will simply order pizza,¡± sheughed.


    His smile widened ¡°Yeah, no pizza could match your cooking, though. I am sure you would get it perfectly right; when haven¡¯t you?¡± He said this as he hugged her from behind and kissed her hair.


    Everything in Reyona wanted to rebel against his deceitful disy of affection, but she forcibly tamped down her revulsion and rxed against him. ¡°I think that you are being biased. Well, I don¡¯t mind, though. You can be as biased as you want. That is why I love you.¡±


    ¡°Just that?¡± he asked in a joke.


    Reyona turned to him and hugged his neck as she said, ¡°Well, that and many other things.¡± She kissed his lips. ¡°I am sure if I started to list them all out, you wouldn¡¯t get to have dinner tonight because it would take me all evening and tomorrow.¡±


    Thomas slung his arm across her lower back and held her tighter to himself. ¡°I am sure I would love to hear it all.¡± He kissed her back and moved back from her embrace as he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you would be going over to mom¡¯s ce today.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, that. It was an in-the-moment decision. After you left this morning, I wasn¡¯t doing anything. I just decided to check on her. She called you for that?¡± She asked with a confused expression on her face.


    Thomas knew that his wife hardly did anything on impulse; she loved to n, but he let it go as he shook his head. ¡°No, I called to check on her, and she mentioned it; that is all.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she mention them? Would it seem normal if I brought them up?¡± he thought as he turned to pick up his water from the counter, only to realise that it was empty.


    He was about to dispose of the stic in the bin when he heard, ¡°Howe I never heard of your dead cousin¡¯s children before?¡±

 Hopeless Situation

    Sending up a prayer of thanks to the heavens that his mum had told him before about what she told his wife, Thomas turned to Reyona ¡°Well, we just knew about them recently also. Cousin never told us that he had children outside, you know. This woman just showed upst week with those kids. None of us had any idea how she knew about mom¡¯s rtionship with Rafe. Well, she just showed up that morning with those kids and told her how she and Rafe had been together for a long time, even before he married his divorced wife, Meg. Mum said she was still reeling from that as she invited them in when the woman told her that she was actually on her way to Vegas to get married to the love of her life, someone who would be proud of her as a wife and not just keep her aside as a mistress. And that was it. She walked out on those children like they did not exist. How could a mother be like that?¡±


    He shook his head with feigned outrage on his face like he couldn¡¯t believe what had happened.


    Reyona almostughed out loud at the precision of his words. It was as if his mother had recorded the speech and ced the recording in him.


    There had been no difference between what his mother had said and what he was saying at the moment.


    The only difference was that he was moreposed in his recital than his mother had been. There had been a lot of pauses and hand-wringing involved in Ruby¡¯s recital. Thomas sure had a lot of time to rehearse his speech, unlike his mother, who had not been expecting her.


    Well, she was not done with him.


    ¡°That is quite callous of the woman. How can anyone walk out on their children like that?¡± She turned to the sink to wash the vegetables after cing the yam on the burner.


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°They sure looked like you,¡± she said quietly with her tongue tucked in her cheek as she saw the way his eyes widened at her statement.


    ¡°What? Well, yeah. You know how much Cousin Rafe and I looked alike. People had once mistaken us for each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if those people had been blind in both eyes and stupid too,¡± Reyona thought as she knew that it would be absolutely rare for anyone to mistake the cousins for each other as nothing about them looked alike. Well, maybe the Lanoth nose that the three cousins shared, but apart from that, nothing else.


    Today was not the day for calling anybody out, though.


    Reyona nodded her head as she tilted her head, as she could truly remember how much they looked alike.


    ¡°You are right. It is a good thing that the kids are such a lively bunch. It seems she did a good job of bringing them up. They are so friendly, and they seemed to have taken to your mom so fast. They call her grandmother, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Mum insisted they call her that, and they are fast learners.¡±


    He heaved a little sigh of relief as he realised that all the anguish in his mind on his way home had been for nothing after all. She truly believed what his mom had told her.


    It was his mother who was just paranoid.


    Now that that had been dealt with, he could focus on how to ess the funds they have in their joint ount without making her suspicious. He had been able to hide the building sales from her so far, but he knew that she would discover them soon.


    He needed to get Susan out as soon as possible, get their passports back, and leave before the whole bubble burst on his head, leaving nowhere for him to retreat. He had to.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question, though,¡± he heard her say quietly again.


    What is she talking about? Thomas looked nkly at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why am I just hearing about them?¡± She tilted her head and raised a finger as she said, ¡°No, I saw them before anyone decided to tell me about them. Why, sweetheart, do I have to discover that on my own?¡± she said in a more serious tone.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Thomas gave her an awkward smile and said, ¡°Discover? Why are you using that word like they were a kind of secret that you unravelled? They were right there at my mom¡¯s ce, and¡­¡±


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have known if I did not go over to your mom¡¯s ce. Would I? Whereas my husband had learned about it for more than a week now.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s not like that. It is just that mom was still thinking about what to do about them. You know, whether she could keep them or something. Assuming uncle and aunt were still alive now, or even cousin Rafe himself, things would have been easier, but as things are. They only have Mom now. So we have not told anyone yet.


    Reyona raised her brow ¡°Am I anyone?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Thomas said with a touch of annoyance in his voice. ¡°Why have you been like that? Even Fiona had not been informed yet.¡±


    Fiona. Her eyes-opener.


    Thank God for the only conscientious member of the Lanoth family. Reyona wondered what would have been her lot now.


    ¡°Are you keeping things from me, Tommy?¡± Reyona asked with more directness than she had ever done since Fiona had told her about his affair and ns.


    ¡°What? Why would you say that? What could I possibly hide from you? This was different and I would have told you about it anyway if you had not gone over there without telling me.


    Reyona¡¯s eyebrows disappeared into the bangs of her chestnut-coloured hair, as she said sweetly. Too sweetly ¡°Oh, do I need to get permission from you now before visiting your mom? Is that so, sweetheart? Forgive me; nobody informed me of that, you know.¡±


    ¡°I did not say¡­ You know what?¡± He raised his hands up as if in defeat. ¡°You know what? Forget about it. I will be in the living room,¡± he said as he dashed out of the kitchen.


    Reyona stood looking at the door through which he had passed as she wondered what made her think she could see this through.


    She must have been crazy to think that she could y the cool, calm, and unbothered wife while he lied to her face and practically called her a fool over and over again with his deception.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± she asked herself softly ¡°What are you doing to yourself, Reyona? The right thing would have been to sue the sorry excuse of a man. You have always been known for doing the right thing and not torturing yourself like this. What¡­¡±


    She scraped her hand through her hair as she looked back at the boiling yams and other things she had on the counter.


    Not tonight. She thought as she sighed wearily. She didn¡¯t have the strength to be the dutiful wife tonight. No, she couldn¡¯t drum up the energy to sit with him at the table like nothing was wrong and watch him eat up the food she made with effort as he gavepliments like the good husband he had always pretended to be.


    No. not tonight. She put the burner off and left everything there on the counter.


    Pizza, it would have to be. For him.


    As for Reyona, she did what she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had done before.


    She put on her jacket and picked up her car keys. With only one intention in mind.


    Going out to find whatever could distract her mind from the hopeless situation that was about to drive her crazy. Anything that could make her forget about the liar on whom she had bestowed all her love and hopes.


    ¡°Rey, where are you?¡±


    His voice was drowned out by the mming sound of the screen door. Reyona felt a slight sense of satisfaction. She couldn¡¯t remember ever mming the door on him or walking out on him.


    It seemed to be a night for firsts. She thought as she saw him illuminated in the headlights of her car.


    With a surprised look on his face.


    Well, she was not about to exin her behaviour to him.


    Not now, anyway.

 Hottest CEO

    Maxwell Rohan was having a drink at O¡¯Toole¡¯s bar and thinking of the mess that his half-sister had gotten herself into. She had called his line when he was busy and had dropped a panicked voicemail. The main thing he had been able to get from her ramblings was d***s, arrest, and ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to jail.¡±.


    The girl had always been whiny, so it had not been a surprise for Max to hear the thread of desperation in her tone. Maxwell knew it must be serious this time if she had willingly called him; thest thing he heard from her after he helped her with her mother¡¯s burial years ago was, ¡°I don¡¯t need you or your help.¡±. But then short-term memory seemed to be quite convenient for her mother when she wanted it to be. He could see that the girl had inherited that from her too.


    Maxwell had tarried long enough before going over. He could almost feel his father looking down at him with a disapproving look as he clucked his tongue.


    ¡°Family is everything, boy.¡± Andre Rohan would have said, if he could hear Max¡¯s first thought of ¡°Not my business,¡±


    So, weighed by the responsibility he did not want to feel towards the ungrateful daughter of the woman who had made life hell for him after his father¡¯s death, he made calls and confirmed that she was indeed detained at the ce he initially thought: the Kayooma D**g Law Enforcement Agency.


    Steve at KDLEA had informed him that she might serve if she was unable to prove that she truly had no knowledge of how the white stuff got to be in her possession, which she had been quite vocal about, but at the end of the day, that won¡¯t help her if she can¡¯t give them solid evidence that someone truly nted it in her belongings, as she had been saying.


    Maxwell asked how long she might serve.


    ¡°For 100 grams, Max? Nothing less than three years. No, she would be damn lucky to get a day less than that,¡± Steve replied.


    ¡°Which means she might get more than that?¡± Maxwell asked


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be telling you these things, Max,¡± Steve responded ufortably.


    ¡°Remember that favour you are owing me? I figured this might be the right time to cash in on it.¡±


    Steve sighed before looking around and then back at Maxwell.


    ¡°Damn, your sister said she got that powder from a store alongside other things.¡±


    ¡°What powder?¡± Maxwell asked in confusion.


    ¡°Well, the stuff was sealed tight in a dusting powder can. Could have fooled me for a talcum powder.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so we went to the store you mentioned to verify. Yeah, they recognised her, but there was nothing in there to indicate that what she bought was swapped or anything. We checked out their CCTV recording for that day; nothing was out of ce. We even checked the whole row of powder. Damn, I had no idea there was that much powder. Whoever needs about a hundred powders to choose from?¡±


    Maxwell shrugged.


    ¡°Well, we scanned everything. Every damn thing pissed the owner off in the process as we were holding up the business, but at the end of the day, we got nothing. Nothing at all. The only close we got to any d***s was the whiff of mari***na on the salesboy¡¯s breath, which he said was from his cologne. So, yeah. There you have it. Almost a whole day was superbly wasted. So, your girl there¡­¡±


    ¡°She is not my girl; she is my sister,¡± Maxwell bit out.


    ¡°What? Do you have a sister? Howe I never heard of that?¡± Steve asked in amazement.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You and I are not so close, Steve, that you get to know everything about me,¡± Maxwell replied drily.


    Steve nodded his head. ¡°Right, right. Yet here you are asking me for all the details I could bring up for you. Not close at all,¡± he said in a droll tone.


    ¡°You owe me a favor.¡± Maxwell replied, ¡°Now, do you want to tell me all I need to know about this, or do I have to spend the rest of my life here waiting for you to quit carrying on like an old woman?¡±


    ¡°That is an insult to all old women around the world, and that includes my grandmother, who is fond of you, by the way,¡± Steve replied with a taunting smile, then raised his hand when Maxwell narrowed his eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. That is all for now. Apart from her derations, your sister has nothing else working for her. If you want to do anything, and I mean anything legal,. I just said I should mention it. You have to do it fast enough because she goes to court on Monday,¡± he said, spreading his arms with a shrug.


    ¡°What do you mean by anything legal? Do I look like someone who would do something illegal to get her out?¡± Maxwell asked with feigned innocence.


    ¡°Do I look like I have grown horns on my head? Do I need to remind you of how we met, Maxwell Rohan?¡± Steve asked with a steady look at his friend.


    ¡°Must you have mistaken me for someone else?¡± Maxwell said as he stood up and adjusted thepels of his suit, ¡°I am aw-abiding citizen doing things the right way, a businessman for that matter, and might I add that a sessful one? Check the cover of Sess Under 40¡¯s,¡± and you will understand. They even called me the hottest CEO in town,¡± he added with a wink.


    ¡°Blech, they must be blind in two eyes. What am I if they call you the hottest thing in town? Talking of hottest, my wife has this cousin that¡­


    ¡°Hold it, hold it. I will not be around that day, and I am allergic to dinner, going to the parks, or any other thing you were about to say.¡± Maxwell cut him off, as he already knew what Steve was about to say; his wife was always trying to match him up with one cousin or the other. The woman must have legions of them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I? Don¡¯t I, Steve?¡± Maxwell asked with suspicion in his eyes.


    Steve sighed ¡°Fine, I did my part anyway. You would have to exin to Antonia why you chose to be absent at¡­


    ¡°I did not hear that. I did not hear that.¡± Maxwell ced his hands on his ears.


    Steveughed, ¡°Rascal.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Maxwell asked in a more serious tone.

 The Other Woman

    ¡°Figured you would want to see her,¡± Steve replied before looking over his cubicle. ¡°Hey, Ty, take Mr Rohan here to see our newest guest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr Stanislovoski,¡± the young man said as he dropped his coffee and put his system on ¡°sleep¡± before gesturing to Maxwell ¡°Come with me, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Maxwell said to Steve.


    ¡°Nope, you don¡¯t get to wiggle with a thank-you. You just used up the favour I owe you.¡±


    Maxwell snorted augh as he followed the young Ty to the visitation room adjacent to the holding cells. It did not take long before she came in.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She sure looked different¡± was the first thing that came to Maxwell¡¯s mind as Ty led her in. She looked more mature and beautiful than he had seen her in thest eight years, if a little dishevelled at the moment.


    After Ty left to give them privacy, she leaned forward with excitement. ¡°Oh, brother, I am so happy to see you here. I have no idea if you woulde, but I had to try. I had to make that call. Even while making it, I thought you would ignore me like you have done for years now after mum and dad died,¡± she said, bright-eyed


    ¡°Why noty it on? Somethings never really change.¡± Maxwell thought ¡°Talk of double standards.¡±


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t help but see the traits of her dubious mother in her, not just in the looks but in using guilt trips to get their way. Oh, yes, Fiona had been very good at that. ying the angelic doting mother while his father had been alive. Andre had bought it all, as had Maxwell, who thought he had gotten a loving mother and an automatic little sister when his father told him about his remarriage and brought them home. He had not thought much of girls then, especially one younger than him by two whole years. Fiona had pretended to be everything he thought he missed in having a mother; after all, his mother died at childbirth. Life seemed to be rosy at Rohan¡¯s household until his father slept and didn¡¯t wake up. Just like that. No warning. No sickness. Andre left his grieving family behind.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the grieving teenager to realise that he had been left with someone who had pretended for more than nine years that he had known her. Fiona put him through a lot. Lying on him. Trying to get him in jail. Pulling him out of school. Throwing things at him. The woman was one of the reasons why Maxwell had one of the meanest reflexes anyone could boast of.


    Thankfully, he had been big for his age, and at seventeen, he towered over her. That had ruled out the beating. She tried it one day, and Maxwell dragged the belt so hard that she toppled over the couch. That had earned him no dinner for a week. The obscene words were the worst. Words about Maxwell¡¯s mother, from whom she removed all the pictures of her that Andre hung in his lifetime.


    ¡°I met him first when we were in college, but your whore of a mother took him from me. I got him back, after all, didn¡¯t I?¡± she would say with a self-satisfied smirk before thumping her hand on whatever was close by, ¡°That is Karma for you.¡±


    Maxwell had always wondered when her karma woulde. Her karma seemed to be in the shape of a hit-and-run vehicle. Maxwell was long gone from home then. He packed his backpack the moment he clocked eighteen, and not even once did Fiona try to get him back.


    As Maxwell sat in the visiting room, looking at the oh-so-precious daughter of the woman who had made life hell for him and used the same trick that had worked with his father and a lot of people for years, he wished he hadn¡¯te. He wished he could just stand up and leave the room, never looking back again. As her mother had requested before. As she had requested, he helped her with her mother¡¯s funeral, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t do it. Andre adopted her after all. And as his father would say, he had a responsibility to his family. Like it or not. She was his family.


    When Susan saw that he was just giving her a direct look without responding to her earlier statement, the fear of him getting up and leaving her in this mess that Thomas seemed not to have a way out of made her readjust in her seat. The bastard could not even get her a decentwyer. Telling her that his money was intercepted. She loved Thomas, but the fear had always been there: what if he finally left her for his rich wife?


    Worse, what if he collected her children, deemed her an unfit mother in court, and kept them for himself and his wife? Her poor babies. No, she wouldn¡¯t give them away. She was not unfit; she only dabbled in the white subs**nce once in a while. She had managed to keep it from Thomas and had only zoned out once in a while when she was supposed to take the kids from school. But they had been fine. Her babies were capable of taking care of themselves now, especially her dear Allysyn.


    No, she was not about to let them go. She trusted Thomas. Yes, but if he ended up going to jail, she had no idea what he would do. What if he disassociates himself from her and takes her children? What if she never gets to see them again? What if he relocated with his wife? No, Maxwell was her best hope at the moment. Thomas had proven useless so far. So she cannot afford to anger him; if he left, she would be truly alone.


    The cold bastard could help; he had money after all. Her runaway brother now had enough dough to get her out of here. She was not above asking. Even if she had to beg. All for her babies, of course; it had nothing to do with the fact that her skin crawled just at the thought of the navy blue jumpsuit touching her precious skin.


    No, it certainly had nothing to do with the fact that she was as horny as a dog in heat and had been helping herself out with her hands. Nor did it have anything to do with the fact that she could feel tiny ants crawling beneath her skin from theck of touching any sub**ances for days. Days.


    No, she had to get out of here. And her surest ticket out of here was currently looking at her like she had grown horns on her head.


    She had to up her game, she thought as she pasted a pitiful look on her face with her hands outstretched towards her brother. ¡°Please help me out, Max. I know you don¡¯t like me much; I understand that I never gave you much reason to, and I am so sorry about what my mom did, but I have nobody else to turn to now. My husband couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You are married?¡± he asked in a controlled tone, even though she was sure that he was surprised.

 Muddying The Family Name

    Susan gave him a sheepish look.


    ¡°I mean, not officially yet, but we were going to. After we get to Luxembourg,. There were circumstances here that¡­¡±


    Maxwell had no idea how he was so sure of it, but he just knew. ¡°It was an affair,¡± he stated simply, and he saw her eyes sh with anger, the pitiful look gone in an instant.


    ¡°I met him first!¡± she said shrilly, then reduced her tone when she saw his raised brow ¡°I am sorry, brother. It is just that it made me seem like the other woman. She was the other woman. He did not love her as much as he loved me! I have children with him, whereas she had nothing. Nothing at all. She doesn¡¯t make him as happy as I do. We were going to go away and have a new life, then. She trailed off.


    ¡°Then you got arrested. Bit of karma there, sister, don¡¯t you think?¡± He said it in a droll tone that made her look up sharply at him. He knew that she had a retort on the tip of her tongue for him, but she swallowed it because she had to get what she wanted first.


    Wise decision. He mused. But then, the mother-daughter duo had never been short on their cleverness. They had it in abundance to use on their unsuspecting prey. He couldn¡¯t help but think that history was repeating itself, even though in a varied version. This time, his dear sister was not married to the man. Yet. And the man¡¯s wife did not have a gullible son. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the woman would feel if she knew what her husband had nned for her. Not that it concerned him.


    Yet he asked, ¡°You said, children. How many?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Susan, who was regting her breathing and counting to ten before she talked to avoid saying anything that could affect her, looked at him in momentary confusion before she realised what he was talking about. She smiled ¡°Three, three beautiful children,¡± she said proudly


    Even Maxwell was amazed ¡°Three children and his wife did not find out.¡± He shook his head as he wondered how anybody could be that gullible.


    Susan smiled self-satisfactorily. ¡°We were very¡­¡± Her smile diminished as she looked back at him. ¡°Why are we talking about my children when we should be talking about how you would rescue me?¡±


    ¡°You tell me,¡± Maxwell shrugged.


    ¡°You were obviously the person that¡­ Never mind. Do you want me to beg? Okay, I would beg. Please help me,¡± she said curtly.


    A fine way of begging. Maxwell thought as he shook his head. ¡°Was it yours?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, of course not. What are you talking about?¡± she fired back.


    ¡°Are you a user?¡± he asked simply.


    ¡°Wha.. what? What are you talking about?¡± she looked at the door like she was expecting someone to pop in and drag her away, then looked back at Maxwell ¡°Why would you even say such a thing?¡± she asked in a vicious whisper.


    ¡°Maybe because you are jumpy, twitchy, and look like you would like to bash my head in with one hand while patting my back with the other?¡± he asked with his head tilted like he was truly considering it, then he smiled at her wide-eyed look ¡°But then, it might be because of being cooped in here for so long, right?¡±


    Susan swallowed hard as she replied, ¡°Right, that could only be the reason. Why would I¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to have a hit? Just a small one right now?¡± he asked again, so suddenly that she blinked.


    The temptation was so strong that she almost climbed over the table to ask him if he could get her any, but she knew that would be stupid, and that would mean admitting it. Who knows if it was the agency that asked him to¡­ could that be so?


    Susan looked at him with a narrowed eye. ¡°Are you baiting me, Max?¡± She stood up in anger, without a nce, as her chair toppled over. ¡°What are all these? Are you going to help me or¡­¡±


    The door opened, and Ty entered. ¡°Everything okay here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are fine,¡± Maxwell said with his eyes on his sister.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ty replied as he looked from one to the other. ¡°You should be ready to leave in five minutes, Mr Rohan.¡±


    ¡°I would be done before then,¡± Maxwell replied, and he smiled inwardly when he saw Susan¡¯s eyes widen.


    Ty closed the door quietly behind him.


    ¡°You¡­you are going to leave?¡± Susan asked with evident fear.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t expect me to stay here with you, do you?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t help me? Your sister?¡±


    ¡°My half-sister. On paper,¡± Maxwell rified before adding, ¡°You really think I would step my feet in here if I did not want to help you?¡±


    The evident relief in her expression disgusted him. He wanted to be far away from this maniptive idiot, who was apparently on her way to being a co****ad, but as he said,. He was here, and he would help. Family matters.


    He asked her other necessary questions, and he informed her that awyer would be with her in court by Monday before he left. Steve was not in his seat when he got back to his space, so he left without saying goodbye.


    Maxwell knew that getting awyer was the right thing to do, which he would do, but as Steve had said, with no concrete evidence that the co***ne had been nted, as his dear, whiny sister had insisted, she could end up in jail. He wouldn¡¯t miss her or anything, and he personally believed that being in jail might teach her a lesson or two, but he was a Rohan after all, and they take care of themselves no matter how screwed up they might be.


    Andre had given Susan the family name. Maxwell was obliged not to let her muddy that name.

 Chestnut Firebrand

    Maxwell had not run around in the slums for years for nothing, and he knew that if it was a nned job that was so smooth that even the agency could find no loophole, there could only be one source that got it done. Going to the store would be a waste of his time; he would certainlye up empty. Don never left traces.


    If his assumption was right, that could only mean that Susan had stepped on a client¡¯s toe. A very wealthy client. Don didn¡¯t deal with any other type. His baby sister had bitten off more than she could chew, but he would find out what could be done. It would cost. Oh, yes. It would, but he had to try. If he got nowhere or if he happened to be wrong,. Then he would simply leave the rest for his overpricedwyer to deal with, but first, he had to try.


    As he dialled the confidential number, he thought briefly about who could have it in for Susan, and the deceived wife came to mind, but he dismissed it. If the woman was gullible enough to be cheated on for so many years without any inkling, then he doubted she would have enough resources to get Don.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said when he realised that the person on the other end had picked up the call without saying anything.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± the voice replied.


    ¡°It is Max; I want to see you for something important and urgent,¡± he said urgently. Don had no patience with niceties.


    ¡°If you are not dying, then it is not urgent. Are you dying, Max?¡± the voice replied calmly.


    ¡°No, I have no intention to anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Good, then it is not urgent. B..¡±


    ¡°Please, I need to see you,¡± Max said urgently, almost biting his tongue on the words.


    ¡°Wow, look at that. Please? You must be desperate.¡± pause ¡°O¡¯tooles bar. 9 p. m., the phone was disconnected before Maxwell could reply.


    Maxwell knew that it was a privilege for Don himself toe out to meet anybody, but then they have history.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    At 8:00 pm, Maxwell was already at O¡¯Toole¡¯s bar; he figured he might get to rx a bit before Don arrived. He knew Don or his people could have been around scouting the area for any possible threat, so he might as well be in full view while having a couple of drinks.


    Just as the thoughts of how his day had gone ran through his mind and he was signalling to the waiter to get him another drink, she entered.


    The most gorgeous woman with the most beautiful shade of chestnut hair he had ever seen.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Maxwell muttered when he looked down at himself and noticed an instant hard-on.


    He was no randy young man who went about with a stiff attitude whenever he set his eyes on a beautiful woman. It must be because he hadn¡¯t had a woman in a while. Nobody¡¯s fault but his. He had to rectify that as soon as possible if the alternative would be him embarrassing himself when he saw a hotdy. Damnit. Now he thought she was hot?


    ¡°You have it bad, boy,¡± he thought when he felt his trousers tighten at his crotch. ¡°Where is Don?¡± he said, looking at his watch. 8:25 p. m., damn. He looked up again to see the woman pause just inside the door of the bar. She looked around with a slight uncertainty on her face, like she was not sure she should be there. Then she seemed to make up her mind as she headed to the bar. A man sat on the stool she seemed to have headed for as she neared the bar. She spoke to the barman, who pointed towards where Maxwell was seated. She nodded and headed toward him.


    ¡°What? There should be plenty of other vacant chairs around him aside from his own. There should,¡± he said, looking around and realizing that there isn¡¯t. His table was the only one with vacant seats. He was the only one upying one of the four little couches ced around the table.


    Damn. He thought to himself again as she got closer.


    She was even more beautiful up close.


    The woman who was oblivious to his inner turmoil simply said ¡°Hi¡± before she dropped her purse on the table and took the couch farthest from him as she looked at the waiter who brought her margarita.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile before she sipped her drink and faced the podium, where some sort of band was setting up.


    ¡°Shit, even her smile is a killer,¡± Maxwell thought as he felt his trouser grow tighter at a very interesting junction. He was tempted to stand up to ease his throbbing member, but he was sure that he would do more than embarrass himself if he attempted that, so he merely reached for his ss, only to realise that it was empty.


    ¡°Waiter, I need another beer.¡±


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


    Reyona looked around and wondered why she had let go of little pleasures like this. Going out just to be with herself and her thoughts. She had never been much of a social person. Not even in college, when her friends had been jumping from party to party. Reyona had either been buried in her books, tutoring someone, or finishing up her assignment.


    Her roommates had given up on her and called her hopeless after trying as much as they could to get her involved in their outings and parties. And they had left her alone after telling her she had no idea what she was missing. Reyna had not thought there was anything to miss in going out every other night, sneaking into the hostel in the wee hours, and waking up bleary-eyed to go to ss the following day.


    No, she was sure there was nothing to miss at all. Since most of them who relish telling her just how boring her life was for a college student would still end up begging her for her notes and pointers when they were running behind,.


    She had not goofed around for a year like two of her roommates had done after graduation, backpacking across the country and doing God-knows-what as they underwent what they called their transitioning period. No, there had been no transition period for Reyona. She had started scouting for jobs even before theypleted their final papers. A month after graduation, she had already secured one at a reputable firm. Within a year, she had already realised that being an employee of apany was not what she wanted. She craved challenges. The kind that came from taking on different clients with different cases.


    A little over a year after she said goodbye to college, ReyDexter LLC had been born. It was tough going at first, but she had made it happen. I met Thomas, and two yearster, they walked down the aisle. She had thought she had it all figured out.


    What a joke. She thought of her friends, who called her uptight. Her colleagues, who called her a prude,. She had thought they simply did not understand her. Then, after she married Thomas, her life revolved around him, her work, and their home. The beautiful home she had envisioned for them.


    ¡°A whole lot of good, did you know?¡± she muttered to herself as she picked up her margarita. She had a long drink as she looked towards the raised podium to the side where some men were setting up with their instruments.


    She smiled to herself as she remembered how much her grandmother had loved a live band. It never mattered to Eugenia whether they were good or not; what mattered to her was the effort they put in.


    ¡°God, how I miss her,¡± Reyona thought wistfully to herself as she knew that her grandmother would have been the first person she would have turned to the first time she learned what a joke her marriage had been. ¡°Grams would have had plenty to say about this,¡± she thought again, even as she knew that her grandmother wouldn¡¯t have approved of the path she had chosen to deal with this issue. No, she would have told her that she was causing herself more misery this way. Grams had never believed in an eye for an eye, but her granddaughter was not above it. No, nobody would take her for a fool and get away with it.


    ¡°Maybe it was time to put a stop to the pretence though,¡± she thought as the first strain of a soulful tune filled the bar from the clever plucking of the guitar, Reyona looked over and sighed as she thought, ¡°Yes, it is high time.¡±


    She was unravelling more and more now, and she doubted she could look at him one more time with any form of love without feeling like she should stab him with a sd fork. She had thought she could hold on to her act for longer, but she doubted it.


    Yes, Grams would have been right. She was only torturing herself by continuing like this. It should be high time to let the deceitful bastard know that he was not as wise as he had thought himself to be after all. To let him know that she might have been totally gullible for years, but she was on to him now, and his game was up.


    ¡°And then what? All your careful ns will be for nothing. Are you so weak that you couldn¡¯t bear to see him hurt as much as you had nned? Just admit it. You are a ninny,¡± her inner voice hissed at her.

 His Type

    Reyona picked up her drink as she refused to analyse her feelings. She shut off the restless thoughts in her mind and concentrated on the musicians in front. One of them had started singing while the harmony of drums, bass, and guitar blended with the smooth, rich voice.


    Grams would indeed approve. Reyona had no idea what the song was. Something about how love snuck up on the singer when he least expected it. Reyona did not think much of love or it sneaking up on anyone these days, but she liked the sound of the tune and how it washed over her. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh as she decided to leave behind everything she knew she would have to deal with when she left this ce and let the music wash over her. Even if she didn¡¯t believe a word of it,.


    She did not know that a smile curled her lips, nor did she have any idea of the man sitting opposite her who seemed enraptured with her expressions and movements. Not until she heard his voice did she realise that she had an audience.


    ¡°That good?¡± She heard his lilting voice, which sounded musical for a man.


    Reyona opened her eyes slowly and looked at him with a slight arch of her brow. She was sure he was referring to her, as he had his eyes on hers with a touch of a smile on his sensuous lips.


    He inclined his head towards the band. ¡°I mean them. Is the music that good? You seemed to be in a world of your own and one you loved so much if one could judge by the smile on your face,¡± he said with that smile still in ce.


    She knew his type. The cocky grin. The self-assured stance. Yes, she knew his type, and she did not care for the look in his eyes as he looked at her. No, she did not.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


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


    Reyona shrugged as she ced her hands around her ss without lifting the drink to her mouth. ¡°Their music is good,¡± she said so quietly that he had to strain his ear to catch her words.


    The fleeting content look that had been on her face was gone, and Maxwell was sorry for that. What he was not sorry about, though, was the fact that he had seen her hazel eyes when she had looked directly at him before arching her brow.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he thought to himself again as he wondered how a woman could affect him so much. The way she sighed earlier had been nothing but pure torture for him, as her sigh only reminded him of the rustling whisper of a well-loved body against the sheet. He wondered briefly how her baster skin would feel to the touch, even as he saw the faint irritation that clouded her expression when she replied to him.


    ¡°You must be a lover of music then,¡± he added as he decided to turn on his charms; he had not been interested in regaling any females with it in a long while. That didn¡¯t stop them froming through, but he suddenly realised that he wanted this woman to be charmed by him. A ridiculous notion, he thought. Especially since he was not the type who cared about anybody¡¯s opinion of him but this woman here? He felt an inexplicable urge to be in her good grace.


    ¡°Oh really? I am sure you must have deduced that from the way I jumped on the table earlier, nodding my head in ecstasy, yeah?¡± Reyona replied with dripping sarcasm, even though she had a sweet smile on her face.


    ¡°Whoa there,dy. Ie in peace,¡± Maxwell said as he raised his hand in surrender, even as he wondered what made her so uptight. It was almost as if she was upset.


    ¡°What about you don¡¯te at all?¡± She asked as her anger rose when she saw the teasing smile on his lips, even as he raised his hands in that ridiculous stance. ¡°How about you face your drink and pretend you do not see me?¡± she said as she slightly turned her back on him, thinking that should let him leave her be.


    She was amazed when she heard, ¡°That is near impossible, you know. For anyone to pretend not to see you? Any man who imed that must either be blind or he was well on his way.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would pretend to be blind then.¡± She sipped her margarita with a sweet smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes. ¡°And, oh, I wouldn¡¯t mind you ying dumb as well. Thank you¡±


    She added with a roll of her eyes as she wondered why the man¡¯s arrogant, knowing smile irked her so much. She was not known to be rude, but she so wanted to say something to him that would have that infernal smile off his undeniably sensuous lips.


    Yes, she was married but not blind. And she disliked the man. No reason.


    ¡°Whoa. You areing on strong,dy. I could almost believe that you are flirting with me. Not that I amining, mind you. I am highly ttered to get that from such ady like you,¡± Maxwell said deliberately to get a rise out of her. He had no idea why he wanted to get a reaction out of her. Any reaction at all? as much as that would keep her talking and not leaving. He had seen her hand edge toward her purse.


    He covered his satisfied smile as he rubbed his upper lips. She did not disappoint, as her eyes fired up, and Maxwell could almost believe he saw dancing mes in those mesmerizing orbs.


    ¡°Are you normally a jerk, or is the privilege reserved for me?¡± she asked in such a controlled voice that one would have thought she was talking about the weather. Her eyes gave her away, though. Just the eyes.


    Maxwell decided that he was enjoying himself and wouldn¡¯t mind if Don got to the barter. He had a gorgeous woman to rile. Or flirt with. The term didn¡¯t matter after all.


    ¡°No, no, honey. I reserve this sort of attention for beautiful women like you. Believe me. I am not always so generous.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer you take your generosity and stick it up where the sun doesn¡¯t shine because, believe me, I am in no mood for bullshit. Not yours or that of anyone else.¡± Reyona was amazed at the extent of her reaction to this man, but she knew there was no backing down now. She hardly gets angry, but when she did? Well, let¡¯s just say she was already having a vision of the margarita ncing off his arrogant, handsome face.


    ¡°Why am I thinking of him as handsome?¡± she thought to herself as she carefully set down her drink before she would do something she might regretter. Like, flick her hand toward his face. She had never been thrown out of anywhere before.


    Well, there was always a first. She thought as she turned towards the band again.


    He wouldn¡¯t leave her be, though.


    ¡°My, oh my. Could it be my imagination, or did a refineddy like you just suggest that I shove my generosity up my ass?¡±

 Name Is Max

    ¡°What?¡± Reyona looked around to be sure that the people at the next table had not heard his statement before rounding on him with a vicious whisper, ¡°What the heck is wrong with you? Do I know you before?¡±


    He leaned towards her like he was about to tell her a secret: ¡°No, you do not, but I will like us to rectify that. He stretched his hand across the table for a handshake ¡°I am Max, and you are?¡±


    ¡°None of your business. Go bother someone else, please. I am in no mood for your ¡°I am too handsome to resist¡± bullshit.


    ¡°So you admit that you find me handsome?¡± he asked with a wink.


    ¡°No, I admit that I found you full of bullshit and like I said¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I know you are in no mood for my handsome self. Maxwell turned slightly away like he was about to leave her alone. Then, at thest minute, he turned to her again ¡°May I have your number?¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°What?! Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°You seemed to be saying that a lot tonight,¡± he said in a low, suggestive tone that made Reyona forget what she was about to say.


    ¡°Is flirting so easy for people to do these days?¡± She thought to him, ¡°What am I saying?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He smiled at Reyona¡¯s confused look. ¡°I mean, the word ¡°what?¡± you¡¯ve said it like, how many times now, two times? Three? I could almost believe that my handsomeness, as you admitted, has made you speechless.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s mouth was agape for a moment ¡°You are full of¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± hepleted for her. ¡°Yes, I know. Still, I would like to have your number.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I have had enough of this. Reyona shut her mouth as she saw the grin on his face. Yeah, she was about to stay bullshit again. She wouldn¡¯t give him the opportunity to make fun of her again, though.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She had enough of people making fun of her.


    She picked up her purse and looked around for the waiter so she could pay and leave.


    Great. Just great. She thought, ¡°I left an asshole at home just toe and meet another.¡±


    Maxwell thought to himself that he had probably taken his jest too far. ¡°You are not about to leave because of me, are you? You don¡¯t look to me like someone who would back off just because of a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Why not simply call me a coward and get it over with? Mr. whatever your name is,¡± she looked around for the waiter again.


    ¡°Max. The name is Max.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care,¡± she flung her hand and stood up with the thought that she would have to give the bartender the money then.


    ¡°Listen, I am¡­¡±


    Reyona saw the waitering from the back and whooshed out a breath of relief. She beckoned to him and asked for her bill.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, put it on my tab,¡± Maxwell told the waiter.


    ¡°No, I would not¡­¡± Reyona started to protest, but the waiter had already moved on to the people calling him at another table. ¡°Do not expect a thank you from me,¡± she said and turned to leave.


    Hold¡­ shit,¡± Maxwell muttered as he realised that she was leaving already and had no intention to slow down. He looked at his watch at 8:55 p. m. and stood up to follow her out.


    She was headed towards a Phytonic Blue BMW X3, and Maxwell confirmed that he had not been wrong early. The woman sure had ss. Well, he did not care about that. He just knew that if he let her go like that, he would me himself.


    She whirled back a few distances from her car. ¡°What is this? Is this how people address one another in bars these days?¡± she asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°You sounded as if you¡­¡± He raised his hands as her brows went higher. ¡°Look, I am sorry. I just¡­ you just.¡± He was not about to make a fool of himself by telling her that her presence just sort of bowled him over, and he reacted poorly. ¡°Okay, I am sorry for my action. I was only teasing you, you know. You make it so easy.¡±


    She gave him a steady look ¡°So, this is my fault?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean, no, you¡­ Can we please talkter? Do you mind if I have your number? There is someone I have to meet and¡­¡±


    Reyona was incredulous ¡°Why are you asking for my number? Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Shepleted it as she realised that her ring was not on her finger.


    She wondered what happened to it for a moment before she remembered that, in a moment of anger, when she had parked by a roadside, she had removed it as it seemed to be sitting there as a symbol of her foolishness.


    She had not put it back on.


    She closed her eyes as she berated herself for not thinking right. No wonder this ridiculous man had thought¡­


    She dipped her hand in the pocket of her jacket and brought out her wedding band.


    Maxwell thought as if his chest had been smashed with a club, as he felt an indescribable pain in his heart when he set his eyes on the shiny diamond ring. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, oh,¡± Reyona repeated as she put on the ring firmly. She had no idea why she felt hollow as she said, ¡°So, you should know now that your attentions were highly unwanted and unttering,¡± she said firmly.


    Her voice sounded condescending to Maxwell, and he had no idea why anger filled his chest as he fired back at her. ¡°Do you enjoy ying games, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Reyona scoffed. ¡°Games? Ma¡¯am?¡± She had no idea why his usation or the look in his eyes irked her. She said firmly to herself that she cared not about what he thought of her action. ¡°What games are you talking about?¡±


    Maxwell knew he should just leave her be and go face what he came here for after all, but he just couldn¡¯t. ¡°The one you seemed used to ying. There is only one reason why a married woman would deliberately remove her ring whening to such a ce.¡± He flung his arm carelessly towards the bar, where the strains of the band¡¯s music were still flowing out the door, wrapping the two of them in its mncholic embrace.


    Reyona fleetingly thought of him as dangerous as he moved closer to her.


    She dismissed it as being fanciful and stood her ground even when her feet wanted to move back of their own ord.

 Midnight-Eyed Stranger

    His midnight ck eyes seemed filled with the tempest that could boil over and sweep her feet from underneath her. ¡°It is none of your business what I do or what my intentions are¡± she whispered without having any idea why ¡°Good God, you don¡¯t even know me.¡±


    The fact that she did not step back excited Maxwell beyondprehension. The look in his eyes that had made men scramble most of the time and made some tremble only had her tilt her head back in a challenge as she gave him a defiant look. Maxwell knew he just had to have his hand on her. Her wedding ring and games, be damned.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Do you want to deny that you deliberately sat at my table, intending to make me notice you? Did you tuck your pretty little ring away just so you could have a free, wild night? Well, mydy. You have no idea just how wild the night could be,¡± he whispered to her in a way that made her shiver slightly even as her blood heated.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Are you¡­¡± Her words died out as she felt her breath back up her lungs when he held her upper arms, none too gently. The jolt of heat that mmed into her system made her wonder briefly if she was having a heat stroke. Not that she would have any idea what that was, as she had never had it before. She was sure that his firm hands on her shoulder were the reason why she was not dissolving into a puddle of sensations at his feet.


    She decided that she must being down with something when she felt his hot breath cross her lips as he said, ¡°Damn it,dy. I don¡¯t care about whatever games you y, but I care when that game affects me and makes me want to¡­Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you do not meet me inside in the next one minute, Maxie, I am leaving, and I don¡¯t want to see your call.¡±


    Reyona looked behind his shoulder to see a woman pass behind him to the entrance of the bar.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Maxwell said, was the only person who called his name like that. He looked behind him just as the door swung close behind the burly woman. She couldn¡¯t think of a better term to use for the woman who seemed to have enough strength to knock down a man. She felt that the voice sounded familiar as well, but she shrugged it off. She knew nobody had that kind of build.


    Reyona shrugged his hands off her shoulder. ¡°Your meeting, I guess?¡± she scoffed. ¡°You are one to talk.¡±


    She turned away from him and entered her car before he could say anything else.


    ¡°Assholes are a dime a dozen these days,¡± she thought to herself as she left the parking lot of the bar.


    She had no idea why she was so angry. The nerve of the idiot had to use her of ying games when he had been perfectly willing to flirt with her a few minutes ago, all while he was waiting for his burly woman.


    She hoped the Amazon-like woman gave him enough grief and knocked him around too, for the record.


    He was probably married as well, and the woman was just one of his many girlfriends. Yes, that would make sense why he quickly came on to her like that. He must be a casanova who jumped from one woman to the other.


    Bastard.


    She was sure he had intended to kiss her.


    Not that she would have allowed it, though. No, she wouldn¡¯t. She was not a loose woman.


    ¡°No, just a jilted one,¡± her subconscious whispered sinisterly.


    Reyona sighed as her house came into view. What was she doing, thinking of the habits of an asshole that she would never set her eyes on again?


    What did she care if the man slept with all the women on the side of the coast and beyond?


    She had her licensed bastard waiting for her toe back so he would spin off more lies to her.


    No, she had no business with a midnight-eyed stranger.


    **********


    The midnight-eyed stranger was currently ribbed by a woman whom most wouldn¡¯t have imagined her true identity.


    ¡°I tend to think that your urgent business was not so urgent after all, Max.¡± Donald cum Serena, Alias Don spoke as she leaned back against her chair. She looked rxed in her seat-even slouchy, in fact. Yes, she was about as rxed as a cheetah would be. Right before he pounced on a prey. She had angled her chair in a way that had her eyes on both the entrance and most of the bar.


    ¡°You think wrong, Don. It is about as urgent as urgent could be,¡± Maxwell said as he looked at the shrewd-looking woman in front of him. He still hadn¡¯t gotten over the huge transformation the man he had once known had gone through.


    He still had no idea why, and Don had never been one to exin himself, or should he say herself, to anyone. It must have been for the illusion. Yes, Maxwell believed it would be hard for anyone to look at the sweet-faced woman in front of him and believed that she was the leader of a syndicate. No stranger could have an idea of what the woman was capable of.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me why you got me down here, or do you want to keep staring at my tits? Or better still, you might want to go back to yourdy, to whom you had your tongue down her throat,¡± she said with a drawl.


    ¡°What? I am not staring at¡­ never mind, and she is not mydy,¡± Maxwell said in annoyance.


    ¡°Oh, so she is what then? Your passing me?¡± She raised her hand before Max could talk. ¡°I don¡¯t care. For the record, I don¡¯t care about you staring at my tits either. They cost a lot of money, so they might as well be useful.¡±


    Maxwell leaned forward on the table. ¡°Their usefulness is wasted on me. They would work better on someone who had no idea what you were before.¡±


    Don gave him a masculine, thin smile ¡°I see you still have your smart mouth on you. d to see that living the CEO life had not changed that¡± Her smile hardened. ¡°Start talking.¡±

 A He-She

    ¡°My sister got herself into trouble, and I thought you could help with it,¡± Maxwell said simply.


    Don was not known for long talks anyway.


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°Got held up for possession on her way out of the country. Sis was damn sure she did not have it, but then the agency said differently. She was caught with the white stuff, man. About 100grams¡±


    Don whistled.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, man. It¡¯s tough shit.¡±


    Don fluffed her short, spiky hair. ¡°Who are you calling a man? This right here is ady, remember?¡±


    Maxwell sucked his teeth ¡°right.¡±


    ¡°Howe I never heard of you having a sister, Max? Have you been holding out on me? Also, you still haven¡¯t told me what you think I could do; do I need to remind you that I don¡¯t work at the agency?¡±


    ¡°She is my sister. Half, but well, there you have it.¡± Maxwell leaned forward ¡°She was saying the truth. She is not so good at lying. That stuff was nted, and if care is not taken, she really would serve a term. She has the family name, and I am not about to see that tarnished because of her stupidity. The question now is, What did she do for someone to do that, and what could be done to rectify the situation?¡±


    Don narrowed her eyes ¡°Are you in your oh-so-subtle way using me, Max? You know I don¡¯t do well with usations.¡±


    Oh yes, Maxwell knew that. He could still remember vividly just how well Don doesn¡¯t do well with usations or being challenged. After leaving home, she was literally seen off at the door with a message of ¡°don¡¯te back ¡± by Fiona. Setting off with the little he had that he thought would havested him for a while, he had been mugged in his first week and beaten up too. Pride had stopped him from going back home when, almost three weekster, he was more like a bum moving from ce to ce, picking up whatever casual job he could since nobody wanted to give a young guy with no rmendation a regr job.


    He had met Don in one of the shelters, where you pay a dor per night. He met him when thetter was showing a guy twice his size how well he didn¡¯t take to usations. He had bashed the guy¡¯s face in. Literally.


    Their paths had crossed from time to time, and Don decided that he was worth having around. He taught him a lot about survival skills on the street. It took him about enough time to let people know that Max was under his protection without really bringing him into his ¡°group.¡±. The first well-paying job Max had been able to have was obtained as a result of a ¡°favour¡± that the owner owed Don. In a way, Don, with all his faults and irredeemable ways, had been more of a family to Maxwell than any other person had been in a long time.


    Except for his father, of course. And that was one of the reasons that made Maxwell certain that Don had something to do with what happened to his sister, or that he would at least have information about who did it. If it was a work of the street, Don would know, one way or another.


    Still, he knew that he had to tread carefully.


    Don might have changed his gender and gotten older, but her temper could still be as mean as anything.


    Maxwell smiled as he leaned back against his chair. ¡°use you? Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t do that. I just thought well, you know. You might have an idea.¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Don¡¯s expression changed again, and she grinned. ¡°You always were a cunning one, Maxie. Got a picture of this sister of yours?¡±


    Maxwell mentally patted himself for his quick thinking, as he had taken a full picture of Susan before leaving. The silly girl had been bothered by the fact that she was not looking her best.


    ¡°Here,¡± he handed his phone over to Don, who stared at the image for about two seconds before giving his phone back to him.


    ¡°Yeah, you are right. Your sister truly pissed someone off, and this was just part of the coteral damages. Got any other thing you want to ask me?¡± Don asked as she looked at the gadget-like watch on her wrist.


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


    The midnight-eyed stranger was currently ribbed by a woman whom most wouldn¡¯t have imagined her true identity.


    ¡°I tend to think that your urgent business was not so urgent after all, Max.¡± Donald cum Serena, Alias Don spoke as she leaned back against her chair. She looked rxed in her seat-even slouchy, in fact. Yes, she was about as rxed as a cheetah would be. Right before he pounced on a prey. She had angled her chair in a way that had her eyes on both the entrance and most of the bar.


    ¡°You think wrong, Don. It is about as urgent as urgent could be,¡± Maxwell said as he looked at the shrewd-looking woman in front of him. He still hadn¡¯t gotten over the huge transformation the man he had once known had gone through.


    He still had no idea why, and Don had never been one to exin himself, or should he say herself, to anyone. It must have been for the illusion. Yes, Maxwell believed it would be hard for anyone to look at the sweet-faced woman in front of him and believed that she was the leader of a syndicate. No stranger could have an idea of what the woman was capable of.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me why you got me down here, or do you want to keep staring at my tits? Or better still, you might want to go back to yourdy, to whom you had your tongue down her throat,¡± she said with a drawl.


    ¡°What? I am not staring at¡­ never mind, and she is not mydy,¡± Maxwell said in annoyance.


    ¡°Oh, so she is what then? Your passing me?¡± She raised her hand before Max could talk. ¡°I don¡¯t care. For the record, I don¡¯t care about you staring at my tits either. They cost a lot of money, so they might as well be useful.¡±


    Maxwell leaned forward on the table. ¡°Their usefulness is wasted on me. They would work better on someone who had no idea what you were before.¡±


    Don gave him a masculine, thin smile ¡°I see you still have your smart mouth on you. d to see that living the CEO life had not changed that¡± her smile hardened. ¡°Start talking.¡±

 Needing A Fix

    Maxwell sighed inwardly.


    He had no idea what she had done, but he was sure that his sister had certainly done it now.


    He was certain that this case had to do with Don directly ¡°No, there is nothing else, but this is major, Don. I need your help on this.


    With her easy smile in ce, Don flicked imaginary dirt off her electric blue nails ¡°What do you mean by you need my help or whatever? I don¡¯t work for the agency, and I am pretty sure I don¡¯t look like awyer. Boy, you have a lot of money now. Just get your kid sister a fancywyer to get her out, and things will work themselves out. Also, I happen to know that you have a friend in the agency,¡± she wiggled her eyebrow. ¡°So, you know, if you want to do an inside job, your little buddy would be the right person to talk to.¡±


    Nothing escapes her radar. Maxwell thought.


    ¡°Don, I know you.¡±


    Don raised her hand ¡°No, don¡¯t. You know my policy: no ratting out, no backing off.¡± She stood up. ¡°I will see you around, buddy.¡±


    Maxwell stood up and decided to give it another shot ¡°You know, I happen to know another of your policies too.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? And that would be?¡±


    ¡°No leaving a friend out in the cold.¡±


    Don gave him an intent look, then scoffed, ¡°Yeah, right. Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    She turned and left him standing there.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Max muttered as he sat back.


    Two men from different angles of the bar casually stood up and left the bar as well.


    Max let out a curtugh as he thought that he should have known that it was too good to be true when he saw Don enter the bar alone. The two men had been in the bar even before Max entered. He remembered that one of them had brushed up against him when he entered and now that he thought about it, there had been another man loitering outside the bar when he had followed Don in. The man had not been there when he followed that woman out, but he had been there after Don entered. Maxwell had not thought much of it when he entered, but he realizes it now.


    Don¡¯s people. The first two had scouted the area before Don arrived, and the other had stayed outside to alert them if anything happened.


    ¡°Yeah, I did tter myself truly,¡± Max thought with a shake of his head.


    He knew that Don wouldn¡¯t break his rules of never divulging a customer¡¯s information. That left him with one other option, though. His dear sister would have to think long and hard about the people she might have offended. Since he knew that she was her mother¡¯s daughter, well, the list might be long indeed.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    His phone vibrated and he checked the message notification that came in.


    An unrecognised number. He clicked the message open.


    ¡°If you can get the client to drop the case, nothing is irreversible.¡±


    That was all the message said.


    Max smiled to himself as he knew who had sent the message. Yeah, maybe he had not ttered himself after all.


    ¡°Sister had better start singing,¡± he thought to himself as he stood up to leave to have a good night¡¯s rest first before going over.


    ¡°One more night would make no difference after all,¡± he thought as he paid the waiter, firmly putting off the image of a hazel-eyed, gorgeous woman who kept trying to rear its head.


    No, he had enough to deal with.


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


    Bright. Too bright. The light was too bright.


    The walls. She could swear she had seen those walls move. They were moving on her, trying to suffocate her.


    The noise. Oh, the infernal droning noise. Someone seemed to be talking all the time here. The incessant ringing of the phone. The burst ofughter once in a while was just like a spike being driven into her skull.


    Her skull throbbed. Oh, damn it. It did terribly. She was certain that a thousand small people were having some kind of party in her head. No, she cannot deal with this anymore.


    How dare they? How could they keep her here while they all go home? She had heard them as some of them shouted greetings to their colleagues. She wanted to go home, too. She was no criminal!


    They are all liars! Liars and conspirators! They were all just jealous. Yes, that was it. They were jealous. Jealous of¡­. It took her a while for her increasingly sluggish brain toe up with what they were jealous of, but it eventually came to her.


    Yes. They were jealous of her beauty. Of her beautiful children and the fact that she was finally about to live her dream. Yes, that was it. lying, spiteful bunch of them. They just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that she was going to make something happen atst.


    Her mother! Yes, her mother could put a stop to this. Her mother could tell them how precious she was, and they would let her go. Where was her mother when she needed her?


    She needed a fix. Oh God, just one sweet puff, and she would be okay. All she needed was just a small, teeny-tiny puff. She had been doing fine after all, hadn¡¯t she? Yes, she was clever. Even he had not realized it, and she never let it affect them.


    No, not her sweet babies.


    She was a responsible person, and she deserved this pleasure. Oh, nobody was going to deny her. Did they know how hard it was? To be the one taking care of them most of the time while he popped in and out just because he had to run back to her. We can¡¯t let her suspect always be the mantra.


    The room was cold, so cold that she could feel her teeth chatter, or maybe that was because of the tiny ants that seemed to be crawling beneath her skin. She had to get a puff. She just had to. She just might die if she did not.


    ¡°That was probably what they wanted.¡± Her eyes widened as the thought came to her brilliant mind.


    No, she had to fight for herself. She was not sure there was anybody who would do that for her. Not her babies. They were still so small. She had to protect them. She couldn¡¯t protect them if she was dead, so she had to get some candy and Big C. Any of it. Anything at all would make her feel fine again. She was not even above the sweet grass right now. Yes, nose candy is exotic, but she needed something right now to soothe her system first. Anything that could make her senses sing. Yes, she wouldn¡¯t be denied!


    Then she would be able to wait for the return of the hypocrite, who might choose to let her rot in here, or her useless partner, who couldn¡¯t find a way to get her out of here on his own.


    A feline smile curled her mouth as an idea came to her woozy head. She flung the nket she had been trying to huddle under aside on the cot as she approached the door and pressed the buzzer.


    Her erratic heartbeat went haywire in her chest as she heard footsteps. She forced herself to stay calm when her feet wanted to tap.


    She smiled at the man who came to the door, even when she wanted to scream.


    In her most subdued voice, she said, ¡°Please, I need to use the restroom badly. It is urgent. I can¡¯t hold it in again.¡±


    ¡°Look,dy¡­¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± she quickly added, before the disgruntled man could continue. She batted hershes coquettishly to hasten the process. ¡°I really have to go.¡±


    She smiled to herself as the man sighed, and he keyed in the code from outside.


    Her parched mouth got drier as she heard the ding sound that indicated that the door had been unlocked. The man looked like he was wavering in her vision as he slowly opened the door. ¡°Look¡­¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± her mind screamed.


    She bunched her muscles and acted.

 What Now?

    Thomas knew that he would have a lot of exining to do when he got home that day, but he couldn¡¯t care about that at the moment as he elerated his car. He was way over the limit, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to slow down.


    He had been sucker-punched by the news he got that morning. He had expected that Susan would show up at court this morning, and he was already thinking of what to do as Reyona had suddenly asked him the night before about the partnership deed he had promised to draw up when she gave him the money to set up the gym and the centre. He was still reeling from that, as he had avoided answering her the night before when he faked sleep to avoid answering immediately.


    She was not beside him in their bed when he woke up during the night, and a little search had made him find her in the guestroom. She had never done that since they got married, even if they had any misunderstandings, which had started stemming from her discussions about starting a family; she had never slept elsewhere aside from their bed.


    He knew she caught on to the fact that he was not asleep the night before, even though she had not said anything else, and he had truly thought she had bought his act. He tossed and turned during the night as he wondered how he would be able to exin to her that there was nothing to which any agreement could be drawn as both buildings and instruments had been sold, especially since the money was not even avable to show her.


    Damn it, he had to find something concrete enough. He thought before sleeping and toyed with his senses. The shuteye had been brief, but it refreshed him a bit. He woke up to find the house empty. She had gone to work.


    Looking at the wall clock in the guestroom, he wondered why she left so early, as he couldn¡¯t imagine that anyone would need their ounts audited at seven in the morning. He was convinced that it had something to do with what happened the night before, and he intended to smooth things over when they met that night.


    ¡°For now. I have to focus on Susan¡¯s hearing and what could happen,¡± he thought to himself as he had been informed to arrive at the courthouse early as he would be called to the witness box to say all he knew and try to convince the judge that his woman truly was not a pusher.


    He was just thinking of calling Reyona to act as the caring husband, as it would seem weird if he did not call to ask why she left the house so early. He was already dialling the number when the call from the agency disconnected it.


    In less than a minute, apprehension had filled his system, and he did everything he had to do at top speed.


    Thomas thanked his stars that he had not made the mistake of selling his car and had just parked it at his mother¡¯s as he turned sharply at the intersection that led to the agency.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The message he had heard reyed in his mind as he wondered what the issue could be.


    ¡°Mr. Lanoth, you don¡¯t need to be in court anymore this morning. Get to the agency as soon as possible. There¡¯s been  a development¡±


    Thomas sighed as the building came into view. Nothing was ever really easy.


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


    He was directed to a visiting room when he got to the agency. With no idea what he would meet there, he hurried down the hallway.


    ¡°Could she be ill?¡± he thought. Susan had never been one for hardship, and the conditions of the holding cells would have been harsh on her no matter what the officer had told him-that the condition of their facility was optimal. He just knew that she hade up with something. A spurt of hope filled his chest as he thought that could make them release her. They should be able to do that, yeah?


    The door was opened when he got there, and he saw the officer who had informed him on the first day to simply call him Ty.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Lanoth. Come right in,¡± Ty beckoned to him.


    Thomas had no idea what he had been expecting, but it was not what he saw in the room. The woman. It was Susan. She was huddled to one side, and she was shaking or twitching. He had no idea how to ssify what she was doing as her eyes darted around the room as if she were looking for a means of escape. The moment she saw him enter, her eyes alighted on him, and she looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition and she rushed to him.


    ¡°Tommie, my love. You need to¡­ you have to get me out of here. ¡°She swallowed hard as her hands tightened painfully on his arm before they started trembling. ¡°They want to hurt me. They are all liars. They¡­ you have to get me out of here, my love. I can¡¯t take it anymore. They want to kill me!¡±


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


    Thomas was momentarily dumbfounded by her appearance and how sallow her skin was. Her wide reactions and the strength of her hands amazed him. Then an rm filled his system when he heard herst statement. He had no idea why she was acting crazy, but he would not stand aside and let them hurt her. Thew, be damned.


    He looked urgently at Ty, since he was the only face he recognised out of the three people standing.


    Ty raised his hand and rubbed his face. On a closer look, the man looked like he had been roused out of sleep, and he had stubble on his face.


    ¡°Err, Mr. Lanoth. It is actually not the way Ms. Rohan is saying it, but then, in her frazzled state of mind, she would believe that,¡± Ty exined as he drew out one of the chairs at the table and sat. ¡°Sit down, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by her frazzled state of mind?¡± Thomas asked, still standing. One of the other men, the one in the suit with a briefcase, had sat as well, but the one in shorts and a shirt still stood, the way he had been when Thomas entered. With his hand in his pockets and his back to them, he looked at the ss wall like there was something of great interest he was trying to dissect.


    ¡°Well, thedy got into a bit of adventure overnight. She pretended she had to use the restroom, kneed the officer who opened the door for her in the groin, and tried to escape.¡±

 My Woman

    ¡°What?!¡± Thomas eximed, just as Susan shouted, ¡°Liar! They are all liars!¡± She moved away from Thomas¡¯s side, and her eyes darted toward the open door again.


    Couldn¡¯t they see? She was not going anywhere. She just wanted a fix.


    Ty saw where her eyes were trained, and he sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t even try it, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, then turned back to Thomas, who had stood up and was staring at Susan like she had sprouted horns. ¡°And before you asked, sir,. Yes, the blow was not serious. The man was more surprised than hurt; she pushed him aside and tried to head towards the entrance. It was quite stupid, in my opinion, as I wondered how she intended to get past everyone on duty and the enforced doors. No offence, ma¡¯am. Well, we got her back, and that was when we realised something else.¡±


    Thomas, who couldn¡¯t believe his ears, asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Susan rushed to him again ¡°Tommie, my love, don¡¯t listen to them. They are all liars. They just do not want us to be able to have the life we have dreamed of together. They wanted to separate us. They are only jealous. Yes, that¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you shut the hell up and quit your whining?¡± The man who had his back to the room bellowed, and Susan shut her mouth instantly.


    Thomas narrowed his eyes at the man¡¯s back. The voice had been chilling, but he was not about to stand here and listen to anyone talk to his sweet Susan like that.


    ¡°What the hell? Who are you?¡± He shouted back at the man.


    He heard Ty sigh, ¡°Mr. Lanoth.¡±


    ¡°No, what right does he have to talk to my woman like that?¡± Thomas shouted and moved toward where the man stood.


    The man scoffed, ¡°Your woman. What a joke. Who am I? The one clearing up your mess is who I am.¡±


    He said this as he turned towards Thomas. Thomas stopped in his tracks as the man¡¯s dark, prating gaze seemed to pin him into ce.


    ¡°He is my brother,¡± Susan said in a near-whisper.


    The man who had secured awyer for Susan when Thomas was still trying to get one. The attorney he had talked to wanted his payment upfront before he would even talk to Susan at all about representing her. Two otherwyers had said the same thing.


    He had been thinking of an excuse to give to Reyona that could make him withdraw the money that was left in their joint ount when he was informed that her brother had gotten her awyer. The brother he only learned about that week. The brother, Susan, had never told him she had until they needed his help.


    It irked him that someone else had taken the step he had not been able to take because of ack of funds. Now that he saw the man standing there in all his arrogance, shouting at his sweet love, the anger he felt boiled over. Nobody was going to shout at his sweet, guileless Susan just because he had money. It was typical for men like him to think they owned everything just because they offered some help.


    The kind of man he had been trying to be. The kind he would have fully be in Luxembourg after he invested his money in a lucrative business that would make the elite of society ept him as part of them, which would have made Susan live the life she had always wanted. A rich wife¡¯s life.


    The frustration of his crushed dream and this humiliation made himsh back at Maxwell.


    ¡°And so? Simply because he is your brother, he thinks he can order you about.¡± he looked back at Maxwell ¡°Nobody talk to my woman like that; I don¡¯t care who you are or what you think you have. You were rude to her, and nothing can excuse that fact.¡±


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


    Maxwell gave him a look that made Thomas feel ufortable. The kind of look one would give a slime. A look of disgust. ¡°And what can excuse the fact that you are a pathetic excuse for a man? What excuse do you have for not being able to take care of your own shit? What excuse does a loser like you have for not knowing that his so-called woman is a c****ead?¡± Maxwell said it with steel in his voice without raising it once.


    ¡°What?¡± Thomas shouted, then looked back at Susan. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    ¡°He is¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I stutter? What kind of sorry excuse for a man would be with a woman for such a long period without knowing that she uses it? Heavily for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t say that yet, you know,¡± Ty interfered. ¡°We have to wait for the result and¡­¡±


    ¡°Spare me the bullshit, Ty. You, of all people, know a c****ead when you see one. Just look at her,¡± he flung his hand towards Susan, who seemed to be trying to make herself smaller than she was, or maybe it was because of the throbbing sound in her head that had increased with their conversation.


    Their voice was grating on her ears, and her head protested as each statement that sounded like a boom of thunder came out of their mouth. She felt like she should drop dead at their feet. Yes, she wouldn¡¯t mind that. Right after, she had a quick puff. Yes, that would be preferable.


    ¡°Mr. Rohan, I think I should excuse you while you sort this out,¡± the man in the suit said quickly in the ensuing silence that followed Maxwell¡¯s statement.


    Maxwell looked at the man ¡°Yes, Mr. Smith, that would be preferable. We couldn¡¯t appear today anyway, and I don¡¯t think she could give you anything concrete in that state of hers. I will get back to you once the results are in.


    Thewyer. Thomas thought.


    ¡°What tests?¡± he echoed as Mr. Smith nodded and left.


    ¡°They made me pee in a container, Tommie. They took my hair,¡± Susan piped up without leaving the corner where she huddled. She sat back on her haunches and rocked herself. ¡°They invaded my privacy, my love. You are not going to let this slide, will you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Thomas said it again. He seemed to have been saying that a lot, he thought.


    It angered him to hear Maxwell echo his thoughts as he said, ¡°You seemed to be saying that a lot this morning, Mr Lanoth.¡± the mocking emphasis on his name didn¡¯t escape Thomas¡¯s attention as Maxwell continued with a condescending smile edging his lips ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think you are a questioning machine and not the bastard that had three children with my sister while married to another woman.¡± He turned his back on Thomas dismissively before thetter could reply to his jab, ¡°How long will it take for the results to be in, Ty?¡±


    Ty looked at his chunky watch and then back at Maxwell. ¡°Both the hair and urine tests should have the results in two days, three days tops.¡±


    ¡°Right, I will get back to you. I trust that you will do whatever you have to to make her stop her twitching and stuff in the meantime, yeah?¡± Maxwell smiled at Ty¡¯s raised brow ¡°Right, I¡¯m not trying to teach you your job. I will be back when she is more stable. I have questions for her,¡± he said as he turned to leave.


    ¡°Will someone tell me what is going on here? Why is she taking a test? What right do you have to take any test on her without informing me first?¡± He shouted at Ty.


    ¡°I will suggest you calm down, Mr Lanoth.¡± Maxwell smiled as he heard Ty say in a bristling tone, ¡°Yourdy is suspected of being a user and tests needed to be carried out to confirm or dismiss that theory.¡±


    ¡°A user of what?¡± Thomas asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Co***ne, and not just the powder.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Thomas said before he could stop himself.


    Maxwell snorted on his way out the door, ¡°There you go again.¡±


    If a re could y off someone¡¯s skin, Maxwell would have no skin left from the ferocious re that Thomas directed at his back.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Thomas Fucking Lanoth

    She couldn¡¯t think of someone else that she could have offended. Of course, she could be lying, but Maxwell doubted it. His idiot of a sister wanted to get out of detention as fast as she could, even though he knew the main reason for that.


    She would love to get out as soon as possible just so she could get her hands on some more wh**e po**er as soon as possible. Maxwell wondered who her de**er had been, though he knew that was the least of his business. If she wanted to pump her system full of junk, how was it his business to worry about it?


    Since her equally stupid man had not been wise enough to detect that she was using that heavily even as they make babies together, why then should he feel any guilt right now? Maxwell thought. No, all he felt toward her was nothing but a duty. Duty to the Rohan family is nothing but that.


    He might have felt something akin to brotherly love once. A long time ago, but not anymore. He assured himself. No, Fiona had killed off any familial feeling he might have had towards the two a long time ago, coupled with the bitchy attitude of her daughter. The girl had sent him packing from the funeral, which he remembered just as the mother had done many years ago. The funeral he had paid for. Discreetly, of course.


    The test was not back yet, but Maxwell knew that it woulde back positive. The agents who had dealt with people like his sister and worse for years knew too, but for legality sake, of course, they would wait for the test. Formalities had to be followed anyway.


    His dear, dear sister was going nowhere for a long, long time.


    All he could do was think of ways to get her out of the only allegation that seemed to be false against her. And he had to do it fast as well.


    Maxwell drained his brandy and thought of going to the bar to get more, but sat back again as a new thought popped into his mind.


    So she had no enemies, she believed.


    He was not a woman, and he couldn¡¯t pretend to know what that species thought. In fact, if let him, he was willing to chalk it up to terming them an enigma, but he wondered what he would have done if he happened to be a woman, and he found out that he had a partner who had been cheating on him for years, and not just cheating but having children from the affair.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Three children, for God¡¯s sake.


    Maxwell knew that most who knew him would call him hard-hearted, but even he drew the line when it came to some things.


    He hated phnderers, and he was no fan of two-timers either.


    He picked up his phone and scrolled to the number he had saved earlier in the day.


    Thomas is fucking Lanoth. The bastard.


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


    ¡°Hey, babe. What are you doing?¡± Thomas asked breezily as he joined Reyona in bed.


    Reyona, who had been going through some information that her assistant sent her about a client, looked up at him. She knew she should have gone to her home office to properly check it out on her system, but it had been a stressful day at the office that day, and all she wanted to do was have a good night¡¯s sleep. Right after she checked the information,.


    Her dear husband seemed to have another idea in mind, though, as she knew that look in his eyes. His fake smile was firmly in ce; he couldn¡¯t disguise the look in his eyes that she hade to know so well, though.


    The ¡°I need to confirm something now¡± look


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m just going through some stuff that Charlotte sent me.¡±


    ¡°Your secretary?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You want something?¡± she asked coolly.


    ¡°No, not all,¡± he said, changing his posture and flopped on his back, facing the ceiling ¡°You have been acting sort of distant, Rey. Are you still angry about the other day? I did say I was sorry, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did say that,¡± Asshole said. ¡°And I am not angry again, no, not about that,¡± she said. And I meant it.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said weakly. She knew his mind had moved on to what he wanted to say to her anyway.


    Since she came to her decision, she has felt more at peace with herself. She didn¡¯t have to torture herself anymore by forcing herself to see his face every day while pretending to be a good wife.


    No, he lost that right a long time ago when he decided to make a mockery of their vows. She would kick him out of her life. She wished him and his new family the worst.


    No, she had nothing against him, but she was not so magnanimous that she would send him off with a heartfelt smile. And send him off she would, at the exact right time. Not before. Not after. She would have some kind of closure after all.


    She had thought fleetingly of taking a vacation. Just for herself. To be with herself and find the Reyona she had been before she started nning everything about her life around him. Her dear husband. She couldn¡¯t think of thest time she had made any decision without thinking of what he would think or if it would be good for him or not. No more.


    It would be Reyona first from now on. She had received a surprising call from her dad that afternoon. She had never been close to her parents, as they separated when she was still a child, leaving her with her grandmother while they both searched for their happiness.


    Reyona had resented them for a long time and turned to her grandmother for care and attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me those two, my darling. They do not hate you. How can someone afford to? You are the best thing that came out of both of them. The adult business is just moreplicated than you could understand now. And those two did not do a good job of handling it,¡± Grams would say to her whenever she refused to answer a call from either of her parents.


    Reyona wondered what Grams would say about how she was handling her own adult business now. She wondered if she would approve.

 A Part Of Him

    The call from her dad hade in just when she had let her mind dwell on her situation again. She had promised herself to put it off her mind and just do what she had to do. She had set things in motion already, and everything will alle out in the open pretty soon.


    But she had been unable to prevent her mind from snagging on a thought that afternoon and holding on. Could she have pretended it? Could it all be her fault? Was she not enough?


    His call came in at the right moment to distract her. She had been taking a much-needed break between her meetings then.


    ¡°Hey, dad¡±


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart. You don¡¯t sound so good. Are you alright?¡± her dad had asked instantly. Worry was evident in his voice.


    There was a time Reyona wouldn¡¯t have cared if he was jumping hoops in front of her, but now? She had longe to ept that she probably did not just understand her parents truly. Grams was rarely wrong after all.


    After she had put his mind to rest, they discussed other things. He shared the news of him being a grandparent with her. His stepson just had a baby. Reyona sent her congrattions to the new parents.


    Then she asked what she had never asked before.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sweetheart?¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your separation from mom-can you remember what exactly caused it? You once told me that you loved her, but to date, I still couldn¡¯t understand how you could im to love someone, then decide to unlove them¡± or cheat on them. Shepleted it for herself.


    ¡°Rena,¡± Carlisle Dexter said, ¡°why are you asking this all of a sudden? Did something happen between you and Tom?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I just wanted to know. I know I med you two for a long time. I even med myself for a while too. Thinking that you two did not want me or¡­


    ¡°Oh, Rena,¡± her dad sighed.


    ¡°No, no. I get it now. I am not ming you or anything. I just wanted to know. That is all,¡± she paused ¡°You know what? Never mind; forget I asked that. I have to go soon anyway, so just¡­


    ¡°It was never about you, Rena,¡± he said again, and she could hear him sitting up. She remembered that Mn¡¯s time was six hours earlier than that of Kayooma; he was probably still in bed.


    ¡°We messed things up, sweetheart. And none of us would ever forgive ourselves for that, you know. Especially for leaving you behind like that. No, we did not regret the fact that you were raised by mom. But the fact that we made you feel like we didn¡¯t want you. That was what we were most sorry about. It just¡­¡± he sighed again. ¡°It just got too much. One time we thought we would be the best of families, and the next we were tearing at each other. I have tried to think about it, and I can¡¯t pinpoint how it all changed, but I think we were both young and too strong-headed topromise. All in all, we loved each other but we were not in love with each other, Maybe we were a little at the beginning but we mostly love each other.¡±


    He sighed again, and Reyona smiled to herself as she pictured him running his hand through his hair, as she had seen him do many times when he was thinking about something.


    ¡°Your mom is a great woman, and we still love each other. I want to believe that was why we were still able to remain friends after all the mess we made back then. But it was not until I met Maureen that I realised the difference, Rena. Loving someone and being in love with someone are two different things, sweetheart. But I never regretted having dys in my life. Our union produced you, the best part of the two of us. You are the best thing that happened to the two of us, Reyona. I want you to never forget that. Nor the fact that you are the most beautiful, strongest woman I know.¡±


    Reyona blinked back tears as she thanked him for telling her. She knew that it mustn¡¯t have been easy for him to do. Carlisle was not big on showing emotions after all. Reyona knew he had given her a part of him that afternoon.


    ********


    Reyona finally understood why her parents could remain friends despite everything. Their spouses knew each other. Whenever Carlisle and Maureen travel to Copenhagen, where dys and Reyona¡¯s stepfather, George, lived with their twins, they always stay in one of their homes. Vice-versa. She had never understood them. How was it possible to let go of the past to that extent?


    Looking at her dubious husband, who seemed to be looking for a way to bring up whatever was on his mind at the moment,. Reyona knew that there would be no friendship left when she and Thomas departed.


    Hearing her father¡¯s theory about love that afternoon gave her another thing to mull over. Was she in love with Thomas, or did she merely love him? Had he ever felt anything for her at all?


    Reyona set her phone aside. She could check her messages tomorrow. She doubted that she would even be able to understand anything right now anyway.


    Thomas was not done, though, as she had been expecting. He turned to look at her just as she was covering herself up to go to sleep.


    ¡°If you are no longer angry about that, Was there any other reason? Are you angry about something else?¡± He asked anxiously.


    ¡°Of course not. What would I be angry about? Should I be angry about something?¡± she asked with an engaging smile as she stretched her hand across the bed to touch his face.


    Yes, she could do this now. She confirmed it to herself. Without feeling her skin crawl or tempted to bash his face in. She could touch him this way and feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. She could smile at him and know that he had lost her forever. It was as if there was a dome over her feelings.


    Her emotions towards him seemed to have deserted her. The only thing she felt towards him now was pity. For the weasel that he was. It was his impatience that made him lose what she had nned for him.


    He will pay. She thought as she kissed his cheek, bade him goodnight and turned to sleep.


    She intended to have a well-deserved restful sleep. She was done wasting her nights overthinking about a man who deserved nothing of her time.

 Rohan Who?

    She intended to have a well-deserved restful sleep. She was done wasting her nights overthinking about a man who deserved nothing of her time.


    Thomas sighed when he felt his wife settle into sleep and felt the rhythmic pace of her breathing.


    When Susan¡¯s brother. The arrogant half-brother had called him earlier, talking about the possibility of his wife knowing about what he termed their affair, and he had panicked. What he had with Susan was not an affair. She was the love of his life. Reyona had just been avable as their way paver, and they had not intended for the ruse to take this long, but then one thing led to the other.


    Here he was married to a woman he did not love, while the one he loved just revealed herself to be an ad***t. Thomas still had no idea why she had turned to doing d***s. Was it because of loneliness?


    But she had those kids. How can someone be lonely with three children underfoot?


    Could it be because of their situation?


    He had no idea what caused it, but he knew that the test would certainly result in a positive. The woman he loved had been out of her mind the other day. It was a shocker for him, and he realised that a lot had changed for them recently.


    The main thing that bonded them together was the tireless, maniacal sex they always had. And the children-the children, of course.


    Susan had changed. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t admit that he had changed as well.


    ¡°I still love her though,¡± he assured himself. ¡°She is the love of my life,¡± he thought, with no idea if he was stating what he already knew or reassuring himself.


    He took his mind off that disturbing thought and sighed in relief again that his stupid wife had not learned anything.


    How could she? When was she always buried in one ount book or the other? When she was not doing that, she was in the kitchen, cooking for him and catering to his needs.


    It surprised him when she stopped cooking a regr meal for him like before. She only made his meal when she was making some for herself.


    Thomas noticed the change and asked her, and she told him it was nothing. She just wasn¡¯t feeling like it these days.


    Well, it could be a sign that she was getting closer to her menopause, right? He thought to himself in satisfaction.


    Susan would be out of detention in no time, and they would be long gone before his dutiful wife could discover anything.


    Even as his mind whispered to him that it wouldn¡¯t be easy,. Not with thetest development. He believed that, in no time, they would be good.


    After all, he hade too far to fail now.


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


    ¡°And you have a meeting with Antoine¡¯s Real Estate by 11:00 am,¡± Charlotte was saying as she hurried behind Reyona to her office, flipping through her legal pad. ¡°Their rep called a while ago to verify if you are still avable and I told her yes since you didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I will make it. What else?¡± Reyona, who was annoyed with herself for oversleeping that morning, walked briskly to her office. She had woken up past 8:00 am, for God¡¯s sake. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she slept past six.


    It was a habit she had developed since college, and it had stayed with her. She guessed she should be pleased that she was making up for all the sleep she had lost in the past months, but now was not the right time to be indulging in too much shuteye, not when she had a lot to do.


    ¡°¡­ said his name was Mr. Rohan, and he had urgent business. I wouldn¡¯t leave when I told him he needed an appointment first, so I made him wait in the general waiting room,¡± Charlotte was saying.


    ¡°Wha¡­what?¡± Reyona asked in confusion as she set her Chanel bag on her table and turned back to Charlotte. What had she been saying?


    Charlotte automatically picked up the window remote and switched the panes from night to daylight filter. The glow of the sun¡¯s rays washed into the room in muted tones as the emerald-sewn curtains peeled back.


    Charlotte smiled as she realised that Reyona had not been listening. ¡°I was saying that there was a Mr. Rohan to see you. He did not have an appointment, but he did say that he had urgent business. He wouldn¡¯t talk to Phil or Samantha, as I suggested. He said he wanted you on this, and it was urgent. So, I made him wait in the general waiting room.¡±


    Reyona frowned and tried to remember if she had ever worked with a Mr. Rohan; no, the name didn¡¯t ring any bell. She looked at Charlotte like she was about to say something, but her secretary beat her to it.


    She smiled. ¡°I know, Mrs. Lanoth. I checked him out. He is the CEO of Rohan Automotive Inc., which is very certified. Thepany is a car dealership with branches here in Kayooma and overseas. I couldn¡¯t figure out if they had any CPApany working with them but well, he is waiting for you.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona smiled at the prudent nature of her secretary. Charlotte might not be an ountant herself, but thedy took thepany¡¯s affair like hers. Reyona knew it was rare to find such loyal people these days. Oh, how she knew. She had the total opposite as her partner, after all.


    A bit annoyed at the fact that her schedule will be messed up, she asked, ¡°When is my first meeting?¡±


    Charlotte didn¡¯t look at the pad before replying, ¡°10:00 am, ma.¡±


    Reyona checked her Patek Phillipe watch. It reads 9:29 a. m. Good, she had enough time. The ledger she intend to go through first would have to wait.


    ¡°Okay, let him in. Let¡¯s get that out of the way first,¡± she told her before going to her coffee-making machine to get a cup of the strong brew that would surely keep her system jumping throughout the day.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs Lanoth.¡±


    That name.


    ¡°Charlotte?¡± she called just as thetter was about to leave the office.


    ¡°Yes, ma,¡± she answered eagerly.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Eeer, close to two years now, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± Charlotte answered in confusion, wondering why her boss was asking.


    ¡°Enough with Mrs. Lanoth; call me Reyona.¡±


    Charlotte was shocked ¡°I¡­ah. I couldn¡¯t possibly¡± Reyona¡¯s raised brow stopped her.


    ¡°Okay, Mrs. Reyona,¡± shepleted, and she ducked out of the door with a smile on her face.


    Reyona smiled before turning back to her task. How great it must feel to be that young! She thought firmly, putting off the thought of what she had wasted the better part of her youth on.


    She had woken up to a note on the headboard this morning.


    ¡°You are sleeping so peacefully that I do not want to wake you. I am off to work. I have a new ss I want us to incorporate into the gym¡¯s schedule, so I have a meeting with the manager this morning. Love you¡±


    Bastard.


    She felt a bitter taste in her mouth at his continuous deception, rivalling the taste of the hardcore coffee she drank. No cream. No sugar. No milk.


    She looked out at the serenendscape of the spread-out city that always calmed her. She couldn¡¯t afford to meet a client in a distraught manner after all.


    She waited. For Mr. Rohan.

 Harbinger Of Wet Dreams

    It was quite an embarrassing thing for a man like Maxwell Rohan to admit, but he was nervous. Damn it. Ridiculous as it felt, he felt like a schoolboy going to the principal¡¯s office.


    Maxwell thought himself cynical. He had seen most things and hardly got surprised by anything anymore, but he had not just been surprised the night before.


    He was shell-shocked.


    After getting the details of his wife from Asshole Thomas, he intended to check out who the woman was just so he could know who he would be facing. Though he wouldn¡¯t admit it to himself, of course, he was also curious to see how the woman looked.


    She had to have ws for her husband to have an affair that long that produced three children without her knowledge.


    Maybe she was deaf. Or dumb. He thought in amusement as he inputted the information into his system.


    Reyona Lanoth. He sure liked the name. He mused as he added the upation information to Searchit. A C. P. A., her husband had called her.


    ¡°Holy sh*t¡± was the first thing that came out of his mouth when he saw the disy. Even when he saw just the small picture beside her information, he knew. Then he clicked on the image section. For the first time in a long, long while, Maxwell was dumbfounded.


    ¡°What the hell? That was¡­ her!¡± he yelled in his study, certain that if anyone had been around, they would have thought him crazy. Luckily for him, he did not have live-in workers.


    The prickly woman.


    It still irks Maxwell that he was not able to finally get her out of his system after that first encounter. Not even the knowledge that she was married had been able to take the memory of her fired-up hazel eyes out of his head.


    He had berated himself the day he had a wet dream, with her ying a major role in his fantasy. Oh, she had been so cooperative in his dreams. He woke up fully aroused and pissed. He didn¡¯t mess with people who y games. No, Fiona had been a master game yer, and he distanced himself from anyone who had any trait that reminded him of his stepmother. No matter how remote,.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He looked at the information on her, and the images he saw confirmed what he had seen that first day. She was one ssydy. And wealthy too.


    The pictures were just four, and they had all been rted to business. There she was smiling as she shook hands with a corporate-looking man. Another of her with some dignitaries. Another with an award. Best-recognized CPA award.


    Maxwell knew some of the people she took the pictures with, but the only one he had eyes for was the woman who looked so confident and in her element. Just as he had seen her the other day.


    Well, she had been a bit out of her element that day, as it was apparent that she was not the type that frequented bars. Still, such poise and elegance couldn¡¯t be faked. Even when she looked like she would be happy to take a ride,. With him cuffed to the bumper of her car.


    He couldn¡¯t begin to fathom what could have made any sane man cheat on such a woman. Yes, his sister might be beautiful in a tart way, but her? He shook his head as he thought that a man would have to be crazy to have such a woman at home and think of another outside.


    In his opinion, Thomas was a certifiable lunatic.


    He had not slept a wink. Crazy as it sounded, he was filled with guilt as to what he wanted to do. He had intended to find the woman and find ways to make her drop the case with Don. Don had promised, after all, that it could be rectified if the person who contracted him wanted it dropped. Though nothing had been confirmed, Maxwell had an inkling that it had something to do with the scorned wife.


    Maxwell had learned not to joke with his instinct. It had been so simple when it was not someone he knew, he thought as he drove to her office that morning.


    Not that he knew her, of course, but he had intended to use any means possible to get the woman to drop her case. Even if it involved paying her off. Yes, he knew that was shameless, but anything was not off-limit in as much as he could achieve his goal.


    But then it had been her. Damn it.


    The images he saw online of ReyDexter LLC did no justice to the real thing. The magnificent building of eight floors, with the name of thepany in neon letters and an embossed stand-up sign, showed the taste of the owner.


    The interior, with its floor-to-ceiling ss panelling and top-of-the-line detailing, was nothing to scoff at. He understood professionalism, as he was a stickler for it, and ReyDexter had that in spades.


    Maxwell had always been able to talk himself into or out of anywhere. So the fact that he had almost been tossed out on his ear was a testament to the no-nonsense atmosphere of the business.


    Polite but concise.


    ¡°Who knew CPAs make this much?¡± he thought to himself as he sat in the general waiting room. The bubbly secretary had made him wait.


    He looked around at the spacious room and imagined that two offices could be cramped into the tastefully furnished room that was designed to keep people at ease with itsfy couches and top-ss view. If this was the general waiting room, he wondered what the executive waiting room would look like.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t help but think that hispany might need some upgrading.


    ¡°Reyona is a force to reckon with if she singlehandedly started this from scratch, as the blogs had said,¡± he mused.


    A woman like that would not be an easy one to cross, and he wondered what else would be in store for his dear sister and the asshole if he didn¡¯t manage to make this work.


    ¡°If she really was the one,¡± his subconscious whispered.


    Maxwell was bing more and more sure of it by the moment.


    The door opened, and the secretary entered.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting, sir,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°The boss would see you now.¡±


    Maxwell inclined his head and stood up to follow her.


    Show time. He thought with gleeful anticipation.

 For My Sister

    Reyona just wanted to get the meeting with the client over with so she could start her day as nned.


    ¡°It must be something very important if he was willing to wait despite no assurance that he would see me,¡± she thought as she awaited him.


    A slight knock preceded Charlotte¡¯s entrance. ¡°He is here, ma.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± she said as she turned from the window. ¡°Come in, s¡­ you?¡± she asked in surprise as she saw the man behind her secretary. His hateful smile was creeping its way onto his face already.


    He stepped forward confidently and took her free hand in a firm handshake ¡°It is a pleasure meeting you again, CPA Lanoth,¡± he said professionally, the earlier smile gone from his face.


    The bitter taste of the coffee got even more bitter in Reyona¡¯s mouth when she saw the slight raising of his brow with his back to Charlotte, who was looking at the two of them in confusion. She realised that even while seeming professional, he was silently daring her to act like the professional that she was.


    The bastard deliberately used her official title.


    She looked down to see that he still had her hand sped between both of his. Was that her imagination, or was he rubbing slightly over¡­ She snatched her hand away from his as dignified as possible. She turned to Charlotte.


    ¡°He is Mr. Rohan? The one who had been waiting for me?¡± She asked, and thetter nodded.


    ¡°Is there a problem, ma?¡± Charlotte asked


    ¡°No, it is fine,¡± Reyona said dismissively. ¡°Here, she handed over her half-drunk brew to Charlotte. ¡°Get rid of that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma,¡± Charlotte said before inclining her head slightly towards the man who stood with an amused look on his face that had Charlotte wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. ¡°Should I make¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona said decisively, and she refused to be affected by the snicker she heard from behind her. She knew he was the one trying to cover hisughter. She did not care. This was her turf, and she would be damned if some Italian-suit-wearing rogue woulde into it to make her feel small.


    ¡°Mr. Rohan will be leaving soon, so that won¡¯t be necessary at all,¡± she said to Charlotte.


    Thetter knew that something did not add up about the man who was already moving around the office as if he were trying to memorise the details of the decor.


    She nodded at her boss ¡°I will be right outside, ma,¡± she said.


    Reyona smiled. ¡°I will call you if you are needed. Thank you, Charlotte, she said, and thetter left.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If that was not a show of loyalty, I don¡¯t know what else to call it,¡± Maxwell said as he turned to her. ¡°What did she think I was going to do anyway? Have my way with you in your office. As tempting as that might sound, I wouldn¡¯t do that¡­ unless you want me to, of course,¡± he added.


    Reyona felt her insides go tight from his statements. Annoyance filled her system at his arrogance, and she was befuddled by the uncharacteristic warmth that suffused her system as well.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give him satisfaction,¡± she thought to herself as she saw the twinkle in his eyes that made her know that he deliberately wanted to get a rise out of her. She forwent the meeting space reserved for customers and returned to sit behind her desk. She was not about to be forced into going over the decor of her office, as he was doing at the moment, like a vignte. She did not care if he approved or not. She would just wait for him to¡­


    ¡°As much as I appreciate your interest in the aesthetics of my office, sir,. I do not have all the time in the world. What are you doing here?¡± She snapped at him.


    ¡°Tut tut tut,¡± he said as she turned back to her with that roguish smile that kept her insides in ce. ¡°That is no way to talk to a client, CEO Lanoth, don¡¯t you think so? I think I have heard great things about thispany too. I guess none of those reviewers had ever had to deal directly with the owner,¡± he said in contemtion.


    ¡°Just treat him as you would an unreasonable client,¡± she thought firmly to herself before pasting a smile on her face. ¡°Kindlye and have your seat, Mr. Rohan. I am delighted to have you here today. I would appreciate it if you could help minimize your stay here; please, I have other things to do.¡±


    Maxwellughed out loud ¡°Insincere, but I will take that,¡± he said as he came to sit in front of her. Reyona ignored the way his eyes travelled over her. She couldn¡¯t ignore the heat that seemed to chase after the path that his eyes took, and she wondered if she wasing down with fever, as she suddenly felt feverish when the mint and spice smell of his cologne wafted to her nose.


    ¡°You are wee to ReyDexter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to use the sales exec pitch tone with me, Reyona. I know just how capable you are.¡±


    ¡°It is Mrs. Lanoth to you,¡± she said sternly as she raised her wedding band to light. ¡°I am sure this is visible enough, sir. You calling me by my name is neither professional nor did it say anything about how I may help you,¡± she said sternly, deciding not to worry about how he had learned about the name. The inte could, after all, turn what was supposed to be private into public property.


    ¡°Yeah, it is clear enough,¡± he said with a contemtive look. He leaned back against his chair. ¡°Just how binding is it, though?¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe the nerve of this man. Did he mean what she thought he meant? The audacity made her speechless for a while before she swallowed the hot words that wanted to spew out of her and right onto his spiffy, Italian suit that fitted like sea cond skin and made it almost impossible not to notice his lean, fit build.


    She stood up from her chair when he only continued to give her a steady look with a small taunting smile at the corner of his mouth. ¡°I am afraid that you will have to leave, Mr. Rohan. We love to indulge our customers, but not when they have nothing to do. I am sure we can¡¯t help.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°I have something I need taken care of,¡± he saidzily, and Reyona had to draw on all her patience so as not to snap at him and get on with it.


    ¡°I am here because of my sister.¡±

 No Escape

    He couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of seeing her hazel eyes fire up. So instead of him exining what he meant by his statement when it was obvious that that was what she was expecting, Maxwell merely paused and gave her a steady look.


    Rilling her up was a bonus anyway. He was also thinking of what he should say that wouldn¡¯t have her send someone to throw him out.


    He was known to be good with his words, but he was amazed that when faced with this woman, he wasn¡¯t as great as he had always thought.


    Hey, your husband is fucking my sister, and I know that you know about that and their children. By the way, I suspected that you might have a hand in her arrest, and now I am here to make a deal with you.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell cringed at what the oue of that could be.


    She seemed to be done with waiting for him as she picked up the receiver and dialled a number. ¡°Hello, yes. Come to my office right now. Someone needs to be escorted out. What are you doing?¡± She asked in outrage when he leaned over and disconnected the call.


    He kept his arm¡¯s length from her as he raised his hand in surrender. ¡°Ie in peace. I just¡­ I would want you to listen to me carefully and objectively, please,¡± he said in a serious tone. He was amazed at how tense he had gotten. She must have detected it as well, because she told him to take his hands off the phone.


    ¡°Unless you wouldn¡¯t mind being thrown out, of course,¡± she added when he hesitated. Maxwell quickly removed his hand and she put the receiver to her ear after punching numbers in. ¡°Hi, yes. Hold off on that,¡± and then, with her eyes on his, she added, ¡°I will inform you if there will be a need for that.¡±


    ¡°Start speaking, please,¡± she said through gritted teeth. I have a meeting by ten.¡±


    Maxwell checked his watch to see that he had less than twenty minutes to make sense. She didn¡¯t look like she would be open to the extension of that time. He respected time as well, and he wouldn¡¯t want anyone to impose on his time unexpectedly.


    He suddenly felt like a cad for what he wanted to say, and he started by clearing his throat. Then again. And again.


    She raised her brow at him when he hesitated again.


    Maxwell knew that there was no other way to say it than to say it.


    He didn¡¯t want toy it on her like that, though, so he started by saying, ¡°Can I tell you a story?¡±


    ¡°A story?¡± she asked incredulously before pointedly looking at her watch as if to tell him that it was his cup of tea if he intended to use his few minutes to tell a story.


    Maxwell looked at the time and decided to make it worth it.


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


    Reyona was tempted to doubt the sanity of the man. But then she had already given him her word to spare him a few minutes. Why a grown-up man would leave his ce of business early in the morning toe to hers to tell her a story was beyond her, but she nodded for him to start.


    And he started.


    ¡°I could be using this time to¡­¡±


    Reyona felt as if someone poured ice water over her while poking her with a hot rod simultaneously He did not take his eyes off hers as heid it on her. By the time he got to the part where the scorned wife decided to get revenge on the husband and his mistress, she desperately felt like pacing. She could feel her feet twitching in her shoes.


    Something tells her that would be all the encouragement and confirmation he needed, though. A story he called it? Well, she would listen to it like one. She decided as she kept her face devoid of emotions while listening to him add assumptions to the facts.


    How did he know? Who is this man? What did he want with me? Did he know me even before approaching me in that bar?


    Her heart thumped hard, and she called herself all sorts of names when she realised how surprised he had acted when he saw her ring.


    Had that been a game all along? The bastard knew. He knew that she was married, yet he acted as if she were the one full of deceit! He¡­


    ¡°What was it that he said the other time?¡± she tried to remember. She remembered just as he was rounding off his story.


    ¡°His sister! That woman is his sister!¡±


    Anger propelled her body up almost unconsciously before she took hold of herself. With her eyes directed at his, she mentally scolded herself to take control. She took a breath without making it visible before she said in a steady voice, ¡°Oh, that was a very interesting story, Mr. Rohan,¡± as she looked at her watch and saw that he still had two minutes. Well, she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I believe that will be all, and your time is up too. Thank you for wasting your time and mine. If that story is in any way rted to you, I can assure you that going to a psychiatrist would be the best option, sir. You don¡¯t need a CPA,¡± she said tightly. She hated the fact that her anger was taking over.


    ¡°You are levelheaded, Reyona. You are level,¡± she was repeating to herself before he disrupted her thought as he gave her a straight look devoid of his perpetually present smile.


    ¡°You know what I am talking about, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± he said with an emphasis on her surname, which irked her.


    ¡°I can assure you that you are mistaken, Mr. Rohan,¡± she repeated with emphasis on his name. ¡°I can assure you that if you ever step foot in mypany again with this kind of ridiculous time-wasting tale, you will be promptly arrested for trespassing. I don¡¯t care who you are. You had better believe that. Now, out of my office if you don¡¯t need an unceremonious escort to find your way out.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape your own story, Reyona,¡± he said, and the dam broke.


    Hotva of fury roiled through her. Blinding her to everything else but the urge to cut this arrogant bastard down to size.

 Serves Him

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that¡­ but at least I can send you out of my office.¡± Reyona replied evenly, her eyes sparking in animosity at the arrogant bastard standing so self-righteously in her office ¡°Out now before I call the security on you!¡± she yelled as she jerked her corked thumb towards the door.


    ¡°Reyona¡­Rey¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why is he calling her in Thomas¡¯s voice?¡± She wondered as she narrowed her eyes at his serious-looking gaze; she could almost detect pity in his look, and that even annoyed her more! How dare he pity her! This was all their fault! He and¡­


    ¡°Babe?¡± I think you need to get up. She could feel a hand shake her, and her vision wavered. One instant, Maxwell was in front of her, looking at her indifferently. The next, he was whispering into her ears, ¡°Face it. You can¡¯t run from it. Or me¡±


    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± she thought in anger andshed out with her fist.


    ¡°Aaargh!¡± A pain-filled voice yelled close to her ear, and she jerked up in confusion.


    The muted light and change of scenery confused her before she realised what was happening. Especially as Thomas was still holding on to his nose as he groaned.


    ¡°What was that about, Rey?¡± he asked in a muffled tone. His hand covered part of his nose and mouth as he gave her an usatory look.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± Reyona moistened her lips as she felt the dryness. Her hand automatically ruffled through her hair even as the remnant of the anger she had felt earlier abated.


    She was even dreaming about the bastard.


    ¡°I know you were in a bad mood earlier but that doesn¡¯t justify you hitting me like that, you know.¡±


    The bastard had followed her into her dream. She thought.


    She was surprised at how fast he had left her office that morning after dropping the ridiculous quip about how she couldn¡¯t escape her own story.


    ¡°As if I needed the asshole to philosophize on what I can or cannot do!¡± she thought fiercely, taking caution not to make any outward motion that could alert Thomas to her thought or the fact that she wasn¡¯t sleeping yet.


    She was ready to let loose on him that morning when he simply raised his hand in surrender before telling her in the most reasonable tone she had ever heard from him that he did not want to disrupt her schedule or anything. Then he slides his ridiculously stylish business card on her table before leaving.


    ¡°You can call me at your convenience, please. I just want to talk,¡± he said before leaving her office, taking his enticing cologne with him.


    Not that she noticed.


    She had promptly disposed of the card in her trash bin and then put him firmly out of her mind as she proceeded with her day.


    If her wayward mind wanted to think of the probability of what he might want for seeking her out, she simply cleared it of such thoughts and continued her meeting with her client. A paying one. Not a lying bastard who disguised herself just to tell her bullshits.


    When her subconscious whispered to her that she should have rified what he wanted so she could know how it could affect her ns, she simply convinced him that there was nothing he could say that meant anything to her.


    Her busy day had made it easier for her to stave off the thoughts, but she couldn¡¯t ignore them when she got home.


    The more she tried, the more they intruded and riled up her peace of mind.


    What did he mean by giving her such a sympathetic look? She did not need him to look at her like he understood what was happening. She did not need him to look at her at all.


    She wished she had never gone to the bar that night. She wished Charlotte had never allowed him to stay! She couldn¡¯t me her staff, though. She couldn¡¯t me anyone for the way he affected her.


    But, oh, she could. She could me the bastard who had made her nothing but a joke. She could me her fucking husband. Which she had done by snapping at him when he got home smelling of liquor and tried to kiss her.


    Yes, she enjoyed shoving him on her way out of the room. She even enjoyed the way he had sworn when he caught his side against the jamb.


    She ignored his call when he joined herter in the room, and it took all her effort not to cringe when heid his hand on her, asking if she had slept. She hadid down there, hoping he could go away before she broke.


    Reyona knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop if she let loose. She breathed a sigh of relief immediately after he moved away, muttering to himself about God knows what.


    She deliberately fixed her mind on the content of the presentation she had for a new conglomerate she intended to work with. The presentation was supposed to take ce the following day, and she needed to be on top of her game.


    She was not distracted by the thoughts of irrelevant people who were probably making jokes about her behind her back.


    Were they making fun of her behind her back? Including Tom? She thought before immediately taking her mind off that thought.


    She had no idea that her restless mind could allow sleep-not until she jerked up to the groans of her husband, which she just hit in the throes of her dream angst.


    ¡°Serves him right,¡± Reyona thought to herself as she sighed softly, hoping that he did not hear her. I wish that he would believe that she had slept off again.


    The space next to her dipped, and her body repelled the closeness.


    ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Thomas asked


    She held her breath.


    ¡°You know, I can tell that you are not sleeping,¡± he said. She decided to ignore him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you at least check if you broke my nose?¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes behind their lids. The time was when she would have grinned foolishly at such ame attempt at a joke. Right now, she just wanted to give him another hit on the nose. Just because.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are being like this,¡± he said with a sigh. Reyona felt him move from her side to his side of the bed. ¡°You should know that I will not be fine if you are not,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, kill me,¡± Reyona thought to herself.


    His phone started ringing.


    ¡°Oh sh*t!¡± he said to the room atrge as he quickly silenced the phone. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said quietly to her before stepping out of the room.


    Reyona was tempted to follow him, but then she stopped herself.


    ¡°What is the point?¡± she thought to herself as she rolled over and pulled the coverlet up to her chin.

 Stalking Liar

    ¡°Oh, wow. Boss, that was beautifully done. They would be nothing but a fool not to give you that contract, you know,¡± Philip Agguerro, one of the best top ountants in ReyDexter, said as he followed Reyona out of the presentation room at Multilinks Co.


    ¡°Of course, it will be beautiful. I already knew that this would be a smash when she said she would take this up,¡± Samantha Boone, her ace ountant, said as they all left the room at a clipped pace. ¡°You see that other CPApany? What was the name again?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch it,¡± Philip said with a distasteful look on his face.


    Reyona smiled to herself. She knew that her employees knew the name of theirpetition. They were just saying that out of loyalty. Yes, they have pretty stiffpetition, but Reyona knew that she did excellently well, and Multilinks would be a fool not to choose ReyDexter, but it was great to hear the approval from her staff too.


    ¡°They have got no chance at all.¡± Samantha continued, ¡°Did you see the way those decision-makers at Multilinks were so enraptured when the boss started? I am sure that we have this in our bags. We should be drawing up the contracts soon.¡±


    ¡°Modest much?¡± Reyona said, and they all smiled.


    ¡°You are not doubting this, boss, are you?¡± Samantha asked with incredulity.


    ¡°Well, I know we tried our best. You guys were brilliant with theption and all. I am sure that they were wowed by the presentation too.¡± She said it with a contemtive look on her face. ¡°I would have just preferred that their CEO was around too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be worried about that.¡± Phillip said as they stepped into the elevator that would take them to ground level, ¡°I heard that these people¡¯s opinions weigh a lot when ites to thepany¡¯s decision. The CEO is said to be¡­ well, not your conventional CEO though but he is quite reasonable and I am sure that he would listen to what would be best for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Samantha said as the elevator door slid open and they stepped out into the lobby. ¡°One can¡¯t be in charge of such apany without having a sense of right and wrong, after all. Inherited or not.¡±


    Reyona gave her a sideways look ¡°You seem to have lots of information on this CEO,¡± she said in jest.


    ¡°What, no¡± Samatha looked at Reyona andughed. ¡°If you are thinking what I think you are thinking, then don¡¯t. I just know so much about him through a friend of a friend.¡±


    ¡°Ooh,¡± Philip said meaningfully.


    Reyona shrugged. ¡°Okay, if you say so. I haven¡¯t thanked you for being able to get that much information on such short notice.


    ¡°No, it is nothing,¡± Samantha said as she got to her blue Buick car, a perfect match to her electric blue suit skirt and jacket. ¡°Still riding shotgun with me?¡± she asked Phillip.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied, heading towards the car.


    Reyona¡¯s phone vibrated, and she removed it only to see the disy of the main number they had been calling since their engagement with Multilinks Co. started-the CEO¡¯s assistant number.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. Mr. Jordan is around now, and he wants to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, I will be right there,¡± Reyona said, and her staff looked back at her.


    She smiled to herself as she disconnected the call.


    ¡°What, what? Did we get the offer already?¡± Samantha asked excitedly as she closed the door to the car she had already opened and turned around to Reyona¡¯s side.


    Philip gave her an expectant look as well.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be that excited yet,¡± Reyona replied with a smile. ¡°There is potential here, though,¡± she said as she closed the car door. ¡°The CEO wants to see me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Samantha said with a grin, ¡°Definite potential there, boss.¡±


    ¡°Solid gold,¡± Philip agreed. ¡°Do you want us toe with you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that would be necessary.¡± Reyona added as she shielded her eyes to look up at the building of thepany as if trying to gauge the exact location that the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°I can handle any other questions he might have so I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± Philip said. ¡°See you at the office?¡±


    ¡°You got that,¡± Reyona said as she turned to go back into thepany. ¡°Work well with Mrs Crawford, Phil.¡±


    Philip¡¯s groan,plimented by Samantha¡¯sughter, reached her as she smiled to herself.


    Phillip was too handsome for his good. His features would have been more at home in Hollywood. And some of their female clients wouldn¡¯t hesitate to let him know it. Mrs. Crawford was thetest of such females, and it was the current joke in thepany. Reyona knew that Phillip could handle himself, though. Mrs. Crawford would be disillusioned soon, even while she remains their customer.


    One of Phillip¡¯s charms was how well he could handle the customers. Both the moon-eyed and the tough nails alike. She was fortunate with her employees, she knows.


    ¡°If only the same could be said for my personal life too,¡± she said, banishing the unwee thought from her mind as she stepped into the elevator and punched in the number. She reminded herself of her vow.


    No longer would she allow Thomas and his deception to colour or affect her working day. No, much less would she allow any other intrusion too.


    ¡°You mean a particr ck-eyed intrusion?¡± her subconscious whispered to her.


    ¡°Stop¡±


    She snapped just at the same moment that the elevator slid open.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± A male voice spoke from the other side. The hand he had just used to press the elevator button was suspended close to the door.


    ¡°Oh, I am¡­sorry. Sorry, that was not meant for you,¡± she said in embarrassment as the man stepped into the elevator, giving her an odd look.


    ¡°Oh, great. Now you are talking to yourself,¡± she thought to herself as she fought the urge to close her eyes. She looked straight ahead, ignoring the man.


    The man stepped out on the next floor, and Reyona shook her head at herself as she mentally prepared herself for meeting the CEO.


    The curvy, hourss assistant that had met them earlier was waiting for her when she stepped out of the elevator.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Michelle,¡± Reyona said as she joined her.


    ¡°Just doing my job,¡± the blonde with the cool look added before saying, ¡°Come with me, please. He is rounding up his meeting, and he would meet you right after.¡±


    ¡°Tha¡­¡± they rounded the corner, and there he was.


    Reyona saw him first, as he had his head down, tapping rapidly into his phone. Why here, of all ces? Reyona thought, and then another thought came to her mind.


    Just as he raised his head, his eyes widened a bit, as if he were not expecting her. Liar!


    ¡°Are you stalking me?¡± she asked before she could stop herself.

 Not So Irresistible

    ¡°Just how shameless can he be?¡± Reyona thought in anger as she saw Maxwell striding towards her.


    The oblivious, surprised look on his face only infuriated her more, as she was sure that it was definitely part of his artifice.


    He looked at her in confusion for a second before that hateful smile of his filled his face. He put his phone in his pocket, tucking his hand in as he rocked back on his heels as if lounging.


    ¡°Well, my dear CEO Lanoth. I had no idea that you have such an ample sense of imagination,¡± he said as he barely nced at the secretary.


    Reyona knew she should just bypass him, especially since the secretary was standing some distance away, waiting for her to catch up with her.


    She was not about to allow an asshole to get away with messing up her day or trying to sneak up on her at a potential client¡¯spany. ¡°I can assure you that if you dare to pull this stunt again, I will simply get you arrested.¡±


    She hissed in a low tone and made sure to pass him by. The secretary¡¯s phone rang, and she picked up her call.


    Maxwell grabbed at Reyona¡¯s hand, though, and she ignored the current that fizzed up her arm and concentrated on the anger that stirred in her.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± She said it with as much dignity as she could muster because she had almost mmed back into him when he grabbed her unexpectedly.


    She felt as if, if she breathed wrong, she would brush up against him. Her eyes were firmly away from his tight-fitting purple shirt that had suspender straps attached to his patterned trousers over crock-like shoes. What kind of CEO dresses like that? She thought fleetingly. She ignored the strength in his hand thatplimented the corded muscles evident beneath his shirt.


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he let go of her hands. ¡°Just figure to let you know that you are not as irresistible as you thought you were, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a sudden steel in his tone as he gave her a level look. He leaned a bit towards her, and she resisted the urge to lean farther away from him. ¡°I have a serious business to discuss with you, Mrs. Lanoth, and yes, I would want us to have it as soon as possible, but even I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to stalk you. I am not one to chase after a woman, you know. Married or not,¡± the twinkle was back in his eyes, and Reyona was momentarily confused as to how this man was wired. She originally thought he was angry, and now he was looking at her like¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± the secretary said as she moved closer to them. Reyona felt a bit ufortable at the quizzical look that the secretary gave her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Maxwell answered without turning to look at thedy.


    Mr. Jordan said to tell you that he won.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Maxwell looked away from Reyona with a scowl before he looked down at his phone. ¡°That is not¡­oh shit! He is right. Damn it!¡± He swore, then looked back at Reyona as if she had done something.


    ¡°What is wrong with him?¡± Reyona thought.


    ¡°Well, tell Drew that he only won this by default, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°It seemed he already knew that, and he said I should tell you that a win is a win,¡± the secretary said instantly, and her cool demeanour melted as she gave him a charming smile.


    Reyona felt like she could gag. Of course, he would have such an effect on ady as this as well. The yer. But then she was puzzled by the familiarity with which they were interacting.


    ¡°Well, I have to go now. I am not going back in there for him to lord it over me. No, you tell him that he will pay back for this next time,¡± he said to the secretary with a wagging finger. Thetter nodded, the charming smile still on her face.


    Uggh.


    ¡°Well, nice meeting you again, CEO Lanoth. I will see you around, I believe. Very soon, my dear. I have this, you know, feeling.¡±


    He was gone before Reyona could find a fitting scathing retort to let him know just when that would happen. When hell froze over,.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The secretary prompted Reyona.


    Reyna was chagrined that she was still standing there like a ninny in her anger. She had a question.


    ¡°You seemed familiar with¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean Mr. Rohan?¡± The secretary asked, her demeanour more weing than it had been since they met.


    Reyona nodded. I¡¯m happy that thetter didn¡¯t wait for her to embarrass herself further.


    ¡°Oh, he is a regr here.¡±


    ¡°A regr?¡± Reyona¡¯s confusion showed in her voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the secretary answered. ¡°He is the boss¡¯ friend and also a partner of thepany. A major shareholder, actually,¡± she added in a mock conspiratorial tone. ¡°Though one would never know that from the way he carries himself. He is a favourite with thedies here.


    ¡°I will bet,¡± Reyona muttered unconsciously, even as she processed what thedy told her.


    A major shareholder? Which means that he would know about her bid for thepany¡¯s contract. That means he could¡­


    ¡°Go right in, ma. The boss is waiting for you.¡±


    The secretary¡¯s voice jolted Reyona, and she nodded abruptly as the secretary stood aside for her in front of an open, opulent office.


    *********


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Susan railed at him. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the interior of the visiting room. It was as if she was looking for something-anything to hurt him with.


    She turned back to him and the look in her eyes gave him a pause as her tone became so low that he had to strain his ears to hear her ¡°I knew it. I knew you did not love me! You¡­you were just using me as your brooding mare!¡± She swiped her wrist against the snot that came out of her nose, unconcerned that she looked a mess as her tangled hair slipped out of its hold.

 So Not His Susan

    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t love me anymore! You just want to be with her now that I am here. You¡­ you want to take my children and live happily ever after with that bitch! Well, you have another thinging! I am not going to allow that!¡± She gave him a chilling smile that had Thomas contemting the idea of running out of the visiting room.


    ¡°I wille after you. I will get my babies! I will¡­oh, my babies,¡± she broke down in tears in the middle of the room, forgoing the chairs as she slid to the floor bonelessly. ¡°I want to see my babies. I want to get out of here,¡± she cried in a wracking sob that soon turned to heaves.


    Thomas tentatively moved closer to her, wondering if she might turn violent again. ¡°Susan, my love. Don¡¯t do this to yourself,¡± he said softly as he bent down to her level. He touched her, and she only kept crying. Though the sound was more like that of a choking, desperate one, it gave him the chills.


    He was relieved that she was not fighting him off or trying to gouge out his eyes the way she had done earlier, so he gathered her to himself, even though he was repulsed by the stenching from her matted hair.


    She was his love, after all. It was Susan.


    ¡°Will you get me out of here? You have to get me out of here, my love. Those bastards are lying. They wanted to separate us,¡± she said, then desperately grabbed him, her bony hands digging into his back as she looked up at him. ¡°I think it was her fault. I think she is paying them. That bitch wanted me gone, so she is paying them to deal with me like this. They are torturing me! You can¡¯t allow them to do this to me! I am your love, remember? I am the one you want to be with. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Suzzy,¡± Thomas said with gritted teeth. Her hands felt as if they had grown ws, and they were digging into him so badly that he wanted to fling her off him to relieve the pain. She is Susan, after all. He thought to himself as he tried to release her hold. It was to no avail, though, so he resorted to cajoling her.


    ¡°I am going to get you out of here soon, my love,¡± he said, nodding to her when she looked up sharply at him as if to confirm what he was saying. ¡°Remember how we nned to make a new life for ourselves in Luxembourg?¡± she nodded, even though suspicion was still clear in her eyes. ¡°I am working on it,¡± he said, making his voice sound as convincing as he could.


    ¡°Are you lying to me also, my love?¡± she asked him tentatively. Thomas could hear a tremor in her voice, and she soon started shivering.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± he said as he gathered her to himself automatically. His insides recoiled at the way she felt in his hands.


    Gone were the rosy curves that always enticed him, no matter what. Her boobs had always been his source of fantasies; they seemed scrawny when pressed against him now, and even if he wanted to drum up any arousal, the stench from her hair was killing that off.


    ¡°You just have to give me some time, okay? And¡­ you have to get better too. Promise me that you will cooperate with these people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± She snapped, her voice wheezing at thest word. ¡°They are liars! They just wanted to keep us apart. They wouldn¡¯t let me see you. They wouldn¡¯t let me go home. They wouldn¡¯t let me take¡­ let me go home with you, my love,¡± she ended with a whine.


    Thomas knew what she had stopped herself frompleting. He thought of the fact that she was notpletely gone if she could still have enough consciousness to hide things from him. He had not wanted to ask her before to avoid having an episode of the violent tendencies that the officers and doctor had informed him that she was now prone to, but he needed to know.


    ¡°Why did you not tell me, babe?¡± He asked, and he could feel her go still in his hands.


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± she asked tentatively.


    ¡°That you were using,¡± he said as carefully as he could think of ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that you felt the need to use it. Why would you do that to the kids?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I was not affecting them. I would never affect them. You know, I would never do that. Are you calling me a terrible mother? I am not a terrible mother! You can¡¯t say that to me!¡± She spoke rapidly as she tried to move away from him.


    Thomas tried to hold her to himself. He was surprised at the swiftness of the change in her mood.


    ¡°I was just¡­¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± she screamed. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± ¡°You are also ming me!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± He tried to move closer to her, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream that had the nurse and one of the officers rush over in a panic.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± The officer called Tyler hurriedly as the nurse went straight to Susan.


    ¡°We were just talking and she went.¡± Thomas gestured towards Susan with his hands, and he was surprised that the ferocious look was gone from her face. She was looking straight ahead, like someone who had been bullied. Tears wereing out of her eyes.


    Thomas was more confused. ¡°What kind of sickness is this?¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°I think you need to leave, sire,¡± the nurse said as she guided Susan back to her room. Thetter held on to her like she was a lifesaver, not even giving Thomas a second look.


    Thomas looked at Tyler ¡°What is wrong with her? What have you guys done to her?¡± he asked in confusion.


    ¡°D***s. That is what. I did try to warn you,¡± Tyler replied

 It Begins With A Dare

    Thomas was in a ck mood by the time he drove up the driveway of the house he had shared with Reyona for about eight years. A home where he had continued the pretence he started two years before when Susan and he had made a bet.


    Susan hade to meet him at his shitass job back then as a trainer, and they had pretended not to know each other so that the gym manager wouldn¡¯t find a reason toin. He was pretending to put her through her workout while she giggled and pretended to be totally clueless about it all.


    That was when she had walked in-the auburn-haired beauty alongside a younger-lookingdy-both of them so mouthwateringly gorgeous that they caught the eye immediately.


    The men¡¯s heads turned to look at them, and the elderly one was oblivious to the stare she was garnering as she seemed reluctant to be there, while the younger one was cajoling her that it was the right thing to do. His gaze must have ingered a bit longer on the curvaceous beauty because the next moment Susan siddled up to his side with the mischievous smile she always had on when she was up to something,.


    ¡°I dare you to approach her,¡± she had said.


    ¡°What?¡± he had said in disbelief as he put some distance between them and pretended to show her how to properly lift the dumbbells in her hands.


    He could feel the man¡¯s eyes boring holes into his back, and he was thinking of telling Susan to stoping over so frequently. He was going to enjoy their bouts of sex in the locker room or even in the restroom, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make since the alternative meant that he might lose his job.


    One of the things he loved, probably the main thing he loved about Susan, was the fact that she could get it anywhere, anytime, any day. In the pool party. At the club. The bathroom. The alley. She was always game. Always wet and ready for him. What more could a guy want?Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The manager seemed to be on to their game, though, and even though he was not saying anything yet, Thomas felt as if he was on borrowed time.


    He moved away from Susan to help an elderly man with his yoga mat before he moved back to Susan¡¯s side when she crooked her finger at him in a way that had his blood heating up. The hot chicks had started their treadmill session by then, with the younger making enough racket to wake the dead.


    The other was saying nothing as she put on a stoic, long-suffering look, and Thomas could see that she was trying her best not tough out loud at whatever it was that the younger was saying.


    ¡°She did have a kissable mouth,¡± he thought involuntarily when he saw her mouth twitching before she managed to firm it again.


    ¡°Ah, ah,¡± Susan said meaningfully when they were at close range again.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked innocently, and she muttered something under her breath as she flexed her muscles while carrying the dumbbells.


    For the sake of the manager, she pretended to fall over, and when Thomas, knowing that she was doing it for show, rushed to her side, she whispered, ¡°I knew you wanted some of that bitch.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±You are capping, girl,¡± he said, and since he knew that she wouldn¡¯t let go easily, he quickly added what could distract her. ¡°And you can¡¯t give me such a look at work, you know. You are going to get me in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What look?¡± she asked innocently, even as her eyes glinted with the promise of more ¡®You mean the look of ¡°I want to screw you so bad that you will scream like a girl?¡±I can¡¯t help it,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I really did want to fuck your guts out; right next to that bitch, you were just eye-fucking.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, I told you I was not¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it,¡± she had said with a touch of snap in her tone. Then she looked over at thedy and smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s y a game.¡±


    ¡°What game?¡± he asked suspiciously, knowing that she could be crazy sometimes with her dares.


    ¡°Well, you know,¡± she jerked her shoulder as she gave the auburn-haiddy, who seemed to be getting more engaged in her exercise even as her partner stopped every other second to say something to her. ¡°Let¡¯s prove a theory then.¡±


    That was even worse. Proposing a theory was another way for Susan to introduce any of her crazy ideas.


    When she said it, it was crazy enough. What was more crazier than the fact that he had agreed to it? A game that was supposed to stop in the first round ended up bing a thing thatsted a decade.


    When Susan found out who thedy was and the people she hade from, she presented it as a solution for Thomas to get rid of his hated job.


    ¡°In a way, this was her fault,¡± he thought to himself as he came out of the car. They were all in this mess due to her stupid dare. Another man would have thought of his responsibility in the whole messed-up situation. Thomas was not another man.


    He believed firmly that he had invested enough years in the whole scheme to go away now with nothing to show for it.


    The images of his children shed before his mind¡¯s eyes as he inserted the keys into the door. He had gone to visit them after leaving the institution where Susan was held for treatment, and all they had said most of the time was a request as to when their mother would be back. Even little Leah had asked if she could go see Mummy.


    He was frustrated by the whole situation.


    Betrayed by the fact that Susan turned to d***s instead of him and the way their children looked hurt when he had to tell them that they still couldn¡¯t see their mother yet,.


    He decided to put an end to it all. He was not going to leave with anything, though. She had to pay for the years he had wasted pretending to be loyal to her. It was not as if she was going to miss the money.


    No, the endpoint was that Susan needed all the help she could get right now.


    Who better to provide that help than his dear wife?

 Damage Control

    Reyona had been antsy since she got back to the office. The CEO of Multilinks had been just as the tabloids had described him. Retro, urbane, and¡­ very unusual.


    The man had been in shorts, a biker shirt, and sneakers. He had a stud in his ear for God¡¯s sake. And a headset around his neck, to boot.


    Throughout their meeting, he sat astride his chair instead of in it, as any self-respecting CEO would do. If Reyona had not listened to him, she was sure that she might have dismissed him for a loafer who was merely holding the position because it had been in their family for ages.


    All it took her was to listen to the man for about two minutes, and she was certain that Andrew Jordan could be med for a lot of things, but ack of intelligence could never be part of those things.


    He was astute and direct. He was clear about what he wanted, and she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t do anything because he was pressured by the board or cajoled by anyone.


    He was a man with a clear sense of judgment, and he made it clear by stating in clear terms to Reyona that even though he knew of her achievements and had a high regard for someone like her, he would only choose thepany that met the major needs of Multilinks the most.


    Reyona understood that, and she could respect his decision. She respects a man with his priorities set straight, but she couldn¡¯t help but be antsy. Being connected to apany like Multilinks would be another boost for ReyDexter, as they are the biggest and most known telmunicationspany in Kayooma and across the globe.


    Even though ReyDexter had made a name for itself across the continent and manypanies could vouch for them at this point, Reyona knew that being the exclusive CPA to Multilinks Co. would be another step up the rung for her and her employees.


    It was also a matter of pride for her, because she knew that it would be a bit degrading if she lost the right to such an important project to her rival. The media had a way of ferreting things like that out, even though the contract bid had been kept private thus far.


    She knew that she wouldn¡¯t hear thest of it anytime soon, and she was determined to win. Not just for her alone, but for her team. They had put in their all, and even though they all seemedidback about it, she could feel the anticipation as they prepared for the bid.


    Even the least of her employees seemed invested in the possibility of thepany being connected to multipleworks. After all, not only were the bulk of them using thework, but the best phones one could find anywhere were all products of Multilinks.


    Reyona stood up from her chair that she had been twirling for the past hour as she went to the window to look out. The sights that really excited her did nothing to alleviate her apprehension, as she could barely see what was in front of her. The thoughts she had been trying to tamp down came to the surface again.


    ¡°Could he really affect my chance of getting this?¡± She thought against it as a bitter taste came to her mouth at the thought of him.


    The secretary specifically said that he was a regr at Multilinks, and she had seen how close he was to CEO Jordan by the rapport they have. The two were friends for God¡¯s sake. Reyona thought to herself, and she knew that it was not farfetched to think that he would know about the reason why she had gone to thepany.


    She did not know Andrew Jordan enough to know if he shared important tidbits about his business with his dear friend, but she knew that Maxwell would be despicable enough to want to sabotage, especially if that gave him a kind of payback for how she treated him and for what he perceived that she did to his sister.


    Reyona became more sure that he would try to make things hard for her as she remembered how sure he had been about the usation. It didn¡¯t look as if he was making a baseless usation or just guessing. He seemed sure of what he was saying. How did he guess? She thought again as she started pacing in the room.


    No, he wouldn¡¯t let her go easily if he knew how important that bid was to her. And of course, he would know. Only a fool would not know what it would do to apany to have Multilinks linked to their portfolio.


    The bastard might be a scum, but he was certainly no fool.


    ¡°No, I am not going to wait around and let him win,¡± she thought to herself suddenly. She knew she wouldn¡¯t forgive herself if her employees efforts went to waste just because of a bastard who could wield his power of friendship to make a mess for her.


    She went to her table to pick up the phone. ¡°Charlotte,¡± she called as her secretary picked. She paused as she remembered that she had scolded thedy for not throwing the card away when she asked. It would be a miracle indeed if she still had it with her. She asked anyway.


    Reyona dropped the receiver and smiled to herself. She thanked her stars for their blessing on her staff.


    Charlot had thrown the card away after she snapped at her to do so thest time. But she had only done that after taking a picture of the card.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Reyona¡¯s phone buzzed, and she checked to see the image her secretary sent to her. She replied with a quick thank before she jotted down the number. A spattering grayray was already mingling with the blue sky as dusk set in. Reyona held her breath in apprehension as the phone rang and rang without an answer.


    Her apprehension turned to anger as the call went unanswered, and she dialled again. Was he deliberately not picking up her call?


    Riiiing. Bastard, he must be toying with her. Riiiiing. He must be grinning at the reverse of their situation right now; after all,  she had said she wouldn¡¯t call, and here she was.


    Riiiiin¡­ ¡°Hello,¡± a husky voice answered from the other end.

 Bastard With A Capital B

    Reyona¡¯s heart skipped a bit, and she bit her lips as she realised that she had not really thought of what she would say when he picked. In fact, she had been unconsciously wishing that she wouldn¡¯t pick so that¡­


    ¡°Hello,¡± the voice repeated, and she chided herself for acting like a kid with this man.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she answered tentatively, ¡°I am¡­ this is¡­Mrs Lanoth¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said simply.


    She was momentarily befuddled. He knows? What did he mean by he¡­


    Of course, he knows! The bastard must have gotten her number through some illegal means. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem for a man like him!


    *********


    ¡°Of course, he had to choose a ce like this!¡± Reyona thought in anger as she got out of her car and trudged through the fake sea sand to the retro Seashore Restaurant, acimed for catering to only seafood and their lovers.


    Well, Reyona was no lover of foods that wiggled like they were going to pop out of her throat and dance the samba. She was even less of a fan of the bastard that had made here to such a ce at that time of the night.


    Would it have been too much to ask that the idiot let them fix their meeting for the next day, during the day, away from everything seafood? Of course not!? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Reyona was certain that he had deliberately done this to pay her back and maybe also to see just how well she was willing to fight for the contract.


    ¡°Bastard,¡± she muttered under her breath as more sand entered her wedges. ¡°What am I even doing?¡± she thought to herself in annoyance. ¡°It was not as if the bastard was the CEO of thepany. Even if he was a major shareholder, so what?¡±


    She knew the answer to that question even as she spat it out in self-anger. Major shareholders hold views on the board. She knew that it wouldn¡¯t take much for him to sway other small shareholders to his side if he wanted to.


    The CEO might be a formidable man for all his carefree ways, but he still couldn¡¯t take the sole decision when ites to something as huge as entrusting their finances to apany. Since the bastard was a friend to the CEO anyway, Reyona knew whose side the man was likely to take.


    So she sighed to herself as she trudged ahead through the part that led to the well-listed restaurant designed in the form of a seashell. The cone opened up to an entrance, where a doorman dressed in a crab outfit weed Reyona. She stepped inside, and it felt as if she had just stepped into a world that only those who loved snorkelling and deep diving could imagine so well.


    The eerie green ambience was not as gothic as one would expect; instead, it had a calming essence for the senses. Reyona averted her eyes from a man sitting at a table close to the entrance as he slurped at a sort of jelly-like sh that he sucked out of shells. The clinking sound as he dropped it noisily on the tray close to him was enough to grate on Reyona¡¯s nerves.


    The waiters-about three of them-were dressed in one sea creature costume or another. An octopus moved toward Reyona with intent as she stood close to the entrance like a fish out of water. She was about to fish out her phone to call him when she saw him seated in one corner. His table was a bit set apart from others; it was as if he had deliberately requested it.


    Reyona was almost grateful for his forward thinking when she saw that thest table before him contained girls that were probably out on their girls¡¯ night out. One of them seemed to be getting initiated to the joys of seafood as she oohed and ahead as she tried out the delicacies.


    ¡°If one could call it that,¡± she said as she struggled not to shiver in revulsion as she headed to his table after telling the exuberant waiter that she had seen who she was looking for.


    A gentleman would have looked away. She thought as she became self-conscious of the intent look that he gave her as she moved towards him. The bastard had seen her looking around for him when she entered. She thought that he probably wouldn¡¯t have said anything or called out to her if she had not spotted him.


    ¡°Ah, you are wee, my dear Mrs. Lanoth,¡± he said in a drawl without making any attempt to sit up from his slouching position, not to mention pulling out her chair.


    Reyona firmly pulled out her chair and sat as she mentally cautioned herself from responding to the taunting manner in which he emphasized Lanoth. ¡°Thank you,¡± she answered andunched right into what she intended ¡°About¡­¡±


    ¡°You see, being a gentleman, which you wouldn¡¯t agree with, of course,¡± he added as he smiled as if he could read her thoughts. He continued as he motioned to another waiter. This one is dressed in a dolphin costume. ¡°May I interest you in the most sulent, delicious escargot you can ever find anywhere, Mrs. Lanoth? I can assure you that you would be a convert, just as I am now, if you tried it.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m not a fan of things that crawl slowly. Or things that crawl at all,¡± she said primly.


    He gave her an assessing look with his head tilted. ¡°Because you are so fast yourself, CEO Lanoth?¡±


    ¡°You can say that, Mr. Rohan. Now as to the reason¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but ask myself a question, you know,¡± he said as if in contemtion.


    ¡°What question?¡± Reyona asked automatically.


    ¡°You know, it beats me. I wonder why it took a woman so sharp and not as slow as you so long to figure out that she was being taken for a fool.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Reyona asked in a high tone that had heads turning in their direction.


    ¡°You know what I am talking about, Reyona,¡± he answered with an infuriating smile. ¡°And you are causing a scene.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note


    Hello, Dear Reader,


    Thank you for turning the pages.


    This story has more to offer in terms of intrigue, suspense, and interesting plots.


    I appreciate your reading, voting, and reviews.


    Thank you.

 Gauntlet Dropped

    Maxwell looked up at her with a grin on his face. He knew she was itching toy it out on him, and she probably would have done that if not for thepany they have at the moment. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the main reason why he always wanted to rile her up. He had no intention of overthinking when it came to this woman, who was about as off-limits as a leper with painful boils all over.


    ¡°It must have something to do with the way her eyes fired up in the most glorious shade of amber that I had ever set my eyes on,¡± he thought fleetingly even as he rubbed his finger above his upper lip, his grin bing fuller when she looked over at the patrons of the Seashore, who were at the moment not hiding the fact that they did not appreciate her raised voice.


    He almostughed out loud at her ingrained good breeding when she realised that she was making a scene, and she sent a vague smile in the direction of those people before sitting hastily.


    ¡°Woah, woah,¡± Maxwell said in exaggerated surrender as he raised his hands and lurched back as if trying to escape her eyes when she pinned a cold re on him.


    Her lips firmed, and he quickly took his mind off what he would like those lips to firm against as she seemed to take in a deep breath, though imperceptible, before she said in the most controlled voice he had ever heard from someone who was probably boiling to have him maimed, ¡°Is everything a joke to you, Mr. Rohan?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Mrs Lanoth.¡± Maxwell deliberately responded in the same vein. ¡°For example, it is no joke or lie that you are looking dashing this evening,¡± he said deliberately.


    She did look mighty fine. Maxwell couldn¡¯t think of a time when she had not looked great to him. The woman was so beautiful. Thomas was the greatest fool he could think of and the most unscrupulous bastard he had ever met.


    Her chest heaved in anger, and he smartly turned his eyes away from that tantalising movement that had the capability of spiking his overactive imagination when it came to this woman. He fixed his smile on his face as he looked back into a pair of amber eyes that were enough to scramble a guy¡¯s brain.


    ¡°Get it together, Max,¡± he scolded himself, even though he was sure that he would probably not listen. The girl was too damn hot for her. And he was no saint.


    ¡°I think I made a mistake ining here,¡± she said through gritted teeth, and she reached for her bag.


    Maxwell acted instantly as he picked up the designer bag from the table, quickly putting it on his side of the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, CEO Lanoth,¡± he said with a chuckle evident in his tone as he saw her look around to see if people saw what he just did.


    Maxwell did not care. He had the most fun of his life. He knew that he had serious issues to solve with her, and he shouldn¡¯t rile her up. Yet, he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. He had a good guess of the reason why she was out here to see him as well, and he wouldn¡¯t mind taking his time. He might even let her sweat a bit.


    Yeah, this was all going to work out in the end. Everyone was going to leave the table with what they wanted, but in the meantime, what harm could there be in having some fun?


    She leaned forward and the end of her held-back chestnut hair swung forward, teasing her corbone in a way he would have. ¡°Give me my bag, mister,¡± she said in a restrained tone.


    Maxwell only smiled as he leaned forward, amused when she refused to move back, even though their foreheads were almost touching like two battering rams about to have a go at each other without having care as to who would be bruised.


    ¡°No, madam. I did note out here only to go back with unfinished business,¡± he said in an even tone. Funny how different lighting had the capability of changing eye colour. He thought that her eyes were more opaque, with a greenish tinge in the alcove light used in the restaurant, than the amber that he knew them to be.


    ¡°This ridiculous ce was your idea,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°And this meeting was yours,¡± he countered.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what would you like to have?¡± One of the waiters asked her, and he could see her eyes automatically go to thedy¡¯s starfish uniform before she shook her head with a polite smile.


    ¡°No, I am fine. I will be leaving soon anyway.¡±


    ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t,¡± Maxwell added deliberately as the waiter turned away.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡± she must have chosen not to take note of his jibe again as she turned to the waiter, who was still hesitating because of Maxwell¡¯s words, and added firmly, ¡°I am fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I will have a te of escargot, tuna tartare, shrimp scampi, and some lobster rolls, my dear,¡± he said to the waiter with his eyes on Reyona¡¯s. Then he deliberately added, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to offend CEO Lanoth¡¯s delicate sensibilities now by ordering a tantalizing meal of octopus now, you know.¡±


    The waiter nodded with a smile and left after saying, ¡°I will be back soon.¡±


    Maxwell was disappointed when she did notment on what he said to the waiter. She merely looked at her watch before saying.


    ¡°I am aware that you are a powerful shareholder in Multilinks and Co. I know that you are aware of the bid we just had at thepany and I¡± she said without.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, you mean the bid you wereing from when you used me of stalking you?¡± he said with deliberateness as he scratched his head as if trying to remember ¡°Yes, I remember now. How could I forget that?¡± he added meaningfully.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she added briskly. ¡°I just want to be certain that you wouldn¡¯t be petty enough to want to use whatever it was you think we need to sort out against thepany. Whatever issue you have with me is personal, whereas that bid was the hard work of everyone and my employees all put a lot of time and hard work into that bid.¡±


    Maxwell leaned back in his chair with his eyes narrowed on hers. He steepled his fingers together and gave her an essing look.

 Daggers Drawn

    ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t believe in yourpany¡¯s ability and you have to ask me for favours?¡± Maxwell asked partly out of curiosity.


    The expression in her eyes said it all before she said, with a snap in her voice, ¡°No, I am not saying that, Mr. Rohan. I am saying that I wouldn¡¯t appreciate being sabotaged because of whatever vendetta you have against me.¡±


    It surprised Maxwell that the fact that she thought that of him hurt a little. He was known to be a man without emotions; some of the women he had ever tangled with would even go as far as to say that he was a cold man.


    What did he care if a married, snippy woman thought him to be a scoundrel? The irony was that he cared. And that not only annoyed him but also made him want to put her in her ce. She, who couldn¡¯t figure out what her husband was doing under her nose for years, thought she had the right to judge him. Well, she would have to think again.


    ¡°Are you saying that you believed me so despicable that I would take away your chances because of any issue between us?¡± He couldn¡¯t curb the anger in his tone at the moment. He did not care.


    The waiter chose that moment to bring his meal, and he snapped at thetter to just drop it. Thedy quickly ced the meals on the table and made a hasty retreat. She had worked as a waiter for a couple of years now, and she could pride herself on the fact that she could read a customer well. The man with a storm gathering on his face was about to let loose on someone.


    ¡°What I was trying to say is that¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what you were trying to say, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± he said with emphasis on her surname. ¡°Well, news sh, ma¡¯am,¡± he said as he lifted her bag from his side, almost dipping the handle in the ginger sauce on his tuna tartare, the tantalising smell wafting from the food lost on both of them as the tension rose.


    Maxwell saw that she was surprised by his sudden change of mood. Well, he didn¡¯t care. He was not about to take bullshit from a woman who was all smartmouth with him while she was being taken for a fool by the man she gave herself to!


    ¡°I have things to say too, and I wouldn¡¯t appreciate saying it to a woman who kept looking at her watch as if my presence were absent just so she could get back home to a man who was taking her for granted!¡±


    The confusion in her eyes cleared and her eyes fired up ¡°I am not here to talk to you about my marriage, and I do not appreciate¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about what you appreciate, Reyona. I have a mind to clear my sister of this mess she got herself into, and I am tired of ying games with you while waiting for you to figure out if you should stop ying dumb to what I said in your office the other day or not.¡±


    She spittered in fury, then grabbed her bag from the table. ¡°I am not about to take this insult from you!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell was on a roll though and even though he was surprised at his reaction, he couldn¡¯t help but use his ace ¡°If you should leave this restaurant right now, Reyona,. I can assure you that the contract you are so looking forward to signing with Multilinks will nevere. I will make sure of it,¡± he added through gritted teeth.


    The confident smile on her face amazed him even before she added, ¡°You know what? This entire meeting was nothing but a big mistake. I don¡¯t need your approval orck thereof to get my things done. You can do whatever it is that you think you want to do, oh, big shareholder. I don¡¯t give a care!¡± she said, all snapping even though she did not increase the volume of her voice.


    She turned to leave as his anger dissipated. ¡°Reyona,¡± he called.


    She turned back swiftly to him with daggers shooting out of her eyes, enough to skewer him to his seat. ¡°That! Is Mrs. Lanoth with you? Mr. Rohan,¡± she said before turning to leave the restaurant.


    ¡°Shit, what have I just done?¡± Maxwell thought to himself as he quickly stood up from his chair to follow her. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had to lose his temper with anyone like that before. What problem of his was it if her husband was taking her for a fool? All he needed was to get her to confess to having whatever it was to do with Susan¡¯s implication.


    He stood up to run after her just as she went out the door. Maxwell knew that it might be more difficult for him to ever have an audience with her again if she left like that. Especially now that she seemed not to care about whatever influence he might have over the bid anymore.


    ¡°Sir, you haven¡¯t paid your bill.¡± The starfishdy ran after him before he ducked out the door.


    Maxwell swore as he brought out his wallet and pulled out $100 bills-enough to pay for ten meals. He stuffed them in the waiter¡¯s hand as he rushed out after Reyona, hoping he could still meet up.


    He sprinted down thene that led from the restaurant to the closest parking space. He thought he had lost her when he didn¡¯t immediately see her, but then the sound of a mming door made him look towards the right extreme, and he saw her hair like a beacon through the window as she swung her head backwards to check the back as she navigated out of the midst of the two cars on her side.


    ¡°Now or never,¡± Maxwell thought as he sprinted towards the car. She was almost fully out when he waved his hand and called her name.


    She gave him no response, but he knew that she heard him because she sent him a furious look before she turned to look behind her again.


    To her left was a sunny yellow Volkswagen with a Rotweiller lolling his tongue out of the window, and to her right was a blue Camaro. Once she could get out of their midst, she would be able to zoom off without dy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that,¡± Maxwell said, the only thing he could think of.


    He stood in the path of her reversing car.

 Courting Death

    The seatbelt bit hard between Reyona¡¯s breasts as she mmed hard on the brake when she btedly saw Maxwell standing in the path of her reversing car. She was thrown back and then forward as the car screeched to a stop, and her heartbeat stopped for a moment before it elerated again.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡± she sputtered as she took an inventory of her body to be sure that she was fine before looking outside for certainty that she had not hit any of the cars that were closely parked to hers.


    ¡°What was that bastard thinking?¡± she said in anger as she yanked on her seatbelt to remove it. The way the belt was getting tangled infuriated her more, and she swore fluidly as she yanked on it again.


    She had been annoyed when she got out that the truck and Camaro were parked so close to hers, and now that idiot was about to make hermit homicide too.


    She finally got rid of the belt and growled when she had to restrain the outward opening of her door to prevent it from scraping the truck¡¯s paint.


    ¡°Stupid seafood eaters,¡± she muttered under her breath, her blood steaming as she turned to face him, and she saw him with that ridiculous grin on his face as he spread his hands out at his sides in surrender.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± she yelled at him, not giving a care that she might be putting on a show for whoever it was that decided toe out or go into the restaurant at that moment. ¡°What is wrong with you? If you want to die so badly, do I have to be the one to do the deed for you?¡±


    She shouted at him as she advanced on him menacingly. The fact that he danced back, still with his hands stretched as he put his hands out as if to ward her off, only seeded in infuriating her more.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Take it easy, Reyona. I just wanted to talk to you, and I know that you wouldn¡¯t mind if I didn¡¯t do something so drastic.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona scoffed as she stood at a distance and gave him a chilling re. ¡°Have you no respect for people¡¯s words? I am not so close to you that you will call me Reyona, am I? I keep telling you that I am Mrs. Lanoth to you, yet you will not listen!¡±


    His yful look changed in an instant, and he stood his ground as he gave her a keen look. ¡°Are you, really? Is that a name you will still like to have despite everything?¡± He shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand her. ¡°For a woman who values self-respect so much, I have no idea why you would allow such a thing even after everything. I would rather call you Dexter than that name, you know.¡±


    Reyona threw her hands to the heavens as if she were pleading for all the help she could get to deal with such a dense man ¡°Do I look like I care about what you think? What gave you the idea that you knew anything about me?¡± She scraped her hands through her hair and then looked back at him. ¡°Look, I already told you that this meeting was a mistake. I am sorry if I wasted your precious time and stopped you from eating your delicious meal,¡± she said with her hand flung in the direction of the restaurant. ¡°Let¡¯s put a stop to it now, okay?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Reyona, and you know that.¡± he raised his hand when he saw her facial expression change at the mention of her name ¡°Oops, my bad. I am sorry; I swear that wasn¡¯t intentional. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care,¡± Reyona repeated. ¡°What other business are you so sure that we have together? I already told you that that ridiculous story you told in my office the other day has nothing to do with me. What else do you want?¡± She shouted at him.


    ¡°The truth, Reyona. Or at least the closest thing to the truth. Look,¡± he said, looking sideways and moving closer to her. ¡°I think it is ridiculous for us to stand in the middle of the road like this and discuss this. Let us find¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I am not having anything else to do with you, nor am I going back in there. I just want you to stop bothering me. That is all,¡± she said firmly as she turned back to go to her car.


    Maxwell tried to reach out to her, but she jerked her hands away, pulled back, and punched him hard on the side of his face.


    ¡°I say, let go!¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    Maxwell¡¯s wind was knocked out, and he was more surprised that she would hit him than the pain he felt from the blow itself.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked involuntarily, genuinely stunned that she hit him like that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t touch me when I do not ask to be left alone. You don¡¯t go about with your ridiculous theory, thinking you know all there is to know about me. You don¡¯t judge me based on your self-important perspective of me! I don¡¯t care who you are, but when I say let, you let go, bastard!¡± Her fury steamrolled him before she turned away from him again to go to her car.


    Maxwell would have still been dazed by her outburst if he had not seen it before she turned away from him. Her heaving chest could have been attributed to her anger, but he had seen a sheen of tears in her eyes.


    He knew he should let her go and probably find another means to sort out this issue, but he just couldn¡¯t. Not when she was bottling up that much pain in her. A woman who could let loose like that without warning had a lot eating her up.


    He braced himself for another assault while cursing Thomas for being such a cad as he stepped aside when she entered her car and reversed. He prayed that his calction was right as she waited on the right side of her car.


    He made sure he was at the right spot when she maneuvered out of the crevice between the two cars, While she was changing her gears to elerate out of the lot, Maxwell opened the car door and jumped in.


    She looked at him in surprise before saying, ¡°Are you wishing for death? What was that for? Get out of my car!¡±


    Maxwell shut the door behind him with a quick thanks to the heavens that she did not lock the passenger door. ¡°Drive Reyona,¡± he said in all confidence.


    ¡°We have a lot to discuss. Then I will leave your hair.¡±


    She was having none of it, though. She switched off her ignition and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Get. out!¡±

 Psycho Hospital Candidate

    He refused to get down.


    Reyona med herself for the umpteenth time for putting herself in this situation. If she had not been overthinking about what he could do regarding the bid, she wouldn¡¯t have called him. Not to talk about agreeing to meet up with him.


    ¡°How then would I have ended up in this situation?¡± she med herself as she drove away from the restaurant¡¯s parking lot. She had no choice but to do that since other cars were honking at her. The dog in the truck added his enthusiastic bark when she was honked at, and that became thest straw for her.


    ¡°Did he note there with his car?¡± she thought fleetingly but refused to ask him as he currently had his head rested against his seat, with his eyes closed as if she were his chauffeur taking him out on a trip.


    Bastard! She thought he could walk to wherever he was going for all she cared, even while she wondered if he was truly crazy enough to note with a ride of his own.


    She kept driving as she stubbornly refused to ask him where she should park so they could have this talk that he was so hellbent on. She passed Avenue Road and took the intersection that would lead to her area.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think that you are trying to kidnap me,¡± he said suddenly, and she red at him only to find out that his eyes were open and pinned on her. ¡°Find a suitable ce to park, Reyona, and let¡¯s talk,¡± he said in the most reasonable tone she had ever heard from him, and his face was devoid of his annoying grin as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have¡­¡±


    ¡°Do we have to go through this again?¡± he asked with his eyes on hers. Then he looked ahead and pointed to Avery Park, one of the public parks close to the main road in Kayooma. ¡°Why not park there and let¡¯s talk?¡± he asked.


    Reyona heaved an exasperated sigh and figured that the earlier she dealt with him, the faster she could be on her way, well away from him. She swerved into the opening that led to the park and stopped the car from going down the path.


    ¡°I am not getting out of this car to walk this park like a tourist or whatever,¡± she said in a clipped tone. ¡°Please say what you have to say and get out of this car.¡±


    He gave her a long look and said, ¡°I know about what your husband did to you.¡±


    Reyona refused to let her emotions take the better of her this time around. She had heard him say this before, after all, and this time she was prepared for him. So she turned to him and said, ¡°And what would that be, Mr. Rohan?¡±


    The lighting on the paved path of the park illuminated their faces in the otherwise dark car as the sun had set by now. Reyona wished she did not see the sh of concern that crossed his face as he gave her a keen look; that would only make her think that he was more than the selfish bastard she had always tagged him to be.


    Just as the thought crossed her mind, she quickly reminded herself that he only wanted something from her and he wouldn¡¯t mind doing anything to get it, even if that anything was for him to show a fake concern about her.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know about his affair,¡± he said simply. So simply, she was sure that he was expecting a reaction from her. She chose to give him nothing, as she only gave him a nd look with a terse statement, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Only for the bastard to use herck of expression against her as he said, ¡°The fact that you are not surprised means that I am right.¡±


    ¡°Or it could mean that you have such an overrated imagination and I don¡¯t care to entertain it.¡±


    He looked ahead with a shake of his head before turning back to her. ¡°See, I figure that you might hate my gut right now and detest me for even bringing this up. Yes, I get it but I am invested in this and I would like to have your cooperation on this.¡±


    Reyona could feel the anger she had been trying so hard to tamp down stir in her. She decided not to give him that pleasure, as she said in a controlled tone. ¡°And what made you think that I give a damn about whatever it is that you think or want? Do I know you so well that you think you have the right to ask anything of me? You have such a nerve to even talk to me about this right after you just informed me that my husband is having an affair. What right do you think you have to stick your nose in other people¡¯s affairs?¡±


    ¡°Because it is not other people¡¯s affair,¡± Maxwell said ndly. ¡°My sister¡­ well, half-sister and not by choice but nheless is involved in this and I made a promise to exonerate her.¡±


    Exonerate her? Is he stupid? Reyona had an inkling of what he was driving at, but she chose not to entertain any overthinking. ¡°Look here,¡± she said, ¡°I think that is enough cock and bull for the day; please get out of my car or I will call the cops on you for harassment.¡±


    ¡°And you think they will believe you even though I am in your car and you are the one behind the wheel?¡± He said it with a taunt in his tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want you out of my car now, or you are going to have to find out on your own,¡± she hoped he would take her seriously as she reached for her phone.


    ¡°I know she did a terrible thing, but framing her up for pushing is extreme, don¡¯t you think?¡± He said it with his eyes on hers, as if he did not hear what she said earlier.


    ¡°You are crazy. I swear you need to be in a psychiatric hospital right now because you have no right to be anywhere near rational people. If all you would be doing is going about randomly using people, then you need to be locked away forever.¡±


    ¡°Is it random, though?¡± he asked. ¡°If it was so random, why are you here now? I know you make a great show of the fact that you are not interested in what I have to say, but deep down, you are curious about what exactly I know. I will trade with you, Reyo. Mrs Lanoth. I just want you to level with me here. She needs to be out of that ce to get her treatment.¡±


    Reyona was genuinely shocked, and her facade dropped as she asked, ¡°What treatment are you talking about? That bitch is Hale, and¡­


    She cut herself off when she saw the knowing look that he gave her.


    Shit! Why had she done that? She thought in anger, berating herself for falling into his trap.


    ¡°She is not right in the head, Reyona, and she needs better treatment than she is currently getting in the facility. Her kids are waiting for her to get back to them as well. I was informed that a word from you could make a lot of diff¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then you heard wrong!¡± Reyona snapped at him, forgetting anything about keeping her cool. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, and I swear, if you don¡¯t get out of my car now, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I am gone,¡± he said immediately, opening the door to get out. ¡°I just want you to think about it, please. I know she messed up. They both fucked up, and I wouldn¡¯t mind helping you with any other revenge you have devised for¡­.¡±


    ¡°I say, get lost!¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± he said as he closed the door behind him. ¡°Please think about this. It is all I ask.¡± Maxwell jumped out of the way when Reyona peeled out of the park, almost stepping on his feet.

 Enough Is

    Reyona was beyond furious by the time she got home that night.


    Just as she left the park with the intention to put that bastard out of her mind, she realised that she would have toe to a fast decision about Thomas. She berated herself for deciding to take the revenge path. She should have simply divorced the bastard and focused on building her life back, she thought.


    ¡°What were you thinking, Rey?¡± She asked herself in self-anger. ¡°I looked at that bastard¡¯s face every day while he went out there to fool around and lie about everything. Sleeping with the scum when you should have simply kicked him out on his fake ass and made sure he neveres near you again?¡±


    She med herself for still having a little bit of hope. She berated herself for that tiny, silly seed somewhere in her mind that hoped she would just wake up one day and realise that everything was just a nasty dream.


    ¡°Silly,¡± she said to herself. She decided to end it all. She made up her mind to do what she should have done a long time ago. She was divorcing that piece of garbage. Still having him around with the thought of her silly, borate revenge n was the main reason why that idiot who imed to be the bitch¡¯s brother could have ess to her anyway.


    She wondered briefly how he came to the conclusion that she had anything to do with the bitch¡¯s detention. She believed it must have something to do with the people who handled it.


    ¡°So much for discretion,¡± she muttered to herself in anger as she waited at the intersection for the traffic lights to change to green. She deliberated calling the number she had been in contact with and then stopped at thest moment.


    ¡°What if Rohan is working with them and they were expecting me to send a message so that he can finally have concrete evidence?¡± Reyona decided to let go of that angle.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was startled as the car behind her honked, and that was when she realised that the lights had changed.


    Shaking her head for being made by the whole lot of them, she headed home with one thing in mind. She had to divorce Thomas. If she was going to start piecing her life back together, she needed to start now. What will be the reason she gives him? At the moment, she couldn¡¯t even think of an alternative usation to base her divorce reason on, but right now? She knew she had to do it, or her mental health might be in trouble.


    Just as she got to the junction that led up to their ce, she got a notification on her phone. She opened it to see that Thomas had withdrawn $100, 000 from the joint ount before.


    Apart from the anger that she felt that the bastard would still dare to take from her after everything he had done, she felt an tion about the timing.


    ¡°There goes your reason,¡± her subconscious said, and she tried to hold on to that despite the boiling anger in her.


    He dared to take from her again after everything he had done. Reyona had no idea that the man she had given herself to was such a selfless man. She parked the car in front of the house after seeing that he was already around. She wanted to get her emotions under control before she went in there to meet him or say anything. Reyona knew that if she went in there immediately with the anger in her, she might do or say things she was sure to regretter.


    She knew that Thomas would have no idea that she had received any notification regarding the current withdrawal. Even though it was their joint ount, which she majorly contributed to, she trusted him enough that it was his number that was on the ount for notification. That was the major reason why he had been able to squirrel away that much money without her awareness.


    The money was meant for when they finally started having their kids. ¡°I know what it means for a child not to have any guarantee or financial backing. Let¡¯s keep saving in this ount in preparation for our unborn children.¡± That was the bullshit he had constantly fed her, and she trusted him because she believed that it was his insecurity as a child who had lived in poverty that made him not want to subject their children to the same fate.


    Reyona scoffed at herself as she remembered how she had even admired him for it then. For the first two years of their marriage, she had also been trying her best to stabilize herpany, and she had been so grateful for having such an understanding husband who was not pressuring her into starting a family immediately. Then two years became three years, then four. She could remember how long it took her to finally express her discontent about their childless marriage.


    ¡°You and I are together forever, babe. Why should we rush?¡± was the highlight of his answers every time. ¡°Once we start making a family now, then things might start going haywire if we are not as financially stable as we thought we were. I appreciate the hard work you have put into yourpany and your help with mine. Can you just let me get my businesses in shape too?¡±


    That was three years ago. Reyona had agreed to support him, even though she was getting antsy by the day. ¡°Stupid,¡± she scoffed at herself as she looked back at many things she had done gullibly, all in the name of being a loving and supportive wife.


    Just like Grandma had taught her.


    Sheughed lightly through the tears that were forming in her eyes as she looked up at the sky through the windows ¡°I guess I can say this is your fault too, Grams. You thought me to love without reservations after all,¡± she said as she wearily ced her head against her window.


    The cold night wind buffeted her face, but she hardly felt it as she pictured her grandma¡¯s smiling face in her mind perfectly. She could almost hear the sound of her infectiousughter in the dark. It felt to her like she could feel her grandmother¡¯s presence around her. That warm, safe feeling she hade to know growing up.


    She remembered how people used to tell her grandmother that her granddaughter was her carbon copy. Reyona shook her head sadly as she remembered the joy on her grandmother¡¯s face whenever anybody said that.


    ¡°They were wrong, Grams,¡± she whispered into the night as she closed her eyes wearily. ¡°I am not as strong as you are, Grandma. Despite all my intentions to get rid of him,. I still find it hard to go inside and decisively say to his cheating face that I am sending him out of my life. I am a coward, Grams. I still do not want to let go, despite how much that bastard hurt me. It¡¯s been six years, Grams. I gave him all my love, like you thought of me, for six good years. I was¡­ I am a good wife, Grams. I tried to be everything he wanted. I supported him with all I had. I loved and epted him for who he is but¡­


    Reyona sniffled as she tried to stem her tears, but it was of no use. She turned her head aside to see the stars twinkling in the sky, and she felt an enveloping sensation like her grandmother could hear her.


    Her tears flowed freely for the first time since she found out, as if her tear ducts also recognised that everything was going to end. She stopped trying to stem them when they wouldn¡¯t stop, even when she closed her eyes tightly against the torrents.

 Face-Smacking

    ¡°I never wanted to disappoint you, Grams. I never¡­¡± Reyona paused as she realised that she had unconsciously never wanted what happened to her parents to happen to her; she did not want an unhappy home or a separated one. Even as that feeling sank in, she remembered the vow she made to herself on her wedding day. ¡°Till death do us part indeed,¡± sheughed bitterly as more tears squeezed out of her eyes, unaware that her vice was carrying on the night wind. ¡±


    ¡°I was such a fool. I am such a fool. I have failed, grandmother. I have a husband who would rather be with another woman than make a family with me. I have a mother-inw who could look me straight in the eyes despite all I have done and still deceive me along with her son. I¡­¡± She was unable to continue as her breath started heaving and she was crying profusely.


    The floodgate had finally opened, and she had no idea how to stop it. She stopped trying, and she let it all out. Silently, she wept her soul out right in front of the home. She had had many beautiful dreams about the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.


    Reyona¡¯s anguish poured out bitterly right there in the driveway that she rode with her beloved when going on many of the loving trips she made sure they never let go of to keep their marriage strong.


    ¡°How am I supposed to believe and ept that a man who loved and showered me such affection throughout these years has been acting? How¡­¡± She felt her heart close to bursting from anguish as she stopped talking and rested her head against the wheel as more hot tears flowed from her face, plopping on her exposed toe.


    ¡°I tried, Grams. I tried, yet I am not enough.¡± She shook her head as bitterness welled in her heart and the fleeting thought that maybe it was a gic thing passed through her mind.


    ¡°Clever of you to think you can make it happen when your parents couldn¡¯t,¡± her mind¡¯s voice whispered sarcastically, and she let out a wetughter that only ended in an anguished cry.


    ¡°I am so stupid. I was so¡­¡± Sheid her head back against the headrest and stared into the distance as images and memories passed through her mind¡¯s eye.


    The sound of the opening door sounded closed, but Reyona was too deep in her thoughts to hear it. Not even when the door closed, did she give any indication that she was aware of anything.


    A voice jolted her from her thought, and her eyes flew open when she heard, ¡°Reyona? What are you doing here? Why are you noting inside?¡± Then he leaned closer as he peered into her face. ¡°Have you been crying?¡± Disbelief was shown in his face, and he hurriedly opened her door to touch her shoulder.


    ¡°There he is,¡± Reyona thought wearily. ¡°My beloved husband, my soon-to-be ex-husband,. The man I gave a lot of my life to. The one who owns my shattered dreams¡±


    She raised her hand to his face as she trailed his features as if she were trying tomit them to memory. The fact that she could remember Leah¡¯s face through him was another source of anguish for her. Reyona remembered the first day she met his children physically. Out of the three of them, the image of the youngest had stayed with her the most. That image had been the reason why she felt guilty for having a hand in their mother¡¯s being away from them.


    ¡°Well, I am done with all that now,¡± she thought to herself firmly. Her waning strength came back as she gave him a long look beneath her lid as she trailed her hands on his face before tucking his newly cut brown hair beneath his ear.


    ¡°Are you okay, Rey?¡± he asked, and her gaze went to his lips. She wondered how many times those lips had lied to her and remembered vividly how he had driven her crazy most of the time with those lips.


    ¡°I loved you,¡± she said quietly, so quietly that he needed to lean closer to hear her.


    He moved back and looked at her. ¡°Yes, I know, and I love you too. You still haven¡¯t told me while you are seated with her in the cold and crying, though.


    Reyona shook her head, as she knew that he did not get what she was talking about. ¡°I loved you for the better part of my life,¡± she said, and sheid her slender finger against his lips when he wanted to talk against her. She shrunk away from him when he tried to lift her, and she continued, ¡°I wanted to continue loving you. I wanted a family with you. I was honest in everything, but what did I get? I got¡­ you,¡± she stated wearily.


    All the assertive way she had intended to tell it to his face that their union could be no more was gone as she spoke in the barest of a whisper.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Rey?¡± he asked in confusion ¡°Of course, you got me. I am your husband, aint I?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± she stated simply.


    ¡°What?¡± Thomas gave her a disbelieving look.


    ¡°I am divorcing you,¡± she said, trying to move past him as she wanted to get out of the car.


    ¡°What a joke!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Ah, ah, yes, I amughing now,¡± he said with an attempt at humor, even though she could see that she was confused ¡°Yes, the joke is over now, babe. Now tell me what is going on.¡±


    Reyona gave him a straight look and pushed at his shoulder to pass him. She lost her footing as she stepped down, and she mistakenly stepped on him.


    He swiftly held her so she wouldn¡¯t fall and asked again ¡°What are you talking about, Reyona? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± she said firmly, and he reluctantly did. She stepped back and gave him a direct look. ¡°I want you to listen very well to me, Thomas. I am no longer interested in this marriage with you; I want a divorce.¡± Her voice rang clear and true, the earlier breathiness gone from her tone.


    Even though her face was still a bit puffy from the earlier crying, her eyes were totally dry and devoid of tears now.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say something like that to me and expect me to believe it, you know. Why would you want to divorce me when I did nothing wrong?¡± He asked in a heated voice.


    Reyona realised that she could still find enough strength in her for amusement as she smiled at him. ¡°If you can still sit there and boldly say that to me despite all you did,. Then I have not realised how truly shameless you can be.¡±


    Reyona said it sadly and turned to leave.


    He pulled at her arm, trying to hold her in ce as he said, ¡°What did I do? We did not have a fight, and you think you can just¡­ aargh!¡± His tirade was cut short when Reyona lost her temper at the way he was pulling at her, and she flung her arm away from his grasp, turned back, and gave him a resounding p.


    It happened so fast that Reyona herself was more surprised at her action. She had never been a violent person. People had always called her rational because she preferred using her words to her fist, no matter how bad the situation was.


    The shocking look on Thomas¡¯s face was more than enough to express how surprised he was at her action. He held his palm to his face for a while as his eyes bulged out in shock.


    ¡°What would you hit me for?¡± he yelled at her. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Reyona said simply. ¡°I am crazy for ever saying yes to a scumbag like you. I am crazy for ever lowering my standards for a bastard like you. I am crazy forever pinning my hope on an asshole like you! Do you need a list? I can assure you that you will never be able to go through it fast enough,¡± she stated evenly before turning away from him like a fish caught on a hook.


    ¡°I did not even do anything to you! You bitch!¡± he yelled after her.


    Reyona scoffed, ¡°Yeah, there goes my man.¡±


    She ignored the sound of his footsteps behind her as she approached the porch.

 Who Could?

    She can¡¯t possibly know now, could she?


    That was the main thought on Thomas¡¯s mind all through the night as he tossed and turned in the guest room. He came out of the room again to bang on their bedroom this time around, foraging the cajoling tone and soft knocking he had been using earlier.


    ¡°Rey, what is going on?¡± he asked with a shout, then reigned in his temper as he reduced his voice ¡°Babe, I am not going to take the fact that you pped me, your husband, with you, but I need you to tell me what the hell happened. What do you mean by divorce? Why would you want to divorce me?!¡±


    He yelled thest part out of frustration when the thought reared itself in his mind again that she probably knew what he had done.


    He grew silent for a moment as his eyes widened and his brain quickly calcted who could have told her. Susan couldn¡¯t. She was in detention after all. Her phone was taken from her.


    ¡°Mum?¡± he thought wildly when he shook his head as he paced to and fro in front of the bedroom he would have peacefully been sleeping in on a normal day. He knew his mother wouldn¡¯t ever say something like that to her. No one around could tell her anything too, as the only other person who knew about that in his family was Fiona, and his mother had sent the nosy girl away when she started growing a stupid conscience.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Who? Who? Who¡­¡± Thomas¡¯s eyes widened as a thought popped into his mind while he was pacing. He shook his head frantically as he ran back to the guest room to pick up his phone. He looked back at the open door, and he quickly went back to lock it before rushing into the bathroom. He dialled the number and swore to himself as it went unanswered.


    ¡°The bastard wouldn¡¯t, would he?¡± He thought to himself as he scraped his hand through his hair and dialed the number. Ring¡­. ring¡­.. ring. The call was disconnected.


    ¡°Oh, if I find out that you are the one, I will kill you with my bare hands,¡± he said to himself as he flung his phone on the bed in anger.


    ¡°Calm down, Thomas,¡± he said to himself as he audibly took in a huge breath and sent it out erratically. He tried to think of what could be the issue again.


    ¡°Did she find out?¡± ¡°Today?¡±


    He stood up in agitation again. Or was it something else? He tried to think of what he could have done today that could cause her reaction.


    He remembered that he withdrew from the little left in their joint ount today. Even though he had not gotten the alert as he would have normally, he knew that couldn¡¯t be the issue. Reyona was not so poor or petty to want to divorce him over a paltry sum of money after all.


    He could only think of one reason that could make her react that way. His wife had made it clear from the beginning that she hated deception. That had given him a pause at the beginning, and he had informed Susan about it and even suggested maybe they put a stop to the game then.


    ¡°Of course, she did not listen,¡± he muttered to himself as he tried to think of any other tangible reason that could be the cause.


    He picked up his phone again and dialed the number. ¡°Pick the damn phone, idiot!¡± he yelled at the phone. I swear, if you have anything to do with this, you will be sorry for ruining my n.¡±


    After three rings, he was about to drop the phone again when the line connected. He ced it against his ear eagerly as he said ¡°Hello¡± a little too loudly.


    There was a rustling sound over the line and a static tone. Tomas looked at the face of his phone to see if it had disconnected before shouting again into the phone ¡°Hello, you better don¡¯t hang up on me, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± a sleepy male voice said over the phone.


    ¡°Lance, why have you not been picking up the phone?¡± Thomas yelled in agitation at his friend.


    ¡°Uh¡­.¡± A pause. Then his voice got clearer: ¡°Damn it, Tom. What the heck were you calling me for by this time? I am not your damn wife, you know,¡± Lance snapped at him over the phone.


    ¡°Well, I probably wouldn¡¯t be having any damn wife anytime soon if you had bbed your mouth off to her!¡± Thomas snapped right back.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Lance asked, confusion in his tone.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Reyona! I am talking about my wife. She came home tonight saying some bullshit about how she wanted a divorce! Hit me in the face while she was at it too!¡±


    ¡°Well, you probably deserved it too. I thought you didn¡¯t want her again, by the way. Weren¡¯t you going to leave her for your greener pastures and that girl you got with you?¡± Lance¡¯s voice was sounding slurry again.


    ¡°That is not your business. All I wanted to know was if you bleated any nonsense to her about the buildings you helped me sell or¡­¡± Thomas looked behind him furtively and lowered his voice more before adding, ¡°Or any of this other stuff.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end before Lance ¡°I swear to God, I have a mind toe over there right now and give you another hit in your goddamn face, you bastard! Do you think I do nothing here but sit around thinking of things to tell your wife? I have enough issues of my own, you bastard! I haven¡¯t set my eyes on your wife for ages, and it ain¡¯t my business if you choose to mess up your life because of a bitch. Don¡¯t you dare call me again in the middle of the night or any other time, for that matter, for this kind of bullshit, asshole!¡±


    Thomas realised his mistake toote and was just saying, ¡°Lance, listen. I did not mean¡­¡± when the call disconnected.


    Oh crap, he thought to himself.


    Now he just riled that idiot up for nothing. He had never really thought of Lance as a friend anyway, but the bastard has his uses.


    He left the bathroom with the intention of knocking on their bedroom door until Reyona opened up. She would listen to him and tell him what got her in this foul mood. He thought.


    His phone vibrated just as he was leaving and then picked up instantly when he saw the caller ID.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡± Ruth¡¯s panicked voice asked instantly.

 Leah’s Illness

    Reyona braced herself the following morning for Thomas¡¯ confrontation. She had been unable to have much sleep the night before, partly because of his incessant knocking and more because of the turmoil in her heart.


    ¡°Well, there was no going back now,¡± she said to herself in the mirror as she did her makeup. She woke up earlier than normal to get dressed for work. She had no intention of making any breakfast, not that either of them would be in the mood to eat anyway.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she had pped him the night before, but somewhere beneath the shock, she felt a bit of excitement that she had done it. The bastard deserved more than that, of course, but she had made up her mind fully during her toss and turn that she would simply let go of him and take charge of her life back.


    She was d that she at least had some of her money back, and the woman herself was getting what she deserved now. She knew that Thomas¡¯s anxiety recently had to do with that as well. She had determinedly said that she did not want any updates regarding thedy¡¯s case, so by now Reyona had no idea what was happening with her.


    She did know that whatever it was, it certainly affected Thomas too. That was enough for her. She convinced herself.


    ¡°Yes, enough is enough,¡± she said firmly to herself in the mirror as she essed her dressing that morning. She was in a red power suit with matching pzzo trousers and a befitting pump, and she did her hair in a French updo. She knew there would be a lot he would want to say to her that morning, but she was not going to allow it. Once she gets to her office,. She would immediately call the firm¡¯swyer to rmend a very good divorce attorney.


    With her matching Chanel bag in ce, she took a bolstering breath before unlocking the door. She wouldn¡¯t put it past him to jump out at her from wherever he could be waiting for her at that moment, so she was ultimately shocked when she did not see him anywhere.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she muttered slowly to herself as she looked around. Nobody was in the corridor, and by the time she got to the living room as well, he was nowhere to be found.


    Reyona knew that there was a possibility that he was anywhere in the house at that moment, but she doubted it because there was a feel to the house like she was the only one around.


    As she drove her car out of the garage, she saw that his car was not there, and she nodded to herself with the satisfaction that she had at least dodged any messiness that could have happened that morning. She intends to have that talk with thewyer as soon as she is through with the first meeting she had that morning.


    ¡°Where had he gone too early?¡± she thought fleetingly before reaffirming to herself that she was happy that he was not waiting for her at the door that morning to try to convince her or to keep questioning her ¡°Yes, his absence was for the best,¡± she said as she put on the stereo and yed the tape she paused thest time. Alicia Keys belted out ¡°This girl is on fire!¡± as she drove to work, putting all thoughts of Thomas out of her head until she needed to deal with it again.


    Which she knew would, unfortunately, be in a short time.


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


    It ended up being shorter than she predicted because she had just started her first meeting when Charlotte came to her and whispered to her that a woman was on the phone.


    ¡°What woman is that?¡± Reyona asked, her mind partly on the case of one of their clients that Phil told her just got defrauded of his money by his family. She remembered that she advised the man against the investment that his nephew told him was a lucrative one. The man still went ahead to make a huge withdrawal out of hispany¡¯s fund and now¡­


    ¡°She said that her name was Ruth. She had been trying your number, and you were not picking it up. She said it was very urgent,¡± Charlotte said.


    ¡°What else could be more urgent than the fact that her son had gone to tattle to her?¡± Reyona thought in derision. Of course, she had seen her missed calls right before she came for the meeting, but she had deliberately left them unanswered. She purposely left her phone in her office to prevent any interruption.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tell her that I am in the middle of a meeting and can¡¯t get away now,¡± Reyona said, steeling her heart when a thought came to her mind that maybe she should pick up to listen to the woman first.


    ¡°Okay, ma,¡± Charlotte said before leaving. A bit confused. She knew that Reyona wouldn¡¯t ignore anyone who called with such urgency.


    Reyona was just getting back to her office after brainstorming with her team on how to best cooperate with the bank and the police regarding their defrauded customer when another call entered from Ruth.


    Reyona intended to ignore it before, but then she picked up the call, intending to get it over and done with.


    ¡°Hello,¡±


    ¡°Hi, Reyona. I have been trying your number since, but you aren¡¯t picking it up. What¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am sorry. I was in an important meeting,¡± Reyona answered curtly, forcing herself not to snap at the woman.


    ¡°Thomas told me what happened. Well, what you said to him because he said he had no idea what he did to you could make you decide to make that kind of decision. What happened, my dear?¡±


    Reyona shook her head at the hypocrisy of these people. Like a mother, like a son. She was tempted to disconnect the call and even block Ruth¡¯s number, but she just said wearily, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just do not want to be married to him anymore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ruth said it from the other end, surprise evident in her voice. Reyona wondered if she was truly surprised or if it was another show from the mother-son script.


    ¡°How can you even say such a thing?¡± Ruth said with a raised voice. ¡°You two were married for about eight years, and now you just decided that you don¡¯t want to be with him anymore? Why would you do such a thing?¡±


    Reyona let out a curtugh in disbelief. ¡°How far did they intend to take their deception?¡± she thought to herself as anger welled in her, and she knew that she might say something irreversible to the older woman.


    ¡°I need to go, please,¡± she said firmly


    Ruth seemed to understand that she would disconnect the call, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Reyona, my dear. Whatever this was about, can you please properly talk about it with him when he gets home? You know he loves you and¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Just don¡¯t. I need to go now,¡± Reyona said, unable to take the snap out of her voice.


    ¡°Okay, I am not going to say anything again,¡± Ruth said instantly. ¡°I know that you are just upset now. I will ask him to head home immediately.


    Reyona let out a bitter short ofughter: ¡°No, he can take as much time as he needs to tattle to you. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That is not the reason why he came here, my dear. I was the one that called him because¡­ his cousin¡¯s daughter had been ill for days now, and it escted over the night. You know I can¡¯t drive so I asked him to drive us to the hospital.¡±


    Not your problem. Not your problem. Reyona¡¯s subconscious yelled at her repeatedly. Reyona sighed in defeat, as she knew that she was going to ask anyway.


    ¡°Which of them?¡± she asked with her eyes closed tight against the frustration she felt in her heart that she even bothered to care after everything their parents did to her.


    The name she hoped the woman wouldn¡¯t mention was exactly what Ruth mentioned: ¡°Leah. It breaks my heart to see that poor child suffering like¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Which hospital?¡± Reyona snapped, barely biting back the retort on the tip of her tongue, and she was sure that the woman did not have any heart to break.


    ¡°Oh, my dear. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb you with something like this.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Reyona said instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me then. Bye¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, hold on, please,¡± Ruth said as if she had a change of mind.


    And she told Reyona.

 Attorney Gibson

    ming herself for the umpteenth time for not being able to keep shut when she should, Reyona pondered over and over whether she should go or not.


    ¡°Nobody needs you there anyway,¡± her subconsciousness whispered in anger.


    Reyona felt like a fool for even asking such a question. What was she going there for? Their father¡¯s wife? The wife whom none of them wanted to know about their existence? She was sure that the children knew who she was.


    Reyona wondered what the two of them had told the kids about her.


    Leah was sick. Reyona could see the trusting, blue eyes sparked up with an infectious smile in her mind¡¯s eyes even as she bent over the file that Charlotte brought her. She could almost feel the silky, glossy brown hair she could picture vividly in her hand as she turned the sheaf of papers over.


    She had promised herself never to go to Ruth¡¯s ce again while those kids were still there because of the way that innocent child had warmed her way into Reyona¡¯s heart. Seeing Thomas¡¯ features stamped on those faces was enough to make her scream, but Leah was the one that stirred the most guilt in her for having a hand in what took their mother away from them.


    She was not going to go! She said to herself firmly after she found herself staring out of the window into nothingness. The perfect, smiling feature of a certain child was in her mind even though thest thing she could remember that she wanted to do was call the firm¡¯swyer for an inquiry about a goodwyer.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You need to stop this, Rey,¡± she said to herself with a snap as she firmly grabbed onto hertest resolve. No, it was not her fault that the girl was ill or anything. What she was concerned about now was to distance herself as fast and far as possible from that lying family ¡°This wouldn¡¯t help at all,¡± she repeated to herself as she moved away from the window and picked up the legal pad where thewyer¡¯s number was.


    She had the attorney¡¯s number in no time at all. Taking her mind off any and every thought that could influence her decision otherwise, she dialled the attorney¡¯s number, and it was picked up on the first ring as if the man had been expecting her call.


    ¡°Gibson here,¡± a man answered cheerfully on the other end.


    ¡°Attorney Gibson?¡± Reyona asked hesitantly, the man¡¯s exuberant tone out of context with how she felt at the moment.


    ¡°The one and only. You can just call me Mr. Gibson if you are feeling formal, ma¡¯am,¡± the man replied instantly with a small chuckle.


    Reyona was in no mood for his happy-go-lucky mood, and she was beginning to doubt that herwyer understood the seriousness of what she wanted. ¡°Okay, Mr. Gibson. Mr. Rouarkes said that I can call you regarding my divorce process.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You must be Mrs. Lanoth. Smith just told me that you will be calling,¡± Mr. Gibson said.


    ¡°Yes, I want to serve someone a paper, and I would like to know just how fast that could be done. And you know, the whole divorce process. I want the fastest and least messy route. I want him out of my life as soon as possible,¡± she said heatedly before clearing her throat when she realised that she was getting carried away ¡°So, yes, that is just¡­ that is why I call.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± Mr. Gibson said from the other end, his tone for once serious since he picked, and that reassured Reyona a bit. ¡°I assume the person you are referring to is your husband, right?¡±


    What a stupid question! Reyona almost blurted that out, but then she curbed herself before she replied gently, ¡°Yes, Mr. Gibson. Mywfully wedded husband¡±


    ¡°Well, the durationrgely has a lot to do with what the divorce is based on. If the erring partner is found guilty of what the using partner based the divorce on, then it could be done pretty fast indeed. Also, if the idea of separation is mutual between the partners, of course. That is about the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Reyona said, having no idea that could be an option.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Lanoth. So I will like to know why you want to get divorced, please. That would make it easier for me to draft the papers.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Reyona said, then wondered how she was supposed to start. She thought briefly and shook her head in confusion.


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth, are you still there?¡± Mr. Gibson said it from the other end.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I am. You can just call me Dexter. You know what? I will just get back to you, sir. Thank you for the rification.¡±


    ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am. I am here if you need me for anything,¡± the man said affably, and Reyona briefly wondered what else he thought she could need him for.


    ¡°Yes, okay. Thank you,¡± she said, and she disconnected the call. She leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh as she thought of what she should do.


    If Thomas was served with the papers, then of course he would know that she was not divorcing him because of anything she had insisted on. What did he deny? She thought.


    After all, his mother had found an alibi for themselves by saying that the children belonged to his dead cousin. She had no idea where Fiona had gone since thest time thetter had hurriedly told her about her husband¡¯s deceit.


    She once tried her number after that time, and it was not going through. When she asked Thomas, all he said was that she had decided to join a performance troop that went from city to city, performing acrobats and all that. He told her that he did not have any other means of getting in touch with Fiona as well when Reyona told him that her number was not going through.


    ¡°She is a grownup and can take care of herself,¡± was thest thing he said about the issue, and Reyona had kept quiet regarding the topic.


    She scrolled down on her phone and dialled the girl¡¯s number again. Same thing.


    Reyona wondered if she could find a way to make the children call Thomas their dad on tape or camera. She baulked at using those innocent children like that, and she knew that the mother-son duo might lie and say that they were merely calling him like that because of his resemnce to the dead Rafe or any other bullshit they coulde up with.


    She rubbed her temples when a headache steadily crept on her, and she decided to let go of her jumbled thoughts for now. She knew she woulde up with something soon.


    She looked at her clock and saw that it was past 5 p. m. already. She knew that her employees would be long gone by now unless any of them had anything they were working on.


    Reyona was reluctant about going home, though she knew that he would still be at the hospital.


    She picked up her bag and raised her head when a knock sounded at her door.

 Rohan Has A Wife?

    Antsy and anxious about what would happen, Thomas was waiting outside the hospital as he looked left and right to see if he would catch a glimpse of Reyona¡¯s car.


    ¡°Oh, mom,¡± he muttered to himself in exasperation when his ears perked up at the sound of an engine, only to see that the approaching car was nothing at all like any of their cars.


    ¡°Why would you tell her the address?¡± He had asked after he got back to the room where the doctors were administering fluids to Leah. He had just stepped out to ease himself in the restroom, and as he entered, he saw his mother getting off the phone. That was when she told him that she had just spoken to Reyona and that she might be here at any time.


    ¡°Because I thought that the two of you could have a serene atmosphere to at least talk. If shees here, she wouldn¡¯t want to argue with you in this kind of situation, you know. At least she could tell you the reason why she wanted to divorce you.¡± Ruth said it heatedly.


    ¡°And in the meantime, she would also know that these children belonged to me!¡± Thomas fired back ¡°I wonder why she was fooled the first time, but I can assure you that it wouldn¡¯t happen the second time, especially not now that she is talking about this ridiculous divorce thing! You shouldn¡¯t have, Mum.¡±


    ¡°Well, why not shout down the roof then and wake up your poor child, who had been asking for you for days while at it?¡±


    ¡°You know, I have to make sure that Reyona does not suspect anything while I also try to get Susan out. I told you that Susan herself is unwell, and she needs to see me from time to time,¡± he defended himself.


    ¡°And your children don¡¯t?¡± Ruth asked him with her arms held akimbo to her waist as she looked back at the small girl sunken in the middle of the hospital bed where she wasid. The Leah in that hospital was a far cry from the beautiful, vibrant child that Reyona still remembered. Her skin looked dry, and her healthy chubbiness had waned.


    ¡°Those children need both of you! Do you know that Junior was asking me the other day if you had also left them, just like their mother? How was I supposed to answer such a question from that inquisitive child as the three of them looked at me in expectation of the answers as if they had all been thinking of the same thing? Do you think that Leah just fell sick because of whatever it was that the doctors called it? That poor child needs her mother. And you!¡±


    ¡°Mum, don¡¯t be dramatic, and remember that we don¡¯t want to wake her up. They are just children, and they will be happy wherever they are. They love you, and I make sure that I send whatever I can to you, don¡¯t I? How will it help us now if Reyonaes here and finds out, Leah, that all of them belong to me? How will I be able to cater for any of you? You know what happened to my money after all.¡±


    Ruth turned away from him as she went over to tuck Leah in when thetter whimpered and tried to throw away the cover around her leg. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you couldn¡¯t be more prudent with your money and how you send it. Now you are in this mess. I don¡¯t know why you couldn¡¯t even stick with Reyona in the first ce and chose to stay with this one that has nothing to give you. Just look at it now. Everything is a big mess.¡± She turned back to him.


    ¡°What were you even thinking when you decided to go over to that rubbish country that sucked up your money? Didn¡¯t you think of the fact that Reyona woulde to me? What would I have told her? Now, that one you called the love of your life is behind bars, and Reyona wanted a divorce!¡±


    She let out a near-hystericalughter as she paced the hospital room, then mped her mouth shut when she heard another whimper from Leah.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are working yourself into a frenzy for now. The main thing now is that Reyona could be here anytime, and I don¡¯t want her to find out about them while I dissuade her from this divorce nonsense she had stuck in her head.¡±


    ¡°And who would tell her? Is it Leah that could barely recognise me as being delirious from the fever¡¯s grip, or myself or the kids I had to keep with my neighbours when we wereing here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you when you are in this mood,¡± Thomas said in exasperation. ¡°I will wait for her outside,¡± he stated before leaving the room.


    That had been about two hours now. He sat, paced, and moved around for a while with torrents of thought in his mind: ¡°What if Leah woke up and called me dad when Reyona was around?¡± What if? A lot of what-ifs had been running through his head, making him increasingly nervous as he wondered about a thousand and one things that could happen while she was at the hospital.


    Would she even talk to him about the divorce she had mentioned? Or would she just ignore him like she had done the night before?


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore after a while, especially after his mom came to the door of the room and asked, ¡°She is not here yet? Maybe she decided not toe again.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure now, do we?¡± He snapped before telling her that he would wait for Reyona outside.


    He tried calling her number multiple times, but she did not pick up the call. He had not thought that she would anyway; he just wanted to try since he had called her that morning already for the same reason.


    Could his mom be right and she really wouldn¡¯te again?


    Thomas wanted to be relieved by that thought, but he knew that Reyona cherishes family a lot, and she would want toe check on his cousin¡¯s kid even if she was busy.


    ¡°That must be it,¡± he thought suddenly, with a vigorous nod to himself, as if he had just conceived a great idea.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Lanoth?¡± He heard behind him, and his hands fisted instantly at his sides as he recognised who that hated voice belonged to.


    Maxwell Rohan. Susan¡¯s cocky and arrogant stepbrother stood there dressed in all ck like a criminal that Thomas would have loved to think he was.


    ¡°Not at all, Rohan.¡± Thomas tried to answer in the same domineering tone that thetter had used, and he was infuriated that it came out a bit stilted, especially when Rohan gave him that arrogant smile, like he knew what Thomas was trying to do and he found himcking.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Maxwell said with a raise of his perfectly arched brow as he looked back at the hospital que and back at Thomas in amusement, ¡°I had no idea that you find hospitals an intriguing venue to have your evening walks then.¡±


    ¡°Nothing that concerns you, Rohan,¡± Thomas said through gritted teeth, then he forced his clenched teeth into a mocking smile as he nodded at the heavily pregnant blond woman standing close to Rohan, who was at that moment giving the hospital building an anxious look like she couldn¡¯t wait to get going. ¡°I can see that congrattions are in order, though; I have no idea that you are married.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman looked back at him with widened eyes, then she snortedughter when she realised that he was referring to her. ¡°Wha¡­what? Oh, that is rich!¡± Her snorts blossomed into full, outrightughter.

 Toria?

    Reyona could not believe her eyes when she opened the door. She was annoyed because after she called the other person on the other end of the door toe in, nobody answered.


    ¡°Who is¡­¡± The annoyance on her face morphed into shock and excitement as she saw her sister standing on the threshold with a big, wide smile on her face.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ta-da! Who missed me?¡± Victoria Dexter, mostly called Toria, squealed with her hands wide open right before she grabbed her sister in a hard, enveloping.


    ¡°Euf, what have they been feeding you over there?¡±Reyona said withughter as she breathed in the familiar aromatic, balsamic scents that sparked memories.


    ¡°Food. Of course, the Lone Star was especially known for its chicken fried steak, you know. Hmm, those darlings are to die for.¡± Toria said with a dreamy look on her face as he stepped back from Reyona¡¯s embrace after a while.


    ¡°Yeah, right. I am just going to take your word for it.¡± Reyona said as she turned her sister¡¯s arm over, ¡°And a lot of sunshine too, I can see.¡±


    Toria flexed her arms, showcasing her tannedplexion as she made an impromptu strut ¡°This was not easy toe by, I tell you,¡± she said solemnly as she rested her ringed hands on her chest. She sighed dramatically as she said with a serious face, ¡°This took me twice as much as it took the locals to warm up to me.¡±


    ¡°Which I heard was about two seconds,¡± Reyona said with a shake of her head as she went back to her seat.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t belittle my hard work,¡± Toria said with a feigned pout designed to make Reyonaugh. Thetter obliged her by letting out boisterousughter. Reyona was amazed that the ball that seemed to be perpetually in her heart these days seemed to have taken a break from her. She felt tearse to her eyes as she looked at the glowing exuberance of her kid sister, and she hoped that thetter would never have any cause to know the anguish that she was going through at the moment.


    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t do that; oh, you tanned Texans. I thought you would end up settling there with a cowboy, and by the time we see you again, you will probably be with a younger cowboy or cowgirl clinging to your legs. Wait, weren¡¯t you in New York before? You know, the city you believed was the best for the way it called to the creativity within you?¡± Reyona tilted her head with a knowing smile on her face.


    ¡°Ah, ah,¡± Toria said with a roll of her eyes as she came to sit down on Reyona¡¯s table, The tiny bells on her strapped sandals jiggled as she swung her legs ¡°New Yorksted for so long as I could make it; I finally realised that the only chaos I like is the one inside me. I tried Vegas for a while too, but soon realised that it was a no-no. Too polish. Now, Texas is different. It would be hard not to fall in love with all those hospitalitys,¡± she said, then tucked her tongue in the corner of her mouth. ¡°Of course, one can¡¯t go wrong with all those yummy hotties too,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Hmm, does that mean it was because of a certain hottie that made you stay for that long in Texas?¡± Reyona asked curiously, hoping that her sister¡¯s luck was better than hers.


    ¡°Erm, no,¡± Toria said instantly. ¡°Well, there was one. It didn¡¯t work out though. I learned other things, though. I am now a proficient waitress, and I can even swear fluently now. I bet even longer and better than some men would,¡± she dered proudly


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Reyona said it sarcastically. ¡°Well, I am sure that dad would be so happy to know that his princess is now an equivalent wife,¡± Reyona said, and they both burst intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, you need not worry about that. He knows, alright. He told me that he would be happy if I didn¡¯t end up being the reason for his heart attack. Told him that it was a good thing that his heart health was so great then,¡± Toria said, and the two of them hooted withughter.


    Reyona had always envied how easy Toria¡¯s rtionship had been with both of her parents. Reyona¡¯s rtionship had been strained with her parents because she had resented them for a long time for leaving her with Grams when they divorced. Her mother was pregnant with Toria then and was able to grow up with their mother with visits from their dad even after the two of them remarried.


    Their mom still says, to date, that she had no idea that she was pregnant with Toria at that time. Though none of their parents had ever answered the question of whether they would still be together if she had known then, Reyona knew now that that might not have changed much. Just like her father said the other day, she believed that her parents were two people who loved each other enough to create a family, and then something happened along the road of that journey.


    Now she could understand that, but back then she had been so angry with the two of them that she resented her sister for at least being with their mother when she was born. It took years of Gram¡¯s love and care to finally get her to ept her parents back and to even agree to speak to them on the phone.


    The first time she agreed to see her mother, her sister was already toddling then, and she had crawled up to where Reyona sat stiff-faced as her mother was talking a mile a minute, and she held Reyona¡¯s pinkie finger with her tiny hands and shook it slightly before she grinned up with her mostly gum mouth and said in the garble she was using tomunicate back then, ¡°Sita!¡±


    That had been the case for Reyona back then. Love at first sight. That was the first time she had agreed to stay with her mother for about a week before she had to go back to Grams¡¯s because of school.


    That whole week had been spent mostly with her sister; her mother¡¯s presence had been a bonus, and then her dad had travelled to where her mother was living then. Even though there was still tension between their parents then, Reyona could remember that they had both tried their best to be civil to each other in the children¡¯s presence. Reyona could remember that the outings they went on during that week made her remember how her family used to be, and for a while, she pretended to herself that her parents would get back together.


    Of course, that did not happen, but the love she felt for this beautiful, adventurous, and carefree spirit has only increased since then.


    And that had been what started the end of the fragment that her parent¡¯s divorce had caused.


    Laughing with her sister now as thetter jumped up when she saw another award that Reyona had gotten since thest time that she was there, Reyona smiled at her sister¡¯s oohing and aahing over the que she got from the ICAN organisation for a contribution to what could have turned out to be a disaster if not handled well. Reyona knew that she still had a lot to be thankful for.


    ¡°I have missed you a lot, Toria.¡±


    ¡°And I you, sis. I missed you,¡± Toria said as she gently ced the que back in its ce on the shelf before moving back towards her sister. She flicked her long strawberry-blond hair behind her as she gave her sister a keen look. ¡°Now tell me what is wrong, sis.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    ¡°I mean the reason for that strain on your beautiful face. What is wrong, Rey?¡± She said this as she came to stand directly in front of Reyona.


    She shook her head when Reyona started to deny that anything was wrong. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t do that; is what happened?¡±


    Reyona knew that her sister was not about to be brushed off. As carefree as Toria could be, she could also be tenacious.


    Where to start? Reyona thought briefly as she sighed.

 Looking Bad

    Annoyed that Rohan had made him look bad in front of his friend, or whatever she was,. Thomas conveniently decides not to dwell on the fact that he was the one who jumped to conclusions when he saw Rohan together with the pregnant woman.


    How was he supposed to know that the pregnancy did not belong to him? After all, what kind of man would follow a woman to the hospital regarding something that was not his? Thomas still didn¡¯t believe that Rohan had anything to do with the woman¡¯s pregnancy, even after thetter said that she was his friend¡¯s wife.


    That was after she hadughed at him for a full minute while Rohan, the bastard, stood there with his signature-making smile, not attempting to rify the situation to him.


    Thomas still didn¡¯t believe that Rohan had anything to do with the pregnancy, though. He wouldn¡¯t put it past the bastard to have something to do with his friend¡¯s wife¡¯s pregnancy.


    ¡°Maybe the two of them were cheating on the husband,¡± he thought to himself pettily as he drove home. H was angry at a lot of things.


    First, Reyona refused to show up at the hospital after making his mother think that she wasing there. He ced the me firmly on her shoulder for the fact that Rohan and hisdy friend lit him.


    Secondly, just as she was about to excuse himself from Rohan¡¯s mocking presence and inquisitive eyes, his mother came out of the hospital to meet him where he was standing with the two. ¡°Tom, is she not here yet? Leah is awake now, and the doctor is checking her,¡± Ruth said before she realized the look that Thomas was giving her as he looked over at Rohan and the woman that stood with him.


    The fact that his mother did not know who the man was didn¡¯t reduce his anger at her for just blurting out something like that in front of people she did not know, because the next instant, Rohan¡¯szy expression vanished and interest was shown on his face as he asked, ¡°Leah? Susan¡¯s youngest? Your wife ising to see her. What is wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Look here. This is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you what is my business, asshole.¡± Rohan had held him tightly by hispel in no time, his voice dangerously low as he leaned closer to him. ¡°It is my business that my step-niece is in that hospital, and you wouldn¡¯t let me know about it even though your wife appeared to be on her way here. What kind of idiot are you by the way that you told your wife about your mistress¡¯s child?¡± he sneered at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything!¡± Thomas snapped back, refusing to show that the man intimidated him.


    The woman behind him gave him a derogatory look even as Ruth came close to the two of them, telling Rohan to let go of her son. ¡°Who is this young man, Thomas? I say leave him alone!¡± his mother said, and that even infuriated Thomas more. As he snapped at her to not interfere, Rohan turned to her with his hand still on Thomas.


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth, pardon me for not introducing myself but I am Susan¡¯s brother and I don¡¯t know if your son told you that he had children with her while still married to his wife.¡±


    ¡°That is not something for you to judge, young man. Let him go, I say.¡±


    ¡°Then you know then.¡± Thomas could still remember the disgusted look that bastard gave the both of them before shaking his head as he pushed Thomas back when he let go of him ¡°I can¡¯t begin to imagine the damage that could have happened to those kids being left with people like you two, especially when they have a father who needs his mother to save him in messy situation.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who are you talking to?¡± Thoams had said in anger and his anger increased as he remembered the look that Rohan had given him before looking around Then he turned back to him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can see any other man around here tied to the string of his mother¡¯s apron.¡±


    His mother¡¯s, ¡°Hey, how can you be so rude?¡±ment had gone unanswered as Rohan turned to the woman beside him and told her that he was sorry as he might not be able to go with her to the doctor. ¡°No, it is fine,¡± the woman replied eagerly before giving them a scathing look as she continued, ¡°Obviously, there is an urgent situation here for you to attend to.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rohan replied in a gentle tone that he had never heard from him before. As heid his hands gently on thedy¡¯s shoulder, thetter nodded. ¡°I will try to catch up with you before you leave,¡± he added.


    ¡°No, just take your time. I will just call you once I am done,¡± the woman said before turning away without acknowledging them.


    ¡°Did you see how that girl looked at me? What is wrong with kids these days?¡± Ruth wasining when Rohan turned back to them.


    ¡°Maybe we kids these days found it shocking to see that someone of your age and a woman as well would be happy to have this done to a fellow woman, one who would have happily been your daughter. Who probably thought you regarded her as one?¡± Rohan said.


    Thomas floored his car when he remembered the mocking grin Rohan gave him when he yelled at him to watch how he talked to his mother before he said, ¡°Now, would you take me to where my niece is and tell me what is wrong with her, or would you prefer I go in there to ask myself?¡±


    Thomas hated the fact that the bastard had forced his hand when he did not respond immediately by saying that he did not mind waiting around till his wife arrived anyway. ¡°At least by then I would demand to be introduced to the woman who is sharing the same man with my sister,¡± Rohan said with such conviction in his tone that Ruth told Thomas to just take the rude man to the room and tell him what he wanted to know before he caused more trouble for them.


    Then she dered that she was having a raging headache from all the rudeness she had endured that evening and that she would like to go for a walk. After snorting in Rohan¡¯s direction, she turned away, leaving Thomas with Rohan.


    Thetter stepped aside as if allowing Thomas to precede him into the hospital, and he said with a malevolent tone, ¡°You are such an asshole, and I hope that I could be here to see your wife¡¯s face when she realizes who she came to visit. Now, tell me what happened to the girl,¡± he said as if Thomas owed him any exnation as he disregarded his protest.


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Thomas said in anger in the dark of his car as he hit his hand hard against the steering wheel, causing the horn to re in the car in front of him.


    The driver red his horn back rudely. Thomas reined his anger in tightly to prevent himself from ramming his car against the man¡¯s car from behind.


    By the time he got home, he was ready to confront Reyona regarding a lot of things.


    The suspicion he felt when he didn¡¯t see her car in the driveway was confirmed when he unlocked the door, though.


    She was not at home either!


    ¡°Where on earth was she?!¡± Thomas yelled as he threw his car key so hard toward the TV console.


    Cracking the screen!

 Your Fault

    Feeling more lighthearted than she could remember ever being in the past months, Reyona drove up her driveway with her sister behind her. Toria was on the phone with her friends that came to Kayooma with her.


    ¡°Yes, I will be staying with my sister today. Duh, I am not ditching¡­ of course, it is before pals,¡± she said after a pause, sticking out her tongue as if the person on the other end could see her. ¡°Yeah, say hi to Jake for me, yeah, girl! Don¡¯t do what I wouldn¡¯t do. On second thought, please don¡¯t do some things that I would do!¡± Sheughed out loud as he listened to what the person on the other end was saying before she shook her head. ¡°No, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Reyona smiled as she tuned out her sister¡¯s conversation, and then her smile vanished when she saw that Thomas¡¯s car was already parked in their lot. Toria saw the car simultaneously and told the person on the other end that he would get back to her.


    ¡°Yes, probably tomorrow. bye¡± she said breezily as she disconnected the call and turned to behold her sister¡¯s countenance ¡°At least I am right about one thing.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡± Reyona asked, wondering what her sister was talking about.


    Toria leaned over and touched Reyona¡¯s hand when her sister parked the car. I know that you are not ready to tell me what exactly happened, which I do not take offence at even though I should, but at least my theory that it has something to do with your husband is confirmed by that look on your face.¡±


    ¡°What look?¡± Reyona asked as she came out of the car. She wondered when her little sister became so intuitive.


    ¡°The ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in there¡± look on your face, Rey,¡± Toria answered with her arms crossed against her body as she looked at the house and then back at her sister. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want,¡± she said.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Reyona said with humourlessughter, ¡°Of course, I want to go in; why wouldn¡¯t I? It is my home, remember? Come in, kid and stop overthinking things,¡± she said as she stretched her hand towards Toria, urging her toe on in.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Toria said, then, in a swift change of mood, she said, ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t get to call me kid anymore, you know. I am a well-rounded, experienced, and well-travelled woman now, you know.¡±


    She said this with her arms around Reyona¡¯s as thetter opened the door.


    That arm was what kept Reyona from falling over, as her shoe caught against the threshold when she felt an arm pull her roughly inside when she opened the door.


    ¡°Where have you been? Why did you lie to Mom that you would being when you knew that you were noting and you let that bastard humiliate me? What do you mean by saying you will divorce me? You are not the one to tell me what to do! I will leave you when I damn wanted and not the other way around!¡± Reyona was stunned for a moment as Thomas held her tightly in his hands, shaking her so much that her neck felt like it would snap from the front and back motion, all while bathing her face with his alcoholic breath while yelling at her.


    Before she could recover from her shock, she felt Toria give Thomas a hefty shove. He had been stumbling back so fast that he lost his footing ¡°Get your hand off my sister; what the heck is wrong with you?!¡±


    Reyona was amazed by her sister¡¯s strength as thetter looked back at her, asking if she was fine.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Is this what has been going on? Was this what you refused to tell me? He has been manhandling you.¡± Toria said with a voice filled with venom that Reyona thought she might punch Thomas where thetter was trying to get his bearing where he felt against the couch if she did not do something.


    ¡°No, Toria. You know, I wouldn¡¯t allow that. I don¡¯t know what got into him,¡± she said as she stealthily stood in Toria¡¯s path to prevent her from getting close to Thomas, who had managed to stand up by that time, though he was weaving, as he pointed his hands towards Toria¡¯s face.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How dare you push me like that? Don¡¯t you know that I am your sister¡¯s husband? This is no ce for you to stick your nose, bitch. Get out of this ce and run to Daddy. The adults are talking here!¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Toria said she intended to advance on Thomas again. ¡°Can you hear that idiot you call your husband?¡±


    ¡°Toria¡­¡±


    ¡°Come over here and say that to my face!¡± Toria said this directly to Thomas, who just made a rude remark to her. ¡°Just look at him, sis. Is that what you have been dealing with? All these insults from this drunk head?¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a drunk head, you bitch?¡± Thomas yelled at Toria and raised his hand as if he wanted to hit her.


    Reyona had it with him. As she dropped her bag loudly on the floor, the two of them stopped their tirade and looked over at her wide-eyed. ¡°What is wrong with you, Thomas? Can¡¯t you see that you are embarrassing yourself? How dare you drink like a sk**k in this house, calling my sister a bitch on top of that too? Stop it this instant, Toria. Stop jumping to assumptions too. I told you he is not like this normally. I don¡¯t know why he decided to embarrass himself like this but I will be damned if the two of you turn my house into a war zone where you will spar to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Sis!¡± Toria said this in protest. ¡°He was manhandling you! Was I supposed to stand here and watch him pull out your arms from their sockets?¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to mind your business and not poke your nose in an adult¡¯s business!¡± Thomas snapped and before Reyona could say anything else, Toria had removed one of her heels and threw it smack on Thomas¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Ouch, what the hell?¡± Thomas yowled in pain as he held his hand to his forehead, his slur less prominent now.


    ¡°Toria!¡± Reyona said in exasperated shock. She had always known Toria to be impulsive and temperamental and she realised her mistake in thinking earlier that the maturity she could see in her sister meant that she had curbed that too. She smacked her palm against her forehead when Toria ignored her call and faced Thomas.


    ¡°That is what you get for insisting that I am a kid. I am twenty-five years old, you asshole. Let me just see youy a finger on my sister again and you will know that I have more where thates from!¡±


    Then she leaned in to kiss her sister¡¯s cheek ¡°Before you say it, I will be gone because I know that I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t ask that of you¡± Reyona said wearily.


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t,¡± Toria said with a small smile ¡°You are much too nice for that but I know that I might just give in to the temptation in me right now if I stay in this tonight with your husband¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Toria. It iste already. What temptation are you talking about?¡± Reyona said as she tried to stop her.


    ¡°To kill him, of course,¡± she said simply andughed when Reyona blinked at her words ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will be fine, my friends already said I am missing out on all the fun anyway so I will just join them while I leave you to¡­¡± she turned back to give Thomas a scathing look before turning back to Reyona ¡°Unless you want toe, of course¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that¡± she kissed Reyona¡¯s cheek and turned to leave ¡°We will talkter, sis or I will keep hounding you till you do,¡± she said and Reyona urged Toria to take her car since Toria came to ReyDexter with a cab.


    Toria collected the key and her eyes caught on something as she turned to leave. She shook her head at Reyona, a touch of disappointment in her expression as she said ¡°That did not look like nothing¡± with that, she left.


    The door banged closed behind her and Reyona looked toward what she pointed at. Her eyes widened as she turned back furiously at Thomas ¡°You smashed the TV screen? What is wrong with you?¡±


    Reyona regretted the initial restraint she had put on her sister when Thomas only shrugged sluggishly and said ¡°It was your fault¡±

 Sucker-Punched

    Reyona realised in a split second that she might have judged Toria¡¯s temper too fast because of the fury she felt regarding the bastard that stood in front of her at that moment, as he calmly told her that it was her fault that he smashed her TV screen, which was unlike any she had felt recently.


    Her fault? He thought it was her fault that he damaged their property? Did he think it was her fault too that he cheated on her?


    It was her fault that he decided to damage their marriage.


    It was her fault that he chose to deny her the joy of motherhood by giving what should have been her exclusive right to someone else.


    It was her fault that¡­


    Reyona realised that the more she thought about it, the more likely it was for her to blow off, so she simply put a stop to her spiralling thoughts and gave him a demeaning look as he stood there, weaving a little on his feet as he looked back at her belligerently with no iota of remorse whatsoever.


    ¡°You broke the screen, and it is my fault?¡± she asked as calmly as she could, spacing her words carefully when she wanted to reach out and punch the face that had once been so dear to her. A face attached to all of her grievances at the moment.


    She wanted badly to rail, to shout, to throw things, and maybe break what was remaining of the TV screen that the bastard had unremorsefully massacred, but she knew she wouldn¡¯t do it. She envied Toria badly at that moment, as her sister was known for acting exactly as she felt. When Toria was happy, those around her would feel it, and when she was not, everyone would know that her dear sister had something going on with her.


    A mad Toria would vent immediately without overthinking things. She could picture her sister at that moment already joining her friends in the fun they were having as she forgot about the bastard she hit and her sister, who was always keeping things under the lid because she believed in dealing with things rationally.


    ¡°Well, ain¡¯t nothing rational about what you have done recently,¡± she thought to herself acerbically before she shook her head at her husband, who had turned away from her at that moment to pick up the discarded bottle of whiskey that he had been guzzling about before she got home.


    He picked up the bottle and shook it as if to confirm that the little content in it was still truly there before he put the bottle to his mouth and drank the remaining content in one long pull.


    Reyona shook her head as the anger she felt faded as abruptly as it hade up in the first ce. She decided to ignore it, as it was doubtful that he would make any sense now that he was drunk anyway.


    She had not taken more than two steps when he lurched towards her so suddenly that she yelped involuntarily when he held her arm tightly.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Let go of me!¡± Reyona said this in disgust as his beer breath bathed her face when he belched right in her face.


    ¡°I am not letting you go, you bitch. Where do you think you are going? I was talking to you!¡± Thomas yelled at her.


    Even though Reyona was getting pissed at his utterances, she decided to chalk it up to his drunken state. Thomas wouldn¡¯t talk to her in this manner in a sober mood, would he?


    ¡°Alcohol only brings out what was already there,¡± her subconscious contributed.


    ¡°Let go of my arm,¡± Reyona said again, refusing to believe that this was truly how Thomas thought of her.


    He wouldn¡¯t let go, though; he only tightened his hand as he shook her. ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do! You hear me?! I am your husband, and I will be the only one to tell you when I don¡¯t want you anymore! Not the other way around! I am¡­¡± he belched again, and the stink almost made Reyona gag. ¡°You will do as I say and stop this nonsense talk about divorce, you hear me? I am your husband, and I am the only one who has the right to tell you when I don¡¯t want you anymore! You are not¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Reyona shouted, more annoyed by his insensitivity than anything else at that moment.


    ¡°I will not! Are you going to lock me out again tonight? You will make me sleep in the guest room again? You care about our damn TV screen more than you care about me, don¡¯t you? It was all your fault! If you did not lie abouting to the hospital and make me wait out here for you before that bastard came along with his smart mouth and¡­ that bast¡­¡±


    Reyona shoved him hard at that moment, not unlike what her sister had done earlier, only that this time around, he seemed to have been ready for it; it was just a mere coincidence because he held her, and by the time he staggered back, it was toote for her to quickly break her fall, and they went down together.


    She probably would have been pleased with the way his backside collided with the floor, but she was too pissed at the way her shin hit the floor hard when her limbs twisted at an ufortable angle atop him. The rug cushioned her fall, but she would rather have done it without the pain that raced up her limb.


    When he immediately turned her over and pinned her to the floor as if he were oblivious to the pain she was sure he would be feeling at the moment, Reyona knew that she had had it.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± he said with a drunken grin. ¡°Now, I have you where you belong. Right under me,¡± he added with ascivious smile as he ground his waist against her and leaned closer to give her a sloppy kiss.


    ¡°What has gotten into you?! Get off me! Thomas!¡± Reyona spittered in anger as she tried to avoid his wet lips.


    ¡°I am your husband, and you will listen to me!¡± he said, his smile gone as he tried instead to grope her breast when she wouldn¡¯t let him kiss her. ¡°Is there someone else out there that you are giving it to now? Is that why you wanted to divorce me so that you could have this house to yourselves for the both of you to fuck yourself? Not if I have anything to say about it!¡±


    Reyona was beyond disgusted at this point, and she med herself totally for not epting Toria¡¯s suggestion of following her to have a night out with her friends. Anything, anything at all, would be better than this. She thought in revulsion as she tried to fight him off when his clumsy hands tried to undo her big decorative button.


    ¡°Let go of me, Thomas! You need to sober up.¡±


    ¡°I told you to shut the fuck up! You bitch!¡± he said suddenly as he reared back.


    And it happened so fast that Reyona had not even seen iting, not to mention trying to dodge it.


    Thomas Lanoth bunched his hand into a fist, and he punched Reyona!Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Right on her face!

 You Made Me Do It

    ¡°You¡­you made me do it!¡±


    Reyona shook her head to herself as she thought of what happened the night before. She still couldn¡¯t believe that the man she thought she knew was so different from the man that Thomas had be.


    She thought of the fact that he might have been like that all along while he had sessfully hidden it from her, just like everything else. She berated herself for having been a fool, all in the name of love and eptance. She wondered how many other things she did not know about him that she was wrong about.


    She never believed that the Thomas that she knew would touch a woman with violence, whether under the influence or not.


    ¡°That shows how naive and unaware you have truly been in this marriage,¡± she muttered to herself in the confines of her car. Her lips curled in a bitter smile. She drew in a sharp breath as the stiff, pain-filled side of her face protested.


    Reyona flipped down the rearview mirror to look at her face. She was satisfied by what she saw, and she knew that she was not looking at how she felt at all.


    ¡°That is a good thing,¡± she muttered to herself as she checked the card she had kept on the passenger¡¯s seat earlier. She nodded to herself as she looked up at the road ahead of her and muttered to herself, ¡°The right turning up.¡±


    Reyona turned at the next intersection, and she knew that she would soon be at her destination.


    Once she set out that morning, she heaved a sigh of relief, and she finally admitted to herself that a part of her had been scared that she wouldn¡¯t see the n through.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No going back now,¡± she thought to herself when she saw the brown-painted, nondescript building she was headed for just a few distances away.


    Her mind went back to the night before, after what her mind had simply dubbed the incident happened.


    Thomas had looked at her and then at his hand in shock, as if he were sure that the hand belonged to him. Then, after a pause where Reyona herself was still recovering, he yelled, ¡°You made me do it!¡± he rolled off her and rolled to the rug with his hand slung over his eyes as he muttered under his breath over and over again ¡°You made me do it. You caused it.¡±


    In no time, the litany had been reced by his snore as hey there on the rug. Reyona couldn¡¯t believe that he had bruised her face, and he was sleeping peacefully as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary. Shey there for a while as hot tears leaked out of the sides of her eyes. Her mind was nk, and nothing was staying put at all as she stared at the intricate pattern of the home she had once thought was borne of love. Her tears increased as shey there. Fat tears rolled out of her eyes as she kept staring at a certain spot without having any cognitive recognition of what she was looking at.


    His snore was momentarily stopped as he muttered in his sleep and turned. His hand fell heavy against her midriff, knocking her breath out of her the second time as she was startled out of her no-thoughts limbo.


    Reyona had no idea how many minutes or hours had passed since shey there subconsciously listening to the snore of the man who had shattered her dream.


    She finally stood up gingerly, ignoring the way her skin felt tight and achy at the side where he hit her as she went to the bathroom. She stood with a nk expression on her face in front of the bathroom mirror, as she could see the way the bruise was already darkening on that part of her face. He did not pull back on the punch at all. Her husband had hit her with the full force of his fist, and Reyona could see the impact it was already having on her rosy, creamy skin.


    She emotionlessly moved away from the mirror after a while and got into the shower, fully clothed. She turned on the shower jets on full st, turning the knob until freezing, cold water started spewing on her. In no time, her clothes were drenched, and her hair wasid t against her scalp under the relentless spray of the cold water. Reyona closed her eyes tightly as she leaned her head back to better have the water beat on the bruise, her throat, and the breast that he had held tightly earlier in his attempt to grope her.


    Minutester, after stepping out of the shower without feeling any better inside, apart from the physical sign of her skin turning blue, she stripped herself naked. Leaving all her soggy clothes on the floor, she went to the room and crawled on the bed without drying her hair, and shey there with her eyes open throughout the night.


    She was up at dawn the following morning, and she dressed up immediately. Thomas was still asleep when she came to the living room, and she didn¡¯t spare him a look as she went out. After a quick message to her secretary asking her to cancel all her meetings for the day, she set out for the task she had not thought she would be going out for that morning as shey alone and cold on the bed that she had once believed was filled with love.


    She looked at the card in her hand before dropping it on the passenger¡¯s seat as she set out on her journey.


    She parked her car in the building parking lot and looked up to see the sign for Gibson & Gibson Law Firm.


    ¡°There are two of them?¡± she thought to herself as she walked through the screen door that a doorman opened for her into a grey-decorated lobby withfortable-looking chairs that begged a tired client to have a good rest while waiting for either of the Gibsons to answer them.


    ¡°Good morning, ma. You are wee.¡± A youngdy said as she stood up from behind the glossy front desk that mingled and blended well with the decor.


    Her chirpy disposition seemed off to Reyona, and she was panicked for the moment when thedy¡¯s gaze sharpened on hers and she gave Reyona an intent look.


    Reyona thought for a moment if her camouge did not work, as she had watched online that morning on how to cover up bruises with makeup. She followed the technique religiously after watching three videos, and she knew that she did a great job. All she had to do was let down her hair and let it down through the side of her face, which was already dark with bruises by that morning.


    She had double-checked before leaving the house and even checked in the car again. She wondered how thedy had seen it and if she could see it. Did that mean that every other person could too?


    The doorman? Those seated in the lobby?


    Panic set in, and Reyona almost bolted when she thought of what could happen if a picture of her was taken with a big, fat bruise on her face. What would she say? She had already ignored Toria¡¯s call about three times that morning just because of that.


    And now¡­

 Reason Enough?

    ¡°Madam, I was asking about what we can do for you, ma?¡±


    ¡°What¡­oh¡± Reyona swallowed hard as she thought ¡°So, that was why she was looking at me like that?¡± she wondered as she tuned out the question.


    ¡°Get it together, Rey,¡± she said to herself as she answered thedy.


    ¡°I will like to talk to Mr. Gibson. I already had a prior discussion with him.


    ¡°Oh, okay, ma. Which of the Gibsons, ma?¡± thedy asked politely.


    ¡°Whi¡­You know what? let me just give him a call.¡±


    Reyona was directed to the man¡¯s office in no time. He stood up to greet her as she entered, and Reyona went straight to business.


    ¡°I want the divorce papers drawn as soon as possible,¡± she stated simply.


    ¡°As I said earlier, ma. The cause for a divorce would contribute to¡± He lost his train of thought when Reyona took a tissue paper out of her bag, and she began to gently rub off the makeup on that part of her face.


    Gibson¡¯s affable face changed as he saw her face, and she tried not to wince as she rubbed at it. He had dealt with a lot of divorce cases and knew what bruises like that meant.


    So by this time, Reyona had stopped rubbing at her face, and she asked, ¡°Is this reason enough?¡±


    He readily said, ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


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


    Reyona stoically went through the process of having her pictures taken.


    She sat with no expression as Gibson arranged to have the firm¡¯s photographer take her picture.


    In no time, it was over.


    All the details they needed to serve her husband with a divorce petition had been taken.


    Gibson assured her that her husband would be wise toply with the terms of the divorce as fast as possible.


    Reyona told him to make a good case without adding the case of the hitting to it yet.


    She had a feeling that Thomas might want to dispute the divorce, but she still held out a little hope that he would be sensible enough to let her go.


    After all, if the case of hitting her got to court, it wouldn¡¯t only hasten the divorce proceedings; it would evennd him in jail.


    Reyona did not want him in jail.


    Not because she still felt any empathy for him, but because of the children that she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about.


    They were already separated from their mother because of her.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona did not want to be a reason why they would lose their father too.


    She just wanted it to be over.


    She wanted the lie she had lived for ten years to stop ring at her every time she turned.


    Gibson promised to hasten the procedure and assured her that her husband would be served the petition before the end of the following day.


    When asked about assets separation, Gibson was surprised when Reyona told him that she owned the home they lived in.


    She owned their vacation vi in Malibu as well.


    Thomas Camry was the only thing he had bought.


    The three other cars they share were all bought by Reyona.


    Reyona didn¡¯t bother adding the two businesses that she bankrolled for his startups.


    After all, the money was already back where it belonged.


    She left Gibson¡¯s office lighter than she had entered it.


    After carefully remaking her face in the firm¡¯s powder room, she went on a long drive.


    She was still working on autopilot when she decided to call Toria back.


    Her sister had called her that morning, but Reyona couldn¡¯t pick up the call because she knew that Toria would detect that something was wrong.


    Her sister always had a way of teasing out whatever she was trying to keep under wraps.


    She was not sure she could deal with her sister¡¯s concerned questions that morning.


    Not especially when she still had thewyer¡¯s meeting in front of her.


    So, she had simply sent Toria a message that she would be very busy that morning and would get back to herter.


    Listless and feeling like a branch whose leaves had been stripped mercilessly, Reyona felt she might as well get the call over with.


    She found a quiet park and took a detour.


    Then she just sat in her car, taking in the calmness around her.


    The calmness was alien to what was going on inside her.


    She had a feeling she couldn¡¯t put a name.


    She was not angry.


    She was not grieving.


    She was not even feeling the pain of tossing away the dreams of a decade with a single signature.


    She was just¡­ numb.


    The cascading emotions inside her seemed to be separate from her sense of feeling.


    She just wanted to be left alone by the whole world.


    As if to remind her just how impossible that was, her phone vibrated suddenly.


    She was jolted out of her no-thought state and looked at the caller ID.


    It was Toria.


    Reyona looked around like she just realised the reason she was seated in a park far away from her normal route.


    She was suddenly bone-deep tired, and picking up the call was thest thing she wanted to do.


    The call disconnected, and it started ringing almost immediately again.


    ¡°Toria,¡± Reyona whispered in a tone that seemed alien to her ears.


    She knew her sister wouldn¡¯t stop calling now.


    She knew something was wrong from what she saw yesterday, and now she would be more worried because Reyona was avoiding her calls.


    So, Reyona picked up the call.


    ¡°Rey, where are you?¡± Toria asked anxiously. ¡°You said you would be very busy, but you are not even in your office, and your assistant said you have not been around today. What is going on?¡±


    Reyona tried to inject a bit of life into her voice as she said, ¡°I am fine, Toria. I am just handling some businesses outside.¡±


    ¡°Outside, where? Why are you sounding like that, Rey?¡± Toria asked insistently.


    So much for the cheery tone.


    ¡°Nothing, I am just¡­¡± Reyona sighed as she saw no way around it.

 Wheels In Motion

    She would have to tell her sisterter anyway.


    Why not get it done and over with now?


    If it were hours ago, she would have thought of a cautious way to break the news or withhold it so as not to make her sister worry.


    At the moment, she hardly had the strength to breathe properly.


    Something seemed to be lodging itself in her throat.


    She just wanted to be left alone.


    So, she said, ¡°I was at awyer¡¯s firm. I am divorcing Thomas.¡±


    The silence that followed was palpable on the other end.


    It was the soft gasp and continuous breathing that indicated that Toria was still on the other end.


    Then, ¡°I never did like the idiot. His head is too big for his body.¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t hold back theughter that rumbled out of her chest.


    With it came what had been lodged in her throat.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Hot tears gushed out of her eyes as sheughed loudly and long in the serene silence of the exclusive park.


    ¡°I am sorry, Reyona.¡± Toria¡¯s empathetic voice stopped Reyona¡¯sughter but not the tears.


    The tears streamed down her face in silence as Toria continued, ¡°I know how much your home means to you, sis. I cannot begin to imagine your pain right now. Where are you, Rey? Please tell me where you are.¡±


    Toria.


    Reyona would never understand how her sister could read her so well, no matter the distance between them.


    ¡°I need some time to myself, Toria,¡± she said honestly.


    Toria sighed ¡°Okay, Rey. I don¡¯t like it, but okay. Please don¡¯t turn off your phone. I am staying with my friends. Just let me know where you will be, please. And when you are ready, please let me be there for you, sis. Even if all I have to do is castrate the bastard for you,¡±


    A watery smile teased Reyona¡¯s lips as she nodded as if Toria could see her. ¡°Thank you, sis. I will be in touch. I¡­ I am not going home tonight. And please don¡¯t go there too.¡±


    Toria sighed ¡°I suppose you know I will be tempted to go face-off with that stronzo. Okay then. Just so you know, you only have today to process this on your own. If you don¡¯t call me tomorrow morning, I will turn this city over to find you.¡±


    That teased more smile out of Reyona and she said simply, ¡°I know.¡±


    Toria sighed again ¡°I hate this. I want to be mature and back off but I hate this, just so you know.¡±


    ¡°I know¡±


    ¡°I love you, Rey.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Reyona said.


    The smile was still on her face after she disconnected the call.


    The tears had diminished too.


    Although she couldn¡¯t qualify herself with the word ¡°fine¡± at the moment, the call with her sister did something to her.


    It gave her something she had unconsciously needed at that time.


    A sense of belonging.


    Reyona wiped her face.


    The makeup over the bruise had been smudged, and she reached for the makeup case in her bag to reapply it.


    But then she stopped.


    Instead, she reached for a facial wipe and cleaned it all.


    She took out her phone and looked long and hard at herself.


    Her slightly puffy eyes, her bruised face, and her vacant eyes.


    She turned on the phone camera and took a couple of shots.


    ¡°You will never forget this. You will never make a mistake like this again.¡±


    She said it firmly to herself.


    Then she stepped out of the car.


    It would be a waste of nature toe to such a beautiful park as this without taking a walk, after all.


    Walking was not the only thing on Reyona¡¯s mind.


    She had other things in mind.


    She had never been one to sit around without taking action, after all.


    The wheels were already in motion.


    She had to be ready for the aftermath.


    She could see a bunch of people ying golf from afar, so she deliberately took the opposite direction.


    The lush vegetation and serene environment had such a calming effect on her.


    She bent down to unbuckle her shoes.


    She left them right there and sighed at the feeling of the soft, downy grass on her feet and ankles.


    There was a creek running through the park.


    Reyona followed the sound until she could see the clear, small body of water gently flowing in the path it created.


    ¡°Life goes on,¡± Reyona thought.


    She sat close to the edge of the creek, rolled up her pants legs, and then dipped her legs into the water.


    The first jolt of the cool water was magic for her feeling-devoid body.


    ¡°Life moves on. No matter what, the wheels keep moving,¡± she muttered to herself out loud.


    ¡°That is what you will do, Reyona,¡± she said in an affirmation.


    She had no idea how she was going to do that.


    She had no idea how she was going to be just Reyona again.


    She had no idea how she was going to live for herself.


    She had no idea how, but she was damn sure she would find out.


    ¡°I wish you were here right now, Grams,¡± she muttered sadly as she kept her gaze on the body of water flowing without concern.


    Then she pulled out her phone.


    The coolness from her feet travelled through every part of her body.


    She suddenly feels drowsy.


    The normal Reyona wouldn¡¯t have done what she did next.


    The rational Reyona would have weighed the pros and cons of such actions.


    But this carefree Reyona simplyy down on the grass with her cotton-white top.


    She pictured the soft, cool, earthy-smelling grass as if it were theps of Grams.


    Like she would do when she was upset back when she was small, Reyona curled up and let go of her worries.


    With her feet still in the creek and her nostrils breathing in the pungent smell of earth, she gently slipped into thend of oblivion.


    Her ns could wait.

 Not For Her

    A true definition of head on earth and feet in water.


    That was what the caption had said.


    As Maxwell drove in the direction of Sandston Park, he wondered what Reyona was doing.


    He wouldn¡¯t have pegged her as someone who would do something so¡­


    Well, he was still thinking of the right word for it.


    He had already asked his assistant to send him the ount name of the person who uploaded that video clip online.


    Distaste filled his mouth as he pondered the shameless acts of most people, all because they wanted followers and views.


    The bastard must havee across Reyona while she was asleep out there on the grass, and he took the video and uploaded it online for views.


    Ridiculous as her action might have been, the bastard who took advantage of it was going to me himself.


    Maxwell elerated the car and drove as fast as he could.


    Yes, she hated his gut, but he was not about to leave her out there to be prey for more people.


    His phone pinged with a message from his assistant.


    It had the details he wanted.


    Maxwell could do the job himself, but at the moment, he had a more urgent priority.


    So, he forwarded it to his tech man with specific information.


    The so-called influencer was going to rue the day he decided to forget his sense of right because of clout!


    ¡°Fucking Bastard!¡± Maxwell muttered as he took the detour that led to the park.


    In no time, he was parked, and he headed straight in the direction that the influencer had recorded in his video.


    Maxwell had a bad feeling when he couldn¡¯t see the car where it was supposed to be.


    Then the shoes were gone too.


    He broke into a half-run towards the creek.


    Apart from the gurgling water that went on with its business, there was no one in view.


    Maxwell could see the imprint of a body on the soft grass.


    ¡°That must have been where shey,¡± he thought to himself as he strained his eyes to see as far as he could down the creek path.


    His anxiety kicked up a notch as he looked around and wondered, Where on earth could she be?


    He had mistakenly seen one of the salesmen at his dealership watching the clip.


    Maxwell had caught the man off guard, and he would have dismissed the incident as he was there to see the manager.


    But then the man dropped his phone in shock as he saw Maxwell, and itnded right in front of Maxwell face-up.


    His gaze was immediately drawn to that glorious chestnut hair that covered part of her face.


    Maxwell had ordered the man to hand him the phone, and what he wasn¡¯t sure of was confirmed.


    Not only was it Reyona, but the uncovered part of her face sported a bruise as well.


    Maxwell had left immediately while telling his assistant to send him the details of the person who uploaded it immediately.


    He knew the park very well.


    He had been there with some of his business partners for golf and outdoor meetings.


    The park belonged to his club, too.


    So, it was not difficult at all for him to find it.


    The journey couldn¡¯t have been more than ten minutes, and the bastard posted the clip eight minutes before Maxwell saw it.


    ¡°Where on earth could she have gone that fast?¡± Maxwell muttered to himself.


    He was tempted to go ask some of the parkgoers he could see a few distances away.


    For the first time in a long time, Maxwell felt pure frustration.


    He needed to see her.


    He brought out his phone and dialled her number.


    Just as he expected, she didn¡¯t pick.


    ¡°Come on, Reyona. Just pick up the damn phone,¡± he muttered to himself as he dialled another number.


    In two minutes, he was disconnecting the call with mounting frustration.


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth is not in and will not be avable for any meetings today.¡±


    The pleasant voice of her secretary grated on Maxwell¡¯s nerves, and he wanted to reach out over the phone and shake the loyal girl so she could tell him all she knew.


    Why on earth did she have a bruise?Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just to be sure he was not mistaken, Maxwell searched for the ount of the uploader on the inte, but it came up nk.


    He swore to himself as he remembered the instructions he had given.


    ¡°Damn you, Shawn,¡± he muttered.


    That was fast.


    Of course, he had not expected anything else.


    There would be no trace of that file anywhere again.


    Even if the file had been downloaded before Shawn got to it, the downloaded files would end up showing as corrupted to whoever had them.


    As Maxwell entered his car, he wished the image could be easily deleted from his memory.


    He thought of his actions in the past few minutes, and he couldn¡¯t believe he had totally lost control because of a woman.


    She is a married woman, for fuck¡¯s sake.


    She would surely be stupid to still remain married to Lanoth after everything, but then she was still not his concern.


    He only needed her for one thing.


    To give the go-ahead for Susan to be exonerated.


    That thought made him think of Lanoth.


    Could that asshole have anything to do with what happened to her face?


    He was already picking up his phone to call Thomas when he stopped.


    ¡°This is insane¡± he muttered


    Since when has he cared so much about what other people do with their lives?


    Especially people who wanted nothing to do with him?


    Maxwell convinced himself that her choice of rxation didn¡¯t concern him.


    She could choose to have a lounge on a tree for all he cared.


    She was not his business.


    She just made it clear by not picking his number, didn¡¯t she?


    Why the hell should he then be bothered?


    Yes, he was not bothered.


    He did not care.


    He only needed one thing from her-nothing else.


    Still, he picked up his phone and called the manager of the dealership.


    ¡°Hello, sir,¡± thetter said respectfully immediately he picked up.


    ¡°Fire that idiot!¡± Maxwell said simply and disconnected the call.


    As he peeled out of the park like the hounds of hell were on his heels, he reminded himself that he was not doing anything because of her.


    He just disliked employees who did not take their work seriously.


    That was it.


    Nothing else.

 Kids In Crossfire

    The process was faster than Reyona had thought it would be.


    As she drove up the cobblestone driveway that led to the cottage-style house, she already loved what she saw.


    Reyona had no intention of going home that day, and she had never been a fan of hotels.


    She almost called Charlotte to arrange a ce for her, but then she changed her mind and checked online for a ce she could rent for a month.


    She supposed the whole mess shouldn¡¯t take more than that to be cleared up.


    She still didn¡¯t trust herself not to do something she would regretter if she had to keep seeing her soon-to-be ex-husband¡¯s deceit-filled face.


    Ex-husband!


    That word snagged on her mind, and the unexinable peace she had felt when she woke with a jolt at the park was reduced.


    Reyona did not know what woke her up, but she knew she was feeling better.


    She had also been chilled to the bone.


    So she quickly put the n she had in mind into motion.


    She checked online for ces to rent for a short time.


    She picked the number close to the beautiful, cream-coloured, cottage-style house that caught her eye and dialled it.


    Within thirty minutes, all arrangements had been made.


    The agent was surprised that Reyona didn¡¯t want to check out the house first before paying.


    Reyona was just d she had that part done and over with.


    After she had made her transfer of the rent and caution fee, the man exined everything she could use in the house to her, excluding the personal belongings of the owners who were out of town.


    He offered to meet up with her at the house so they could check it out together and she could tell him her concern.


    Reyona didn¡¯t want to deal with that, though. So, she asked him to just put the key in a ce where she could easily get it.


    ¡°It will be under the doormat,¡± he informed her.


    Reyona understood the man¡¯s reluctance when he realised that she did not want a physical meeting.


    So, she was relieved that he still rented the house to her after all.


    She knew going straight to the ce to crash for the night would only lead to doing what she had promised herself earlier that she wouldn¡¯t do.


    She wouldn¡¯t mope over her failed marriage or think of what she could have done better.


    She would not think of her wasted years or her gullibility.


    She would not think of the betrayal of her love and time.


    She would not think of three kids caught in the crossfire of their parents¡¯ doings.


    When her mind wanted to dance towards that part, she firmly wrenched it back and faced the next thing she had in mind.


    Shopping.


    She went food shopping.


    She got enough cleaning supplies that she could clean the whole of Buckingham Pce and remain.


    Then she turned to food.


    She bought seasoning for different varieties of meat.


    Lingering on each of the fresh produce and selecting only the best.


    Every single thing that caught her fancy and she felt she might need in the next month, she bought.


    Then, as an afterthought, she got some clothes as well.


    The supermarket she went to was an all-in-one type, and she was even able to get her favourite toast machine.


    By the time she was done, about three of the supermarket staff had to help her with her purchase.


    Eventually, her car boot and back seat couldn¡¯t contain the purchase. So, she had to give them her new address so they could send the remaining goods after she had selected the ones she needed that night.


    By the time Reyona was driving towards the house, she was a bit tired, but it was a good kind of tired.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She mentally congratted herself. She had not thought of anything or anyone in the past four hours.


    It had just been about her and the challenging meal she was going to get right this time.


    She would be making beef Wellington.


    Then she would round it up with a good side of Macarons.


    Reyona beamed at the house as she stepped out of her car.


    Upon her approach, the porch light came on automatically.


    Reyona¡¯s smile increased ¡°Well, ain¡¯t you convenient?¡± she said out loud.


    She did not have to care about beingbelled a mad woman by whoever saw her speaking to a light.


    Though there were houses around, they were farther apart from each other.


    So far, Reyona has not seen anyone.


    For all she cared, she was alone.


    And that in itself is bliss!


    She lifted her head and breathed in the fresh, earthy scenting from the pine trees that lined the driveway.


    It smelled delicious.


    Most importantly, it smelled free of a certain someone she would rather not be reminded of.


    She did a quick twirl and looked over her shoulder just to be sure that she had not been seen.


    She knew she must be ridiculous if anyone saw her at that moment.


    A young girl doing a spin down the driveway will be considered cute.


    She doubted the same could be said for a thirty-year-old woman who had her life crumbling around her ears.


    Her momentary cheer evaporated, and she strode purposefully towards the ck scraper mat on the doorstep.


    She bent down to lift the mat.


    And she almost toppled over when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    Reyona tamped the automatic yelp of shock that wanted to escape her mouth.


    She looked at the person behind her through her set-apart legs, and she could pick out swollen feet tucked into an open-toed sandal.


    Her eyes travelled upward to the Mickey Mouse¡¯s pyjamas she had on.


    Something that would have been well at home on a kid, but the person behind her was no kid at all.


    She was a full-grown woman.


    Reyona shook herself out of her reverie and stopped looking at the woman upside down, as she had been.


    She stood straight and turned around.


    It was a woman, alright.


    A woman was currently ring at Reyona in suspicion.


    A heavily pregnant woman.


    Before Reyona could say anything, the woman looked from her to her car.


    The back seat was filled with purchases from the boutique, and that did not escape the woman¡¯s scrutinizing gaze.


    She looked back at Reyona. ¡°You are not Sylby¡¯s sister. Who the hell are you?!¡±

 Respectable Burglar

    ¡°You should have seen her face, Drew. It was priceless!¡±


    Celia Jordan, the wife of Andrew Jordan, said with glee as she waddled slightly before dropping heavily into the wicker chair that her husband held for her.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew shook his head in exasperation as he quickly set a footstool before her and slowly helped her rest her leg on it.


    Celia rolled her eyes above his head and grinned at the man who was staring at the two of them with a smile.


    ¡°See what I have to deal with, Maxie. He worries too much,¡± Celia said.


    Then she sighed dramatically as she rested her back against the chair, piled with soft cushions. ¡°Poor me. I can¡¯t even have any excitement anymore.¡±


    She looked down at her huge belly and said, ¡°Hey you, do fast ande out before your father coddles me to death.¡±


    ¡°Celia,¡± Andrew called softly as he bent down before her.


    The retro billionaire, whose personal life is still a mystery to the media and who is hardcore in the business world, is a softie when ites to the love of his life and their unborn child.


    ¡°Yes, darling,¡± Celia answered with a mischievous grin.


    Before he spoke, she raised her hand and said, ¡°Let me remind you that if I had not taken that walk, I would have probably started doing cartwheels on the tables or started pulling my hair out.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°And start eating my hair.¡±


    ¡°Ce¡­¡±


    ¡°Or I could have started screaming. Can you picture me screaming while this one here is weighing on my dder?¡± she asked sweetly while blinking her eyes innocently.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t hold hisughter in again at that point.


    Hisughter only increased when Andrew looked back at him with a re.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill Maxie. I needed the walk and yes, I will call it what it is¡­I sneaked out while you were busy with him. I know. I know. I shouldn¡¯t have taken such a long walk alone. But if I told you, you would have insisted oning with me! Or at least you would have made me call one of those poor dears who probably just wanted to rest after a long day and not have to babysit a pregnant woman.¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t win her in an argument anyway, Andrew simply lifted her from the chair and took her to the wraparound couch close by.


    ¡°See what I am saying, Maxie? He wouldn¡¯t even let me walk,¡± Celiained in such a mournful voice that one would really think she was suffering.


    ¡°Just shut up,¡± Andrew said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Celia responded as she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him noisily on the lips.


    As if handling an egg, Andrew ced his wife gently on the couch, then he raised her feet onto hisp.


    Then he started massaging her swollen feet.


    Celia let out a soft moan that had Maxwell clearing his throat.


    He shook his head and proceeded to drink the scotch he had refilled for Andrew before his wife came in.


    Andrew was hardly at the office these days as Celia¡¯s delivery date approached.


    They had been postponing the important meeting they were to have because Maxwell had been busy with business and the situation he couldn¡¯t get himself away from.


    So, Andrew had suggested they just have the meeting at his ce that day.


    Maxwell got therete, which was unusual for him, but then he found himself zoning out, thinking about a particr someone.


    Celia had excused them because she realised that they had something important to discuss.


    They were still analysing the decision about the right candidate for the bid when she came in, calling out to her husband right from the door.


    ¡°Andrew! Can you imagine it? I use a perfectly respectable woman of being a burr! Well, I didn¡¯t really say it that way, but then I implied it.¡±


    The voice reached them where they were on the patio, and Andrew quickly hurried off in the direction of her voice.


    Maxwell shook his head and wondered if he would ever be enamoured with a woman the way his friend was.


    Since he was going to get himself a refill anyway, he got another for Andrew.


    He was certain he would need it after his wife regaled him with hertest news.


    As it was, he could see that Andrew had something more important on his mind than a drink, so he simply sipped the fine scotch himself and went to sit opposite them.


    He knew the meeting might not proceed that night anyway.


    Once Andrew got worried about his wife, everything else took a backseat.


    ¡°So, who was this lucky woman who got used by you?¡±


    Celia stopped her moan long enough to squeal, ¡°Lucky?! You are a scoundrel, Maxie. You should have seen me. I was awful to her.¡±


    Maxwell looked at her with a mock, shocked expression. ¡°You? Awful. That is hard to believe.¡±


    Celiaughed, then she leaned her head back on the headrest as she continued, ¡°I asked her what the hell she was doing at Sylby¡¯s house when my friend was not at home. She was bent over at that time.¡±


    The memory made herugh again.


    ¡°There she was, bending over at a perfectly fine angle, and I startled her. Poordy. She stared at me through the opening between her legs for a moment before she stood up to face me. It wasn¡¯t funny at the moment, but now that I think of it,¡± sheughed again as she lifted one of her legs off her husband.


    ¡°She was bent like this,¡± she said as she made a move to get up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even dare,¡± Andrew said as he took the leg she dropped and ced it firmly on hisp.


    Celia made a face at him as she muttered, ¡°Spoilsport.¡±


    Maxwell hid his smile with his drink.


    He supposed it was a good thing that Andrew stopped her.


    He knew Celia wouldn¡¯t mind doing a demonstration of what happened.


    Which would have either been hrious or downright dangerous, as she might have toppled over while trying to bend as the woman was.


    Maxwell had to disguise hisugh with a cough because his imagination was just too priceless.

 Sound Of Joy

    ¡°I see that you are having a good time, Rohan,¡± Andrew glowered at him.


    ¡°Just listening to your wife¡¯s adventures, Jordan,¡± Maxwell answered mildly.


    Celia grinned and continued, ¡°We sorted it all out, though. I insisted on calling Sylby, of course. How distrustful of me!¡±


    ¡°You were just being cautious,¡± Andrew said in her defence.


    She beamed at him and patted his hand absentmindedly as she continued, ¡°It turned out that Sylby would be gone for longer than she intended, so she chose to rent the ce out to whoever might need it. She didn¡¯t want her paintings to feel lonely.¡±


    Andrew snorted, ¡°Sounds like cock-and¡­¡±


    ¡°Her choice, babe,¡± Celia said, and Andrew shrugged.


    ¡°She is very polite, though. She must have been itching to tell me to mind my effing business, but she was polite to me. Her name is Beatrice. She would only be here for a month. I like her. We are going to be friends,¡± she decided on the spot.


    ¡°I thought Sylby was your friend? Why do you need another?¡± Jordan asked.


    Celia rolled her eyes and asked Maxwell. ¡°How do you put up with him?¡±


    Before he could answer, she turned back to Andrew and said, ¡°I can have more than one friend, babe. We can¡¯t all be like you, you know.¡±


    She said it with a poke of her tongue at him.


    ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡±


    As the two of them exchanged banter, Maxwell smiled and enjoyed his drink.


    With her pixie face and small build, Celia had his friend wrapped around her little finger.


    She was the perfect match for his once-cynical friend.


    Even he could see the influence she had on him.


    Once again, Maxwell wondered if he would ever melt at the sight of a woman, just like Andrew did now.


    Maybe once upon a time, he might have believed he might, but not anymore.


    Andrew and Celia are two of the rarest people in the world.


    Their type of fortune wasn¡¯t meant for everyone.


    As Andrew grabbed Celia and thetter squealed while begging for mercy, Maxwell knew it was time for him to take his leave.


    ¡°I guess we will continue this tomorrow?¡± he said as he set his ss down on the table.


    ¡°Oh, did I interrupt your meeting? Oh, silly me. I have forgotten all about that,¡± Celia eximed.


    ¡°What? No, you didn¡¯t interrupt anything,¡± Andrew said as he drew her closer to himself.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Maxwell confirmed when she looked up at him.


    ¡°Celia insists we don¡¯t keep the staff up at night. See yourself out, Rohan,¡± Andrew said with a smile as he made no move to stand up from his wife¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Good night, Celia,¡± Maxwell said as he leaned towards her so she could kiss his cheek.


    ¡°Goodnight, Maxie. Sorry about my husband¡¯s poor hosting skills.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Andrew said in protest.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell smiled and saw himself out as the couple became engrossed in each other again.


    As he walked towards his car, he heard Celia¡¯sughter ring out in the clear night.


    It was a sound that warmed Maxwell¡¯s heart.


    A sound of joy.


    He wondered if he was capable of making a woman that happy.


    He shook off the disturbing thought as he entered his car and drove down the artful driveway that led to the self-operating gate that was set far from Rohan¡¯s mansion.


    The six-acre property rivalled his own home, but then he realised that his home was missing one vital ingredient: warmth.


    Maxwell scoffed at himself as the gate mechanism let him through.


    He wondered what was wrong with him today.


    The fact that his mind wanted to go to a particr clip only angered him more.


    He was not a man to sit around and think of silly matters.


    Yet here he was wondering about what-ifs.


    He firmly shut his mind against all forms of silly thoughts.


    As he got to the main avenue, where other houses were, he could see the lights on in Sylby¡¯s home.


    Just as his car approached the house, the front door opened.


    **********


    Reyona woke up to an incessant ringing tone.


    She looked around blearily, and it took her a moment to realise that her phone was not beside her on the king-size bed.


    She groaned out loud as she raised herself up, but her head protested.


    ¡°Uggh,¡± she groaned as she saw the wine bottle and half-finished ss of wine on the bedside.


    The phone rang again, and she was tempted to just smother herself with the colourful pillows strewn all around her, and get it done and over with.


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± she muttered with a groan.


    Then she realised that the sound was not entirelying from the phone that was on the pink rattan ent chair on the other side of the room.


    Some of the ruckus wasing from the TV she had on.


    She looked at the box of candied nuts beside the bed and shook her head.


    An action she regretted immediately as she grabbed her head


    ¡°So much for cooking up a storm,¡± she thought to herself.


    She groped around until her hand was touching the remote, and she switched off the TV.


    The blissful silence that followed was like water to her patched throat.


    Then the phone started ringing again.


    ¡°Oh, I am going to kill that person,¡± she vowed to herself as she painstakingly stood from the bed and shuffled towards the phone as fast as her aching head would allow.


    She snatched up the phone just as the call disconnected again.


    The fact that it was already past 10 a. m. was the least of her surprises.


    She couldn¡¯t believe she slept through twelve missed calls!


    She smiled and winced when she saw who the caller was.


    The phone started ringing again before she could call back.


    She dropped heavily into the rattan chair as she picked.


    ¡°Rey?¡±


    ¡°Go away, Toria,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Reyona? What is going on? Why are you sounding like¡­ Did that bastard find you? Did he do anything to you?!¡±


    Reyona had to pull the phone away from her ear for a moment before her head would explode.


    Then she put the phone on speaker as she said, ¡°Toria? Toria, I am fine. Perfectly fine. This is self-inflicted. I think I got drunkst night.¡±


    That shocked Toria more than anything else.


    ¡°What? Who are you? What did you do with my sister?¡±

 Right Now?

    Reyona smiled as she leaned her head against the headrest.


    Her head seemed to have decided to stay screwed on after all.


    Toria¡¯s voice turned serious as she said, ¡°I am so sorry, Rey.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s brows scrunched up in confusion ¡°About what? You were not even here.¡±


    ¡°I meant about what happened. You are not the type to overindulge in anything. If you are drinking to the extent of getting drunk, then¡­


    ¡°Okay, mom. I am fine, okay? I just got a bit carried away, okay?¡±


    ¡°You? Carried away? Tell me where you are, Rey. I aming over.¡±


    Reyona really wanted her toe.


    She wanted to be taken care of for once.


    She just wanted to curl back into bed and be pampered for the rest of the day, but then she could still see the bruise on her face ring back at her.


    If Toria shoulde over, then she would see it.


    If she saw it, Reyona knew just how headstrong her sister could be.


    She could do something rash.


    Since she didn¡¯t want to give Thomas any ammunition he might want to use against her, she couldn¡¯t allow her sister to see her yet.


    At least, not the way she was.


    At the moment, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to start applying makeup to cover up the bruises.


    So she said, ¡°How about I call youter, Toria? I just want to go to sleep right now. I think my head is about to explode.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Toria answered.


    Reyona was surprised by how easily her sister had epted that.


    She would have expected Toria to put up a resistance and insisted oning over.


    ¡°Just okay? Wow, that is highly considerate of you, Toria,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Since that means you think I am inconsiderate, I will let that slide,¡± Toria answered with an evident smile in her voice. ¡°Take some lemon water and toast. It has saved me many times.¡±


    ¡°And I was beginning to think you were a changed person,¡± Reyona teased.


    Toriaughed, ¡°Why would I? Change is boring. Now get off my case and go rest. I will call you again if you don¡¯t call me back by noon. That is a promise.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a threat,¡± Reyona said in a bemoaning tone.


    ¡°You better believe it,¡± Toria said with augh before she disconnected the call.


    Reyona let her hand flop back to herps.


    Then her eyes caught the call list again.


    The twelve missed calls were not all Toria¡¯s.


    Thomas had called her once.


    Then he sent two messages.


    Though she was tempted to delete it without checking, she opened it.


    ¡°You left home? What kind of responsible wife would leave her home without telling her husband beforehand? I am highly disappointed in you, Reyona!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, minutester, he sent another.


    ¡°Babe, is this about what happened yesterday? Are you doing this because of that? You know that was a mistake. Juste home and let¡¯s talk about this.¡±


    Reyona deliberately stemmed any thoughts and feelings that wanted to seep through.


    She ced the phone in her pocket and went to the kitchen.


    The bohemian-style home was surprisingly soothing.


    Reyona would never design her space with so many frills and artistic clusters, but at the moment, it suited her just fine.


    She looked at the array of purchases she had made the day before.


    She was just going out to get thest bags from the car the night before when she changed her mind and decided not to cook anymore.


    She had been cooking for almost eight years, and what did it get her?


    Impulsively, she pulled out the bags of confectionery she got instead and the bottle of wine.


    With the two, she celebrated her first night of caring about herself alone.


    She had seen the note that the agent left for her, listing out all the things she could use.


    The TV set in the bedroom was one of them.


    So, she simply took the drink and goodies with her to the bedroom.


    After sloppily making the bed with the new bed sheets she got, she simply tucked in and put on a show while reaching for the wine with one hand and the nuts with the other.


    She mindlessly watched the show and plied herself with the drink and sugar until sleep caught up with her.


    As Reyona stared at the ingredients, she agreed that it was a night well spent after all.


    If nothing, she had aplished what she had in mind-not thinking about anything or anyone.


    Just as she was contemting whether to make the toast or not, her phone rang again.


    Reyona considered tossing the annoying phone as she pulled it out.


    The call was from Charlotte.


    She picked up the call and said tersely, ¡°This had better be important.¡±


    ¡°¡±It surely is, ma. Good morning,¡± Charlotte said excitedly.


    Being chirpy this early should be a crime. Reyona thought.


    ¡°Why are you calling, Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°We got a call from Multilinks, ma.¡±


    The drowsiness in Reyona¡¯s body immediately took a backseat.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I just got off the phone with Mr. Jordan¡¯s assistant, ma. They want you toe over, ma.¡±


    Right now?!


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


    Michelle, Jordan¡¯s assistant, weed Reyona with a smile.


    Then, she gestured towards CEO Jordan¡¯s office with a pleasant ¡°He is waiting for you.¡±


    Reyona nodded and followed her.


    No one seeing her would believe she was having a thrumming headache that had refused to back down despite the aspirin she took before leaving.


    She had been unable to make the toast, and she wished desperately that the queasiness she was feeling wouldn¡¯t show.


    Outwardly, Reyona was the epitome of confidence and professionalism.


    She had on a power suit of a dark orange fitted zer and contrast high-waist pants.


    Her clothing wasplimented by nude, pointy-toe heels and her Chanel bag of the same colour.


    Michelle knocked and stepped aside as she gestured for Reyona to go in.


    Reyona thanked her with a smile and entered the office with her professional smile at the ready.


    The smile froze on her hurting face as she saw who was waiting for her in the office.


    Now what?

 Staredown Competition

    Reyona instantly regretted her decision not to call Phil or Samantha to join her.


    She would have had at least one of theme with her to a meeting like this, but she didn¡¯t want them looking too closely or discovering her messed-up state.


    She was also not in much of a celebratory mood, even though she had an inkling of what the meeting would mostly be about.


    She had intended to share the news with her employees after leaving.


    Give them the leave to celebrate as they deem fit within moderation.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Then she would have simply gone back to the rental house and seen to the meal she intended to make.


    Or even sleep some more.


    And now this?


    ¡°You? Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°I assume you were expecting someone else, Mrs. Lanoth. Well, if you have done your research well, you will know that we are partners, which means I can handle just what Jordan can handle. Now, unless you would rather have this meeting while standing there, I will suggest you sit.¡±


    The monotonous tone with which he said that, as if it were something he had rehearsed, instantly pissed Reyona off.


    The fact that her simmering headache red in his presence made her want to punch the expressionless face in front of her.


    Of course, she knew they were partners.


    She did not need him to make her feel like she had not done her due diligence about this job.


    It was enough that she had to see his face today of all days.


    Seeing him reminded her of¡­


    Reyona rearranged her professional smile back on, a little bit frostier this time, but she was not really looking to impress him.


    ¡°I am sorry if I acted unprofessional, Mr. Lanoth. You are right. I was expecting Mr. Jordan,¡± she said in a cool tone as she took her seat and gave him a passive look with her sacharine smile still firmly in ce.


    ¡°I assume you must know the reason why you are called.¡±


    ¡°I assume you are about to tell me,¡± Reyona said crisply.


    Then she berated herself for letting him get to her.


    She rephrased her words ¡°I simply came over with the intention that I would find out why I was summoned,¡± she said.


    ¡°This is one of the reasons why I leave the handling of such things to Andrew. You obviously knew we called you here to announce that you won the bid. So, why not let us just cut the bullshit?¡± He asked a bit heatedly.


    Reyona simply gave him a steady look. She could almost swear she had heard a bit of something in his tone, but his face was still as passive as possible.


    So, she simply asked, ¡°Is this an official announcement, Mr. Rohan? Will ReyDexter be handling Multilinks ounts from now on?¡±


    He leaned back in the chair and gave her a thorough look.


    Reyona sat still andposed, but she was inwardly seething.


    He wouldn¡¯t see her sweat.


    If his intention was to use a staredownpetition to make her crumble or grovel, then he would be waiting for a long time.


    Men like him are not meant to be having any official meetings with anyone, much less with her.


    A sensible businessman like Jordan would have simply cut to the chase, and by now she would probably be signing the contracts or walking out of the office without the bid.


    Not sit here and endure an idiot who thinks all it took to be a businessman was having some money and putting on a suit.


    Well, he didn¡¯t even bother to pretend by putting on a suit.


    He had on a t-shirt for God¡¯s sake!


    ********


    A T-shirt and a short!


    The fact that they fit him so well, like a second skin, didn¡¯t matter.


    It also didn¡¯t matter that Jordan had dressed just as casually.


    Jordan knew what he was doing; this one here obviously didn¡¯t.


    Reyona was almost tempted to stand up and leave.


    She really wanted to.


    But then she could picture the horrified looks on her employees¡¯ faces if she told them they lost the bid because she couldn¡¯t stand thepany¡¯s partner.


    Plus, she really wanted to work with Multilinks.


    Their crappy taste in partners apart, the ount would do herpany¡¯s portfolio a lot of good.


    She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to tamper with that.


    So she sat.


    And contemted reaching out to knock him over with the gori paperweight on the table.


    ¡°You won the bid,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Oh, thank you very much,¡± Reyona said with genuine excitement. ¡°You can be sure that we¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it for Jordan. I am not interested,¡± he interrupted her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said with a tight smile. ¡°Does that mean I can leave now? Or is there an arrangement for the contract signing already?¡±


    ¡°There is¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can¡­¡±


    ¡°But I have a condition of my own.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± Reyona said before she could stop herself.


    For the first time since she entered the office, he smiled. ¡°I was wondering how long before the fang shows.¡±


    He was baiting her. Bastard.


    Still, Reyona said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you meant.¡±


    ¡°You and I have unfinished business, don¡¯t we, Mrs. Lanoth?¡±


    ¡°You want to bring that into the discussion of a bid?¡± Reyona asked with unhidden disgust at hisck of scruples.


    He merely shrugged.


    ¡°Why do you think I asked you to handle this? You have what I want, Mrs. Lanoth. And you have refused to be reasonable. I have what you want, too. What do you say we trade? No harm is done.¡±


    Reyona sat stiffly as she inhaled as calmly as she could.


    She had worked on her image andposure for far too long to allow the likes of him to rattle her.


    ¡°We have nothing else to discuss,¡± she said calmly.


    When he merely raised his brows, she added, ¡°I think I will juste back when Mr. Jordan is avable.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that this little win of yours ends the moment you step out of that door without finalising this,¡± he said leisurely.


    Reyona smiled sweetly at that and stood up.


    ¡°Then I guess we truly have nothing else to discuss then, do we? Have a great day, Mr. Rohan.¡±

 Forbidden Sanctuary

    Nobody threatens her!


    He thinks he would be doing her a favour by giving her the job.


    No, bastard, it will be me doing you a favour by giving you the best you can ever get!


    Even she admired her restraint as she walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said suddenly, and she stopped.


    Praying for the strength to hold on to her boiling anger, she turned to face him.


    She didn¡¯t even bother with the smiles anymore.


    Screw him.


    ¡°Why did you not pick up your call when I called you yesterday?¡±


    He stopped her for that?


    The idiot just denied her what she rightfully deserved, and he called her back to ask about a phone call?


    Reyona couldn¡¯t remember whenst she had been as angry as she was at that moment as she stared at his smug face.


    The re she sent him could have yed off the bark of a tree.


    As desperately as she wanted to stick out her middle finger at him, she merely turned around and left.


    Michelle was not in her seat as she passed her office.


    Which she supposed was a good thing.


    She didn¡¯t trust herself not tosh out at anyone in her path at that moment.


    She was going to put this to Jordanter, so it would be better if she did not alienate his assistant before she had the chance to plead her case with the right man.


    That bastard would know not to threaten her with anything.


    Just as she came out of thepany and headed towards her car, her phone rang.


    Expecting that it was Toria who had promised to call her, Reyona looked at the screen of her phone.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    It was Thomas.


    Her already crappy mood nosedived.


    Reyona didn¡¯t pick up the call.


    The call disconnected, and it started ringing almost immediately.


    ¡°What does this bastard want now?¡± she wondered.


    When the phone started ringing again just as she was starting the car, she decided to pick it up.


    She wouldn¡¯t switch off her phone because of him.


    She would have to have a conversation with him anyway.


    So, she decided to get it done and over with.


    She picked up the call on the fourth ring.


    ¡°Hello, Reyona. How dare you do this to me? You were really serious about the divorce? You want to divorce me?¡±


    That was fast. Reyona thought with satisfaction.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just have some bastard serve me some paper while you hide out, you coward! Tell me where you are. I aming there. You need to tell me why you think the right thing for you to do is to divorce me!¡±


    Coward?


    The bastard dared to call her a coward.


    After everything he did, he had the guts to talk to her about doing the right thing.


    How rich!


    An idiot just threatened her with what should have been her due, and her cheating husband dared to call her names now?


    After the bastard dared to raise his hands against her,?


    Oh, she was going to show him what a coward can do!


    ¡°Where are you, Reyona? Tell me where you are, and¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you tell me where you are, you piece of sh*t!¡± she snapped at him.


    She could feel his shock from the other end.


    She had never spoken to him like that before.


    She had never even raised her voice at him in anger.


    She always made sure she calmed down before addressing whatever issue they had.


    Toria has always said she would never understand how Reyona could be so calm when dealing with things.


    After all, the two of them hade from two hotheaded people who matched themselves in fervor, and Toria was the very picture of that hotheadedness.


    Reyon had learned calmness, and she had learned it well.


    Even when everything in her rebelled against coolheadedness in certain situations, Reyona stuck to it.


    It was how she had built herpany.


    And her marriage.


    Or at least she thought she had a marriage to build before the bubble burst.


    If the shameless bastard thought he had the right to use her after all he did, then he had another thinging.


    ¡°What? I¡­I am at home.¡± Thomas said itmely.


    ¡°Good, I aming!¡± she said and disconnected the call.


    He was waiting for her on the porch when she got home.


    Seeing his deceptive face stirred something in her, but she stamped it out by dredging up every single thing that the bastard had done to her and their marriage.


    He came to meet her as she wasing out of the car.


    ¡°Reyona, why would you¡­


    ¡°Unless you don¡¯t mind causing a scene out here, I will suggest youe inside,¡± she said as she stepped around him and went straight through the opened door.


    The homey, weing space that had been her sanctuary for years now felt forbidden.


    It felt unclean to her in a way as she entered it and dropped her bag on the couch.


    At that moment, she realised she wanted him gone.


    She wanted him out of her life.


    Out of her space.


    She wanted him to be as far away from her as possible.


    She wanted to never have to see him again.


    She wanted every trace of him in her life to be gone.


    Maybe then she would fully engage in her new role of living for herself.


    ¡°Why would you have me served with a divorce letter, Reyona?¡± Thomas asked with a forlorn voice as he entered and closed the door.


    ¡°Because it is what you deserve,¡± Reyona answered dispassionately.


    ¡°What do you mean, I¡­¡± Is this because of the mistake I made?¡± he asked in a heated voice.


    ¡°Which of them?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°Them? Ain¡¯t you doing this because I hit you?¡± he asked innocently.


    ¡°If that makes you feel better, then yes. I am divorcing you because you dared to raise your hand against me. Happy now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You can¡¯t just divorce me because of¡­¡±

 Stick In The Mud

    ¡°Stay away from me,¡± Reyona said simply as he made a move to hold her.


    He stopped in his tracks and looked at her in surprise. ¡°What has gotten into you, babe? I thought you were just joking when you mentioned this at first, but you actually had them give me a fucking paper! Why would you do that? I am sorry, okay? I am so sorry for hitting you. I was just so messed up at the time. I am sorry, Reyona. Please let me make it up to you.¡±


    That had Reyonaughing.


    ¡°What is funny?¡± he asked with a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°You. That is what is funny,¡± Reyona answered as herughter stopped just as abruptly as it started.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯ve lived a lie for so long that even you believe it now. Either that or you still think I am stupid. I actually came here intending to ask you questions and get a bit of closure, but you know what? Nothing you say will make any difference. A piece of garbage will always be one. I am tired of your lies. I am tired of your deception, and I sure as hell am tired of seeing your stupid face. I will suggest you sign the paper and simply get yourself out of my life. Because if you fight me on this, I will fight back. And I can assure you that you will leave the battle bloody and drained.¡±


    She made a move to leave, but he blocked her path.


    ¡°Reyona, wait!¡±


    ¡°Wait for what? For more of your lies? No, buddy. You had a lot of time toe clean to me, but you were never going to. Right now? I am not interested in whatever you have to say. Sign the papers and get the hell out of my house, or I will drag you through the court and back. You and I know you will never win against me.¡±


    With that, she brushed him aside and left the house.


    It was not enough.


    Of course, it was not enough to relieve her pent-up anger, but it was something.


    As Reyona drove off to thepany to use her pent-up adrenaline on something productive, she believed her warnings should be enough to make Thomas know that she was not joking.


    She expected him to tuck his tails in between his legs and run as far away as possible from him.


    She expected to be rid of him soon.


    As sad as it was, it was liberating too.


    She could almost believe that there woulde a day when she could look back on this day and not feel this much pain.


    Little did she know!


    **********


    Dread dawned on Thomas as he watched Reyona leave.


    What the hell was that about? He wondered.


    That stick in the mud had never dared to speak to him like that before.


    She had always been respectful to him and drearily proper.


    It was one other reason why she was such a contrast to Susan.


    Susan was the spicy, sassy, all-fun love of his life, while Reyona was just Reyona.


    She was their goldmine.


    The cool and collected CEO with the right words and actions.


    The woman who just spoke with him a few minutes ago was someone else entirely.


    Well, it had been his wife, alright.


    But it was as if she had been possessed by someone else.


    Before his anger rose at that, the thought that brought dread into him rose again.


    Did she know?


    Did she find out everything?


    She must have gone to check on him at the center and gym, only to find out that it had been sold.


    But how is that possible?


    Whoever bought the businesses had not even made any attempt to do anything with them yet.


    Thomas had not been able to get in touch with the person.


    Even the contact details through which he connected with Lance had been deactivated.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was almost as if the buyer was a ghost!


    How could Reyona have discovered anything about that?


    He wouldn¡¯t deny that she had more means than he did.


    In fact, he would have asked for her help to seek out the man if not for the fact that it would implicate him.


    Had she found out anyway?


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Thomas yelled as he hit his fist against the wall.


    The pain and bruise did nothing to stop his raging thoughts as he went back inside.


    He went straight to pour himself a stiff drink.


    If she had found that out, did that mean she had found out everything else too?


    Abut the children?


    About Susan?


    About the money he just withdrew?


    The money that he had ended up spending the bulk of it on the kid¡¯s hospital treatment!


    That still smarted.


    Though she was back at home right now and feeling well, he couldn¡¯t help but resent her untimely sickness, which sucked away most of the money that could still have been enough for their tickets once Susan was released.


    At this rate, he doubted that the release was going to happen anytime soon.


    Susan had been found guilty of using different types of d***s, mostly white candy.


    Agent Tyler had told him that she was liable to face a jail term.


    Even if she were pardoned on the condition that she would go to rehab, the case of d**g traffi**ing was still there.


    Something that goddamn Rohan and hiswyer had not been able to do anything about despite all his strutting.


    ¡°Now is not a good time for the bitch to spring this on me!¡± he blurted out as he smashed the ss in his hand against the floor.


    ¡°You want to get rid of me that easily? You will have to think again, fucking bitch!¡±


    He decided to calm down first and confirm something before he could conclude.


    He picked up his phone and called the ount manager of their joint ount.


    As he listened to the man¡¯s response, his hand was clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened and popped.


    He tossed the phone against the couch and walked towards their sports equipment closet.


    He picked up his baseball bat and came back to the living room, like someone in a trance.


    ¡°You fucking bitch!¡± That statement ended with a mighty swing of the bat against the dented TV.


    The spray of ss didn¡¯t stop him, as he bashed the TV over and over again while repeating.


    ¡°You will not fucking leave me!¡±


    ¡°You have no right to leave me!¡±


    ¡°I am the one who decides when this ends!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t fucking leave me!¡±


    After the TV had died a painful death and its carcassy in a shower of ss, mangled circuit boards, and stic, his eyes caught on Reyona¡¯s lifesize portrait.


    ¡°You think you are all that, huh? You inconsiderate bitch!¡±


    With that, like a crazed man, he smashed every bit of the beautifully crafted portrait, then he moved on to every other one that had only Reyona in it, leaving their wedding portrait intact.


    By the time he dropped heavily on the floor, breathing like a freight train, he was sweating like someone who had been on an all-day run.


    ¡°What the fuck am I going to do now?¡± he wondered as despair finally set in.


    He realised the weight of his situation.


    He might be forced to sign the divorce papers after all.


    If she truly knew about everything, just as she knew about the money, then going to court with her would destroy him.


    She would ruin him!


    Unless¡­


    His eyes widened as he remembered something.


    He quickly stood up and sidestepped the broken sses on the floor as he went to pick up his phone.


    It had been a while ago, so he had to scroll for a while before seeing it.


    A sinister smile creeped onto his face as he yed it.


    ¡°You are a genius, Susan,¡± he muttered to himself as he watched it.


    It had been her idea back then.


    They had watched it together, and she had madeparisons.


    Now it was going to save them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you crawl back to me, bitch,¡± Thomas said with satisfaction as the perfect idea urred to him.


    Then he set his n in motion.

 Wrong Turn

    Reyona knew something was wrong the moment she stepped out of her office.


    Actually, she had known seconds earlier.


    She had been antsy since she got back to work, and she couldn¡¯t settle down no matter what she did.


    She had tried to contact CEO Jordan to ask him to persuade his partner or whatever she had to do to not let that asshole screw her over.


    The personal line he had given her had gone straight to voicemail.


    Michelle told her he wasn¡¯t back in office yet.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t predict his movement,¡± was what the assistant said when Reyona asked if she knew when he would be back.


    So, she was back to where she started from.


    And the prospect of going back to the rental house for any culinary adventure holds about as much excitement for her as being poked in the eye.


    So, like a caged lion, she moved from her desk to the opulent seating area at the other end of her office.


    She tried to work, but the numbers seemed to be ying tricks on her eyes.


    She tried to read a book she had some interest in a while ago.


    She had not been able to read more than a few pages before she stopped.


    So she felt she might as well try to read it.


    Maybe it would help calm her down.


    But the moment she saw the word love in the title, The 5 Love Languages, it only worsened her angst.


    She gave herself a pep talk as she stood up from the seating area.


    She was just going back to her desk with the determination to get some work done when she heard whispers from outside her door.


    ¡°Do you think she might have seen it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t know. This is just so¡­¡±


    ¡°I think we should tell her immediately. She would want to know.¡±


    Reyona moved quietly towards the door, and the whispers intensified.


    She recognised the voices.


    Why would the two of them be hesitant to bring anything to her?


    She wondered as she reached for the door.


    ¡°I still think¡­¡±


    The sudden opening of the door made the twodies on the other side jump.


    ¡°Boss,¡±


    ¡°Ma,¡±


    Samantha and Charlotte chorused nervously as Reyona stepped out.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw the way Charlotte¡¯s hand went behind her back instantly.


    All she could see in her secretary¡¯s hand was her phone.


    Why would Charlotte be hiding her phone from her? She wondered.


    Just as she asked, ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    They all turned their heads to see Phil turn the corner on his way to Reyona¡¯s office.


    He had the same anxious look on his face.


    Just as he heard what Reyona asked, he instantly turned around and tried to leave.


    ¡°Phil?¡±


    He stopped in his tracks like a deer caught in a headlight.


    ¡°I can see you also have something for me,¡± Reyona said simply as she nced meaningfully at the twodies.


    ¡°What?¡± Phil said as he turned back and sent a ¡°save me¡± look towards Samantha.


    When thetter only looked away, he said to Reyona ¡°No, I was¡­ you see, I was actually on my way to my office. I made the wrong turn. So, I will just¡­ you know, go now,¡± hepletedmely.


    The foreboding feeling enveloping Reyona¡¯s body increased at that.


    Nothing fazes Phil ever.


    Even in the face of a crisis, he had always found a way to lighten the mood and make things work.


    If he was being this hesitant about whatever this was, then it must be something serious.


    Reyona went with her gut and stretched her hand, palm up towards him.


    He attempted to give her an innocent look as he asked, ¡°What?¡±


    But Reyona could see the panic in his eyes.


    So she simply said,. ¡°You obviously have something to show me. Out with it.¡±


    Samantha was shaking her head vigorously behind Reyona, but they both knew it was inevitable anyway.


    Phil closed his eyes and sighed as he opened them back.


    ¡°I am so sorry, boss,¡± he said as he unlocked his screen and handed the phone to Reyona without looking at it.


    Reyona was expecting the worst.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maybe someone sabotaged thepany.


    Maybe someone sued them for something.


    Why would Phil be sorry?


    Could it be that his legions of admirers posted something nderous about thepany because he refused to return their advances?


    Her brows furrowed when she saw the thumbnail of the video on the screen, but then she still clicked it.


    Maybe there was more to it.


    But then a chirpy voice filled the hallway.


    Samantha and Charlotte looked at Phil in surprise as they all heard thementary on the funny cat videos.


    Reyona smiled as she looked at Phil.


    ¡°A cat video? That is what this is all about?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I must have mistakenly swiped it. Hold on,¡± he said as he quickly collected the phone and swiped twice to the right one.


    Then he handed it back to Reyona as he said, ¡°Brace yourself.¡±


    Reyona scoffed, thinking they were all just being dramatic for nothing.


    The little smile on her face froze as the video started ying.


    Abination of heat and cold waves swept through Reyona¡¯s body as she saw herself disyed in graphic details.


    She was held up by her sheer willpower as her legs wanted to buckle beneath her.


    The temperature seemed to have dropped considerably and she was chilled to the bone.


    Her bones felt bristle, and her limbs felt stiff as she slowly moved back until her back was touching her door.


    Then she turned around and opened the door.


    Leaving her employees looking after her with worried nces and anxiety, Reyona entered and locked the door behind her.


    Her eyes were glued to the screen as she watched the scene she could remember vividly.


    She went to her seating area and finished watching the 15-minute, edited clip.


    Then she reyed it.

 Chronicle Of A Cheater

    Bad news spreads faster than good news.


    The phenomenon was not different in Reyona¡¯s case.


    She started checking thements and reposts.


    The original post had been reposted more than one hundred times already.


    Comments uponments danced before Reyona¡¯s eyes as she scrolled fast and furiously.


    Most of them were tagging herpany pages.


    Bloggers had started posting about it.


    #chronicleofacheater was everywhere.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the extent of the damage.


    Her office phone rang, and she contemted letting go of it, but she knew that was not the moment to ignore her calls.


    There are people who count on her.


    People would be sorely disappointed about what they were seeing and reading about her.


    She picked up the call on the third ring.


    ¡°Good afternoon, CEO Lanoth. Have you seen¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have seen it, Roaurke. It is not true.¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was the one in the video, but the narrative is wrong.¡±


    The man on the other end sighed and said, ¡°You need to do something urgently, ma¡¯am. I have held the news back from being published at my station. I could speak to some other colleagues too to hold off on it for a while. But that is all I can do, ma¡¯am. This is a very unfortunate situation, and most people would want to bank on it. I can¡¯t assure you that someone won¡¯t broadcast it soon. I can only do my best.¡±


    ¡°I thank you for that,¡± Reyona said gratefully.


    ¡°You need to give them something, ma¡¯am. They will want to hear from you. As soon as possible too,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will get to it.¡± Reyona said. ¡°Thank you¡±


    Rouarke disconnected and unhooked the telephone.


    It was a good thing that she didn¡¯t have a board yet.


    At this point, she knew where the heat would havee from the most.


    Reyona took her mind off the pounding in her head and tried to concentrate.


    This was no time to curl up and wish that the ground could open up and swallow her.


    This was the time for action.


    She would deal with the bastardter, but for now, herpany and everyone connected to it were counting on her.


    Rouarke was right.


    She needed to give those who gave her consideration something in return.


    Whoever gets to the media first owns the narrative, after all.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    This damaging news had already put her at a disastrous disadvantage, but she would not admit defeat and justy down for thest killing blow.


    Herpany was her baby; she would save it first.


    But first, she dialed a number that she had thought she would never have to call again.


    He picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Hello, you know who I am. There is a video clip trending online at the moment. The narrative is wrong, but then it wouldn¡¯t matter to people. They are already running with it, but then I want to know if you can make them disappear. I have seen what incredible prowess you have. Is this one of the things you can do?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man, who had never introduced himself to Reyona, said simply.


    ¡°Do you need me to send you the link?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°No, I have seen it already.¡±


    ¡°So, let me know what it is going to take. Just do this for me immediately and I want the culprit found too.¡±


    ¡°That is easy. As for my payment, there is something you can do for me.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Reyona asked instantly.


    She was ready to pay any amount, no matter how exorbitant it might be.


    Her reputation andpany¡¯s survival cannot bepared to anything else


    So she was surprised when he said, ¡°An agreement.¡±


    ¡°Agreement?¡± she asked, just to be certain that her shock wasn¡¯t affecting her hearing.


    ¡°Yes, it is about a little detail in what I did for you before.¡±


    By the time he finished telling her what he wanted, Reyona was too numb to be shocked.


    She agreed instantly, and thetter agreed to get her job done within the hour.


    Reyona disconnected and looked nkly at the sheaf of paper in front of her.


    She tried so hard to keep every thought at bay so that she could draft out a coherent speech.


    Yet, as she picked up her pen, her hand shook uncontrobly.


    She looked up as she heard her door handle rattle.


    Go away. She thought.


    She couldn¡¯t get her words out as her vision blurred.


    The handle shook violently again.


    Then she heard her sister¡¯s voice: ¡°Rey? Rey, please open up. What is going on, Rey? Please open up and talk to me.¡±


    Reyona could only look at the door as unbidden tears trailed down her face.


    Words clogged her throat as she sat, like she was paralysed.


    She wanted to reach out and pull Victoria into the office so she could hug her and never let go.


    She wanted to pour out her pain and grievances to one of the people who would never forsake her or take advantage of her in any situation.


    She wanted to run into her sister¡¯s arms at that moment and cry out all the balled-up pain in her heart.


    Yet all she could do was stare at the rattling handle as her words got so loud in her mind that they crowded her head.


    Everybody wins, Toria.


    Everybody wins but me.


    Everyone got what they wanted eventually, at my expense.


    I am the casualty in their game.


    More tears trailed down her face and plopped on herp as she heard Charlotte and someone else persuade Toria to give her a space.


    Eventually her sister relented and moved away from the door, even as she vowed that she wouldn¡¯t leave thepany until Reyona spoke to her.


    Reyona nodded as if her sister could see her.


    Then she swiped at her sweat- and tear-drenched face.


    Then she picked up her pen and started scribbling furiously.

 Like A Hermit

    The chairman of the biddingmittee called Andrew¡¯s office immediately after he got the news about the clip.


    When Michelle informed him that Andrew was not in and he might not being in soon, the woman informed Michelle of the urgency of the call.


    So, Michelle had to call Andrew¡¯s wife in order to get in touch with Andrew.


    Within a few minutes, Andrews had spoken with the bidding chairman, who was afraid that they might have made a horrible mistake by giving their contract to such a horrid woman.


    Having little tolerance for dramatics, Andrews told the woman to get on with what she wanted to say or get off the phone.


    ¡°Saying it wouldn¡¯t matter. You have to see it.¡±


    With that, she sent the video link to Andrew¡¯s email.


    Andrew automatically clicked on the link, and Celia, who was standing right behind him, gasped.


    She thumped him on the shoulder as she said, ¡°Andrew Sean Jordan, how dare you? Is this your way of telling me that I am no longer attractive to you now that I look like a cow?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°By watching porn?¡±


    ¡°Just hold on a¡­¡±


    Andrew disconnected the call and mmed hisptop shut as he turned towards her.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I had no idea¡­¡±


    Celia already had a thoughtful look on her face as she looked at the closedptop, though


    In a low tone, she said, ¡°Babe, y that again.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I won¡¯t have you upsetting yourself over¡­¡±


    ¡°y it,¡± she repeated more urgently


    ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake,¡± Andrew said as he opened theptop again. ¡°I don¡¯t want you upsetting yourself over¡­¡±


    He yed the video again and averted his face.


    ¡°That is Beatrice,¡± Celia said in surprise.


    ¡°Who is Beat¡­ You mean the woman you¡­?¡± Andrew looked back at the screen at that moment and was shocked. ¡°Beatrice? She was the one you met the other day. Unless she has twins, that is Mrs. Lanoth. Last time I remembered, her name was Reyona.¡±


    Andrew mmed theptop shut as a thought urred to him.


    He automatically led Celia to sit, even as everything came together for him.


    Andrew couldn¡¯t believe he had been so wrong about her.


    He thought she was a capable woman who deserved all the achievements she earned, but it turned out she was nothing but a maniptive bitch!


    What did she intend to aplish?


    She diligently found out where he was staying and rented a ce close to it.


    She must have purposefully stayed outside that day when Celia was having her walk.


    She made herself appealing to Celia to the extent that his wife was endeared to her.


    She lied to Celia about her name.


    To what extent?


    Had she wanted to use Celia to get the bid in case it didn¡¯t favour her, or had she had a more sinister n in ce?


    The fact that she dared to approach his wife was the most infuriating thing for Andrew.


    She would regret ever crossing him.


    If her leaked secret didn¡¯t destroy her, he would!Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Celia was saying, ¡°She didn¡¯t look like someone who would cheat on her husband. Why do you think she was staying at Sylby¡¯s ce? Maybe she had a problem with her husband. I would like to go check on her.¡±


    That got Andrew¡¯s attention.


    He wanted his wife and child to be as far away as possible from such an unscrupulous woman.


    Still, he didn¡¯t want to upset her, so he said, ¡°Babe, I don¡¯t want you stressing yourself over someone like that. She is not worth it. She is not the kind of person you should associate yourself with.¡±


    Celia¡¯s mouth puckered up in mutiny. ¡°You will not tell me who I can be friends with or not. She is not a bad person. I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Really? A good person would do what you just saw right now?¡±


    ¡°There must be a reason for that. What if she is all alone and she needs someone to talk to? I have to go see her. Will youe with me?¡± She asked when she saw the stubborn glint in his eyes.


    Andrew almost disagreed, but then he thought better of it.


    He would go see her.


    He would expose her as a fraud in the presence of Celia.


    Maybe then his wife could keep her distance from the shameless woman, and then he could properly deal with her without hurting Celia¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Okay then. I wille with you,¡± he said.


    Celia beamed at him and kissed his cheek as she said, ¡°You are the best.¡±


    In no time, they were at Sylby¡¯s house.


    They couldn¡¯t see any cars around, which indicated that she was not around.


    Also, the day was already growing dark, but there was no light inside or around the house.


    Still, his wife stubbornly went up to the door to knock.


    ¡°Maybe she just doesn¡¯t want anyone to see her right now. If something like that were to happen to me, I will probably live like a hermit for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Something like that can never happen to you. You are not like¡­¡±


    ¡°She is a good person,¡± Celia said firmly as she knocked softly on the door.


    ¡°Beatrice? Beatrice, are you in there? It is me, Celia.¡±


    Beatrice, my foot. Andrew scoffed.


    Everything about her had been fake.


    He thought of telling Celia the main reason why the woman had approached her, but as he looked at the way the porch light beautifully created a halo around her concerned face, Andrew didn¡¯t want to make her feel bad for trusting the wrong person.


    Celia had always believed in the best of people.


    Andrew knew people take advantage of someone like her.


    Lanoth must have taken a look at Celia and thought of her as gullible.


    ¡°Well, you are going to regret that,¡± he vowed to himself.


    He urged Celia that they should leave since the person she came for wasn¡¯t around.


    ¡°Probably covering her tracks,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Drew,¡±


    ¡°I know. I know.¡± He said this as he smiled at her.


    Inside, he was boiling with anger.


    Only a fucked-up person would want to take advantage of a sweet person like Celia.


    Well, he was going to screw her up properly.


    Startig with what she had been so desperate about.


    He had not spoken to Max since he told him to handle the contract.


    He wondered if it had been done.


    Not that it would matter anyway.


    She would pay.


    Andrew helped Celia into the car and kissed her forehead as she sat down and leaned her head against the headrest.


    As he turned around the car to enter, he deliberately passed the back of the car instead of the front.


    He shortened his stride as he quickly sent a message to Maxwell.


    He didn¡¯t want to upset Celia by making a call about what he wanted done.


    But he was sure that Maxwell would execute it just as swiftly.


    ¡°You crossed the wrong path, Lanoth,¡± he thought as he drove away from the house.


    The porch light went off behind them.

 The Mask

    Maxwell disconnected the call and reached for his system.


    He had just opened the tracking section when the visuals on the TV changed and a chirpy reporter announced that there was an impromptu press conference from ReyDexter LLC.


    The name was what caught Maxwell¡¯s attention, and he turned swiftly to face the TV.


    The distance did nothing to reduce the reaction she always caused in his body.


    There she stood, all poised and professional.


    Anyone looking at her would never believe that she was the woman whose sex tape had just been released for all of Tom, Dick, and Harry to watch.


    It was gant of her to even dare to show her face to the world at the moment, as most people in her situation would have simply given a press release or said nothing at all.


    She looked calm and collected, with only a red-haired youngerdy standing a few paces behind her.


    Maxwell knew who thatdy was, but at the moment, all he had eyes for was Reyona.


    He stood up from behind the table where he was seated in his home office.


    He walked towards the TV set as a thought popped into his mind.


    What must be going through your mind right now?


    He desperately wished he could have a peek into her mind at that moment.


    What would it be like to be the one she turned to in a situation like this?


    Maxwell knew the sort of passive look on her face very well.


    It was one he had used many times himself.


    It was a mask.


    When she started talking, her voice rang clear and strong.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone. First, I apologise to everyone connected to ReyDexter for the inconvenience this unfortunate situation might cause them.¡±


    There was barely a pause before she continued, ¡°Yes, the woman in the video was me, but the narrative is wrong. I am not a cheater. That man in the video is my husband, Thomas Lanoth.¡±


    What?


    That revtion shocked Maxwell.


    The man in the video had a mask on, so nobody knew his true identity.


    It was one of the reasons why the video had spread like wildfire within minutes.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The tag #chronicle of a cheater was the main damning part of the clip.


    Then, because it was Reyona, a well-respected woman in the whole of Kayooma and its environs, it gained much attention.


    What had caused most spection was the masked man in the video, with different people adding their quotas.


    Some said it might be her employee.


    Some said it might be her driver.


    Some suggested it must be her ex.


    Even though news outlets had not published anything about it yet, many blog and vlog creators had picked up that narrative and run with it.


    A lot of damage had already been done, and it would be nothing short of a miracle if herpany withstood the storm.


    But if the man in the video had been Lanoth, then how did¡­


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes sharpened as the person he had in mind entered the frame.


    Cameras turned towards the entrance as Thomas Lanoth entered the conference room.


    Some security men were trying to stop him as he made his way in.


    When the cameras turned to them, Reyona nodded at her chief security, and they let him go.


    One of the eight reporters at the conference turned towards Thomas and asked, ¡°Mr. Lanoth, are you here to show support to CEO Lanoth? We understand that the video was an intimate moment between you and your wife, which someone maliciously released to cause nder. What do you¡­?¡±


    As if he couldn¡¯t see the reporter, Thomas walked towards Reyona with a pained look on his face.


    His voice was obnoxiously loud as he said, ¡°Reyona, how could you? I showed you nothing but love, and this is what you do to me?¡±


    Shocked whispers swept through the reporters and the staff around them.


    ¡°That piece of sh*t,¡± Maxwell muttered as he stalked towards the table and swept his keys off it.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t help but hear the killing blow that Thomas Lanoth gave to his wife in a live conference that was being watched by all of Kayooma and beyond.


    ¡°You have been cheating on me? Is this why you wanted to divorce me? So that you can leave me for your lover?!¡±


    Divorce?


    What is this talk about divorce?


    CEO Lanoth is leaving her husband for her lover.


    Is she that kind of person?


    As loud whispers and murmurs resounded clearly to everyone watching, the youngdy behind Reyonaunched herself towards Thomas.


    ¡°You asshole! How dare you talk to my sister like¡­¡±


    Maxwell was already out of the door by the time the live conference got disconnected.


    He wished he couldy his hands on Lanoth at that moment.


    Thoughts mingled with shock rippled through him as he drove as fast as he could towards ReyDexter.


    Reporters vans were pulling out when he got there.


    He was less concerned about them at the moment.


    He saw one of them stay behind and wait as Thomas got thrown out of thepany.


    ¡°Can you see that?¡± Thomas was screeching at the top of his lungs.


    When he saw the reporter approaching him, he quickly rearranged himself and looked squarely into the camera.


    Even before the reporter could ask any questions, Thomas said, ¡°I am a man who believes in helping his wife and protecting her in any way that I can. Even if that included keeping her dirty secrets from the public, I was willing to do that! But this is too much! She shamed me in public! She even¡­euf!¡±


    Thomas¡¯s tirade ended with a groan as Maxwell came up behind him and gave him a jab in the side.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡°I think we have heard enough from you, Tom,¡± Maxwell said simply as he jerked Thomas up and sent him a warning re.


    Maxwell looked at the logo on the reporter¡¯s mike and nodded as he said, ¡°Raymedia, yeah? Did you happen to record on that little device of yours that Lanoth here is a psychiatric patient?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I am no¡­¡±

 Pornstar CEO

    Maxwell backhanded Thomas without so much as a nce.


    The surprise on the reporters¡¯ faces made him shrug slightly as he said, ¡°Yeah, it is a problem of his that we have been trying to keep private for a while now.¡±


    His gaze was keen as he looked at the reporter and his photographer. ¡°If you are going to report any scoop, that is what you should report.¡±


    ¡°With due respect, you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, tell Jeffery Arnold that if a piece of garbage you just got came out through his news house, he would be hearing from Maxwell Rohan.¡±


    The reporter wanted to talk, but the photographer nudged him.


    ¡°We would get out of your way, Mr. Rohan,¡± the photographer said, and he practically pulled his colleague with him as they got into their van and left.


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Thomas, who had been trying to stem his bleeding nose, spoke in a pain-filled voice that sounded more genuine than what he had used in the conference room.


    ¡°You think you can just threaten a reporter and go scot-free?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s rage boiled over at the sound of the bastard¡¯s voice.


    He grabbed him from where he was bent over.


    ¡°You fucking asshole!¡± he said in a chilling tone as he gave him another punch in the face that had blood spewing out of his mouth.


    Thomas went sprawling, but Maxwell was not done yet.


    He stalked towards him. ¡°Get up, you piece of sh*t.¡±


    He pulled his arm back to deal him another blow, but then he caught sight of the red-haireddy at the entrance.


    She was looking at the scene as if she would like to get her hand on the bastard as well.


    That was when Maxwell became aware of the security men around him.


    They made no move to save Thomas from him, but they were watching.


    He looked up to see Reyona¡¯s staff watching the scenario from the floor-to-ceiling ss panelling.


    That was when his anger receded a bit.


    He swore to himself as he let go of Thomas.


    Fuck, he had messed up!


    They just used her of having a lover, and here he was pummeling her husband in front of thepany.


    He turned around as he saw a teenager who had been recording turns and runs.


    Despite the urge to follow the kid and collect the recording, Maxwell knew that would only worsen the case.


    He looked down at Thomas, whoy crumpled like a sack of potatoes, and he swore again.


    The bastard was a gym instructor after all.


    A couple of punches shouldn¡¯t have made him look as if he had been beaten half to death.


    He leaned over him, and the glint of satisfaction on Thomas¡¯s face made Rohan swear inwardly again.


    ¡°You tricked me?¡± he asked unnecessarily.


    ¡°I must say this was a nice surprise,¡± Thomas said as he peered up at him through blood-sttered eyelids. ¡°I came prepared for anything, but not you. Have you been screwing her after all? Wait until I tell Susan. You pretend to help your sister, but you are actually panting after my leftover.¡±


    Maxwell simply stepped away from him.


    Since the alternative would be giving in to his baser instinct to kill Thomas right there and then,.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked up at the ReyDexter, trying to gauge the exact location of Reyona¡¯s office.


    As much as he wanted to, he knew it would be a great mistake to try to see her at that moment.


    There must only be one reason why that kid recorded Maxwell beating Thomas up.


    God damn it!


    ¡°You will regret this. Oh, you will regret this big time,¡± he muttered to Thomas with a deadly re that had the satisfied smirk dying on his face for a moment.


    ¡°I will see you and my fucking wife in hell first,¡± Thomas tossed after him after seeing that he had entered the car.


    His cacklingughter followed Maxwell down thene.


    He had not gone far at all before the shit hit the fan.


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


    ReyDexter Boss traded her husband for a richer lover!


    The rich win again!


    Masked man revealed!


    Cuckolded husband beaten to a pulp by lover.


    Pornstar CEO to divorce husband for her lover.


    The husband got cheated on in his own bed.


    These and more were the taglines trending over the following days.


    Apart from the failed press conference, no one had seen Reyona in public since then, and that seemed to drive the public into a frenzy.


    Reyona held a conference call with all their clients to exin how things are for them.


    She made them realise that what happened was a vengeful tactic to bring herpany down.


    She also tried to assure them that the scandal would not affect their cooperation in any way.


    Even at that, some of her clients cancelled their contracts with ReyDexter.


    The most painful part of that for Reyona was the fact that two of those customers were people she had known back when she was still using a dingy office for her startup.


    Most of them had been startups back then, and she had watched their portfolio grow.


    Losing those businesses was just like ripping her heart out all over again.


    Still, she kept functioning.


    That was the term that could be used to describe what Reyona did in the horrible weeks following the scandal.


    The man had called her back immediately after pictures of Rohan and Thomas surfaced online.


    He had dealt with the first upload, but the new one was more damning.


    Also, people were bringing up the fact that the sex video had been pulled down.


    Many contemted that it was Reyona and her lover¡¯s doings, and that only made things worse for her.


    Reyona had dejectedly asked him what else could be done.


    ¡°I think you should just let it blow over. Inte users have a short memory. They would soon forget about this and move on to the next thing. Denying anything or deleting these clips now would only make them more interested.¡±


    That had been the longest statement that the man had said to her since he started handling things for her.

 Bad Timing

    It had not been of much use as well.


    Two weekster, the issue was still trending.


    Maybe not with the same fervour as it was at first, but it was still damning.


    The fact that Thomas was granting interviews left and right didn¡¯t help matters either.


    He milked the role of jilted husband to the tee.


    Reyona had watched at least four interviews he had granted on popr shows.


    There was even talk of him writing a book.


    My Experience with a Termagant was the title of the book.


    Toria had said that she was deliberately punishing herself for nothing, but Reyona had a different idea.


    Every single thing he did was filed away in apartment in her heart.


    Locked away, never to be forgotten.


    She struggled to keep herpany afloat while making her findings.


    The video had been taken from their bedroom.


    They do not have any CCTV cameras in their home, only outside it.


    Which must mean that Thomas or someone else nted that camera that particr day.


    Reyona could remember when that video had been recorded.


    It was during the third year of their marriage that Reyona started talking about having children, and then he suggested they spice up their sexual life by roleying.


    They were to act as the beast and the beauty.


    He had evene prepared with the beast¡¯s mask at the ready.


    Reyona had thought it silly then, but she had thought he was warming up to the idea of children, and she had agreed to it.


    Little did she know that it was going to bite her back five yearster.


    Refusing to let her emotions get the better of her, Reyona threw herself into her work with gusto.


    She had also lost a few of her employees.


    They were mostly low-level employees.


    After the second scandal went viral, her employees had to face the issue of being stopped on their way to or from work for questioning.


    So, she had a meeting with everyone then and informed them that whoever would like to leave thepany could go ahead and do so.


    Five of them had resigned.


    One of her top-level ountants was poached by a rivalpany.


    For the past two weeks, she has not left thepany either.


    The only time she tried to leave, she was osted by some women who decided to take it upon themselves toe and tell her personally that she was a disgrace to womanhood.


    Her security men had to hold them back then, and one particrly aggressive woman twisted her ankle in the process.


    Not only did the bacsh fuel the ongoing scandal more, but Reyona¡¯s security men were targeted as well.


    Their faces were caught on camera while they were trying to keep the women under control.


    Tagging it as violence against women, these men were alienated in theirmunity, their wives were kicked out of their associations, and Reyona had to call in some favours in order to stop their children from being sent out of their schools.


    So, she decided to stay at thepany.


    ¡°If I am not going anywhere, then nobody will take any heat because of me,¡± she thought.


    Eventually, the women who camped in front of thepany with cards stoppeding after they¡¯d been dispersed over and over byw officers.


    Still, Reyona chose to stay at thepany.


    She gave her employees a one-week leave to recuperate from all the extra stress, but only a few of them took the days off.


    People like Samantha, Phil, and Charlotte stayed.


    They were always around, even when the workload dropped because of the customers who pulled out of their businesses and theck of new ones.


    Reyona¡¯s parents wanted toe to Kayooma, but she dissuaded them since that would only give the Papparazi new angles to explore the scandal.


    Despite Reyona¡¯s insistence, though, Toria didn¡¯t leave.


    She moved into thepany with her the following day.


    That was after she almost fell into a ditch while speeding to throw off paparazzi that were on her trail.


    Then he called.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ***********


    When the call came through, Reyona was tempted to simply let it ring until it disconnected.


    Even though it was a Saturday, she had been on calls throughout the night trying to get internationalpanies toe aboard.


    Kayooma was known for its emphasis on culture and reputation.


    No business was totally separated from the owner in the eyes of people.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t me the clients who pulled out of ReyDexter; she knew they were just trying to save their ownpanies from facing bacsh.


    That was why she would forever be grateful to those who stood by ReyDexter, despite the fact that they knew what the implications would be.


    Since trying to get new clients at that moment was like hitting one¡¯s head against the wall to create a path, Reyona decided to actively look beyond the shores of Kayooma.


    Though ReyDexter had international clients, Kayooma had always been their main base of clientele.


    Time to change that, Reyona thought, and that was what she had been working on mostly since she thought of it.


    It was all she had allowed herself to focus on, even as the investigation continued.


    As always, Toria had tried to convince her to at least have a bit of rest that night, but just as the past nights since she and her team started working on it, Reyona refused to sleep.


    She only caught a bit of shuteye whenever she could, and she would get right back to it.


    Her team decided to let her be after they tried to convince her over and over again not to wear herself out.


    As it was, they only made sure they stayed in thepany for as long as they could, or until she insisted they go home.


    They would all depart while telling her to get some rest too.


    Not that any of them believe that she would listen.


    Toria had been the most insistent.


    Always badgering her to eat and even going as far as calling their parents on a video call one night when Reyona refused to sleep even though she was exhausted.

 Ongoing Cooperation

    Reyona had just gotten off one of the most promising calls she had made in a while that morning.


    It had not been easy getting international calls either because nothing was hidden in the world of business.


    Especially not something of that magnitude.


    Many of the international business owners who knew of the matter had not been as hostile to her as the Kayooma business owners had been, but most of them had declined to work with ReyDexter anyway.


    Some promised to get back to her, but that call never came through.


    When she or one of her employees called such a number back, they might find out that the person they spoke to was unavable and would not be avable for a long while.


    But just that morning, she had just gotten off the phone with the CFO of Nepsol Holding in Azerbaijan.


    Nepsol Holding is a big group ofpanies with subsidiaries active in the fields of energy, telmunications, construction, and high-tech.


    Azerbaijan was a country she wouldn¡¯t have thought of expanding to anytime soon, but at the moment, she decided to leave no stone unturned.


    Reyona had met the woman once at a conference where she was a speaker, and the woman had told her through her interpreter that she was a remarkable woman.


    Then the chief financial officer handed Reyona her card.


    Reyona had not given that card a thought since she had collected it.


    But then, while going through some files, she saw it nestled among old files.


    When she researched thepany again, she med herself for not looking closer at thepany earlier.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Having Nepsol Holding as a client was worth more than a hundred of the clients ReyDexter had lost.


    Sehima Hasanova had been very surprised when Reyona called her.


    The woman could speak some English now, and they were able to understand each other.


    Hasanova did not hide the fact that she was going to do her own research before she would fullye to a decision, but she expressed her interest in working with Reyona.


    As Reyona disconnected the call, she sat with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.


    Yes, the call ended on a positive note, but she knew what Hasanova would find.


    At the forefront of all the achievements and triumphs of herpany was the scandal.


    It would be the first thing the woman and her team would see.


    She was still contemting whether she should just send a portfolio of thepany to the woman while adding details about the scandal when the phone rang.


    A look at the caller ID soured her mood further.


    Though she was tempted to not pick up the call, she somehow knew he would just keep calling until she was forced to answer or switch off her phone.


    Since she had no intention of switching her phone because of anyone, Reyona picked up the call.


    She would not hide from anyone.


    ¡°What bad timing, Mr. Rohan,¡± she said simply as she put the phone on speaker mode and ced it back on her table.


    ¡°And a good morning to you too, Mrs. Lanoth,¡± he said in a tuneless tone.


    Mrs. Lanoth.


    Reyona had no idea why hearing that name from him always managed to infuriate her.


    She had a ready, scathing response at the tip of her tongue, but then she remembered that he was not worth it.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I think you don¡¯t take your clients or business seriously enough,¡± he said simply.


    What?


    What the hell is this bastard talking about now?


    Reyona reeled in her anger as she felt a headacheing on.


    She gingerly stood up from where she was seated.


    She had to stifle the groan that almost escaped her mouth as her muscles cramped suddenly.


    She inhaled deeply and sank to the floor immediately


    ¡°What is going on?¡± he asked from the other end.


    What? He heard her? Reyona wondered, embarrassed.


    She inhaled slowly to steady her voice.


    Then, as she rubbed her shin, she answered carefully.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong. Now, please, if you are done with your analysis of how I handle my business, I need to go.¡±


    She tamped down on the electrifying feeling in her feet as she gingerly stood on it.


    She reached out to disconnect the call, but his words stopped her.


    ¡°There was ongoing cooperation between ourpanies, wasn¡¯t there? Isn¡¯t it irresponsible of you to just leave us hanging without furthermunication?¡±


    Reyona forgot her fading pain as she stared at the phone like it had grown horns.


    Has he gone totally mad?


    Which cooperation was he talking about?


    The same one he had denied her because of his personal reasons?


    He had taken the business from her but had found his way to get what he wanted anyway, and now he was talking about irresponsibility?


    The enormity of how much she wanted to tear into him scared Reyona herself.


    She could picture herself snatching up the phone and telling him off with the foulest words she could ever find.


    She could almost taste the victory of how good it would feel to let him know just how much she loathed him and every man like him.


    Instead, she slowly and deliberately pressed the disconnect button.


    Then she put the phone on silent.


    His call came through immediately, but she ignored it.


    His call had done something to her anyway; it reminded her of what she had promised herself.


    She was not going to hide her condition from anyone, no matter what was at stake.


    With that reminder in mind, she opened her email and sent thepany¡¯s e-portfolio to Sehima Hasanova.


    Alongside the portfolio was the well-detailed report that Reyona had worked on over the week.


    She sent the two and decided to take her mind off the consequences.


    It was left to Sehima now.


    She had no idea why but she was feeling better that morning.


    She left the office and went to the adjoining room that had been converted into a room for her by her employees and Toria.


    She smiled as she saw her sister sleeping on the bed with the covers off her body.


    She moved closer to her and covered her body.


    Then she bent down to kiss her sister¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.

 Whispers And Chuckles

    Toria only blinked blearily at her, muttered something, and turned over again.


    Tossing off the cover that Reyona had just adjusted.


    Reyona¡¯s smile broadened as she adjusted the cover again.


    ¡°Of course, she would toss it off again,¡± Reyona thought to herself as she went to the bathroom to get started with her day.


    When she looked out of the window, she could see her employees arriving already.


    By the time she was done, the phone was ringing again.


    Only this time, it was not her personal phone.


    It was the office phone.


    She picked up the call. ¡°Hello¡±


    ¡°Good morning, ma,¡± the man on the phone answered respectfully.


    Reyona¡¯s good mood plummeted a bit when she heard the voice.


    It was Andrews, her chief of security.


    She had informed the man to call her directly and immediately if there was any cause for concern, just as they had in the past few weeks.


    If he was calling, that means¡­


    ¡°What is it, Andrews?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ma, I am very sorry for disturbing you, but it is that woman. She is here again¡±


    Reyona¡¯s apprehension was reduced at that point.


    Then she said, ¡°I told you to send her away; why are you still calling me for this?¡±


    The man answered with a flustered ¡°Because, yes, you said so, ma. And she left the other time but¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I need to teach you how to do your job, Andrews?¡± Reyona said with an exasperated sigh as she sank into her chair.


    She had no time for this.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t leave, ma,¡± Andrews said urgently.


    ¡°What do you mean she wouldn¡¯t leave?¡±


    ¡°Well, she said I should inform you that she would stay out here until you are ready to see her. And from the look of it, she is serious, ma. She brought¡­things¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Things? Are you incapable of the vocabry now, Andrews? Do you need me to get someone who will know not to waste my time?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡­Ah well, she is settling down.¡±


    ¡°Settling down?¡±


    ¡°At the entrance, ma. You might want to see this, ma.¡±


    *********


    ¡°Beatrice! You are finally willing to see me!¡± Celia Jordan said it excitedly.


    Then she turned towards Andrews and said, ¡°I knew you were lying, you disagreeable man.¡±


    As if inviting Reyona to high tea, she waved her hand towards the spread of bread, croissants, pain au choct, jam, tea, fruits, choctine, and brioche on the flowery pic nket she was seated on.


    Reyona¡¯s surprise was beyond indescribable as she took in the three formidable-looking men and two maids who stood behind her with passive looks as if this was something they were used to.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Reyona asked urgently as she bent to her face level.


    When Andrews had mentioned ¡°settling down¡± earlier, Reyona wouldn¡¯t have believed this was what he meant.


    Celia blinked her eyes innocently at Reyona and said sweetly, ¡°Why? I am inviting my friend to breakfast, of course. We are friends, right?¡±


    Since when? Reyona wondered.


    But she said, ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t just¡­ do this.¡± She ended with an airy wave of her hand over the mouthwatering spread at the entrance.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Celia looked around as if she just realised that.


    Then she looked back at Reyona. ¡°Does that mean you are ready to talk to me now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, now help me up and let¡¯s find a better spot.¡± She stretched her hand towards Reyona.


    Reyona didn¡¯t believe that innocent, guileless look for a second.


    The woman knew exactly what she was doing.


    As Reyona helped her up, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of admiration for the heavily pregnant, petite woman.


    She had gotten what she wanted after all, didn¡¯t she?


    Celia brushed her hand over her bump and addressed the maids behind her.


    ¡°Please pack up this food and share it with the employees interested. We must not let good food go to waste now, can we?¡±


    She smiled at Reyona. ¡°You are wee. What kind of friend would I be if I came empty-handed?


    Then she hooked her arm around Reyona¡¯s as if she were afraid she would run away.


    ¡°So, where are we having our talk? They would stay behind.¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t think of a better ce to take her than her office.


    She had thought of taking her to the cafeteria. That way, she was sure she could easily make her escape and send the woman on her way.


    But then she thought of the demonstration her employees were just treated to.


    No, the best way to handle this was to take her to her office.


    Even if the woman decided to dance on the table or suddenly had the urge to run around naked, at least it would stay in her office.


    Her employees had been shocked enough for one day.


    With that thought in mind, Reyona said, ¡°Please,e with me.¡±


    Celia beamed at her like a child who had just been handed candy and said, ¡°I am all yours.¡±


    She held on to Reyona¡¯s hand as if they were attached.


    Like that, the two of them entered thepany, leaving behind whispers and chuckles among the employees.


    Reyona allowed herself a small smile as she entered the elevator.


    At least her employees will have something lighthearted to gist about instead of the gloomy consequences of their boss¡¯s scandal.


    They would get some good meals out of it too. The aroma of the breakfast spread still lingers in Reyona¡¯s nostrils, and she suddenly realizes that she is hungry.


    One more me to put on the shoulders of the woman beside her. She thought with amusement.


    ¡°Look at that. I wish I could paint you right now.¡±


    Regina looked aside to face Celia with a ¡°what are you talking about¡± look.


    ¡°You were smiling. It looks so beautiful on you. You should smile more,¡± Celia said simply.


    Reyona could only nod.


    She thought of waiting for the woman to say it, but then she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    The elevator opened to Reyona¡¯s office floor, and Celia stepped out with a sound of admiration.

 Between Life And Death

    For someone who looked so heavy, Celia walked so sprightly in her purple, embroidered, flowing silk gown.


    She did a pirouette as she looked around in admiration.


    ¡°See, I was not wrong about you. You have such a good taste. I knew there was a reason why I liked you.


    Reyona saw Charlottee out of her office with a questioning look. Reyona shrugged and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is Charlotte, my secretary. Charlotte, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? You make me sound like a  fifty-year-old¡± Celia said as she moved closer to take Charlotte¡¯s hand in a warm handshake. ¡°Hi there, I am Celia.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, ma,¡± Charlotte said with a pleasant smile.


    They were about to enter the office when Toria came out, yawning.


    She looked at Celia and said, ¡°What is going on here? You smell like cinnamon.¡±


    Celia¡¯s curious expression morphed intoughter.


    Then she let out a loud gasp as she reached for Charlotte, who was standing close to her.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe it, yet it was right there in front of her.


    Celia let out a sharp cry, just as Reyona saw the wetness that suddenly showed on Celia¡¯s gown.


    With her hand halfway to her mouth to stifle another yawn, Toria gaped googly-eyed as Reyona quickly moved closer to support Celia.


    ¡°Did¡­ did her water just break?¡±


    ********


    ¡°Call my husband¡± was the first thing Celia said.


    Right before, shemented about how he would kill her if he knew where she was.


    Reyona had no idea why her husband would want to kill her, but she quickly made arrangements to get her to the nearest hospital.


    That was another issue for Celia, though.


    She insisted they had to go to their personal hospital.


    The moment they got to the lower level, the men and maids that came with her sprang into action when they saw Celia being helped out of the elevator.


    ¡°I will call master,¡± one of them said.


    But Celia stopped her keening groan long enough to say ¡°No,¡± Then she looked at Reyona. ¡°You will do it.¡±


    What difference does it make?


    ¡°But I don¡¯t even know who your husband is,¡± Reyona said as she helped her to open the car door.


    ¡°You do. He has to know that you were his saviour,¡± Celia said before biting down hard on her lips as another contraction rocked her.


    They wereing faster now.


    One of the men quickly took one of the cars and went to get the birthing kit from home with one of the maids.


    The other maid helped Reyona sit Celia.


    Before the other man could enter the car, Toria quickly took charge of the wheel.


    Dressed in pajamas and floppy, rabbit-haired slippers, she looked at the man who hurriedly entered the car.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Jordan Hospital. They will be waiting for us,¡± the man said even as he tapped rapidly into his phone.


    That name rang a bell in Reyona¡¯s head.


    Then the man said, ¡°I think you need to make that call, ma¡¯am. Master wouldn¡¯t want to miss any moment of this.¡±


    Reyona looked at Celia, who was being helped through a particrly painful contraction by the maid at her side.


    She turned to the man and said, ¡°Give me his number, then.¡±


    Almost immediately, a few statements made earlier urred in Reyona¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Jordan Hospital.¡±


    ¡°They would be waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°You do. You know him.¡±


    ¡°Jordan? Andrew Jordan? That is your husband?¡± She blurted out.


    ¡°Oh, she finally figured it out,¡± Celia said in a strained voice that ended with another hiss of pain as another contraction rocked her.


    Reyona quickly called the man.


    His terse tone when he called suddenly became urgent as Reyona told him what was going on.


    He promised to join them immediately.


    Reyona disconnected just as they got to the mega-hospital.


    Two doctors and five nurses were awaiting their arrival.


    Within the twinkle of an eye, they transported her from the car to the padded gurney they had wheeled outside.


    It still felt surreal to Reyona when the woman was addressed as Mrs. Jordan.


    The bizarre coincidence of being friends with Andrew Jordan¡¯s wife was beyond what she would have imagined would happen at all.


    She wanted to stay back once she was sure that Celia was in God¡¯s hands, but then Celia called for her and told the doctors that he was her lifesaver.


    Since Reyona saw no point in calling a woman between life and death a liar, she simply took the hand that Celia reached towards her.


    Celia smiled at her and told the doctors that she wanted her with her in thebour room.


    Pain racked her body again, and Reyona almost cried out from the way Celia¡¯s fingers clenched against hers as they wheeled her away.


    Andrew Jordan rushed into the room a few minutester.


    Celia reached for him and tearfully asked where he had been since.


    Seeing the raw moment of anticipation and love between the couple made Reyona edge towards the door.


    Celia saw her, though, and she called her back.


    ¡°Meet my husband, Beatrice,¡± Celia said.


    ¡°Babe, Beatrice saved me,¡± she said, even as sweat trickled down her forehead and Reyona could see the pain in her eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, and I think you need to conserve your energy,¡± she said sympathetically.


    ¡°I am going to do this. I just need a brea¡­¡± she cried out sharply as pain rocked her body again.


    Soon enough, she gave birth to a baby girl.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe the enormity of the feeling inside her when Celia urged her to hold the baby.


    It was like being given the greatest treasure of her life.


    She had no idea when tears leaked out of her eyes.


    Toria leaned over to gingerly pat the downy hair on the baby¡¯s head.


    She simultaneously gave Reyona an understanding look.


    That only made Reyona more emotional.


    She looked up to see Andrews giving her a curious look.


    It was different from the almost hostile look he had tossed her way earlier.


    ¡°I am sorry. She is so beautiful,¡± Reyona said as she ced the baby back in Celia¡¯s arms.


    Her arms immediately felt like they had lost something that belonged to them.


    Reyona looked over at the baby in Celia¡¯s hand, and she knew she had to leave.


    She looked at Celia to tell her, but thepassionate look in the woman¡¯s eyes was just too much for her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she pointed at the door.


    Celia nodded. ¡°I know. Thank you so much. You and I have a lot to discuss, you know.¡±


    Reyona nodded.


    She nodded in Andrew¡¯s direction and turned to leave.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as a big bouquet of flowers preceded someone into the room.


    ¡°Am Ite for the party?¡±


    Maxwell Rohan asked as he peered out from behind the giant bouquet he had in hand.


    He saw her standing a few paces from him and the grin on his face died.


    Reyona could only exim inwardly in exasperation.


    Not again.


    Why now?

 Gentlemanly Politeness

    The look was fleeting.


    Maxwell immediately looked over and smiled at the sight of the baby in Celia¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Aww,e on. I did miss the party after all. O impatient one! Couldn¡¯t you have waited a little bit for Uncle Maxie?¡±


    So, saying that, he sidestepped Reyona and went towards the couple to deliver the flowers and to coo over the adorable baby.


    Reyona quickly took that chance to leave.


    She had no idea what she had expected, but it was not that.


    She let out the breath she had unconsciously held in and tried to rx.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Toria¡¯s voice jolted her out of her no-thought state.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she answered automatically. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I know how tough that must have been on you.¡±


    She said as she jerked her thumb towards where they wereing from.


    Reyona had no idea if she was talking about the baby or Maxwell, but since she was not interested in exploring the conversation that would ensue from either, she smiled as she looked down at Toria¡¯s outfit and expertly changed the conversation.


    ¡°You know you look ridiculous in that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Toria smiled as she looked down at her floppy-haired bunny slippers.


    ¡°What do you mean? How can anyone look ridiculous in these beauties?¡±


    She wrinkled her nose at Reyona, and thetter smiled.


    Then her smile evaporated as they came out of the hospital building, and she realised something.


    As if reading her mind, Toria suddenly eximed, ¡°Wait, how are we going to get back?¡±


    They had been so anxious about Celia that none of them had thought of that earlier.


    Now that everything was over, Reyona wondered why she didn¡¯t think of something as basic as that.


    She shrugged and said, ¡°Cabs, genius. You do know there is something like that, right? You know, these little metals coupled together that run on wheels? Yeah, they should do the trick.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah. She thinks she is funny.¡± Toria said as she yfully narrowed her gaze at Reyona. Then she sighed dramatically before saying, ¡°Well, we had better get going then. Cab, it is then.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a need for that,¡± said a voice behind them.


    Reyona stiffened automatically, even before she turned back to look at Maxwell.


    He gave her a keen look before saying, ¡°Celia ordered me to take you home¡­ or wherever you might be going.¡±


    ¡°Yay,¡± Toria said as she air-pumped her fist.


    ¡°No, no. There is really no need for that,¡± Reyona said automatically with a tight smile. ¡°We are fine with taking a cab.¡±


    ¡°I had rather not,¡± Toria said immediately.


    ¡°Oh, Toria,¡± Reyona thought, wishing she had the power of mindlink tomunicate with her sister at that moment.


    ¡°It seems settled to me,¡± Maxwell said. ¡°Celia would kill me if I let youdies go by cab. Your sister would rather not take a cab. It seems like a win-win to me, Mrs. Reyona. Unless you have other reasons?¡±


    Yes, I don¡¯t want to enter your car.


    I want you as far away from me as possible.


    I don¡¯t want you to know anything about me.


    I don¡¯t want you calling me.


    I don¡¯t want you to infuriate me!


    All these thoughts rambled in Reyona¡¯s mind in a split second, but then she only said, ¡°It is fine.¡±


    Maxwell nodded and inclined his hand to indicate that they should follow him.


    Reyona suspected it must have been her imagination, but for a split second, she thought she saw a satisfied smirk on his face, but then, on second nce, all she saw was a gentlemanly look of politeness.


    Gentlemanly! Ah, she doubted he would know the next thing to gentlemanliness, even if it bit him in the


    Reyona took her mind off thene it was going in, and she quickly entered the back, ignoring the front door of the silver Rolls-Royce Ghost he held open.


    Toria whistled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±


    Right before she slid onto thefy front seat beside Maxwell,.


    As Maxwell turned around to enter the car, Toria said, ¡°I know you have issues with him; don¡¯t hate me for enjoying my best life, okay? I could kill for this car.¡±


    Reyona smiled but quickly looked away when Maxwell entered the car and caught her smiling.


    He started the car and asked, ¡°So,dies. Where to?¡±


    **********


    As Maxwell parked in front of ReyDexter, Reyona quickly came out of the car and intended to get away as fast as she could.


    ¡°Thank you. You just made my day,¡± Toria said enthusiastically before she got out of the car.


    ¡°I thought the baby did that,¡± Reyona couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking.


    ¡°Well, that too, but then this kick-ass car wrapped up the euphoria.¡±


    Maxwell smiled and told her she was wee.


    Reyona tossed a thank you in Maxwell¡¯s direction and made to follow Toria, but his voice stopped her.


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth, may I have a word, please?¡±


    Toria looked back at Reyona and said, ¡°I will be upstairs. I need to get out of these,¡± she said as she gestured at her pajamas and slippers.


    Reyona wished Toria hadn¡¯t chosen that moment to be conscious of her look, but before she could protest, her sister was already walking towards the entrance.


    She heard hime out of the car.


    Reyona admitted that it was better to get it done and over with anyway.


    So she faced him ¡°What do you want to say to me?¡± she asked pleasantly.


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    Is he joking? He wanted her to believe that he cared about how she felt?


    ¡°I am fine, thank you,¡± she answered crisply. ¡°If that is all you want to ask, then¡­¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°No, no, you know that is not all. Can we have a ce to sit? We need to talk, and it is not just about business.¡±


    Reyona folded her arms across her body as she answered him as frostily as she could manage. ¡°First, you and I have no business to discuss. You took that business away from me, remember? In case you have a short-term memory, let me remind you that my reputation has not been the most ster recently. As a result, people don¡¯t want to work with mypany, and I am sure if you hadn¡¯t ripped up the contract that was supposed to bind our cooperation, then you would have done so at the earliest opportunity.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±

 Rotten Tomato

    ¡°No, Mr. Rohan. I think it is high time you let people get their own twopence in before you dictate how things would be. As I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, since I refused to do as you said, you find a way to get things done anyway. You have someone else to do your dirty work for you. There I was, vulnerable and looking for every means to rectify my situation, but guess what the man who could do something about it asked for as payment? Oh, you don¡¯t have to guess. It was the exact thing you wanted. I am sure the two of you must haveughed at my stupidity after you got what you wanted. Well, you know what? I don¡¯t care. What I do care about is you showing your face in my presence and pretending to care.¡±


    The way he was staring at her as she finished her statement made her wonder if she had something on her face.


    ¡°What?¡± she was forced to ask when he said nothing.


    ¡°I just think you are a very incredible woman. I could see in your eyes just how much you wanted to tear into me, yet you still managed to keep your voice controlled andposed through all that. That is exceptional,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°What is wrong with him?¡± Reyona wondered.


    After all that she had said, was that the only thing he could say?


    No remorse at all about the fact that he had used her situation against her?


    There is no apology for being a part of this mess as well.


    Herposure? That was what he wanted toment on?


    Reyona wondered why she had even bothered to talk to him at all in the first ce.


    It was quite silly of her to think she would be able to get to him through words or any action.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If his sister could be cruel enough to willingly have a hand in Reyona¡¯s broken home, how much would the brother?


    He was nothing but a rotten tomato, and she gave him more satisfaction by wasting her time with him.


    She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her again.


    ¡°I never terminated your cooperation with thepany. We have been waiting for you toe sign the contract and get started, but we understand the situation that must have caused the dy. That was why I called. ¡±


    As much as hope bloomed in Reyona¡¯s chest, she turned to him with a suspicious re. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why will you still keep our cooperation after what happened? Even our long-term customers left, and you want me to believe that you decided to keep us on out of the goodness of your heart? Is there something else you want me to do for you? Another way you intend to ckmail or threaten me?¡±


    ¡°I will never ckmail you. I wouldn¡¯t threaten you as well. I only asked that wee to an agreement, and you refu¡­.¡±


    ¡°But you got it done anyway,¡± Reyona countered.


    ¡°I never asked him to speak to you about it. I had no idea he¡­¡±


    ¡°But you reaped the reward quite fine, didn¡¯t you? How did you even know him?¡± Reyona said in a heated tone.


    She quickly looked behind her towards the entrance of thepany, where the security guards were.


    She knew it didn¡¯t matter that none of them were looking directly at them.


    Beyond the reflecting ss walls of herpany would be others who probably had their noses pressed against the chrome to see what was going on between the two of them.


    He had beenbelled as her lover, and here she was having a talk with him in the presence of whoever had a camera and a malicious mind to spread more rumours.


    ¡°I know a lot of things, Reyona. Just as I know that your husband is granting an interview today,¡±


    The fact that he used her name, coupled with what he said, made her jerk her head back towards him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you leave to call my name!¡± she said tersely.


    ¡°You hate me using your official name too. What would you want me to call you? Beatrice?¡±


    ¡°Especially not that,¡± she said. Then we changed the conversation. ¡°And I don¡¯t need you telling me what anyone is doing. What are you? A five-year-old tattle tale?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I am just the man who couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you,¡± he said in a serious tone.


    While Reyona was speechless about the gravity of that statement, he added, ¡°And this is not just any interview. He is having it in a personal space this time.¡±


    He paused before adding, ¡°At your home. It was supposed to be an excerpt from the tell-all in his about-to-beunched book.


    Reyona stood frozen for a moment as if any sudden movement would make her shatter into a million pieces.


    Then she said slowly and deliberately, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Also, I have no interest in working with you. Now, excuse me.¡±


    **********


    Reyona rigidly held herself as she entered thepany without a backward nce.


    Ignoring the employees who greeted her as she passed, she headed straight for the elevator.


    Thankfully, there was no one in the elevator.


    She pressed the close door button on the control panel, held it down, and pressed her floor number.


    It was only after she was sure that the express setting she did would make the elevator take her straight to her floor without stopping at any other floor did she allowed herself to feel.


    She slowly dropped into a crouch and rocked herself as she thought about what he had said.


    Thomas was going too far.


    The bastard was not satisfied with wrecking her life and making her scramble after the pieces.


    He was not satisfied with all the humiliation he had caused her.


    Now he wanted to desecrate her home with vile lies and obscenity?


    How much more cruelty can be found in one man?

 Scene Of Infidelity

    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe she had been so blind that she couldn¡¯t see him for the beast that he was.


    She couldn¡¯t believe she had entrusted her life and everything to a man who would stop so low to destroy her after all he had done to ruin her marriage.


    When the elevator stopped at her floor, Reyona rose from her fetal position just as the elevator opened to reveal Charlotte on the other side.


    ¡°Ma¡­¡±


    Reyona walked to the control panel and pressed the down button again and again.


    Charlotte gaped at the tears on Reyona¡¯s face. ¡°Ma, are you¡­?¡±


    The elevator had closed before she couldplete her statement.


    With only one location and motive in mind, Reyona walked out of the elevator door and went straight to the garage without waiting for the valet to get it for her.


    She got into her Phytonic Blue BMW X3 and drove out of the garage as fast as she could.


    In no time, she was driving up thene that led to her house.


    The home she had bought with her money and decided to put the names of herself and her husband on it.


    It had been her wedding gift to him.


    Of course, the bastard had no idea that that had changed already.


    She had changed the name back to hers while putting other ns in ce.


    She almost couldn¡¯t recognize their driveway with the clusters of news vans blocking it.


    The rage she had been tamping down since she started driving overrode her reasoning as she parked behind one of the vans since she couldn¡¯t get close to the house enough in order to park in her normal spot.


    The extra walk she had to take did no good for her mood.


    She could see the movements behind their curtains as she got close.


    ¡°Okay, we are about to start rolling. Everyone, get into your ce. In 1, 2,¡­ we are live!¡±


    Reyona opened the door, and the extra light that flooded in made the man scowl at the unwee intrusion.


    ¡°Who is¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you start this without the main cast?¡± Reyona asked as she walked straight into the set they had turned her living room into.


    They had turned her private space into a fucking showroom!


    Main, fill, and back lights were all in ce, in addition to the boom microphone and other gadgets they had set up for the shoot.


    Her private home lit up like a carnival!


    Despite how many times reporters had wanted to interview her about her personal life, she had always kept it out of the media.


    To think the bastard had no hesitation in exposing her haven to the public eye!


    Reyona had a struggle keeping in her rage at that point.


    Yet, she managed it.


    Even when she could see the opened door to the bedroom upstairs,.


    Another setting like this had been made there as well.


    She supposed they intended to get to thatter.


    The scene of infidelity must be well captured, after all.


    The look of shock on Thomas¡¯s face was priceless.


    Everyone gaped at Reyona as she waved airily at Thomas with an acidic smile, and then she took the chair that was supposedly meant for him.


    It was the chair facing the main camera directly.


    ********


    Reyona could see the camera rolling, and she almost backed down from putting herself in public like this, but she firmed up her smile and looked straight into the camera.


    ¡°I have arrived, husband. Let¡¯s get the show rolling.¡±


    ¡°Err,¡± the director, who had almost snapped at Reyona, looked from her to Thomas, then back to his crew.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Thomas was finally able to talk after trying twice without much sess.


    Reyona raised her eyebrows at him.


    ¡°What am I doing in my home?¡±


    ¡°You¡­you have lost the right to be here. Ain¡¯t you shameless?¡± Thomas blurted out as a sheen of sweat showed on his powdered forehead.


    His fitting, stylish coat seemed too tight for him at that point as he reached for the tie at his neck and tried to loosen it.


    Only that his hand came away empty because he didn¡¯t have any tie on after all.


    He had on an open-necked cream-coloured shirt under the coat.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He suddenly seemed to realise something and looked at his manager, who was gaping at the couple as if he were already looking for ways to spin this around.


    ¡°We need to stop this,¡± the manager said immediately to the director.


    ¡°We¡­are live already,¡± the director said in an apologetic tone. ¡°Going off now would be¡­¡±


    The head of the media crew signalled to the director that they were already gettingments.


    Thomas¡¯s manager saw that they had over 100, 000 views already, and many of them had started makingments.


    Most of them were looking forward to how Thomas would handle his cheating wife, of course.


    The manager quickly moved beyond the camera range to whisper to Thomas that shutting off the live session now would make him look bad.


    ¡°Spin this around,¡± he said urgently before moving back.


    Reyona heard everything while she sat stoically facing the camera with an unwavering smile on her face.


    The crew quickly brought another set chair as Thomas took the chair that was meant for the interviewer.


    The interviewer looked poised and unconcerned.


    If there was anything, Reyona could only detect a glint in her eyes.


    The glint of someone who could see the potential of getting more scoop.


    ¡°Well, guess what? It is your lucky day,¡± Reyona thought acerbically.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Lanoth, I must say it is a pleasure to have the chance to interview the two of you together today,¡± the youngdy started.


    ¡°I am sure it is,¡± Reyona answered in a freezing tone, which made thedy¡¯s megawatt smile dim a bit.


    Thomas only scowled deeply and quickly rearranged his features when his manager gestured at him.


    A little less chirpy, the interviewer continued, ¡°Concerning the situation at hand¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean the situation where I was used of cheating on my husband and he decided to capitalise on it? Oh yes, let¡¯s talk about that.¡±

 You Ruined Everything!

    ¡°What a shameless woman!¡± Thomas blurted out.


    He realised that he had lost his cool, so he nted a stic smile on his face as he continued. ¡°How can you have the face to evene here after everything you did?¡±


    Reyona tilted her head aside as if she were seriously thinking about his words.


    Then she said, ¡°Well, you mean, how can I dare toe to the house I bought with my own hard-earned money? Or you are asking about how I dared to find out about the fact that you had been cheating on me before we got married and even had three children with your mistress?¡±


    Shocked murmurs went through the crew as they looked at each other.


    The media team could see that the same thing was ongoing online, as people started asking that Thomas defend himself and expose her as the liar and cheater that she was.


    Reyona was not done, though.


    As Thomas was about to talk, she raised her hand towards him and said, ¡°Oh, hold on. It must be because I dared to discover that you have been stealing from me for years so that you could go away with your mistress and children. Or it must be¡­.¡±


    ¡°Cut! Cut!! Cut!!! Stop it!¡± Thomas yelled at the top of his voice as he jumped up, waving his hands wildly at the cameras.


    When the crew didn¡¯t move fast enough, he went towards one of the cameras and yelled at the director. ¡°I say, stop it now!¡±


    ¡°We are live! We can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Thomas pulled the boom arm off its stand and struck it hard against the Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:5. 6/1600mm.


    The collective gasp that went through the crew as they saw the expensive camera crash to the ground didn¡¯t stop Thomas.


    Seeing that Thomas had done himself in more than she had intended.


    Reyona said, ¡°Well, I guess that wraps up the interview.¡±


    She stood up to leave, but Thomas rounded on her.


    ¡°You! Where the hell do you think you are going?! You bitch! You ruin everything!¡±


    He tossed the boom arm aside, crashing into another camera.


    He strode towards Reyona and raised his hand in a fist.


    Reyona stood stoically as he pulled his arm back.


    Before she could pull a fast one on him and knee him in the groin, the manager yelled in a painstaking voice.


    ¡°You are still live, you motherfucker!¡±


    That got to Thomas.


    ¡°Wha¡­? What?¡± He looked aside to see the side-angle camera still trained on him.


    Reyona smiled and daintily stepped over the overturned equipment on her way out.


    Well.


    *********


    ¡°Rey, you badass!¡±


    Toria¡¯s squeal made Reyona move her phone away from her ear before her eardrum would leak out.


    She smiled as she heard her sister¡¯s excited chatter in the background, so she gingerly moved the phone back to her ear.


    ¡°¡­ is everywhere already. Oh my God, you really showed that bastard. Damn! You handled that well, Rey. Where had all that been hiding?¡±


    Toria let out a satisfied cackle that reminded Reyona of when her sister had mistakenly put glue in a girl¡¯s shampoo.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona¡¯s smile bloomed as she said, ¡°Girl. I think you need to calm down before you hyperventte.¡±


    ¡°Calm down? Oh, you must be kidding me,¡± Toria answered. ¡°Where are you? We need to celebrate. This day just keeps getting better and better.¡±


    ¡°I am on the road, currently breaking thew as I am speaking to you while driving,¡± she said as she looked behind her to be sure she was not about to get pulled over for sure.


    ¡°You deserve to break every rule there is today, Rey. You have earned it!¡±


    Reyonaughed ¡°No, thank you. I am not interested in getting locked up right after I sort of clear my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you did more than that. You kicked ass!¡± Toria screeched.


    ¡°And I think you are going to reward me for it by turning me deaf for life. I need to do something. I will be at the office soon. It is high time you stopped wearing those ridiculous slippers in my office. I am sure my employees are traumatised for life.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You mean¡­¡±


    Reyona quickly disconnected before Toria would start bombarding her with questions while asking for all the details she could get.


    She rolled her shoulders to relieve the kink she felt in her back.


    Yes, it was high time she stopped acting like a wuss.


    There was nothing she could do about the fact that her private matters had now be public affairs, so it was time to face the music and dance to it in her way.


    She was tempted to put on the radio or at least check her phone to see what had got Toria so excited, but she ignored the urge.


    Instead, she put on her favourite ylist.


    As Starqueen¡¯s sonorous voice filled her car, Reyona sang along to the catchy tune.


    This particr song matched her mood; it was a song about letting go of old attachments.


    I can¡¯t believe I am saying goodbye!


    After all that we shared!


    I¡­.


    For the first time in a long time, Reyona was not bothered by the lyrics of the song.


    It felt liberating.


    It felt freeing.


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


    She called him before getting to his office.


    Still, Reyona was surprised that Gibson was waiting for her in the lobby.


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± he said as he led her to his office.


    Reyona followed him and satfortably in thefy chair in his office.


    The man seemed to have redecorated since thest time that Reyona was there.


    ¡°Life goes on,¡± she thought.


    No matter what is happening in your world, life goes on.


    People move on.


    The world goes on.


    ¡°It is time for you to brutally cut all ties and move on too,¡± her subconscious whispered to her.


    Reyona totally agreed with that.


    She had chosen caution, and look where that got her.


    Now was the time to go all in.

 Hell Hath No Fury

    ¡°Any new update?¡± she asked Gibson immediately after the man took his seat.


    ¡°Not much of one,¡± Gibson answered.


    The investigators have not been able to connect  your husband to the purchase of that mask or the sex toys as well.


    ¡°Nothing at all on it?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°Actually, we have been able to get the manufacturers of those products. We were able to get details of their outlets in Kayooma. Still, we haven¡¯t been able to connect any of the purchases around that time to him. We started in the areas close to where you stay, and nothing hase up yet. There are no records of him making any of the purchases. So now, we are extending the search to the area farther from where you stay or his workce.¡±


    Reyona nodded slowly as the man talked.


    What a bummer!


    It would have been a great thing to hit Thomas right now while he was still reeling, but then there are other ways.


    ¡°You still have those pictures, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Gibson answered.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good. He has gone beyond the days that he was supposed to respond to the divorce papers, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has,¡± thewyer responded.


    ¡°Charge it to court. I no longer want just the divorce. I need to sue him for defamation. I need him to pay back all the money he stole from me. I need him to bear the full wrath of thew for what he did to my person and to my business through nder.¡±


    Gibson looked at Reyona in surprise.


    She was certainly different from the woman he had seen on the first day.


    That woman had been concerned about giving her handsy husband some leeway.


    The woman in front of him at that moment seemed like she didn¡¯t care if the sky would copse.


    The saying ¡°Hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned¡± was the fitting thing that came to his mind.


    He had been aware of the things that had happened to this woman in the past few weeks.


    If she was ready to take her husband to court in such a situation, then that means the man had run for his dear life.


    After Gibson had ensured Reyona that he would get things done as fast as possible so they could go for the court dissolution that week, she stood up to leave.


    Then something came to her, and she turned back to Gibson.


    ¡°I think I know why you haven¡¯t found Thomas¡¯s name on any of those purchases,¡± she said confidently.


    ¡°Why?¡± Gibson asked curiously.


    ¡°I might be wrong, though but check out this person.¡±


    She gave him the full details of the woman they were supposed to check out.


    She seemed so sure that Gibson didn¡¯t doubt that they would find something useful.


    Gibson didn¡¯t envy her soon-to-be ex-husband at all.


    **********


    Reyona¡¯s phone was vibrating even while she had her meeting with Gibson.


    But after seeing the caller ID, she silenced the phone.


    Immediately after she came out of thew firm, she called her back.


    ¡°Hello, ma. Are you alright, ma?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am alright,¡± Reyona answered, even as her stomach rumbled with hunger.


    She remembered that she had not had anything to eat since morning.


    Remembering Celia¡¯s ridiculous spread that morning only made her hunger increase.


    She couldn¡¯t believe a lot had happened in just one day.


    ¡°That is good to know. I think you shouldn¡¯te here for now, though. You can stay where you are and just have a good time.¡±


    That got Reyona¡¯s interest and took her mind off the thoughts of food.


    ¡°Why? What is happening?¡± She asked without the slightest apprehension.


    ¡°Nothing. I just feel like you needed the break, ma. So, just take enough time for yourself. You can even take some days off ande to workter.¡±


    Reyona wondered when it hade to the point that her employees felt they should protect her against something.


    The fact that Charlotte thought that her poor attempt at hiding something from her would make a difference was hrious.


    Reyona wasn¡¯t amused, though.


    She was hungry, and that didn¡¯t leave room for much humour.


    ¡°What is it, Charlotte?¡± she asked tersely.


    ¡°People are here.¡±


    ¡°What people?¡± Reyona asked as she sat up straighter in her seat.


    ¡°Reporters, ma. They are everywhere outside thepany. Andrews and the others had told them to leave, but they said they just wanted to get rifications from you. That is why I think¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I understand. You all can get off work. Let me know once everyone is gone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma,¡± Charlotte said.


    Reyona disconnected the call, and she sent a message to Toria.


    For a moment, she wondered if it had been a good idea to go on air after all.


    Good idea or not, she couldn¡¯t back down now.


    So, she thought of what to do without turning herpany into a circus.


    She dialled a number as she thought of the perfect solution.


    ¡°Hello, Rouarke,¡± she said as the person picked up the call.


    ¡°It is good to hear from you, CEO Lanoth. Err, can I still call you that?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Reyona,¡± she answered simply. ¡°Can you have dinner with me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that will be my pleasure,¡± the man answered eagerly. ¡°I would have called you anyway; I saw¡­¡±


    ¡°Dinner. Over dinner, Rouarke. I am famished.¡±


    ¡°Very well, ma¡¯am. Where should I meet you?¡±


    Reyona looked around at the softening evening light as she tried to remember if there were any good restaurants around.


    The station where Rouarke worked was not far from her present location anyway, so she might as well kill two birds with one stone.


    She remembered a ce with Italian dishes just some distance from where she was.


    ¡°Can you meet me at Ariel¡¯s Bistro?¡±


    ¡°I will be there in minutes,¡± Rouarke said eagerly.


    Reyon disconnected the call and drove the few distances to the small, intimate bistro with its bubbly owner.


    Reyona had discovered the ce a while ago when she had an Italian client who wanted a ce where he could eat food that could pass for homecooked.


    Phil had suggested the ce, but he was having another meeting with a client, so Reyona had offered to bring him.


    She could remember that she had left the ce not just full of the pot roast the cook hadddled on but also sated with the good Italian music ying in the background.


    The ce was just as Reyona remembered it.


    The owner, Ariel Fitzgerald, had the habit ofing out to greet the guests as her girls settled them down.


    The smile on her wrinkly face reduced when she saw Reyona.


    ¡°It is you,¡± the woman said through a snort.


    Reyona looked around to be certain the woman was really talking about her.


    She could remember how hospitable the woman had been thest time.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Reyona asked as she saw the customers who were seated in the bistro turning around to look at both of them.


    The smilingdy who was taking Reyon to her seat stepped back and moved behind the woman.


    ¡°You. Bad woman. My daughter showed me. You are cheating on your husband. Cheating and bad women are not allowed here. This is a family ce. I cannot sell food for you.¡±


    The heavily ented words were like stabs to Reyona¡¯s suddenly sick stomach.


    Shame made the hunger that Reyona had beening with vanish within a twinkle of an eye.


    The fact that the people around her were not making it a secret that they were gossiping about her was even worse.


    They pointed and whispered behind their hands as they pinned their gazes on her.


    Reyona felt like the ground should open and she should enter it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me,¡± she managed to say as she turned to leave.


    But the woman was not done.


    Behind Reyona, she shouted, ¡°Riconosco una prostituta quando ne vedo.¡±


    Reyona was not as versed in manynguages as her travel-bug sister, but she understood what the woman said quite fine.


    I know a harlot when I see one!

 Like A Live Wire

    Reyona raised her head just in time to see Rouarke parking his car in front of the bistro.


    She turned to face the woman.


    ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    The woman seemed a bit surprised that Reyona understood what she said.


    Still, she was not remorseful.


    Instead, she raised her nose in the air and said, ¡°Get out of my restaurant, bad woman.¡±


    ¡°CEO Lanoth, is everything fine?¡± Rouarke asked as he entered the restaurant and heard thest statement from the woman.


    ¡°Oh, you are here, Rouarke,¡± Reyona said cheerily as she turned to him. ¡°Good. Just in time. You see, I invited you here for a different reason before, but I just discovered something better.¡±


    Better?


    Curiousity could be seen on the faces of the people around as they wondered how Reyona could still be chirpy despite what just happened.


    Even the heavy-set woman was looking from Rouarke to Reyona.


    Reyona raised her voice as she looked in the direction that led to the kitchen and said, ¡°Can you see what I am seeing, Rouarke?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I am not sure I can.¡± The man ced his camera bag on the closest table and moved closer to Reyona.


    ¡°Look closely, Rouarke. In fact, bring out your camera so that you can capture this very well.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what are you talking about? You¡­what are you doing?¡± The woman said this when she saw Rouarke bring out his camera.


    Then he started seriously setting it up, like he was about to capture something serious.


    d that Rouarke was such a good sport, Reyona fully got into her role as she said, ¡°Let your camera capture that angle over there. Can you see that big roach that is about the size of a child¡¯s fist?¡±


    Rouarke gave her a confused look, but the look Reyona gave him made him quickly look back at the direction she was pointing at.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I can see it now. I think I see it going near a pot of soup right there.¡±


    Even better than she anticipated.


    Reyona smiled inwardly when she saw a man who was about to put a forkful of pasta in his mouth drop the spoon as if it were a live wire.


    ¡°What are you saying? Why are you lying like this?¡± Ariel was clearly distressed as she moved her massive arm from Reyona to Roarke, then back to Reyona.


    ¡°Oh, did I forget to mention it? My friend here is a top-notch reporter. He is very good with that camera and his pen.¡±


    So saying, she turned to Rouarke and said, ¡°If we report this, just how fast do you think KFSIS would get here?¡±


    Roaurke snapped his fingers as he said, ¡°That fast.¡±


    One customer called one of the workers toe and give him his bill.


    The food in front of him was barely touched.


    Another woman stood up before they could serve her food.


    One elderly man said, ¡°Ariel, is it true that you want to make us sick? Have I been eating food that rodents have yed with?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I would never do that. There is no rat. There are no cockroaches anywhere. She is lying.¡±


    ¡°But I can see them.¡±


    Reyona said so sweetly that Roaurke gazed at her in shock for a moment.


    Then he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, yes. Right there. They were running around behind that counter. You can go look for yourself if you don¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± one man spat his polenta out onto the table. ¡°No wonder this tastes weird today,¡± he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.


    As if that was all they needed, the other four customers left their food behind and made for the door.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go! What are you standing there for?¡± Ariel screeched at her workers.


    She tried to hold on to her customers, but her massive build did not agree with her intention.


    She almost toppled over the threshold in her haste to call the people back.


    Her workers were beyond themselves as they came back in defeat.


    The man who had spat out the polenta could be heard shouting as he went.


    ¡°You¡­you devil!¡± Ariel shouted, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath while wagging her finger at Reyona.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Reyona asked innocently.


    ¡°What did you do? You just sent my customers away with your lies!¡±


    ¡°What lies? I only said what I saw. After all, riconosco un ratto quando lo vedo. I know a rat when I see one.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened when she realised that Reyona understood and could speak Italian.


    Then she narrowed her eyes as she put her hands at her waist and said, ¡°You did this on purpose. You did it as a payback.¡±


    The feigned look on Reyona¡¯s face was gone as she moved closer to the woman and said, ¡°No, I did it to teach you a lesson. Not everything is as it seems on the inte. I hope you will teach your daughter this lesson too.¡±


    With that, she turned to Roaurke and said, ¡°I have lost my appetite. Let¡¯s leave this ce.¡±


    ¡°You are just going to go? What about my customers?¡±


    Reyona shrugged. ¡°I assume you will have a fine time proving to them that your food is not made with rat piss after all. Good lock on that. Maybe that would teach you to think twice before calling people names.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ah¡­I am¡­ahhh!¡±


    Reyona didn¡¯t look back as the woman fell off the edge of the chair she had tried to sit on without looking back.


    Reyona was not known for being vengeful, but at the moment, it felt so good to be able to pull one on such a narrow-minded, horrid woman.


    Too bad that her cook makes good food.


    She looked aside to see Rouarke looking at her curiously.


    ¡°Thank you for your help tonight,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are wee. Uhm, any time.¡±


    That made Reyonaugh.


    ¡°Oh, you mean anytime I am in the mood to put an old woman out of business, I should let you know? Cool, I will note that down.¡±


    As she reached her car, she turned towards him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this done and over with.¡±

 List Of Wants

    Toria was waiting for Reyona at the rented house.


    ¡°You have this here, and you were camping out at the office, Rey? Why? Tell me why you had to make me go through this trauma.¡± Toria asked dramatically as she came to meet Reyona at the car.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry. I had no idea I was the wicked witch. I guess you won¡¯t want these yummy cookies then,¡± Reyona said with a smile as she pulled back the box she was about to hand to Toria.


    ¡°What? No. Did I ever mention that you are the best sister in the whole world? No? Well, I am saying it now. The very best. Nobody canpare to you.¡±


    So saying, she had snatched the box from Reyona while simultaneously reaching for one of the chocte chip cookies.


    ¡°Ooohhm,¡± she moaned as she crammed the whole piece into her mouth before carting the box off to the porch.


    ¡°This is life. Come and enjoy life with me, Reyona,¡± she said in a heartfelt tone.


    Reyona merely shook her head and continued on her way to the door.


    ¡°I am not sitting out here to give our neighbours a chance to raise an rm because of two noisy sisters. Come in or enjoy yourself alone out here.¡±


    ¡°What neighbours?¡± Toria asked innocently as she looked around like she couldn¡¯t see a thing. ¡°I swear this ce is more set apart and silent than your ce. I mean, how can people live like this? My future husband had better be ready. I want a ce where I can tell the kind of soup my neighbour is cooking just by the smell of it. I want a ce where we can all get into each other¡¯s business and I can gossip about the neighbour¡¯s silly kid and the dog that wouldn¡¯t stop peeing in the garden, and¡­ Rey?¡±


    Toria stopped her list of wants when she realised that Reyona had entered. ¡°What a spoilsport,¡± she said loudly enough for Reyona to hear.


    Then, as she carted her box of goodies in, she muttered, ¡°I still need to ask mom and dad a serious question. One of us must be adopted. The question is, Which one?¡±


    A few minutester, she wasughing loudly while scattering the crumbs around.


    Reyona was telling her about what happened at the restaurant.


    ¡°Oh, my God. Why is it that you don¡¯t do all these things when I am there? Come on. It is not fair!¡±


    Reyona smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When next I want to let loose on someone, I will give you heads up first.¡±


    Toriaughed and sipped her wine.


    ¡°We should be out celebrating and painting the town red tonight. I mean, why on earth would you choose to cook after such a day that you have had? I would be jumping in my skin!¡±


    ¡°Well, cooking rxes me. Also, I like my vegetables as fresh as possible.¡±


    Toria made a gagging sound. ¡°I want my vegetables cooked and ready to be served to me. Cooking rxes you? Why? I am a disaster in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°That is why I am not asking you to help me here. We both know how that would end.¡±


    Toria stuck her tongue out at Reyona and then sighed. ¡°I will probably starve to death or depend on you forever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Reyona snorted.


    ¡°You should pity me and swear to cook for me for the rest of your life, you know. You are my sister. That should be your duty.¡±


    ¡°No, my duty is trying to show you how to cook. You almost burned down my kitchen thest time, remember?¡± Reyona said with augh.


    ¡°That is because¡­¡± Toria gave up and yfully threw her napkin at Reyona.


    Reyonaughed harder as she snatched the napkin mid-air and threw it right on the cookies.


    ¡°Just watch out for me. I am going to marry a world-ss chef. I won¡¯t need to cook, then I will send you every picture of every meal he makes for me just so I can oppress you with my good fortune.¡±


    ¡°Good luck on that, Cindere,¡± Reyona threw back.


    As they sat down to a dinner of well-garnished brown rice pasta, herbed shrimp, and watercress sdter, Toria gave Reyona a thoughtful look and said, ¡°You know what?¡±


    ¡°I am sure you are about to tell me.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Toria rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°I think you have been holding back on yourself.¡±


    Reyona raised her brows as she drank her water and said, ¡°How is that?¡±


    Toria heartily gulped her wine before she continued, ¡°I think you have stiffened your emotions for so long that these recent¡­¡± She trailed off as she tried to find the best word for it. ¡°¡­ should I call it an outburst? Anyway, you are the one with the big words. Pick one for it.¡±


    ¡°What is your point?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°My point is, I think you made yourself into this calm, cool, collected version who is always so careful about everything she does or says. That is not all there is to you. You have the spontaneous, daredevil part to you as well, but you wouldn¡¯t let it out.¡±


    Reyona leaned back and said, ¡°Oh, wow. Look at you going all philosophical on me.¡±


    ¡°You are wee. No need to pay for therapy,¡± Toria crooned, and they bothughed.


    Reyona knew there was some truth to what Toria said.


    She didn¡¯t know how it had started or when exactly, but she really hadn¡¯t always been this¡­ Stiff was the only term that came to her mind at that point.


    She was not a woman who had an identity crisis or didn¡¯t like who she was, but her baby sister was right; she had let go of a lot of herself just to be the perfect businesswoman.


    She had swallowed a lot of words and smiled instead, just to be the virtuous wife.


    She had let go of a lot of things even in her childhood just to be the desirable daughter that her parents wouldn¡¯t wash their hands off by foisting her on her grandma.


    Reyona¡¯s fork paused on the way to her mouth as her mind snagged on that.


    Has that really been the root of her change of personality?


    She could remember that she had once been a very bubbly girl before her parent¡¯s divorce.


    The change had started when her parents dumped her on her grandma.


    Grams had been the best thing that happened to her then.


    Still, the change had happened anyway.


    Was she still trying hard to be epted by people?


    Was she still unconsciously believing that she had to act in certain ways to be epted by everyone?


    To be loved by her husband?


    Has she kept Thomas around for this long, even after finding out about his deception, because she somehow med herself for his action?


    ¡°Uhmm, Rey? Tell me you are not zoning out on me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The veggies on Reyona¡¯s fork ttered to the te as her hand jerked.


    ¡°Are you okay? Did I say¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, I am fine,¡± Reyona said as she stood up from the table.


    ¡°We can clear this upter. Do you want some dessert?¡±


    ¡°More of those heavenly cookies?¡± Toria asked with a smile, even as she gave Reyona an assessing look.


    ¡°No, chocte mousse. It is in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°You are my goddess!¡± Toria said as she hurried towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh, my, look at these!¡± she eximed as she came to the living room to join Reyona. ¡°This is just¡­¡±


    ¡°I am going back home tomorrow,¡± Reyona blurted out.


    And she had to quickly save the sses of chocte mousse before her sister could drop them in her shock.


    What?!

 Vultures Over Carcass

    Despite Toria¡¯s reservations, Reyona had already made up her mind.


    She was done hiding.


    She was done being a coward.


    She was going to take what belonged to her from that bastard and then drag his ass through the court and back.


    ¡°If it reallyes to that,¡± she muttered to herself as she dressed up carefully that morning.


    Of course, she had vowed to herself to be more assertive but then a tiny part of her still wished things didn¡¯t go this way.


    Changed personality or not, hanging her dirty linen in the open for all to specte and discuss was not her game n.


    She was dressed in an electric-blue power suit and trousers.


    The suit had one pearl button in the middle, perfectly disying the orange silk shirt she had underneath.


    Paired with minimal jewellery of pearl earrings, a ne, and a watch, the powerful CEO look was wellplimented with passion diamond stilettos and a matching Channel bag.


    She left Toria a note, tucked the discarded sheets around her and left in a high spirit.


    She raised her eyes towards the sky as she got outside and vowed silently that that day was going to be Reyona¡¯s Day.


    She was going to kick ass and she would enjoy it.


    She looked in the direction of Jordan¡¯s home and wondered if they were back home yet.


    ¡°Not your business,¡± she said to herself firmly when she found herself thinking of checking on them.


    Then, of course, a certain fellow rudely intruded on her thoughts.


    That helped to quickly discourage her from that idea.


    As she entered the car, she switched on her phone.


    She and Toria had made a pact to switch off their phones the night before.


    It had been Toria¡¯s idea.


    While thetter was trying to list the many ways it would be a bad idea for Reyona to go back to the scene of confrontation that fast without having the definite verdict of divorce between them first, Toria¡¯s phone started buzzing, and she had excitedly turned her phone towards Reyona.


    Then, before Reyona could fully grasp what was on the screen, Toria snatched the phone away again while saying, ¡°I am sorry. I am sorry. We are not doing this. I am going to switch this off now. I need you to¡­¡± She looked around and ran to pick Reyona¡¯s phone off the table. ¡°There, I am switching our phones off. That is it. It is just you and me and whatever caught our fancy tonight. No pokey-nose world getting in here.¡±


    ¡°I run apany; I shouldn¡¯t switch off my phone,¡± Reyona said without much assertiveness.


    ¡°Not tonight. Tonight you are just Reyona, a woman who kicked ass and would celebrate all night with her adorable sister.¡±


    ¡°By adorable, I guess you mean you?¡± Reyona asked with an innocent expression on her face.


    ¡°Ha ha. She thinks she is funny,¡± Toria said before she went off to hide the phones in the bedroom.


    She handed Reyona¡¯s phone to her that night just before they went to sleep but Reyona had not bothered to put it on anyway.


    Her phone had been off for hours and the world survived, right?Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    What could a few more hours hurt?


    As she put on ¡°Wildcat¡± by Aria and moved her body to it enjoyably on the way to work, she listened as notification after notification sounded on her phone.


    The beeping sound stopped just as she was looking at herpany from afar.


    She could see herpany, just as she could see the reporters waiting there for her too.


    ¡°You started this, girl. You better finish it,¡± she muttered to herself as she shored up her resolve and nted the passive look she had mastered for negotiation.


    She could see her security men doing their best to keep the reporters back.


    ¡°I really need to give them a raise,¡± she thought to herself.


    All she could think of was vultures roving around a carcass.


    She parked some distance from thepany.


    A reporter saw her and he asked another to be sure if that was her car or not.


    The others heard and those who knew for sure started running towards her.


    Like a stampede, they ran towards her car, giving the security men a break.


    It was a momentary relief because they saw that they were going after Reyona and then they had to run after the reporters to save their boss from the mob.


    Reyona had already rolled up her noise-filtering window sses, though.


    Her car had been modified after she got it.


    It could switch panes from tinted to regr to noise-filtering.


    So, as the reporters beat on the car¡¯s body and window, Reyona watched their mouths open and close in what she supposed were variants of statements regarding their oh-so-important need for an interview.


    Her eyes widened a bit as she reached for her phone and saw fifteen calls that had gone straight to voicemail, eleven messages, and an email.


    She decided to check thoseter.


    She opened her call log and dialled thest number she called.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for your call,¡± the person on the other end responded.


    ¡°Do it now.¡±


    ¡°Right away¡±


    Reyona disconnected and sat with a serene smile on her face as some of the reporters decided to make do with her car-barricaded pictures first.


    Reyona mentally counted.


    One¡­two¡­three¡­f¡­


    Her security men didn¡¯t have to stress themselves this time around because the reporters started pulling out their phones one after the other as if they all got notifications at the same time.


    Some of them looked back at Reyona in the car, like she had just taken their baby from them.


    Some of them quickly ran back to their vans and drove off, while others stepped aside as they quickly requested a live session from their stations.


    Then they quickly face their photographers and put a spin on what they just read and saw.


    Soon enough, there was enough room in front of Reyona¡¯s car for her to drive through.


    Still, some tenacious reporters stuck close to her car to get their own version.


    She honked loudly and drove without a show of hesitation.

 Cutting Corners

    When they saw that she was serious, they stepped back and followed her as she drove to the front of thepany.


    Reyona could have simply driven to the car park to avoid them, but she stopped in front of thepany, smiled at the anxious faces of Samantha, Phil, and Charlotte as they rushed out, and then turned towards the approaching reporters.


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth, can you¡­¡±


    She raised her index finger in such amanding way that the reporters stopped their tumbling questions and listened to her.


    Reyona waited till there was perfect silence. It was as if she had nothing to do and would be ready to wait them out.


    Those who were still shuffling, murmuring, and trying to get her attention quickly followed suit with the others and waited for her to talk.


    ¡°Listen to me carefully, because this is thest time I will be saying anything about this issue.  I am sure the good people of Kayooma have better things to do than read news about me. I am sure you already know of the one and only interview I granted on this matter. All that needed to be said had been said already. I have nothing else to do.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But Mrs. Lanoth, there should¡­¡±


    Reyona raised her voice, and the reporter who interrupted her stopped talking ¡°I can assure you that I am going to get a restraining order if you keep hovering around mypany like this. I have apany to run and this is bad for business. Now, please excuse me.¡±


    Reyona was about to turn around and leave when one reporter said, ¡°I doubt you have any business to hinder anyway. It is a known fact that customers have been dropping you off like a jinx. What do you have to say about that, CEO Lanoth?¡±


    A slight chuckle went through the reporters while some of them struggled to keep their expressions straight at the insinuations of the man¡¯s statement.


    The way he emphasized the ho part didn¡¯t escape anyone¡¯s attention either.


    ¡°That son of a¡­¡±


    Reyona¡¯s slight shift immediately sent a message to Samantha and she stopped her forward motion.


    One could see the re she pinned on the reporter, who only looked back at her with a fake innocent expression and a slight sneer on his face.


    Reyona¡¯s head security put on a forboding expression as he said, ¡°You need to leave.¡±


    He took a step towards the reporter but Reyona raised her finger to stop him.


    In a smooth, calm tone that belied the anger she was feeling, Reyona looked at the name tag on the reporter¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Steve, is it?¡±


    The reporter nodded arrogantly as he said, ¡°Would you like to answer my question, CEO?¡±


    Oh, he did it again.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Reyona answered with a chilly smile that was enough to make anyone freeze. ¡°My answer is that nothing is wrong with my business. It is normal in the corporate world for some customers to decide to leave apany based on their choice. My business is doing just fine and the fact that ReyDexter is still open and has new clients is a testament to that. But of course, I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know that.¡±


    ¡°What new clients?¡± the man asked, a bit confrontational now. ¡°Is this another lie of yours, CEO? Some say that lying is second nature to you. How can you prove that your statement now isn¡¯t a lie? Are you just doing that to save face? Just tell us the truth, and we will understand. After all, we all know how difficult it is for some to keep apany of this magnitude afloat for all these years without cutting corners.¡±


    Even the other reporters were surprised by thest question. Some of them turned to look at the reporter, as they all knew he had just broken the rules of their profession.


    Do not be subjective!


    Reyona didn¡¯t miss a beat before she responded. ¡°By some people; do you mean a certain gender? Steve from Dynamic TV, are you trying to say a woman like me couldn¡¯t afford to run apany without sleeping her way around?¡±


    The satisfied sneer on the reporter¡¯s face was nowhere to be found, as he finally seemed to realise that he had messed up.


    ¡°No, I did not mean¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it is fine. I understand that there are people like you who still believe that women have to sleep around to make anything work, even for something as simple as a promotion in apany. In your prejudiced sight, we all got it through fucking everyone who would ept us.¡±


    With each of her words striking like a whip, Reyona continued, her controlled voice fuelled by the naivety she felt at the idiot who tried to attack her baby. ¡°Steve from Dyanmic TV, that is such an insult to all the powerful women out there today. Women like Oprah, women like Sehima Hasanova.¡±


    Getting desperate, the reporter stammered as he tried to get his words in around Reyona¡¯s rollercoaster statements. ¡°No, no, no. i mean. I would never say that. That is¡­¡±


    ¡°Imagine that. He would probably write that I slept with the boss too,¡± Samantha said with such a forlorn tone and a sigh of sadness while ensuring that he was facing the camera squarely.


    Reyona almostughed at the great conviction on her face.


    The man tried to form a coherent speech as the other reporters started murmuring among themselves.


    ¡°By the way, I am gay. She did not sleep with me,¡± Phil said.


    His statement brought some chuckles among the reporters but then he continued seriously. ¡°Shame on you, man. Shame on anyone who would ever believe that such a hardworking woman as the boss would ever sleep with a man for business or even cheat on her husband.¡±


    A chorus of ¡°Yes!¡± made Reyona look back in surprise to see some of her other staff members standing staunchly behind her.


    Phil was not done though, as he continued, ¡°Imagine that! I mean, what is the worlding to?¡± he said in such a sorrowful tone that even Reyona almost believed that he was about to break down in tears.


    He turned aside as if he were too emotional to continue and Samantha patted his shoulders gently in constion as she shook her head at the reporter like a mother who was sorely disappointed in her kid.


    ¡°I mean¡­I did not. It is not like¡­¡±


    Before any of her other staff would decide to add their own acting skills to the mix, Reyona wrapped up the situation.


    She looked at the reporters in general as she said, ¡°I meant what I said earlier. Stay away from mypany. I have answered all there is to this matter. Good day to you.¡±


    Her re grazed over sweaty Steve as she turned and entered thepany, surrounded by her staff, like they were ready to guard her against vultures like Steve.


    None of the reporters said a thing again or tried to stop her.


    Most of them gave Steve a wide berth and quickly went away in their vans.


    One thing was certain to everyone at that moment:.


    Only God could save Steve now.

 Who Did It?

    As soon as the reporters left, cheers went up in the wholepany.


    Reyona just got to the base of the staircase that leads to the elevator floor.


    She turned and smiled as everyone downstairs and on the second floor came out of their offices and started pping.


    ¡°Yes yes. That is right. Give it up for the best boss anyone can ever have,¡± Phil said in the tone of a hypeman as he took the centre floor and gestured to Reyona with a courtly bow.


    People hooted and pped more.


    As the p was dying down, Phil turned to Reyona and said, ¡°I just want to say this once and for all. Because if I did not say this now, I might forever regret it.¡±


    People started snickering when he put on a showmanship expression and went down on one knee before Reyona.


    ¡°Boss, I am in love with you.¡±


    Laughter went through the crowd as he raised his hand in supplication to Reyona. ¡°What do you say, mdy? Do you believe that I am in love with you?¡±


    Reyona got into character and looked down haughtily at him as she said, ¡°No, you are not. Now, get up before you embarrass yourself, dear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. That was beginning to get ufortable,¡± Phil said as he quickly stood up with aical look on his face.


    Peopleughed again and Samantha rolled her eyes heavenward even though she had a smile on her face.


    ¡°Now that my inappropriate love has been rejected, I just have to say this.¡± Phil began on a more serious note. ¡°You are the most incredible woman I have ever had the privilege to work with, boss. The strongest too. After my mother¡±


    Everyoneughed as Phil bowed again and stepped aside.


    ¡°Now that Mr. Cherry here has started this, I just want to say that you are a role model to me, boss. Never forget just how amazing you are,¡± Samantha said.


    Everyone pped again.


    Just as she stepped back, Charlotte came forward and said, ¡°You treat people right. You have never made me feel like I and my opinions don¡¯t matter. Working for you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.


    Just like that, Reyona¡¯s staff started saying one thing or another they loved about working for thepany.


    Reyona¡¯s smile widened more and more as more of her staff members came downstairs and more of them proudly told her how much she meant to them.


    Even two of the security men ran in to ask if they could add their own quota too.


    Peopleughed and the floor was given to them.


    The first of them, Samuel, said, ¡°You are the first boss I have ever worked with that doesn¡¯t make me feel like I am just a fixture or a statue thates with thepany. You genuinely care about us. You even asked when you saw my expression after I received a call from my wife the other day, and when I told you the problem, you took care of it without deducting it from my sry. I just want to use this opportunity to thank you once again, ma. No amount of malice would make thispany fold in Jesus name.¡± He said passionately and everyone chorused, Amen!


    Reyona¡¯s heart was full to bursting by the time thest person finished speaking.


    She looked around at them all and she was overwhelmed by the gift of men that she had been bestowed with.


    Apart from those who left, these people around her had given her their best, even when everything looked bleak for thepany.


    She knew she could never thank them enough.


    Yet she tried.


    ¡°You guys. You¡­ this is really incredible. I know I can¡¯t thank you enough for your loyalty. For your¡­¡± She heard notifications from several phones around her.


    Some of her staff looked at their phones, and they hurriedly focused back on her but she could see the repressed glee on their faces.


    With the recent developments, she had be super sensitive to notifications like that, so she asked immediately, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Our dear reporter is getting what he deserves already,¡± Samantha said with glee as she brought her phone forward.


    She clicked on it and increased the volume of the clip.


    Reyona wouldn¡¯t stop being amazed at the rate at which things like this could get out. She could see that the clip started when Steve was talking about how people like her got to where she was by cutting corners. Reyona smiled when she heard her insinuating tone as she responded to him.


    She winced a bit when she heard herself mentioning Sehima Hasanova. If she had thought of it well, she knew she wouldn¡¯t have ordinarily done that. But at the moment, she was the most powerful woman in business that Reyona could think of. Insinuating that a woman like that got her position by sleeping around was really a killing blow for Steve.


    So Reyona was not surprised when Samantha said, ¡°Thement, boss. It is the best part.¡±


    Already, there were tons ofments on the post.


    Commentsmbasting Steve for being such an asshole.


    Women were so enraged that he would even dare to insinuate that all their hard work was for nothing and they only got anything by sleeping around.


    Somemended Reyona for her poise, and many dered they would have pped his rotten teeth out of his mouth.


    Many revisited the nder about Reyona as they linked it to what Steve said.


    Onementer said, ¡°I told y¡¯all then that that video could be a doctored one meant to ruin a well-to-do woman like her. Men like fucking Steve would always be threatened by women¡¯s sess.¡±


    Another typed ¡°Death to Asshole Steven. Death to Dynamic TV¡±


    Reyona shook her head as Samantha scrolled to many other tforms that had reposted the clip.


    Though it was a bit underhanded, Reyona was satisfied with the oue of that encounter.


    It could have gone all wrong, and then herpany would have been under fire again because of a bastard with a camera.


    Camera!


    A thought struck Reyona just as she was about to disperse everyone.


    The camera angle!


    ¡°Let me see that again real quick,¡± she said to Samantha.


    Thetter quickly showed her another repost.


    ¡°See that? Everyone is talking in favour of¡­


    Reyona was barely listening as she watched the clip again.


    The person holding the camera captured Steve from the front.


    Though the person was careful not to show Reyona, a part of her shoulder showed.


    That means the person was one of them.


    The person was behind her!


    ¡°That video. One of us took it. Who was that?¡± she asked suddenly.


    The excitement among her staff ebbed a bit as they looked back at the clip and pondered what she said.


    They all looked at each other with the same questions on their faces.


    Who did it?N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Lucky Day

    Reyona was surprised when Charlotte hesitantly came forward with her hand raised.


    ¡°You?¡± she asked in shock. ¡°Why would you¡­¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry, ma,¡± Charlotte said hurriedly. ¡°I just feel that if they could use things like this to cause you so much damage, there is nothing bad in giving them a taste of their medicine. I am so sorry, ma. I am sorry. I will delete it right away,¡± she apologised profusely.


    ¡°You can¡¯t deny that it was very effective, though,¡± Samantha said beneath her breath.


    Reyona heard her, though, and she turned to give her a look.


    Samantha quickly turned to Charlotte and said, ¡°I mean, you should have asked for permission. Yes, you did a good thing but you should have asked first. That was¡­ such an unruly thing to do. Yes, very bad¡± she said with exaggeration.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t keep a straight face for long. She smiled and shook her head.


    Everyone who had held their breath in anticipation of what she would say rxed a bit when they saw her smiling, including Charlotte.


    ¡°You can stop acting now,¡± she said to Samantha and thetter grinned.


    ¡°God, I had no idea I was surrounded by such clowns,¡± she said as she tossed her hands upwards.


    Everyone smiled.


    ¡°So, should she delete it?¡± Samantha asked. ¡°This is not such bad PR, boss. We need it,¡± Samantha said.


    ¡°I am amazed that you could think of doing something like that,¡± she said to Charlotte. She saw the way the youngdy¡¯s face fell, so she continued briskly ¡°You should not do things like that without informing the right authority first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma. I am so sorry, ma. I would never¡­¡±


    ¡°But just as Miss Obvious here said,. It really turned out well for thepany so I am going to thank you instead.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s face brightened as she smiled.


    ¡°Next time, though¡­¡±


    ¡°I would inform you first, ma. I would never do something like that again. Not without telling you first.¡±


    ¡°I can see you are being influenced by someone,¡± Reyona said with a deliberate look at Samnatha.


    Thetter smiled and raised her hands in surrender. ¡°I am innocent. Erm, about the video.¡±


    ¡°Leave it,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Samantha eximed with glee as she pumped her fist into the air.


    Reyona looked at her suspiciously and thetter quickly curbed her excitement. ¡°No, I mean. Yes, that is okay. If that is what you want,. That is fine, ma,¡± she said in a serious tone that didn¡¯t fool Reyona.


    It was as if she had a personal vendetta with the man. Reyona thought.


    She thanked everyone again and dismissed them.


    As she was left with Phil, Samantha, and Charlotte, her smile faded when she saw a face she had not been expecting.


    He seemed to have been standing there for a while.


    When he saw her catch his gaze, he started walking toward her.


    Reyona¡¯s staff quickly took their leave when they saw her expression change, and they saw the man approaching them.


    Reyona had no idea why he always managed to raise her hackles even before he opened his mouth.


    Dressed in an all-white ensemble, he still looked as much of a rogue to her as the man who had had an official meeting with her in shorts.


    She was tempted to just turn around and leave while calling the security men to send him out with a permanent notice of ban but then she dismissed that thought.


    She had always had one reaction towards him and he knew it.


    In fact, he seemed to delight in riling her.


    Reyona decided to change her game this time.


    She had just one-upped an arrogant fool that morning; what is one more man for her to handle?


    ¡°Mrs. Lanoth,¡± he started as he stopped in front of her. ¡°That was just so exceptional. I wish I could have that much devotion from people,¡± he said with a smile that entuated his face.


    Not that she noticed, anyway.


    Before she could stop herself, she retorted, ¡°Since you have been eavesdropping, I am sure you heard them. I treat them right. A concept I am sure you have no idea of¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    His smile widened as he said automatically, ¡°You can teach me. I will be happy to learn from the master.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes narrowed when his gaze dropped to her lips when he said, Learn.


    Is he flirting with her?


    Believing that she must be mistaken, she remembered her intention and reined in her anger. She smiled sweetly as she stretched her hand forward for a handshake and said, ¡°You are wee, sir.¡±


    Another mistake.


    She realised as he only looked surprised for a second before he grabbed her hand in a firm handshake, then he held it as she gritted her teeth against the sensation coursing through her body from the way his warm hand enveloped hers and said tightly, ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?¡±


    He looked her straight in the eyes as she wiggled her hand slightly in his and said straight-faced, ¡°I am here for business purposes. And to apologise.¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you have to apologise for?¡± she asked mildly.


    Reyona was aware that her oh-so-busy receptionist and the staff around had their third eyes on them, so as much as she would have loved to snatch her hand from him and maybe mistakenly hit his nose in the process, she merely said, ¡°You can let go of my hand now, Mr. Rohan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I should do that,¡± he said, as if he just realised that he was still holding her hand.


    Reyona didn¡¯t believe his innocent look for a second but then she smiled and said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said politely and he followed her.


    Once they were in the elevator, he said, ¡°I expected to be tossed out on my ears.¡±


    ¡°Yet you dared toe,¡± she replied automatically ¡°Hmm, what a brave man,¡± she added with sarcasm. ¡°Believe me, I entertained the thought.¡±


    ¡°The thought of tossing me out? Oh, I know. The question is, why am I on my way to your office instead? Are you going soft on me, CEO Lanoth?¡±He asked in the most deceptively polite voice Reyona had ever heard anyone use.


    ¡°You can count it your lucky day,¡± Reyona said as the elevator came to a halt.


    She walked out while saying, ¡°You can press the down button in case you have changed your mind.¡±


    He was right behind her.


    ¡°Oh, I aming,¡± he said in a way that made a shiver run down Reyona¡¯s spine.


    What the heck?

 Villain’s Apology

    He declined Charlotte¡¯s offer of a coffee and sat down even before Reyona could.


    Reyona raised her eyebrows behind him and said, ¡°Do make yourselffortable¡± before she went to take her seat.


    ¡°Oh, thank you. I n to. This is a rare opportunity so I will make good use of it,¡± he said with a smile.


    Reyona was beginning to regret her intention to be civil to him.


    Still, she forced pleasantness onto her face as she sat and said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I am here to tell you again that the offer to work with Multilinks is still very avable.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Please hear me out before I lose my nerves,¡± he said with a smile that showed that losing his nerves was thest thing he would ever do.


    Reyona gave him a look to let him know that she was not fooled by his words, yet she said nothing and inclined her head to say that he should go ahead.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said emphatically as he leaned forward on the table like he was about to tell her a secret.


    He steepled his fingers together and continued. ¡°You see, I am not just here to dangle this business deal in front of you but also to apologise as well. Let me start from the very beginning. I have not been on my best behaviour since we met.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have any idea what best behaviour means,¡± Reyona said before she could stop herself.


    He gave her a look and said ¡°Ouch, I am trying to apologise here.¡±


    Reyona cleared her throat to hide her smile. ¡°Yes, I can see that you are. Go ahead¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said in such a way that Reyona had to bite the insides of her cheek to avoidughing out loud.


    She chalked up her giddy state to what had happened that morning.


    It had nothing to do with his half-assed attempt at an apology at all.


    ¡°Our first meeting was an unfortunate one, though I wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything and I wouldn¡¯t really take back most of what I said. You are a very beautiful woman and any man in his right senses would be attracted to you.¡±


    Reyona bristled at that statement.


    All joviality was gone from her face as she said, ¡°Are you done? Because if you are, I have other things to do.¡±


    Maxwell only gave her a considering look as he leaned back in his chair and said, ¡°I am only saying the truth. Why would you be offended by that?¡±


    ¡°Because it is poor form toe to someone¡¯s office this early to talk nonsense. Whatever you came here for, consider it done, heard, and forgotten. Now, please¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I regret the part where I wrongly used you of ying games. I regret the part my stepsister took in ruining your marriage. I regret holding my demands over a contract that yourpany won fair and square. I am sorry for the fact that my man, who happens to be someone you know, found a way to get that demand done even though I did not ask him to do it.¡± All these, he said hurriedly.


    But when he saw the disbelief and anger on Reyona¡¯s face as he said thest part, he paused and looked at her sincerely.


    ¡°I mean it. I truly asked him for help, but he gave the impression that he was not going to do anything about it. His clients are that important to him and I know better than to ask him further, of course. I have no idea that he was going to spring that on you.¡±


    ¡°Yet you reaped all the benefits,¡± Reyona said, even as a part of her started to believe that he really did not pull that stunt on her.


    ¡°Well, technically, my sister did. He did his magic and she was exonerated from the court case and now she is in¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Does it seem to you like I give a damn about the state of your homewrecker sister?¡± Reyona asked in a low, cutting tone.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I am sorry. I¡­¡± Maxwell rubbed his hand through his hair and looked back at her. ¡°You are right. That was stupid of me. There is just something about you, you know. You have this ability to take me off-kilter.¡±


    ¡°And I am supposed to be ttered by that?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Maxwell said and he closed his eyes.


    He opened them back and said, ¡°Now, before I totally make an ass of myself, I will just say this. I am sorry about everything. Now to business, you really need to take action about the contract fast. This has gone on long enough. Andrews is convinced about you and his wife is crazy about you. I still have to ask what you did to her. But that aside,? We can¡¯t keep this going any longer. You have toe in to sign the documents and start.¡±


    Reyona folded her arms and asked, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°Trying to convince me. Coming over all the way to tell me about this. You already got what you wanted from me so why do you care? Is this a pity thing? You feel sorry for me because of my recent loss and this is you being the gant man?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my dear CEO, if you know anything about me, then you will know that ying chivalry is thest thing I would do.¡±


    ¡°I can easily believe that,¡± Reyona said automatically.


    Maxwell let out a shortugh before he said, ¡°You sure know how to cut a man down to size, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I find that most men need cutting most of the time,¡± Reyona responded.


    ¡°You win,¡± Maxwell said. Then, as a smile crept on Reyona¡¯s face, he added, ¡°For today.¡±


    He stood up before she could respond and said, ¡°I know it was more of a front at first but the offer to take on Rohan Automobile Inc.¡¯s ount is still on too. Before you ask, no, this is not a charity thing. I don¡¯t do charity work with any of my businesses. I have seen what you have done for otherpanies. I want you to do the same with mine. Just say when.¡±


    Reyona wondered what his ulterior motives were. So while looking out for his reaction, she said, ¡°Thank you for your trust in ReyDexter. I will have Phil take care of the ount. He is one of my best men. He is very vast in everything automobile and he would treat your ount just as much as I would.¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t bat an eye as he said, ¡°Okay then. If you trust him, then I do. Let me know when we can start.¡±


    Reyona had been surprised that he did not insist that she work directly on the ount but she didn¡¯t let that show on her face. Instead, she smiled a bit as she said, ¡°We are looking forward to working with you, sir.¡±


    Normally she would have sealed such a statement with a handshake but the remembrance of what happened earlier made her keep her hands to herself.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine,¡± he said with that thing in his voice again.


    She should have at least seen him off to the door but she stayed where she was behind her desk as she said, ¡°I bid you a good day, sir. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible.¡±


    Anyone hearing her at that moment would think she was the one doing him a favour. Reyona knew she was being a little less professional but all of a sudden, she just wanted him to leave as fast as possible.


    She had no idea why the temperature in the room seemed to have risen in the past few minutes.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Why was she just realising that? Charlotte must have done something to the thermostat.


    He nodded and turned to leave.


    Just as he got to the door, he turned to her and asked, ¡°So, I am forgiven, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered automatically.


    Anything to get him out of that door.


    ¡°Good. Now, will you please pick up Celia¡¯s call? She is convinced that I am a viin,¡± he said with a sheepish smile.


    Reyona was confused ¡°Celia? Andrew¡¯s wife? What does she have to do with¡­¡± His eyes narrowed as the answer came to her. ¡°She is the reason you are here today, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said simply.


    Bastard


    ¡°So, all that bullshit about¡­¡±

 Goofy Bug

    ¡°No, no. I meant all that.¡± Maxwell interrupted her urgently.


    ¡°And I would have said them to you eventually but she is the reason I am here this early. You see, she threatened to disown me.¡±


    Reyona thought she had heard it all but apparently, she could still be shocked by some things ¡°Disown you? Did you just say disown you? What are you? Her kid?¡±


    ¡°No, just a man who has learned that the fear of Celia¡¯s wrath is the beginning of wisdom. She is important to Andrews and by default, she is important to me. You can kill me with that re of yours if you want but please pick up her call and tell her what a good boy I was.¡±


    Reyona snorted at that. ¡°Good boy, my foot.¡±


    ¡°Please, what do you want? Half of everything I own. Whatever you want. Name it. I will give it to you. Don¡¯t make her ban me from attending the christening ceremony of my godson. I might just die,¡± he added, with a theatricallyic look on his face.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t hold on to herughter anymore.


    Sheughed while wondering what was in the air today.


    Everyone around her must have caught a goofy bug.


    The grin on his face turned to an intent gaze as he said suddenly. ¡°You should do that more often.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Reyona asked as she curbed herughter and that ufortable feeling returned.


    ¡°Laugh like that. Did I ever tell you that you have such an animated face that only bes more beautiful when you are not holding yourself so stiff and proper?¡±


    ¡°Did I ever tell you that I learned boxing specifically because of men who say ridiculous things?¡± Reyona countered.


    Maxwellughed and shook his head as he said, ¡°Okay, I had better get going. I wouldn¡¯t want my ears to be boxed in.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Reyona said with a satisfied smile.


    He reached for the door and turned to ask.


    ¡°So, will you call¡­?¡±


    ¡°Out!¡± Reyona ordered with a jerk of her hand towards the door.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said obediently.


    Then he winked at her before he closed the door behind him.


    Reyona sank into her chair, covered her face, and engaged in silentughter for a full minute.


    Oh, she knew she was being foolish by even allowing a man like him to be this close, but at the moment, she didn¡¯t care.


    She had never felt so carefree as she did at the moment, and she loved it.


    The day had started off on a good foot and she wouldn¡¯t mind feeling like this for the rest of her life.


    Enough of the misery.


    Her phone rang just as she was reaching for it.


    Thinking that it was Celia calling again to see if her good boy had delivered her message, Reyona picked up the phone with the thought of a mischievous answer already forming in her mind.


    Her smile faded when she saw the name disyed by the name-detecting software on her phone.


    Sehima Hasanova!Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Reyona mumbled as she quickly readjusted in her seat.


    Oh, she was certain that the woman must have seen that clip.


    Just like her, Sehima was a woman who prioritised her privacy.


    Dropping her name in a hot mess like that was a bad idea.


    A very bad one.


    A very, very¡­


    Reyona quickly picked up the call before the phone could disconnect.


    ¡°Uhm,¡± she said, clearing her throat awkwardly and then ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Well, hello there. If it is not the most controversial woman of the moment,¡±


    ¡°Ah, hmm. Hi,¡± Reyona said with a tight smile as if the woman could see her.


    ¡°Do you know that I was not sure if it would be wise to strike a deal with apany with such a scandalous owner?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s fluster stopped, and her voice became a bit firmer as she said, ¡°There has been a misunderstanding. Things are not as they were portrayed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. There was a reason why I approached you that day. You are different. In a good way. Still, I was hesitant. After all, if I were to rmend you, I should be well convinced.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Reyona said, forck of something better to say.


    ¡°Then guess what my assistant showed me minutes ago?¡±


    Reyona closed her eyes in embarrassment as she fisted her hand.


    Oh, she knew what it was.


    She was about to apologise for using her name like that when she heard Hasanovaugh and say, ¡°That was brilliant. I knew there was a reason why I liked you!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are a crafty woman, Lanoth. One who knew how to grab and make use of the right opportunity to help her business. You have yourself a deal.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona said again in shock and remembered how Maxwell had once teased her that she said that a lot. ¡°Oh, I mean, I am so happy for this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Good. It is a big one. Make sure you don¡¯t let any other surprises ruin it for you.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Reyona answered with determination.


    ¡°Good. I knew I was right about you. I will be having a meeting with the higher-ups today. My assistant will get back to youter. I see myselfing down that way soon enough. We will meet and talk.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will look forward to that,¡± Reyona answered as primly as she could, even as her stomach danced.


    ¡°And Lanoth?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered eagerly.


    ¡°You are lucky that I like you. I normally wouldn¡¯t let off anyone who used my name like that.¡±


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    ¡°See that it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The call was disconnected.


    Reyona sat still for a moment as she processed what just happened.


    A smile broke out on her face and bloomed steadily before she hooted, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Charlotte rushed in with a panicked look on her face.


    She calmed down when she saw the delighted look on her boss¡¯s face.


    Still, she asked, ¡°Is everything okay, ma?¡±


    Reyona stood up and came towards her with her arms outstretched. ¡°Charlotte, you sweetheart.¡±


    She hugged her tightly as she said, ¡°You are one of the best things that happened to me.¡±


    Charlotte was only hesitant for a moment before she hugged her back. ¡°I am d I could help. I am happy that you are this happy again, boss.¡±


    Reyona stepped back from the hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Guess who I just got off the phone with?¡±


    ¡°One of thepanies that called back to continue their cooperation with us?¡± Charlotte guessed excitedly.


    ¡°What? Somepanies called back?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t it?¡± Charlotte asked in surprise. ¡°I called you earlier to tell you about it but you didn¡¯t pick up. Four of our former clients called back with an apology for not trusting you. They would like toe back to us and wouldn¡¯t even mind increased rates. The calls came through after you left yesterday but I wanted to give you the news this morning as a surprise. When I couldn¡¯t keep it to myself against night, I called you but the calls went straight to voicemail.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Reyona said in an overwhelmed whisper as she covered her face.


    ¡°Ma, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everything is fine, Charlotte. In fact, everything is more than fine,¡± she said as she hugged her again. ¡°Your video yed a role in what happened too. So, thank you. Call thepanies back. We will ept them all. Without any increment in charges. Call a meeting with the top-level executives in the next ten minutes as well. Let me share this huge news at once.¡±


    ¡°Right away, ma,¡± Charlotte said excitedly.


    Reyona shook her head to herself as she said, ¡°I think the storm is over.¡±


    ¡°As it should, ma! As it should!¡±


    Charlotte eximed in excitement and hurried out.


    Reyona looked at the door as the thought of the events of the horrible past weeks ran through her mind in a gamut.


    The thought that herpany would finally regain its foothold overwhelmed her.


    Tears of joy trailed down her face at the thought of it.

 The Good Sister

    Reyona heard Toria¡¯s voice from outside.


    Even before her sister burst through the door like a whirlwind, she had already raised her head from what she was working on.


    She was tapping her pen against the file with a smile on her face when Toria entered with each of her hands holding a shopping bag.


    She blew Charlotte a kiss as thetter came to close the door behind her.


    Then she posed and dered.


    ¡°Admit it. I am the best thing that ever happened to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? How did you figure that out?¡± Reyona asked with a shake of her head.


    Toria tossed ¡°What would you have done without me?¡±


    Reyona angled her head to one side as if she were really giving it a good thought. Then she said, ¡°For starters, my ears would not be bleeding out right now. I would be in the middle of my work without stress. Oh, rapture!¡± she crooned.


    Toria narrowed her eyes at Reyona, then she said, ¡°I will pretend not to hear that. Which is lucky for you because I am here for moral support?¡±


    So saying, she walked towards Reyona and Reyona quickly saved her files before Toria could dump the contents of her bags on them.


    ¡°Why do I need my morals supported? Also, what is all this, Toria?¡±


    Reyona could almost feel her eyelids twitching from the mix of leather and all the ck she was seeing on her table.


    Pitted against her well-organised table, it looked like an alien who had lost its way.


    ¡°Is that supposed to be a question for me?¡± Toria asked wide-eyed. ¡°In fact, I think the main question is: why are you still buried in those files when you should be on your way to kicking some asses? Of course, not without me. I wouldn¡¯t forgive you for that.¡±


    ¡°You are still not answering my question, Toria. What are these doing on my desk?¡±


    ¡°These¡­¡± Toria said emphatically as she raised the all-ck, leather, one-piece bodysuit. ¡°¡­ are for you. Then these¡­¡± She raised mile-high ck stilettos with wraparound straps. ¡°¡­ are toplete the statement. Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Reyona said, stopping her with a raise of her hands. ¡°Who did you say these are for? Because I am sure they can not be for me.¡±


    Toria rolled her eyes as she turned around to hold the bodysuit to Reyona¡¯s skin, as if that would make any difference. ¡°See, it fits your skin tone so perfectly. And that hair? I could kill you for your hair but then I love you too much. I can already see how these would look on you. You need armor? You¡¯ve got one right here. With a shade to match. Get it?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not get it and I am sure I will never get it. Hell would ice over before I wore something like that. So, thank you for your moral support. Now you can leave.¡±


    ¡°And miss all the fun? Pfft, no way,¡± Toria said before she slouched into the chair facing Reyona.


    Then she leaned forward just as Maxwell had done earlier and said, ¡°So, when are we going?¡±


    ¡°We are not going anywhere. I will go when I am done with all my work. Not a moment sooner. And I am not wearing that thing,¡± Reyona said for theck of something better to name the v-necked, front-zipped, full-bodied suit.


    Toria was unfazed as she said, ¡°I love it when you dream like this. We will keep the suit forter, when you are not afraid that your asshole soon-to-be-ex-husband would see how hot you are and fall over himself.¡±


    ¡°That is not¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I know¡± Toria said with a disbelieving look on her face, ¡°I ept whatever you say about the wear I searched high and low to get for you like the good sister that I am, but that I wouldn¡¯te with you this time? Well, you might have to arrest me. Because that is what will stop me from going. That being said, when are we going?¡±


    Reyona said, ¡°When I am ready.¡±


    Toria crossed her legs unhurriedly as she said, ¡°I have all the time in the world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, lucky me. I feel so lucky that you want to spend all that time with me. Didn¡¯t you say something about setting up your¡±


    ¡°No, no, we are not talking about me and my soon-to-be career. For all you know, I might change my mind and decide to be the wife of a zillionaire. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to lift a finger and I could party all day. That is rapture. But for now, we are talking about you and the fact that you are about to chicken out.¡±


    ¡°Chicken out? What do you mean, chicken out?¡±


    ¡°You are burying your head in those files just because you are not ready to go face-off with your asshole husband. Have you even called thewyer to know how far the process has gone?¡±


    ¡°He called when I was in a meeting,¡± Reyona said tersely.


    ¡°And?¡± Toria prompted.


    ¡°And I was in a meeting. I have not had the time to call him back.¡±


    ¡°Do it now,¡± Toria said.


    ¡°No, I am not going to call him just because you say so. In case you are not aware, I am busy. Now, take your confetti elsewhere. Some of us have to work.¡±


    Toria said nothing.


    She merely raised her arms in imitation of a pping chicken.


    When Reyona paid her no attention, she added a cackling tone to it.


    Reyona ced her head firmly down, even though she couldn¡¯t tell anything different in the numbers dancing in front of her eyes.


    Toria was not done, though.


    She started making that annoying sound and pping her arms as she walked around in Reyona¡¯s office.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her stiletto heels make a clicking sound in tune with the cackling sound.


    Reyona tossed her pen down. ¡°Fine, fine. I will go now. Now stop that silly noise before I am tempted to throw you out of the window.¡±


    Toria froze in her tracks and grinned as she said, ¡°Oh, thank God. I was afraid that I would fall over soon.¡±


    ¡°It would have served you right,¡± Reyona said as she stood up to carry her bag.


    Toria raised the shopping bags and said, ¡°Armour?¡±


    Reyona gave her a ¡°don¡¯t you dare¡± look and Toriaughed as she lugged the shopping bags with her on their way out of the office.


    Even though Reyona could imagine how she would look in such a dress,.


    She could feel how snug the leather would fit against her body while showing her curves to perfection.


    She could imagine how well the v-neck would disy her corbone before it ended just at the top of her breast, only showing a tantalising amount of flesh.


    It was a modest dress by all ounts, since the v-neck was the only part that would show any skin. It has a long sleeve and a long trouser leg too.


    Yet Reyona had never worn anything so sensual and hot-looking before.


    The fact that she was imagining it with a stirring urge surprised her.


    So when they got to the car and Toria waved the bag in her vision to tease her, she merely looked away.


    ¡°Rey, I know you want¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she said firmly.

 Sticking With A Dry Stick

    Reyona hated feeling this way but she felt it anyway.


    She wished her thoughts and actions could be the same yet it seemed she was always disappointing herself in that aspect.


    Hadn¡¯t she vowed to herself that nothing would matter to her anymore?


    Hadn¡¯t she demonstrated in her mind just how cold and detached she would be in dealing with him from now on?


    She was a thirty-year-old woman who was stupid enough to love and live with a man who had not loved her for years. And so what?


    Now, she was supposed to be able to take charge of her life and do what she needed to do.


    ¡°Why then are you quaking inside?¡± her subconsciousness whispered unapologetically.


    It must be because of Toria¡¯s taunts.


    As much as she loved her sister, sometimes she just wanted to gag her.


    If she had not riled her with all that chicken talk, then Reyona would surely not be in this mess.


    It was her fault. Silly girl. Reyona thought as she looked over at Toria, who was busy belting out ¡°The way I want it¡± by Ayragirl with all abandon.


    Her hair was flying around as she tossed her head in tune with the pop music.


    She had tried to speak to Reyona after they entered the car but due to Reyona¡¯s sudden case of nerves, her response had been monotone so she turned up the stereo and had been going on and on with the ylist she had installed in Reyona¡¯s car the other day.


    Reyona looked at her sister in envy as she thought, ¡°What wouldn¡¯t I give to be that carefree again?¡±


    ¡°When have you ever been that carefree?¡± her subconsciousness countered.


    As sad as it might sound, Reyona couldn¡¯t truly remember when she had ever been half as carefree as her sister.


    ¡°No, Toria had gotten all that,¡± she thought to herself.


    She had no idea why but the thought only dampened her mood more.


    As she took thest turn of the familiar route she had taken for years, she deliberately emptied her mind of all thoughts. She was going to face that bastard, and she was going to take back what belonged to her.


    She would show Toria that she was not a coward.


    ****


    Reyona expected a lot of things.


    She expected different scenarios and more.


    One thing she had not expected was what she saw on the porch of her home.


    Thomas Junior was ying his own version of handball against the wall all alone outside.


    Reyona¡¯s heart thumped hard and she was tempted to turn right around.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Confronting Thomas was one thing.


    Confronting Thomas in the presence of his cute son was another.


    What would she say? Hey there, are you the product of the affair your mother had with my husband?


    But before she could act on the overwhelming urge, Toria had also seen the boy as well.


    She shut off the music as she asked, ¡°Rey, is that¡­? Rey?¡± Toria¡¯s voice grew more urgent when she saw the look on Reyona¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡± Reyona had notpleted her words when she saw Allysyne out of the house. She must have heard the sound of the car just as her brother, who was currently holding his ball in his hand while squinting to see who was in the car,.


    By the time Reyona thought of stopping the car, she was close to the house. As her gaze met with Allysyn and she saw the recognition registered on the girl¡¯s face, Thomas Junior, who must have made the connection as well, yelled.


    ¡°She is here, dad! The bad woman is¡­


    ¡°Shut up, dummy!¡± Allysyn interrupted her brother.


    Thetter momentarily forgot about Reyona. He turned to his sister to let her know what he thought about being called a dummy but before he could unleash his righteous wrath on her, Thomas was hurrying out.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you two just give me a¡­?¡±


    His annoyed look turned malevolent when he saw Reyona stepping out of the car. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Asshole,¡± Reyona thought when he didn¡¯t think of keeping this away from the kids.


    Then, just as if he heard her thoughts, without taking his eyes off Reyona, he snapped, ¡°Kids, go inside now.¡±


    ¡°But Ally said¡­¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Allysyn almost pulled Junior¡¯s arm out of its socket as she took him inside with her.


    Thetter threw Reyona a hurt look, which only cut deeper into her aching heart.


    The moment the door closed, Thomas lost every semnce ofposure.


    He hurried down the porch steps while yelling, ¡°What the fuck do you want from me again? Are you here to see if I am a mess after what yourwyer said? Well, news sh, bitch. I am not afraid of that stuck-up!¡±


    Regina med herself for not calling thewyer back first to know what the bastard was talking about.


    Still, she didn¡¯t show any sign of cluelessness as she stood her ground without backing away from his malevolent presence.


    ¡°I want you out of my house. I bought this ce with my money and I want you out of here. Don¡¯t force my hand by making me involved.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Thomas asked in a dangerously soft voice.


    Before Reyona could gauge his intention or react to it, he pushed her hard on her chest.


    ¡°What the fuck did you just say to me?¡± he said as he shoved her mercilessly.


    Regina stumbled back and struggled to catch her bnce.


    ¡°Hey, asshole! Get your fucking hands off my sister!¡±


    Toria jerked the door open with blood in her eyes as she approached him.


    ¡°You don¡¯ty your filthy hands on¡­¡±


    She froze in ce as Reyona regained her bnce and automatically gave Thomas an uppercut punch at the base of his neck.


    Thomas¡¯s yell of pain was more like a wheeze, which he eked out as he held his throat while staggering backward.


    He wasn¡¯t able to regain his bnce as he hit his ass hard against the concrete floor.


    ¡°That will be thest time you raise your hands at me!¡± Regina said in a vehemently low tone that she had a huge smile creasing Toria¡¯s face.


    Humiliated and enraged, Thomas swiped at his suddenly sweat-drenched face. He stood up with a wince as he advanced on her with the intention of hitting her.


    Toria immediately raised the camera of her phone to his face as she raised her voice like a presenter: ¡°Hello, everyone. I am about to show you something.¡±


    When Thomas paused with his hand raised in the air, Toria snapped it anyway and she looked at him expectantly as she said, ¡°What is causing the holdup? Action!¡±


    Remembering what caused the problem that had gotten him into trouble with his supposed publishingpany, Thomas lowered his hands.


    He turned to leave but then he still turned back to face Reyona. ¡°You think you have won?¡± he chuckled horribly as he said, ¡°Oh no, you haven¡¯t, bitch. You will pay! You want to get rid of me that easily? Think again! You owe me! I deserve as much as I could get for sticking with a dry stick like you for that long!¡±


    Furious, Reyona opened her mouth to fire back at him. But then something caught her gaze and she froze.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± Toria raised her hand to p him but Reyona called her urgently.


    ¡°Toria stop!¡±


    Surprised, Toria turned to look at her sister ¡°Wha¡­?¡±


    She turned away again when she saw that Reyona was not looking at her.


    She was looking out one of the east windows.


    Toria couldn¡¯t see anything but Reyona could.


    She turned immediately and headed towards the car.


    Confused, Toria hurried after her.

 A Kid’s Memory

    ¡°Do you think I am pathetic?¡±


    Toria turned to look at Reyona in surprise. ¡°What? No! Why would anyone think that?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Reyona said, turning to look at Toria and her eyes suddenly misted over. ¡°Toria, I can¡¯t¡­¡± She looked away again and fisted her hand against her mouth as she unseeingly looked at the people going in and out of the supermarket, whose parking lot she had suddenly driven into on their way back.


    ¡°Rey? Talk to me. What is going on?¡± Toria said in a sad tone as she ced her hand on Reyona¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What happened back there? Though I managed to toss that asshole the middle finger before you drove off, I still felt like a fool. Why did we suddenly leave?¡±


    Reyona was silent for a moment, but then she turned to Toria and said it passionately.


    ¡°Because the girl was at the window watching us shove ourselves like two imbeciles,¡± Reyona said with pain.


    ¡°What girl? Oh,¡± Toria answered as she remembered.


    The memory flooded Reyona¡¯s mind again and she couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed that she had made a young girl witness an unpleasant scene like that.


    Before her parents separated, Reyona had witnessed them fight once.


    They had no idea she knew because they had the fight in their bedroom. Reyona was on her way to show her mom something, and she had witnessed the angry words they had tossed at each other.


    As if her legs were glued to the ground, Reyona had stayed pressed against the door until the end of the fight.


    As her mother opened the door that day, Reyona tumbled into their room.


    She could see the pain on her parents¡¯ faces that day when they realised that she had heard them.


    They didn¡¯t scold her for eavesdropping; instead, her mother had sat with her on her bed and tried to exin how adults sometimes fought because of the most silly thing.


    It had not been so silly, though.


    They had bundled her off to Gram¡¯s ce soon after that.


    Reyona had not thought of that scene in years, but as she looked up at that window and her eyes met Allysyn¡¯s, the memory came crashing back.


    She felt so sorry that she was involved in tainting a kid¡¯s memory like that.


    She was ashamed of herself.


    As silly as it might seem, that was the most paramount feeling she was having at that time. Shame.


    ¡°Do you think it was for the best?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Toria asked.


    ¡°I never had a kid. Maybe that was God¡¯s way of telling me I would have damaged any kid he gave me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is just bullshit and you know it. Where are all theseing from, Rey?¡± Toria asked in exasperation. ¡°God didn¡¯t stop you from having a kid; that motherfucker did. Why are you doing this to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Reyona shook her head as her voice got trembly.


    She tried to hold back her feelings, as she had always done but it wasn¡¯t that easy this time.


    She looked at her sister and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it, Toria. I can¡¯t breathe the same air with him and not think of all our times together.¡±


    Tears dropped rapidly down her face as she looked at Toria. ¡°You are right. I am a chicken when ites to him.¡±


    ¡°No, I am sorry. That was just silly talk. I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Reyona shook her head firmly as she collected the paper towel that Toria gave her. ¡°No, I know what I am talking about. I don¡¯t want to feel like this, okay? I don¡¯t want to be like this. But¡­¡± she firmed her lips as they tend to tremble. ¡°I am like this. I have never been this indecisive in my life. Do you know what else I realised today?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Toria asked as her own eyes filled and she reached out to wipe Reyona¡¯s tears with her thumbs.


    ¡°I just want him to be remorseful.¡± Reyona let out a short, bitterugh after that statement.


    ¡°Can you believe that? He had hurt me this much and all I wanted was for him to just admit for once that he was wrong. I just wanted something, at least to show that I wasn¡¯t entirely¡­naive but did you see him today? He called me a dry stick for God¡¯s sake.¡±


    She held her hands to her face to stem her tears, then let out a loud sigh as she sniffled.


    She opened her wet eyes and looked back at Toria.


    Unbidden tears trailed down the face she had just cleaned. ¡°I loved him, Toria.¡±


    Her breathing came out in short, puffy breath as she tried to talk but she couldn¡¯t.


    Toria¡¯s tears spilled over as she hugged her tightly to herself.


    Reyona¡¯s body shook violently as she tried to keep the tears in but she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Let it all out, Rey. Please, let it all out. Don¡¯t harm yourself like this,¡± Toria cried.


    Reyona continued breathing heavily even as hot tears flooded her face.


    Finally, her erratic breathing reduced.


    She shook her head against Toria¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I love him, Toria. How insane is that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing insane about that at all, Rey. This is you, Rey. You don¡¯t do anything halfway. You go all in for what you believe in. You couldn¡¯t have agreed to marry him if you didn¡¯t love him. The sister I know would not stay with someone for eight years without feeling so strongly about him. I am so sorry, Rey. This is not your fault. It is that asshole¡¯s fault for not seeing what a beautiful soul you are.¡±


    Reyona leaned back from her sister¡¯s embrace and wiped her eyes again as she leaned her head against her seat. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a watery smile.


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± Toria said it with a grin to lighten the mood. ¡°Moral support here, remember?¡±


    Reyona smiled as she said, ¡°Ah, yes. How could I have forgotten that?¡±


    She sighed, closed her eyes, and opened them back before saying, ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t want to do it. I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Stand in court and watch them put an end to it all. I¡­¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be better, though? A way of letting go?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but¡­no. I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Okay, do whatever you want to do, Rey. That is the beauty of it. You can do whatever you want to do.¡±


    ¡°I can, can¡¯t I?¡± Reyona said it with a dry smile and pulled out her phone.


    She checked the email Gibson had sent her earlier. Her heart skipped for a moment as she muttered, ¡°He came through.¡±


    ¡°Who did what?¡±


    ¡°Mywyer. He got an earlier date. It is tomorrow. That must be what.¡± She paused before she could mention his name.


    Toria understood already, though, so she asked, ¡°So you will be facing him in court tomorrow?¡±


    Allysyn¡¯s face shed through Reyona¡¯s mind again and her decision was made. ¡°No, I would not be there.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, Rey.¡±


    Reyona smiled in appreciation at her sister and typed out what she had to say to Gibson.


    She looked over at Toria and asked, ¡°You took a picture the other time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Toria said eagerly. ¡°Super sharp and clear¡±


    ¡°Send it to me,¡± Reyona said with the corner of her mouth turned up.


    Fast as lightning, Toria sent the picture. ¡°There¡±


    Reyona forwarded it to Gibson and added the instructions she wanted to pass along.


    Then she set her phone aside as she looked out once again as families came in and out of the supermarket.


    She drummed her middle finger against the car door as the sky darkened gradually while the lovebirds and perky families went about doing their thing.


    Most of them looked so happy together and Reyona wondered if some secrets were lurking behind those happy smiles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back yet,¡± she said just as Toria was about to talk.


    She turned her head to face her sister and said in a weary voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear my own thoughts for a while.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You havee to the right person,¡± Toria said gleefully. ¡°I know just the ce. But first¡­¡±


    She leaned towards the backseat and grabbed one of the bags.


    She grinned when she saw the look on Reyona¡¯s face. ¡°Where we are going, that take-me-serious wear you have on wouldn¡¯t cut it. You need some armour,¡± she sang thest word while wiggling the bag in front of Reyona like it was a national treasure.


    When Reyona only stared at her without moving, she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked away while saying, ¡°But of course, if you are too old-school to wear something like this, we can just¡­¡±


    Reyona snatched the bag from her hand.

 Espionage Spy

    Without another word, Reyona opened the door.


    She tossed Toria a look as she opened the back door and picked up the second bag.


    ¡°Here, don¡¯t forget this,¡± Toria said as she quickly gave Reyona a small ck case.


    Reyona collected it and headed towards the restroom area of the supermarket.


    ¡°Woohoo! Go girl!¡± Toria hollered so loudly that those outside all turned to look at her.


    Reyona quickened her pace and went inside as Toria grinned at those looking at her weirdly.


    She waved at them like a celebrity and added a cheeky ¡°Hi¡± before she ducked her head back into the car.


    Everyone went back to what they were doing without a pause.


    Reyona, on the other hand, was having more than a pause as she entered one of the stalls and quickly undressed.


    Firmly taking her mind off what she was about to do, she pulled down the front zipper that went all the way to the navel and slid the bodysuit on.


    Slid. That was the most fitting word Reyona could find for the outfit at that moment.


    It fitted her perfectly, like a dream.


    Toria had always known her size, but then, to Reyona, it fitted too well.


    Snug and shiny, it sighed against her skin like a lovering home to its beloved.


    Reyona snorted at the kind ofparison she made and med Toria firmly for her silly thoughts.


    Before she could change her mind, she quickly changed her heels for the ck, dainty stilleto with the wraparound straps.


    Oh, man.


    How could her sister know her this well? She thought with a wry smile.


    The heel was a bit higher than what Reyona was used to but she didn¡¯t feel any difort moving with it.


    Nothing was out of ce at all.


    She quickly folded her clothes and ced them in the bag.


    She reached for the pearl ne to remove it, but decided to check it out first.


    Feeling a bit weird in the tight-fitting clothing, she came out of the stall and headed for the mirror.


    Reyona almost couldn¡¯t recognise herself as she stared at her reflection.


    She looked like¡­


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡± a woman eximed as she opened the main restroom door and saw Reyona.


    She heaved a sigh as she said, ¡°If I can squeeze myself into that dress right now, I will be wrestling you for it.¡±


    Reyona smiled a bit awkwardly as she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And that hair,¡± the ample-sized woman continued talking as she entered the stall and started urinating. ¡°How are you blessed with such gorgeous hair and a gorgeous body?¡± another sigh. ¡°If I have the nerve to be petty, I will hate you right now.¡±


    Feeling a bit ufortable with hearing the sound of the woman¡¯s pee mingled with her chirpy voice, Reyona smiled reluctantly at the sheer sincerity of the woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°And that ne? How can one woman be so blessed? Gary would probablyin from morning till night if I splurged on something like that,¡± she said with a loudugh. ¡°At least I can live through you. I will dream of dressing like that tonight, then I will¡­¡±


    Reyona quickly looked at the ne again and decided it was staying on.


    It made her look hot, badassy, and ssy all at once.


    ¡°¡­ and I will¡­¡± The woman was still talking as Reyona headed to the door.


    She thought of slipping out but decided it was rude. She raised her voice and said, ¡°It is nice meeting you¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura. I am Laura, yourtest fan.¡±


    ¡°Nice meeting you,¡± Reyona muttered as the woman¡¯sughter followed her out of the stall.


    Reyona ignored the appreciative looks and whispers she was getting as she hastened her pace towards the front door.


    Then, when she heard someone whisper, ¡°She looks familiar, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    She quickly put on the diamond-studded, Bulgari dark shades, that Toria handed herst.


    She felt like an espionage spy yet she felt so good as well.


    Many heads turned as she got outside.


    A bunch of guys guffawing on their way to the game centre close to the mart whistled, and one of them said, ¡°My, oh my! Someone is about to get lucky tonight.¡±


    ¡°You wish,¡± Reyona thought in disdain as she headed for the car.


    She saw that Toria had changed her seat and was now in the driver¡¯s seat, so she quickly entered the passenger side.


    Toria looked at her with her mouth exaggeratedly open, then she asked, ¡°Who are you? What did you do with my sister?¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes even as she smiled. ¡°I assume you are driving?¡±


    ¡°Hell, yes. I am driving! It is a sacrilege to let such a masterpiece like you drive. Oh, boy! Rey!¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough. I have got enough of this in there, you know. It is this ridiculous thing you made me wear.¡±


    ¡°No, it is you, sister. All you. You made the get-up beautiful,¡± Toria said emphatically.


    Reyona gave her a look and thenughed suddenly. ¡°I think I just made a new friend in there.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Toria answered. ¡°And the night had not even started yet.¡± She started the car and said, ¡°Now, sit back and enjoy the ride, mydy.¡±


    Reyona shook her head and rxed back.


    She sure felt rxed.


    She looked over at Toria as she drove out of the park and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It is a surprise. Here,¡± Toria reached for her bag as she said, ¡°I can still see some tear streaks on your face. Turn up, babe, and let¡¯s go show them who is who.¡±


    Reyona wondered what Toria had in mind but she didn¡¯t think much of it.


    At the moment, all she wanted to do was go with the flow.


    Who better to do that than the queen of spontaneity herself?


    As Toria drove like she was on a racecourse, Reyona did as she was told; she made up her face.


    And anticipated what the night had in store.

 Sea Of Bodies

    Knowing Toria¡¯s idea of fun, Reyona was not surprised when her sister pulled up in front of a retro club.


    Teasing her, Reyona turned to her and asked, ¡°Where is the surprise?¡±


    Toria rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I can assure you that by the time we leave, that righteous look on your face will be gone.¡±


    She jumped out of the car and was already moving her body to the thin strain of musicing out of the club.


    Before Reyona could rethink her decision, Toria was already opening her door as she gave her a mock bow while saying, ¡°Come down, Mdy. No backing out now.¡±


    ¡°Who said I was going to back out?¡± Reyona said confidently and she stepped out, putting a little sashay in her walk as she headed towards the main entrance of the club.


    ¡°That is the spirit,¡± Toria hooted from behind her.


    Reyona slowed her walk as she saw two bouncers in front of the door with a small number of people in the queue.


    Most of them were already staring at Reyona appreciatively.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    d that she had the shades on, Reyona wondered how this could be anyone¡¯s idea of fun.


    Standing in line for minutes just to get in there to listen to overly loud music while bumping against different bodies on a miserly dancefloor, which is obviously too small for the sea of bodies packed in there, can never be her idea of fun any day, any time.


    ¡°There is a line. Maybe we should¡­¡±


    Toia tucked her arms into Reyona¡¯s and pulled her along with her as she hailed the men at the entrance. ¡°Rio, Sahad. Fancy seeing you two here,¡± she said as she stretched upward to kiss their cheeks in session.


    ¡°We work here,¡± one of the burly men said with an indulgent smile on his face.


    ¡°And you do such a fine job at it too,¡± she said automatically while shifting aside to point at Reyona. ¡°Have you ever met my sister? Isn¡¯t she gorgeous? Now, you don¡¯t want to lose business by keeping her out here all night, do you? Thanks, hon.¡±


    All these she said in rapid session, after which she blinked puppy eyes at the one she had called Rio.


    He was the one standing directly in front of the door.


    He stepped aside and opened the door, as he said. ¡°You are supposed to show your ID, princess.¡±


    ¡°I am the ID, baby,¡± Toria said as she blew him a kiss.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± she heard the first person in line say as she passed.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Toria said with a wink as she went inside with Reyona.


    Just before the st of music deafened her to everything else, Reyona heard what Rio said to the guy in a forbidden tone. ¡°You are not qualified to be in here.¡±


    ¡°But my ID is¡­¡±


    ¡°When I say you are underaged, you are underaged,¡± was thest thing she heard Rio say before she was drawn into the ear-scraping electronic music that a female DJ was currently belting out from her instruments upstage.


    Reyona was sure her ears were going to bleed out before the end of the night.


    Just as she had predicted, she could already see bodies packed on the dance floor, both on the main floor and on the upper level.


    She was thinking of the best way to escape from this madness when she heard someone squeal, ¡°Toria!¡±


    Her sister, who had also been looking around as they entered, spotted the person calling her as thetter pushed, shoved, wiggled, and wed her way through the wiggling bodies who had no intention of giving her space to pass.


    ¡°Selene!¡± Toria called her the petitedy who wore clothes Reyona was sure she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°You came!¡± Selene screeched over the loud music to be heard. ¡°I thought you were going to ditch us for the night.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Toria brought her to a madhouse with her friends right on hand. Just great. Reyona thought.


    ¡°Where is Simon?¡± Toria asked as she snatched the drink in her friend¡¯s hand and downed it.


    ¡°Sniffing after Nancy as usual,¡± Selene said with a grin as Reyona wondered how her sister had not heard of the most basic safety precautions at a ce like this.


    Don¡¯t take drinks that were not served in your presence!


    After Selene and Toriaughed at an inside joke as they looked over at the dance floor, where a young man and a widely dancingdy were tearing up the floor, Toria turned towards Reyona and said, ¡°Meet my sister, Rey. Rey, this is my partner in crime.¡±


    Selene grinned as she said, ¡°No, I am the innocent one. All my vices were learned from Toria. Nice to finally meet you, Rey. That outfit is to die for. Toria speaks highly of you.¡±


    ¡°By highly, she means I call you the boring, serious sister, while I get to be the unserious one.¡±


    Reyona knew Toria was joking, but she stiffened.


    The image of Thomas calling her a dry stick automatically came to her mind¡¯s eye.


    She wanted to leave.


    ¡°Toria,e, let¡¯s do the boogie dance! This bunch of assholes have been showing off because I wouldn¡¯t dance with them. Now that you are here, we can¡­ oh,¡± shepleted when Toria inclined her head towards Reyona.


    ¡°I am here with my sister tonight. You are going to have to¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I am fine,¡± Reyona said immediately. ¡°I will be fine. Just go ahead and have your fun,¡± she said, raising her voice so she could be heard.


    ¡°Are you sure? This night is about you, remember?¡±


    ¡°No, it is about having fun. I will not keep you from doing that,¡± Reyona said with a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Rey. You are the best,¡± Selene said excitedly.


    Toria looked towards the dancefloor, then back at Reyona. ¡°No, this is not¡­¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Reyona said as she gave her a little nudge. ¡°I will be here.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°There.¡± Reyona turned and pointed in the direction of the seating area.


    ¡°You should join us,¡± Toria insisted.


    Not happening ¡°Maybeter,¡± Reyona said, just to get Toria going. ¡°I will get a drink first.¡±


    ¡°Still, I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Take her away, will you?¡± Reyona said this to Selene and thetter was more than happy to do so.


    ¡°Stay where I can see you!¡± Toria screeched as her friend pulled her away.


    ¡°Yes, mummy,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    Her smile waned as her sister turned away.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Reyona thought as she headed to the bar to get whatever would soothe her suddenly patched throat.


    Everywhere she turned, she saw young people.


    Some of them even looked like they were not old enough to be in such a ce.


    Either way, they are in a ce where they belong.


    Not an imposter pretending to be what she was not.


    The gaze of appreciation that made her feel good earlier only made her feel itchy now as she saw men turnscivious and leery gazes at her.


    Ady pped her man¡¯s face when he stared at Reyona with such an enraptured gaze as she passed.


    ¡°Babe, you are hot,¡± one of them said and Reyona felt like puking.


    nting her legs one after the other, she managed to get to the bar without pping someone in the face or plucking their eyes out to hand it to them.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± she thought to herself again as she saw sweaty, excited people standing at the bar to get their drinks.


    She looked longingly towards the door and then back at her sister.


    Toria was dancing but still, she caught her eyes and waved at her even while doing the boogie, whatever that was.


    Reyona knew she had been watching her.


    Trying to escape now would be seen for what it was: running.

 Potent Poison

    Reyona had no idea what was there to run from.


    She was the one who said she wanted to go to a ce where she wouldn¡¯t hear her thoughts, wasn¡¯t she?


    Well, here, she couldn¡¯t even feel her own breathing.


    The pulsing music seemed to be beating everywhere.


    Her ears. Her head. Her blood.


    Yet all she could see in her mind¡¯s eyes were those hateful, malevolent eyes.


    The loudest voice she could hear was ¡°Dry stick. Dry stick. Dryyyyyyyy stick!¡±


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the curious eyes of an eight-year-old were dancing in her mind¡¯s eyes from time to time.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t really so but all Reyona could see in those expressive eyes were usations.


    Her head was thrumming-not just from the sound-as she ced her elbows on the cool b and held her head in her hands.


    She jolted as she heard a voice shout next to her ears in a thick brogue.


    ¡°What do you want, love?¡±


    ********


    Reyona raised her head and looked at the people still in line before staring at another man, who seemed to have joined the bartenders from nowhere.


    ¡°I see youe in with the love of my life there. I can¡¯t keep you waiting,¡± the man said with a Southern Irish ent and a charming smile.


    Toria?


    ¡°You and Toria¡­¡±


    The man gave her a toothy smile as he said, ¡°Na, just a dream of mine.¡±


    Who knew her sister was such a celebrity?


    Reyona remembered the man¡¯s question and she answered. ¡°Virgin Pia Cd¡­¡± she started to say and then she paused.


    The man looked at her expectantly.


    Reyona looked straight at him and said, ¡°I will have a ss of Aunt Roberta¡¯s cocktail.¡±


    Those close by turned to look at Reyona, even as the man whistled and said,. ¡°That is one strong brew you don¡¯t want to mess with,dy.¡±


    ¡°I know what I ordered,¡± Reyona said with determination.


    Even those who were waiting for their drink forgot about it for a moment as they watched the man mix the most potent brew of all time.


    ¡°There is still time to change your mind, you know,¡± the man said with a smirk.


    Reyona only stared at him beneath the shades.


    The man chuckled and he got to work.


    As he deftlyyered the bottom of the mixing ss with ice and poured a measured amount of absinthe, brandy, ckberry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and added a dash of Angostura bitters, he whistled as he expertly mixed the strong brew together.


    The other bartenders looked at each other, then back at Reyona as they wondered what kind of person she was.


    Her sharp-looking outfit,plete with the expensive shade, already gave her a don¡¯t mess with me look. Seeing her wait calmly for such a nototrious drink made those around the bar pay special attention to her.


    Since that was far from what Reyona was trying to achieve, she wished the man would be done on time instead of the silly showmanship he seemed to be putting on all in the name of mixing a drink.


    She almost snatched it out of his hand as he served it in a goblet and stretched it towards her.


    ¡°I guess we are really doing this. Careful there,¡± he said with amusement as he gave it to her.


    ¡°How much?¡± Reyona said it testily.


    ¡°This one is on the house. Your interest in it is payment enough. Not everyone has the gut¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Reyona said hastily as he looked towards the seating area for an empty space she could easily go straight for without any detour.


    She saw one.


    ¡°A word of advice about that?¡± she heard the man ask as she moved.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Reyona tossed back at her.


    ¡°Okay, I will keep the rest on for you.¡±


    Reyona ignored him as she went towards the seat she had seen earlier.


    Reyona had not thought it possible but the tempo in the room had even increased more than before.


    People were going berserk on the dance floor and that was fine with Reyona; as long as they kept their gazes and unwantedments away from her, she was fine with anything.


    Just as she was about to get to the seat she was fixated on,.


    A giggling couple, panting and sweaty, slid right on to it.


    Falling over one another and hooting like hyenas, they were unaware of Reyona¡¯s turmoil.


    Reyona promptly looked around and spotted another one to the farther right of the room.


    Some friends just left there as they pulled each other towards the dance floor.


    It was a better space because it was a bit secluded with muted lighting.


    Reyona quickened her pace before someone else would take it.


    She sank into the couch and gingerly pulled away the sses of tequ shots lying drunkenly around on the table.


    ¡°Maybe I should have gone for that,¡± Reyona thought as she stared at the dark brown liquor in front of her.


    She had never been a hard drinker and had only heard of Aunt Roberta through a review.


    One of those reviews had said something about how it would be a good idea for whoever wanted to take the drink to have a paramedic on standby before taking it.


    Reyona could feel the gaze of those at the bar still on her.


    They must be waiting to see her regret her decision to take the lethal potion.


    As unpleasant thoughts wanted to crowd her mind again, Reyona picked up the drink, braced herself, and took a sip.


    Time stopped.


    Her mouth singed.


    Her brain was fried.


    Reyona went momentarily deaf.


    Those at the bar were not the only ones watching her.


    There was another.


    Knowing she would cause a scene if she reacted exactly the way she felt, Reyona turned slightly towards the wall as tears streamed down her face from beneath her shades.


    All the surviving instincts in her body screamed at her to spit out the poison in her mouth but Reyona slowly turned the shrink around in her mouth even as she stylishly flicked the tears off her face.


    Then she slowly swallowed.


    Pure fire raced down her stomach and spread through her veins as she readjusted in her seat.


    She carefully practised low breathing until she got her breath back.


    She finally chanced a look towards the bar and true enough, the bartender was looking at her.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He smiled and saluted her jauntily, then he turned and left.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he a bartender? How can he just leave like that when people are still standing around?¡± Reyona wondered breezily just before her sight was obstructed.


    She looked up to see a man towering over her.


    ¡°Hello, there¡±

 One Too Many

    The music changed once again and people roared in excitement.


    Reyona automatically leaned back from the stench of stale breath and the alcohol wafting from the bald man in front of her.


    The man took that as an invitation and dropped into the chair opposite her.


    Reyona looked at the bar and saw that everyone had returned to their business.


    It seemed she was no longer interesting since she didn¡¯t choke on her bile.


    Though the effect of the drink was still singing through her blood, the zing was fast disappearing at the leery look the big man opposite her tossed her way.


    He was looking at the front zipper on her outfit in a way that diforted Reyona.


    Refusing to let a fool who couldn¡¯t handle his drink add to her sour mood, Reyona looked away from him and tried to enjoy the music.


    She self-consciously reached for the drink again but quickly withdrew her hands from it as she remembered the first time.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to start dripping in front of the silly man, whose eyes were still glued on Reyona.


    ¡°What do you have there, a bloody Mary?¡±


    Reyona snorted inwardly.


    She was almost tempted to say yes and even offer him a sip.


    Maybe that would send him straight to the toilets and away from her.


    In the end, she decided to ignore him.


    ¡°Now look here. You are tasty, I am not going to lie, but when Big Joe talks to you, you answer, Okay? I just want to have some fun,¡± he said with a watery chuckle that scraped on Reyona¡¯s nerves.


    She said nothing.


    ¡°A tough one, eh? I like it. Now¡­¡± He moved forward in the chair as he said, ¡°How much is it to peek down the valley?¡± He said this as he nodded towards Reyona¡¯s chest.


    Reyona was appalled.


    She turned fully to look at the man.


    Since thetter was shouting to be heard over the music and Reyona had no intention ofpeting in a yelling contest with him, she merely stared at him through her dark shades and turned away again.


    She deliberately reached for the drink this time around.


    Bracing herself, she raised the drink to her mouth.


    The man suddenly reached over and grabbed the hand holding the drink. ¡°I say you don¡¯t ignore me when¡­¡±


    All sense of calmness fled as Reyona automatically removed the drink with her free hand from the hand he held.


    She tossed the drink into his eyes.


    The man yelled and automatically let go of Reyona¡¯s hands.


    Reyona was annoyed that some of the drink sshed on her knees.


    She stood up as the man held his face and tried to find something to soothe his ming eyes.


    ¡°Well, it is time to go,¡± Reyona thought as she walked towards the dance floor while scanning the two-times-packed floor now for Toria.


    ¡°Bitch! Come back here!¡± She heard the man¡¯s voice faintly under the loud music as she continued walking.


    ¡°I saye back here!¡±


    She heard the man¡¯s lumbering gait behind her and she quickly turned to defend herself if it came to it.


    So much for a night of distraction.


    The man¡¯s arm was raised in a bunched fist as he tried to catch up with her.


    Two images mingled into one for a moment and Reyona¡¯s blood boiled as she saw Thomas raising his hand to hit her.


    Nobody would hit me again! She thought vehemently as she stood at the ready to deal with the beefy man.


    A few paces from Reyona, the man went flying as a fist collided with his face.


    The first one only dazed and halted him; the second one made him double over in pain.


    People gasped around him, while most just kept dancing.


    ¡°Who the fuck is that?¡± Big Joe said as he stood up to look for anyone who had dared to stop his mission.


    Reyona was as surprised when she saw Maxwell Rohan cocked his finger behind the man while automatically saying, ¡°You have had one too many drinks, dickhead. It would be thest you will be having here.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to tell me anything?¡± Big Joe tried to hit Maxwell but thetter hit him in the groin and he fell to the ground in pain.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    It was so fast that even Reyona didn¡¯t really catch the movement.


    There was always a telling sign on people¡¯s faces or bodies when they wanted to make a hit but not him.


    He was straight-faced and seemed rxed right before his knee rammed into the foul man.


    Two bouncers appeared immediately and lifted the groaning man off his feet.


    ¡°Do yourself a favour by staying away from here,¡± Maxwell said in a cold tone. ¡°Next time youe here, you will leave here without your balls. That is a promise.¡±


    He flicked his hand and the bouncers lifted the groaning man in between themselves like he weighed nothing.


    The man who had served Reyona a drink got there just as the man was being lifted away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that garbage here again,¡± Maxwell said to him.


    The man nodded respectfully as he said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    When Maxwell turned to Reyona, her throat went dry for a reason.


    It must have been the look of cold fury in his eyes that whispered to her that this was a man she didn¡¯t want as her enemy.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she mouthed to him, refusing to shout the way they had.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he said tersely.


    ¡°No, I was actually on my way out,¡± Reyona responded hesitantly.


    ¡°Come with me. I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I am here with my sister.¡±


    Maxwell turned to the man who was still close by and said, ¡°Tell her sister she is with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the man said, turning immediately towards the dance floor.


    ¡°And now?¡±


    Though annoyed with his high-handed manner, Reyona decided to hear him out.


    What would she hurry back to anyway? Another night of tossing and turning?


    ¡°Okay,¡± she mouthed.


    He gestured towards the path that led away from the main part of the club.


    ¡°After you,¡± he said.


    Reyona turned towards the dance floor and she could see that the man had found Toria.


    While dancing and bobbing her head, Toria raised her hand in a thumbs-up at Reyona with a grin before she turned right back to her friend and continued dancing.


    Just like that?


    Reyona had half-hoped Toria woulde over immediately after she was given the message.


    Apparently, that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    He nced at her half expectantly and she started walking in the direction he had pointed in.


    The more they walked down the corridor, the more the music receded.


    As Reyona walked ahead of him, she could feel his gaze on her.


    She wondered if she was making a silly mistake by going anywhere with him; she didn¡¯t even like the man.


    ¡°Yeah, keep telling yourself that.¡± Her subconsciousness suddenly reared its head.


    ¡°Right there,¡± his voice jolted Reyona and she automatically came to a stop in front of the door he pointed at.


    She awkwardly moved out of the way so he could open the door.


    Before Reyona could toss out an excuse and run anyway, he had opened the door.


    ¡°Come in, please.¡±


    She followed him into the muted lighting room.


    Instead of putting on a brighter light as Reyona had expected, he shut the door, sealing away any noise or means of escape.


    ¡°Why do you put yourself in these situations?¡± he said suddenly in an angry tone.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

 Please, Stay With Me

    ¡°I ask why you always put yourself in these situations,¡± Maxwell repeated.


    Though Reyona knew what he meant, she folded her arms around herself and asked, ¡°And what situation would that be?¡±


    She suddenly felt nervous as he took a step towards her in a predatory manner but then she didn¡¯t back down.


    Lucky for her, he stopped when they were just arm¡¯s length and said, ¡°You know what I meant. Do you know what it might have looked like if the paparazzi caught wind of what happened out there? How would you exin being in a ce like this? With a man like that. And dressed like that?¡±


    Reyona ignored the hint of exasperation in his tone as she responded, ¡°I am not with the man, in case you miss that. Nobody would have recognised me and¡­¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked, annoyed that he interrupted her.


    ¡°I recognised you. That ridiculous sses is not enough to hide a face like yours.¡±


    Oh. That definitely got to Reyona.


    Though she had no business feeling anything about the way he said that, as if he really meant it, she felt it anyway.


    Especially the way his eyes traced her face as he was talking. Almost as if¡­


    ¡°It is dark in here. Isn¡¯t there a brighter light?¡± She asked suddenly.


    ¡°There is. I prefer this lighting. It makes you shine brighter,¡± he responded.


    Okay, what on earth is all this bullshit, and why is it having any effects on her? Reyona thought in annoyance.


    ¡°Is that so? You can enjoy your lighting then. I am leaving.¡± Reyona turned immediately but his voice stopped her.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, then, still standing where he was, he used a voicemand to turn the light brighter.


    The tone of the light increased gradually until Maxwellmanded it to stop.


    Then he looked at her and asked, ¡°Is it okay now?¡±


    Reyona nodded as she turned back to him.


    Her words had clogged in her throat because she had automatically seen the kingsize bed in the other room through the opened door that led to what seemed like a bedroom.


    The room they were in looked like a gentleman¡¯s parlour with its disy of saloon couches, a well-stocked bar, and a workstation sectioned off to one side.


    It was more than what Reyona would have expected to find at a ce like that.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The dark tone of all the furniture didn¡¯t escape Reyona¡¯s notice.


    Of course, he seemed like the type who would like dark things.


    Reyona had no idea why that thought made a shiver streak through her.


    ¡°So? What is the verdict?¡±


    Reyona finally looked at him as she heard the amusement in his tone.


    That was when she really looked at him.


    Though he had his roguish smile in ce and he was looking¡­ well, she would have to be dead not to notice. He was looking damn fine, and Reyona could see something else too.


    ¡°You are tired,¡± she blurted out just as she noticed it.


    His smile only widened as he teased, ¡°How did you figure that out, Reyona?¡±


    There it was again.


    The silly sensation!


    Why would a mere mention of her name on those sensuous lips make her feel this way?


    Sensuous?!


    Okay, something was definitely wrong with her!


    Reyona chalked it up to the drink she had had.


    As the lingering taste of the firebrand she had swallowed seemed to testify to that thought, Reyona nodded to herself.


    Yes, it was the drink.


    Why else would she feel sofortable in his presence and wish she could just put up her feet on one of those weirdly-shaped couches?


    It was all about the alcohol.


    ¡°I can see it,¡± he said suddenly.


    ¡°See what?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°I can see that brilliant brain of yours whirring already. Should you leave? Or should you stay?¡± he said as he went towards the bar to pour himself a drink.


    He looked back at her and asked, ¡°Interested?¡±


    ¡°No, I am leaving,¡± Reyona said immediately.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said as he turned back to rece the bottle ¡°So, the scared Reyona won.¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, please. Scared of what? Of you?¡±


    ¡°You tell me,¡± he said as he went to one of the couches and sat. ¡°You can have your seat and let us have a discussion, Reyona. Or you can go out there and ruin your sister¡¯s fun.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s response was a swift ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Please, stay with me,¡± he said suddenly.


    Reyona detected the tiredness in his voice again.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We started on the wrong foot. Having a conversation is a good ce to start mending the fences. After all, we are going to be business partners soon.¡±


    ¡°I have still not given my consent,¡± Reyona said in an unconvincing tone.


    Maxwell smiled and said, ¡°But you will, wouldn¡¯t you? It is not too hard to ask for a conversation with my business partner.¡±


    Reyona looked at him and wondered why she was being difficult anyway.


    She was going to have to be in the same room with him soon anyway.


    Admittedly not a room where she could see a bed on the other side but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said as she moved away from the door and took the farthest couch from him.


    ¡°On one condition, though.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡± Maxwell asked with his tired smile still in ce.


    ¡°You would stop calling me Reyona. Business partners don¡¯t call themselves by their first names.¡±


    ¡°Unless they are close,¡± he countered.


    ¡°We are not close,¡± Reyona answered immediately.


    ¡°Yes, we are not,¡± he answered after tilting his head aside as if he were thinking of the definition of close. ¡°Now that that is out of the way, would you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± she asked in confusion.


    ¡°This is not your usual jaunt, Reyona. You looked like a fish out of water out there. Why are you here tonight?¡±

 An Urge To Rescue Her

    She fell for it.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t believe that he was able to get Reyona to rx in hispany.


    Even he was amazed at the way he had been able to keep the conversation between them civil, all while his blood raged at the closeness between them.


    That one-piece suit she had on was supposed to be one of the contrabands in the world.


    Companies were supposed to be persecuted for creating things like that.


    It wasn¡¯t just the clothing.


    It was the woman inside it.


    Reyona.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t like thinking of her as a Lanoth.


    He didn¡¯t like the fact that that bastard had a im to her.


    Oh, he hated the fact that Thomas-fucking-Lanoth had a right to her for that long, yet it was a fact.


    Not that Maxwell had to like it, though.


    As he watched her posture that night gradually rx from the tensed, springbox-like stance to afortable posture, Maxwell felt like he had won the world.


    As he saw the wariness leave her eyes to be reced by true interest in the conversation they were having, Maxwell felt like nothing else could be wrong with his world.


    There had been a bit of an issue with histest shipment to the automobilepany.


    That was what he had been sorting out since morning


    They just managed to sort out everything that evening before everyone knocked off for the day, but despite how tired Maxwell was, he was on edge too.


    It must have been the adrenaline that had been coursing through him for days as he dealt with the inappropriate shipment.


    All he knew was that he was not going to have any sleep if he went home.


    So, he went to his club instead.


    All he intended to do was sit away from the crowd and soak up all that energy while he had something light to coat his empty stomach.


    Then he saw her.


    Maxwell had sat in one of the secluded spots upstairs.


    It had been the perfect spot to see most of the things going on in the club without being seen by most.


    One would have a direct view towards the door without stress.


    Maxwell, who was still not feeling hungry despite the fact that he had missed two meals, had decided to make do with springles while taking a mimosa.


    He had just taken a sip of his drink when they came in.


    His fast reflex was what had stopped him from choking on his drink when he saw her.


    Not in a million years would he have expected the prim and proper CEO to wear what Reyona had on that evening.


    Of course, he had always known that there was more to all that primness yet he had not expected it to st him fully in the face like that.


    Especially not when he was not fully in his elements.


    One thing was certain, though.


    A part of him was fully in its element.


    Maxwell got an instant hard-on at the thought of having her all to himself in those heels and sses.


    With nothing else in between them,.


    As she stood there with a slight ufortable look on her face as her sister chattered on with her friend, Maxwell had a ridiculous urge.


    An urge to rescue her.


    To rescue her from her self-imposed restraint.


    Dismissing his thoughts as fanciful, Maxwell picked up his phone and called his manager when he saw Reyona heading to the bar.


    Not only was Jake swift in serving Reyona, he had sent him a message saying that he might have a lot on his hands tonight because of hisdy friend.


    When Maxwell asked him why, Jake told him the drink she had ordered.


    ¡°That was a bold move,¡± Maxwell had thought to himself as he watched her go towards the seating area.


    Even he had only dared to drink that nasty drink once. And it had even been because of a wager.


    A wager, which he won but his stomach med himter.


    Maxwell wondered why a woman like Reyona would want such a thing.


    Though he was used to being surprised by her actions, he had an idea that it might have something to do with her goddamned husband.


    Aunt Roberta¡¯s cocktail was not the go-to drink for celebration after all; it was a drink for forgetting.


    For forgetting everything else but the nasty bite of the drink.


    Ufortable by the way he was feeling as he watched her move towards the seating area, Maxwell looked away firmly from her.


    He did not need suchplications at the moment, after all.


    The fact that she had been on his mind most of the time since he had met her didn¡¯t matter.


    He had epted that he couldn¡¯t control how much she bothered him and how many wet dreams of his she had featured.


    But at least he could control what he did in her presence.


    So he turned away and fixed his gaze firmly on the dance floor.


    That was the main reason why he came there anyway.


    For the action.


    Another form of action with a particr actress prominently featured in it came to his mind again and he swore to himself in exasperation.


    ¡°Who am I kidding?¡± he thought to himself as he abandoned his silly intention to look away from her.


    He turned again to look at the ce where she was headed.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He bolted out of his chair like his pants were on fire when he saw the man who approached her.


    He knew he shouldn¡¯t mess with her.


    He knew she was not his to protect.


    He knew she would probably hate him for his intrusion.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t help but take swift steps in her direction.


    He passed through the DJ¡¯s booth to get to the other side of the dance floor faster.


    His blood boiled as he saw the man lumber after her as she quickly hurried away.


    It was with great satisfaction that he sent the first punch into the man.


    Annoyed when the big bastard didn¡¯t crumble from the force of his hit, Maxwell reminded himself to work more on the stamina behind his punch even as he hit the man again.


    That little moment was the only time he had been able to take his mind off her nearness.


    The next moment, her soft, elusive scent reached out and wrapped him in its hold again. His hard-on was so painful that Maxwell wondered how anyone had not noticed the bulge in his trousers as he briskly dismissed the man and made Reyonae with him.


    It had been a test of will.


    A way of trying to prove to himself that he was not a testosterone-driven kid who couldn¡¯t behave himself around a woman.


    So, as he plied her with talk andter convinced her to have dinner with him, Maxwell couldn¡¯t believe he had been able to pull it off.


    As every breath he drew in her presence hurt so much that he had to sip his drink to soothe it, Maxwell patted himself on the back.


    As his imagination went haywire while watching her sit across from him, Maxwell held himself rigidly as he recited his restraining mantra in his head.


    He didn¡¯t believe in having an affair with a woman who was still married to another.


    He didn¡¯t want theplications of getting involved with her.


    A woman like her wouldn¡¯t just slink away into oblivion once he was no longer interested.


    She was Reyona.


    A woman he would do well to stay clear of if he wanted to keep his sanity intact.


    So as they went their separate ways that night without him exploding in the process, Maxwell congratted himself on the sess of his experiment.


    Then he went home to take a cold, long shower.

 Way To Go

    Reyona wished Toria was with her at that moment.


    Her sister had to leave for Sydney that morning.


    The realtor she had been in touch with called her just that morning to say that he saw a perfect property for her in Sydney.


    Coincidentally, the owner of the property was also an interior designer who was relocating.


    The use was that the owner wanted to see the person who would take over her property.


    Reyona could see that Toria loved that particr property. It was perfect for the vision she had for her home designpany.


    Sydney was also a perfect spot for such business.


    Despite how excited Toria had been at first about the discovery, she had been very hesitant that morning.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t go,¡± she said multiple times, even though Reyona had told her she was fine and there was no need to babysit her.


    She practically pushed her out of the door and shut the door in her face.


    Still, Toria shouted, ¡°Call me if you need anything!¡±


    ¡°Yes, mommy!¡± Reyona had responded with a smile.


    Her smile died as she listened to Toria¡¯s car drive away.


    ¡°Today is the day,¡± her subconscious reared its head.


    ¡°Today is just like any other day,¡± Reyona said out loud.


    With determination, she got ready for her day.


    ¡°Just another day¡± became her mantra whenever her mind wanted to wonder.


    She was able to finish getting ready for her day without thinking of a certain forbidden topic.


    Just as she got to her car, Reyona looked in the direction of the path that led to Jordan¡¯s ce.


    She knew she should check on Celia.


    She was sorely tempted to get in her car and follow the path until she got to what Maxwell had called the hideout the night before.


    But just as she had been doing for days now, Reyona couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Coward,¡± she muttered to herself as she entered her car and drove off.


    ¡°Who could have believed that a tiny baby who couldn¡¯t even speak yet could chase you off?¡± her subconscious whispered mockingly.


    Reyona closed her eyes briefly but quickly opened them back when she heard cars moving beside her.


    The light had turned green.


    Reyona had avoided telling herself the main reason why she had not reached out to Celia since thetter gave birth.


    Oh, she had deceived herself into believing that it was because she didn¡¯t want to intrude on the privacy of the family, but that wasn¡¯t the real reason.


    It was the reaction she had had to the baby earlier.


    Reyona had no idea how she would react to seeing that beautiful bundle of joy again.


    She had not known that she wanted a baby as badly as she felt the urge when she saw that downy-haired creation.


    ¡°No, better to stay away than run off like an idiot again,¡± she thought to herself as she took the turn that led away from ReyDexter LLC.


    She was there in no time.


    Michelle received her with her usual sunny disposition.


    ¡°Come with me, ma. He is waiting for you.¡±


    Reyona followed her as she briefly wondered if things would be awkward between them that morning.


    ¡°Not that there was any reason for it to be, though,¡± she thought to herself just as Michelle knocked and stepped aside when a response came from within.


    ¡°It was just an enjoyable dinner and an evening ofpanionship,¡± Reyona thought to herself as a weird feeling fluttered through her when she saw him standing as she entered.


    She was surprised to see him dressed in a navy suit and tailored dress pants in a matching shade.


    Peeking out beneath the suit were a pristine white dress shirt and a sleek ck tie. His sharp dressing wasplemented with luxurious ck leather Oxford shoes.


    He was a far cry from the shirt-and-shorts man she had met in the same office a while ago.


    ¡°Oh, you know how to dress properly after all,¡± Reyona blurted out just as the word popped into her head.


    She stopped in her stride and absentmindedly heard the click of the door as Michelle closed it.


    Reyona wished she could swallow her tongue at that moment.


    Of all the things to say.


    His roguish smile helped to put her at ease, though.


    ¡°Yes, my mother managed to teach me that before her death. Thank God,¡± he said as he came out from behind the desk.


    Reyona winced. His mother was dead.


    Way to go, Reyona. She thought to herself as she automatically reached out her hand to ept the handshake he was offering.


    He leaned forward a bit as he said, ¡°We still haven¡¯t established what I should call you. You seem to hate me calling you Mrs. Lanoth. And you know what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked automatically.


    ¡°I hate it too,¡± Maxwell said with a wink. Then he gestured towards the setee close to them.


    Reyona could see a folder on the ss table in front of it.


    She hurried over to sit and realized she had been unconsciously trying to decipher the smell of his cologne.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    It had been less strong the night before but it was more pronounced right now.


    Reyona prided herself on knowing her customers or potential customers right down to thest details.


    She meticulously notices things as small as the cologne her major customers like.


    In her free time, she had been known to go to stores that carry men¡¯s scents.


    Just with the memory of what they smelled like, she could determine what kind of scents they liked.


    It¡¯s the kind of information she filed away to be used if the need arises.


    So, she was not new to deciphering men¡¯s cologne.


    His was different, though.


    The night before, she chalked it up to the brain-damaging alcohol she took but it was the same thing this morning too.


    His scent was confusing, though.


    It was almost like they were multiple scents blended into one.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me.¡±

 Interested In You

    Reyona pulled her mind away from silly thoughts when she realised that she had totally missed what he was saying to her.


    She blinked at his amused face and quickly remembered what he had said before.


    ¡°You can just call me Dexter,¡± she said quickly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Dexter,¡± he said, as if he were rolling the name over his tongue. ¡°I like it,¡± he said with a thoughtful nod to himself.


    ¡°d you do,¡± Reyona said sarcastically.


    ¡°I was wondering when that woulde out,¡± he said as he reached for the folder on the table.


    ¡°When what wille out?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The bitingment. I think I missed it.¡±


    Reyona smiled relunctantly.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that there would be a day that she would use the phrase at ease in the same breath with him but at the moment, that was what she felt.


    The jittery feeling she had as she tried so hard not to think of what was going on right then had somehow disappeared.


    Maxwell pulled out the sheaf of papers in the folder and passed it to her.


    ¡°You can take your time to read through it,¡± he said as he leaned back into the armchair he sat on.


    Reyona could see that he had already signed.


    He wasn¡¯t lying.


    Reyona was the reason why the cooperation had notmenced earlier.


    Reyona could feel his eyes on her as she carefully read through the contract.


    She suddenly had the urge to smooth her hair or check her face to see if she had something on it.


    But since that would only give him the satisfaction that she was bothered by his look, she stubbornly focused on reading the fine print of the contract.


    They seemed fine to her, not that she expected a reputablepany like Multilinks to pull a fast one on her but then¡­


    ¡°Are you sure you should be here right now?¡±


    His words interrupted her train of thought. ¡°What?¡± she asked, confusion evident on her face.


    ¡°I mean, I know we have an agreement to meet this morning but I was thinking you will probably call ahead to say that you will bete or even send one of your henchmen,¡± he said with a keen look on his face.


    ¡°Hench¡­ why would I suddenly choose not toe?¡± Reyona asked with incredulity.


    ¡°Because I was thinking that it would be a hell of a day, you know.¡±


    Reyona wondered if he was drunk. He had seemed lucid to her the night before until they separated, but still¡­


    ¡°Did you change your mind? Is that why you have the time toe here today?¡± he asked in a serious tone.


    Now, Reyona was certain of it.


    Something was definitely wrong with him. Something tells her that he was not talking about the contract.


    He was¡­


    Reyona¡¯s heart thumped as she realised what else he might be talking about.


    Reyona stood up hastily as she stared at him in shock. ¡°You know? How could¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not much gets past me, Dexter,¡± Maxwell said arrogantly. ¡°I think the real question here is, why are you not doing the needful right now? Have you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± Reyona said in a vehemently low tone.


    He gave her a long look and nodded. ¡°You are right. It is not my business. Weirdly, I find myself interested, though.¡±


    God save me from nosy blockheads. Reyona thought to herself in exasperation. ¡°Interested in what?¡± she asked crossly.


    ¡°Interested in you,¡± Maxwell said simply as he stood up and put his hands into his pockets.


    Reyona gaped at him in shock as she wondered if he meant what she thought he meant. ¡°What?¡± she managed to squeeze out.


    ¡°Sign the contract, Dexter,¡± Maxwell said in a sudden, curt tone as he turned towards the table.


    ¡°This meeting is over. Mitchell will get in touch with you about the following steps,¡± he said with a sort of finality in his tone as he sat behind the desk.


    Reyona looked from him to the contract on the table.


    She had checked all she needed to check anyway.


    She looked back at him, and he was currently bent over some files.


    It was just as if she was no longer in the room.


    Reyona bent to pick up the documents.


    She signed at the appropriate ces and kept it back on the table.


    Without a word, she left the office.


    **********


    Just like a released gas that couldn¡¯t be contained again, Maxwell¡¯s statement opened the door to the thoughts that Reyona had been trying to keep her mind off.


    Before she realised what she was doing, Reyona had already found herself on the street outside the courthouse.


    Gibson had given her the full details anyway.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she said to herself as she parked at a spot where she could see the people entering anding out of the court.


    She knew she should just turn and leave, yet she stayed there in the running car.


    She watched as people moved in and out of the courtyard.


    Reyona felt heated even though the AC in her car was on full st.


    As much as she tried to keep it away, the memory of her wedding day intruded on her mind.


    She still couldn¡¯t believe that all the promises and joy of that day were going to die a painful death in the dreary-looking courthouse.


    She wished Thomas could feel the same pain she was feeling at that moment.


    She wished she could stop the enormous pain that engulfed her whole being as she imagined a life she had known for eight years being brought to an end at that moment by a faceless man.


    She wished she could take thest few steps that remained to enter that courthouse and watch everything unfold.


    Maybe this time Thomas will be remorseful.


    Even as she let out a humourlessughter at that thought, she realised a part of her still wished for that.


    He must have loved her at some point, right?


    Or had she been so unlovable that a man had lived with her for eight years without feeling anything at all for her?


    Reyona had no idea why it was so important for her to know the answers to those questions, yet despite everything, they had been the most paramount questions on her mind.


    They still are.

 You Are Dead To Me

    With her engine running and her hands frozen on the wheels, Reyona stayed that way with her gaze fixed on the entrance to the courthouse.


    Gibson had exined how the progression would go for her.


    The divorce could be done in her absence.


    On the grounds of emotional trauma, Gibson could represent her in court.


    What mattered was having the necessary evidence against Thomas.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The evidence Gibson had with him gave him confidence that the judge would be able to grant the divorce without stress.


    Reyona wanted to be as confident as Gibson was, yet she couldn¡¯t be.


    Thomas had proven to be as slippery as an eel recently, just as he had proven to be a vicious man.


    A man she did not know existed, despite the fact that she had been sleeping beside him for many years.


    Reyona finally understood why she was waiting.


    She understood what her real fear had been.


    As much as her heart broke about the fact that the home she was building was gone like a puff of air, she wanted to be close by when the deed was finally done.


    Though she knew it would make no difference whether it was granted or not, she stayed.


    She would be right on hand.


    For whatever happened.


    Reyona¡¯s heart was being dragged through a gallow of torture as memories of the past years yed in her mind¡¯s eye like motion pictures.


    The sudden ring of her phone jolted her out of her thoughts.


    That was when she realised that she had not been paying attention to the scene before her.


    She had zoned out by getting totally engulfed in her thoughts.


    People wereing out of the courthouse already.


    Reyona looked at the phone, and her heart thumped when she saw Gibson¡¯s number.


    She looked towards the entrance of the courthouse as if expecting to see him there with the phone held to his ear.


    She quickly picked up the call before it could disconnect.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Her voice sounded rusty to her ears, so she cleared her throat again.


    ¡°Congrattions, ma,¡± Gibson said with a bit of excitement in his tone.


    Excitement was nowhere near the feelings that Reyona was having at that moment. ¡°You¡­ uhm¡­ the judge granted it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Gibson said in a more subdued tone.


    He must have picked on Reyona¡¯scklustre tone.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the car seat. ¡°Is there anything I should know?¡±


    ¡°The restraint order was granted as well. He was given two hours to vacate your home immediately. He tried to argue that you both owned the house, but the documents were more than enough. He had already lost before he started. You are well rid of him now, ma¡¯am. He wouldn¡¯t even dare to breathe the same air as you if he knew what was good for him.¡±


    ¡°What happens if he disobeys the order?¡± Reyona asked as an afterthought.


    ¡°If he bothers you in the future bying close to your home, a year of prison is the least he would get.¡±


    Reyona nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You are wee, ma¡¯am. I would have your documents delivered to your office today, ma. Don¡¯t hesitate to reach out if you need me for anything.¡±


    For another divorce? Reyona thought bitterly as the call disconnected.


    So it is really over?


    ¡°I thought that was you.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes flew open when she heard Thomas¡¯s voice.


    He had a sinister smile on his face as he came closer to her car window.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes jumped wildly from him to the courtyard and back to him as he leaned in through the window.


    She punched him straight on the nose.


    He yelled and staggered back. ¡°Oh fuck, you bitch. What is it with you and my face?¡±


    A frisson of satisfaction slithered through Reyona as he held his bloody nose while ring at her.


    ¡°I am sure there is a prison room with your name on it.¡± Reyona said calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you told to stay the hell away from me?¡±


    He swiped angrily at his nose, smearing the blood on his cheek as he wagged his finger at her. ¡°I see that your dog has already delivered the message to you. You couldn¡¯t face me in there, could you? Still, you have toe here to make sure the job is done? Oh, Reyona, you will never be anything but a predictable, useless wretch. Do you think you have won? Well, think again, bitch. You have ruined everything, and now you want to walk away? You¡­¡±


    ¡°I must have missed a lot of things if I am just realising how much of a bbermouth you are,¡± Reyona said leisurely as she checked her watch.


    ¡°Less than 2 hours now. I am sure the judge could easily overlook the difference in time if I told them you were harassing me.¡±


    Fury showed on Thomas¡¯s face. He walked towards the car door again, then thought better of it as he shook an using finger at her. ¡°You would do that to me? You will let them send me to prison?¡±


    Reyona looked at him like he was out of his mind.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked with contempt.


    She looked him dead in the eyes and hoping she could fully mean it just as easily as she formed the words, she said, ¡°You are dead to me.¡±


    She reversed suddenly, and he had to jump out of the way.


    Reyona was just putting on her sses when she heard, ¡°Ganma, see! my fwend!¡±


    Reyona knew that voice anywhere.


    Though it was a bit weaker than thest time she heard it, Reyona swerved her head in that direction.


    Standing beside Thomas¡¯ car was Ruth.


    Her lips were tightened in displeasure as her gaze met Reyona¡¯s.


    Leah was looking pale and somewhat thinner than thest time Reyona had seen her.


    The hand she threw out in a wave at Reyona was stick-like.


    Reyona drove past without looking back.


    The helplessness she was feeling had been reced with boiling anger within a matter of seconds.


    Those sick duos of mother and son.


    How dare they bring such an angel to an ugly scenario like that?


    Oh, she wished she could get down and knock their heads together while asking them what gave them the effrontery to expose a kid of that age to such a thing.


    As she drove to thepany to await the eviction of her new ex-husband, one other issue overshadowed her recent divorce in Reyona¡¯s mind.


    What happened to Leah?

 If Only

    It is none of your business.


    Reyona reminded herself for the umpteenth time that evening as she got ready to go home.


    Home.


    Not a rented ce, she had been sleeping to get out of the way of her asshole hus¡­ ex-husband.


    She had just gotten off the phone with Toria.


    Toria was apologetic that she had to stay over at Sydey due to aplication.


    When Reyona asked Toria what theplication was about, thetter merely said she would tell her everything when she got back the next day.


    ¡°Now tell me everything,¡± Toria said, turning the conversation back to the reason why she had called.


    Reyona told her everything.


    Everything Gibson had told her happened in court and would happen if Thomas decided not to cooperate.


    Her sister was overly joyous at the fact that Thomas was given a restraining order.


    She congratted Reyona and promised that they would drink all the champagne they couldy their hands on when she got back.


    Reyona stared at the phone as it disconnected and wondered why she had not told Toria.


    She had not said anything about the fact that she went to the court herself.


    She told her sister nothing about seeing Thomas.


    Nor did she inform her about the sickly Leah and the fact that she couldn¡¯t get the girl out of her head all day.


    Even when she was having a phone meeting with one of her returning clients that afternoon, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the girl was dying.


    Then she got angry all over again at the thought of why those two idiots had not kept that baby in the hospital instead of lugging her around the courthouse.


    ¡°Asshole,¡± she had muttered in the middle of the call.


    The man on the other end had paused in the middle of his speech and asked in an offended tone, ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry,¡± Reyona had answered in horror when she realised what had happened.


    She had to rattle off a series of reasons for what she just said before she could convince the man that he was not the one she was talking to.


    Even though the man epted her exnation, the mood had already been spoiled.


    The meeting ended soon after and Reyona was still not totally sure that the man was really convinced.


    She had to send an apology message again after that.


    In exasperation, she declined the other meetings that Charlotte had already set up for the day.


    She simply waited for when she could go home.


    A home free of Thomas.


    When Maxwell¡¯s number thrilled on her phone towards that evening, she only looked at it till it stopped ringing.


    Hadn¡¯t he said that Mitchell would get back to her?


    Why would he be calling her again?


    Reyona got off work earlier than normal that evening.


    She could see Charlotte looking at her in surprise when she told thetter that she was closing for the day.


    She was in the car when her phone rang again.


    Thinking that it was Maxwell who had decided to be a pest, she looked at the phone with the intention of giving it the same treatment as the first time.


    But then she saw who it was. Definitely not Maxwell.


    Reyona picked up the call automatically before it was disconnected.


    ¡°Beatrice,¡± the woman on the other end said excitedly.


    Reyona injected some liveliness into her voice as she said, ¡°Celia, how are you doing? How is the baby?¡±


    ¡°We are doing fine. I must say I am disappointed, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Reyona asked innocently.


    ¡°I have a feeling you know why. Do you know that my baby has been asking after the woman who helped bring her to this world? I had to let her know that you had disappeared on us all. But then she wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer about youing to her christening. ¡±


    ¡°Christening?¡± Reyona asked like she had never heard the word before.


    ¡°Yes, you know that silly ceremony where people mainly gather to eat but then give a name to the baby as an afterthought?¡±


    Reyona had her first genuine smile that evening. ¡°Yes, I know what a christening is. I just feel it is a gathering meant for family and friends. You barely know me, Celia.¡±


    ¡°Knowing is not about the duration, Beatrice. Also, you are my friend.¡±


    Friend. Reyona mused.


    She still couldn¡¯t understand how the woman could just use that word about her so easily.


    She knew that that despite how easygoing Celia looked, the woman could be quite tenacious.


    So she decided to make it easy on herself.. ¡°When will the christening be?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You areing!¡± Celia said excitedly, as if she had been expecting something else.


    Reyona shook her head in amusement.


    ¡°The christening is tomorrow. Of course, we are going to church first for the christening and baptism. You see, I am Catholic, and my dear mother, bless her heart, will roll over in her grave if I do not stick to some traditions. So, we are going to church first, and then we will have a small get-together for her at our ce. I won¡¯t stress you by asking you toe to the church but you wille after, right? The whole church deal should be over in an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will be there,¡± said Reyona.


    Her reservations about seeing the baby again aside, it was the perfect kind of distraction she needed.


    ¡°Great! I can¡¯t wait to see you tomorrow!¡±


    When Celia disconnected the call without bothering to tell Reyona the address, she mused at the thought that the woman must have assumed that she knew the ce already.


    Her mood was way better as she drove home, mingling with the slight traffic of homegoers like her.


    In no time, she was home.


    Thomas¡¯s car was no longer at the end of the driveway.


    Realizing that she had been half expecting him to defy the court after all, Reyona let out the breath she had not realised she had held as she drove to the house.


    She parked and walked hesitantly to the front door.


    Steeling herself for whatever might be waiting for her on the other side, Reyona unlocked the door and entered.


    A pig sty would be insulted ifpared to what Reyona¡¯s home looked like at the moment.


    ¡°Petty bastard,¡± she muttered when she saw that he had left all the lights on.


    Rushing sounds made Reyona quickly run towards the bathroom.


    The water was running in all avable sinks and showers.


    By the time Reyona ran from one end of the house to the other, switching off faucets and saving rugs, she was thoroughly pissed.


    Sweating a bit and a bit dishevelled, she finally stood on thending to take in the full measure of the damage done to her home.


    Everything was scattered.


    The smashed TV gaped back at her from where it still sat with the hole in it.


    Debris were almost everywhere.


    Some of the residue of the filming crew set-up in the bedrooms and all were still there.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Reyona to realise that he had taken some of the things that belonged to her as well.


    Her beautiful art collections were no longer around.


    Her pictures were ripped.


    The walls were smeared.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Everywhere was a mess.


    Suddenly drained, Reyona sat there on thending, soaking in all that her stupidity had caused her.


    Her mother¡¯s call came through when she was sitting there.


    She asked Reyona how she was feeling after today¡¯s ordeal.


    Reyona responded that she was feeling fine.


    dys seemed not to believe her.


    Her father joined the call as well.


    Carlisle said they would like toe check on Reyona soon.


    ¡°Though you stopped us froming there during the scandal, we are really worried about you, you know,¡± he said with worry in his tone.


    ¡°Yes, baby.¡± dys said. ¡°Let¡¯s be there for you, please. This is never a good time for a woman. Let¡¯se over. Though the twins have something this weekend, I can still¡­¡±


    ¡°It is fine,¡± Reyona said with conviction in her tone. ¡°I am fine, really. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Moreover, Toria will be back tomorrow. I would be fine. You two don¡¯t need to leave all you are doing toe check on me, you know. I am fine. I can handle this. This has been a long timeing, you know.¡±


    After she disconnected the call with her parents that night, Reyona stood from where she sat.


    Without looking much at the damage around her, she went to the sheet closet, took out a new nket and bedspread.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t sleep in what used to be their bedroom that night, not until she had stripped off everything that could remind her of what used to be.


    So, she went to the guest room.


    The first thing she saw as she entered was the ball she had seen with Junior the other day.


    She ignored it and noted the fact that this ce was not as messed up as the others.


    ¡°This must be where the kids slept,¡± she thought automatically as she went to strip off the rumpled sheet and rece it.


    The house was suddenly too quiet for her.


    So she switched on the TV set in the room.


    She didn¡¯t care about whatever was on the TV; she just needed the sound.


    With the TV droning on in the background, Reyona curled up and decidedly emptied her mind as she closed her eyes to induce sleep.


    As she slept off to the sound of a detergentmercial, one thought was unconsciously on Reyona¡¯s mind.


    At least her costly mistake was finally undone.


    If only.

 Vow Of Silence

    She was a child again.


    She ran with the consciousness of a scared child as the loose belt of her muslin gown iled behind her.


    In terror, Reyona held tightly to the belt for fear of falling over.


    She just needed to get to where the light was.


    Light means safety.


    All she had to do was leave the crippling darkness behind.


    Before it caught up to her.


    When she mistakenly looked at the ss wall to her left, her terror doubled.


    Her terrified hazel eyes seemed too big for her small pixie face.


    Her hands and face were covered with soot.


    Has it burned her already?


    In terror, Reyona touched her hand to her face to see if she would feel the pain of burns.


    She tightened her teeth against the sound that wanted to escape her mouth as she kept running.


    It must not hear her.


    She must keep going.


    She just needed to find Grams!


    Grams would help her!


    Grams would be somewhere in that light she could see from afar.


    Grams knew she hated the dark.


    Grams woulde for her and chase it away with her spat.


    She just needed to keep running.


    As if summoned by her thoughts, what she had been running from gained up on her all of a sudden.


    A short scream escaped her throat as the ming dragon roared behind her, and its roar filled the hallway.


    Reyona dared not look back for fear that it would snatch her before she got to that light.


    If it took her, Grams would worry.


    She just had to¡­


    Reyona¡¯s feet caught against a solid substance in her path, and she fell.


    She fell right on the mass and realised that it was flesh.


    Not just any flesh; it was a human.


    Grams? Her young heart thumped hard against her rib in the darkness.


    Before she could crawl forward to trace the face of the person, the snapping, ming dragon caught up with her.


    The dragon fire illuminated the body on the floor, but Reyona was no longer looking.


    Her eyes were on the sinister beast.


    She forgot her vow of silence and screamed as it pounced!


    Reyona¡¯s scream followed her into reality as she awoke in bed, drenched in sweat.


    She looked around disorientedly at the sound of the TV.


    She looked at her hand, and she could see that she was herself, and it had all been a nasty dream, as she did not even have any soot on her hand.


    Yet, some of the things from the dream stayed with her.


    Reyona could smell smoke in the air.


    Though it was ridiculous, she looked around as if to be sure that there was no ming dragon in the room.


    Nothing.


    But even as she was about to rx against the headboard to calm her pounding head, Reyona realised that the sound of a ringing telephone was going on somewhere in the house.


    At first, she thought it was her ears that were ringing with the force with which she woke up.


    She coughed as she stood up from the bed.


    The dream was far too real; the smell of smoke was still very strong in her nostrils.


    A step towards the TV had Reyona unconsciously backing away.


    Not from the TV but from the door.


    There was a brilliance in the hallway beyond the door that was greater than the regr lighting.


    She could see it now.


    The smoke had not followed her from the dream.


    The smoke was right here.


    Beyond that door.


    Reyona walked briskly towards the door and jerked it open.


    A cough wracked her body as oppressing heat and smoke sted her.


    Her house was on fire.


    How?


    The path that led to the main part and the front door of the house was zing.


    Reyona could hear a crash from somewhere in the house even as she stepped out.


    She had no idea why the fire sprinklers had not worked.


    The fire was still a bit far from where Reyona was, but it was fast approaching.


    The smoke got to her first.


    Reyon knew she could die in that fire if she did not act fast.


    To get to the front door would mean going through the ze she was seeing in that direction.


    The incessant ringing has stopped now.


    Reyona quickly ran to theundry room close to the guest room and went straight to the washing machine section.


    She pulled at the hose as another fit of cough racked her body.


    The smoke was getting thicker now.


    She momentarily calmed herself to unscrew the hose from the hose bib of the water supply.


    Water from the hose drenched her as she finally pulled it out.


    The momentary oxygen from the water helped to calm her burning throat a bit as she fully soaked her body.


    Then she pulled up the curled-up pipe and ced it on the washing machine.


    As she ran out of the room, the water from the hose was steadily soaking up the room.


    Reyona ran to the bathroom; she quickly turned on all the faucets, shower, and all.


    She looked around desperately for what to use to clog the drain so that the water wouldn¡¯t just uselessly go down the drain.


    Her heart thumped madly as she heard the sound of something else crashing in the house.


    Then she could hear other sounds outside the house.


    She desperately pulled down all the towels around and pulled them over the drains in the tubs, sink, and shower, hoping it would make a difference.


    When she ran back into the room, she could see that the fire was getting closer.


    The air was getting thicker with smoke too, and the relief she got from the oxygen in the water was like it was never there.


    Reyona could hear more urgent noise from outside just as she heard car doors open and close.


    ¡°The firemen must be here,¡± she thought a bit groggily as she set out to do what she had not allowed herself to think much about.


    Something told her they might not get to her fast enough.


    Reyona had never been one to wait around for others to save her anyway, and she was not about to start now when it was a matter of life and death.


    So, she didn¡¯t think much of what hade to her mind when she was opening the taps.


    The guest room¡¯s window faced the back of the house.


    Hoping that she was not about to make the worst mistake of her life, Reyona picked up the armchair close to the bed.


    She bent her head towards her wet shirt to inhale any form of oxygen she could get.


    Then, with all the energy she had left, Reyona smashed the armchair against the window.


    She did not stop until all the splinters were all gone and the gaping hole brought with it some fresh air.


    Reyona quickly pulled the sheets off the bed and wrapped them around her feet individually.


    The sounds of roaring fire catching up with her in the corridor, just as the ming dragon had, made her climb the ledge without hesitation.


    The fact that it was two stories down didn¡¯t stop her determination.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    With the thought that anything was better than being burned to death, she was willing to take the risk.


    Tucking her body in, as she had once learned in a survival clip she hade across, Reyonaunched herself into the unforgiving night!

 Disastrous Result

    Maxwell died.


    If the feeling that ripped through his heart at the sound of that scream was not a sign of sure death, he was sure it must be a sample of what death would feel like.


    The sharp cry, then silence.


    Unbidden images of his father¡¯s still body flooded his mind as he rushed over and saw her lying unmoving.


    The difference was that his father had been lying unmarked and peaceful-looking in bed.


    She had a gash on her head, bleeding, and her legs were twisted at an odd angle.


    ¡°Reyona,¡± he called with his heart in his mouth.


    No answer.


    His haywire imagination calmed a bit when he realised that she was still breathing, though.


    As much as he would have loved to scoop her up and take her to the nearest hospital, Maxwell knew he might cause more damage if he moved her.


    ¡°Over here!¡± his voice boomed in the night.


    Yet it was not loud enough for them to hear him over the chaos going on at the front.


    sses crunched under his shoes as he swore loudly and ran towards the front, where the ambnce was.


    ¡°She is over here, damn it! She is not moving!¡±


    The paramedics quickly swung into action as they bid Maxwell to step back.


    As much as his heart rebelled against leaving her side for a moment, Maxwell stepped back and quickly got on his phone.


    They had her on a stretcher in record time.


    Adam asked one of the paramedics what happened.


    ¡°It was a bad fall but she is in stable condition,¡± the man said before he hurried off to hold the door open.


    ¡°Which hospital is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Saintwell hospital!¡± the man tossed over his shoulder as they manoeuvred Reyona into the vehicle.


    Maxwell saw the logo of the hospital on the ambnce as they moved. His anxiety when he arrived had not made him realise it.


    ¡°Stable condition, my ass. Stable condition and she is unconscious.¡± Maxwell thought in anger as he entered his haphazardly parked car and took off after the ambnce.


    He made another call again.


    As much as it still irked that they had not let him enter the house when he arrived, Maxwell was super relieved that he had decided to go towards the back despite the firemen¡¯s protest that all non-officials should stay as far away as possible from the scene.


    The thought that she could havein there bleeding and unconscious for a moment longer was too much for him to bear.


    So he concentrated on driving.


    They were already checking Reyona into the emergency room when he got there.


    Maxwell stood in the hallway, looking in as the doctor and nurses were administering treatment to Reyona.


    A middle-aged woman dressed in corporate wear approached him.


    It seemed like she had left where she was in a hurry because she was tucking her hands into herb coat as she walked hastily.


    The nurses and doctors who saw her bent their heads in greeting as they stepped aside for her to pass.


    She got to Maxwell and said, in a reverent tone, ¡°President Rohan.¡±


    ¡°I want to know everything that happened to her, Andrea. I want your top hands on this. I want her out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I will handle this myself,¡± the woman said as she quickly stepped through the motion-detecting ss door.


    The doctor and nurses working on Reyona greeted her and she inclined her head to tell the doctor to go ahead.


    She collected the chart from one of the nurses and asked her questions.


    Then she took over.


    Beyond the door, Maxwell was impatient.


    Why wasn¡¯t she awake yet?


    What was taking so damn long?


    A regr man would have paced to and fro with the kind of anxiety that was building up in Maxwell as the clock ticked.


    Yet the more anxiety Maxwell felt, the stiller he grew.


    One could almost mistake him for a statue as he stood there unmoving.


    A nurse came out of the room with a handheld torso scanner in her hand.


    The forbidden look on Maxwell¡¯s face made her avert her eyes and walk briskly toward theb section of the hospital.


    The clock let out a low dong as it clocked 3 am, yet Reyona was not awake yet.


    Maxwell was a step away from going in when Andrea finally came out.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She removed her gloves and dabbed at her forehead with a handkerchief.


    When she saw the look on Maxwell¡¯s face, she started with, ¡°Her vitals are okay.¡±


    Maxwell simply looked at her and she quickly ryed the remaining information.


    ¡°For how long?¡± Maxwell asked once she was done.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for now. I am sorry. We would just keep our eyes on her.¡±


    ¡°Should I get someone who can tell me what I need to hear?¡± Maxwell asked in a forbidden tone.


    Andrea¡¯s mouth firmed, but still, she said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m the best at what I do, sir. It is the reason why you backed my selection as the medical director here too. I am sure whoever you get here will tell you the same thing I just said, sir.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to brag, Andrea. I asked for a definite answer. What is the point of my stake in this hospital if it is hard for you to give me something as simple as a definite answer?¡±


    Andrea knew she shouldn¡¯t offend him. The result could be disastrous for the whole hospital.


    The person in the room must be very important to him.


    As much as he was not showing his emotions, Andrea had never seen him react to anything the way he was reacting at the moment.


    She didn¡¯t want to have to be the reason for the downfall of the hospital.


    ¡°I am sorry, sir. Can you pleasee with me to my office? I would exin everything to you in full detail.¡±


    Just as they were talking, the nurse who had left with the handheld body scanner came back holding some files and films.


    Andrea motioned to her and said, ¡°The scans are here, sir. I can exin this to you better with these¡±


    Maxwell nodded curtly and followed her.

 Good Question

    ¡°She is in aa, Andrew. Her legs are affected too. Andrea said they are not broken but I don¡¯t know, man. She¡­ Let me call you back.¡±


    Maxwell disconnected the call and waited for the youngdy rushing towards him.


    ¡°Victoria,¡± he said in greeting.


    ¡°Where is Rey? Why couldn¡¯t anyone give her the phone?¡± She asked hurriedly as she made to dash past him.


    Maxwell shifted subtly, blocking her path without making it obvious.


    ¡°She is in good hands. I just need you to calm down, okay?¡±


    ¡°Calm down? Why the hell should I calm down for anything? Where is my sister?¡± Toria snapped with teary eyes.


    She swiped at her face, looked around, and looked back at Maxwell.


    ¡°Sorry about that, okay? I just need to see her. Will you take me to her?¡± She asked in a shaky tone.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Maxwell said, then led her to the ICU.


    The nurses stationed in the waiting room had been informed to do everything he wanted for him without hesitation.


    So when he requested that they let Toria into the highly sterilised room where Reyona was hooked to machines, they immediately sprang to action and garbed her up.


    Maxwell stayed back.


    He didn¡¯t want to have to see her like that again.


    The cut he had seen earlier had not just been on her head.


    She must have smashed the window of the room she jumped out of in desperation.


    That desperation must have also been why she did not think twice that shards of broken sses would be waiting for her upon her descent.


    A rose bush close to the back of the house had caught the sheet wrapped around her feet in its grip.


    With nothing else to hold her, she iled in the air for a moment before the sheets ripped off and shended with her head and forearms on the shards of ss.


    Her iling legs had been twisted from the sudden pull before they fell hard against the floor.


    At least that was what Andrea and her team thought.


    With what Maxwell could provide ording to how he had met her, they figured their assumptions were right.


    Though her forearms, head, and upper body took the brunt of the ss cuts, the impact nheless affected her legs.


    As Andrea took him through every single detail while showing the images in graphics on the films the nurse had handed her, Maxwell¡¯s hand fisted in anger, and he knew he would cause a lot of damage if his thoughts turned out to be correct.


    As he stared intently at the ss door as if expecting her to walk out anytime, Maxwell thought back to what he had learned about the incident.


    He had been going home after a day of trying so hard not to think about her when Andrews called him.


    Celia was hysterical.


    They had heard that Reyona¡¯s house was on fire and the reporter believed that she was still inside since her car could be seen outside the house.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t wait to hear his friend¡¯sst statement before he tossed his phone aside and drove like a madman to the scene.


    He had never felt such fear grip his heart before, as much as he did when he saw the mes from her ce two streets away.


    He parked haphazardly and almost knocked a reporter out of his way as he went over to one of the firefighters barricading the area.


    ¡°Have you seen her?¡±


    ¡°Seen who? Get back, man! Everyone, get back!¡±


    Maxwell swung the man around, held him by his cor and asked urgently.


    ¡°Have you seen the owner of this ce? A chestnut-haired woman about this height?¡± he asked as he raised his hand to describe Reyona¡¯s height.


    ¡°No, no. We think she is still inside. Our men will get her out. You need to let me go, man.¡±


    Maxwell let go of the man and automatically bent to pass beneath the iron-rung barricade.


    ¡°No, sir. No, sir, you can¡¯t go in.¡± Two more firemen turned to Maxwell. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t go in. It is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how dangerous it is. My woman is in there!¡± Maxwell blurted out without thought.


    ¡°She is in there and I am not waiting out here to see who you take your sweet time with!¡±


    ¡°We will get her out,¡± another fireman said. ¡°We will get her out, sir. You can¡¯t go in there. It is too dangerous, sir.¡±


    Apart from those who were currently spraying the ming front door of the house, three more firemen turned to face Maxwell. When he saw that they were determined to stop him, he nodded as he backed away.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I would just stay over there. Get her out, please!¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± the man talking to him vowed before he turned away again.


    Maxwell had not turned away because he was afraid of a showdown but because he knew every moment used in arguing with them would affect the hands and time that could save her.


    So he backed away with a n in mind.


    The sounds of footsteps jolted Maxwell out of his thoughts.


    It was Celia running towards Maxwell while her husband followed her while imploring her to slow down.


    ¡°How is she, Maxie? Where is she?¡± Celia asked urgently as Maxwell closed up the distance between them.


    Andrew looked at him gratefully as he opened a water sk he had with him and asked Celia to drink.


    She ignored him and looked at Maxwell.


    Maxwell held her hand and said, ¡°She is in there.¡±


    Celia was already turning in that direction when he added, ¡°Her sister is with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Celia said as she turned back towards them. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t intrude, right?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t intrude,¡± she answered herself before either of the men could respond.


    ¡°Are you sure she would be fine? I saw it on the news when they were taking her away. She doesn¡¯t look fine. She looked¡­Why is she in the ICU if she is fine? She was going to attend the christening today, you know. She was going toe.¡±


    ¡°Celia, you shouldn¡¯t excite yourself like this. I am sure she will¡­¡±


    ¡°Drew, I think we should get our doctors here. She needs the best and¡­¡±


    ¡°Celia. This is Saintwell,¡± Andrew said meaningfully.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She looked from him to Maxwell. ¡°I am sorry. I know you would have¡­she just¡­she looked so¡­¡±


    Her husband already had her in his arms before the floodgates burst open.


    ¡°She was so¡­ so alive just yesterday. What could have happened?¡± She cried into his arms as Andrews led her to one of the couches in the waiting room.


    ¡°Good question,¡± Maxwell thought angrily.


    Maxwell had spoken with the fire chief that morning.


    The firemen were done already and the investigation would start immediately.


    Maxwell demanded pictures of the house as it stood.


    What remained of the building was nothing to write home about.


    Maxwell knew it would break her heart to see what used to be a gorgeous masterpiece reduced to a shell of its former self.


    The anger that welled in him at the thought of her hard-earned money going up in mes brought to mind the conviction he had had earlier


    A conviction that this could be the work of a certain someone.


    ¡°He would wish he had never been born if it were really so,¡± Maxwell vowed as he turned to watch Toriae out of the ICU.

 Slice Of Heaven

    A cooing sound filtered into Reyona¡¯s consciousness.


    She turned her head ever so slightly and winced as light stabbed through her slitted eyes.


    She quickly closed her eyes and tried to figure out why it was so painful to open her eyes.


    That was when she realised it wasn¡¯t just her eyes that felt assaulted; even her head was throbbing.


    Beyond the pulsing in her head, the cooing sound was still there.


    It wasing from her right.


    Despite the pain she knew she might feel again, Reyona was tempted to find out the source of that soothing sound.


    She carefully opened her eyes again and finally saw it.


    The ypen was some distance away and she could see a baby inside it.


    ¡°Who left a baby unattended?¡± was the first thought that came to Reyona¡¯s mind.


    The baby seemed to be having a good time, though, as the cooing sounds only changed in variation.


    Reyona smiled and winced as the muscles in her head seemed to protest the sudden movement.


    Despite the weakness in her limb, Reyona shifted until she was sitting upright in bed.


    She saw a ss of water with a straw in it and bent sideways till her parched lips were touching the straw.


    She sipped the water and felt as if a slice of heaven had been handed to her.


    She was breathing heavily by the time she sat upright again but at least the sandpaper feeling in her mouth had lessened.


    She could see the baby better from that position and she also noticed another sounding from beyond the big bedroom she was in.


    A sound of rushing water.


    Reyona wondered where she was, just as she wondered why she was sleeping here instead of being at home with her husband.


    Were they on vacation? Why can¡¯t she remember that?


    Well, getting to the beautiful baby was the most paramount first.


    So she scooted to the edge of the bed even as her body protested.


    Reyona finally realised why her legs had felt weird at first.


    There were removable modern splints on her legs.


    The pain racking her body was enough reason for Reyona to understand that she must have been in an ident.


    She flexed her legs in the splints and realised she could move them afterall


    So she ced her feet on the shaggy rug and gritted her teeth as pinpricks ran through her body.


    She inhaled deeply and wondered what was wrong with her, but just like a beckoning call, the crooning sound came again.


    Reyona stood up just as a door opened.


    ¡°You are awa¡­What are you¡­? Shit!¡± the masculine voice swore as Reyona¡¯s limbs crumpled beneath her.


    Her hand smacked hard against the bedframe as she tried to hold on to it.


    The man got to her just as her buttnded hard against the rug.


    A blinding pain shot through her legs just as the rushing water sound shut off and another door opened suddenly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± A woman said as she rushed out of what seemed like a bathroom.


    ¡°Beatrice, you are awake!¡± She screeched just as the man scooped her off the floor and took her back to bed.


    ¡°Andrea, she is awake,¡± the man urgently said into his phone.


    Reyona wondered if they could all shut up and let her breathe.


    The rest of them.


    Not the baby who had started crying when the man rushed over.


    ¡°Stupid man,¡± Reyona thought. ¡°Didn¡¯t he know that babies don¡¯t like sudden noises?¡±


    Her head banged so hard that she must have groaned.


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± She heard the man¡¯s voice close to her ears again.


    She shrank away from him and wondered how he dared toe that close to her.


    Didn¡¯t he know that she was a married woman?


    Why was¡­


    A strong hand gently pulled her hand away and a cool cloth was ced on her head.


    As much as Reyona didn¡¯t want to ept anything from the strange man, the cool cloth was a wee addition to her throbbing body.


    Grams had told her not to look the gift horse in the mouth after all.


    So, she rxed into the pillow and waited for the crippling pain to be over.


    Everything would make sense soon.


    The door opened suddenly again and Reyona wondered if anyone had any idea how to be quiet around here.


    If their intention was to make her head spin off, they were all doing a great job.


    A muffled conversation went on somewhere in the room and then footsteps, apanied by a different scent, approached her.


    Even with her eyes closed, Reyona knew it was not that man.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Ma¡¯am, can you hear me?¡±


    A soft yet firm voice asked her, like she expected an answer.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Please leave me alone,¡± Reyona croaked out.


    Her throat seemed to be stuffed with dirty wool and she doubted that the person heard her.


    But thedy seemed to hear her, because the next thing Reyona heard was, ¡°I am sorry, please. I would leave you to rest. I just need to do a checkup on you and confirm some things. I would be out of your hair in no time.¡±


    Not soon enough. Reyona thought.


    Reyona opened her mouth when she was asked to.


    She moved slightly when she was told to.


    She opened her eyes and endured the tiny light that thedy shone into her eyes.


    ¡°How are you feeling now, ma¡¯am?¡± Thedy asked before Reyona could shut her eye.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Not fine,¡± Reyona said testily.


    ¡°I understand,¡± the woman said, then held her two fingers up to show Reyona. ¡°How many fingers are these?¡±


    Reyona almost rolled her eyes at the silly question.


    ¡°Two¡±


    ¡°Good. What about these?¡± The woman held three fingers straight and bent the fourth.


    Really? ¡°If that was supposed to be half, then that is three and a half.¡± Reyona shut her eyes and said, ¡°What is the point to these questions?


    ¡°Bear with me, ma¡¯am,¡± the woman said. ¡°Just one more question: do you know these people?¡±


    Reyona opened her eyes grudgingly and her eyes sharpened in recognition as a slight smile creeped onto her face.


    ¡°I know her,¡± she said softly.


    Celia beamed in excitement ¡°Oh, Beatrice, I have been so¡­¡±


    Celia turned back when she heard a sniffling sound behind her.


    They had not noticed that Toria had entered behind them; seeing Reyona awake in bed had been so overwhelming for her that she just froze in a spot with her hand to her mouth.


    Her gaze was pinned on Reyona.


    Celia turned back to see that Reyona was actually looking at Toria and not her.


    ¡°Come over here, silly girl.¡± Reyona said with a slightly stronger voice.


    ¡°Why are you standing there like that? Who are these people?¡±

 The Storm Is Over

    ¡°Where is Thomas?¡±


    Everyone in the room, apart from the doctor, knew something was wrong when Reyona asked that question.


    ¡°Rey, why are you asking about¡­¡±


    Toria caught the gesture Maxwell made to her and stopped what she was asking.


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked when Toria paused.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡­I mean, are you fine now? You gave us all a scare. You¡­¡±


    Reyona winced a bit as she said, ¡°It ising back now.¡±


    ¡°What ising back?¡± Toria asked eagerly as she sped her hands around Reyona¡¯s.


    ¡°The headache. It stopped for a second but¡­¡±


    ¡°I will give you something for it,¡± Andrea said as she came closer. ¡°I am sorry everyone but she still needs to rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± Toria said as she quickly stood up from the bed.


    ¡°She is beautiful. Is she your baby?¡± Reyona said as she looked at the baby in Celia¡¯s arms.


    Celia¡¯s eyes filled as she said, ¡°Yes, erm. She is my daughter. I chose the liberty to name you her godmother during your¡­. absence. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Mind? Of course not. It is my fortune to be a godmother to such an angel. I will love to carry her once I can feel my hands.¡± Reyona said with a smile and winced again. ¡°Thomas and I are also thinking of starting a family too.¡± Her smile trailed off as she looked back at Celia and said, ¡°Are we close? Why can¡¯t I remember that?¡± Thest statement was said more to herself, as if she were trying to remember.


    Her hand flew to her head as the headache struck again.


    Andrea signalled to the nurse, standing close to the door with a box.


    As thetter came closer, Andrea turned to the others and said, ¡°President Rohan.¡±


    Maxwell, who has had his gaze on Reyoa since, looked at Andrea and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Then he gestured to the others and they all turned to leave the room.


    ¡°Toria¡±


    Her sister swung back so fast that she could have spun off if she were a dice. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is Thomas okay? Was he also affected by¡­¡± Reyona gestured to the splints on her legs as shepleted. ¡°¡­ this?¡±


    ¡°I wish,¡± Toria muttered under her breath. Then, to Reyona, she said, ¡°No, he is fine.¡±


    ¡°Then why is he not here?¡± Reyona asked, even as Andrea handed her some medication.


    ¡°He¡­¡± Toria swallowed hard before she finished. ¡°¡­ stepped out. Just concentrate on getting better first, Rey.¡±


    ¡°Okay, tell him toe see me once he is back, though. I need to be sure that he is fine,¡± Reyon said before she epted the ss of water from the nurse and took the medication.


    When it seemed like Toria¡¯s feet were rooted to a spot, Maxwell inclined his head at her and she finally moved.


    As they were stepping out of the room, they heard Reyona ask the doctor. ¡°Toria looked upset so I didn¡¯t want to ask her. What happened to me, doctor? Why am I here?¡±


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


    Maxwell saw that Toria was close to bursting, so he took her as far away from the house as possible.


    They went to the outdoor poolside.


    When they got there, she sat on the chaise lounge.


    She was silent for a while as she stared at the shimmering pool water.


    Celia went to sit on another chaise and Maxwell stood still as he stared into the distance.


    Toria stood up suddenly and started pacing as she blurted out.


    ¡°Please tell me it is not what I am thinking.¡±


    If what you are thinking is that she woke up with partial amnesia and can¡¯t remember that her ex-husband is an asshole, then yes, you are right.¡±


    ¡°Language, Maxie,¡± Celia said as she covered her daughter¡¯s ears. Her scolding tone was less effective because she also had a worried look on her face.


    ¡°Do you think she might never remember?¡± Celia asked no one in particr.


    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Toria asked, looking at Maxwell.


    ¡°I am sure Andrea will tell us more about it soon,¡± Maxwell said.


    As they all got into their sombre thoughts, he thought of what he had not said.


    He knew of someone who had amnesia and never recovered from it until his death.


    The thought of that happening to Reyona was not even something he could bear to think about.


    If she still remembered Thomas as her husband, that means¡­


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Celia said suddenly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What problem?¡± Toria asked before Maxwell.


    ¡°She wants to see him,¡± Celia answered.


    ¡°That would not happen,¡± Maxwell said emphatically.


    Celia and Toria turned to look at him just as they heard the clipped footsteps of Andrea approaching.


    ¡°One of the staff told me you are here, sir,¡± she said, stepping aside with Maxwell.


    By the time Maxwell finished speaking with Andrea, his initial resolve was not so strong.


    Though more tests would be carried out, Andrea was sixty percent certain that Reyona had retrograde amnesia.


    ¡°I think it would be better if Ie back tomorrow for the test. She seemed stressed as it was. The caregiver and a nurse would stay to keep an eye on her, as you demanded, sir. Apart from her memory loss, I think the storm is over now.¡±


    ¡°Apart from? That is not disastrous enough.¡±


    ¡°I meant she would stay with us now. I know it has not been easy for you in the past week, sir. She must mean a lot to you.¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t respond to that. Most times, he had thought of the fact that Andrea should have pursued a career in politics instead of medicine.


    He was sure she was aware of the media buzz during the week since someone posted the clip of Maxwell dering Reyona as his woman while looking frantic at the scene of the fire, but of course, she stood there all serious-looking as she asked him what she must have guessed already.


    Maxwell ignored her insinuation instead and asked, ¡°If it is what you think it is, how long before she recovers from it?¡±


    ¡°I will need to do more tes¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to bullshit me, Andrea. I am asking for what you think!¡± Maxwell said sternly.


    ¡°Maybe a matter of hours. Maybe a week, maybe a month. It could also be a year or¡­¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± Maxwell answered.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Andrea said with a nod.


    Maxwell tucked his hand into his pockets as he looked in the direction of the room where Reyona was. ¡°I will see you here bright and early tomorrow, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Andrea said as she turned to leave. Then she turned back to him and said, ¡°She wants to see him.¡±


    When Andrea merely said him, instead of mentioning Thomas¡¯s name, it confirmed Maxwell¡¯s thought that she did know more about Reyona¡¯s situation than she was letting on.


    ¡°What did you tell her about why she was here?¡±


    ¡°That she was in her ident. I will leave it to you to tell her the kind and where it happened, sir. I told her you were a friend who offered to help. She asked if Thomas agreed to your offer of help and I am sorry, sir. I had to tell her yes. She is my patient and what she needs most now is what will keep herfortable.¡±


    Maxwell nodded. ¡°I understand. Was that all?¡±


    ¡°She said she was d that she did not wake up in the hospital. She hated hospitals.¡±


    ¡°She said it,¡± Maxwell said simply.


    ¡°Oh, you knew before?¡± Andrea asked curiously.


    Maxwell shook his head. ¡°No, she said it. In the hospital. Remember when I thought she was awake?¡±


    Andrea nodded ¡°Yes, you arranged for her transfer after that. What is it because¡­? But she was still unconscious then.¡± Andrea said in confusion.


    Maxwell shook his head. ¡°For a moment, she wasn¡¯t. Her eyes opened for a few seconds and she muttered it. She hates hospitals.¡±


    Andrea looked at Maxwell and answered her own insinuated question. ¡°She is important to you.¡±


    Maxwell looked back at her with a scowl and asked, ¡°So you think seeing him will be good for her recovery?¡±


    ¡°It will be good for her state of mind right now. Herfort will be a big help in her recovery. I am sorry, sir,¡± Andrea said before she left.


    Toria met Maxwell halfway as she saw Andrea leaving. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    In a stoic tone, Maxwell said, ¡°She needs to see him.¡±


    ¡°Oh hell¡­¡± Toria mped her hand over her mouth to muffle the word that had already escaped her.


    She looked apologetically at Celia, who had her hands over her baby¡¯s ears and shook her head at Maxwell. ¡°No, no, no, no. That bad person shouldn¡¯te close to her.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid it is not our choice,¡± Maxwell said.

 New Possibility

    Maxwell¡¯s home in Kayooma was about twice as big as Jordan¡¯s.


    The 13-acre estate contained a sprawling eight-bedroom mansion, a golf course, a spa, a fitness centre, gardens (rooftop and in-ground), a stable with the best equine in town and other amenities. Despite the array of buildings around, there was still enough greenery around for a well-designed park.


    The driveway that led up to the gate was an art in itself. It was a winding, paver driveway with an aesthetic to it that was hard to find anywhere else.


    Thomas swallowed hard as he looked around while driving up to the house. He realised that he was sweating.


    He still had no reason why that arrogant bastard had called him but when thetter hinted that it would do him good toe over to the address he would send to him, Thomas had not thought twice about it.


    His hatred for the guy was conveniently forgotten; he needed whatever he could get right now. His mother had grumbled a bit before she gave him the money for the gas but he was here, wasn¡¯t he?


    If he could get something out of this trip, at least he could use it to pay some of the debt he owed his would-be publisher.


    It was an advance payment on his about-to-be famous book but then the bitch ruined everything!


    Thomas deliberately calmed himself as he drove on to the house that seemed to be getting farther and farther away since he started up the driveway.


    He could see different structures along the line; though he could guess what a few of them were for, he didn¡¯t even bother with most since he had never seen anything like them before.


    Moreover, he had been told to keep driving till he got to the end of the driveway so he kept going.


    The motherfucker had subtly dropped it that if he so much as took a small detour, he would be detected immediately.


    Thomas could already see artistically shaped cameras along the drive anyway.


    ¡°As if I am a thief that would dare to steal something off his damnnd,¡± he said as he swiped at his face again.


    Uncertainty was not the only reason why he was sweating; the main reason was the hissing noise that wasing from the car¡¯s refrigerant.


    The car¡¯s AC gas had run out days ago. Though he still stubbornly put it on every time he entered the car, all he got was that silly hissing noise and useless air.


    The fact that he couldn¡¯t even get something as little as gas in his car was another sore topic for Thomas.


    It was all the fault of that bitch!


    The police had been sniffing down his neck for days now. He was sure the bastard had a hand in it.


    They said the b*tch had been unconscious since.


    ¡°Unconscious, yet staying at a ce like this,¡± he snorted as the house finally came into view.


    The caramel and chrome-coloured house with its unique design almost had Thomas salivating.


    This was the kind of life he wanted!


    This was the kind of life he deserved!


    That bitch took everything away from him and now he had to leave like a dog while the police sniffed after him!


    He would have thestugh, though.


    He would!


    His mood darkened as he saw the motherfucker waiting for him at the front of the house.


    Standing beside a sports car that looked like it had just been unveiled, Maxwell Rohan stood in an impably tailored shirt and trousers that moulded his sculpted body so perfectly.


    Envy reared its head like an ugly snake inside Thomas.


    ¡°Bastard could afford to be arrogant,¡± he muttered before he came out of his overheated car.


    ¡°Mr. Rohan,¡± he said with a fake smile.


    Maxwell gave him a look that made him feel like spit-out gum on his well-polished shoes.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Maxwell said and he turned to enter the house.


    Thomas quickly followed him, as if afraid he might be sent away emptyhanded.


    His mouth dropped open as he entered the high-ceilinged foyer and he saw that the exterior of the building had not done much justice to what was inside.


    ¡°People live like this?¡± was the first thought that came to his mind.


    He had thought Reyona was rich but the opulence in this mansion was far more than what he had ever seen in real life.


    He was so busy gaping that he couldn¡¯t quickly react when Maxwell suddenly turned, grabbed him by the neck and automatically mmed him against the wall of the alcove close to the foyer.


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±


    The rage burning in Maxwell¡¯s eyes was enough to shut Thomas up.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°For the record, I still believe that you have something to do with that fire. It is a matter of time before you will be nailed, you bastard.¡±


    Thomas¡¯s heart kicked against his rib. He tried to talk but Maxwell¡¯s hand on his neck was crushing his windpipe.


    ¡°You will kill me, man,¡± Thomas wheezed out as his eyes bulged.


    For a moment, it seemed like Maxwell would apply even more pressure to his neck but then thetter released him.


    He stepped back, like he was afraid of contracting something foul from him.


    Thomas bent over as he choked out and coughed as Maxwell cleaned his hand with a pristine, white handkerchief.


    ¡°I will make it easy for you,¡± Thomas heard through his ringing ears.


    He raised his watered eyes to Maxwell as he gulped in air.


    ¡°You must wonder why you are here. If left to me, you deserve to be locked away for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Why am I here then??¡± Thomas thought automatically as the woozy feeling in his brain decreased.


    ¡°But this is about her.¡± Maxwell continued as if he heard Thomas¡¯s thoughts: ¡°She has amnesia. She believed the two of you were still married. She wants to see you.¡±


    Of all the things Thomas had been expecting, that was the least. He stood straight again as his brain started whirring in calction.


    ¡°You are going to go in there and gently exin how things are to her. You are not to mention the hurt you caused her. You are not to mention anything that would cause her distress. You will go in there and simply tell her that the two of you went your separate ways because things did not work between you. Then you would disappear from her life forever, and not even your shadow woulde close to her. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thomas said immediately.


    ¡°Your performance would determine whether you would be rewarded or not,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Thomas said anxiously. ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes narrowed on him and he said, ¡°If you double-cross me, I will make you pay. Not just you; your entire family would pay dearly for it.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Thomas said in a contrite tone.


    Maxwell gave him a long look and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± Thomas thought as he followed him down the hallway, which was so polished that Thomas could almost see his reflection in the glossy-finish porcin tiles.


    This time, though, his mind was no longer on the opulence around him.


    His mind was more on what the arrogant bastard had told him.


    As he touched his hand to his neck and remembered the chokehold and the threat Maxwell had just given him, Thomas¡¯s brain was spinning furiously as he followed the man who could easily be his brother-inw if he married Susan.


    He was not thinking of what he would say to Reyona at all.


    His mind was on a new angle of possibility!


    This could be hiseback!

 Wave Of Animosity

    Toria was standing like a diator close to Reyona¡¯s bed.


    The re she gave Thomas was enough to y the skin off the back of a man who knew what shame was.


    Thomas merely looked away from her and focused on the woman on the bed.


    His recently divorced wife.


    At that moment, she was asleep.


    He looked at the splints on her legs and looked away immediately, without so much as a feeling ofpassion for her pain.


    ¡°Why the hell does she have to be asleep right now?¡± Thomas thought.


    He had a feeling that these two might just change their minds and toss him out of his ears before she deemed it fit to wake the hell up.


    Toria walked towards him and Thomas braced himself for whatever she might be bringing.


    He had a role to y, after all, and the bastard breathing down his neck would be watching him like a hawk.


    Toria stopped a few paces from him and with vehemence in her eyes, she hissed as she walked closer to him. ¡°I know you must be crowing inside right now, you motherfucker. You would not even be anywhere around her if Rey had believed what I said about you. She didn¡¯t. Now, you will get her to believe that you two have nothing to do with each other.¡±


    Yeah. Yeah,¡± Thomas thought as he nodded.


    ¡°She is asleep?¡± Maxwell asked Toria quietly.


    The hatred in Toria¡¯s eyes reduced as she turned to Maxwell and said,. ¡°Yeah, she just dozed off now. I am sure the bastard can wait. He should just do his waiting far from here.¡±


    With that, she turned to go back to Reyona¡¯s side.


    Her elbow barely brushed Thomas¡¯s side but he held on to his side suddenly and shouted in agony as if his heart were ripped out.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    A sound came from the bed as Reyona woke up groggily and blinked her eyes to get a better look at those standing.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Reyona? Baby? You are awake? Oh, I was so worried about you,¡± Thomas said suddenly with a heartfelt tone as he rushed towards Reyona on the bed.


    ¡°Thomas? Oh Thomas, you are finally here,¡± Reyona said as she reached up to hug Thomas.


    ¡°I am so sorry, baby. I was trying to see what I could do about our poor home. Oh, my God. it was so horrible the way our home burned down, you know.¡±


    ¡°Burned down?¡± Shock registered on Reyona¡¯s face at Thomas¡¯s blurted words. ¡°What do you mean, burned down?¡±


    Oh, they didn¡¯t tell her. Thomas realized this, and he quickly acted ordingly.


    He turned towards Maxwell, whose anger only made his face colder, and Toria, who seemed like she was about to start some beheading.


    The wave of animosity towards him made Thomas automatically back away. He sat close to where Reyona was trying to sit up, helped her sit right and automatically threw his arm around her.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was sure that they weren¡¯t about to take him away and shred him from limb to limb before he started talking. ¡°You kept the information from her? How could you? You know how important our home is to  both of us. I have been running around trying to see how we can make it better and you can¡¯t even tell my wife the truth about what happened. Even you, Victoria?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call my name, you¡­¡±


    ¡°And now she is angry at me. Babe, do you remember how much your sister hase to hate me recently?¡± Thomas said in a pained tone as he held Reyona closer to his body.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± Reyoa turned to Toria. ¡°Toria, you told me the house was under renovation. How could you lie to me about something like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­sis¡­this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Because she knows how much of a pain it would be to you to know that your home burned down. Something that anyone with a lick of sense would know.¡± He said emphatically as he turned to look at Thomas and added, ¡°The police have not found the perpetrator yet but they are on it.¡±. He turned back to Reyona as he continued, ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t lie to you. The house is really undergoing renovation. I¡­¡±


    ¡°I have been working so hard to put things back together so that you can have something toe back home to once you are better,¡± Thomas quickly said.


    Reyona looked from Maxwell to Thomas as the confusion in her eyes increased. Then she said tiredly, ¡°He said that he was a friend.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, yeah,¡± Thomas quickly thought of how to exin why she was in the man¡¯s house. To stall, he turned to Reyona and held her face gently in his hands as he smoothed her hair back.


    ¡°Get your filthy hands off her,¡± Toria said through gritted teeth.


    Reyona looked at her sister in surprise. ¡°What is wrong with you, Toria? This is my husband you are talking to, you know.¡±


    ¡°Rey, this¡­¡±


    With a resigned sigh, Thomas attracted Reyona¡¯s attention back to himself. ¡°It is fine, babe. I am used to it now. She has been like this for a while now. I¡­¡± He shook his head slowly, as if what he wanted to say was weighing on his mind. Then he looked back at Reyona and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you the main reason why she started hating on me, you know. It is just¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, you rat?!¡± Toria would have stalked over to him and knocked him out right there, but Maxwellid his hand on her arm.


    ¡°What was it?¡± Reyona asked curiously.


    ¡°No, honey. Forget that I mentioned that. It is too shameful to talk about. We need to focus on getting you well first. Are you sure you can¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    ¡°I remember old things. I just can¡¯t seem to remember thest couple of years. Are you sure you will tell me what caused this fight between you and Toriater? I don¡¯t like seeing you two like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, babe. I will tell you.¡± Thomas answered with a smile. Having confirmed what he wanted to know, he responded to her earlier question, ¡°Yes, this man here is our family friend. We met him a couple of years ago. I met him first, actually, then I introduced the both of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Reyona said.


    Thomas decidedly looked away from the two seething furnace in the room as he nailed home his game ¡°Yes, I had to ask him for a favor: that you be allowed to stay here since I know how much you hate hospitals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is so sweet of you. Thank you,¡± Reyona said as she kissed him on the cheek.


    Maxwell cleared his throat until Reyona looked at him with a scowl.


    ¡°I think Mr. Lanoth here has something to say, right, Thomas?¡± Maxwell asked him meaningfully with a death re.


    Tomas looked lost for a moment, then, as if he just remembered, he removed his arm from around Reyona and sighed before saying. ¡°Babe, I am so sorry that I have to break this to you like this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Reyona asked anxiously.


    Thomas took a dramatic pause that had Toria snapping. ¡°Get it over and done with, will you?¡±


    Thomas looked at Toria pitifully, then he turned a pain-filled gaze at Reyona ¡°You see, one more reason why these two hated me was because Mr. Rohan here has an interest in you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Reyona and her sister chorused.


    ¡°He knows you are my wife, of course, but then, just because he is rich, he thought he could take you away from me. He believed you were just like every other woman who would run after him because of his money. Your sister supports him, you see. Because of her own selfish reason!¡±


    ¡°That is it!¡± Toria advanced on Thomas with a war-like cry.


    ¡°Toria, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Reyona shouted, then she held her hand to her head with a groan.


    Everyone rushed towards her.


    ¡°Stay away from me,¡± she said to Maxwell, even as her head lolled against the headboard.


    ¡°Reyona, babe? Are you okay?¡±


    Even though Maxwell stayed back, he was already calling Andrea.


    Andrea, who had agreed to stay in the mansion till Reyona got better, rushed in almost immediately with her nurses.


    ¡°Please give her some space,¡± she said as she started checking on Reyona.


    ¡°Do you hear the doctor? Get out,¡± Toria snapped at Thomas.


    ¡°No, let him stay,¡± Reyona croaked out. ¡°Every other person can leave.¡±


    ¡°Rey,¡± Toria called in a hurt tone.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona simply closed her eyes without saying anything else.


    Andrea looked at Maxwell.


    Maxwell gently led Toria out.

 You Need Me

    ¡°How can this happen? How on earth can this happen?¡± Toria asked no one in particr as she paced to and fro.


    She turned to Maxwell. ¡°Eh? I thought you were to have a talk with him before you let him go anywhere near her.¡±


    ¡°Which I did,¡± Maxwell said simply in a calm tone.


    Toria scoffed as she looked at him sitting there, all cool and collected. ¡°How can you even sit there so calmly like that? He just used you of something.¡±


    ¡°I would suggest you do the same,¡± Maxwell said, without raising his head from the phone in his hand.


    ¡°How can you even ask me to be calm right now? That is my sister locked in there with a psycho! I didn¡¯t even touch him, you know?¡±


    ¡°I saw that. And they are not locked together. Andrea is with them. Whatever he wants to try will have to wait until Andrea leaves. He is not going to get the chance.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me like he already had plenty of chances to do enough damage. He used you of being a wife snatcher.¡±


    ¡°Just as he used you of¡­ what was the shameful thing he was talking about?¡± he asked as he finally raised his head to look at her.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know? Nothing happened between us. What is wrong with everyone?¡±


    ¡°See? The more reason for you to calm down. At the moment, we are at a disadvantage. Your sister believes him. We are the bad guys here.¡±


    ¡°Which is crazy, right? Why would Reyona believe him over me?¡± Toria said in a forlorn tone as she looked in the direction of the room where her sister was.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°She is not well and this is a man she has loved for ten years altogether. I think I can see how,¡± Maxwell said as he looked back at the moving images on his phone.


    ¡°Not helping. I am still her sister,¡± Toria said.


    ¡°She never forgets that. That bastard just had confused her for the moment.¡±


    Toria sighed as she came to sit beside him. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked dejectedly.


    ¡°We wait for Andrea to be done,¡± Maxwell said simply.


    Toria looked at him and wondered what he had up his sleeves. Then she sighed again as she tried to calm down as he suggested.


    Her body achieved that feat while her right feet tapped madly on the shaggy rug in the living room.


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°Would you say she is getting better now, doctor?¡± Thomas asked Andrea as thetter removed the stethoscope from her ears and straightened.


    She looked at his shiny smile and distrusted him immediately. Yet without any hint of emotion in her tone, she said, ¡°Yes, I would say she is better than she was.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good, good,¡± Thomas said excitedly. ¡°So, does that mean that she can be moved now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the question, sir,¡± Andrea simply said.


    ¡°I mean, if you agree that she is fine, that means you can have her discharged from here or something, right?¡±


    Andrea looked at him, then deliberately looked back at the splints still on Reyona¡¯s legs. ¡°No, when I said she was better, sir, I did not mean she was fine enough to be moved. If you will excuse me¡­.¡±


    ¡°The thing is, those people out there do not like me.¡± Thomas raised his voice so loudly that Reyona, who was dozing off already, woke up again.


    ¡°I told you not to bother yourself with that, Tommy. Whatever caused the disagreement will be sorted out, okay?¡±


    Andrea¡¯s eyes jerked toward Thomas with a slight censure in them.


    ¡°Yes, yes, babe. I heard you,¡± Thomas said dismissively.


    Then he gestured to Andrea that they should move farther away from the bed.


    Once they were away from Reyona¡¯s direct line of vision, he faced Andrea and asked again. ¡°So, can we move her?¡±


    ¡°No. She needs her rest now, please. I think you should leave,¡± Andrea said with a slight annoyance in her tone.


    ¡°I have the right to stay here. I am her husband and¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not¡­¡±


    Thomas quickly grabbed Andrea¡¯s arm to stop her from talking.


    ¡°Let go of my hand, sir.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, babe. Just rest,¡± he said with an inward roll of his eyes.


    He unhanded Andrea and said in a low tone. ¡°Look, I know that bastard out there is the one paying you and maybe you are even doing other favours for him too. So, hate me all you like but you can¡¯t deny the fact that you guys need me. My dear wife wants to see me, not any of you sour-faced creeps. Be careful how you get yourself into this matter. As far as you are concerned, we are happily married. Is that taken?¡±


    As much as Andrea would have loved to walk out without another word, Maxwell had charged her with the wellbeing of this vulnerable woman.


    ¡°Do everything you can to make herfortable and well again,¡± was what the president had told her.


    Too bad that the woman had chosen the worst focus offort.


    Since agitating the patient was not part of the n, Andrea simply nodded and said, ¡°Taken. She still can¡¯t be moved yet, sir. It would affect her recovery.¡±


    Not entirely true but if there was any way at all that she could thwart whatever ns this man has, she was more than ready to do it.


    Thomas looked at her suspiciously and then rubbed his hands over his hair. ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t predict that.¡±


    ¡°Just give me a time, damn it! How long before we can move her?¡±


    ¡°At least a couple of months,¡± Andrea said deliberately.


    ¡°What? No way would he let me stay¡­.¡± He stopped whatever he was going to say and looked at Andrea¡¯s passive face. ¡°You are dismissed, doctor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Andrea said sarcastically.


    The sarcasm flew right over Thomas¡¯s head as he said, ¡°By the way, make sure they know that you want me to stay with her all the time. Staying away from her could affect her recovery, you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Andrea said. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°She does not want to see anyone else for now. Their presence would only affect her recovery. She wants the cook to send some food in. Enough food for two people.¡±


    ¡°Copied. Any¡­¡±


    ¡°Just get out of here,¡± he said rudely as he turned away from her.


    Andrea left the room with a conviction that that man would end up causing more trouble than good.


    ¡°Favours. Did he just¡­¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    She looked up at the sound of Maxwell¡¯s one-word question.


    ¡°I think he just insinuated that I am sleeping with you.¡± Andrea said thoughtfully. Then she inclined her head and said, ¡°I am kind of ttered.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s look made her sober up. ¡°I think you will have your hands full with that one,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know. I am asking if you have epted that you are mistaken in thinking that he would be good for her recovery.¡±


    ¡°No, I am not mistaken about that, sir. He just happens to be an asshole that she wants to see.¡±


    ¡°So, you still think I should allow him to stay under this roof for a minute longer?¡±


    ¡°He wants to take her away.¡±


    ¡°I know¡±


    Andrea wondered how he knew but then she didn¡¯t bother to ask; he only shared what he wanted to share anyway.


    So, she asked the question that mattered to her: ¡°Will you let him take her away?¡±


    ¡°Not even in his dreams,¡± Maxwell said. Then, ¡°He wants food, right?¡±


    How¡­? ¡°Yes, he does. Food for two¡±


    Maxwell nodded.


    Then he said, ¡°Get all the resources you can pull on this. And before you pull your I-am-capable mantra on me, know that I do not doubt your prowess but I want you to use any means at all that you could think of to get that woman well. Any means at all. Any research that you have to do will be taken care of. Put as many people as you want on this, Andrea. If you can pull this off¡­.¡±


    ¡°I understand, sir. I would do my very best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will handle Lanoth.¡±


    ¡°I do not doubt that, sir,¡± Andrea said. ¡°I will take my leave now.¡±


    Maxwell nodded.


    He moved to an array of buttons of different colours on what looked like a switchboard on the wall. He pressed the yellow button.


    ¡°The kitchen,¡± said a voice over the tiny, speaker-like object above the buttons.


    ¡°Our guest wants to eat. Be generous¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡±

 Running From Karma

    ¡°He said you tried to seduce him.¡±


    ¡°What? That bastard! I am going to kill him!¡±


    ¡°Toria,¡± Reyona called breathily.


    Toria bottled up her anger for the moment as she looked down at Reyona, where she was urinating.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though Maxwell had provided a wheelchair and Toria had been able to help Reyona from the wheelchair to the toilet bowl without much issue, her sister was out of breath by the time she sank onto the toilet seat.


    She looked pale to Toria.


    ¡°Are you fine?¡± Toria asked Reyona in concern.


    Reyona, who had momentarily closed her eyes, opened them and said, ¡°Yes, I am okay. I just don¡¯t like this feeling of helplessness. The fact that you two are fighting is not helping as well.¡±


    ¡°That bastard caused all this,¡± Toria muttered.


    ¡°Toria,¡± Reyona called in a disapproving tone. ¡°I thought you used to like him.¡±


    ¡°I have never really liked that bastard. I just tolerated him because I knew you loved him.¡±


    Reyona looked at her sister in surprise. Then she sighed again as she asked, ¡°I do not want to believe what Thomas said but he seemed so sure of it. I need you to tell me what really happened, Toria. Were you maybe drunk and you forgot who he was or¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you believed him?¡± Toria asked in a deadpan tone.


    ¡°No, I¡­ I just¡­ you don¡¯t know what it means to forget a huge chunk of your life, Toria. I need to understand,¡± Reyona said as she leaned her back against the seat cover. ¡°He has told me everything and you are not really telling me much. What happened between you two? What happened in thest three years?¡±


    ¡°I really wish you didn¡¯t remember thest few months,¡± Toria said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Toria sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to bed.¡±


    ¡°No, I need you to tell me what¡­¡±


    The door to the room opened.


    Almost immediately, they heard rushed footsteps right before Thomas said, ¡°Reyona, our host is here again. You might want toe out now.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s brow furrowed a bit at that statement.


    She thought Thomas didn¡¯t like her being in thepany of the man. He had said so to her earlier.


    Why was he calling her out to see him again?


    Also, why the hell can¡¯t that man stay away from her?


    Thomas had said he was a family friend; she couldn¡¯t remember having met him anywhere but she knew that there was something about him.


    It made her ufortable.


    Toria, who knew why that weasel was calling Reyona, smiled inwardly and said to Reyona:. ¡°You know what, Rey? I think you should take your time. You need to catch your breath before you go back to bed.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Babe!¡± Thomas called in a high-pitched tone as he suddenly pulled the door open. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I think that is a question for you,¡± Toria muttered with a scowl.


    Thomas was standing there with a piece of chicken in his hand, a smudge of oil on his mouth and Maxwell was a few distance from him.


    Maxwell paused in his stride when Thomas opened the door and he turned away to give thedies privacy.


    ¡°Is there any reason why you are here right now with that mess in your hand?¡± Toria asked in disgust.


    Even Reyona gave Thomas a questioning look


    ¡°I was worried about you,¡± Thomas said to Reyona, ignoring Toria. ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡±


    ¡°No, she is good. I am here in case you are missing it.


    ¡°Which does not say much. We all know you are jealous of her and you can choose to¡­¡±


    ¡°Thomas,¡± Reyona said in warning. ¡°Can you stop, please?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, babe. I will not upset you. I am sorry. Pardon a loving husband for worrying.¡±


    ¡°Or a scared motherfucker running from Karma,¡± Toria muttered beneath her breath.


    Reyona didn¡¯t hear what she said but she gave her a look.


    Toria raised her hands in a sign of surrender to show that she was done.


    Reyona pressed the water dispenser, and she pulled up her pants without bothering to tell either of them to turn away.


    She was saving her breath for the move back to the wheelchair.


    Then she raised her hand towards Toria and thetter quickly moved closer to help her.


    Thomas rushed in too. ¡°I will do it. She is my wife. I will help her.¡±


    ¡°With what? Chicken bone?¡± Toria asked with a scathing look.


    ¡°It is fine, Thomas. She can do it. You need to finish eating. You look ridiculous with that thing in your hands,¡± Reyona said with a tired smile.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Thomas said with a huff as he backed away. ¡°Though I don¡¯t see how you can still trust her after all, I told you she did.¡±


    As Reyona was busy concentrating all her strength on moving from the toilet seat to the wheelchair, he continued mumbling. ¡°Some people are meant to be as far away from you as possible. Wasn¡¯t there something said about a man and woman bing one flesh? Which means the wife must believe everything the husband says. If she can¡¯t even trust him enough to¡­¡±


    ¡°I think thedies don¡¯t need all the talking, Mr. Lanoth. Since you are done eating, why don¡¯t we take a stroll together while your wife settles back into bed? The doctor said she needs her rest. I am sure you would agree, as the loving husband that you are.¡±


    ¡°No, yes, I mean¡­¡±


    Toria almost creamed his feet as she guided the wheelchair past him.


    Thomas hurried after them while saying, ¡°Yes, I know she needs to rest but I don¡¯t need you to¡­ I don¡¯t want to go on a walk with you. I want to stay right here with my wife.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Maxwell asked tonelessly.


    ¡°Yes, besides, why would I be so foolish as to follow you anywhere when I know you might harm me? You have your eye on my wife after all,¡± Thomas said as he dropped the chicken bone in his hand on the tter of meals he had been wolfing down before Maxwell entered.


    ¡°You are in my house,¡± Maxwell said simply. He looked over at the half-eaten food and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have to take you on a walk with me if the goal was to harm you.¡±


    Thomas looked at the food skeptically and looked towards the bed where Toria and the nurse were helping Reyona back into bed.


    Then he lowered his voice so that only Maxwell could hear him as he said, ¡°Well, I would have you know that I gave her out of it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect otherwise,¡± Maxwell said without missing a beat. ¡°So, about that walk¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not going,¡± Thomas said emphatically.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± Maxwell said so simply that Thomas looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is what you wanted. You have made your choice.¡±

 Vulnerable Imbecile

    Thomas was furious that things had not been as simple as he had thought they would be.


    When he was thinking of his ns earlier, he had thought he would simply persuade Reyona that they should go over to his mom¡¯s ce till she got better.


    As always, she believed him when he told her that Maxwell had an interest in her.


    All it took to nail that home was the clip that was circting a few days ago about Maxwell looking all undignified at the scene of the fire while he yelled at the firemen, dering Reyona his woman.


    Idiot!


    Thomas had not needed any other evidence on that end.


    Convincing Reyona of her sister¡¯s betrayal was something entirely different.


    Even though Reyona didn¡¯t outright disagree with him, Thomas was sure that she did not really believe him.


    ¡°The fact that she still let the bitch hang around her says it all,¡± he thought bitterly


    If only that horse-face doctor had backed him up and allowed him to take Reyona away.


    When he had her away from all these hovering hawks, then he could properly set things in ce.


    All was not lost after all.


    The fire incident was a blessing.


    He was going to win after all.


    Fuck them all; he was going to win.


    His dear wife was going to pay up eventually; he just needed to get her away from all these meddling people.


    ording to thew of Kayooma, even after the judges have granted the divorce of a couple, they are not fully divorced until two weekster.


    Kayooma started out as a close-knitmunity that spread out to be a city.


    Divorce was frowned upon in themunity right from time and even as themunity got bigger and things changed, ¡°till death do us part¡± was one of the sacred things in Kayooma, so the use had been in ce for ages and it has been passed down through generations.


    Despite how liberal things had gotten in Kayooma and all the modifications that had been made to many of the old Kayoomaws, that particr use had not been changed.


    Kayooma early settlers believed that married couples don¡¯t just easily decide to give up on their union. In the case of confusion, there was still a chance that two weeks after the divorce had been granted, the couple might realise they had made a mistake and want to get back together.


    Thomas had researched things like that since the first time that balding Gibson served him the first paper.


    Of course, he had not thought he had the chance then.


    But things are different now.


    He just needed to get Reyona away first, so he could exin to her that they actually got a divorce a week ago because he was tired of her constant demand for kids.


    He would let her know that he had realised that he loved her too much to let her go and now he wanted them to go back to the judge so that he would dere the divorce null.


    The scenario was so perfect in Thomas¡¯s head and he was just waiting for the right time to talk her into going to his mother¡¯s ce.


    He had seen Reyona¡¯s reaction to Maxwell and he knew that it wouldn¡¯t take much to convince her to leave the opulent mansion.


    Thomas, for one, wished he could stay for a while in such a ce, eating fine-ass food like the one he just had earlier and being waited on but his ns awaited and he couldn¡¯t wait to put them in ce.


    Also, the look in Maxwell¡¯s eyes when he said, ¡°You have made your choice,¡± made Thomas restless.


    They needed to leave.


    Which they would do if he could just get his goddamn wife to himself for a damn second!


    That stupid sister of hers made it impossible, of course, and soon enough they were joined by the small woman making silly faces at the stupid cooing baby.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Don¡¯t they all have enough sense to go somewhere else?


    Thomas had mentioned that maybe they should all leave so that Reyona could rest.


    The woman had only looked at him without an expression, then she turned to talk to her baby in that silly voice, ¡°We know who should leave, Athena, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby, we do. Yeah, we do,¡± she responded to the baby¡¯s cooing sounds.


    And of course, his stupid wife had backed them up by saying that she was fine. She neededpany.


    ¡°In fact, can you bring the baby closer? I think she brought me back,¡± Reyona had said.


    As the small, richly dressed woman and her baby went closer to the bed, Thomas could see Toria¡¯s mocking gaze, as if she had caught on to his game.


    ¡°I will have thestugh,¡± he thought to himself as he fantasized about how he was going to make Reyona pay double this time around for all his pain and humiliation.


    There would be no finesse this time; he would take his reward and he would take it now.


    As he went to the window to tune out their gooey, happy sounds, he could see that dusk was fast approaching.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he thought to himself.


    Whatever he needed to do had to be done now.


    He knew he would be at risk if he slept at that ce that night.


    Leaving Reyona behind too would be too dangerous for his ns.


    He was sure they would find a way to scrape off whatever was clouding her memory.


    No, he had to act first.


    Though he had pulled a fast one on Susan¡¯s brother, that surprise wouldn¡¯tst long.


    Before heunched a counterattack, Thomas had to get Reyona as far away from him as possible.


    Reyona, without her memory, was just like a vulnerable imbecile.


    He would be a fool not to exploit that.


    She had cost him a lot.


    Now was the time for payback.

 Messenger Of Doom

    He was thinking of the best way to get the yappy females out of the room when he heard that annoying ringing tone from her sister.


    ¡°Hi, mom. Oh, you are here? I thought you wereing in tomorrow. Just hang on, okay? I aming to get you.¡±


    ¡°Your mom is here.¡± Thomas blurted it out anxiously as the thought formed in his mind.


    ¡°With my dad,¡± Toria said emphatically.


    She turned to Reyona before Thomas could say anything. ¡°They were so d when they heard that you were awake that they couldn¡¯t wait another moment. Mum couldn¡¯t stand your unconscious state and we had to persuade her to go back. Dad went with her.¡±


    ¡°And now they woulde back to see my legs in splints,¡± Reyona said with a grimace.


    ¡°Silly. They would see you alive. I am sure they are over the moon right now. I will get them. Maxwell can give me a ride.¡±


    ¡°Like a son-inw going to wee his inws,¡± Thomas spat out.


    Toria turned to him with her eyebrows raised. ¡°How about it, Tom? Would you like toe instead? I am sure they would love to see you.¡±


    He red at her as he said, ¡°I would stay with my wife.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is what I thought,¡± Toria said as he kissed Reyona¡¯s forehead and to Celia, she said, ¡°You got this?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I have Athena here with me, you know. Nothing can get past this one.¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± Toria said with augh as she practically skipped out of the room.


    Thomas could hear her calling out Maxwell¡¯s name down the hall.


    If they got here, his problem would double; he needed to do something.


    ¡°You look a bit hot there, Mr. Lanoth. Do you need some water?¡± The small woman¡¯s voice made Thomas turn towards her.


    Water! Yes, if he sent her to get the water for him, then he could¡­


    As Thomas heard the sound of a car starting outside, he said,


    ¡°Yes, I need water. Can you please get it for me?¡±


    The woman smiled and said, ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Then she simply reached over to the small device with a button close to Reyona.


    She pressed it and said, ¡°I need a ss of¡­ no, make that a jar of very cold water, please.¡±


    She leapt back in her chair and said, ¡°It would be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Here soon. They would all be here soon and things would only get worse,¡± Thomas thought as he looked back towards Reyona, whose eyes were closed on the bed.


    He wondered if she had contracted a sleeping sickness while bashing her brains out.


    This was supposed to be his chance to talk to her!


    Thomas looked back at the woman, who now had her gaze back on her baby as if he did not matter.


    He needed to do something.


    He needed to do it before they got back.


    He needed to do it now!


    His gazended on the baby.


    ********


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this to me. You can¡¯t do this to me. This is not fair!¡± Ruth Lanoth dered in a pitiful voice as she waved the crinkling paper in her hand.


    The Quit Notice written on the letter was bold enough for anyone standing close to see.


    When Ruth noticed that her neighbours were stylishlying out to the porches of their bungalows to see what was going on, she adjusted her stance, lowered her voice, and pleaded with the agent, who stood with a stoic expression on his face.


    ¡°Tell Theodore that he can¡¯t just do this to us. My husband first leased this ce from his father before him. I have also been renewing the lease with Theodore. He just can¡¯t do this to me now!¡±


    ¡°Well, I sympathise with you, ma¡¯am, but it is no news that your lease expired two months ago. I think Mr. Sawyer has been very generous with you. No other person on thisnd has had that privilege. Now you have overused that privilege, ma¡¯am. It is time to go.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I will call him myself. I will exin things to him.¡± Ruth patted her short, animal-print boubou as if looking for her phone.


    Her hand came away sticky from something on her cloth.


    The agent looked at her with a show of distaste on his face and adjusted his horn-rimmed sses as he said, ¡°That would be a waste of time, ma¡¯am. Thisnd and all the buildings on it no longer belong to the Sawyer family. It belongs to a new owner now.¡±


    Ruth, who was about to enter the house in search of her phone, quickly turned back in shock. ¡°Theodore sold my house?¡±


    ¡°It is his to sell, ma¡¯am. He asked me to do you the favour of giving you three days to leave. I have done my job. If I were you, I would start moving right now. I am not sure the new owner would be as generous as Mr Sawyer.¡±


    The man turned to leave and Ruth almost facented as she rushed down the porch steps to grab him.


    As it was, she grabbed him with the sticky hand.


    The man recoiled in disgust and shrugged her hand off. ¡°Ma¡¯am, get your sticky hands off my coat,¡± he shouted, loud enough for people whose houses were way down the street to hear him.


    Ruth hung her head in shame as she quickly wiped her hand on her cloth. ¡°I am sorry. I am so sorry. Just please tell me this: Am I the only one given this quit notice or everyone on thend?¡±


    Instead of answering the question directly, the man said, ¡°You are the only one owing.¡±


    With that, he crammed his long frame into his Toyota and drove away as ¡°Good Life¡± music streamed out of his car. Some boys ying football in front of their house down the street sang and jiggled to the song and let out raucousughter as the man drove away.


    Laughter was thest thing on Ruth Lanoth¡¯s mind as she watched the messenger of doom leave.


    She turned to go back inside and her eyes caught those of the man sitting on the front porch of the bungalow to her left.


    ¡°What are you looking at?! Seen enough?¡± She snarled at the man.


    ¡°Nothing to see,¡± the man said as he started fanning his face with his raffia fan.


    ¡°Cliff, I don¡¯t want any trouble!¡± A woman¡¯s voice called through the opened door of the man¡¯s house.


    ¡°Mary darling. I did nothing. A man has the right to sit in front of his own house in peace,¡± the man said innocently.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Ruth muttered as she stalked towards her own door.


    She entered in a huff and sank against the door in defeat. ¡°Oh my God,¡± she mumbled.


    In truth, Ruth was tempted to ask Cliff if he had heard anything about the new ownership of their houses.


    A few months ago, she could have easily asked without an issue but then things changed.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Since Thomas had told Ruth that his n of many years had finally seeded and he was moving to Luxembourg, from where he would be part of the elites of society and send for his mother in grand style, Ruth had decided that her neighbours and old friends who had no lofty dreams of bing more in life were now less than her.


    She decided that interacting with them would only taint her new status in life.


    The mahjong they gather to y from time to time in each other¡¯s houses suddenly became the game of the poor for Ruth.


    She got some help from her son and started dressing in certain ways.


    The money Thomas gave her to use until he came for her was used to get a membership in an elite book club where she could start rubbing shoulders with the elite of the society that she would be a part of one day.


    When she couldn¡¯t get into the most exclusive ones, she settled for the second most exclusive and started mimicking the mannerisms of the people there.


    Ruth started talking in certain ways.


    She started walking in certain ways and avoiding every neighbourhood event she was invited to.


    After all, she would soon leave all of them behind and have no intention of looking back anytime soon.


    Then the Thomas disaster happened.

 Daddy Is Not Picking

    It had been a thing of great shame for Ruth when all the mess of Thomas and Reyona started circting.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    When Reyona¡¯s scandal started, she had been very vocal in telling anyone who would listen that such a shameless woman had deceived her son.


    She became a mini-celebrity in the new club, where she had hardly gained any recognition since she joined.


    Then, when the tide turned, those who had started getting close to her because of her fabricated lies quietly distanced themselves from her.


    Her neighbours remembered how she had raised her nose at them and they all decided that if she could say all those horrible lies about her good daughter-inw, who was always bringing things for her, then she could say anything about them.


    The book club dered that someone like her was no good to their pristine gathering.


    They kicked her out without remorse or a refund of the $5, 000 membership fee she had paid.


    Looking back on that exorbitant amount of money and what it could have done for her in her present predicament, Ruth Lanoth felt like crying.


    Things had gone from better to worse for her in the past few months.


    Her shame in the neighbourhood had doubled when her son, whom she had always bragged would change her status, now came to live with her in the two-bedroom bungalow her husband had married her into.


    Ruth had been a full-time housewife, and her son had taken over her care since her husband died.


    Now that nobody was willing to hire Thomas whenever he made the half-assed effort to face the humiliation out there to seek a new job, their situation had worsened.


    The child had suddenly developed a money-sucking illness and no money wasing from anywhere.


    Reyona, who always gets her foodstuffs every two weeks, was no longer doing it.


    Ruthmented her terrible situation as her hand tightened on the paper she still held in her hand.


    She couldn¡¯t even bear to look at herself in the mirror these days because of the way she knew she looked.


    Gone was the plump woman who was well on the way to her life of luxury.


    Her gauntness had made her choose clothes like the big-sized boubou as her favourite these days.


    Now she counted every penny she couldy her hands on, living on coupons and discounts while she haggled prices at the food market.


    Her credit cards were maxed out while she was trying to support her son and three grandchildren.


    She could remember how she had been given a stern warning two days before when she had tried to get a new credit card with the name of herte mom.


    ¡°What would I do now?¡± Ruth muttered to herself as she got overwhelmed with everything happening around her.


    ¡°Grandma!¡± Allysyn¡¯s sudden voice as she rushed out of the room they shared with their father jolted Ruth out of her troubled thoughts. ¡°Grandma, Le¡­¡±


    ¡°What? What is it? Can¡¯t you all give me a break? Go disturb your mother for once!¡± Ruth snapped at her in frustration.


    Allysyn shrank back at the way Ruth shouted at her.


    ¡°Just leave me alone, will you?¡± Ruth said it in a gentler tone. ¡°Go, I will¡­¡±


    Allysyn shook her head gently as she said, ¡°It¡¯s Leah, Gra¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, she is vomiting, Ally!¡± Junior¡¯s frightened voice rang through the house.


    ¡°What? I¡­¡± Ruth quickly straightened herself up from where she was.


    ¡°She is shaking, Grandma,¡± Allysyn said as she ran ahead of Ruth. Tears ran down her face as she said, ¡°I came to call you because she was shaking; now she is vomiting.¡±


    They met Junior, trying to wipe the vomit off Leah¡¯s mouth.


    The young girl was shaking violently on the bed and the vomit could have blocked her nose if not for her brother¡¯s attempt.


    ¡°Sweet Jesus,¡± Ruth said as she scooped the child off the bed.


    She tripped over the syrup bottle she knocked over in haste and almost dropped the child.


    Allysyn quickly supported Leah with her hand and Ruth righted herself.


    ¡°Alysyn, find the phone and call your dad. Tell him to meet me at the hospital.¡± Ruth shouted as she hurried out.


    It only dawned on her when she got out that there was no car to use.


    She looked at both sides and saw that the porches were all empty.


    Tears of regret streaked down her face as she finally realised what she had done to herself.


    Once upon a time, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for her to rush up to any of them for help.


    That time was past.


    ¡°Please, Leah. Hold on, baby,¡± she whispered to the child as she started hurrying down the street with the hope that she would find a taxi that came to drop someone off.


    She had not taken more than three steps before she turned around.


    ¡°Cliff! Cliff!¡± she started yelling even before she got close to their house.


    ¡°What did I do now?¡± Ample-sized stomach gaping beneath his spotted singlet, Cliff opened the screen door.


    ¡°Cliff, help me. Please help me!¡± Ruth Lanoth cried. ¡°I am so sorry; please help my grandbaby,¡± she begged unashamedly.


    ¡°Mary, get me my keys,¡± Cliff was already saying as he came out and quickly put on his sandals.


    His wife ran out with the key as he said, ¡°Come, bring her to the truck.¡±


    More neighbours came out and they could all see the way the baby was shivering and vomiting all over Ruth.


    Some of them were already saying prayers for the poor kid as Ruth quickly got into the truck.


    A neighbour quickly threw a wrapper in through the window as she said, ¡°Wrap her up.¡±


    Ruth nodded and did so as Cliff started the car.


    Allysyn ran out of the house and screamed, ¡°He is not picking! Daddy is not picking!¡±


    ¡°Keep calling him!¡± Ruth shouted back before Cliff gave the old truck all the speed it could take.


    The curious kids left the road and there was neither hooting nor hollering this time.


    They automatically knew something was wrong.


    They had never seen Old Cliff drive his truck that fast before.


    The neighbours gathered out of curiosity and concern.


    ¡°That kid looked very sick; did you know she was unwell?¡± a woman asked her friend.


    ¡°When was thest time I knew anything about Ruth?¡± The other woman answered.


    As everyone sent them off with their prayers and hope, a 7-year-old girl kept on calling her father¡¯s number over and over again.


    He didn¡¯t pick.

 Give It Up, Asshole

    Thomas disconnected his mom¡¯s call again with annoyance.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t she just be patient for heaven¡¯s sake?¡± he wondered in anger.


    Truly, he had told her that he would give her some money when he got back from where he was going, but he was not back yet.


    Was he?


    He had not bothered to tell her where he was going.


    He doubted that she would have approved of it if she knew.


    She had begun to grow some annoying conscience about him recently.


    She might have stopped him from going but after he got what he wanted and she was reaping the benefits, he was sure that she wouldn¡¯t mind.


    Especially when he got her some new clothes and some imitation jewellery to match.


    Yes, she would ease off on his case so there was no need to pick up her call now.


    Now was the time to focus on his game n.


    He looked over at the woman, who had nowid the baby in her y pen and was cooing to her.


    Thomas tried to think his n through but he knew there was no time for that.


    They would all be back soon, and then everything would be ruined once again.


    He would not allow that!


    He looked over to see that Reyona had really slept.


    It was almost as if the b*tch was pregnant. He thought in mockery.


    ¡°Keep it up, sleeping beauty,¡± he muttered.


    Celia looked up from where she was bent over her baby and asked. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. I was about to anyway. I need to leave here with my wife,¡± he said simply as he moved closer to Celia.


    Celia didn¡¯t show any sign of fear as she said, ¡°That is not likely.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who is going to stop me?¡± Thomas asked in a move to intimidate her.


    Celia simply folded her arms around herself as she said, ¡°Me. And Athena, of course.¡±


    ¡°So, a baby and a woman, who might as well be a baby herself, would stop me?¡± He asked in mockery.


    Celia only shrugged.


    ¡°Look here. I know you just gave birth and all that. Congrattions! I appreciate mothers, you see, but then I hate it when people stand in my way. Just step out of the way and look elsewhere while I take my wife out of here.¡±


    ¡°Your ex-wife, you mean?¡±


    ¡°None of your business,¡± he snapped, then looked towards the bed just to be sure that Reyona was still sleeping.


    When he was sure that his slip of control had not woken her, he faced Celia back ¡°So, which way is it going to be?¡±


    ¡°Any way that could make Beatrice remember you for the asshole that you are and get you to walk out of that door without evering back? That is the way I choose.¡±


    ¡°You have made your choice,¡± Thomas said, repeating what Maxwell had said earlier.


    In a fast move, he pushed Celia out of the way and reached for the baby.


    ¡°Take your filthy hands off my baby!¡± Andrew Jordan yelled as he entered the room.


    Thomas¡¯s hand froze just above the ypen as six men dressed in ck suits followed the Multilinks CEO in.


    Andrew rushed towards his wife and straightened her, just as two of the men descended on Thomas.


    They pulled him away from the ypen while he was yelling.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reyona asked in wonder from the bed.


    No one answered her yet, as the nursemaid that followed them in quickly carried the baby out of the room before Thomas started swearing.


    ¡°Are you okay? I told you not to put yourself in harm¡¯s way, didn¡¯t I?¡± Andrew said as he patted her all over as if looking for a hidden wound.


    ¡°I am fine. I am¡­ Drew,¡± she called urgently, holding his face so that he was looking straight into her eyes. ¡°I am fine,¡± she said emphatically.


    He nodded curtly as he said, ¡°Good.¡±.


    Then he swung around with all the fury in him.


    The men holding Thomas pushed him forward and Andrew punched him hard.


    He went flying with a yell of pain.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± Reyona asked more forcefully this time as she sat up in bed.


    ¡°Beatrice, calm down, okay?¡±


    ¡°How did you even know that my middle name is Beatrice?¡± Reyona asked in confusion. Then she looked back at themotion. ¡°Why is that man beating my husband?¡±


    ¡°That man is my husband and that asshole is your ex-husband. Ex, babe. He was just about to kidnap my baby because I wouldn¡¯t let him take you away.¡±


    ¡°Thomas?¡±


    The sound of a car approaching the house came from outside.


    ¡°Stop hitting him, okay?¡± Reyona said from the bed as she held her head. ¡°Just please stop.¡±


    Celia looked at her husband, and thetter¡¯s hand halted in the air as he was about to deal Thomas another blow.


    Andrew threw Thomas towards the four men standing apart.


    Their hard grip on him made Thomas yell out. ¡°Reyona, can you see what they are doing to me? I told you they all hated me!¡±


    His shouts were only making Reyona¡¯s ears ring. Reyona held her head and her vision wavered for a moment as she saw the door open behind the men.


    The men dragged Thomas aside so that the woman rushing forward could pass.


    The resemnce between mother and daughter was undisputable as the middle-aged, ssy woman dressed in cargo pants and a sweatshirt rushed towards Reyona. ¡°Oh, thank God. Oh, thank God,¡± was all she could say before she hugged Reyona to herself and started crying.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona patted her back awkwardly as she said, ¡°Mummy, I am fine.¡±


    Carlisle looked at the sweaty Thomas with tight lips as he said, ¡°I did not expect to meet this useless trash here.¡±


    ¡°He was just on his way out, sir,¡± Celia said as she unclipped the recording device in the form of a ne.


    ¡°I am not going anywhere. I have to stay with my wife!¡± Thomas struggled to win a lost battle.


    ¡°You still have the effrontery to call her your wife after all you pulled her through? You would stoop so low to take advantage of my daughter because of her amnesia? I wish I could see your mother¡¯s face right now, you useless boy.¡± dys said with a shake of her head.


    Thomas ignored her as he looked at Reyona ¡°Reyona, Reyona, can you see what I meant? They are trying to separate us, baby. Don¡¯t allow this! I am your family, remember?¡±


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t remember right now, Rey.¡± Carlisle said simply: ¡°But I need you to believe me¡­ to believe us when I tell you that this trash here does not even deserve to breathe the same air as you, girl. This piece of nothing here broke your vows most horribly. The two of you are divorced.¡±


    ¡°Reyona, don¡¯t listen¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it up, asshole,¡± Toria said as she backhanded him.


    Everyone looked at Reyona to see what she would say.


    Reyona looked at everyone around her, then back at Thomas, who was yelling in pain like Toria had hit him with a ton of bricks.


    Even she could see that he was exaggerating his pain.


    She turned back to face her father and asked, ¡°I agreed to the divorce?¡±


    ¡°You initiated it, my dear,¡± Carlisle answered. ¡°With good cause too.¡±


    ¡°You will let me see the evidenceter?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°Yourwyer is on his way as we speak,¡± Carlisle answered.


    Even though indescribable painnced through Reyona¡¯s heart at the fact that her marriage could really be over, she turned to look at Thomas.


    He shook his head frantically as he said, ¡°Baby, don¡¯t do anything stupid. This is all a¡­¡±


    ¡°Thomas, you should go.¡± Tears spurted out of her eyes as she looked away from him.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you will let them do this to us?!


    ¡°Time to park it up, pal,¡± Maxwell said as he held Thomas by the band of his jeans and dragged him out. ¡°You and I have a little score to settle.¡±


    The six men followed them out.


    Thomas¡¯s yelling protest stopped immediately after they were out of the room.


    Reyona didn¡¯t even want to think of what they probably did to him.


    ¡°Mum,¡± she managed to say before her emotions overwhelmed her.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± dys said as they held each other while Reyona cried her heart out.

 Quite The Nag

    Meanwhile¡­


    Old Cliff¡¯s rickety truck had had some years on it.


    It was not in its best shape either.


    Not used to the sudden speed that the man put it on, the truck started overheating soon after they started their journey.


    Ruth tried all she could to get the baby to stop shivering but it was not working.


    The vomiting had stopped but the baby was still shivering.


    Then, just as they were around the corner from the smallmunity hospital, the truck coughed twice and its engine died.


    Ruth froze almost immediately.


    ¡°No, no,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Hold on; I will get it going again. We are almost there.¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Ruth yelled as she suddenly opened the door of the truck and jumped down with the baby that had suddenly gone still in her hands.


    ¡°Ruth!¡± Cliff shouted after her as he quickly tried to bring his massive body out of the truck as well.


    ¡°Why would you just run out like that? We are almost there!¡± he shouted while trying to catch up with her.


    Cliff had not realised that Ruth suddenly felt the baby¡¯s shiver stop.


    During her first round of nos, sheid her hand on the baby¡¯s chest with the hope that she was wrong.


    She had felt nothing.


    No beat. No shakes. No vibration.


    Ruth held the baby to her chest and ran while shouting, ¡°Somebody help! Doctors! Nurse! Help Leah! Help my grand¡­¡±


    With a blinding pace, she rounded the corner and emerged in front of the hospital just as the government-donated ambnce from the hospital was backing out of the driveway at a fast pace.


    It threw her off the curb just as Cliff came around the corner.


    ¡°Ruth!¡± Cliff shouted in shock as he came to a horrified halt.


    Ruth Lanoth was lifted into the air and upon her descent, she struck her head hard against the gutter on the other side.


    Realising the damage caused, the ambnce quickly stopped and the paramedics rushed out.


    As the first man got to her, Ruth¡¯s hands, which were still curled around her dead granddaughter, wentx.


    With help right at hand, Thomas¡¯s mother breathed herst.


    *********


    Thrown out of the mansion like a piece of trash, Thomas picked himself off the floor and red at the stern-looking men standing in front of the house.


    That rich bastard had gone back inside.


    ¡°Probably gone to think of how he was going to fuck that bitch!¡± Thomas thought in fury.


    When one of the men took a menacing step forward, Thomas quickly turned around and hurried towards his car.


    The car which wouldn¡¯t get the refilled AC gas as soon as Thomas had thought when he drove up that driveway that morning.


    He couldn¡¯t believe how drastically things had turned so fast.


    He had thought he couldn¡¯t lose this time for sure, yet here he was leaving with nothing!


    Again!


    That bitch and her goddamn family had managed to pull a fast one on him again!


    Let¡¯s not forget her fucking knight in goddamn shining armour too.


    Although Thomas wouldn¡¯t admit it to anyone, he was relieved that he was leaving with his body intact after all.


    When Maxwell had stepped towards him as they dragged him out of the room, he had thought for sure that he was going to exert his revenge on him right there and then.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    But then the sobbing sounds of Reyona had filtered through the door and Maxwell had stopped in his tracks.


    He motioned to the men to drag Thomas out.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t ur to Thomas that that momentary cry of Reyona could have been what saved him from being knocked to hell.


    All he had felt was disgust and rage.


    She caused him a big loss again and she was the one crying?


    Bitch!


    His breath had backed up in his lungs momentarily when he saw that Maxwell had followed them out.


    Maxwell moved closer to him and all he said was, ¡°You dared to double-cross me after I warned you. Oh, you are going to pay. I will make you pay for everything you have ever put her through. By the time I am done with you, you will wish for death. That is a promise.¡±


    With that, he turned away from him.


    The door had not closed behind him when the men threw him hard against the ground.


    Thomas¡¯s eyes watered with pain as his shins and the elbows he tried to use to break his fall scraped hard against the concrete floor.


    It took him a moment to gather his breath to stand up from the humiliating position.


    The men were standing in front of the house like a battalion, ready to guard the generals in that house.


    One of those generals was his goddamned ex-wife.


    The main reason he was facing this humiliation.


    Thomas kicked hard at the car door when he tried to open it, and it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    It took him a second to calm his rage enough to remember that he had not unlocked the door.


    It was their fault.


    They turned him into this mess.


    They called him here to humiliate him!


    They chose to butter him up first by making him think he had the upper hand.


    The bastard even offered him food!


    All for what? Just so he could go back home to his mother without even something as small as a refund for what she had called herst card?


    He was about to get into the car when the phone rang again.


    ¡°Stop calling me!¡± he yelled in frustration.


    He didn¡¯t answer the call to tell her that, though.


    When he had vented his anger on her the day before, he had not heard thest of it for the rest of the day; he even had to butter her up with apologies that morning to get what he got.


    He tossed his phone aside and backed out of the driveway recklessly.


    Yet he quickly adjusted his motion when he remembered that there would be no money for any repair if he damaged the car in his recklessness.


    He was driving down the path when the call rang again.


    ¡°Why is she blowing up my phone because of a few bucks?¡± he muttered to himself in anger.


    What about all the time he had always spent money on her?


    Hadn¡¯t he been the one footing the bills for her upkeep since his father died?


    Of course, Reyona¡¯s role in providing most of that money was conveniently forgotten as he drove down the pathway.


    Everyone was choosing to look down on him now because of his misfortune.


    They should all wait.


    He would make hiseback and they would all witness it.


    As he caught sight of the personal fitness centre, pain shot through him at the reminder of what he had lost.


    For a moment, he fantasized about the whole estate being razed to the floor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how arrogant he would be then,¡± he thought as he drove out and headed for the main road.


    The thought of what would await him at home made him stop the car by the roadside.


    His mother could be quite the nag when she was in the mood.


    And she had perpetually been in the mood since he had moved in with her and he finally realised that getting a job anywhere in Kayooma would be like fetching water with a basket.


    Thomas was in no mood to go home at all.


    Pain from his shins and elbows, coupled with the anger and frustration he was feeling at the moment, was too much for him to bottle in while trying to y the reasonable son at home.


    He needed to let out some steam.


    Some good fucking would do that for him right now.


    He would have preferred to have a good piece of ass to screw till her brains lick out but since that was not in the equation for him at the moment and he couldn¡¯t even dream of paying for sex at the moment, he thought of the next best thing.


    He searched around in his carpartment and his pockets.


    He gathered around the change he could put together; he figured it should be enough to get himself something.


    Not in the kind of ce he patronized since his financial status had changed, of course.


    But in the kind of ces he had frequented with Susan long before they met Reyona,


    Yes, it was better.


    ¡°Anything is better right now than going home to mom¡¯s nagging,¡± he thought to himself with satisfaction.


    After checking the gas to be sure it would take him to where he had in mind and back home, he set out for the destination he had in mind.


    Engrossed in his thoughts, he didn¡¯t see the sedan car heading in the direction he wasing from.


    The balding man in the car saw him, though.


    Thetter¡¯s mouth twisted in disdain as he continued on his way.


    ¡°What a shameless fellow,¡± he said in a cultured tone.

 Shades Of Grief

    Still badly shaken and somewhat dazed, Old Cliff stepped out of the Mercedes-Benz that took him home.


    Mary, who was waiting anxiously for her husband on their porch, had already stood up when she saw the Benzing towards their house.


    Her gaze moved from her husband to the young maning outside from the driver¡¯s side.


    ¡°Cliff, what¡­?¡±


    As if he had just realised where he was, Old Cliff looked up sharply at the sound of his wife¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mary! Oh, sweet God! Mary, ah!¡± A movement behind his wife caught his gaze as she rushed down the porch steps.


    As if Cliff had seen a ghost, his eyes widened and his hand shook as he pointed at the clueless children who were seated with Mary before the car arrived. ¡°These poor kids. Oh, what will we¡­?¡±


    ¡°Cliff!¡± Mary spoke a bit urgently as she reached her husband and held his forearms, so he could look at her.


    Neighbours who had heard Cliff¡¯s exmation had starteding out of their homes.


    After all, they had all been waiting for the news from the hospital.


    ¡°Kids, go inside, okay?¡± Mary said this to Allysyn and Junior.


    ¡°But grandma¡­¡±


    Allysyn pulled her brother inside with her and shut the door behind them.


    ¡°I am sorry, Mary. I shouldn¡¯t scare those kids like that,¡± Cliff said.


    ¡°What happened? Where is the truck? Where is Ruth?¡± Mary asked, looking from Cliff to the man who had walked up to them.


    ¡°I am Doctor Murphy, ma¡¯am. I think your husband is still pretty shaken, ma. Though we have given him something to calm his nerves, he will still need some rest. He couldn¡¯t drive the truck back; that is why I brought him back.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is the baby fine?¡± Mary asked urgently.


    ¡°I am sorry, but the baby died, ma¡¯am. She was dead before she got to the hospital. There was nothing we could do for her.¡±


    ¡°The baby died?¡± Mary asked in shock.


    The people around them expressed their shock and grief in varying disys.


    Some of them held their hands to their heads in exmation, while others looked around as if searching for Ruth, so they could console her.


    ¡°Oh, poor Ruth! What must she be thinking now?!¡± Mary eximed in pain as she automatically looked behind her to be sure the kids were not still lurking around.


    ¡°Ruth? Ruth cannot think of anything! She cannot think anything at all! She died with the baby. She jumped out of the truck and died with the baby! That damned truck! It chose a damn fine time to stop working!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mary asked in fear and hope.


    Hope that what Cliff said was not true.


    Fear that she had heard him right.


    The doctor quickly walked towards the house and carried Cliff¡¯s favourite porch chair.


    ¡°Here, sir. I need you to sit down and calm down,¡± he saidpassionately.


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Ruth is dead?¡±


    ¡°Did I just hear that Ruth is dead?¡±


    Chorus and whispers from the neighbours as people who were just joining them asked curiously to be sure they heard right.


    ¡°Unfortunately, he is right. There was an ident at the hospital and she didn¡¯t survive it. I am so sorry.¡± said the doctor.


    He couldn¡¯t say more than that when cries and tears of loss began to circte among Ruth Lanoth¡¯s neighbours.


    All grievances and old grudges were forgotten when it dawned on the residents of McColins Avenue that they would never see their longtime neighbour alive again.


    *******


    ¡°They say Grandma is dead. When will she bring Leah home?¡±


    ¡°Ssh!¡± Allysyn said to Thomas Junior as she dialled their dad¡¯s number again.


    They had been right behind the door earlier, and they heard everything they were saying outside.


    They ran towards the kitchen when they heard the doctor¡¯s footsteps.


    Once they were sure that nobody was entering the house, Allysyn ignored Junior¡¯s request that they should go back to the door.


    Instead, she started calling her father¡¯s number with renewed determination shining in her pale blue eyes.


    ¡°The number you dialled is switched off, please¡­¡±


    ¡°They are lying. They are lying,¡± Allysyn was repeating as she disconnected the call and dialled it again.


    ¡°I will get Dad. Dad wille, and he will bring Grandma and Leah home. They will all see.¡±


    She was muttering with determination as she dialled the number over and over again, while her brother looked on with curiosity.


    Then suddenly, she stopped and looked at the unlocked screen door that led from the kitchen to the back of the house.


    A thought urred to her, and she said to Junior. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°To listen at the door?¡± Junior asked in anticipation.


    ¡°No, dummy. We have to find Dad. We have to tell him and he will bring Leah home. I know where to find him,¡± she exined hurriedly.


    Thomas scrunched up his nose in thought and nodded as if he could see the wisdom of what his sister was saying.


    Then his mouth thinned peevishly. ¡°I am not a du¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Allysyn said as she grabbed his hand anxiously.


    ¡°Should we tell Mary?¡± he asked as he followed her towards the back door.


    ¡°No, she will stop us. Now keep quiet,¡± Allysyn said as she carefully opened the door and nodded for Junior to pass.


    The ball in Junior¡¯s hand fell inside just as he was stepping out.


    They both froze and waited to see if the sound would attract the grownups.


    When nobody came bursting through the door, Allysyn quickly hurried out after Junior.


    ¡°My b¡­¡±


    ¡°Sshh!¡±


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


    It didn¡¯t take long for Dr. Murphy to realise that he couldn¡¯t give them the additional information he had at that moment.


    As grief overwhelmed everyone around him and Cliff and Mary held each other in their grief, he decided to leave first.


    The next day was early enough to talk about the familying to im the bodies and all that.


    So he gave Cliff his card and left the sombre atmosphere behind.


    As he drove through the close-knit neighbourhood, he wondered how it must feel to live in a ce where everyone knew what was going on with each other.


    A ce where everyone grieved as if they were all one extended family was a thing of marvel to him.


    Dr. Murphy had seen death before in his short career, but he was certain that he would not forget the one that happened that day.


    He could still see some people hurrying out of their homes and heading in the direction he wasing from.


    Just as he was about to get out of the street, a movement to his right caught his attention.


    It was two kids walking briskly down the road.


    The girl had the boy¡¯s hand in a viselike hold and the boy was the only one who looked back at the approaching car.


    The girl must have said something to him because he immediately turned his face away.


    A small smile showed on Dr. Murphy¡¯s face, as that reminded him of his sister.


    He automatically thought that things like kids walking on the street at night must bemon in a neighbourhood like this.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maybe their mother was at the house that he had just left, and they were going to meet her.


    But then he thought of the fact that they were not heading in the direction of the house but away from it.


    That made him slow down.


    His phone started ringing just as he called out to them, and they ignored him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said as he saw the number and remembered something.


    He picked up immediately with an apology ¡°Marjorie, I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Killian, you forgot our dinner again. Is this another work thing?¡± a disappointed voice said through the phone.


    ¡°No, no, I am so sorry! I am on my way right now. Wait for me, okay? Please wait. I promise I will make it up to you. Just hold on.¡±


    He hastily disconnected the call and sped off to meet his fiancee.


    The two kids quickly walked away from the street.

 Sweat, Sin And Unfulfilled Desires

    ¡°There is one more thing I have to share, sir,¡± Lawyer Gibson said as he turned to face Maxwell.


    He closed his car and moved closer to Maxwell.


    Maxwell gave him a sceptical look as he wondered what else could be there apart from what the man had shared inside.


    Lawyer Gibson had presented the evidence of Reyona¡¯s divorce, including the pictures of Thomas¡¯s assaults, the letter, and the video clip of the sessions that Reyona had in Gibson¡¯s office.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    By the time he was done, even a two-year-old would have been convinced that Reyona was truly the one who instigated the divorce proceedings.


    Though Maxwell was the one who had asked Gibson toe over with all the necessary documents, by the end of everything, he was not sure if it was the best thing to do.


    Yes, it had fulfilled the intended purpose and one could see that even though Reyona still couldn¡¯t remember all those things happening, she was convinced of their truth.


    The problem was that while Reyona and the others had had their eyes on the video clips extracted from the CCTV and the documents, Maxwell¡¯s eyes had been on Reyona.


    She had masked it well after, but while she was looking at all that evidence of her marriage failure, he could see the unbearable pain she was going through.


    It was almost like watching everything happen all over again.


    ¡°Fuck Lanoth for making all these necessary,¡± Maxwell had thought as he tried his best to quell the urge he had to go over to her and wrap her up in his arms.


    It was the least of his urges towards her these days.


    Maxwell had finally admitted what he had been trying so hard not to think of.


    Reyona Dexter had somehow be an important part of his life.


    Maxwell was not a man known for flowery words nor did he like making promises.


    Yet at that time, he just wanted to take her away from all the pain while giving her all the assurances he could think of.


    The thought of how that would look to a woman who did not even remember him stopped him from acting upon the overpowering need to protect her.


    It was enough that Reyona¡¯s father had pointedly asked him what his intentions were with his daughter.


    Even though he had told the man that he was Reyona¡¯s friend and Toria had backed him up, he could see that her parents had not totally believed him.


    Imagine grabbing their daughter in their presence, all in the name of giving assurances.


    Those thoughts were what made Maxwell leave the room where the viewing was going on.


    He stayed close by and was right on hand to see Gibson off.


    He could see that Reyona had shored up her pain behind that passive look of hers and she was dry-eyed as she thanked the man foring to do this.


    He thought that part was done, and they could all focus on helping Reyona get her memory back or at least to form new memories, however the case may be.


    So, he was surprised when Gibson turned to him with an earnest gaze and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring it up in her presence before I figure it might not be good for her health, you know.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Maxwell asked immediately.


    ¡°I have some news from the investigators we hired earlier, sir.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Gibson exined.


    As Maxwell watched the taillights of Gibson¡¯s car disappear in the distance, he pondered what the man had said to him.


    He decided to take a walk in his garden as he thought of what to do.


    As he walked through the well-lit greenery, he thought of what thewyer had said.


    Was it necessary to divulge the information to Reyona?


    What good would it do to her in her current situation?


    It was about the investigation that had been ongoing after the clip about Reyona¡¯s sex tape was released.


    The reason they had not been able to pin the purchase of either the mask or recording devices on Thomas was because he was not the one who had purchased them.


    They had been trying to trace back everything that Thomas did during that time to show that he had really nned the seduction and gamey just to trap Reyona.


    But it was not him.


    Someone else had gotten him the mask, the camcorder, and even the sexy lingerie that Reyona had on in the clip.


    Thomas had nned his wife¡¯s humiliation with someone else.


    Someone well known to Maxwell.


    Susan.


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


    Blood-stained teeth chattered together as Thomas went crashing against the wooden table.


    He blinked sluggishly, as fast as his bruised face would allow.


    The man who had managed to save his drink in time before Thomas crashed into their table simply moved away from the path of the three burly men approaching.


    Thomas was not a weakling.


    He had been a coach at a gym and even owned a fitness centre after all.


    Also, the fury in him that evening was enough for any man to steer clear of him.


    Well, he had chosen to enter the den of men who were not just any men that night.


    The main reason foring to the seedy bar that night was because of the cheap, watered-down beer he could get there.


    If he was charming enough too, he could even get a piece of ass that he could fuck in the bathroom or right there on the mouldy couches while every other person mind their damn business.


    It was a ce that used to be his usual haunt.


    It was the ce he met Susan.


    Having a taste of the finer things of life had made him stop going to ces like that before.


    But it was the perfect ce for him that night.


    When he entered the lousily lit bar that night and breathed in the stale air that smelled of sweat, sin, and unfulfilled dreams, it felt like he had never left.

 For Most Of My Life

    As much as shame had wanted to rear its head in him at the thought of how far he had fallen, Thomas ignored it as he headed to the bar.


    After asking for the price of a pint and being certain that he could afford five, Thomas ordered.


    Two pints of beer were already swimming nicely in his blood before he finally looked at his surroundings.


    A gaudily dressed woman was dancing close to the screeching jukebox on the other side of the bar.


    She plucked the money out of a drunken man¡¯s hand while avoiding his groping hands.


    Smoke, drunken voices, and scatteredughter filled the room, while the owner fanned himself behind the bar.


    In Lost Horn¡¯s bar, nobody served anybody.


    If you want a drink, youe to the bar to get it.


    If you are important enough, the owner or his daughter will bring the drinks to your table.


    Thomaszily wondered if the owner¡¯s daughter was still around.


    She used to be quite the slut.


    He was about to turn to his drink when he saw that he might get lucky after all.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    A bitch was giving him the eye.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he thought to himself as he corked his hand at her.


    He wondered if she would try to be coy and was ready to turn away to show her that he did not have the time for bullshit that night.


    But she came immediately.


    ¡°What do you want, love?¡± she asked in a flirty tone.


    Thomas didn¡¯t bother with talks.


    He simply grabbed her breast with one of his hands, spun her around with his other hand, and made her sit on hisp.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± thedy suddenly screeched.


    ¡°So, you like to y games, eh?¡± Thomas said with a leery grin as he held her waist none-too-gently and made her grind on him.


    A rush of air apanied the mighty blow that had his ear ringing in the next second.


    Pain shot through him as he struck his side hard against the concrete bar.


    His left elbow seemed paralysed for a moment as the flirt ran from him and screamed, ¡°Jeff, thank God. Jeff, you need to teach this bastard a lesson!¡±


    What?


    ¡°Are you cheating on me, Missy?¡± a heavy voice asked, and the flirt screeched again in protest.


    ¡°I would never do that! He grabbed me!¡±


    That sealed Thomas¡¯s fate.


    As Thomas was turning to face the man, a fist twice the size of a ham struck him full on his face, breaking his nose and bruising his face.


    Thomas groaned in pain as he fell off the stool he was on.


    ¡°What the fuck, man? She came on to me!¡± He managed to croak out.


    Grave mistake.


    ¡°You calling my girl a liar?¡± The man called Jeff, who seemed to have a kinship with a gori in size, said as he lifted Thomas off the ground and punched him in mid-air.


    When Thomas realised that he might have bitten off more than he could chew and tried to run out before the man got to him, two men blocked his path to the door.


    They folded their arms in wait for him.


    ¡°You want to pass? Come on, pal. Pass,¡± one of them said.


    Jeff was already behind Thomas, so he decided to fight for his life.


    That was his third mistake of the night.


    Jeff looked at the side of his stomach where Thomas¡¯s punch hadnded. Before he could finish raising his head to look at Thomas, double kicks hadnded on him from the man behind.


    For the worst twenty minutes of Thomas¡¯s life, the three men passed him among themselves like a ball.


    All while everyone around kept having their drinks like nothing was happening.


    If the fight got too close to them, they would simply carry their drink and move elsewhere.


    Finally, the owner of the bar roused himself from where he was seated.


    He called out to Jeff in a reasonable tone as he said, ¡°If this keeps going on, Jeff, all my customers will have to sit on the floor to have their drinks. That includes you, Jeff. Take it outside.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mal. I am done with this piece of trash,¡± Jeff said as he spat on Thomas, who was lying facedown on the scarred floor like a dead man.


    So saying, Jeff¡¯s men lifted him while holding his underarms.


    Each of them on either side dragged him out of the door.


    The windy chill outside was a far cry from the offensive heat in the small building.


    They threw him aside like a sack of potatoes and went back inside without a second nce at him.


    One of them swatted at the drop of moisture that fell on him.


    The little breath that was left in Thomas was knocked out as he fell to the uneven ground close to the road.


    As if grieving the unfortunate moment that befell the unconscious man, the sky opened up almost immediately.


    A drizzle soon became a downpour.


    *********


    Reyona woke up the next day without the headache that had been her constantpanion.


    Nor did she feel the panic of helplessness that had been apanying her since she woke up.


    Every time she slept and woke up, she had this feeling that was akin to a panic attack as she tried to figure out where she was and how she had gotten there.


    Slowly, it would pass, but it was always there.


    But the day after thewyer came, she did not feel the helplessness of her loss of memory as acutely as she had been feeling it earlier.


    Reyona felt a slight weight at her side and she smiled as she turned her head gingerly to that side.


    Toria was sleeping as Toria slept.


    One of her legs was on the side of the bed, while her head was close to Reyona¡¯s stomach and her arms were spread out over the bed.


    How she had managed to get into that position on the huge bed was beyond Reyona.


    She was amazed that her sister had somehow steered clear of her injured legs, even in sleep.


    Sleeping with Toria means waking up during the night to see her legs or arms all over you.


    As Reyona let out a quietugh at that thought, she remembered how Toria had ended up sleeping in her bed.


    Just as everyone was bidding her goodnight the night before, Reyona had invited Toria to sleep with her.


    Toria, who must have understood what Reyona needed, told the nurse that she could go rest in the room allotted to her.


    ¡°I can take care of my sister for one night. I have been doing it for most of my life anyway,¡± she said with a cheeky smile, and their parents, who were on their way out, snorted in disbelief.


    ¡°I am highly underestimated in this family,¡± Toria grumbled as she got into bed while making sure not to jostle Reyona¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Have I told you that I think I was adopted?¡± she asked with a mock-serious face.

 Back Me Up

    ¡°Yes,¡± Reyona answered with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Many times already that I lost count.¡±


    Toria stifled her smile as she scrunched up her nose and said, ¡°That is because I am right. I am going to sit Dad and Mom down one day and make them tell me the truth.¡± She dered with her fist thrown in the air.


    Reyonaughed as she said, ¡°Good luck on that.¡±


    Toriaughed as well while settling across from Reyona.


    She rested her hands beneath her chin and said, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    Reyona smiled as she thought of how intelligent her sister was. For all her goofy side, Toria was a very sensitive person.


    She reached out to pat Toria¡¯s hand as she said, ¡°Everything.¡±


    When the smile on Toria¡¯s face dimmed, Reyona said, ¡°No, not about that. Even if I never regain my memory. I have enough information about that already. My marriage failed. He cheated on me. I ended it. I get it. I mean every other thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Toria said with a sigh of relief and a grin.


    ¡°First, tell me this. Is mypany doing fine or did I manage to tank it somehow?¡± Reyona asked in anticipation.


    ¡°Tank it? Hell no!¡± Toria said as she rose to her knees in excitement. ¡°Boy, it is so good that recently, you even got a deal with¡­¡±


    As Reyona reached out to absentmindedly ruffle Toria¡¯s hair, she guessed she must have slept off soon after that.


    She was so relieved that herpany was doing well after all.


    Though she felt Toria kept something from her when she merely said, ¡°Though it was rough going for a little while, things are better now,¡±


    When Reyona asked what the rough going was, she merely said, ¡°You know, just the normal business problem in the corporate world. Thank God, I can¡¯t rte. You are the one with the brains.¡±


    ¡°Rey?¡± Toria¡¯s sleepy voice interrupted Reyona¡¯s thought.


    She looked at her sister and realised that she had been trailing her hand through Toria¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Hello, sleeping beauty, she said. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°Na,¡± Toria said with a yawn. She looked towards Reyona¡¯s legs and asked her, ¡°Please tell me I didn¡¯t touch those in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Reyona answered as her smile widened. ¡°You were perfectly civil. Almost like ady.¡±


    Toria wrinkled her nose at her, then asked, ¡°How are you feeling this morning, Rey?¡±


    ¡°Quite better, actually,¡± Reyona said in all honesty.


    ¡°No headaches?¡±


    ¡°Not a bit.¡±


    ¡°Uhn,¡± Toria said as she flipped over, facing the ceiling. ¡°That is great. Maybe your memory wille back soon too.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Reyona answered before she looked back at Toria. ¡°I want to see it.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Toria asked in confusion as she looked at Reyona upside-down. ¡°Your memory?¡±


    Reyona shook her head in amusement before she said, ¡°My ce.¡±


    ¡°Which¡­?¡± Toria rolled over again so she was facing Reyona. ¡°Your house?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Reyona said simply, already awaiting the protest.


    ¡°No, Rey. I don¡¯t think it is a good idea. Maxwell said¡­¡±


    ¡°Maxwell said this. Maxwell said that. When did he even begin to have anything to say about me? I don¡¯t even remember knowing this guy, yet here I am in his house, using his doctor, eating his food, and I was even told he was my friend when I can¡¯t ever remember making a male friend before in my life,¡± Reyona said heatedly.


    ¡°Ah¡­uhm,¡± Toria said to Reyona¡¯s sudden outburst.


    The issue of how she had gotten to know Maxwell had been kept from her because, knowing her sister, Toria was sure she wouldn¡¯t mind hopping out of the house if it came to that.


    It was the same reason why Toria had told Maxwell not to tell their parents either.


    If Maxwell had told her before she got to know him a bit, she was sure she would have carried her sister on her back out of the house if she had to, but then she only got to learn about it after.


    So, to her, Maxwell was not a bad guy.


    He was just Maxwell, with a bad stepsister.


    And there was Celia, too.


    Celia and her husband adore Maxwell.


    A sweetheart like Celia wouldn¡¯t be that close to a bad person, right?


    So, she was sure she was right about him.


    She only hoped Reyona would forgive her when she finally found out.


    Because she was going to tell her.


    She would just do itter.


    Muchter.


    Oblivious to the guilty thoughts of her sister, Reyona said, ¡°I am sorry for snapping at you. I am grateful to him. I just¡­ I just need to start getting my life back, okay? I need to see it. I need to see how bad it is, and I need to get to thepany too. I can¡¯t just keep¡­¡± She threw her hands around the room as she said, ¡°I can¡¯t just keep lying down here forever, can I? I need to¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest. That is what you need to do. Can you hear yourself? You still have splints on your legs, for God¡¯s sake. You can¡¯t even walk to the bathroom, and now you want to do what? Go to thepany. To do what? Give them a show?¡±


    Reyona gave her a stern look but Toria didn¡¯t back down.


    Finally, Reyona sighed and said, ¡°Back me up here, okay? I need to see the house at least.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will back you up,¡± Toria said simply.


    ¡°Thank you. What are you doing?¡± Reyona asked when she saw Toria dialling a number.


    ¡°Backing you up,¡± Toria said with a sweet smile.


    ¡°What happened, Toria? Is she fine?¡± Carlisle asked anxiously from the other side.


    ¡°Daddy, Rey wants to go see the house and yes, she wants to go to work too,¡± Toria said emphatically.


    Reyona smacked her hand against her face in exasperation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Carlisle said in disbelief. ¡°We areing.¡±


    Reyona raised her head to look at Toria as thetter disconnected the call and said, ¡°You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Traitor,¡± Reyona said in mock anger.


    ¡°You are wee,¡± Toria said with a grin.


    Then she cocked her head aside as she counted ¡°I¡­2¡­¡±


    The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard in the hallway.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And here theye,¡± Toria sinsonged.


    Reyona closed her eyes in resignation.

 Prepared For The Unexpected

    They tried their best to stop her but Reyona was determined to go.


    Realizing that her ploy to keep her from going didn¡¯t work, Toria said, ¡°Only on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°I aming with you,¡± Toria dered as if she were expecting a protest from Reyona.


    Reyona smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I have no problem with that.¡± Then, to butter her up, she said, ¡°Who else will I go with if not my favourite sister?¡±


    ¡°I am your only sister!¡± Toria said while trying to suppress her smile. ¡°And you are being impossible. You should stay in that bed!¡±


    Maxwell also had his own condition to add. Or a request, as he called it.


    Andrea had to do a check on her and give her the green light, that she could move about without endangering the recovery of her legs.


    Reyona baulked at that since she knew he had the doctor in his pocket.


    What if he told the doctor to tell her what would be in his favour?


    But her parents immediately agreed with that, and they dered that they would only let her leave if the doctor said so.


    Reyona suppressed the re she wanted to toss his way.


    Though his face was the perfect picture of passive concern, she was sure he was trying not to smile at her predicament.


    She wondered why they all seemed to agree with everything he said.


    Yes, she was grateful to him; Grams would be disappointed otherwise; she just knew that he was not as innocent as he pretended to be.


    There was just something about him that unsettled her, and she was d that they had never been left alone together before.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t remember being intimidated by anyone.


    So, yeah, his presence rubbed her in the wrong way, and she was certain that he knew it somehow.


    One more reason for her to get out of this ce.


    So she agreed to listen to the doctor¡¯s verdict.


    ¡°Only if it is in my favour,¡± she thought to herself as Andrea was called in.


    To her surprise, the doctor gave her the go-ahead. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t strain your legs or do anything tasking, you will be fine for the couple of hours that you will be out. For extra assurance, Nurse Sam will go with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh great, one more babysitter,¡± Reyona thought to herself, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud as she thanked the doctor.


    What mattered was that she would be doing something else that day than lying in bed, sleeping, and engaging in chitchats.


    Maxwell offered to take her and Carlisle immediately said, ¡°That would put my mind more at rest. Thank you, Max.¡±


    ¡°Max? When did they be that close?¡± Reyona wondered as she waited patiently for them to leave.


    At least she would have one less babysitter.


    Celia and her family had gone home the night before. Reyona missed the baby, though, and Celia had already promised to check in on her that day.


    She just knew she would want toe along with them if she was around.


    Reyona did not know what she was going to meet at what used to be her house.


    Maxwell had offered to bring her pictures and videos of it, but she had declined his offer.


    So, this was going to be the first time she would see it as it was, and she would rather not have a baby around when she started bawling her eyes out.


    She was not known for bawling, but then she had not known she would be a divorcee too, had she?


    It¡¯s better to be prepared for the unexpected.


    Her mom dered that her heart couldn¡¯t stand to see the damage again that morning, so she would just sit this one out.


    Since Maxwell had convinced them to stay at his ce instead of getting a hotel, they were right there in the mansion.


    Immediately, they mentioned that they would stay back and wait for her, and he immediately offered them a tour of thend and everything they might be interested in trying out.


    With a press of a button, he summoned a man who seemed like the manager of the house, and he simply said. ¡°Do whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the man said immediately.


    When her mom said she might have to go into townter to get some things for the twins, the man was already listing out ces she could visit offhand.


    Reyona itched.


    She had no idea why everything he did towards her and her family made her feel somehow.


    Everyone around her seemed to be taking it with levity, and even he made it seem like it was nothing.


    But to Reyona, it was more than something.


    It seemed to her like she was sinking more and more into his debt with every passing second.


    Friend or no friend, he did not look like someone who did anything just for the fun of it.


    She let out a sigh of relief when they finally left her.


    Reyona rolled her eyes when she heard her mom telling Maxwell on their way out of the room that he should please keep an eye on her because she could be willful at times.


    ¡°One would think they were talking about a twelve-year-old,¡± she mumbled before she epted the help of the two standby caregivers.


    In no time, she was dressed and ready to go.


    Reyona chose to sit at the back and Maxwell agreed it was the best option for her legs.


    She almost snapped, ¡°Nobody asked for your opinion,¡± but she merely nodded, entered the car, and smiled at the nurse beside her.


    The breeze blowing through the window of his spiffy, ck Lincoln Nautilus felt heavenly to her.


    It was a far cry from the regted temperature in the room.


    Toria chatted like a magpie all the way.


    She even managed to draw the nurse into a discussion while Maxwell also added his one-syble response from time to time.


    Toria had left when she saw that she was not in the mood for conversation.


    So, Reyona closed her eyes and let everything wash over her.


    The words, the smells, the breeze-they all seemed like a buffer to her while she tried to imagine what might be awaiting her.


    ¡°It is way better now. I am d you didn¡¯t see it the way it was,¡± Toria had said to her.


    Reyona had no idea how she had known, but she was sure of it.


    She opened her eyes suddenly and true enough, Maxwell was looking at her through the rearview mirror.


    The normal thing for any decent person would have been for him to look away in embarrassment when she caught him staring or even apologise for it.


    Not him.


    He simply held her gaze for a while without the smallest apology in his gaze. Instead, his gaze was¡­


    He looked away suddenly as he took a turn.


    Reyona looked out of the window and realised that it was thest turn that led to her ce.


    She readjusted in her seat and realised that anticipation was not the only thing making her heart race.


    It had something to do with that ridiculous stare, too.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    She readjusted in her seat again and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Are you fine?¡± Nurse Sam asked in her breathy voice.


    ¡°Yes, uhm. I am fi¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Maxwell asked suddenly.


    It annoyed Reyona so much that his voice startled her, and she snapped, ¡°Yes, I am fine. Why wouldn¡¯t I be fine?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said just as the house came into view.


    Oh.

 They Were Lying

    Old memories mingled with the present as Reyona looked at the gaping maw that used to be her lovely home.


    Memories of the first time she had been here.


    Memories of the person she had been there with.


    Memories of how it seemed like her life was working ording to ns then.


    Yet here she was.


    Unable to stand on her own, divorced, and practically homeless.


    The fire seemed to have gotten most of the building and only a little of the original structure could be seen standing while new attachments were already constructed to even out what must have been charred remains a week ago.


    ¡°We can leave now if you want.¡± Maxwell¡¯s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.


    For once, she did not feel annoyance towards him.


    She felt a kindred spirit.


    As if he was not just doing all he was doing out of pity.


    It was almost as if he could understand how she felt.


    Like he cared.


    ¡°No, I¡­can we¡­can I check it out? I need to see how far things have gone on the inside and¡­


    ¡°Rey,¡± Toria called in a warning.


    Maxwell looked at the nurse.


    ¡°If she is careful, it should be¡­¡±


    They were distracted by the approach of two men who stepped out of the house in coveralls and construction helmets on their heads.


    Recognition showed on the face of one of them, and he quickly hurried towards the car.


    Maxwell opened the door and stepped out as the man came closer.


    ¡°Good morning, President Rohan,¡± the man said with a curtsy.


    ¡°Morning, Greg. What is going on? Why is everywhere so quiet? Is this how you get the job done here?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. There was a bit of aplication this morning, sir,¡± the man said anxiously. ¡°It is a good thing you are here. I would have called you soon anyway. My men got here this morning, and they met¡­¡± He turned to the man behind him and gestured with his hands.


    The man quickly entered the house while Greg turned back to Maxwell.


    ¡°We met some kids here, all¡­¡±


    ¡°Kids?¡± Reyona echoed.


    Greg looked in the direction of Reyona¡¯s voice, nodded, and answered as the nurse helped Reyona out of the car.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Kids. There are two of them. A boy and¡­¡±


    ¡°It is the bad woman!¡±


    Reyona sank hastily into the wheelchair and her gaze went towards what the others had turned to look at.


    It was two shivering children with damp-looking clothes.


    The girl had her hand over the boy¡¯s shoulder and a mutinous look on her face directed at the men who brought them outside.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The boy was pointing his finger at Reyona as he looked excitedly at the girl, even as he repeated, ¡°Look, Ally. It is the bad woman!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Toria said with annoyance. ¡°What is this bastard pulling now? Why would he send these kids here?¡±


    Reyona was about to ask Toria what she meant when the girl quickly rushed towards her.


    She walked so close to Reyona, then suddenly stopped and looked at Reyona, the splints, and the wheelchair in confusion.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked with chattering teeth.


    Then, before Reyona could answer, she held her hands tightly around herself as she said, ¡°My dad. We are looking for Dad. We came here looking for him, but we couldn¡¯t find him and the men came, but they wouldn¡¯t listen when I told them that they needed to find Dad so that he could find Grandma and Leah!¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah. Kid,¡± Maxwell quickly said as he came closer. ¡°Your dad isn¡¯t here, and you should be at home. Who brought you here?¡± Maxwell asked suspiciously as he looked around.


    ¡°Ally brought me here,¡± Junior said as he moved closer to his sister¡¯s side. ¡°We have to find dad. We can¡¯t find him, but we have found the bad woman. She will take us to Dad,¡± he said with conviction. Then, as if he had a rethink, he looked up to Allysyn and said, ¡°Right, Ally?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call her a bad woman,¡± her sister tried to whisper to him, which only came out in aical, chattery sound that everyone heard clearly.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reyona wondered aloud. ¡°Who are these kids?¡±


    Then, concerned about their cold clothes, she saidpassionately. ¡°We will help you find who you want to find, okay? But you need to change your clothes. You will catch a cold. How did you get this wet? She asked in concern as she removed the jacket she wore over her camisole and gestured to the girl toe closer.


    ¡°It was rain. The rain started when we were on the road, but we couldn¡¯t stop. Ally said we couldn¡¯t stop,¡± Junior said as the nurse removed therge scarf around her neck and covered his body.


    ¡°What rain? There was no rain when we were¡­¡± Realization dawned on Maxwell, and he asked in disbelief, ¡°Yesterday? You have been here since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°In the night. We got here at night. Nobody saw us.¡± Junior piped up again and one could see that his sister was looking forward to gagging him at that time.


    She looked towards Reyona again and asked as she epted the jacket over her shivering body. ¡°Will you help us find our dad?¡±


    ¡°I will look for him, whoever he is, okay? The two of you need some dry clothes first. I know a ce around here where they sell nice things. Let me get some clothes for you and your brother, then something to keep you warm, and then we can look for your father, okay?¡± Reyona said this in concern.


    She did not see the look that Toria and Maxwell gave each other.


    At that point, Toria wished she could whisk the kids away from Reyona before the inevitable could happen.


    Maxwell¡¯s thoughts were along the same line. That and the urge to get his hands on that asshole right now.


    What the hell was the prick thinking by letting his kids-Susan¡¯s kids-run around alone on a rainy night?


    Reyona was already turning towards the car when Allysyn stepped away from her, removed the wool jacket over her shoulder and threw it to the floor as she shouted, ¡°No! That would be toote. We need to find our dad now! We need him to bring Leah and Grandma home! They were lying! They were lying! I need to tell him that they were lying!¡±


    The girl was hysterical as tears streaked out of her eyes.


    She looked from each of them to the other in desperation.


    She suddenly ran full force towards Reyona.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Toria said as she rushed forward to save Reyona from whatever the crazy child was about to do.


    Instead of ramming Reyona over as it seemed, the girl suddenly stood before Reyona and held her hand in plea. ¡°You need to find Dad. Call him. He will pick up your call. She calls you her friend. She likes you. She wants to see you, but Grandma won¡¯t let her. Call Daddy and tell him that they are lying.¡±


    Reyona shook her head at Toria when she wanted to pull the girl away and turned her understanding eyes back on the girl.


    She could see that the girl was intelligent, and she was not just blurting things out. She asked, ¡°Who is your Dad? Who called me a friend?¡±


    ¡°You just divorced my dad. He said it was your fault, but Leah likes you. Leah is my sister. Grandma took her to the hospital, but they came back and lied!¡± The girl ended in a high-pitched tone as she cried more.


    She wanted to pull away from Reyona but Reyona held her hand tightly. ¡°What did they lie about?¡± she asked, as an unexinable fear made her voice hoarse.


    ¡°They sent Junior and me inside but¡­¡± The girl looked away in guilt, so Reyona prompted her. ¡°You had to listen, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Allysyn answered in a stronger tone.


    ¡°Good,¡± Reyona encouraged her, so she could talk, ¡°What did you hear?¡±


    ¡°They lied that she died.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s heart thumped hard as unbidden pain struck her heart. Not showing her grief to the heartbroken girl, she asked matter-of-factly, ¡°Who did they tell the lie about?¡±


    ¡°Grandma!¡± Junior piped in.


    ¡°And Leah,¡± Allysyn added.


    What?!

 Not His Goal

    Maxwell¡¯s sudden question, ¡°Leah is dead?¡± gave him away.


    ¡°You know the kid?¡± Reyona asked immediately.


    When he said nothing, she looked from him to Toria. ¡°He knew her, right?¡± she asked with conviction in her tone.


    ¡°Rey, let¡¯s just go back, okay? Someone would handle these kids. It doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡±


    ¡°What are you two keeping from me?¡± Reyona asked suddenly.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Toria said immediately.


    Reyona turned to look at Maxwell.


    The determination in her eyes was enough to let him know she wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    ¡°I know the kid,¡± he answered.


    ¡°And?¡± Reyona prompted.


    He gave her an inquiring look.


    ¡°What else are you not telling me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of importance,¡± Maxwell responded.


    Reyona wanted to press further, but the girl¡¯s earlier statement was of more importance than whatever he and Toria must keep to themselves.


    To Allysyn, she said, ¡°Calm down, okay? I will find out the truth.¡± Herst statement was meant for the children and the adults who were treating her like she was a kid.


    Despite Maxwell and Toria¡¯s protests, Reyona ignored them and dialled Thomas¡¯s number.


    It was switched off.


    She looked at the girl, who was calmer now. ¡°You came from Ruth¡¯s ce?¡±


    Allysyn nodded.


    ¡°We are going there,¡± Reyona dered with no emotion in her tone.


    ¡°Reyona, you shouldn¡¯t do this. You don¡¯t owe him anything. You don¡¯t owe any of them anything. Let¡¯s just go back, okay?¡±


    ¡°And leave them to wander around with such a burden on their minds?¡± Reyona asked her sister dispassionately. ¡°I expect better from you, Toria. I am not about to run into Thomas¡¯s arms. I am only going to help children that need help.¡±


    To Maxwell, she said, ¡°I assume you know Ruth¡¯s ce too. Will you take us there, or will I have to get a cab? By the way, where are my cars?¡± She asked automatically.


    ¡°They are kept safe at a storage facility until this ce is better,¡± Maxwell answered.


    ¡°Arranged by you, I suppose?¡± Reyona stated rather than asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maxwell responded.


    ¡°Typical,¡± Reyona muttered as she declined Toria¡¯s help and turned the wheelchair around.


    The children eagerly followed her.


    Toria gestured at Maxwell that he should do something to stop this madness, but Maxwell only shook his head and went to the driver¡¯s side as the nurse opened the door for the children, and then she helped Reyona in.


    He could see that Reyona was determined to go, no matter what.


    She was already angry with them because she knew they were keeping things from her; annoying her further was not his goal.


    Maxwell was also curious about what the kids had said.


    Could it be true?


    The girl had said something about a hospital, though.


    That must mean there was a record of whatever happened.


    Maxwell quickly sent a message before driving off, leaving the confused men to continue their interrupted work.


    The drop of a pin would have been heard in the ensuing silence in the car as they headed to Ruth Lanoth¡¯s ce.


    After asking for the children¡¯s names, Reyona remained silent, with her face turned towards the window as Maxwell drove.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maxwell tried to catch her gaze many times, but she didn¡¯t turn away from the window.


    He wished he knew what was going through her mind at that point.


    She had learned that her husband had children through the documents and clips that Gibson produced.


    But to see those children now would be like ripping open a bleeding wound once again.


    Maxwell wondered if she could see the resemnce of their father on the children¡¯s faces


    Especially the eldest, who looked like a carbon copy of Thomas except for a few features.


    Maxwell could only imagine the torture she was going through all over again.


    Something she must have felt when she learned about them the first time.


    Maxwell had not witnessed her pain the first time, but he was here now.


    Weirdly, he wished he could get any reaction at all from her.


    Something to give away what she was thinking or feeling at that moment, yet there she was, seated as still as she could be, doing what someone in her situation shouldn¡¯t even be doing.


    Which woman would choose to help the fruits of her husband¡¯s fidelity?


    Maxwell shook his head inwardly as he answered himself.


    ¡°It is no surprise that she is growing on me,¡± he thought as he entered McColins Avenue.


    People could be seen standing around in front of houses.


    They all looked apprehensive while a group of men were walking about.


    Maxwell could see the girl sink lower in the backseat, where she and her brother were seated between Reyona and the nurse.


    More crowds gathered in front of the house close to Ruth Lanoth¡¯s house.


    People were gathered in circles, and they were loudly deliberating about something.


    ¡°It is too soon! I tell you, they would ask us to¡­¡±


    The man talking was interrupted as people turned at the sound of the approaching car.


    They all went silent as the car approached Ruth¡¯s house.


    Those who were far away moved closer to see who it was.


    People recognised Reyona even before she opened the door.


    ¡°Look, it is the daughter-inw. I thought they were divorced already!¡±


    ¡°How did she hear already?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she came to pay herst respects?¡±


    ¡°Who is that handsome man? Do you think she¡­?¡±


    ¡°Look, there is a wheelchair! What happened to her? Why is misfortune befalling this family?¡±


    ¡°Will she ask about the¡­¡±


    By this time, Reyona had settled into the wheelchair, and she gestured to the kids.


    Before they even got down, those who were closer to the door and could see the kids in the back eximed.


    ¡°They are here! Mary,e and see. We don¡¯t have to go to the police station again!¡±


    ¡°Sweet Mary, Mother of God!¡± A woman¡¯s high-pitched, excited voice could be heard as she rushed from the closest house ahead of an ample-sized man.


    The woman burst into tears when Junior pointed at her and dered, ¡°See Mary! Mary is nice but she is one of the liars!¡±

 Away From Him

    It didn¡¯t take long for Reyona and the others to realise that the kids had heard right after all.


    Reyona¡¯s mother-inw and her granddaughter had died most bizarrely.


    Even though Reyona couldn¡¯t remember the young girl, she was still pained that a life that young was cut short by sickness.


    Despite having a feeling that Ruth had a hand in her son¡¯s deception, Reyona couldn¡¯t help but feel grief about the death of the woman she was once close to.


    Reyona¡¯s parents were not staying in Kayooma.


    They both are based far from the city with their families.


    Reyona had chosen Kayooma for her business and had eventually settled down there with Thomas, so most of the time, Ruth had been the maternal figure she had had around.


    They used to be so close before things cooled between them.


    Now that Reyona thinks back on it, Ruth was the one who stopped their once-in-two-week get-together.


    She had stopped showing up and continuously giving excuses until Reyona started getting more busy at work, and the whole thing was scrapped.


    The little thought that she had not given much attention to back then about the sudden distance between them about three years ago came back to Reyona as she looked at the home she had alwayse to.


    She was sure Ruth¡¯s sudden change of behaviour had something to do with her son¡¯s deception.


    All that didn¡¯t matter at the moment.


    What mattered was that Ruth would never wee her into that home again.


    What more? The neighbour had anxiously told her that they had not been able to reach Thomas.


    Reyona informed the woman too that they have not been able to get in touch with her.


    Mary asked one of the neighbours to take the kids to her ce to get them food.


    Allysyn was very reluctant to leave, and she only followed the woman after Reyona promised her that she would get her father toe.


    A promise she had no idea how to fulfill since his phone was not going through.


    Maxwell asked Mary¡¯s husband about the details of the hospital, and thetter gave him a card that a doctor had given them.


    By the time they were leaving, Reyona¡¯s heart was weighty with grief.


    At first, she thought of going to the hospital, but since the old man had been so sure and was certain that the two were dead, Reyona saw no need to go again.


    What was left was to get her ex-husband toe and im the bodies.


    Mary and her husband pleaded with them to get Thomas toe home to do the needful.


    Though she could see the expression on Toria¡¯s face, she promised the woman that she would do her best.


    She was tempted to see the children again before she left, but since she had nothing positive to tell them, she only implored Mary to take good care of them.


    She did not have a new phone yet, so she gave the woman Toria¡¯s number to reach out to her if she had anything to say to her.


    Or if Thomas came home before they could find him.


    She also collected Mary¡¯s and her husband¡¯s numbers.


    With that, they left the ce behind.


    Reyona was silent on the way back to Maxwell¡¯s mansion.


    She could see that Toria and Maxwell exchanged nces, but she paid them no attention.


    She was busy putting two and two together.


    Carlisle and dys met them at the door, but Reyona didn¡¯t respond to their questions or concernedments.


    She declined any help and wheeled herself to the living room, where she turned and faced them, as they had been following her.


    ¡°What else have you all been keeping from me?¡± she asked tonelessly.


    ¡°What? What do you mean? What happened?¡± dys anxiously asked Reyona.


    ¡°That is what I want to know,¡± Reyona simply answered.


    ¡°We are not keeping anything from you,¡± Carlisle answered honestly.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Reyona asked as she turned to look at Toria, then Maxwell.


    Toria looked back at her with a poorly concealed guilty expression, while Maxwell gazed passively back at her.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Toria?¡± Reyona¡¯s parents chorused when they saw Toria¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I promise I did it for your good, Reyona. I didn¡¯t want you to make rash decisions because of that. Maxwell is a good person. You were even getting to be friends before the ident happened,¡± Toria blurted out anxiously.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± dys asked in confusion.


    ¡°What is she talking about?¡± Carlisle asked with his eyes on Maxwell since Toria had mmed up again with her hand over her face.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t bother to bullsh*t the stern-looking man.


    So he said, ¡°The woman Thomas had an affair with is my stepsister.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± dys eximed in shock.


    Maxwell continued what he was saying. To Reyona, he said, ¡°You are right. I know those kids.¡±


    ¡°Because they belong to your sister,¡± Reyona stated calmly.


    ¡°She is my stepsister,¡± Maxwell repeated.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure that makes a whole lot of difference,¡± Reyona said.


    Then she turned to her dad. ¡°Take me out of here, please.¡±


    ¡°But Rey¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you, Toria?¡± Reyona interrupted her sister. ¡°You knew who he was, yet you let me stay a moment near him?


    ¡°And you kept it away from us too,¡± dys added.


    ¡°That was my fault,¡± Maxwell said, taking the me.


    Toria looked at him as she was about to talk but he shook his head slightly as he turned towards Reyona¡¯s parents. ¡°I am sorry, Mr. Dexter and Mrs. Rouarke. This was all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have deceived you like that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Easy to say after the deed had been done,¡± dys said in anger as she turned and headed towards the suite which was given to them.


    To Reyona, he repeated. ¡°I am sorry and understand your stance, but your health is the priority now. I can leave if you want me to but you need round-the-clock care. You can get that here. I will leave, but please stay.¡±


    ¡°Stay and wait until your sisteres around so we can share notes,¡± Reyona responded caustily.


    He was about to say something, but she cut him off as she said it in a frosty tone. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rohan, but we will be leaving now. Please calcte everything you have had to spend since the incident, and I will make sure you get everything paid to you in full.¡±


    ¡°Payment? Do you think I did this to get a payback of sorts? I did this for¡­¡±


    ¡°To make aughing stock out of my daughter? Is that what this is all about? Imagine what the world would say if they knew that she was staying in the home of the brother of the person who wrecked her home. Is that your goal here? Something for you and your sister tough about? We will pay you in full, as she had said. Your doctors and every other arrangement you made under the guise of friendship would no longer be needed as well. We will take it from here.¡±


    With that, Carlisle grabbed hold of Reyona¡¯s wheelchair just as dys came back with their things.


    Toria moved closer to collect one of the bags from her as he asked, ¡°Should I get Rey¡¯s things too?¡±


    ¡°None of those things in there came here with me. Mr Rohan got them all for me. I believe I have enjoyed enough of his generosity¡± she said.


    To Maxwell, she added ¡°Please have them burnt and add them to my expenses. I will be expecting that calction¡±


    Maxwell said nothing as her father wheeled her out of the mansion.


    Toria looked back apologetically at him, but his eyes were only on one person.


    The woman, who sat ramrod straight in the wheelchair as her family followed her like a band of protection.


    She didn¡¯t look back for once.


    Maxwell stood still as he heard the car start, and soon it wound its way down the path.


    Away from him.


    Maxwell¡¯s attention was pricked when he heard the sound of the wheelchair.


    His heart leapt as he somehow imagined that she had changed her mind, but his face darkened when he saw the nursee in with the wheelchair.


    Did she leave without it?


    She wouldn¡¯t even take that much from him? Maxwell thought in unbidden anger.


    ¡°Toss it out,¡± he said to the woman.


    The house manager stood a few paces from him as if awaiting his order.


    ¡°Clear out the room,¡± Maxwell said simply.


    The man did not need an exnation to know which room his master was talking about.


    After all, only one room had received special attention in the past few weeks.

 Familiar Territory

    Reyona declined her parents¡¯ offer to take her to either of their homes.


    When they both agreed that she had undergone too much trauma in Kayooma recently and she needed a break from the city, she reminded them that Kayooma was where she had built her life in the past years.


    ¡°The fact that one aspect of my life didn¡¯t work doesn¡¯t mean I should abandon everything. I have apany here. It won¡¯t run itself,¡± she said with determination.


    Her parents were a bit worried about the flippant tone with which she was talking about everything.


    So dys asked her. ¡°Are you able to remember other things now? I mean, did your mother-inw¡¯s death trigger anything?¡± they asked her.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Apart from reminding me that none of us have much time on her hands to sit around and mope about our losses, no, I still can¡¯t remember anything about the past few years. I need to find a hotel.¡±


    That led to another protest, and her parents argued that living in a hotel with her condition was not the best option.


    ¡°I will be well taken care of. It sounds like the right option to me,¡± she said briskly and told Toria, who was driving to find the closest hotel she could find.¡±


    ¡°A home to rent would have been better. Why not go to that ce you bought a while ago? What is wrong with that?¡± dys asked in concern.


    ¡°It is outside Kayooma. If I will remember anything about what I have forgotten in the past few years, being in familiar territory is the best idea. This is my familiar territory. My home and mypany. I will be here when my home ispleted and I will move back in. It would be like I never left,¡± she said with a shrug.


    dys and Carlisle exchanged looks.


    ¡°Your mom and I were discussing about that as well, you know.¡± Carlisle began.


    ¡°About what?¡± Reyona asked absentmindedly as she requested for Toria to hand over her phone.


    Toria passed the phone to her silently and tried to catch her eyes through the rearview mirror, but Reyona already had her head down as she typed rapidly on the phone.


    ¡°We think you should let go of the house.¡±


    ¡°You want me to leave it damaged and half-done?¡± she asked without raising her head from what she was typing.


    ¡°No, not that,¡± dys said. ¡°Of course, you can finish it and sell it.¡± When Reyona looked at her suddenly, with spection in her eyes, she adjusted what she was saying. ¡°I mean, you could lease it out or something. We just think the memories there might not be the best for your mental health, you know.¡±


    Reyona smiled ¡°I am not that fragile, Mom. Moreover, it would be almost new. There won¡¯t be much there to remind me of any unpleasant memories by the time they are done with it.¡±


    When dys looked at her with an unconvinced expression, she added, ¡°Okay, I know. I understand what you meant, but I can handle it. My amnesia is a blessing in a way. I would probably never remember the painful memories. Even if I do, I will handle it. I¡¯m not running away from my home. Thank God, I was smart enough to get that away from him. At least, it is a thing of joy to know that I wasn¡¯t totally stupid in dealing with him.¡±


    She looked up as dys wanted to respond and said, ¡°You just passed one.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± dys answered in confusion.


    ¡°Not you, Mom,¡± Reyona answered as she looked at Toria through the rearview mirror. ¡°You just passed a hotel now. Were you not paying attention?¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Toria answered. ¡°I have a better ce in mind. I think you will like it,¡± she said.


    ¡°In as much as we can go to a pharmacy first,¡± Reyona answered.


    Aye, captain,¡± Toria said with a cheeky salute as she finally rxed.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you supposed to be convincing your sister toe with us?¡± dys said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t look at me, mom. You knew she wouldn¡¯te. Once Reyona is like this, you can¡¯t stop her from doing what she wants to do. You know it. When will you ept it?¡±


    As dys shook her head and folded her arms beneath her breasts, Toria continued, ¡°Moreover, there is a high chance that she is still angry at me. I am not about to add to that.¡±


    ¡°High chance?¡± Reyona said with a snort. ¡°I am furious at you for keeping such a thing from me. What were you thinking, siding with a stranger over me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like that, Rey. You two were getting along.¡± Toria said in her defence.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t even think of what could have made what her sister said true.


    Something must have gone wrong with her in thest few years if she could stand to be in thepany of someone who was remotely connected to her life crashing down around her ears.


    She ignored Toria¡¯s question, ¡°Am I forgiven?¡± as she continued what she was doing.


    They stopped at a pharmacy, and Reyona tried to get crutches, but the attendant politely declined to sell them to her since she did not have a prescription.


    Thedy was very polite and apologetic, yet Reyona left there without what she wanted.


    Her parents couldn¡¯t believe her.


    ¡°Why would you want to get crutches? The doctor said you should use the wheelchair until you could walk better on your own.¡± Carlisle said.


    ¡°No, a doctor said that. My doctor would just have to do better. I am not going to be wheeled around because of some minor injuries. I will use crutches until I can walk on my own. I can¡¯t believe one needed to have a prescription to get some crutches around here,¡± she said testily.


    ¡°How long before we get to this special ce that you are sure I would like?¡± she asked Toria.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± Toria said hastily as she took the turn.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a ce where hotels would be to me,¡± Reyona said as she narrowed her eyes at the upscale neighbourhood her sister entered.


    ¡°That is because it is not a hotel.¡±


    ¡°Why are we here, then?¡± Reyona asked with annoyance.


    ¡°Because you rented it,¡± Toria said as she parked in front of a duplex there.


    ¡°I rented this ce? Why would I¡­ You know what, Never mind. I seem to be doing a whole lot of things I wouldn¡¯t normally do these days.


    With that, she picked the house address and typed it in all the right ces.


    Then she looked back at the house as something struck her: ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have the key, do you?¡±


    No, I don¡¯t.¡± Toria said as if she just remembered that it was a necessity.


    ¡°Hold on, let me get this straight. You brought me here, and you don¡¯t even have the key?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I didn¡¯t think of that. I just thought this ce would be better. More private. And you liked it before; there is no reason why you shouldn¡¯t like it again.¡± She said sheepishly as she stepped out of the car.


    ¡°Except for the fact that we can¡¯t enter,¡± Reyona said sarcastically.


    She sighed and looked at the tracking number of the order she had made.


    It was already on its way, so leaving then wasn¡¯t an option.


    A thought came to Reyona, and she figured it might work.


    Though she had not tried it in years, how hard could it be?


    ¡°Dad, do you still manage to pack weird things in your wallet?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What does that have to do with¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Reyona asked as Toria and dys startedughing.


    After all, they all know Carlisle¡¯s habit of having the most unexpected things in his pockets and wallets.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Carlisle asked in a grumbly manner.


    ¡°Do you happen to have paper clips with you?¡±


    Toria and dys¡¯sughter increased when they saw Carlisle¡¯s expression.


    He certainly had them.


    ¡°Seriously, Dad. Who goes about with paper clips in their wallets?¡± Toria asked withughter.


    ¡°Well, ites in handy now, didn¡¯t it?¡± Carlisle responded testily as the twoughed again, and Reyona smiled as Carlisle handed the paper clips over.


    One¡­two¡­then three.


    ¡°These should do.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± her parents and sister chorused.


    ¡°I need you to do me a favour, Dad,¡± Reyona said instead of answering their questions. ¡°Man up and carry me.¡±.


    ¡°Man¡­what?¡±


    ¡°I need to unlock the door with these very handy paper clips you provided, and I would rather not hop over there,¡± Reyona said as if she were talking about something so regr that she did every day.


    ¡°You want to break the lock?¡± Toria asked in shock.


    ¡°Got any other option?¡± Reyona simply asked.


    Then before Toria could stammer out her answer, Reyona turned back to Carlisle. ¡°Dad? It is just going to be a sec.¡±

 It Suits You

    ¡°I knew I was going to regret this,¡± Carlisle grumbled as he readjusted Reyona again while she strained to open the door with the self-fashioned lockpick.


    She ignored him and focused on her task.


    It had been easy years ago when she had to watch how to do it online when she lost the key to her dorm room.


    She could still remember how she did it, but there must be something she was doing wrong.


    The door didn¡¯t budge.


    So, she tried again.


    dys returned to sit in the car after dering that she couldn¡¯t recognise Reyona.


    ¡°The Reyona that I know wouldn¡¯t even think of such a thing,¡± she muttered before closing the door firmly behind her.


    Toria was the one on the lookout for whoever might being.


    She was taking her job seriously as she swung her head from side to side, even though there was no sound of any car approaching.


    Thankfully, the neighbourhood has their houses set so far apart that there was no neighbour to call the cops on them.


    Despite that, Toria dered, ¡°Just so you know, Rey. I want no part of this in case someone calls the cops on us. I am too beautiful to be arrested.¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes as a sheen of sweat trailed down her temple, and she began to admit to herself that this might be one of the most foolish things she had ever tried.


    What more? It wasn¡¯t working, and she was sure her dad might call her bluff soon and toss her down right there.


    Still, she said, ¡°You are on the lookout, girl. That makes you a perfect aplice.¡±


    ¡°I was forced,¡± Toria said with feeling.


    In amusement, Reyona was about to tell her dad to take her back to the car as sheid her hand on the door handle and gave it an annoyed twist.


    To her surprise, the handle turned easily, and it jerked open, so suddenly, just as Toria started shouting, ¡°Someone ising. Rey, someone ising. We are getting arrested for sure!¡±


    It all happened so fast that Reyona would have nosedived if not for Carlisle¡¯s surprisingly quick reflex as he adjusted his grip and held her tightly.


    Even at that, Reyona¡¯s hand was still firmly around the handle when it was pulled, so she was pulled along with it and would have caused herself and Carlisle considerable damage, if not for the blur of ginger who swore loudly and steadied them.


    dys jerked the door of the car open and ran to them with a shout of ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡±


    Just as the bike man parked behind the car and gaped at the scene in confusion,


    He immediately recovered from his shock and slowly drew out his phone to capture the awkward position that Reyona was in at the hands of her dad and the person inside the door.


    ¡°Try it, and that phone would not be the only thing you would lose,¡± Toria said behind him.


    He sheepishly pocketed the phone and said, ¡°Someone from this address ordered this. Here, I need someone to sign.¡±


    Toria saw Reyona¡¯s details on the small package that the man stretched forward, so she stepped towards him to sign it.


    ¡°So, do you want to exin yourself now, or do you prefer to do it at the police station?¡±


    Reyona blew the hair from her face as the frosty voice ahead of her gave her pause.


    ¡°Good going, Reyona,¡± she thought to herself. ¡°From the hospital to prison, why not?¡±


    She smiled at the beautiful, ginger-haired woman dressed in an orange-patterned sundress with thick sses covering her eyes.


    Then, before she could say anything, she shifted in their arms and said ¡°Dad, I think you should put me down now.¡±


    ¡°Dad? You brought your family to steal from me?¡± the woman said in a confused voice, devoid of the earlier frostiness.


    Then she saw the splints on Reyona¡¯s legs, and looked behind her to see dys and Toria walk towards them as the bike man rode off.


    ¡°Okay, whatever in the hades this is, you had better exin fast. You have two minutes before I call the cops.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t let go of Reyona.


    Instead, while Reyona was still in that prone position, she helped Carlisle bring her inside andy her on the couch.


    Reyona yelled in pain as they settled her down.


    ¡°I should say it serves you right,¡± the woman muttered. ¡°A sensible person wouldn¡¯t even be on her feet with those nasties on your leg.¡±


    ¡°I told her the same,¡± dys chipped in as they entered.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± Reyona said with a roll of her eyes as she sucked in her breath.


    The woman shook her head as she brought a pack of ice forward and handed it to Carlisle, who promptly went to work gingerly, cing the pack close to Reyona¡¯s splintered legs to ease the ache.


    She folded her hands and nodded towards Toria. ¡°I assume that is your sister too.¡± Before Reyona could answer, she folded her hands and said, ¡°Now exin yourself and tell me why you¡¯re breaking into my home with your family.¡±


    Reyona sucked in her breath when Carlisle touched a sensitive ce, then she opened her eyes back and raised her head from the couch as she attempted humour to cover the embarrassment she was feeling at that moment, ¡°Can you please stop using words like ¡°break into and steal?¡± It makes me nervous. My sister is too beautiful to go to prison.¡±


    The woman only narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°You have one minute left.¡±


    Reyona looked at Toria. ¡°Toria, tell this nicedy why you brought me here in the first ce.¡± Then to thedy, she said, ¡°By the way, I learned that I used to have a key to this ce. I must have lost it, hence the reason for this.¡± She raised the lockpick.


    ¡°You heard? You don¡¯t know that you have a key to my ce? You heard?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was taking on that frosty edge again.


    ¡°Yes, my sister told me,¡± Reyona said simply. Then she added, ¡°I have amnesia,¡± as she pointed at her legs as if that should naturally exin things.


    ¡°Oh,¡± thedy said softly.


    Then Toria exined how they ended up picking her locks in broad daylight.


    ¡°That was her idea, though,¡± she said while pointing her finger firmly at Reyona. ¡°I only brought her here and forgot about the key. I didn¡¯t tell her to go full Houdini.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that irrelevant addition, dear sister,¡± Reyona said sarcastically. Then to the woman, she said, ¡°I assume you were the one I rented this ce from?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, technically yes,¡± the woman said as she removed her sses and hung the edge at the neck of her dress.


    Her mesmerising, green eyes have a light of amusement in them as she says, ¡°You made an arrangement with my agent. I returnedst week, and he informed me that he couldn¡¯t reach you. I tried to get in touch too when I realised your things were still here. I couldn¡¯t find any Beatrice Dexter anywhere.¡±


    ¡°That is because it is not my official name,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± the woman said as if she understood why a woman would rent a house for a short period under a different name.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reyona said without borating. ¡°I guess that agreement is all over now. I will just get my things and¡­


    ¡°No, actually, you can stay if you want. Of course, you would have to draft another agreement with my agent.¡± She smiled as she said, ¡°He likes things nice and tidy, and you disappearing on him didn¡¯t sit well with him, she said with a tinklingughter.


    ¡°How can she stay though? You are back now, and you will need your ce again,¡± dys said.


    ¡°Oh no. Actually, I was on my way out when I saw what was happening at the door. I have anothermission, and I will be gone longer this time. By the way, you might have ended up at the police station if I had left earlier. That lock would never budge, and there is a trigger linked to the police station. I had to disconnect it while I watched you perform your wonder out there.¡± Sheughed again as Reyona closed her eyes in embarrassment.


    She checked her watch and eximed as she stood up. ¡°Oh my, I would bete for my flight,¡± she said as she hurriedly went towards the orange travel bag close to the door.


    ¡°By the way, I am Sylby,¡± she said as she grabbed her bag. ¡°Make that arrangement with my agent today. He will get you a new key.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t have his details again.¡±


    ¡°I will send it to you on my way to the airport. I assume that is your new phone.¡± She nodded to the package still in Toria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Reyona answered.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sylby answered as a car honked outside. ¡°My ride is here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Reyona said as her family expressed their gratitude as well.


    ¡°You are wee,¡± Sylby said. Then, before she stepped out of the door, she asked, ¡°So, will you tell me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked automatically.


    ¡°Your official name.¡±


    ¡°It is Reyona. Reyona Dexter¡±


    Sylby smiled and said, ¡°I love it. It suits you.¡±

 Amnesia Benefits

    The whirlwind energy with which Reyona did things in the following days was a thing of marvel to her family.


    Not just the pace at which she was getting everything done but the changes in her as well.


    Though her amnesia was still a thing of concern for them all, the change in her behaviour was even more surprising to them.


    Spontaneous actions were something that none of them could rte to Reyona before, but in the few days after they left Maxwell¡¯s ce, they could see that there had been a significant change in Reyona¡¯s attitude.


    Formerly, Reyona nned everything down to thest detail and hardly gave room for any off-the-cuff actions, but they could see that that had somehow changed.


    For one, when Reyona was going through a file that her secretary had delivered to the house one day, Toriained that she had been cooped up in the house since morning.


    She used Reyona of her intention to bore her to death with paperwork, and she dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping till we drop!¡±


    Reyona did not answer her at first, as she marked up where she was working.


    ¡°Rey!¡± Toria had called again just to bother her.


    But then Reyona, having pushed the folders aside, reached for the double walking canes she used at times instead of the crutches and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Toria was still gaping at her as Reyona went to her room to dress up.


    Then Reyona had not only shopped with her without anyint that day; she went ahead to get colourful clothes that amazed Toria, including evening gowns she had no intention of wearing anytime soon


    Instances like this over the weeks made Toria¡¯s family call her doctor aside to ask if amnesia could cause attitude change as well.


    ¡°Not a thing I have encountered since I have started practising; no. If there is any attitude an amnesia patient is exhibiting, then it must have been there all along,¡± the doctor had responded.


    Still, they were not so sure.


    Reyona had been like that all along? It was hard to believe for any of them.


    Though her parents remembered how bright and lively she had been as a kid.


    ¡°But all that had changed,¡± Carlisle said as his expression changed.


    They both remembered when it changed and they looked at themselves as dys said, ¡°She was never the same after.¡± Tears formed in dys¡¯s eyes as she said ¡°Carl, I think she never really got over our separation, and it affects¡­¡±


    Reyona joined them where they were seated in the kitchen at that time and they quickly changed the conversation.


    They haven¡¯t discussed it again since then.


    Or at least if they did, it was not in Toria¡¯s presence.


    She knew how their parents had always med themselves for the way things ended between them.


    Toria couldn¡¯t imagine how hurtful that must have been for Reyona, especially with how messy things had ended, ording to what her parents had told her.


    Toria had been spared that pain as they gave birth to her after the divorce.


    The tension between her dad and mom had reduced by then too, and they had both been present in her life until she went to school.


    She knew it must have been disheartening for someone like Reyona. She wished her sister had not had to face such pain alone and could understand why Reyona had been very determined to make sure that her marriage never failed.


    It was the reason why she had cut that bastard so much ck even before she discovered the cheating.


    As much as Toria hated what led to the change of behaviour, she admitted to herself and her parents that she loved this new Reyona.


    They don¡¯t talk about Reyona¡¯s changes in her presence, but when she was not there, it was all they could talk about.


    ¡°Did you see the way she¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember that I once asked her to do that with me and she said she would rather keel over first¡­¡±


    Toria even joked. ¡°Who knew that what one needed for a little habit revamp is amnesia?¡±


    Her mother had chided her for not joking about something so devastating, yet even she did not deny that Reyona¡¯s amnesia seemed to have its benefits.


    The energy with which she did everything amazed them as well.


    She got in touch with the agent the same day they arrived at Sylby¡¯s house, and the doctor arrived just as the agent was leaving.


    The doctor advised that she leave the splint on for a week longer, and he set her up with a chiropractor, who started her session with Reyona the next day.


    Shemissioned a health-rted interior designer who converted a portion of Sylby¡¯srge living room into a training area where she exercised her legs with the use of walking sticks and the help of her chiropractor.


    When her familyined that she was pushing herself too hard the first day they sat in during her session, she banished them from the living room for the duration of her exercise every day.


    By the time the doctor removed the splints, her coordination was better, and the chiropractormended her for being the most determined client she had ever had.


    Even at that, she implored Reyona to take good care of herself by eating well and resting well too.


    Advice that Reyona took to heart as she employed a nutritionist cook, who cooked up meals that were mostly for the quick healing of bones.


    Reyona ate the meals with precision and such determination that Toria dered loudly that she might be bing a health maniac.


    The cook only came in to make the meals and left, just like the woman Reyona hired to clean.


    Though she hired help, which was a surprise to her family, they could see that she was still not willing to share much of her space with people who were not family.


    The same way she tackled her recovery was how she tackled her work.


    She asked her employees to put her up to speed on what she could not remember.


    After her exercise every morning; she would eat, dress up like she was going to work, and coop herself up in the dining room with whoever she chose to work with that day.


    By lunchtime, she would join her family to eat. Whoever was around that day might join them if thetter chose, after which they would close for the day.


    Reyona would spend some time with her mother, then she would go back to reading anything she had chosen for the evening just to catch up on things she had missed in general.


    It was as if she were working with an internal clock.


    Yet when dys worried that she might be doing all this to cover the pain of her divorce, Carlisle disagreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think she is just so determined to not let the amnesia steal the past years from her the ways the marriage had done.¡±


    That evening, they were having a drink on one of the open terraces when they heard the sound of Reyona approaching.


    The walking stick made her approach distinct.


    She had jokingly called it ¡°Her Reyona rm.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Toria said with an affected monk tone as she folded her hands together and bowed as she had seen them do in movies. ¡°I see that you finally decided to check up on us mortals.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she said, ¡°How are you doing, my sinful mortals? Have you chosen to ept the path of light yet?¡±


    Their parents smiled as Toria said, ¡°By path of light, if you meant staring at numbers upon numbers until my eyes bleed, no, I am not interested.¡±


    Reyona picked up Toria¡¯s drink and sipped. Then she drank more when her sister said, ¡°Hey, that is mine! Get yours!¡±


    She ced the empty goblet on the table as she asked. ¡°Quick question, please. Who is Fiona? She seems to know that Ruth is dead, and she wants to meet me.¡±


    The silence that followed her question made her look from one of them to the other.


    ¡°Okay. I know that look,¡± she said, folding her arms when she saw her sister trying to look everywhere but at her.


    ¡°Toria? Spill.¡±

 Don’t Do Anything Silly

    It started with Fiona.


    ording to Toria, Fiona was the one who told Reyona about the deception that she had been dealt for years.


    When Reyona¡¯s family told her that it might not be such a good idea to meet the woman, all she asked was, ¡°Why?¡±


    She could see that they still believed that she was merely suppressing the pain of her divorce, and they were afraid that any little thing could affect her and make her spiral.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be fine. I want to meet with her tomorrow. She sounds like it is important. I will just get it done and over with. Like a bandage, you know,¡± she said with a smile, but she could see that none of her family was in the mood to share the joke with her.


    So she faced Toria. ¡°You¡¯ll drive me tomorrow morning, so get your head out of the sheet early,¡± she said as Toria rolled her eyes.


    She excused herself and went to call Fiona back.


    She greeted thedy more warmly this time, unlike the first time when she had been busy trying to remember if Fiona was anyone that her employees or family had mentioned to her.


    She promised that they would meet the next day, and she woke up earlier than usual the next day so she could still put in the time for her exercise and get to work on time.


    Reyona gave her chiropractor the day off and just did what she could on her own. After which, she hollered at Toria to get her ass moving.


    Toria was justing out of the bathroom by the time Reyona was fully ready to go.


    Soon enough, they were on their way.


    Though Reyona had not thought much about the meeting she was about to have, she couldn¡¯t help but feel increasing anticipation as they approached the bistro where she had agreed to meet the woman.


    Reyona had told Toria to go do whatever she could think of for the duration of the meeting.


    That was after she had pointed the woman out to Reyona.


    Fiona was an older cousin to Thomas; though she had met her before, it had been long after their wedding.


    Fiona was married to a soldier, and she had chosen to stay close to his base with her two children.


    She had not been able to attend the wedding, but they had metter when the woman¡¯s husband died, and she came to stay with Ruth for a while with her kids.


    That was when she must have discovered what Ruth and her son had been keeping from Reyona.


    The woman left Kayooma hastily after she told Reyona the truth and they had never been in touch since then.


    The year they met was part of what Reyona couldn¡¯t remember, so the only thing she knew about the woman was what Toria had told her.


    Thankfully, Toria had been in Kayooma the first day that Reyona was going to visit the woman after Thomas told her that she was around.


    So, Reyona wanted Toria to point out the woman before she left.


    That wasn¡¯t the only reason, of course.


    There was a truth that Reyona had been keeping from her family. She didn¡¯t want Toria to learn about it in case it came up.


    So, she simply handed her card to Toria when thetter asked for it and promised to max it out before Reyona could blink.


    The bistro had an adjoining bakery, and the pungent air filled with tantalising aromas was what greeted them as they alighted from the vehicle.


    It had an external arrangement of wicket chairs and oak-ned tables, and a few office-goers could be seen downing their first cup of caffeine of the day before digging into the assortment of bagels, toasts, and many other baked goodies and simple meals in front of them.


    Some were on the phone even as they ate, while others just enjoyed the few moments of quiet before they would plunge into the chaos of their work.


    It was such a simple setting, and one could easily spot everyone sitting there with a nce.


    ¡°Can you see her yet?¡± Reyona asked as Toria looked around.


    Almost immediately, her eyes alighted on a woman seated away from the other sharply dressed workers.


    It was easy to detect that she was not rushing off to anywhere, nor was she there for breakfast. All she had in front of her was a steaming cup of liquid that Reyona couldn¡¯t see from where she was.


    She was not drinking it at the moment, nor were her eyes on the cup or the people around her.


    She was looking directly at Reyona.


    Or at least, that was what the tilt of her head indicated.


    She had on dark sses thatplimented the ck dress and ck scarf she had on.


    For a moment, Reyona felt overdressed in the lemon-chiffon top she had on with ck jeans.


    It would be ring to a stranger who was in mourning and who wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell behind those sses, but I think that is her?¡± Toria said uncertainly, out of the corner of her mouth. ¡°I remember that she is blond.¡±


    ¡°She is the one,¡± Reyona said with certainty, even as the woman stood up from her seat.


    Toria looked sharply at Reyona and asked excitedly. ¡°Can you remember? You remember her?¡±


    ¡°No, that is not it. I just had a feeling. She¡­ stood out. Look, she has seen me too. You can leave now. I will call you once I am done.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.,¡± Toria said with a shake of her head. ¡°People use you and don¡¯t hesitate to dump you. I will take it out on your card anyway. Don¡¯t do anything silly, Rey,¡± she said as she turned to go to the car.


    As Reyona walked towards the woman, who simply stood without moving forward, she wondered what Toria would say if she knew what she had done already.


    Since she could imagine what they would all think, she decidedly took her mind off that and focused on the blond woman waiting for her.


    And the annoying headache that chose that moment to return.


    ¡°What bad timing,¡± she thought as her head started aching steadily.


    Why now?¡±


    She ignored the people turning to watch her approach with the single cane she had chosen to use that morning.


    ¡°Fiona,¡± she said in greeting as she got to the table.


    ¡°Reyona,¡± the woman said in a wispy tone as she looked at the cane in Reyona¡¯s hand. ¡°What happened?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The soft voice sounded like a gong in Reyona¡¯s head, and she almost cked out as she quickly held on to the chair in front of her.

 Generous Enough?

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Reyona heard faintly through the ringing in her ear.


    It took her a moment before she could look up at the woman.


    Concern was evident on her face, and she had even raised her hand as if she wanted to support Reyona, but when Reyona looked up, she quickly drew her hands back.


    Reyona nodded, or at least she hoped she managed to do that much.


    She held on tightly to the chair, made her way around it, and then sat down carefully.


    She set her walking cane aside and just took a minute.


    ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± she thought in worry as she remembered that she was supposed to see the doctor that morning too.


    She had cancelled it because of her change of ns.


    Was this her punishment for ignoring her health for something that shouldn¡¯t be her concern?


    Her head was pounding terribly, and it seemed like there was a naughty nymph in there doing salsa in her brain.


    She felt mmy and thought she might pass out after all.


    ¡°Way to go, girl,¡± she thought to herself sarcastically.


    She would have to call Toria back and chalk this whole trip as a big waste of time after all.


    Something cool nudged her hand, and she slowly looked up as fast as her head would allow her.


    The tall, cool ss of water in Fiona¡¯s hand beckoned to her like a panacea.


    The woman must have silently called the waiter over and requested it while Reyona dealt with the few-second, semi-ckout.


    She held the cool ss with both hands, and the chill prated her skin and somehow helped her mmyness even before the water cleared her head a bit as she sipped it.


    ¡°Uhm, are you fine now?¡± Fiona asked again.


    Worry was still evident on her face, but it wasn¡¯t just that; there was also a strain on her face.


    Even as Reyona nodded and the concern reduced, the strain was still there. Her sombre dress only made the slight paleness on her face stark.


    Fiona Carvalho looked around, then back at Reyona ¡°I don¡¯t know. If you want, I have aspirin with me.¡± Reyona¡¯s spection must have shown on her face because she immediately added, ¡°I take it about with me because I have some¡­ pains these days and I need them handy.¡±


    Reyona nodded and stretched out her hand for the aspirin.


    The woman showed her the sachet as if she wanted Reyona to see that it was really aspirin, and then she shook two out onto Reyona¡¯s outstretched hand.


    Reyona took the medicine, and while waiting for it to kick in, she slowly drank her water while thinking.


    Even though she didn¡¯t make it obvious, she studied the woman¡¯s countenance.


    Though she couldn¡¯t remember her, she could see how thin the woman looked beneath those mounds of ck she had on.


    She wasn¡¯t slim; she was just emaciated in that way, which suggested that she used to have more flesh on her, but she had drastically lost it.


    Her haircked the lustre of the natural blond sheen; it looked like a ghost of itself.


    Her eyes¡­N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Are you better now?¡± Fiona¡¯s breathy voice pulled Reyona out of her thoughts.


    She smiled at the woman as she responded truthfully. ¡°Yes, I am better now.¡±


    She truly was.


    The aspirin seemed to have kicked in, and the headache had slowly reduced.


    Though there was still a lingering weird feeling vibrating beneath her skin the more she looked at the woman, the mminess had stopped altogether.


    ¡°What happened to your legs?¡± Fiona asked again. ¡°I am so sorry. I had no idea you were unwell; I wouldn¡¯t have brought you all the way here. I have no idea where you were staying, so I could only call.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. It was just a little ident, but I can assure you that I am better now. I missed my step the other time, and I guess I am a little tired too.¡±


    The woman looked like she didn¡¯t believe her but she nodded. ¡°Okay¡±


    ¡°I am sorry about your loss,¡± Reyona said to prompt whatever the meeting was about.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Fiona said immediately. Then, ¡°I am sorry about your loss too.¡±


    Then, immediately after she said it, she added, ¡°Though I don¡¯t know if it could be much of a loss to you because of what my aunt and Thomas did to you.¡±


    Reyona had no idea if the woman was subtly making a barb at her colourful dress, so she only smiled.


    But then she realised she was wrong when Fiona moved closer to her on the table.


    She reached out her hand like she wanted to take Reyona¡¯s hand, but then she pulled her hand back again and ced it on herp as she said urgently, ¡°I know it is shameless of me toe to you like this, but I have no other options. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t even want anything to do with this family after what they did to you. I can¡¯t imagine what I would have done if Fabiano, bless his soul, ever did that to me.¡±


    When the woman paused and reached for her teacup, Reyona thought she was supposed to say something, so she simply said, ¡°Thank you for telling me about it.¡±


    Fiona¡¯s lip hardly touched the cup before she ced it back on the table and said, ¡°It was the least I could do. I fought with my aunt about it, and I had no intention ofing back here again, but then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then she died,¡± Reyonapleted.


    ¡°Actually, I was thinking ofing here even before Mary called.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Reyona said as she leaned back in her chair and adjusted her slightly aching feet.


    ¡°Yes, but then Mary called, and I had toe immediately. Then I realised that the kids were at her ce, and Thomas had not been found yet. You are an angel, Reyona. I have no idea how you could still be generous enough to pay for the care of those children, despite how their existence must remind you of what happened.¡±

 Too Late For Me

    Reyona only smiled.


    ¡°I am sorry, I am rambling. The problem now is that Thomas has not been found yet. Mary told me you made arrangements for the bodies at the morgue until he could be found. The police have found nothing about him, and I don¡¯t know what to do with the kids.¡±


    Reyona wondered how that was her problem.


    Then she said, ¡°I am sure Thomas would be back from wherever he went soon, and he would take them off your hands.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know when that would be, do we?¡± Fiona said anxiously. More to herself, she muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how a son could be so unfilial! His mother and daughter died on the same day, and he had to choose a time like this to leave home. My aunt would be crying in the afterlife right now.¡±


    Reyona was beginning to think of all the things she could be doing with her time at that moment instead of sitting to hear a tale she already knew about.


    Fiona must realise she was already losing her because she quickly apologized for her rambling again and said, ¡°Maria can¡¯t keep up with the care of the children. The couple are both old, and they wouldn¡¯t even be allowed to have custody of the children because they are not rted to them.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Reyona said, with a hint of annoyance in her tone.


    ¡°I have to go back. I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Fiona said in a sad tone.


    Okay, that was it. Reyona reached for her cane and gave the woman a sharine smile ¡°Sounds like your problem. Thanks for wasting my time.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, please,¡± Fiona said as she quickly stood up anxiously. ¡°I meant I don¡¯t have much time to live. I can¡¯t keep them. They will end up in the system if I keep them.¡±


    Shocked, Reyona asked automatically, ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I have stage IV colorectal cancer. Inoperable. I just found outst month, and that was the reason why I wanted toe and make amends with my aunt. I didn¡¯t want to leave this earth with that fight being thest thing between us,¡± Tears pooled in Fiona¡¯s eyes as she continued, ¡°But now, it is toote. I know it is very selfish of me to ask this of you, but it was all I could think of. I¡­¡±


    She quickly sat as Reyona sat back, then she moved forward in her chair, swiped at her tears, and continued, ¡°I already made arrangements with my mother-inw. She would take my children back to Portugal with her, but there is nothing I can do for these kids. I want to use the five months I have left to prepare my children for when I will no longer be with them. I want to spend every single minute of myst days with them, and I don¡¯t have the means to cater for these children too. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to them. Also, I can¡¯t stay here for long or wait till Thomas is found. He had done this before; back then, he left home for more than a year. I don¡¯t know if this is another jaunt of his. I can¡¯t waste the little time I have waiting around to find out.¡±


    Reyona was speechless. She reached for her water and sipped as her brain whirred in thought. ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡± she said finally.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have any obligation towards these children, but any help you could offer would be more than enough right now. I have no idea where their mother is, but until she or Thomases around, I don¡¯t want the children to end up in the system, please. I have seen what can happen to children in the system. For the sake of my aunt, I don¡¯t want them to have to face such horrors. They look like likeable kids. I just can¡¯t do this on my own. Please help me.¡±


    Reyona only stared at her.


    Fiona looked at her, then looked away in shame.


    Then she stood up and said, ¡°I will still be around in the next two days. Maria said that my aunt¡¯s ce has been sold, but I think they will still let me stay for the next two days. I will need to sort out these things before the new ownerse around. Please, I will be looking forward to your call. If I didn¡¯t hear from you, I will understand your answer. Once again, I am so sorry about this. I wish I had another option.¡±


    With that, she brought out a two-dor bill and stood up gingerly from her seat.


    Reyona indicated that she shouldn¡¯t pay, as she said, ¡°You have another option, though. For your health, I mean. Why not chemotherapy?¡±


    Tears trailed down Fiona¡¯s face as she said, ¡°It is much toote for me.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Then she looked at the bill in her hand and nodded at Reyona as she said, ¡°Thank you once again.¡±


    She tucked the money in her old purse, wrapped the thin, ck shawl over her shoulders tightly around her body, and left.


    Dumbfounded, Reyona kept looking at her as she slowly walked down thene.


    Just as Fiona got out of her range of vision, Reyona¡¯s spiralling thoughts were invaded by something unexpected.


    Memories upon memories flooded her mind so unexpectedly that she almost passed out from the overwhelming surge.


    Her mind¡¯s eye became like a series of motion pictures as she could suddenly recall Fiona.


    Not the thin, emaciated woman who just left, but the beautiful, plump, confident woman who had opened her eyes to what he was blind to.


    Almost like she was in a trance, it took her a while to realise that the ringing she was hearing was not in her ears; it was her phone.


    She slowly reached for it as she saw Toria¡¯s number on it.


    ¡°Hello! How long is this going to take exactly? Noints here anyway, just asking because I am having a fine time with your card, you know.¡±


    Tears rolled out of Reyona¡¯s eyes as she said ¡°Toria, I remember.¡±

 Sweet Susan

    ¡°Psst!¡±


    She had been enduring another long-winded speech from Manaois before she heard that sound.


    Half contemting what the consequence would be this time if she knocked the man over the head with the rake in her hand, the sound jolted her out of her fantasy.


    She looked over towards the mesh-wire fence and saw the hooded figure.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She was sure that the half-deaf, ex-soldier did not hear anything.


    Why would he? He was too caught up in his memories.


    She saw part of the familiar face before the figure ducked beyond the cemented part of the wraparound wall surrounding the facility.


    Her blood quickened as she wondered if her eyes were deceiving her.


    It had been so long.


    It was much too long, and she only wanted to run over there and confirm her thoughts.


    But there was one problem left.


    A problem named Manaois!


    The fucking old dog was still rambling on about some bullshit regarding his deadrades and how their blood on his conscience had pushed him towards d***s.


    She was sure she would probably know every word of his stories now if she had bothered to pay attention to his deadbeat words since they had been paired as partners.


    Or maybe she wouldn¡¯t.


    The man was full of so much shit that she just wanted to put him out of his misery already.


    But then she was stuck with him.


    In fact, she had been the one who requested that they pair them together every time.


    The silly fool never had any objections to her requests.


    After all, who else would listen to his ramblings withoutining like sweet Susan?


    As he bent down to gather the leaves they had raked into a sack, she knew she needed to get rid of him.


    She needed to do it fast.


    ¡°Mr. Manaois, did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± the man asked in confusion as he rose and looked around.


    ¡°I said, did you hear that?¡± Susan Rohan said in a raised tone so that the man could hear.


    She smiled kindly at him as she gently touched the man¡¯s arm. ¡°I think I hear the supervisor calling you. Here, bring the dustpan. I can finish up here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is so kind of you,¡± Mr. Manaois smiled back with his widely-gapped teeth, disying many missing teeth. ¡°Should I get you some lemonade from Bri?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It is fine. I am fine. Now, go already; you don¡¯t want to keep the supervisor waiting.¡±


    ¡°Right. Right. She can be grumpy,¡± he said with a conspiratorial wink at Susan.


    Susan smiled back when she felt like giving him a kick on his rump so he could get a move on.


    Her smile morphed into a distasteful grimace as she bent down, scooped some of the crinkly leaves, and wiped the hand she touched the man with.


    It had been someone¡¯s genius idea to nt maple and elm trees right in the yard of the rehabilitation centre, but of course, she had to be the one selected to get rid of the mess caused by the goddamn trees in autumn.


    Apanied by smelly old men!


    She waited anxiously as the man finally entered the facility and quickly looked around to be certain she was truly alone.


    This wasn¡¯t her first rodeo, but she didn¡¯t get to where she got to by being a fool.


    Once she was certain that she was alone, she quickly ran in the direction where she had seen him hide.


    If he had left, she was going to kill Manaois!


    She didn¡¯t want to prick her hand on the roughened wire mesh fencing, so she stayed as close as possible to it, looked back to be sure no one was watching, and bent her head sideways to see as far as possible towards the part where the brick wall started.


    Her heart sank when she didn¡¯t see anyone there.


    He left?


    ¡°Are you there?!¡± she asked anxiously.


    She didn¡¯t hear anything at first, then heard the sound of a movement.


    ¡°Is he gone?¡± he asked urgently as he pushed back the hood of his sweater.


    She was too shocked to do anything but nod as she took in his look.


    An unpleasant smell tickled her nose as he moved closer.


    She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes as she looked at him from head to toe.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked anxiously.


    ¡°That is not of importance right now. Has your brother been here to see youtely?¡±


    ¡°Max?¡± she asked in confusion. Then anger coloured her bright eyes as she said, ¡°Of course not. Why would he be here? The bastard made sure they kept me in here and he washed his hands off me! He did not check up on me and I don¡¯t even want him to! In two months, I will be out, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I get it,¡± he said testily and she shut her mouth as she looked at him again.


    There was an edginess to him.


    He had been anxious when he came thest time to tell her what that bitch did to him but this time was different.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I only came to see you so you wouldn¡¯t have to worry, or think I abandoned you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fine time for you to say that. When was thest time you¡­¡±


    ¡°I said enough. I don¡¯t have time for all these. Your brother wille to see you. Tell him nothing about this visit. I am working on some things, okay? By the time you get out; everything will be ready for you and me to leave this city.¡±


    Nothing could dden Susan¡¯s heart more than that statement at that moment.


    He did not abandon her!


    In the past few days, she thought he had finally given up on her and had crawled back to his wife!


    Right after she went out of her way for him!


    He hade ranting to her the other day that the b*tch had taken everything from him and given him a divorce.


    He wished her the worst, and she could see that he hoped the woman would regret it.


    Of course, by the time he left, he was already talking about what he would do to survive.


    That was how he had always been.


    Hot one moment and a ninny in the next.


    Susan was sure he would never havee this far without her.


    She had done what she always did.


    She had cleared up the mess.


    Too bad that the deed was notpleted.


    Yet she was d that her man was back with her.


    He was supposed to be a toy of the season for her, but somehow his energy matched hers.


    So yeah, he was her man, the father of her children, and she would always have his back.


    Even when he looked like a bum.

 As A Partner Should

    ¡°She did this to you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Susan asked in the soft voice she knew he loved to hear.


    ¡°I told you not to ask, okay? Just keep your mouth shut when your brotheres here, and we will be fine. I will be here again before your time is up.¡±


    ¡°Okay, my love,¡± Susan said with a smile.


    He looked at her and looked away.


    An awkward silence descended between them, and Susan knew she did not have much time before someone woulde sniffing for her like a hound.


    ¡°Do you want to leave now?¡± she asked, trying hard not to wrinkle her nose at the stale smelling from him.


    ¡°Err, yes,¡± he answered uncertainly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he nodded and said, ¡°Keep your head low, okay?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Susan said with a smile.


    He nodded again, and just as silently as he hade, he left again.


    The smile on Susan¡¯s face died instantly.


    It was that bitch!


    She was sure of it.


    Not only was Thomas looking like something the cat had dragged through the alley, but he looked like he had been chewed and spat out by a feral animal too.


    Fading bruises were all over his face.


    His lips were cut and looked like they were healing badly.


    Gone were his neat clothes and cocky attitude.


    She was just sure that it had something to do with the bitch!


    Had she found out what Susan did and was taking it out on Thomas?


    Was she taking it out on her children?


    Susan gripped the mesh wire as that thought came to her mind.


    She swore in pain at her pricked hand and pulled back as she consoled herself again.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she muttered to herself.


    Thomas told her that her kids were with his mama.


    He wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to her sweet babies.


    Right?


    The fact that she couldn¡¯t answer that question with confidence, made her quickly pull out her phone.


    She looked around again, just to be sure she was not being watched.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She was not supposed to have a phone on her while on duty.


    Well, if they searched her, they would never find her phone with her.


    Her phone was currently lying snugly in her drawer, in case those silly asses decided to do a routine check.


    What she had on her was Manaois¡¯ phone.


    It hade in handy since she discovered how she could beat the system and show these idiots what a fool they were.


    The man would never know.


    He had given himself a self-imposed no-electronics rule even after they had started allowing them to use phones and TV at special hours.


    All the better for Susan.


    If anything was ever connected with any of her calls, Manaois would be the one under fire.


    She was going to make sure he was readily avable for it.


    Just as a good partner should do.


    In the meantime, she opened the flip phone and quickly dialled the most-dialled number on the phone while looking over her shoulders to be certain the coast was still clear.


    Just as she thought he wouldn¡¯t pick up, the call engaged, and a rough voice snapped. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Maze, I need your help,¡± she said in a seductive tone.


    ¡°I am done with you, bitch. Call me when you have my payment.¡±


    ¡°Maze, Maze. Please don¡¯t hang up,¡± she said urgently.


    His breathing on the other end signified that he was still there.


    ¡°This is different, Maze. I promise it is not about cr**k or the type of job you did for me the other day. This is not risky at all. Please, Maze¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what is risky, bitch, you hear me?!¡± The man raged from the other end. ¡°You are of no use to me yet, and you owe me so much now that every inch of your body would not be enough to pay for it. I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°One month!¡± Susan said urgently. ¡°I promise I will stay with you for one month after I get out. I promised you two weeks before, but now I will make it one month. Just please get me this information, okay? And a little something to tide me over till I can leave this hellhole.¡±


    The man must have been considering the offer because he was silent for a minute, and then he said, ¡°This is thest time. One month it is. What do you want?¡±


    She quickly exined what she wanted.


    She was just giving him the final details when she heard, ¡°Susan, you¡­¡±


    She turned with the phone in her hand as the man on the other end disconnected immediately.


    With frustrated anger, she turned to see her roommate, the chirpy annoyance, who was as bad as Manaois¡¯.


    Everyone knew Manaois¡¯s phone, so the youngdy recognised it immediately and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Man¡¯s phone? What are you doing with it?¡±


    You have to silence her. You can¡¯t let her tell anyone.


    Susan¡¯s gaze went to the rake she had dropped nearby while she was going to meet Thomas.


    She slowly walked towards it and smiled as she said, ¡°Oh, I am sorry, Gwen. I needed to call my¡­¡±


    The rake was right beside her.


    She bent suddenly and heard.


    ¡°Gwen! Nurse T said she saw youe¡­¡±


    Susan swore to herself as Rio, the bumbling idiot who had been sniffing after her roommate came running after her like the puppy that he was.


    Ignoring Rio, Gwen asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Susan realised she was still bent with her hand just a few inches from the rake. ¡°Nothing!¡± she said as she picked up the rake and smiled at Rio. ¡°What do you want, Rio?¡±


    ¡°I came to call Gwen for¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said sarcastically. Then she moved closer to Gwen and lowered her voice in plea. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. I needed to call my family¡­ my kids¡­ urgently. They have missed me so much, and this has been really horrible for them. I am going to put the phone back right now.¡±


    With that, she moved past Gwen and smiled at the curious Rio.


    If her godforsaken roommate knew what was good for her, she would keep her mouth shut.


    Oh, she would.

 Neglected Second-Born

    Reyona¡¯s family wanted to celebrate her in a big way.


    dys was so over the moon that she wanted them to announce Reyona¡¯s full recovery in the news.


    Carlisle¡¯s reminder that not many knew about her amnesia stopped him.


    After all, Reyona has been functioning almost as well as before since she woke up.


    And before that, her capable employee had been taking up the ck.


    Though dys agreed not to make it public, she still wanted them to go out for the celebration.


    Before Reyona couldplete her protest, her sister, who was about as pumped as their mother, was already on the phone to make a reservation.


    ¡°This is not so necessary, you know,¡± Reyona said, but it went right over her sister¡¯s head as thetter was already asking for the best space and telling whoever was on the phone that their best champagne should be kept on ice for them.


    Reyona looked towards her mother as thetter was saying to Carlisle, ¡°Do you think we should bake a cake?¡±


    Before he could answer, she was already answering her question ¡°Yes, I think we should bake a cake. It should just be like her birthday. This is a rebirth of a kind.¡±


    Reyona held her tongue as she was about to remind her that it had been a while since she had a cake on her birthday.


    Most of the time she was at work on that day, and in the evening, she just came home to have a decadent evening with¡­ the one she didn¡¯t want to think about.


    She looked towards her dad as if for support, but thetter only shrugged with a smile.


    When dys and Toria got their minds on something, their tenacity was always like that of a mule. When the two of them teamed up,? Just give up before you even try to stop them.


    Carlisle simply turned to his ex-wife and asked, ¡°When do you want to bake the cake?¡±


    ¡°I think we can start in¡­ Toria? When is the reservation?¡±


    ¡°An hour, Mom,¡± Toria responded excitedly as she got off the phone. She didn¡¯t look upward as she kept clicking and typing on her phone.


    ¡°An hour¡¯s¡­¡±


    Reyona¡¯s shocked statement was cut short as dys contemted out loud. ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be enough time. We will do the caketer. After we get back.¡±


    ¡°Or we can just give up on the whole going out thing altogether. I am sure the restaurant wouldn¡¯t miss the business,¡± Reyona grumbled.


    ¡°Ah, dream on,¡± Toria said as she sat heavily on the couch beside Reyona.


    Reyona rolled her eyes at her and tried for thest time. ¡°Who is paying for all this, by the way? Do I need to remind you that I am a CEO who just regained her memories? As the newly recovered memory serves, I need money to keep my business afloat, not spend it all on whatever restaurant my dear sister has chosen.¡±


    ¡°I will pay,¡± Carlisle said almost immediately.


    Traitor. He had no intention of getting her out of this after all.


    ¡°Hear that, you penny-pincher? Now get up.¡± Toria said imperiously.


    ¡°For what?¡± Reyona said in protest.


    ¡°To dress up, of course. I will do your makeup for you and choose your outfit too. By the time I am done with you, every single head in that restaurant will turn 360 degrees from your entrance.¡±


    ¡°No, I am not¡­¡±


    The doorbell rang just then.


    ¡°Are you expecting someone?¡± dys asked as they all looked towards the direction of the door.


    ¡°I am,¡± Toria said as she leapt off the couch.


    Before they could ask her who, she was already on her way to the door while saying, ¡°That was fast.¡±


    She opened and closed the door, and they could hear her muffled tone through the door.


    Reyona¡¯s parents looked at her with questions in their eyes, and she shrugged.


    They would find out soon, she believed.


    And they did find out.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Toria came back inside with a big, white box as she dered, ¡°Herees the VIP of the evening!¡± then sheughed as she said. ¡°Oh, that is you. But in this fabulous dress, I found for you, you would look so much more like the celebrant. Don¡¯t worry, I used Daddy¡¯s card.¡±


    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­¡±


    ¡°Up!¡± Toria interrupted her father¡¯s question and Reyona¡¯s protest as she flicked her finger upward. ¡°We have work to do in a short time, but don¡¯t worry, I am a magician. You old people need to be done in thirty minutes; if not, we are leaving without you.¡±


    With that, she ushered Reyona inside while the old people quickly got to the business of getting ready.


    They were waiting for Reyona when she came out. She had on a sleeveless, emerald evening dress that fitted her body perfectly, like a dream.


    From the neckline to the waist, the flowing gown was bejewelled with tiny rhinestones trailing the semnce of acy pattern on the dress. Reyona had chosen to use no neckpiece and had opted for multipleyered bangles and her earrings. Toria had given her hair such a treatment that it cascaded full and wavy over Reyona¡¯s back and shoulders. She looked like a vision as she stood and beamed at the appreciative expressions of her parents.


    ¡°You look so beautiful, my darling,¡± Carlisle said with a hint of wetness in his eyes as he beamed in paternal pride.


    dys just hurried forward and enveloped Reyona in a warm hug. ¡°Oh, my dear. I am so d we finally have you back with us fully.¡± she sniffed and leaned back to look at Reyona again ¡°Yes, your dad is right. You are looking radiant. I will take a picture and bring it back for the twins so they can see how¡­¡±


    A sudden clearing of the throat behind them cut into dys¡¯ heartfelt moment. ¡°Well, just in case anyone is missing it, I am dressed too. Well, in a dress I borrowed from Rey, but then¡­ hello?¡± she said as she gestured borately at her short, metallic silver gown as she did a pirouette. Her dangling earrings took a flight of their own as she made her turn.


    Getting into character, Carlisle said, ¡°Wow, I am really blessed with such beautiful daughters. Have you seen how positively radiant you look?¡±


    Toria smiled as she wrinkled her nose at him. ¡°I know you are just patronising the neglected secondborn, but it is fine; I will take it. Now, let¡¯s go before they cancel our reservation and toss us out to eat outside. Come on, Rey.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use the crutches,¡± Reyona said suddenly.


    ¡°That is okay; you can just use your canes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use any of those either. I want to try going all evening without attachment.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°I will support you,¡± Carlisle said, and he looked at dys, who was about to protest. ¡°She will be fine,¡± he said in reassurance.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± dys said without much conviction.


    Toria looked at the time and said, ¡°We really need to go now, please.¡±


    She watched as Carlisle went to Reyona with the curve of his elbow stretched out.


    Reyona took it gratefully, as Carlisle said. ¡°Just take it easy. We can cancel the reservation if we have to.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t¡­¡± A look from Carlisle had Toria rephrasing her sentence. ¡°I suppose we can,¡± shepleted quietly.


    Carlisle tightly cinched his arm around Reyona¡¯s as she took the first step. Though she winced a bit, she took the next and the next.


    ¡°You are doing so well,¡± Carlisle said.


    The look on dys¡¯ face showed she was not so sure of it; she looked like she was ready to cancel the whole thing, but then, despite the asional wince, Reyona had a big smile on her face as she made her way to the door in the nude wedges she wore in ce of a high heel.


    So, dys only winced with each step her daughter took, but she kept her mouth shut.


    Toria had already started the car by the time they got outside, and she drove closer to the house.


    Just as Reyona and her parents got outside, a car drove past, and the driver reversed quickly.


    They heard the m of the car as the woman came into view.


    ¡°How beautiful you all looked this evening. What is the special asion?¡± Celia Jordan said as she came towards them.


    ¡°Reyona regained her memory!¡± dys blurted out to Reyona¡¯s dismay.


    ¡°Oh, Mom,¡± she said beneath her breath. Then, ¡°Hi,¡± she said to the woman bashfully.


    A trickle of guilt trickled into her as she saw the woman¡¯s hesitant smile.


    Her guilt increased as she remembered why.

 Your Time Starts Now

    Reyona eased, with relief, into the chair her dad pulled out for her.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± she said gratefully, and thetter patted her shoulder affectionately as he said. ¡°You did great. It will only get easier from now on.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try not to do that so often until you are totally fine, though,¡± dys said anxiously.


    ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± Reyona said to get the anxiety off her mom¡¯s face.


    As Toria called the hostess who had led them in and they started their discussion, Reyona couldn¡¯t help but think of the strained conversation that she and Celia had.


    If it could even be called a conversation at all.


    Reyona didn¡¯t think she had anything to feel guilty about, but the guilt was well lodged in her chest, and it seemed it was not ready to leave anytime soon.


    It started with the cold treatment she had given the woman when thetter came to visit right after they left Rohan¡¯s ce.


    Reyona had reacted to the woman¡¯s concern based on her knowledge of her closeness with someone she regarded as a link to her problem.


    The woman finally got the hint when Reyona¡¯s responses were mostly monosybic and dry, and since then, she has not stepped into Reyona¡¯s rental home again.


    She only waved when she saw any of them passing by, and she had taken Toria to see the baby once.


    Reyona always felt like the woman wanted to say more to her, but then she would simply greet them and go on her way.


    Until that evening.


    Reyona had no idea why she had decided to stop, but she sure knew it added to her increasing guilt about how she treated the woman.


    An inconvenience she did not need now when her mind was filled with another dilemma.


    She wished that as she regained her memories, she could somehow forget about her most recent memories, but apparently, things don¡¯t work that way.


    When the doctor came to check on her, she even asked the man if that was a possibility, but the man said it was quite rare and if it would happen, it would have already happened.


    He had thought she was afraid of losing her most recent memories, and since Reyona was not about to tell him in the presence of her family that the opposite was the case, she thanked him and kept her thoughts to herself.


    Whenever it came to her mind that she was keeping a lot from her family, she just reminded herself that she was doing the right thing.


    It wouldn¡¯t do them any good if they knew about it anyway; they would only worry and think that she was setting herself up for more pain.


    She knew because her head had told her the same thing many times already, but then she couldn¡¯t help but get involved.


    They were kids who didn¡¯t ask to be brought into this mess.


    The adults would get what wasing to them, but those children were innocent.


    Reyona wasn¡¯t wired to overlook the plight of kids in such a situation.


    She promised herself that she would treat them just like any other children she found on the street, but she couldn¡¯t abandon them.


    Especially not when her heart was still very heavy as she remembered the beautiful girl who had captured her heart with the first nce.


    The girl might be no more, but Reyona wasn¡¯t about to stand aside and watch her siblings thread a lonely path that could lead to a horrible end for them too.


    Until their scumbag father was found, she would do what she could.


    As the waiter served the first of the ten-course meal, Reyona came to a firm decision.


    She would verify Fiona¡¯s ims, and then she would take action.


    It would be her homage to La and to a dying woman who helped her when she could have looked the other way.


    It was Reyona¡¯s turn not to look the other way.


    It was nothing personal.


    Havinge to that conclusion, she dug into the first course of the ten-course meal that she had watched Toria order in amusement. The sulent goat cheese crostini with fig-olive tapenade blended well with the Zhini fritters, while the Shallot and pancetta torti crisps were nothing to sneer at.


    One must admit that Toria had the golden touch in terms of knowing the best ces to get the best of things.


    Even though Reyona was the one living in Kayooma, Toria knew restaurants, clubs, boutiques, and many other tourist attractions more than her sister.


    At the moment, Reyona was notining; she simply enjoyed the hors d¡¯oeuvres and the conversation with her family.


    She contributed to the conversation, ignored the appreciative looks she got from the other diners, and decidedly kept her mind in the present.


    Soon enough, she needed to go to the restroom.


    Her dad offered to help her but she looked down at the beef enchdas he was currently enjoying and told him she would be fine.


    ¡°Then let me¡­¡±


    ¡°I will be fine,¡± Reyona said, decidedly rejecting Toria¡¯s offer too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this. You shouldn¡¯t even be walking around on your own in the first ce, and you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, I will be fine. I will call for help if I need one,¡± she assured her mom as she raised her phone. ¡°See? I am going with this.¡±


    They all looked unconvinced but she smiled at them and took in a huge breath as she stood up.


    Her legs protested a bit as pain sang through her limbs.


    Unwilling to back down now, Reyona smiled at those looking at her anxiously and ignored every other gaze she could feel.


    ¡°You can do this, girl,¡± she said, motivating herself as she started to walk.


    It was slow and a bit graceless, but she was doing it.


    Once she passed her family, Reyona gritted her teeth and wished she could get through the door that led to the restroom as fast as possible, so she could find a ce to rest her legs for a moment. She had no intention of doing so right there in the expansive restaurant, where others were probably wondering why she was walking so slowly.


    One, two¡­


    She made it to the doorman standing at that door and bared her teeth at him in the semnce of a smile.


    Thetter bowed in greeting and opened the door for her.


    Reyona passed through gratefully and wanted to lean against the door as soon as it closed, but then the door panelling had ss at the upper part, and she was certain the doorman and everyone who chose to look that far would see her, so she kept walking.


    She heard the door open behind her, and she was prepared to smile at whoever it was when thetter passed, when she heard, ¡°What are you doing to yourself?¡±


    That voice!


    His distinct smell preceded his approach, and before Reyona could fully turn to face him, she felt strong arms wrapped around her back and her calf muscles.


    Warmth spread through her as her legs left the floor and she found herself in his hold.


    Even as her abused legs sighed in relief, she red at him. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± She looked towards the door and lowered her tone. ¡°Let go of me right now, you brute!¡±


    His face seemed set in stone, and his stride was long, while every single stride made Reyona brush against his broad chest in a way that rubbed her of her breath.


    ¡°I say, let go of me!¡± she said again as she hit him on the shoulder.


    She mistakenly hit his shoulder de and caused more pain for herself but she didn¡¯t let up.


    ¡°I said¡­¡±


    He kicked the female restroom open and went in with her. ¡°What are you doing? You are not supposed to be here!¡±


    ¡°The stall, or do you want to retouch your makeup?¡± he asked dispassionately.


    ¡°What makeup?¡± Reyona retorted automatically.


    ¡°The stall it is then,¡± he answered his question.


    Then he went to the stall and opened the door while still holding her.


    ¡°What are you doing? You are not supposed toe in here.¡±


    He ignored her and gingerly set her down. Reyona couldn¡¯t hold back the wince as her legs touched the ground.


    He held her for a moment until she regained her bnce.


    ¡°Get out,¡± Reyona snapped at him.


    Without so much as a word, he stepped out of the stall.


    But when Reyona expected to hear his footsteps on his way out, she heard nothing.


    ¡°I told you to get out. Go away,¡± she ordered him.


    ¡°You have five minutes, ma¡¯am. If you are not out in five, I aming in to get you.¡±


    He expected her to pee while he was standing on the other side of the door. Is he nuts?


    ¡°I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°Your time starts now.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Nosy Idiot

    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡±


    Reyona hated anyone giving her an ultimatum.


    Especially when that person was a nosy asshole she wanted nothing to do with, she was even more livid at the ridiculous situation she found herself in.


    How dare he tell her what to do?


    Though fuming, she had no choice but to lower herself to the covered seat of the toilet bowl.


    Though she had not acknowledged it in her shock and anger, getting off her feet for that short time hade with such tremendous relief that she could almost weep at remembering it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as it had been like pure hell when he set her back on her feet,


    Though she preferred anything to be manhandled by that idiot, Reyona was beginning to think that she must have overexerted herself after all.


    What was the point of all her recovery if she undid it with silly, impulsive actions?


    As she massaged her splint-free legs, she thought, ¡°I have to get the doctor toe check¡­¡±


    ¡°I assume you are done?¡±


    His intrusive, cold tone interrupted her thought and she barely stopped herself from swearing out loudly.


    She said in a tightly controlled tone, ¡°I told you to go away.¡±


    ¡°And I remember telling you I woulde in to get you in five minutes. You have one more minute, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Something in the way he was calling her ma¡¯am grated on Reyona¡¯s nerves.


    The bastard seemed dead serious.


    For a moment, Reyona thought of calling her entire family on the idiot, then she wondered how that would make her look.


    Right before she remembered, she was not even with her phone anyway.


    She heard the sound of his footsteps and bristled in anger.


    ¡°I swear, I will make you regret it if youe in here,¡± she threatened as ast resort.


    Then she looked from the side sink to the lock and wondered why she was wasting her breath.


    She winced as she rose and stepped towards the door to lock it.


    The door jerked open immediately, and she yelped in shock at his audacity as she suddenly reached for the tap.


    She turned it on urgently with her cupped hand underneath it.


    She had barely raised her hand to ssh him when he got to her.


    As it was, the water poured more on her dress than on him.


    ¡°Very clever, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm that only enraged her further.


    Even so, she was already in his arms, and he was striding out of the stall before she could say anything.


    ¡°Let go¡­¡±


    The main door of the restroom opened and twodies gaped at the scene before them.


    Reyona automatically smoothed down her dress that had ridden up to her shin in her attempt to get away from him.


    Maxwell barely paused in his strides as he said politely, ¡°Excuse me,dies.¡±


    The twodies stepped aside, and the one who held the door handle even held the door open for her.


    The grateful smile he sent the woman¡¯s way, and how she blushed in response only angered Reyona more.


    Thedies tittered and whispered as they watched him take her out of the restroom hallway, making Reyona wish that the ground would simply open up and swallow her right there.


    She soon realised she had more to worry about.


    He was not going to let her off before they entered the restaurant!


    ¡°Put me¡­¡± the doorman on the other side noticed their approach, and he quickly opened the door for the determined man to stride towards it like he would knock it down if it were not opened on time.


    ¡°You will not carry me back there like this. Put me down!¡± Reyona spoke through gritted teeth as the doorman held the door open while barely ncing at them.


    ¡°What is wrong with everyone?! Does this seem normal to any of them?¡± Reyona wondered in anger.


    ¡°I said put me¡­¡±


    ¡°In a minute,¡± he said as he strode through the door, unconcerned.


    If she did not hate him so much at that moment, Reyona would have buried her head against his firm chest in shame as eyes turned their way.


    Her family was in the middle ofughter when they noticed the maning towards their table.


    ¡°Rey? Is she fine?¡± Toria was the first to talk as the three stood up abruptly.


    ¡°She is fine,¡± Maxwell said tersely as Carlisle pulled out Reyona¡¯s chair.


    Embarrassment didn¡¯t allow Reyona to say a word, as she wished she could kill that bastard right there and then.


    She was never going to live this down.


    ¡°Why, then, did you carry her?¡± Carlisle¡¯s annoyed yet worried tone resounded loudly in the restaurant, and Reyona wished she could just m her head against the table and get this all done with.


    Calm and unruffled, Maxwell simply turned to her family and said, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be on her feet yet. Keep her off it. Good day to you.¡±


    With that, he turned away and left.


    ¡°Look here, young man¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him go, Carl,¡± dys said as she quickly came to where Reyona was staring hard at the tablecloth like she wanted to unravel every single thread used for the exquisite cloth.


    ¡°Sweetheart, what happ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Reyona said tersely. ¡°Can we leave, please?¡±


    ¡°But we just got¡­¡± A look from Carlisle had dys nodding immediately in agreement. ¡°Okay then. We will¡­¡±


    Reyona was no longer listening because, at that moment, she looked in the direction Maxwell had gone and saw him leaving the restaurant with a youngdy waiting for him at their table.


    Toria noticed her gaze and mused aloud, ¡°Hmm, would you look at that? I thought he didn¡¯t date. I swear I saw it in that gossip column that day, not that I was interested. He seems to have found himself a..¡±


    ¡°We came to celebrate, and that is what we will do,¡± Reyona said suddenly.


    ¡°Uhn?¡± Her mother, who was already calling out to the hostess, turned back to her with the same confused expression on the faces of her dad and sister.


    ¡°You just said¡­¡±


    ¡°We are here to celebrate, and nothing will stop that,¡± Reyona said decisively, and her family looked at each other as they nodded and sat down again.


    Then, Toria excitedly scooted forward in her chair and lowered her voice conspiratorially with a beseeching smile ¡°So, Rey, what¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Reyona said tersely as she reached for her drink.


    Her eyes involuntarily went to the table where she hadst seen him leaving with his date.


    That nosy idiot!


    He was going to pay for embarrassing her like this!

 Why I Love You

    ¡°That is awful. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    Toria shrugged as Reyona set aside the file she was going through and turned to face her sister fully.


    Toria straddled one of the chairs facing her sister and said ¡°Because you have a lot going on too. Then I didn¡¯t know that the bastard would go after her again. I thought we had gotten rid of him. At least, we were on it when¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ When you got called about my ident,¡± Reyona saidpassionately with concern on her face.


    Toria nodded and sighed again. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if I can leave you like that. Mum and Dad just left yesterday and now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Now you need to go do what you think is best. I am fine. You know I am better already. If not, my tyrant doctor and the chiropractor wouldn¡¯t give me a clean bill¡± Reyona said with a roll of her eyes.


    The worry on Toria¡¯s facelifted as she grinned. ¡°You mean you let them think they are the boss while you do what you want anyway,¡± she said, swinging her legs.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Reyona said with an exaggerated pout. ¡°I will have you know that I have been the perfect patient in the past week. I could even get a medal for being so good.¡±


    ¡°How could I have forgotten that?¡± Toria said with an innocent look and they bothughed.


    A momentary lull settled between them and Reyona could see the thoughtful look that crept into her sister¡¯s face again.


    ¡°When do you want to leave?¡± she asked with a smile.


    Toria looked at her and shook her head as she said ¡°I should stay, don¡¯t you think? I don¡¯t really have any reason to meddle in a thing like that. I mean, we¡¯ve only known each other for a couple of weeks and¡­¡±


    ¡°Toria¡± Reyona called her sister with a look of understanding.


    Toria looked at her and gently smacked her hand against her forehead in resignation. ¡°You are right. I wouldn¡¯t stop fretting until I could see for myself that she is fine. Oh my God. Someone I barely know¡± she said with feeling, then turned to Reyona as she said ¡°But she is such a sweetdy, and she doesn¡¯t deserve all this crap because she married wrong.¡± She swung her head back and groaned as she asked the ceiling ¡°Why am I so nosy?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona went around her desk to meet Toria. She said ¡°You are not nosy, silly. You simply care, and you don¡¯t like to see people treated badly¡±, Toria took her head down as Reyona stood in front of her and added, ¡°That is why I love you.¡±


    Toria grinned ¡°Just that? Out of all my legions of attributes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head,¡± Reyona said with a roll of her eyes as she sat on the edge of the table. ¡°Do you need help with these?¡± she asked as her smile dwindled.


    Toria shook her head while looking at the window in thought. ¡°No, I got this. I had someone keep an eye on her and¡­ well, when I get there, I¡­¡± She looked back at Reyona as she said. ¡°I just don¡¯t think I should¡­¡±


    ¡°Go. You should go. When are you leaving?¡± Reyona asked.


    Toria scrunched her face up in mock displeasure as she grumbled yfully ¡°Sounds like she can¡¯t wait to get rid of me! Hmmph!¡±


    ¡°You read my mind,¡± Reyona said as she waited for an answer.


    Toria smiled and looked at her watch. ¡°I can leave in the next few hours if I start making arrangements now,¡± she said in a serious tone.


    ¡°Then do it,¡± Reyona answered. ¡°Let me know if you need any help handling this.¡±


    Toria nodded as she looked at Reyona, then ordered, ¡°Walk to the door, and back.¡±


    Knowing what she meant, Reyona rolled her eyes and said ¡°Yes, Mum.¡±


    Without protest, she stood and walked as fast as she could towards the door. She even made a pirouette that had Toria grinning, then she walked back to her sister.


    Yes, she still felt a bit of a pull and slight twinge when she walked, but she was way better now. Since that day that she had overdone it, she made a vow to herself not to pull such a stunt again. She listened to her doctor and chiropractor and ate all the muscle and bone-healing meals her cook could conjure up for her.


    She was given a clean bill by her doctor and her chiropractor two days ago. Of course, they warned her that she might still feel slight difort for a long time. As a matter of fact, she felt it as she walked briskly like a model on a runway, but then she was not about to show that to her sister, who seemed to be looking for the tiniest opportunity not to go do what she wanted to do badly.


    So she curtsied in front of her and said ¡°Satisfied, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Toria stood up.


    With her hand on her chin, she circled her sister slowly as if scrutinising a specimen while nodding her head exaggeratedly.


    Then she suddenly hugged Reyona as she said ¡°I am going to miss you, Rey.¡±


    ¡°I will miss you too, silly,¡± Reyona said as she hugged her sister tightly, and breathed herforting scent of oleanders. ¡°Send my regards to her and let me know how I can help, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay¡± Toria said as they separated. Then, as if she remembered something, she said ¡°Actually, there is one thing. Send me the number of thatwyer of yours, okay? I couldn¡¯t get her to agree to it the other time, but maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°I will send it to you. Take care of yourself too, Toria. I know you mean well but don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself, Rey. He will note anywhere near me if he knows what is good for him.¡±


    With that, she picked her long string purse from the chair, hurriedly hugged Reyona again and dashed towards the door. With her hand on the door, she said ¡°Do you know why I took to her instantly?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Reyona asked me.


    ¡°She reminds me of you. Different circumstances, I know, but you understand. No woman is supposed to have to deal with that because she gave her heart to an asshole. It is not fair.¡± Toria said in a heartfelt tone.


    ¡°Toria¡± was all Reyona could say as she saw the tears sheen in her sister¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank God that chapter is closed and over for you, though,¡± Toria said with a bright smile countered by her glistening eyes. ¡°Love you!¡± she said airily as she pulled open the door and was gone instantly.


    ¡°Love you too,¡± Reyona said to the closed door as guilt stirred up because of her sister¡¯s statement. ¡°Is it really over though?¡± she thought as she walked to the window.


    Her sister was right though. No woman should have to go through certain crap just because of her choices.


    Just as she shouldn¡¯t have to tolerate some things just because some overbearing nutcase thinks she should.


    As her sister went on her way to help a woman she befriended most unexpectedly, Reyona went to her desk to pick up her phone.


    Enough is enough!

 Reasoning With The Unreasonable

    ¡°You have been avoiding my assistant¡¯s call,¡± Reyona said in a passive tone as the call connected.


    ¡°Because I have nothing else to say to her,¡± Maxwell Rohan said without missing a beat.


    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want it!¡± Reyona said emphatically.


    ¡°And I told you it was a gift,¡± Maxwell said calmly, which only infuriated Reyona.


    Where was the calmness she had promised herself she would use in dealing with him?


    Before she dialled the number, she had told herself that she would simply find a way to reason with someone who could be so unreasonable, yet here she was already boiling with anger at the few words he said.


    There was no denying it. Reyona thought to herself. He was purely annoying. He didn¡¯t even have to open his mouth before he could annoy her.


    She only had to picture his arrogant face to get riled up.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Even when he was not in the same room with her, he could manage to sessfully ruin her mood.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your gift.¡± she gritted out.


    ¡°And I am not taking it back,¡± Maxwell said with the smug smile she could picture so well.


    Her hand tightened around her phone as she said ¡°I could sue you, you know.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± he snorted. ¡°For giving you a gift? I don¡¯t think there is aw anywhere that would back you up on that. But then, you can try it.¡± he said arrogantly.


    Bastard!


    ¡°I don¡¯t take gifts from insufferable men, and I don¡¯t intend to start with you. Since you and your contractor refused to tell me how much I owe you, I will simply make an estimate and send you your money. Don¡¯t me me if it is not enough.¡±


    She was about to disconnect when his tone changed, and he said ¡°You just don¡¯t want to owe anyone, do you? Not everyone is out to get you, you know. It is a gift and nothing but that. You should be graceful enough to ept a gift, Ms. Dexter.¡±


    Is that idiot implying that¡­


    ¡°Gifts from the likes of you are not just gifts! I am tired of going on and on about this. I will repay you and that should be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°If you are about to insult me with a refund, Reyona, then you should know that this will be far from being over.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to repay me?¡± he interrupted her.


    ¡°Of course, do you have a hearing problem? Why else did I call you?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I will take your repayment.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± It took Reyona a second to get his soft response. ¡°You would? Good, send me your¡­¡±


    ¡°Not in cash though. Have dinner with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what nonsense are you sprouting now? Let me have your estimate and send me your¡­¡±


    ¡°My payment, my choice,¡± Maxwell said in a yful tone. ¡°I don¡¯t need your money, Dexter. Have dinner with me, and we are even.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen¡± Reyona answered automatically.


    ¡°Then I guess this is far from being over¡± he answered with a chuckle.


    ¡°Why are you¡­?¡± Reyona readjusted her heated tone, and asked more calmly ¡°Why are you being difficult? Just take your goddamned money and¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the goddamned money, as you call it, Ms. Dexter. I only want dinner with you.¡±


    ¡°Dream on.¡± Reyona retorted as she disconnected the call and red at the phone as if she could see him.


    She tossed the phone on the table and sank into her chair so suddenly that she winced at the twinge in her left leg.


    She eased off her wedges and curled that leg over the other as she absentmindedly massaged it.


    She should just cancel everything the workers are doing in her ce and get her own contractor.


    In fact, that had been her intention before, but then the n drafted for the renovation had been so perfect that she doubted she could have thought of a better one.


    It had something of the old structure in it, but the result would be tremendously better than the former.


    At first, she thought the contractor was the one who came up with the n, but then thetter had ruined her excitement by saying, ¡°President Rohan designed it.¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe that he was an architect too.


    Thinking of how he had his hands on almost everything like apulsive control freak, she was almost tempted to have them undo what had been done, so she could get her own contractor.


    But then it was a momentary thought that held no water.


    Reyona was a businesswoman first and foremost, and she wasn¡¯t about to do anything so wasteful.


    She assumed she would just pay him back.


    How was she supposed to know that the smiley contractor would refuse to tell her the amount he was paid?


    And that ¡­


    Reyona sighed as she caught her anger building up again.


    Why did she always let him get to her like that?


    Today was the first day she was fully back at herpany and dealing with people who don¡¯t know what to do with their money was not part of her n.


    She was going to return his money to him.


    Even if she had to cram it down his throat herself.


    She just knew he was going to whisk out that gift one day and hold it over her head. Well, he would have to think again.


    She had been able to get Andrews to agree with her in terms of allowing Samantha to take over the Multilinks ount.


    She must admit to herself that she had been a bit surprised when Maxwell did not counter that.


    Still, all that mattered was that she didn¡¯t have to force herself to be polite to him while working closely with him until they got all the needed info about Multilink¡¯s finances.


    She had aplished that even when she was still at home and barely mobile.


    She¡¯d be damned if she would let him have his way now that she was fully functional.


    Oh, he would take back his gift.


    She was done allowing anyone to force her to do what she was not interested in.


    Asshole.


    For now, she decidedly turned her mind back to work and reached for the file she had discarded the other time.


    Toria came to her mind and she checked the time.


    She would just call herter.


    She had not read more than a line when her phone rang again.


    Annoyance showed on her face as she reached for the phone.


    It had better not be¡­


    She instantly picked up the call as she saw who the caller was.


    ¡°Hel¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss. I didn¡¯t know how they knew. They said they would take them away. What would I do now? I shouldn¡¯t have let that boy out. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Mary¡­ Mary, calm down¡± Reyona said urgently to calm the high-pitched-toned woman, who seemed beside herself with worry.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked calmly.


    ¡°I had to take Cliff to the hospital. His back worries him so much. I asked a neighbour to watch over the kids and Sandy felt it was okay to let the boy go y with his mates down the streets. I¡­ I should have told her to keep them in¡­but then, we couldn¡¯t have known that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mary¡± Reyona called the woman¡¯s name to get her back on track.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I am rambling again. Cliff said I do that a lot. The kids were ying football and I supposed they got into a spat. I don¡¯t know how that nosy social worker was doing here or how she got to hear when one of the kids was telling Junior off. Something about him not living with his mother and father. God, I will take a switch to the backside of those rascals. Well, Sandy called me all flustered and all. The social worker asked questions and got to know that we were not rted to the kids. Sandy said she said something about taking them away.¡±


    Reyona rubbed her hand over her face as she said ¡°Is the social worker still there?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t meet her. Sandy said she would be back though. And oh, I think they might sue us.¡± then almost as if she was talking to herself, she asked, ¡°Can they sue for something like that?¡±


    Reyona could feel the beginning of a headache as she wondered what else had happened. ¡°Sue for what?¡±


    ¡°Junior bit her. I heard she hightailed it out of here. She must have upset him. You don¡¯t think they would sue a child, can you?¡±


    As amusing as the picture seemed, Reyona was not feeling the least amused. She looked at the file in front of her, and said in resignation, ¡°I suppose not. I aming.¡±

 A Trace Of Reyona

    Maxwell paced to and fro in his office as he listened to the person on the phone.


    Displeasure increased on his face as the person continued talking.


    He ran his hand through his hair as he swore beneath his breath.


    ¡°Are you sure, Steve?¡±


    The person spoke for a moment while Maxwell nodded.


    ¡°Yes, yes of course. Keep me posted, will you?¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡±, he disconnected the call and walked towards the bar.


    He poured himself a generous hand of brandy.


    Without a word, he walked towards the window overlooking the mesmerising nightlife of Kayooma.


    His office was situated at the topmost level of the gigantic, Rohan Automobile Inc. building.


    His employees were long gone for the day.


    Though they had wrapped up the final preparations for the annual showroom event that was to take ce the next day, Maxwell didn¡¯t feel like going home.


    Despite everything going on, he couldn¡¯t take his mind off a certain someone.


    The fact that she had begun to feature prominently in his dreams was even more frustrating.


    Yet he knew he was not going to have a wink of sleep that night.


    Not after hearing her voice again that day.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Admitting that he was this hung up on a woman who wanted nothing to do with him was pathetic.


    Maxwell was not a man who wasted time in taking what he wanted.


    Despite how much he had tried to ignore the fact, it was no longer news that he wanted that stubborn woman.


    He wanted her badly, messy situations be damned.


    He had thought that giving her time to heal was a good idea.


    He had even tried ignoring her and going out with other women.


    It didn¡¯t take him so long to understand why he was always so impatient with any of the many women who were always ready to be at his beck and call.


    That was because he was always looking out for any trace of Reyona in them.


    Someone with that glorious hair that seemed to attract all the light in the room and spill it all back in the most mesmerising shades.


    Someone who could tilt their head at just that perfect angle that made him know she was about to give a scathingment.


    Someone who could raise their brows in that infuriating yet endearing, challenging manner.


    He had realised he was just fooling himself.


    He didn¡¯t want anyone else. He just wanted Reyona.


    The patient, understanding n seemed to be moot.


    If her response to his dinner proposal that afternoon was anything, then he was as close to getting on her good side as Mercury was to Jupiter.


    Whoever said all a heartbroken woman needed was time to heal was certainly high on something when uttering that.


    Time to do things his way.


    That was the thought he was fantasizing about before he got the call from Steve.


    As Maxwell drained the snifter and thought back on what his KDLEA friend had told him, the warm glow he had from thinking about Reyona was nowhere to be found as he swore loudly and only refrained from tossing the ss in his hand against the wall.


    ¡°What the fuck is that bitch up to now?!¡± he muttered in anger.


    Theirst meeting had not ended well.


    Maxwell was used to her ungratefulments and infuriating talk.


    ming his father once again for drilling all those talks about family duties into him, Maxwell had visited her thest time for answers.


    But he had left the centre with nothing but rants and bullshits.


    ¡°And now this?!¡± he spoke out loud again.


    He couldn¡¯t even begin to think of the implication of what his friend had not even said.


    What he had said was bad enough.


    Maxwell turned away from the window and was halfway to his desk when his phone rang.


    Thinking it was Steve calling back again, Maxwell wondered what else he was going to learn about.


    But then a look of surprise showed on his face as he saw the caller ID.


    Nothing was making sense anymore.


    Why was she calling?


    He quickly picked up the call before it could disconnect.


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


    She was already waiting for him at the diner she suggested.


    Though the ck and chrome-themed, 24-hour diner with its kitschy appeal was far from what Maxwell had in mind when he suggested they have dinner, he was more than willing to take it.


    She was sitting close to the wide window, and he easily spotted her as he came out of his car.


    He could see that she had seen him as well, even though she simply turned away without so much as a smile.


    The same question that had been on his mind during the short drive from hispany to the diner reared its head again.


    ¡°Why did she call?¡±


    All she had said when he picked up the call was ¡°Do you still want that dinner?¡±


    Maxwell was as surprised as he was pleased.


    Then he grew suspicious.


    She had been so hellbent on not having dinner with him.


    And now she called him because of the same? Something was up.


    When she told him they should have dinner that evening and even suggested a ce close to his current location, Maxwell knew his initial thought was right.


    Even with that, he agreed with her.


    He wanted herpany, pure and simple.


    And an evening with her would take his mind off the disturbing call he just had too.


    So, he got to the diner less than fifteen minutes after the call was disconnected.


    ¡°Reyona,¡± he said as he got to her.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she greeted pleasantly.


    Okay, something was up.


    Not only had she not scolded him for using her first name, but she had also been polite.


    He took his seat and looked at the ss of water in front of her.


    Scrutinising her face, he said, ¡°That is all you are having?¡±


    She smiled a bit as she said. ¡°I can¡¯t have dinner without you being here, can I? I am sure you will find a way to point that out¡±


    Maxwell smiled as he gave her a direct look.


    There was no bite in her words, and he could see the tiredness on her face.


    ¡°What is going on? Why are we having this dinner?¡± he spoke his thoughts out loud.


    She raised her brows as she said ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? I am giving you what you asked for, okay? Toote toin now.¡±


    Her face grew serious when he only kept looking at her. ¡°Let¡¯s order first, okay? I am famished. We can talk while we eat. Or you can watch me eat. Your choice.¡±


    She raised her hand and the waiter approached immediately.

 Make It Make Sense

    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t reach her?¡±


    All trace of tiredness was gone from her face as she looked at him like he had uttered the most ridiculous statement.


    Maxwell wished it was really that.


    He wished for this night at least he could separate himself from the mess that his goddamned stepsister seemed hellbent on causing over and over again.


    He wished he had not gotten himself involved in her mess that day when she called him for help.


    Yet when he thought of the fact that he probably wouldn¡¯t have met Reyona otherwise, he simply sighed and looked at the woman who seemed just a breath away from getting up and storming out of the diner.


    He leaned towards her. ¡°See¡­¡± he paused as the waitress came forward to clear her te of hash browns.


    Maxwell had done exactly what she had suggested. He watched her eat.


    And enjoyed every single moment of it.


    His pensive mood was already lifting just by being this close to her.


    Until she started talking.


    He waved the waitress away when she asked if they needed anything else.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Then he lowered his voice and said ¡°I am not trying to bullshit you here, okay. I meant just what I said.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what I said at¡­¡± Though only two other people were eating separately away from them, Reyona looked at them and lowered her voice further as her eyes shed at him. ¡°Do you understand at all? This is none of my problem if you think of it, but then I am involved in it. That sweet woman is so apprehensive about what will happen to children she is not even rted to. All you need is to get a damned statement from your sister, and you are telling me you can¡¯t reach her?¡±


    ¡°That is because I can¡¯t¡­¡± Maxwell leaned back with a sigh. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s take a walk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take a walk with you,¡± Reyona said automatically.


    ¡°I will exin everything to you, Dexter. I just don¡¯t want to do it whispering.¡±


    She red at him and said ¡°Fine.¡±


    Maxwell signalled to the waitress as he reached for his wallet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to pay for me,¡± Reyona said as she saw him taking wads of $500 bills out of his wallet.


    ¡°Must you be disagreeable about everything?¡± Maxwell said with exasperation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit you, Dexter.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Reyona said automatically.


    ¡°Wow, that is a statement I never thought I would hear anytime soon from such a properdy like you, Ms. Dexter.¡±


    Her retort was interrupted as the waitress got to them.


    He dismissed the waitress when thetter eximed that his payment was way more than what thedy got.


    ¡°After you, mdy,¡± Maxwell said with a slight bow.


    Oh, he could see how much she was ready to rip into him at that gesture, but instead, she yanked her primrose jacket off the back of her chair and walked out of the diner.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t stop the genuine smile that crept onto his face.


    Yes, they were in an even messier situation than they were before, yet he just couldn¡¯t shake off this feeling of rightness thates with being around her.


    What would he give to have her crave hispany too?


    For now, he quickly walked out after her, firmly keeping his eyes on her glorious hair even when they wanted to stray downwards.


    It was already sote, and the traffic outside was lesspared to when Maxwell drove into the parking lot of the roadside diner.


    ¡°Start talking,¡± she said once they got outside, and she put on her jacket.


    ¡°There is a park close by. Why don¡¯t we take a walk there?¡±


    She looked like she was about to argue, but then she turned and headed towards the direction he gestured.


    The night breeze gently tickled his nose with her elusive scents.


    He wished he could wrap himself in that scent and never¡­


    ¡°Are you going to talk, or do we have to walk to the North Pole first?¡± she asked testily, even though she was facing the direction they were heading.


    No other choice.


    ¡°I got a call from a friend working at the agency today. Susan is nowhere to be found.¡±


    There was no point telling her the other damning details that Steve had added.


    She was silent for a moment, and he had to look at her.


    As if she could feel his gaze on her, she said slowly. ¡°So, let me get this straight. Your sister, who you made sure got some time at a rehabilitation centre instead of jail, escaped the centre?¡±


    ¡°Exactly that,¡± Maxwell simply said.


    She nodded, then turned to face him.


    The streetlight was on her back and her face was slightly shadowed as she said ¡°So, she waltzed out of the center and nobody noticed her?¡± Before Maxwell could respond, she continued ¡°Let me get this straight. Now, I have to tell her children who got foisted on me by their currently unconscious aunt that their mother is nowhere to be found, just like their father was. And then what? Let them be sucked into the system?¡±


    ¡°They will find her,¡± Maxwell said in resignation.


    ¡°They?¡± she asked, as if in contemtion. ¡°In the meantime, what would you do? I am the one who got cheated on for God¡¯s sake. Now, everyone is waltzing off, and I end up being the one responsible for them? Make it make sense.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do¡­¡±


    ¡°You are damn right. I don¡¯t have to do anything! And you know what? I am done with this bullshit. Find your damn sister or my fucking ex. Take care of your family drama because I am done doing it for you all.¡± she reached into her bag, took out a card, and stretched it towards him. ¡°Here. Do what you wish with it.¡±


    Maxwell reached for the card to see who it belonged to.


    She brushed past him on her way to the direction where they wereing from.


    ¡°Hey, hold on,¡± Maxwell said as he saw the card belonged to a social worker.


    ¡°No, you wait!¡± Reyona said as she stalked towards him with her finger wagging ¡°None of you should ever involve me in your ugliness again. And I am sending your money back to you. Don¡¯t test me by sending it back. I don¡¯t ever want to see you again!¡±


    She turned back sharply and let out a sudden cry.


    ¡°Reyona!¡± Maxwell hurried to her as she doubled over to hold her ankle while her face contorted with pain. ¡°Did you sprain it?¡±


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± she gritted out as she massaged her left ankle.


    ¡°Are you still feeling pain? Why then are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I said get lost,¡± Reyona said again, and he could hear the pain in her voice despite the fire in her eyes.


    ¡°Tough luck then.¡±


    Before she could resist, he bent down and swept her in his arms.


    ¡°Let me¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not going to do such a thing, ma¡¯am. I know my touch disgusts you, but I have no intention of watching you hop back to your car. So, would you please make it easier for both of us by keeping still?¡±


    ¡°I did not ask you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I so love it when you are this agreeable,¡± he said in a cheery tone that surprised her enough to stop her struggling.


    d for his momentary win, Maxwell walked back towards the direction of their cars.


    Theminated cardy silent on the ground.

 Classy Milk Factory

    The ring of Reyona¡¯s phone jolted her out of a restless sleep.


    She raised her head and squinted briefly before groggily reaching for her phone.


    She had fallen asleep at her desk in the home office she had fashioned out in Sylby¡¯s ce.


    Her sleep pattern had be seriously messed up in the past few days, and she was not surprised to wake up with a slight burn on her cheek from how she hadin it right on the file she had tried to work on before sleep caught up with her.


    The call was disconnected before she could pick it up.


    And she briefly wondered if it was Toria calling, as she tap-tapped her hands around the sheaves of paper under which her phone seemed to be buried.


    Her sister had been thest person she spoke with the night before.


    Right after she spoke with the contractor.


    They were done with the renovation of her house, including the few additions she had discussed.


    She could move in anytime now.


    Reyona sighed as she finally unearthed her phone and moved her hair away from her face to see the number.


    It was an international number.


    Reyona sat up and quickly dialled the number back.


    The person picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Oi,o vai voce?¡± she said in wless Portuguese. ¡°Hi, How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I not doing well at all¡± replied Agueda, Fiona¡¯s mother-inw in her not-so-smooth English.


    Though Reyona had informed the woman the first time they spoke that she was versed in Portuguese, the woman had mostly conversed with her in the little English that she could speak.


    It seemed there was not going to be a difference this time.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Reyona was interrupted as the woman blew her nose loudly on the other end. She cleared her throat, then blew her nose over again.


    ¡°Fiona, she is good girl.¡± her voice sounded thready to Reyona but she heard her.


    Her heart thumped as she asked immediately. ¡°Is she awake now? Fiona?¡±


    ¡°Awake? Who awake? Oh! You mean¡­¡± Her meager English was nowhere to be found as she passionately ryed what happened to Reyona. ¡° nao acordou. O medico acabou de me dizer que  esta morta. Eles tentaram o seu melhor, mas  se foi. Aqu linda menina estava tentando seguir em frente pelos filhos, agora um acidente estupido tirou o tempo que  pensava que tinha! Morte estupida! Perdi Adriano e agora minha doce nora. O que vou dizer a essas criancas?!¡±


    Reyona spent the next few minutes pacing the room as she consoled the woman in the best way she could. After the call finally ended, she sank into her chair as the woman¡¯s grief-streaked words reyed in her mind.


    ¡°She did not wake up. The doctor just told me that she is dead. They tried their best but she was gone. That beautiful girl was trying to keep going for her children, but now a stupid ident took away the time she thought she had! Stupid death! I lost Adriano and now my sweet daughter-inw. What am I going to tell these children?!¡±


    As much as Reyona felt for the woman; she couldn¡¯t help but think of the prominent thought that popped into her mind.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Those children were gone for sure.


    Reyona had reached out to Fiona earlier so that she could ask her, being the direct family to the children, to write a waiver that would make it possible for the children not to be taken away from Mary and her husband. That was even before she had forced herself to call that conceited man and ask him out to a dinner that turned out useless.


    Agueda had been the one who picked up the phone that day and had informed her that a day after Fiona got back home, she had slipped while getting out of the bath, hit her head against the wall and was still unconscious when Reyona called.


    Reyona had no choice but to think of the next person who still had any say. Since she had no intention of going to face the woman whom her husband cheated on her with, she had thought her damned brother would do it.


    Who knew it was going to be a futile effort? She even had to force herself to tolerate his presence and endure his caveman behaviour!


    Reyona¡¯s annoyance grew at the frisson of warmth that swept through her at the thought of his strong, warm arms around her calf that day.


    ¡°Bastard¡± she muttered as she stood up to go get some water.


    She took the water from the fridge and just stood there as she thought of how he had been trying to reach out to her since that day after he had forcefully taken her to the hospital.


    She disconnected his call every single time, deleted his messages without checking and eventually blocked his number after telling her secretary to never make the mistake of passing his call to her.


    She had meant what she said.


    She wanted nothing more to do with them all!


    ¡°Why then have you been unable to think of anything else since that day?¡± her subconscious reared its head suddenly.


    Reyona finally realised that she had been standing there with her water in hand while staring at the interior of the well-stocked fridge.


    She swore to herself and closed the fridge door none-too-gently.


    All of a sudden, she just wanted to get out of the house.


    It was a Saturday, and she had promised herself to stay off work that day and take all the rest she could since her sleeping pattern had be whacked in the past couple of days.


    Of course, she had intended to finish going through the Nepsol Holding documentation the night before, so she could have that free day without any guilt.


    She looked over at the file which still had her cheek print on it but the urge to do any work that morning was certainly not there.


    ¡°Some exercise,¡± she thought to herself with such excitement as if it was a revtion.


    She was already on her way to what used to be her leg-exercising space when she stopped.


    She had started doing her light exercises there after the chiropractor stoppeding.


    But that morning she knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    She didn¡¯t want to stay cooped up in there for a moment longer. She needed air.


    She quickly changed into loose jogging pants, a tank top and running shoes.


    After that, she strapped a soft sk filled with water to her wrist strap.


    It had been a while since she went for a run, and she had a feeling this might take a while.


    Reyona heard the sound of a car as she got close to the door.


    She was just stepping out of the house when she saw someone slowly jogging past.


    That hair!


    She just turned to lock the door when the person jogged past again.


    Then the person slowly backtracked and said cheerily, ¡°Hey there! Going for a walk?¡±


    ¡°A run, actually,¡± Reyona said as she walked towards Celia, who was beaming from ear to ear.


    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t that just perfect? I do the same. I just wanted to get some exercise before those two woke up. Which way?¡±


    Reyona got to Celia just as the car she had heard was taking a turn towards the direction of the mansion.


    A very familiar car.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±


    ¡°This way!¡± Celia said as she jerked her thumb towards the opposite direction. ¡°Lots of ces to run this way, we can even take a rest in that square and watch those olddies try to dance,¡± she said with a mischievous grin. ¡°The other way only leads to the same route I saw while¡­jogging down here. It gets boring.¡±


    There was no single sheen of sweat on her face that indicated that she had been jogging that far.


    The Jordan mansion was far away from the main neighbourhood and someone who jogged that far shouldn¡¯t look as fresh as Celia looked at the moment. Reyona thought.


    But then she felt she must be overthinking things, so she nodded and said ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Though unexpected, she didn¡¯t mind thepany anyway.


    ¡°How is my goddaughter doing this morning?¡± she asked as they started a light jog down the path.


    ¡°Wrapped up in her dad¡¯s arms. Those two only see me as the milk factory,¡± Celia said, with an exaggerated sigh.


    Reyona smiled ¡°If it is any constion, you are one ssy milk factory though. Look at you, you didn¡¯t even break any sweat from jogging that far,¡± she said as she looked directly at Celia.


    ¡°Uhn? Uhm, yeah. I¡­¡± she looked at her body like she just realised that. ¡°¡­ see that.¡±


    ¡°Race you!¡± she said suddenly as she took off.


    ¡°Oh, you are on!¡±

 Why You Hate Him

    ¡°He is not so bad, you know,¡± Celia said at the end of herughter.


    Reyona, who was smiling at the antics of the old man among the women dancing in the square, nodded and said ¡°You mean at flirting? Yes, he is certainly good at that.¡± With softughter, she added, ¡°At dancing? ¡°Not bad¡± is an exaggeration. I can¡¯t believe I have nevere across this ce. Best way to rx. What dance do you think that is?¡±


    They both looked over at the man as he pretended to miss his step and raised his hand for one of the women to help him up.


    Celiaughed again and said ¡°Oh, they know what he is doing. And they are allowing him. Oh, I wish life could be just that simple. The dance? I think salsa and a touch of their version of tango. I have never asked them. I enjoy it whenever I see them out here. They have gotten used to me, I would say¡± she beamed at Reyona as she added. ¡°I could even say I am a part of the group at this point. Their silent admirer.¡±


    Reyona smiled and looked at the group again as they broke formation and tried to rally themselves up again. There was nothing but pleasure on their faces as they vied to teach the suspiciously clumsy old man how to take the steps. Seeing as most of them were almost young enough to be his daughters, Reyona supposed it was all harmless, and yes, they looked like they were all having a good time.


    ¡°Yes, wish life could be that simple always,¡± she said with a sigh as she leaned back and looked into the beautiful tapestry of the white and blue sky brushed with a hint of the sun yet to show its brilliance.


    Gone was her listlessness, and at the moment she was content to soak in the beauty of the surroundings and the faintughter of the women enjoying the antics of the man who must havee with his daughter or wife.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    True enough, they have not had much run after all. Celia had stopped as abruptly as she had started. She had suddenly stopped and bent over dramatically as she dered she never wanted to run again.


    For a woman who had allegedly jogged from the distance of her home to Reyona¡¯s ce, it was surprising that the little distance run was what had done her in.


    When Reyonamented on it, she simply pointed excitedly toward the direction of the square and took off.


    For someone who hadined of exhaustion, her walk was fast enough.


    Reyona had forgotten her momentary suspicion as they emerged into the square and the dancers had waved at Celia, then they asked her who her friend was.


    Reyona introduced herself and the women invited them toe and join them if they wished.


    ¡°We just might do that,¡± Celia had replied. ¡°But for now, we will sit here like two rusty bones and watch you masters do your magic.¡±


    The women had preened andughed before they got back to their routine. Then the old man and a younger woman had arrived, and there had beenughs-uponughs since then.


    Reyona was d that the strained mood between her and Celia had finally ended when thetter had invited her and her family to brunch a day before her parents left Kayooma.


    Half expecting that Maxwell would be there, Reyona had thought of declining it but Toria had epted the invitation before she could say a thing. Reyona had to admit to herself that it was a good call after all.


    It was such an enjoyable evening and her parents left with the praises of the hospitable and endearing Celia on their lips.


    Since then, they had called each other a few times, but Reyona had not revisited the Jordans even though they were just a few distances apart.


    She told herself it was because she was always busy whenever Celia dropped her not-so-subtle hint about asking her over.


    As much as she wanted to believe that, she knew there was another reason.


    If not because of that other reason too, she might just have be good friends with Celia.


    Why not? The woman was certainly lovable.


    Reyona had to deal with her share of snobbish societydies, yet despite her status, Celia was anything but that.


    It would have been an easy friendship if¡­


    ¡°I was not talking about him though.¡±


    Her thoughts interrupted, Reyona turned her head on the padded headrest of the bench they were seated on and squinted at Celia. ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡°Earlier? I wasn¡¯t talking about our Fred Astaire there. I am talking about Max.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡­oh¡± Reyona¡¯s smile, at Celia¡¯sparison of the old man and the most iconic male dancer in history, died as she realised what she was talking about. She sat up and her joy at the scene before her dimmed automatically.


    ¡°Yeah, I see that look. My God, I could almost believe you hate him!¡± Celia said emphatically. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I think the question is, why are we talking about this when we are supposed to be on a walk? I think we should go back now. Wait¡­¡± she turned towards Celia with her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t like that look. What?¡± Celia asked immediately.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t really on a walk, were you? You were¡­ that car! That was your husband¡¯s car. You really didn¡¯t jog from your estate, did you?¡±


    Though her expression was sheepish for a moment, Celia simply put up a brave face and said ¡°What is your point?¡±


    ¡°How long were you going to stay out there? Or were you going toe in eventually and talk to me about¡­¡±


    ¡°Maxwell. Good God, you can¡¯t even mention his name. Do you really hate him that much? And no, I am not admitting anything. I was taking a walk. That is it. Now, tell me why you hate Maxwell so much.¡±

 About A Date

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate anyone.¡± Reyona protested.


    ¡°Maxwell. That is the name. At least mention it.¡± Celia said in a challenging tone as she ced her fists against her waist and gave Reyona a challenging look.


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Reyona said. ¡°I think we should go.¡±


    ¡°If you get up, I am going to scream bloody murder, and you will have a fine time telling all these wonderful souls why you threatened to¡­to¡­kidnap my baby.¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Reyona said.


    Celia batted hershes at Reyona innocently as she said ¡°Drew would be the first person to tell you that ridiculous is my middle name. I y it so well when I want to.¡±


    ¡°That is just¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. Alright¡± Celia said with a deted sigh. ¡°I am not going to keep you here against your wish but at least tell me why you hate him so much, will you? He is really a good man. I know he doesn¡¯t show it much, but he is a very caring man, who is protective of people he cares about. And he cares about you.¡± She raised her hand to stop Reyona¡¯sment. ¡°At least because of the sleep I sacrificed toe out here this early. Tell me, will you? My baby will probably not remember my face again by the time I get back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic. And there, you admit it. You really dide out because of this.¡±


    Celia shrugged as she sipped her water. ¡°I am not admitting anything.¡± she looked ahead for a second. ¡°Is it because of his sister?¡±


    Reyona was surprised that she knew about that. The look on her face must have given her away because Celia said ¡°I forgot to add that I am an expert at getting information too.¡±


    She grinned when Reyona raised her brows at her. ¡°I am not saying I would force it out of you, okay? Rx. I am just saying I don¡¯t think you should treat him based on what his step-sister did. The fact that he even bothered to stand up for that horrible person just because she is family, should be a plus in your books, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know why you think I am interested in hearing all this, but I don¡¯t care whether you think he is a plus or a minus. I don¡¯t want him anywhere near my books either.¡±


    Celiaughed out loud and covered her mouth when the women looked over. She waved her hands towards them. ¡°Go on, go on. You beauties are doing so well.¡±


    ¡°Did she just call me a beauty? Splendid!¡± the old man eximed, and the women turned away to deal with their own spot of fun.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Reyona asked, trying to keep a straight face even though she was tempted to smile.


    ¡°Pardon my dirty mind, but when you said you didn¡¯t want him anywhere near your books, I totally thought of something else.¡± Celia snorted again as she looked away from Reyona¡¯s face.


    ¡°Celia!¡± Reyona eximed beneath her breath as she saw where Celia looked at. Even though inexplicable warmth filled her at the scandalous thought, she gave Celia a disapproving look.


    Celia finally controlled herughter as she said ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t tell me you have never thought of it. Even Toria thought him hot, but she knew he only had eyes for you.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­? You know what? Enough of this. I think we should head back now.¡± Reyona stood up suddenly. ¡°Scream all you want. I don¡¯t care. I am leaving.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that? I am a dignifieddy, I would have you know¡± Celia said with a pout before she waved at the women who seemed to be rounding up too.


    She caught up with Reyona and said ¡°I think the thought of being nasty with him bothers you though. Hmm, interesting. Maybe you do not hate him after all.¡±


    ¡°I am not listening to this,¡± Reyona said decisively as she picked up her pace.


    ¡°Alright. Alright. I will stop talking about sheets. All this talk got me hot for my man as well. Just as I think you are probably¡­¡±


    ¡°Celia¡± Reyona said in a warning.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I am done¡± Celia said, with her hands raised in surrender.


    A pause.


    They were getting close to Reyona¡¯s ce when she said, ¡°I am going to say this though. I have never seen that man act this way about any other woman. And believe me, I have tried to pair him up with a lot.¡± Sheughed again. ¡°He always manages to escape. But you? You got him without trying, babe. I am going to shut up now.¡± She quickly said before Reyona could say anything again.


    ¡°Hi, babe. You cane now.¡±


    Reyona turned to see her talking on her phone.


    Before she could say anything. The car she saw earlier came out of nowhere.


    Has he been¡­


    Reyona easily spotted Andrews Jordan in the driver¡¯s seat even before the car got to them.


    Celia shrugged at Reyona¡¯s expression. ¡°I wanted to be sure I would catch you at home. I mean who goes to work on weekend? Just you. You have to be the busiest person I have ever met. Come over to the house soon, okay?¡±


    She waved breezily at Reyona as her husband opened the door for her.


    Reyona responded to Andrews¡¯ greeting with a halfhearted ¡°hi¡±.


    She watched Celia lock lips with her husband right before the man drove away.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Reyona asked no one in particr out loud. ¡°Did he put her up to this? All that just to tell me¡­yeah, right¡± she said with a roll of her eyes.


    She deliberately took her mind off the direction it wanted to head.


    Celia believed he¡­ no way.


    She unstrapped her wrist water pouch as she entered with the intention of going straight to take a bath.


    Enough of silly nonsense spouted by a sweet woman who had too much time on her hands.


    Something made her gaze go to her phone though.


    She moved over to check it subconsciously.


    She saw missed calls and a text.


    Reyona¡¯s heart sank when she saw the text.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It was about a date.

 Because Of His Status

    Reyona unblocked Maxwell¡¯s number and forwarded the message to him.


    She was tempted to call Mary to tell her she wouldn¡¯t be having anything to do with the kids from now on but she stopped herself.


    Somehow she knew she might not be able to hold out against that sweet woman who had other people¡¯s issues dumped on herp.


    ¡°It is none of my business,¡± she muttered to herself out loud.


    She had barely seen the delivered notification before his call came through.


    Reyona swore at her slowness in blocking his number back. She disconnected the call and proceeded to block the number again.


    Her finger hovered over the block button for a second as a thought urred to her.


    His call came in again and she automatically disconnected it.


    Then she pressed the message bar and sent Maria¡¯s number to him.


    Call her and stop pestering me. She tagged the number and blocked his number again.


    She had thought of deleting the number earlier but since that could make her pick up his call unaware, she decided this way was better.


    As she proceeded towards the bathroom to have a long soak, she firmly tucked away the young faces trying to invade her mind.


    She simply banished the face of a dying woman shamelessly begging her for help because she had no one else to turn to.


    ¡°Nothing to do with me,¡± She said out loud as she opened the sliding door that led to the bathroom.


    She had no time to think of irrelevant matters.


    The only thing she was going to think of that morning was thezy weekend she was going to enjoy.


    She might even take a driveter.


    She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had taken one.


    She was going to think only of her pleasure.


    Not even once would she think about the date that the social worker had sent that they wereing for the children.


    **********


    Maxwell swore as he stepped out of the Kayooma Child Protective Services.


    Just like the first time he had tried to discuss with them, they had been polite and pleasant.


    All while denying him the one thing he asked for.


    Yes, they believed he was their step-uncle.


    Yes, they were not saying he was lying even though he had no documents to back that im up.


    Oh, they understand that the children do not even know his name because he has been away from their lives since their birth.


    But then, if they had to overlook the fact that there was nothing to connect him to them apart from his im, they simply couldn¡¯t ignore his status.


    They know his reputation in Kayooma and believe a man of his calibre would not do something as despicable as lie about his rtionship with those vulnerable children, but then his status was the problem.


    His status! Who the fuck knew that meant anything?!


    Not even the associatemissioner who owes him a favour was able to do much.


    All because of his status!


    The man had suggested he could find a solution to that though, or at least find his sister.


    ¡°How exactly am I supposed to change that within the few days¡¯ notice they gave?¡±


    As Maxwell drove away from the administrative building with its swaying gs, he couldn¡¯t remember when he hadst felt so helpless.


    Oh, he could remember. It was when she had been unconscious.


    Now she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, and his goddamned sister was nowhere to be found.


    Maxwell had tried his best to find those two, yet it seemed as if they had both gone underground.


    Everything his investigators had turned up had been futile.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Maxwell swore once again, identally hitting his horn and sting eerily at the car in front of him.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He waved his apology at the driver as they waited for the lights to turn green.


    Where could those two be?


    Their shadow had not even been detected at the airports.


    Maxwell was certain that those two were still very much in Kayooma.


    The question is; where exactly had they burrowed in?


    Maxwell wished he could just say fuck this and look away from the whole situation, but he was already in this.


    She is family, which made those kids his family too.


    As much as he hated it, his father¡¯s teaching had been too embedded in him for him to watch those two kids get sucked into the system.


    Andre Rohan would turn over in his grave.


    Admitting to himself that the consideration of his dead father was not the only reason, Maxwell thought of the other reason why he couldn¡¯t just walk away.


    His experience on the dark sides of the streets had made him meet the likes of them.


    Children who were ced in foster homes, which had turned out to be hell for them, instead of the haven promised.


    Most of them had run away and chosen the street where they could call their shots and live ording to their rules.


    Only a few had been able to master the rules of the street enough to call the shots.


    People like Don.


    Most of the others had ended up being gutted out in gang fights, O*¡¯d from sub***nces that their street fathers gave them to try or even ended up in a worse state.


    A state that Maxwell would probably have ended up in if it had not been because of Don.


    Maxwell knew he just couldn¡¯t let those kids get sucked into that kind of hell without doing anything about it.


    But what?


    ¡°Where the fuck are you, bitch?¡± he muttered darkly as he thought of the hinted allegation that Steve had believed was waiting for her when they found her.


    At first, he had been concerned and wondered if she had be that vicious in the few years they had not seen each other.


    He had even thought the police doing the investigation might be wrong.


    But at the moment, Maxwell didn¡¯t care anymore.


    She could get hanged for her crimes for all he cares, but he would be damned if he would let her drag those innocent children into hell with her.


    A loud honk behind Maxwell jolted him out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Move it, will you?¡± ady screeched from the car behind him.


    Maxwell realised the lights had turned green and the car in the front had moved.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he said as he quickly moved.

 Just The Way You Like It

    In a dingy room that stank of sweat, dirt and a faint tang of blood, two peopley on a stripped mattress with their limbs intertwined.


    They looked as good as dead and none of them stirred as the door suddenly got kicked in.


    The faint light from the hallway washed over their faces and revealed the faces of a heavily bearded man with bottle-green hair and a woman with dirty, tangled, dirt-blond hair strewn over her face.


    Sounds of raucousughter from afar and pissy traffic where drivers seemed to be having a contest over the horns filtered into the small room.


    None of them stirred as two men entered and one of them spat into the corner of the room with a disgusted look on his face.


    The other held his nose as he squinted at the trail of dried blood on the arm of the woman.


    ¡°I daresay! Is that blood?¡±


    Close to the bed was a dirty syringe with a remnant of some liquid in it.


    A thin rope was on the woman¡¯s wide-openp where her short skirt had already ridden higher up her thighs at the risk of exposing her crotch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you fucking dare do. But yep, those two are knocked out pretty well for the night. Fucking cunt. Did that motherfucker in since she got here. Jeff should just toss them out once and for all.¡±


    ¡°And lose what they bring in? Nuuh, Jeff is too smart for that. He would keep them as long as they are useful.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t see much of their usefulness at the moment,¡± the other man said with disgust even as his leery gaze went to the woman¡¯s high, riding skirt.


    ¡°Jeff would sort them out soon, or they would do themselves in. I¡¯m outta here.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I got some usefulness for that piece of ass right there.¡±


    The other man saw what he was looking at and said ¡°Fuck, you are sick, man. I can¡¯t even think of digging that nasty piece. I would rather go for one of ¡¯em whores out there.¡±


    ¡°Missy is off-limit, so get the fuck off my back, will ya?¡±


    ¡°Jeff would kill you if he heard you talk about Missy.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡± the other man said as he unbuttoned his p.


    His colleague spat again and stalked out of the room.


    The other man gave the woman a resounding spank that made her turn onto her back.


    The dried scab on her arm got pulled at, and it began to bleed again.


    She squinted at the man with the leery smile standing above her as thetter reached down to grab her breast roughly.


    She opened her mouth as if she wanted to scream, but then readjusted again, so she was lying t on her back.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± her voice slurred out.


    ¡°Some of your sweet hole, cunt.¡± the man said with a leer as he grabbed her breast again.


    ¡°Not for free.¡± she slurred out with a sickening smile that stood stark against her pale face.


    ¡°I will get you the sweet stuff. Just the way you like it.¡± the man said as he tossed his trousers aside and descended on her.


    ¡°Promise?¡± she asked with a semnce of a smile as her eyes closed and opened.


    ¡°I always keep my promise. Raise your fucking skirt. Let me give you some sugar.¡±


    ¡°Good, my stash is gone,¡± she said as she simply shifted to fully expose her crotch.


    ¡°Motherfucker¡± the man said with lust as he grabbed her waist and dragged her closer to him.


    He knelt closer to her and mmed into her.


    She let out a pitiful semnce of a moan as he raised himself and dragged her waist along with him.


    With her upper back keeping her on the mattress and her legs up in the surrounding air, he mmed into her over and over again, swearing with every thrust.


    The woman tried to grab something as her eyes closed drowsily again.


    Her handnded on the man sleeping like the dead beside her.


    She turned her head to grin at the sight of the fine powder scattered over his beard and face.


    The man pumping himself into her mmed into her so hard at a point that she grabbed the man beside her tightly to stop her head from mming against the wall.


    Soon enough, her drowsy mind won.


    With her hand on her man and her legs in the air, her eyes fluttered close again.


    The sweating man continued pumping furiously into her.


    ********


    She had promised herself not to go.


    Just that morning she had firmly ignored the text message from Mary.


    Since when did aged women be keen on texting anyway?


    She had even admonished herself for remembering the date even before Mary texted her.


    The woman had done that right after her call went straight to voicemail.


    Blocking her was beginning to look like the better option after all.


    Still, she had not done it.


    She had simply left her home, which still seemed strange to her with all the changes, as early as possible.


    She convinced herself and her surprised employees that she had been the first person in the office because she was eager to get started on the day¡¯s work.


    Oh no, it had nothing to do with any anxiety she might be feeling about what had nothing to do with her.


    Even as her eyes kept going to the clock while she was in the middle of her first meeting of the day, she convinced herself it was all normal.


    She was fine, and she was not bothered about anything at all.


    The clock struck ten, and she leapt out of her chair like her pants were on fire, grabbed her jacket and asked Samantha to take over for her.


    She hastily threw an ¡°I have to go¡± over her shoulder on her way out of the meeting room, and practically dashed to her car.


    She was silent for a while as she drove as fast as she could.


    ¡°What are you doing, girl?¡± she muttered to herself in defeat.


    Why? Just why?


    Even though she had no idea what difference her presence would make, she began to have another fear.


    What if she was toote and they had already taken them?


    ¡°And you going will change what exactly?¡± her subconscious prodded her none-too-gently.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Reyona increased her speed and only slowed down when she was about to enter the street leading to Mary¡¯s house.


    Thankfully, kids were not messing around on the road as they mostly do. She was still careful with her driving though.


    What was she going to say if she hit someone?


    Sorry, I was in a hurry because I wanted to see my ex¡¯s children for thest time?


    ¡°Stop being dramatic. It is not as if they are being taken to jail or something¡±. Her subconscious seemed ready forbat that morning.


    Reyona could see a few women standing in front of Mary¡¯s house.


    One of them had her breast in her toddler¡¯s mouth.


    They stood aside in a huddle while whispering.


    She could see a silver metallic Camry 2014 to the side and wondered if that belonged to the social worker.


    The sudden anger she felt towards the faceless woman was surprising to her.


    Just like that of a hen towards a hovering hawk.


    She was just getting out of her car when she heard a scream from Mary¡¯s house.


    She hastily shut the door as she rushed towards the women who were trying to peep into the house.


    They noticed her and turned their gazes on her.


    ¡°Is that not¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hi, you¡­¡±

 I Don’t Want To

    Reyona¡¯s rush forward was paused when she saw Allysyn standing at the side with two small bags.


    She was staring away from the women without making any indication of having heard the scream.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Reyona said to get her attention.


    Mary said the girl had grown worryingly quiet since she learned that they would be taken away.


    Since the first day she had anxiously asked Reyona to get their dad too, Reyona couldn¡¯t remember any other time she had spoken in the few times that Reyona had seen them after.


    But the girl turned to her now and Reyonas¡¯s heart clenched.


    The girl had a look that didn¡¯t belong on the face of a girl of her age.


    Her vacant eyes stirred with something, but then she only looked at Reyona without saying anything.


    ¡°Uhmm, what is going on?¡± Reyona asked as she pointed towards the open door.


    ¡°My dumb brother,¡± Allysyn said, and looked away again.


    Reyona quickly entered just as she heard the scream again, followed by ¡°Damn it. He bit me! Again!¡±


    ¡°Junior, please¡­¡±


    Their voices attracted Reyona toward the kitchen, where she saw old Cliff standing at the door like he was out of his element.


    ¡°Oh, you are here,¡± he said with relief as Reyona got closer.


    He quickly made way for her, just as Mary moved her head out from beneath the sink.


    Tears welled in her eyes as she saw Reyona, and she came towards her with an anxious ¡°You came. You were not picking up my calls. He doesn¡¯t want to go. Please do something.¡±


    The woman standing close to the window cradling her finger with a displeased look on her face scoffed as she said ¡°Really we can¡¯t go over this again. Just convince that¡­boy that we need to get out of here. These things have been exined to you all before and I shouldn¡¯t have to go over them again.¡±


    Reyona looked over at the woman with disdain. ¡°Is this one of the kind of people who would be in charge of them from now?¡±


    As much as she wanted to walk over to the prune-faced woman, drag her out of the room, and stuff her into her car with a stern warning; she knew she didn¡¯t have the right.


    So, instead of wasting her breath on a response, she stepped around Mary and bent down to what Junior must have thought was the best hiding spot.


    It was a bit dank with moisture and shadowy too, but she saw the excitement that sprang into Thomas Junior¡¯s face as he shouted excitedly ¡°Bad woman! Ally said you wouldn¡¯te!¡±


    Before Reyona could react, he dropped his ball and crawled towards her.


    She cupped her palm against the sink b to protect his head from striking the sharp concrete edge in his excitement.


    She had no time to slow him down before heunched himself on her in a hug.


    Grubby hands and all.


    ********


    Reyona was not expecting the force with which the boyunched himself onto her.


    She was in danger of toppling over when a hand supported her.


    Warmth spread through her as a familiar scent tickled her nose.


    She moved her hair from her face and looked up to thank Cliff for his help.


    Only to look straight into Maxwell¡¯s hazel-green eyes.


    Wait, howe she had never noticed that they¡­


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    His soft question drew Reyona¡¯s gaze to his firm and luscious¡­ ¡°Yeah, I am fine. Thanks,¡± she said tersely before looking down at the boy who was still clinging to her neck.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Reyona said with a tight smile borne off her sudden difort.


    ¡°He said he is our uncle. Ally said he is lying. Liar!¡± Junior said in an usatory tone as he looked at Maxwell with a mutinous face.


    ¡°Uhm, yeah. I suppose he is.¡± then she realised what she had said and cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, not that he is a liar, uncle, he is your unc¡­ can you step back, please?¡± she said in a hushed whisper to Maxwell Can, who was still crouching close to them.


    He smiled and stood up as Reyona realised that her guess was right after all. She was feeling ufortable because he was breathing down her neck.


    Idiot.


    ¡°Hi, Mr. Rohan. I have heard such wonderful things about you¡­.. Yes, I know you have met my colleague, but she is ill today and, since we can¡¯t put things on hold, I was asked toe in her stead¡­. Yes, of course, here is my ID. I am so honoured to see you today. I can assure you that they would be in wonderful, wonderful hands. Yes¡­¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes at the syrupy voice and irritating halfughs that the woman was directing at Maxwell as he asked her questions in his cold, curt tone.


    She ignored them and turned her attention to the boy who had seemed to find something of interest in her pearl ne.


    The gesture reminded Reyona of how Leah had toyed with her hair the first day they met. As if she was right there, she could almost hear the bubbling voice as the girl called her pwety.


    The surge of moisture behind her eyes made her close her eyes for a moment, so she wouldn¡¯t have to make a fool of herself in front of him.


    ¡°Are you sleeping? You are sleeping, silly!¡± Junior said excitedly as if he had caught her at something.


    Reyona¡¯s mncholy was forgotten as she smiled suddenly and said ¡°I shouldn¡¯t do that. I know, I am sorry.¡±


    As Junior grinned, she leaned over to pick up the ball that had rolled out after the boy and handed it to him. ¡°Like I was saying, he is your uncle.¡± When she saw the disagreement on Junior¡¯s face and the boy opened his mouth to argue further, she said ¡°I know. It isplicated. We¡­you can discuss itter. For now, let¡¯s talk about what you were doing down there.¡±


    ¡°Hiding,¡± he said emphatically. ¡°Mary was not supposed to find me.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Mary¡¯s sniff behind Reyona was not helping matters. ¡°Why were you hiding?¡±


    ¡°Her! I don¡¯t want to go with her! Ally doesn¡¯t want to go with her!¡±

 I Hate Her Too

    Reyona supposed she wouldn¡¯t want to go anywhere with such a woman.


    ¡°Would you prefer to go with the otherdy?¡± Reyona asked.


    Before he could respond, the woman had moved forward with her click-cking heels. ¡°Really, this is not necessary. I have seen¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Feathery, is it?¡± Maxwell asked in a forbidden tone.


    ¡°Featherington. udia Featherington.¡± the woman dered self-importantly.


    ¡°Good. Please, shut up.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ hmm. I mean¡­¡± Maxwell¡¯s look was enough to shut her up.


    When she got no encouraging look from Mary or Cliff either, she humphed and grumbled. ¡°Very well, then. Please wrap this up. I have other things to attend to.¡±


    Then she click-cked out of the kitchen, almost brushing against Mary and her husband.


    Finally, ¡°So, do you want to go with someone else?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go at all. I want to say here! I want to stay with grandma! I want grandma and Leah toe home but Ally says they can¡¯t. I wanted to go home, but Ally said Mum and Dad didn¡¯t want us anymore. She says we have to go to the government. I don¡¯t want to go to the government. I want to stay here! Mary makes good cookies. The government won¡¯t make cookies!¡±


    The confused outrage on the boy¡¯s face was enough to pierce through Reyona¡¯s crumbling armour.


    She drew him closer and hugged him tightly. ¡°I am sorry. I am so sorry¡± she said over and over again without even knowing what she was apologizing for.


    She firmly held her tears back because she knew that was not what the boy needed at the moment.


    She pulled back from the hug, faced the boy, and lied.


    ¡°I need you to know that your dad and mom still want you. They just can¡¯te to get you at the moment, but they love you so much. I am sorry, but you will need to go to the government for now. Your mom and dad are going toe back, and they will take you out of there.¡±


    Junior gave it serious thought and asked ¡°When are theying?¡±


    Reyona swallowed hard and said ¡°Very soon. As soon as possible, okay?¡±


    Junior nodded without conviction as he asked earnestly ¡°Will youe to see me and Ally at the government house?¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t lie to him about that. So she simply said, ¡°I will make sure that your dad and mume to get you soon.¡±


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t want to go with thatdy, I can take you,¡± Maxwell said as he crouched beside Reyona again.


    Grateful that he butted in before Junior asked her more questions, Reyona nodded and asked with a smile. ¡°You will like that, right?¡±


    Junior only looked at Maxwell like he was about to disagree.


    Mary swiped at her face as she came forward and said ¡°I already packed some cookies in your bag, but I will get you some to munch on your way, okay?¡±


    ¡°Will you give Ally too?¡± he asked eagerly.


    ¡°Of course, of course. Come wash your hands first, okay? Then you can¡­¡±


    As Junior hurried after Mary, Reyona only stared ahead and wished she could just be all alone at that moment.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Maxwell asked for the second time that evening. ¡°I know this is a weird situation for you to be right¡­¡±


    Reyona looked at him as she said briskly, ¡°I am fine. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said as they both straightened.


    Cliff looked at them, smiled wryly and went after his wife.


    They heard Junior calling Allysyn to tell her that he had got some cookies for her.


    Reyona wished his exuberance and liveliness would never be curbed.


    She felt Maxwell¡¯s gaze on her and quickly left the kitchen.


    She ignored his footsteps behind her and watched as Allysyn collected the cookie without much enthusiasm.


    Mary started crying as she moved forward to hug the girl.


    Allysyn stood still for a moment, then she sluggishly raised her free hand to pat Mary¡¯s back.


    Reyona remembered all that Junior had learned through his seemingly quiet sister. She sure had a lot to say. Not just to any of them.


    ¡°What is going through her mind?¡± Reyona wondered as the girl disengaged from the hug and went to pick up their bags.


    ¡°Let me do that, kiddo¡± Cliff said eagerly, as if happy that there was something he could finally do.


    The social worker was seated in her car with her hand on the steering wheel. All that was left toplete the picture was for her to st the horn.


    Reyona shook her head at the amount of dislike she had no idea she could have for someone she had only interacted with minutes ago. Yes, she had seen her once before but Reyona had spoken with her colleague, the cause of all this, that day.


    What a fine time for the woman to fall ill!


    Reyona suddenly grabbed Maxwell¡¯s hand as he was about to head to his car. He looked at her in surprise, and she suddenly dropped his hand as she realised what she had done.


    With her head inclined towards the direction of the woman, she said ¡°Get her off their case.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said so readily and simply that she looked at him.


    She must have had a questioning look on her face because he said ¡°I hate her too.¡±


    Reyona had no idea she smiled until he said while passing, ¡°Oh, look at that. Miss Dexter smiled at me.¡±


    As she turned away in embarrassment, her eyes met with Allysyn while she still had the remnant of the smile on her face.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She took a step towards the girl, but thetter had already turned away from her and was following Cliff to Maxwell¡¯s jeep.


    The social worker¡¯s protest was hushed with one statement from Maxwell as he settled the kids in his car.


    Junior waved again and again at everyone.


    He even reminded Mary to tell his football friends that he wasing back soon.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± Reyona wondered if she had done more damage than good with that promise.


    Allysyn only kept looking forward without so much as a wave.


    Just when Reyona was beginning to wonder if there was something seriously wrong with the girl, she saw her kneel on the backseat where she sat.


    And waved.

 Fraternising With The Enemy

    Business was good.


    ReyDexter was doing so well that Reyona was beginning to give serious thought to what she had had in mind before the scandal.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The thought of expansion.


    She even told her top executives about it, and they felt they could pull it off with their strength at the moment.


    Reyona and Sehima Hasanova had be more than just business partners; the savvy, world-ss woman had be a mentor versus a consultant to Reyona about certain things.


    All the questions the woman asked fitted perfectly with ReyDexter¡¯s strength at the moment.


    Then Sehima asked her onest question. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    That was when Reyona realised that the easiest questions at times might not have the easiest answers.


    Was she ready?


    It was easier for her to admit to herself that she was restless than it was for her to answer such a simple question.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to also admit to herself that her restlessness had nothing to do with business.


    Over the past weeks, she had alternated through the rollercoaster emotions of being angry with herself, admonishing herself and telling herself that she was probably the most ridiculous woman on earth.


    If there was an association of jilted ex-wives anywhere in the world, she was sure they would have a field day with her case.


    Because it didn¡¯t matter.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many times she had told herself over and over again that she had nothing to do with those children.


    It didn¡¯t matter that she had reminded herself brutally how those kids hade to be in existence.


    It didn¡¯t matter how much she had reminded herself that she had been hurt partly because of them.


    Because all that had not stopped her.


    It had not stopped her from thinking about them.


    After she watched them being driven away from couples who were heartbroken as though they had just lost their grandchildren, Reyona had been unable to sleep that night.


    She had tossed restlessly on the new sheets she had gotten for the new bed bought to rece the burnt one.


    She had switched the TV on and off before going to her home office, which still faintly smelled of fresh paint.


    She had not been able to do much before she headed for the bar.


    When she found herself reaching for the brandy that she had mistakenly restocked, she knew she had to upy her mind with something.


    Thus thinking, she headed to the library and reached for thetest book she had gotten to add to the collection of novels she hardly read.


    She looked at the confident-looking man on the cover of the book The Grand Patriarch Is Back by Kabirat Aleem, and wished she had half of the confidence that the man was showing.


    Though she was not much of a leisurely reader to be sure if she had a favourite, she doubted if she would like a male-led story.


    Funny enough, it was able to quiet her mind for a while as she got engrossed in the life of a man who went to jail because of his fiancee only to get released on the day his loving partner was getting married to his nemesis.


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t end up in jail for the bastard¡± Reyona blurted out as she thought of the irony of picking a book that reminded her of her situation.


    That made her think of her promise to that trusting child.


    Where the fuck was her goddamned ex and his two-faced bitch?


    A thought came to Reyona¡¯s mind while she was seated in her library with the book bookmarked and set aside.


    What if they were together?


    The investigators have been searching for them separately without much result.


    What if Thomas had a hand in how Maxwell¡¯s sister had left the rehab centre?


    She was on the phone early the next morning to the investigators.


    She gave them new directives and informed them they should leave no stone unturned.


    In the meantime, she avoided all of Celia¡¯s antics to make sure she and Maxwell ended up at the same ce at the same time.


    She had also sessfully warded off his moves.


    She didn¡¯t want anything else to do with a lot of them.


    Though she had been unable to keep the thoughts of the children off her mind and she was doing extra to haul the asses of their parents back before the children got sucked in too deep, she had no intention of broadcasting it to the world.


    Nor did she want to fraternise with the enemy, so to speak.


    His number remained blocked on her phone as well.


    As it was, it was Celia who called her as she was doing FaceTime with Toria to show her the new addition she had added to the house.


    ¡°Toria, hold on. I will call you back¡± she said as she saw the calling through.


    ¡°Hi, Ce¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Beatrice. Maxwell said he needed to reach out to you. You need to unblock him, girl.¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes. ¡°Seriously, he is getting you to be his errand girl now?¡± Reyona asked before she could stop herself.


    ¡°Ouch, that hurts, but then. I don¡¯t care. I think I would make a pretty errand girl.¡±


    Reyonaughed as she said ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. Please stop¡­¡±


    ¡°He said it was about Allysyn.¡±


    The smile on Reyona¡¯s face died instantly.


    *******


    Reyona tossed her key to the hospital valet who offered to help her park her car in the right spot and rushed off towards the paediatric part of the general hospital.


    She barely heard the man¡¯s call, ¡°Please, ask for your key at the front desk on your way out¡± before she got out of earshot.


    She had no idea what she was going to meet, yet she was filled with dread as she remembered the little wave that girl had reluctantly given on her way to a ce that hadnded her in a hospital!


    Reyona med herself for not giving in to the urge she had felt over the past weeks to check up on them.


    Of course, she had reached out to the social centre against her wish and she even knew when they found a ce for them with a ready couple who are verified foster parents.


    All she had not done was speak directly to the kids.


    If only she¡­


    ¡°Woah, woah. Easy there¡± a familiar voice said as she ran into him.

 We’ve Got This

    ¡°It¡¯s you. Where are¡­I mean where is she?¡± Reyona asked anxiously as she tried to calm her breathing.


    ¡°Just down the hall,¡± Maxwell said with a keen look. ¡°She is stable now, okay? The nurse is with her. I was going to get the boy something. He wouldn¡¯t leave his sister.¡±


    Reyona looked past him towards the hall and said ¡°Oh, okay. Can I see her now?¡±


    Maxwell saw the anxious look on her face and said ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t youe with me to the cafeteria? The doctor should be done then.¡±


    The disagreement was instant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    ¡°The doctor won¡¯t let you see her yet. Would you rather stay here in the hall thane with me to get something for the boy? You can even help me to pick what he might like. I have no clue.¡±


    Reyona finally noticed that his hands were still on her arms, so she stepped back from him and said ¡°And why would I know that?¡±


    She wanted to walk past him and then remembered she had no idea which way led to the cafeteria. So, she raised her brows at him, and he smiled before pointing in the direction of the side door.


    They were both silent for a while as Reyona finally took in how she must have looked to him earlier.


    Wide-eyed and running around like a headless chicken.


    ¡°Sorry for running into you,¡± She blurted out in misced embarrassment.


    ¡°Why? I love it when you run into me, Miss Dexter. It beats you avoiding me all the time.¡±


    As much as she had a ready answer for that, she merely looked at him and swallowed her retort.


    She looked away from him when he smiled and said in the least using tone she could muster ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me what happened to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ We will have a meeting with their social workerter for a report, but from what I know, the girl nearly drowned.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s hand flew to her mouth in horror as her eyes darted towards the direction they wereing from like she wanted to return to ensure the girl was okay.


    ¡°She is fine now¡± Maxwell said emphatically, as if reading her thoughts. ¡°They are only doing a routine checkup at this point. Then they want to keep her today for observation.¡±


    ¡°Verified foster parents, my ass. What were they doing when she got so close to the wa¡­? Hold on, she can¡¯t swim? A girl of that age can¡¯t swim?¡± she asked hastily as they entered the cafeteria.


    The cafeteria was mostly empty at that time, and there were enough seats around.


    Maxwell guided her towards one as he answered her question.


    ¡°They think it was deliberate.¡±


    ¡°What? That is ridiculous! How can¡­?¡± the look on Maxwell¡¯s face stopped her. And she asked in a near-whisper. ¡°Do you think she can do that?¡±


    Maxwell pulled out a chair for her and went to sit in front of her.


    Only then did he answer her, ¡°The truth is, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know enough about them to know what they can do. Hell, I don¡¯t even know much about kids. I have stayed clear of them all of my life, and now this.¡±


    Reyona looked at him for a while before she said ¡°And I know about as much as you do or even less. Yes, I have been married for so long, but I have never been a mother. I have¡­ I am not even supposed to be here. I am not supposed to be involved with them like this. What did you think I was going to do when you called? Why am I¡­ what are we doing?¡±


    Maxwell held her hand to calm her down and she looked at him. ¡°We are here to get something for that boy, then we would find out what happened and do whatever is in our capacity.¡±


    When she wanted to withdraw from him, he held on and said ¡°You and I are the same type of people, Miss Dexter. We are not the type who walks away from the helpless. Irrespective of the circumstances, these kids need our help, and we just can¡¯t walk away. That is what we are doing here.¡±


    When Reyona sighed and covered her face with her free hand, he added, ¡°And I have not had the chance to say this before, but you are one exceptional woman, Reyona. Not many women in your shoes would be able to do what you are doing right now. It doesn¡¯t make you weak. It just makes you¡­¡± the pause made Reyona remove her hand from her face to look at him.


    She wanted toplete the statement by saying ¡°A fool? Is that what it makes me?¡±


    But the adoring look on his face at that moment killed the question in her throat, and she had to clear her throat before she could manage to raise her brows to him in question.


    ¡°¡­ you.¡± hepleted quietly. ¡°It just shows how uniquely different you are, Miss Dexter. I don¡¯t think any other woman can measure up to that.¡± hepleted, almost to himself.


    Then he stood abruptly, letting go of Reyona¡¯s hand that suddenly seemed devoid of something.


    ¡°Now that you are here. Help me out. What do you get a little boy that has got quite the mouth on him?¡± he asked with a grin.


    ¡°Veggies? Maybe some meat? Potatoes, I am sure some potatoes will be good for him¡± she finishedmely.


    ¡°You are not sure, are you?¡± Maxwell asked with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Not one bit¡± she admitted sheepishly. ¡°You can ask Celia. I am sure she would know that. She looked like the sort who would have researched every single thing that her child would do from infancy to puberty.¡±


    Maxwell chuckled as he said ¡°That sounds like Celia. You know what? We don¡¯t need her. We¡¯ve got this.¡±


    With that, he walked confidently towards the disys of meals in the showss where servers were waiting.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona peeled her eyes off his back and stared down at her hands as hisst statement echoed in her mind.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡±


    What exactly had she got?

 His Understanding

    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t get the Sanstons to take them back.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think we would want them to go back to such people who obviously have no idea of what they were doing?¡± Reyona snapped before the woman could properly finish her statement.


    The woman¡¯s look and Maxwell¡¯s little touch on her arm made her remember the situation they were in. ¡°Uhm, I mean, why don¡¯t they want them back?¡±


    ¡°They said she is problematic. You see, these people have been working with us for a while now. They currently have two other boys with them and there has never been such a problem. They were already thinking of calling us before the ident happened.¡±


    ¡°So, you also believe the girl is to me?¡± Reyona asked with a direct look at the woman.


    The woman looked ufortable as she looked from Reyona to Maxwell as if she was expecting a backup. Then she looked back at Reyona when Maxwell said nothing.


    ¡°See, ma¡¯am. I am not trying to apportion me here, but the Santons were very sure that they couldn¡¯t cope with her. And you saw her in there too,¡± she said helplessly.


    ¡°What about her brother? Theyined about him too?¡± Maxwell asked quietly.


    ¡°No, but he threw a tantrum when they didn¡¯t want him to follow her to the hospital. He wouldn¡¯t stay with them without her. They would have loved to have the boy. They said even their boys wanted him to stay, but since that can¡¯t work, they want to let the two of them go.¡± the woman looked at Reyona¡¯s expressionless face and said, ¡°I am sorry that this had to happen, but there really isn¡¯t much I can do right now.¡±


    ¡°What will happen to them now?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°We will have to take them back in until we can find a new home for them.¡±


    ¡°So, what is it? Just pawn them off to the very next verified people? They can¡¯t stay where they were because they are not family, but you can just put them anywhere you want because you think it is alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± the woman looked lost for words and stood up gently as she said ¡°I am so sorry, but it is how things are. I can only assure you that they will be in good hands.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly,¡± Reyona said with a scoff.


    The woman looked away from her unconvinced face and looked at Maxwell. ¡°Uhm, I am going to go now. The doctor said she would be discharged by noon tomorrow if you want to be here.¡±


    With that, she hurried away from the room the nurses had offered for their meeting.


    Reyonaid her head on the table with a deep sigh. ¡°I was rude to her, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I am sure she didn¡¯t see it that way,¡± Maxwell said automatically.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She raised her head and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t patronise me.¡±


    ¡°I am not. I really think something is wrong though.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡± Reyona asked in a tired tone.


    ¡°No,¡± Maxwell answered with a chuckle. ¡°Of course not you. I mean with the kid. You saw how she was earlier.¡±


    ¡°You mean the way she mmed up without saying anything?¡± Reyona asked with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She did not seem like one who talks much right from time,¡± she said, without much conviction.


    ¡°To the point of not talking about such an ident? She didn¡¯t answer a single question either. And what about Junior¡¯s yells of ¡°They are bad people¡± every time the Sanstons were mentioned in his presence?¡± Maxwell asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yeah, there is that,¡± Reyona said in thought, then she looked up at him as a thought came to her mind. ¡°But then what if he was just echoing what his sister had said to him? I remember he does that a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I notice that as well, but then you always know what his sister told him because he starts such a statement with Ally said¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, that is right though. So you think something happened in that house and the fucking Sanstons are not saying anything about it, the girl is not talking about it and Junior only knows that they are bad?¡±


    Maxwell nodded as he said ¡°I am sure he would have mentioned it if he really knew or if it was something he understood. That little dude doesn¡¯t have that much of a chill.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s smile didn¡¯t touch her eyes, and it was gone as fast as it came. ¡°You need to get your fucking sister back.¡± she blurted out.


    ¡°Sheath your ws, Miss Dexter. I don¡¯t need you to remind me of that, you know? I have been on it. I am also on the trail of your ex-husband too, you know,¡± he said as he folded his arms and looked at her. ¡°Which is also why I knew you were still searching for him. And that just brings a little question to mind. Are you still wishing to get him back and all can be forgotten, Miss Dexter?¡±


    ¡°Okay, hold on.¡± Reyona stood up abruptly as his question cleared all the sense of camaraderie she had been feeling towards him in the past few hours. ¡°Since when did you get to question me about anything? Are we that close? I will do what I want to do when I want to do it and for any damn reason that I want. You mind your business when ites to me. I am not your goddamn sister that you have to put in her ce.¡±


    She reached for her bag on the table, but Maxwell¡¯s hand was already on it.


    ¡°Get your fil¡­!¡±


    ¡°Look, look, I am sorry, okay? That was out of line. You are right. I have no right to ask you such a question. I am sorry.¡± he said earnestly.


    Reyona only stared at him as if gauging his earnestness.


    Her anger was gone as fast as it hade, she was suddenly tired and quite hungry too.


    She had no idea how, but there seemed to be a slight change of something between them.


    Could it be because of his understanding of her involvement?


    Maybe because she would have expected him to be the first person to point out her foolishness to her, yet this afternoon, he had managed to disarm her with his understanding.


    Or maybe it was just because of how tired she was at the moment.


    She just wanted to have a rest. Right after she had something to eat.

 Worthy Of Celebration

    ¡°Am I forgiven?¡± he asked with a sudden grin that he probably thinks made him look adorable.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said with a roll of her eyes. Then she tugged slowly at the bag he still had his hand on. ¡°Can I have my bag now?¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. Miss Dexter forgive me? This is worthy of celebration,¡± he said with exaggerated excitement.


    Reyona rolled her eyes again and carried her bag as he let go of it.


    ¡°To celebrate, let me treat you to dinner.¡±


    ¡°This again?¡± Reyona asked in an unimpressed tone.


    He raised his hand solemnly as he said ¡°I swear there is no hidden motive behind it. I just want to thank you foring, for putting up with my annoying self, and also you look like you could use a good dinner right now.¡±


    Though she was hungry, Reyona narrowed her eyes as she asked ¡°Are you trying to say I look hungry, Mr Rohan?¡±


    ¡°I would never say that to ady and expect to live after. But then you have been here all evening and, unless you have a superpower I don¡¯t know about, you couldn¡¯t have had dinner. What kind of man would I be if I let ady go home without feeding her?¡±


    Reyona did not trust his innocent appearance. Not one bit, but then she was too tired for any further argument.


    What could it hurt, right? Yes, she still didn¡¯t like him much, but then it was just a dinner, right? She was only going because she needed to eat.


    ¡°So, what do you say, your highness? The kids are settled in for the night, and you get to have a meal with a handsome man for the night. That can¡¯t be such a worse bargain, can it?¡± he turned his smile up a notch higher.


    ¡°Ah, ah, you must think you are funny, but I can assure you that you are not,¡± Reyona said with a roll of her eyes as she turned to leave.


    Then just a few paces away, she said ¡°Fine. Dinner it is then. Preferably at a ce where I can get some steaks. Can you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said emphatically as he followed her. ¡°And yes, I noticed that you did agree that I am handsome. Again.¡±


    Her scoff mingled with his chuckles as he opened the door for her.


    *********


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Reyona said with a sheepish smile as she looked down at the heavenly-looking creme brulee garnished with strawberries and ckberries.


    ¡°You know you want to,¡± Maxwell said as she stretched her hands towards the desert and made a gesture of blowing its invisible steam towards her.


    ¡°This is all on you,¡± she said as she gave in and inserted the spoon she had suspended over the dessert into it and scooped out a handful.


    She put it in her mouth and slowly drew out the spoon as she closed her eyes in ecstasy while letting out a low moan of rapture.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the glow on her face as she slowly chewed every bit of the savoury dessert.


    He swallowed ufortably as he said quietly ¡°Yeah, all on me.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes popped open, and she looked straight at him with such enjoyment that he had never seen on her face before.


    Holy shit. He wished he had known this was all it would take to have her look at him like that.


    He would have taken her to a ce like this a long time ago.


    Her tongue gingerly reached out to touch a bit of creme at the corner of her lips.


    Maxwell was certain that the chef had just opened the door that led to the kitchen and the degree in the steakhouse just went right up.


    Hell, he would have even baked her all the creme brulee she could ever have and¡­


    Then he remembered that he wouldn¡¯t have got her to go anywhere with him even the day before.


    Funny how things work. He wished he could¡­


    ¡°What?¡± her sudden question dragged Maxwell¡¯s mind off the dangerous path it was heading on.


    ¡°What?¡± he answered iprehensibly.


    She waved her finger over her face. ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡±


    The bit at the corner of her mouth was long gone and Maxwell was sorry for it.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    She gave him a weird look, then nodded towards the creme brulee in front of him. ¡°Well? You haven¡¯t taken a bite. You promised, there is no backing out now, you know.¡±


    Maxwell picked up his dessert spoon and dug in. ¡°Of course not. A gentleman always keeps his word. You look like you can take both though,¡± he said as she scooped another spoonful into her mouth.


    She narrowed her eyes at him as she chewed, and immediately she swallowed, she said ¡°You know what? I am going to ignore that and not take offence to the fact that you just implied that I am a glutton. First, the man called me hungry, and now he is calling me a glutton. Good going, Mr Rohan.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say¡­¡±


    ¡°And now he is about to call me a liar,¡± Reyona said before he couldplete his statement.


    ¡°Wha¡­ah, you know what. I had better eat this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you had better,¡± she said with a mock offended look that ended in softughter before she dug into her creme brulee again.


    Surprisingly, it was an enjoyable evening for both.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell had dered a rule as they both got down from their cars in front of the Spanish steakhouse that he had led Reyona¡¯s car to.


    They were not to talk about anything regarding what they just left behind while eating.


    They were only there to eat like two normal people.


    The next day was enough to think about what else to do.


    Reyona had agreed without an argument.


    Then she asked, ¡°Do they have seafood here?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. They have some nice¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep them all away from me, and we should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Maxwell said with a salute, then he tried his luck as he said ¡°Will this also be a good time to request that you please unblock my number? I should think we are something of friends now.¡±


    ¡°Then you will think wrong,¡± Reyona said with a smile. ¡°Are we going to eat or will I have to go home hungry after all?¡±


    With a mock grumble about difficult women, he stepped out of her way as the man opened the door for her.

 Marry Me

    Maxwell had been there before and the homey ambience of the steakhouse was one reason why he had brought her there.


    He just had a feeling that she would like it, and he didn¡¯t have to guess for long when he saw the appreciative look on her face as she looked around and took in the Spanish-themed decor of the steakhouse.


    Maxwell had already called the manager to reserve a table for him and the man was waiting for their arrival.


    He led them to their seat himself and assigned two waitresses to serve them as the VIPs they were.


    The manager had barely left their table when the waitress came back with a bread basket, the steakhouse¡¯s specially made butter and pickled veggies.


    Reyona thanked them andmented on the crispiness of the fresh oven bread even before she started eating it.


    Maxwell signalled to the waitress to strike out seafoods before thetter listed out their specials for the day.


    Eventually, Reyona settled for their Chateaubriand steak with some tartare, patatas bravas, wedge sd and cocktail.


    They listed out the dessert they had too and though he could see that she would like to have some, she was reluctant about it.


    So he made a joke about people who blew up overnight from eating dessert, then dared her to prove him wrong that she was not one.


    Of course, he was certain that a woman like her wouldn¡¯t back down from a direct dare like that, but then she had flipped it right back on him as she said he had to have the dessert too.


    Maxwell quickly used that chance to say ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t a problem at all. On one condition, though.¡±


    ¡°What kind of logic is that? What condition?¡± she asked while trying to hold in her smile.


    ¡°You will unblock me, right here and right now. And promised never to block me again.¡±


    He had thought she wouldn¡¯t take him up on it. Even though he wished so badly she would ept it, he didn¡¯t show it.


    He even managed to look nonchnt as she red at him and the waitress was pretending so hard not to hear a thing.


    Then finally she said, ¡°Fine. After you eat it.¡±


    Maxwell almost jumped out of his seat in ecstasy though he merely nodded coolly and said ¡°I always keep my promise.¡±


    The Spanish chef came out with the waitresses to serve them their meals, and it didn¡¯t surprise Maxwell much to see that she could speak Spanish fluently.


    He was enjoying the animated look on her face until the chef had smoothly lifted the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it while saying, ¡°Es un honor para mi queas unaida que preparo. eres hermoso¡±


    It is my honour to have you eat a meal I make. You are beautiful.


    Maxwell was sure his fist might have honoured the affable man¡¯s face if her hand had lingered in his for a moment longer, but luckily for him, the chef returned to his cooking immediately.


    The evening had proceeded wonderfully since then, and it reminded Maxwell of the rare moment he had once had with her at the club.


    How he wished things could be this simple between them.


    While he still had the chance, he asked while she was taking thest bite of her creme brulee. ¡°Now, it is time for you to fulfil your promise.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and looked at his half-eaten dessert. ¡°You are still on it.¡±


    ¡°And I promise to finish it but pardon me if I say I am not so confident that you will keep your end of the bargain. What if you decide to back out after I finish all these loads of calories?¡± he goaded her.


    Instead of responding with her customary retort, she simply lifted her phone, pressed a button and turned it towards him.


    ¡°Good,¡± he thought.


    Then he said ¡°Thank you, though I would have preferred that you changed that to Maxwell or Max instead of Mr. Rohan, you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck,¡± she saidzily as she leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± he said.


    Then he went right ahead to say what he had not even dared to think much about.


    ¡°I know I made the rule that we shouldn¡¯t discuss it, but since we are technically done eating, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said.


    Reyona rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Of course, you will make a rule just to break it.¡±


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t even smile because of the sudden apprehension he was feeling about what he was about to say to her.


    ¡°I think I know what else we can do to solve the issue about these kids,¡± he said.


    The satisfied look on Reyona¡¯s face vanished as she leaned forward and said ¡°What? Something apart from getting their parents back?¡±


    Without missing a beat, Maxwell looked straight at her and said ¡°Yes. Marry me.¡±


    Reyona was certain if she was still eating, she sure would have choked on whatever was in her mouth.


    Surely he must be joking, right?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Who would have thought that a man like him had such a sense of humour?


    While she stared at him, he raised a half-spoonful of his creme brulee towards his mouth. Then halfway to his mouth, he ced it back in the bowl and asked straight-faced. ¡°So what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡­you are serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am. You see, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°You are mad. Very. I didn¡¯t realise it before, but I can see it now.¡± Reyona said as it became clear to her beyond doubt that he was not joking.


    Not even a hint of his roguish smile was on his face at that moment.


    She was already reaching for her bag when he said with urgency, ¡°Listen. Please, listen to me for a moment, okay?¡±


    Already half-standing, Reyona sat back so as not to attract attention.


    Keeping her temper on a tight leash, she said through gritted teeth. ¡°You have a minute to exin, and it starts now.¡±

 No One Else

    ¡°Listen, I just think that the problem here is mainly because I am not married. I get to keep those kids if I am married, but they said my bachelor status doesn¡¯t make me eligible to keep them, family, or not. And I know you want them to be in good hands too, right?¡±


    Instead of responding, Reyona looked at her watch to show her impatience to leave.


    ¡°I mean it does not have to be real. It will just be on paper until they let me have custody of the children. After that, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh great. And now he wants me tomit a crime too. Good.¡± she stood abruptly and snatched her bag off the table.


    ¡°Rey¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep your insane ideas far away from me,¡± she said in a deadly low tone as she tried her best to reel in the instinct of tossing the bag right at his head.


    Right after dunking his face in his brulee.


    She was almost out of the steakhouse when she remembered that she had not offered to pay.


    Though she did not like the idea of owing him for anything, she was too angry to go back.


    For all she knew, she might dunk the remaining cocktail in front of him on his head, then top it off with the half-eaten brulee.


    What a crazy idea! She fumed on her way home.


    Where the hell does he get his crazy ideas from?


    To think she had even begun to enjoy herself in hispany.


    She should have known that the evening was going too well forfort.


    She had been right about him right from the time.


    He was nothing but a rogue! A criminal! A¡­ marry him?!


    What kind of man would have such a ridiculous thought?


    On top of that, he wanted her to be an aplice in deceiving the government!


    Imagine something like that got leaked to the media, and then herpany would be dragged right into it again!


    She knew how much effort and time was consumed to get herpany back on track and thriving.


    And now he wanted her to ruin all that because of a¡­ marry him?


    Reyona couldn¡¯t even bring herself to imagine the idea.


    Marry¡­ that asshole.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t know what it meant to build apany from scratch only to have it almost destroyed.


    Since all he seemed to do, was to waltz in and out of differentpanies buying shares and part-owning them.


    He probably got all that money from crime!


    Not that she had any interest in his financial resources.


    In fact, she had no interest in knowing much about him.


    Even the little she knew was enough to make her know that she wanted nothing to do with him.


    The information about his staggering worth had only been identally discovered.


    Yet a man who could casually talk about a crime was one she wanted absolutely nothing to do with!


    As she drove home in a fit with her hands tightly cinched around the steering wheel, Reyona thought about every other thing that her mind could snag on.


    Anything at all that could fuel her anger towards his ridiculous proposition.


    Anything but the one thing she couldn¡¯t bring herself to think of.


    How she had felt when he made that unexpected statement.


    And the possibility of it.


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


    The short yet punishing session that Maxwell had in his exercise room did nothing to calm him down.


    He med himself for hisck of tact.


    He was so mad at himself for ruining such a beautiful evening.


    She had been so agreeable all evening.


    He had even made herugh and smile in turn.


    Their conversation had been quite satisfactory too.


    Just like the other day at the club.


    She was few of the women who could match him in intelligent conversation, and her wittiness was just the perfect addition too.


    She held her own when it came to any discussion.


    She didn¡¯t like backing down from challenges, and she challenged him at every turn.


    Maxwell admitted to himself that she made him nervous even when he had never thought that was a thing that could be possible.


    Herpany was always so enjoyable that he never wanted it to end, even when she was scowling at him and made it clear that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.


    Yet that evening had been different.


    He had felt some change between them, and he had not felt as fulfilled in a long time as he felt because of herpliance.


    But then he had ruined it with his question.


    But even as he hit the punching bag for thest time and sat heavily on the bench in the hardcore exercise room, he knew there was nothing spontaneous about his statement.


    Yes, he had first had the thought when he saw how upset she was about the girl.


    His mind had gotten over itself as he quickly calcted what could be done and how it could be done.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to see that it could be doable.


    As silly as the thought of getting her to agree to it was, he knew he wanted no one else for the role.


    Fake marriage or not, no other woman would do.


    He had tried to talk himself out of it all evening, but with every smile, gesture and word of hers, the idea had subconsciously nted itself more and more in his mind.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    And he just knew he had to ask.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he muttered as the image of her angry yet controlled face appeared in his mind.


    He guzzled his water as he thought of the many women who would jump at the offer of having their name linked to his in any way.


    Fake or not, he wouldn¡¯t have to lift a finger to get enough women vying for the position.


    Yet all he could think of was a certain chestnut firebrand.


    He wanted no one else but her.

 You Are Mine

    She shouldn¡¯t be doing this.


    Reyona¡¯s mind fought and repelled hard at what was happening to her body.


    Yet its protests were swept under as another wave of sensation rocked her body.


    She was lost when he whispered in her ear.


    His hot breath trailed her earlobe as he said ¡°Sshh. Just let me take care of you.¡±


    Who told him she needed to be taken care of?


    How¡­


    Her mind went under again as she felt hot warmness around her lobe as he teased her ear with his tongue.


    He shouldn¡¯t be¡­


    Then he pulled her ear into the warm crevice of his mouth and sucked on it.


    It was fleeting, yet the sensation rocked throughout her body to the soles of her feet.


    Since when did her nerve end¡­


    ¡°You think too much. We have to change that,¡± he whispered with a chuckle as he kissed his way down the side of her face to her neck.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe her tiny disappointment that he had not gone for her mouth.


    Did she want him to¡­?


    ¡°I am going to take my time with you. I will treat every single inch of your body as it should be treated. Then I am going to worship you with my body.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, he was looking down at her body with such a rapture on his face. ¡°You are so beautiful. You are my dreame true.¡±


    As much as the look on his face doubly heated her, Reyona tried to cover her body with her arms and gasped as she realised that she was naked.


    Her feeling was not helped by the fact that he was fully clothed.


    The friction of his cloth rubbed against her bare nipples made her so hot yet her mind wouldn¡¯t let her enjoy the sensations her body was sending to her brain.


    Typical! Why was she naked when he was fully clothed and¡­


    Her skin was tingling from where his mouth trailed down her side to the underside of her breast.


    At first, it seemed he was going to ignore the tantalising mound right in front of him while he went on doing whatever he intended to do.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe herself when she almost told him to touch her right there.


    Was it his¡­ of course, it must be his intention to drive her mad.


    He wanted to make her beg. Well, he¡­


    She was writhing so badly on the bed as he sucked, bit, andved at her stomach.


    Oh my. I¡­


    The breath got sucked out of her when he suddenly cupped her breasts.


    The weight of his strong firm hands around her breast was too much for Reyona.


    His eyes glistened above her as he moved upward again and she was not sure if it was triumph she saw in his eyes before he bent his head towards her hard nipple.


    Why was it so dark any¡­ oh shit.


    Her mind went under when he gently bit her nipple, then blew on it.


    Reyona was crooning in her throat as she strained to have him take her fully into his mouth.


    She unashamedly grabbed his head and tried to guide his mouth exactly where she wanted it but he only blew on her puckered nipples again, then chuckled as he whispered. ¡°One thing at a time, love. I am not going to miss a spot.¡±


    Reyona was going crazy as he pulled the flesh of the underside of her breast into his mouth and sucked at it as his life depended on it.


    Suddenly his other hand was moulding and kneading her other breast while he kept kissing and sucking the other.


    Every part of her breast was on edge from the warm wetness of his mouth.


    Every part but her nipple.


    Just when she thought he was going to do it, he simply shifted to the other breast and repeated the process while kneading the breast he just left.


    Reyona¡¯s legs were wrapped around him at this point.


    She didn¡¯t care that she was going to regret thister.


    At this point, she wanted him so badly that she could hardly breathe.


    She strained her nipples towards his mouth again and almost wept with relief when he cupped her breasts together and rubbed his tongue across the two nipples at once.


    Reyona felt a gush of wetness in her clit as he finally pulled one of them into his mouth while rubbing, pinching and pulling at the other with his fingers.


    He sucked her so hard that Reyona was certain she was going tobust at any time.


    The pleasure building in her was so huge that she tried to escape it.


    Yet he wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    His chuckles sent a current of sensations through her body and it was like a promise of more toe.


    She wanted to touch him so badly.


    His bare skin, not his cloth-covering body. She wanted to run her hand all over him.


    She wanted to drive him crazy the way he was doing to her.


    She wanted to make him feel the way he was making her feel.


    ¡°Get rid of your clothes¡± she whispered urgently after she had tried to pull them upwards but his arms kept blocking it.


    She let out a low moan as he moved to her other breast and his free hand moved downward.


    He sent her into a frenzy again with the way he teased her waistline then he cupped her vagina and flicked her clit with his thumb.


    Just like that.


    Reyona came heavily as the waves crashed through her so powerfully.


    She was left breathless and heavy-limbed as she looked up at him dewy-eyed and said ¡°I want to feel all of you. Take it off.¡±


    He looked directly into her eyes and said ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    She could only manage a nod and he rose above her to pull off his ck shirt.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes closed dreamily in anticipation of what was toe.


    ¡°You bitch!¡±


    Her eyes jerked open at the sound of the familiar, hate-filled voice.


    Reyona¡¯s blood ran cold as she saw Thomas in ce of Maxwell.


    In disgust and fury, she yelled ¡°Get the hell off me!¡±


    Her palms connected solidly with his naked chest but it was like trying to push a rock.


    ¡°I see you found a recement so fast. Well, guess what? You owe me! You are mine¡± he said with a face twisted with so much hatred that it momentarily knocked the breath out of her.


    A cackle sounded from somewhere in the room, just as Thomas raised his fist with the yell. ¡°Bitch!¡±


    Reyona jerked out of dreams with the horrible cackling sounds in her ear.


    It took her a moment to realise she was in her room and daylight was seeping in already.


    Sweating and breathing heavily, she looked around disoriented for a moment.


    ¡°Oh my God. Oh my God.¡± she covered her face as she finally realised that it had been nothing but a nightmare.


    Even as she marvelled at the content of her dreams, she could feel it.


    An unmistakable stickiness between her legs.


    She came in her dream!

 I Like It! I Like You!

    Her name-detecting software showed that the number was an official government number.


    Reyona tried to remember if she had given any of her clients in that sphere her direct number.


    That didn¡¯t seem likely unless¡­


    Reyona picked up the call just as the only possibility clicked in her mind.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said immediately after the call connected.


    ¡°Hello, Is this Ms. Dexter?¡± a strange voice inquired.


    ¡°Yeah, that is me. Who is this?¡± Reyona asked.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I am sorry to bother you, ma¡¯am, but Miss Macay said I can reach out to you if something like this happens.¡±


    ¡°Something like what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry. I didn¡¯t introduce myself. I am Anna, and I work at the Emergency Foster Home. I am in charge of Allysyn and Junior for the moment, but then, I am sorry, ma¡¯am, for bothering you, but well, she said I could call you.¡±


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t tell me what happened,¡± Reyona said as she unconsciously rubbed her temples.


    ¡°Uhm, the girl has been really quiet for days now. She doesn¡¯t talk to anyone and just keeps to herself. I just found out through her brotherst night that she had not been eating much. She wouldn¡¯t answer my question, but then I caught her red-handed today when she was trying to sneak her food into the trash. Her brother thinks¡­ well, that is why I called.¡±


    ¡°I¡­uhm¡­I don¡¯t know. Is there something you think I can do right now that might change things? I mean, isn¡¯t there a way you can¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. I have been working here for a while now, and I have seen many of these kids show different reactions to being pulled from theirfort zones. Her brother, bless his heart, seems like the type that could adjust well in any situation, but it is difficult for the girl. I know what happened in her first foster home and I think she is just not ready yet.¡± she chuckled nervously as she said ¡°I am sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be saying this, but then we have to do what we have to do. This is just a temporary ce. She will need to leave here soon. I think a family has already taken an interest in having her and her brother and the arrangement should be done at most in a week. These are not foster parents who have experience with these kinds of kids. She¡­ I am sorry, ma¡¯am. I am going on and on. I just think you can maybe¡­e check on them or something or speak to them. Maybe you can find a way to convince her to do the right thing?¡±


    Convince her as what? Reyona thought helplessly.


    The people the girl wanted the most were nowhere to be found, and she was supposed to convince her. How?


    Hey there! Even though your deadbeat parents are nowhere to be found, I am your dad¡¯s ex-wife who couldn¡¯t keep her nose out of your business?


    Yeah, right. Just what the girl needed.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Are you there, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I am here.¡± She thought of the woman¡¯s suggestions and picked the safest. ¡°Yes, I will talk to them. You can put them on the phone.¡±


    As she listened to the woman calling the children in the background, Reyona racked her brain for the mostforting things she could say to two kids she had no business talking to.


    Especially the girl. How can she convince her?


    You need food in order to grow well?


    Yeah, that would work.


    ¡°Hello! Mummy, is that you?!¡± Junior¡¯s loud voice almost jarred Reyona¡¯s hearing.


    She winced not just because of the sudden noise, but also because the boy was expecting someone else.


    ¡°Uhm, no. This is not yours¡­ this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Bad woman!¡± he shouted with more excitement than he had done the first time. Before Reyona could say anything else, she heard him calling out to his sister. ¡°She called, Ally! I told her she would call. She promised!¡±


    Reyona was unaware of the smile that slowly crept onto her face just as she marvelled at the tenacity and innocence of a child.


    She had only made that promise because she couldn¡¯t bear to see his crestfallen face the day they were to leave the hospital.


    She had gone there very early that day to avoid a certain someone.


    That was when she made that promise, even as she called herself all sorts of names for lying to a child.


    Well, guess things worked out after all.


    Then, he was talking to her again as he continued. ¡°So, it was you?! I didn¡¯t know it was you! Anna called you Dekta! Anna was wrong. That is not your name! I have to tell herter.¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t help butugh quietly at his serious tone as if he would give poor Anna a lectureter.


    All of a sudden, her nervousness was gone, and she knew just what to say. ¡°Dexter, not Dekta, Junior. She called me Ms. Dexter because that is my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said solemnly. Then ¡°Do I have to call you Ms Dexter too? I can¡¯t call you bad woman again?¡±


    That cracked Reyona up again.


    She looked towards the door as Samantha knocked and ducked her head in.


    She motioned to her toe backter and returned her attention to her call.


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t call me a bad woman in the first ce. You shouldn¡¯t call anyone that. That is not a very nice thing to call anyone.¡±


    ¡°But da¡­¡±


    Fuck you, Thomas.


    She knew just what the boy was going to say, so she quickly interrupted him. ¡°Let¡¯s chalk it up to a mistake and agree that you will never call me that again, oak? Do we have a deal?¡±


    He was silent for a moment as if considering it, then he said ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t call you that again. Ally, I won¡¯t call her a bad woman again! It is not very nice!¡± he yelled out loud again, then lowered his voice. ¡°So, what should I call you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just call me Reyona, okay? That is fine,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Re¡­yo¡­na¡± he tested the words in his mouth, then dered, ¡°I like it. I like you. When are youing to see us? Ally said our mom and dad would nevere get us, but you wille, right?¡±


    ¡°How is your sister?¡± Reyona quickly asked. ¡°Can you get her toe to the phone?¡±


    ¡°Ally! She wants you toe to the phone! She is not answering me! Anna, Ally is noting to the phone!¡±


    As Reyona heard Anna¡¯s voice in the background talking to Allysyn, Junior lowered his voice and said in a conspiratorial whisper, ¡°She has been crying. She wouldn¡¯t let me tell anyone. She wouldn¡¯t let me tell Anna when she screamed in her sleep too. She screamed so loudly the other night and Anna came to ask, but she wouldn¡¯t say anything. And she wouldn¡¯t let me tell either.¡±

 Tough Luck

    Reyona¡¯s heart clenched, and she couldn¡¯t even make a joke that he was telling her though.


    ¡°Oh, she ising now!¡± Junior said excitedly. Then to Reyona ¡°Come visit us, okay? I think we will leave here soon. Take, Ally!¡±


    He was gone before Reyona could say goodbye and in the ce of his exuberant chatter was a disturbing silence.


    Reyona almost looked at the phone to see if it had already disconnected.


    But then she could hear Junior¡¯s voice as he talked to Anna or whoever was in the room with them.


    So, the connection was not the problem, she was just on the phone with someone who probably wanted to be as far away from her as possible.


    Well, tough luck.


    ¡°Are you going to hold the phone all day long without saying a thing?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    No response.


    ¡°I can tell that you are there. Talking is the point of being on the phone, you know. Unless you want to start a trend, of course.¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°Okay then, I will just keep talking until you are ready to respond,¡± she said, then paused, but when she heard nothing, she continued. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°I should have called earlier. I am sorry that I didn¡¯t call early. I have been¡­well, there is no excuse really. I am sorry.¡±


    Even the breathing on the other end seemed to be getting less and less audible.


    ¡°So, do you not like the food there?¡± Reyona said suddenly. ¡°Is anything bothering you? I mean, I can listen if you want to share.¡±


    Nothing.


    Oh, my. ¡°I think Junior is worried about you, you know. Anna too. Do you know why they are worried?¡±


    Reyona thought that would go unanswered too, but then Allysyn said quietly, with a snort-like sound. ¡°He cannot be worried about me. He is just a kid.¡±


    Oh, and you are not? Reyona thought as she felt unease at the lifeless, almost-adultlike tone she heard.


    She threw all caution to the wind as she asked worriedly ¡°Ally, is something bothering you? Is there something you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°What do you care?! You liar! Leave me alone!¡±


    ********


    ¡°Rey! What have you done?!¡±


    Reyona moved the phone away from her ear, then gingerly ced it back.


    ¡°Not helping, Toria,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not helping? Not helping?! Not help¡­ you dropped this on me out of nowhere and you expect me to what? Take it calmly and throw a celebration party? Reyona, what the hell?!¡±


    Reyona sighed as she removed her hand from her face and said ¡°Well, any other reaction would have been more wee.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry.¡± Toria¡¯s voice changed as she said sarcastically. ¡°I am sorry for not being supportive enough, sister. You have been lying to me¡­to us! And you want me to thank you for telling me this now?! Well, forgive myck of generousity, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is not fair. I did not lie. I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ just conveniently didn¡¯t say the truth? You made us believe you will never have anything to do with that ugliness again. You¡­how far has this gone? Since when has this gone on, Rey?¡±


    As guilt-ridden as she felt at the moment, Reyona knew there was no point in holding back now. ¡°Since the day I met Fiona,¡± she said in anticipation of the next onught.


    ¡°Who the fuck is Fi¡­ Fiona? As in the Fiona? You mean this started when I drove you to meet that woman? Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have taken you there that day. There I was foolishly believing you when you told me that she just wanted to catch up and give her condolences. How could I have been so stupid?!¡±


    Reyona was feeling worse at the moment. ¡°Toria.¡±


    ¡°Wait until Dad and Mum hear this. Mum is going to have palpitations. Do you know that she gets palpitations these days? This is going to send them right off the roof.¡±


    ¡°Toria? Toria, you can¡¯t tell them about this.¡±


    ¡°You still want to keep this from them for longer? What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, you need to calm down, okay? I can¡¯t tell them. At least not yet. What good will it do if I tell them now? It would just get them worried and they would think I have not moved on and¡­¡±


    ¡°And they would be right. You clearly have not moved on, Rey. How can you possibly get yourself involved with those kids? They are literally the reason for your ruined marriage!¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is not¡­¡±


    ¡°You are not about to lie to yourself that you don¡¯t resent them a bit for that, are you? Rey!¡± Toria said passionately.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ this is not their fault. They just happen to be caught up in all of this.¡±


    ¡°Just as you are caught up in this too. This is not your doing, Rey. You are not obliged to save those kids. Nobody expects you to. You need to let the fucking bastard and his bitch face the music of what they did. Stay out of their mess, Rey, please.¡± Toria¡¯s voice had lost its bite.


    Reyona wished she could just take the good-natured advice of her sister and just do what was best for her own mental health.


    She was sure she would be saying the same thing to her sister right now if the roles were reversed but it was toote. Her heart had done her in again.


    She can¡¯t turn away now.


    ¡°Actually, there is more,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°More than this? What else could be worse than this?¡±


    Reyona told her what Maxwell had suggested.


    ¡°He what?! I am going to kill him!¡± Toria said in anger. ¡°I am going to cut off his balls, then slowly wring his neck. I thought he was one of the good ones. How can he suggest such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I was so angry when he first suggested it too,¡± Reyona said slowly as conviction set in her heart solidly.


    ¡°Wait¡­wait, Reyona. What do you mean you were? Please, don¡¯t tell me that¡­¡±

 Name On Paper

    ¡°I am going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Reyona!¡± Toria called her urgently.


    ¡°I am sorry, Toria. I¡­I just can¡¯t look away. I don¡¯t know how and when it happened but these kids have be important to me in a way. I can¡¯t just look away now. I wouldn¡¯t look away if there is any way I can help anyone even if it was not them but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Reyona,¡± Toria said in a sympathetic tone. ¡°Do you think this is because they are Thomas¡¯s kids? Are you still hung on him, Reyona? You know you can tell me, right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona said emphatically. ¡°This is not because of him.¡±


    ¡°Then why would you do such a thing? This is going too far. How can you marry a man I don¡¯t even think you like because of kids that have nothing to do with you?¡±


    ¡°I just want to help,¡± Reyona said quietly.


    There was silence on both ends for a while, then Toria asked ¡°Do you think you might love him?¡±


    ¡°No, this has nothing to do with that. It is temporary and it is not even real. Once they have looked away and taken their eyes off the kids, everything would go back to how it was.¡± she said tonelessly.


    ¡°Oh, Rey,¡± Toria said in a heartfelt tone. Then she sniffed as she said, ¡°You know you are going to get hurt either way, don¡¯t you?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hurt? No, I am not. I already told you this has nothing to do with feelings. We would barely even see each other. All he needs is my name on paper and that will be all.¡±


    ¡°That goddamn bastard is the cause of all this!¡± Toria said as she started sobbing.


    ¡°Toria?¡± Reyona called her urgently as she felt her eyes misted over as well.


    ¡°This is all the fault of that godforsaken ex of yours! I hate him for putting you through all these. You would never have had to be thinking of doing something as sacred as marrying someone on fake terms. I know you, Rey. This is just not right.¡± her sobs were increasing at this rate.


    ¡°Toria, you don¡¯t have to do this, okay? Please, I am sorry for not telling you about how things have been right from time. I am¡­stop crying, will you? This is not so bad, you know. It is not like I am signing away my life. You can just see it as one of those times when we go to charity events and all that. This is just another way of helping. You would do the same.¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t fake-marry a man for anything!¡±


    Forck of a better thing to say, Reyona said ¡°I thought you like him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t dislike him. And I even thought there was something between you too, but not that I want you to marry him because of your cheating ex-husband¡¯s children! How crazy is that?!¡±


    ¡°It is temporary, Toria¡± Reyona could manage a smile as she realized that Toria¡¯s anger had stopped her initial sob.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You are still doing too much for them. Nobody should have to do this. Not you! And I just know you are going to get hurt somehow too!¡±


    ¡°You have a psychic ability now?¡± Reyona attempted a joke.


    ¡°Not funny,¡± Toria said emphatically.


    ¡°Okay, I am sorry.¡± Reyona said.


    Despite how she had been in a knot earlier before she finally decided to call her sister, her situation didn¡¯t look as dire as it seemed initially.


    Must have something to do with sharing what she had been harbouring from those who loved her.


    Her heart ached when she thought of her parents.


    ¡°Toria, we have agreed that you are not going to tell Dad and Mum, right?¡± Reyona asked gingerly.


    ¡°When is the fake marriage?¡± Toria asked instead of answering her question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. It will be very soon, I think. I have not told him about my decision yet. You are the first person I am telling.¡±


    ¡°Yay, lucky me,¡± Toria said humourlessly.


    Reyona ignored her jibe and said almost to herself. ¡°It should be between now and next week though. The arrangement for their new home will be between that time, so we will have to act fast.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. My sister is getting married in less than a week and I am just knowing.¡±


    ¡°Toria¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. Not real. Well then, I guess you will talk to the groom and then tell me when it will be?¡±


    ¡°Toria, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°What? Now, you don¡¯t even want me to be there for you on that day? First, I can¡¯t tell our parents that their daughter is getting married, and now my sister doesn¡¯t want me at her wedding?¡±


    ¡°Toria, you know for sure that this is not a real thing. We are just going to sign papers, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You will let me know the date,¡± Toria said firmly.


    Reyona knew there was an ¡°or¡± behind that statement. Since she was suddenly too tired to find out what it was, she simply said. ¡°I will let you know the date.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Toria said ndly.


    A pause.


    ¡°So, how is¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, you are not going to do that. We are not going to just slide on to another conversation like this is just a normal thing. Besides, I am still mad at you!¡±


    ¡°I already said¡­¡±


    The disconnecting tone was what greeted Reyona¡¯s statement.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Reyona stared straight at the fountain in front of her.


    She knew there was no point in calling her sister back right then.


    She was not only angry and hurt, she was scared for her.


    She leaned her head back and stared into the starry sky.


    ¡°Am I doing the right thing?¡± She asked out loud like she was expecting a sign from the universe.


    After looking unblinking at the stars for a while, she looked down at her phone again.


    Reluctance showed on her face but then she muttered. ¡°What will be the point in waiting?¡±

 I Will Make It Up To You

    ¡°Hi¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Reyona responded with a semnce of a smile and gestured at the space beside her on the bench.


    Maxwell sat, and they were both silent for a while.


    Reyona could feel his eyes on her, but she didn¡¯t look away from the cascading fall of water in front of her.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± he asked eventually.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Like I am about to sign my life away,¡± she said automatically.


    Then, still without looking at him, she waved her hand airily and said ¡°That was a silly joke. Toria must have influenced me,¡± she added with a dry chuckle.


    ¡°You told her.¡±


    ¡°I have to tell someone,¡± she said defensively. Then, before he could say anything, she continued, ¡°You do not have toe, you know. I already told you that.¡± she said, still without turning to him.


    ¡°I just wanted to see how you were doing,¡± he said, still turning to her.


    Reyona turned towards him, then she immediately wished she hadn¡¯t because there was something in his look at that moment that was not doing anything good for her.


    It also didn¡¯t help that the onset of her dream chose that moment to rear its head as well. She almost looked away from him in embarrassment but stood her ground as she said airily ¡°Well, I am ttered by that. As you can see, I am fine. Like I said, you didn¡¯t have toe.¡±


    His hand moved towards her like he wanted to hold her hands, but when she stared at the movement with a questioning gaze, he stopped and asked ¡°Why did you change your mind though?¡± He ran his hand through his hair before he continued. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve made it very clear this past week that nothing I do will make you change your mind, and suddenly you are on board? I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    Reyona shrugged as she said ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you need to understand me. You only need to know that I will do as you want and that is what matters. Let¡¯s go sign some documents, you get the kids to be in your custody, and we can all move on with our lives.¡±


    ¡°Why do you sound like that though?¡± Maxwell asked with exasperation.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Reyona asked innocently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ you sound like¡­¡± Maxwell stood up abruptly from the bench, tucked his hands in his pockets, and walked towards the fountain.


    Reyona firmly took her eyes from the direction it wanted to stray and turned her head away.


    Why on earth did everything he wore have to fit him so perfectly anyway?


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± he asked suddenly as he turned towards her with an inscrutable look on his face.


    Reyona has had it with him.


    ¡°Okay, you are the confused one right now. You brought the idea, and have been on my case for the past week with all your promises and all just to get me to ept it. By the way, I still think you are a big asshole for offering topensate me with any amount or asset that I want. That aside, here I am telling you that I would do it, and you look like you want to back out.¡± she tossed her hands up in the air as she stood as well. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    He gave her a long look as she stood there with her chest heaving from her sudden anger. He took a step towards her, then stopped abruptly.


    He clenched and unclenched his hand, then he turned away from her again.


    He turned towards her swiftly again. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Do you really want to do this? With me.¡±


    ¡°You really want the answer to that?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to do this. If my mind, conscience, intuition or whatever would let me be at rest if I just watched them go like that, do you think I would be doing this? I don¡¯t want my name attached to yours or have to lie to the authorities, but I already gave my word, didn¡¯t I? So, please stop asking me silly questions and let me know when we are doing this. The earlier this happens, the faster I can put it behind me!¡±


    She was breathing hard by the time she was done.


    She had no idea why his statement of ¡°With me¡± had bothered her so, but that was th truth of the matter. It bothered her. And she hated it!


    His eyes were hooded as he nodded and said ¡°I see. Will tomorrow be fast enough for you? I wouldn¡¯t want you to be around me for longer than you can tolerate.¡±


    Okay, why the hell was he making it sound that way?


    ¡°What time tomorrow?¡± she asked, even as she wondered how it could be that fast.


    ¡°Let me verify and reach back to you, okay?¡± he said gravelly


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I assume I will be able to reach you when I want to pass the message across.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at his reference to the momentary blocking she had done with his number again three days ago when he wouldn¡¯t leave her be. ¡°Of course, I am not an idiot.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just want you to know that I appreciate the fact that you are doing this.¡±


    ¡°I am doing it for the kids,¡± Reyona saidmely.


    She didn¡¯t know why she had to make that clear, but there was just something about the way he was looking at her that was in contrast with his tone.


    She wanted him gone as soon as possible.


    She wanted this over and done with.


    She¡­


    He walked towards her and suddenly stretched his hand towards her. ¡°I am looking forward to a happy cooperation with you, Ms. Dexter.¡±


    Reyona hesitated, but then she ced her hand gingerly in his.


    She almost sucked her breath in at the tingly sensation that raced from where their skins touched and coursed through her body.


    It didn¡¯t make things easy for her when he held on to her hand and said huskily, ¡°I am really sorry for proposing this.¡±


    Okay, what¡­


    ¡°I am going to make it up to you,¡± he said softly while looking into her eyes.


    Reyona momentarily forgot that her hand was still in his as he asked ¡°Do you want me to give you a ride home?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s throat was suddenly too dry, or maybe it was her tongue that seemed not to know how to form the right words. She swallowed noticeably and said ¡°It is just a short walk. I am¡­ fine.¡±


    Before she could pull her hand out of his, he nodded and gently turned her hand over in his.


    The continuous slight brush of his thumb over her sensitised skin was something she had to tell him to stop too.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    He ced a lingering kiss on the back of her palm and immediately let go of her hand.


    ¡°I will see you tomorrow, Reyona.¡±


    With that, he left her.


    Reyona stood still in the same spot for a while as her momentarily nk mind filled with cascading thoughts all of a sudden.


    A look of disbelief was evident on her face as she slowly lowered herself back on the bench.


    She ced her hands on her face with a rushed sigh of ¡°Oh my God¡±

 When Was The Last Time?

    ¡°Toria!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think you were going to do this without me, did you?¡± Toria said as she hugged Reyona tightly.


    ¡°How was your flight? You should have called me, so I could pick you up¡± Reyona said impassionately.


    ¡°It was fine. That is not important right now. You know you can still back out of this madness, don¡¯t you?¡± Toria whispered to her.


    ¡°Toria¡± Reyona said, filled with gratitude and love for her sister.


    She had no idea Toria would still be able to make it down there despite the short notice.


    She had told her that she need note, but until that moment she did not realise how much it meant to her that she had a family there with her.


    Celia and Andrew were there with them as witnesses. After all, there might be some questioning on the part of the government.


    What would be the point of their deception if they couldn¡¯t do it right?


    Yet Reyona was so d that her sister could be there with her.


    She hugged her back as she suddenly felt overwhelmed with inexplicable emotions.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Rey,¡± Toria said in a worried tone as she felt the change in Reyona¡¯s body, but Reyona shook her head as they separated and smiled to reassure her.


    ¡°Guess we are doing this,¡± Toria said beneath her breath, then red at the man behind Reyona as she said, ¡°Did you tell him that I just might murder him in his sleep for suggesting this craziness?¡±


    Celia snorted inughter before she could control herself. She raised her hand as they all turned to look at her. ¡°Sorry. Sorry, I just¡­¡± she closed her mouth with the other hand to stem herughter.


    ¡°I think what my wife wanted to say was that her hormones¡¯ are acting up again,¡± Andrew said as she stepped forward, then he stretched his hand towards Toria. ¡°Hi, we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do, and I can¡¯t believe you also¡­¡±


    ¡°Toria¡± Reyona called urgently beneath her breath.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Toria said, then with a ssy fake smile, she epted his handshake.


    Then she turned to re at Maxwell. ¡°Are we going to get this madness started anytime soon?¡±


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± Maxwell said with a half-smile that Reyona didn¡¯t think was wise in the face of her sister¡¯s iling re.


    Toria surprised them all by sidling to Maxwell¡¯s side with her arm curved and outstretched towards him.


    Without missing a beat, Maxwell took her arm and they led the way.


    Reyona heard her sister¡¯s harsh whisper ¡°You had better be sure you have this under control, or I swear if she gets hurt again, you will have more than cut-off balls to worry about.¡±


    Reyona didn¡¯t hear Maxwell¡¯s response as she felt Celia¡¯s arm around her back.


    Thetter had finally gotten her mirth under control. She looked at the two going in front of them and said ¡°I like your sister. I wish I had one like her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am very lucky,¡± Reyona said with feeling.


    ¡°Look at that. That is the first one I have seen this afternoon, you know.¡±


    ¡°The first what?¡± Reyona asked in surprise as she looked at her.


    ¡°Your first smile. Don¡¯t look so morose. You are doing such a noble thing. Things will work out fine. Remember if anything should go wrong, your sister would rip Maxwell¡¯s balls off. That should be a constion.¡± Celia said with such infectiousughter that Reyona couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    In no time, the municipal clerk was stamping their marriage certificate.


    It was done.


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


    Toria and Celia threw her what they call her bachelor-sh-after wedding party.


    When she reminded them that they were being silly over a fake arrangement, they told her to humour them.


    Toria had stopped scowling and ring at Maxwell halfway into the arrangement and her genuine smile had helped to bolster Reyona when she started getting nervous.


    She knew she had no reason to be nervous, she was certain that this would be over soon, and she would forget it and move on with her life.


    She knew all that in her head, yet she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling in her heart.


    A mixture of unease, apprehension and fear.


    Immediately they stepped out of the registry, Celia collected her husband¡¯s car key and told the boys to go have their fun.


    Then she drove them to a boutique close by.


    Reyona did not bring her car anyway.


    She had been so careful about being seen by anyone who might recognise her that she decided to leave her car behind.


    Toria also took a cab to the registry straight from the airport, so they all drove in Jordan¡¯s car.


    Celia proceeded to tell the manager of the boutique that Reyona was the celebrant of the day, and she was not allowed to raise a finger.


    Before she knew it, champagne was being popped and the overattentive attendants whisked out caviars like they had been expecting them before.


    Then Celia and Toria rejected every conservative dress she pointed at and went ahead to pick out the craziest lingerie and outrageous dresses ever for her.


    ¡°The fact that it is fake doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t fantasize about having hot sex while you are dressed in this¡± Toria whispered to her. Then she looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°That reminds me. When was thest time you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Reyona said in a threatening tone, as she knew where her sister¡¯s statement was heading.


    Toriaughed and sauntered off to pick up yet another ridiculous wear that looked more like thin straps of rope attached.


    Her sister¡¯s statement made that bothersome dreame to her mind again.


    Her mind was conveniently forgetting how that dream ended, and it seemed hellbent on torturing her with its beginning.


    Soon they had her poured into a red strapless jumpsuit that moulded her curve to the tee.


    Reyona¡¯s protest went unheeded, and she was amazed when a makeup artist was waiting for her as she came out of the dressing room.


    The woman artfully made her face up and treated her hair with sweet-smelling oils before she meticulously brushed her hair and arranged it in a way that had it teasing her bare shoulders.


    Bloodred stiletto heels were worn for her by the attendants who were taking the instructions given to them a bit too seriously.


    Toria and Celia looked at her with scrutiny and looked at each other.


    They both squealed excitedly as they gave themselves a high five.


    ¡°You are on fire! Rey!¡±


    ¡°I bet Max would bite his tongue if he could see you right now¡±, Celia added.


    As if.


    They hurriedly entered the dressing room to change into what they had chosen as well.


    As much as Reyona didn¡¯t want to dere it out loud so as not to add to their over-the-top excitement, she turned towards the mirror to look at herself.


    She looked so damn good!


    ¡°I told you she loved it!¡± Celia called out to Toria, who was still in the dress as she came out.


    She had caught the smile on Reyona¡¯s face as she came out.


    Reyona turned to her with a shake of her head as she said ¡°Yes, you guys did a great job. I love it. Uhh, look at you¡± she said as she admired Celia¡¯s short beaded gown.


    ¡°Thank you. Drew will rip this off me tonight, but before then, are you ready for the best girl¡¯s night of your life?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s smile widened as Toria came out, and strutted in her getup for their admiration.


    ¡°You bet¡± she answered Celia.

 Some Consolation

    Maxwell was sure she was going to hate him more than she already did if she found out about this.


    If things were normal, this was a night he was supposed to be spending with his wife.


    Or otherwise, he should be at home doing what he wanted without worrying about getting mugged in a goddamn slum!


    Instead, he drove down an eerily silent street that was not made better by the fact that men in twos and threes hung around in doorways and around the corners.


    Of course, he was capable of defending himself if it came down to it, but he had rather not.


    In fact, he would rather be several miles away from such an environment if he had anything to say about it.


    But once again, duty had trapped him in its nasty grip.


    Maxwell was not feeling so charitable towards his dad at that moment.


    If he had not asked his man for directions earlier, he just might have thought he had taken the wrong turn after all.


    But then he could see the construction ongoing signs the man had mentioned down thene.


    It didn¡¯t look like any construction was going on, but the two yellow signs stood lined up like weary soldiers by the road and Maxwell took his gaze off the men lounging on the steps of another rundown house that seemed like a normal thing in that area.


    ¡°He had better be sure about this.¡± Maxwell thought in disgust as he took the turn right after the signs, and he could see who he was looking for down the road.


    As if he was not sure that Maxwell had seen him, the man dressed in a long-tailed ck coat, trousers and hat waved at him.


    Behind him was anky man in a brown hoodie and ripped jeans, who seemed like he was leaning against something even though he was standing.


    The man bared his teeth in a shark-like smile as he rubbed his hands together in glee while looking at Maxwell¡¯s car.


    Maxwell frowned at the covetous look in the man¡¯s slightly zed eyes as he stepped out of his car.


    ¡°Yeah, dawg. That is some cool shit!¡± the man¡¯s croak confirmed Maxwell¡¯s fear.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Leaving his car out there would be a foolish thing to do.


    After the man warned him about the area, he took the Pagani Zonda, which was the least of his cars, but then he still didn¡¯t fancy walking home because of an avoidable mistake.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have found a better ce, Roy?¡± Maxwell asked the private investigator.


    ¡°Oh, looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, now, Kit. Here you go.¡± The ck-garbed man said as he quickly interrupted the ze-eyed man¡¯s retort. He took out a small envelope from the fold of his coat and handed it to the man.¡±Remember what we discussed? This gentleman here is the one who paid for this and the former. Now, if his ride is still one piece when wee out, you are getting more.¡±


    The envelope disappeared quickly into Kit¡¯s pocket, then he looked at Maxwell, then back at the car as he said ¡°Alright, I gat you. You will pay extra though. I ain¡¯t know his toy was this hot. The guys would want a better constion. You know warram saying?¡±


    ¡°Keep your end of the bargain, and we will talk,¡± Roy said, and Kit shrugged.


    Roy nodded slightly at Maxwell and Kit exaggeratedly gave him a wide berth, as if he was afraid of staining Maxwell.


    Asshole. Maxwell thought as he followed Roy.


    From the corner of his eyes, he could see some mening up the street in their direction.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± he asked Roy, who led the way.


    ¡°Hundred percent, boss,¡± Roy said as he went towards the direction of a dingy motel that had a flickering light in front of it.


    The wooden que in front of the motel seemed to have been struck by something, and it was torn in half. The other half was long gone, while the only half standing on the head of its wooden pole only had the E that ended whatever the name was supposed to be, then motel.


    Roy stepped onto the porch of what could have easily been called E motel ording to its half-torn sign and said ¡°I know he didn¡¯t look like much, but Kit is a sort of leader here. His men found them too.¡±


    With that, Roy opened the creaking wooden door for Maxwell and Maxwell entered despite his reservations.


    The stale, stank air in the lobby of the motel was enough to make anyone gag.


    Almost immediately, he could hear the train-hooting sound of a snoreing from behind the counter.


    A massive man was sitting there snoring the night away.


    For a moment, his snoring stopped and Maxwell thought he was going to wake up, but he only sluggishly turned his head and resumed his hooting again.


    ¡°This way, sir. Please watch your steps.¡± Roy said as he preceded Maxwell up a narrow staircase.


    The dim lighting hanging overhead did nothing to illuminate the broken, cemented stairs properly and Maxwell understood the reason for Roy¡¯s warning before they got upstairs.


    Roy opened the first door facing the stairs directly and Maxwell had to momentarily cover his eyes because of the contrast of the lighting inside.


    He could see that Roy had taken his instructions seriously.


    The room was well-litpared to where they wereing from.


    Also, the sheets on the bed and some other things looked newpared to the scarred bedposts, dirty old smears, and drawings on the wall.


    The smell of detergent, new clothing, and medicine hit Maxwell¡¯s nose, and it was a wee smellpared to what had been assaulting his senses since.


    ¡°A woman came in to clean this particr room and Kit got some of his men to arrange things. The doctor just left. I made sure he was gone before you got here as you requested, sir.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes were already on the two figures on the two bunk beds that had been ced almost side by side.


    He moved further into the room as he looked at the stick-like figures in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you sure they are the one?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Very sure, sir. I made sure of it before I called you this afternoon. You might not see much of what they used to be there, but then they are even better now than when we found them.¡±


    So saying, Roy took out his phone, briefly scrolled through it, and turned it towards Maxwell.


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly zoomed into that particr picture. ¡°What the¡­ Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. God knows what sort of needles she has stuck in her skin over time. Those wounds were badly infected and pus was oozing out of the scabs. No needle on the man, but he was more wasted than she was. The woman and one other had to give them a good wash before the doctor could work on them. He had not stirred once, but he was breathing and the doctor said they should be fine.¡±


    Maxwell had moved closer to the bed at this point, and he doubted that fine was the right word to use for the two unconscious people on the bed.


    They were both hooked up to IV transfusion and the smell of medicine was stronger around them.


    The ragged clothes they had on in the picture were no longer on them and the new clothes on them seemed like drapes around their thin, emaciated bodies.


    Though the man¡¯s hair was dyed a bad shade of green and the woman¡¯s hair was ginger, Maxwell could finally feel a recognition as he looked closely.


    He shook his head at the absurdity of the whole matter and turned to leave.


    The bed rustled behind him.


    ¡°Nnngh. Nnngh¡± he heard as he turned back to see the lifeless yet ssy eyes of the woman behind him open.

 The Likes Of Kit

    Though seeing Kit seated on the hood of his car with different poses while one of the men took his pictures was not what Maxwell was expecting to meet outside the stuffy, foul-smelling motel, it was far better than the alternative that could have happened.


    ¡°Sorry I touched your car, dawg¡± Kit said unapologetically as he moved away from the car.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Maxwell could see the man was deliberately taunting him because of his first statement the other time.


    He ignored the man and entered the car.


    Roy settled the man and gave him some more instructions.


    Then he quickly joined Maxwell in the car.


    ¡°I am sorry that it took longer. I was just making sure we were on the same page. Kit has a mind to do what suits him best sometimes. Just making sure,¡± Roy said as he put on his seat belt.


    ¡°It is fine. So, are we good?¡± Maxwell asked as he started the car.


    ¡°Yes, sir. He would make sure nobody bothers them there, and they would only take the new things we get in there after they have been taken away.¡±


    Kit grinned and winked at him as the light shed on him and his men, but Maxwell simply ignored him and turned.


    Yeah, he knew their type, and he probably would have handled things better if he had not been so shocked and wary when he arrived.


    He drove faster than he did when he wasing. It was almost as if something was on his heels.


    Maxwell dropped Roy off at the bus stop and bade the man good night.


    The private investigator had not bothered toe with his car, which was a wise thing to do considering what could have happened to Maxwell¡¯s car if things had gone sideways.


    Maxwell unconsciously breathed the clean, fresh air in deeply to cleanse the stale air that seemed to have followed him out of that goddamn area.


    Maxwell suddenly realised one of the reasons why he had felt out of sorts back there.


    Those were the kind of ces he had stayed after he was forced out of his own home by Susan¡¯s mother.


    That was the kind of ce he had learned to fight to win.


    As scary as it seemed, he could almost see the semnce of what his future might have been in Kit.


    He felt such a rush of gratitude for Don for his impact on his life.


    Though he had made his way eventually, Don had been an important factor in the reason why he had not gotten sucked into that kind of lifestyle forever.


    Don had helped him when he needed it. Now was the time to pay that favour forward.


    Family or no family, he wouldn¡¯t stand around and let those kids get sucked into what might be a potential reason for them to end up like the likes of Kit.


    Yet, Maxwell knew beyond doubt that he was not going back to that ce.


    He just couldn¡¯t.


    That ce reminded him of an ugliness he wanted nothing to do with.


    His sick step-sister and the asshole didn¡¯t deserve that much.


    Left to him, they deserve nothing at all.


    That night, Maxwell¡¯s resolve changed.


    He knew he was no longer doing this just because of his father. His step-sister could go to hell if she wanted, but she wouldn¡¯t drag those kids along with her.


    Maxwell thought of just calling Steve, so he could hand the two of them over to the KDLEA.


    But then he remembered how easily Susan had escaped at first.


    There was also the pending issue that Steve talked about.


    If their suspicions were correct, she might end up in jail for the rest of her life.


    That delirious cr****ead who couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open for two seconds might as well confess to anything in her state as much as she was promised a whiff of c**e, so Maxwell knew he had to make her get better first.


    Though the two of them were scums that Maxwell would be happy to get rid of once and for all, he knew the kids would always want to see them.


    So, they had to get better first.


    The government rehab had failed when it was just one of them, so Maxwell thought of what else he could do.


    It came to him just as he realised he had taken the wrong turn and was on the road that led to Reyona¡¯s home.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± he parked by the roadside and swore out loud at the messiness of his mind.


    His subconscious nudged him with the thought ¡°Why not? You know you want to be with her the most right now¡±


    Maxwell shook his head and dragged his mind back to what he was thinking of earlier.


    First thing first.


    He pulled out his phone and dialled the number that most people who have dealings with her have no idea existed.


    The call was picked up on the second ring.


    Nothing but silence greeted him from the other end and Maxwell was not expecting otherwise.


    ¡°Hello, Don. I¡­¡±


    ¡°It is Serena now, remember? What do you want?¡±


    **********


    Less than thirty minutester, the call was disconnected.


    The weight on Maxwell¡¯s mind had lessened considerably.


    Despite Don¡¯s retort of ¡°I am not one of your men tomand, you know?¡±, she asked for the details in the same breath.


    Maxwell was certain that the deed would be done before the night was over.


    Don would handle those two so well that by the time he was done, those two would willingly seek sobriety.


    When the guilt of not telling Steve wanted to intrude on his mind, Maxwell reminded himself that he was going to tell him soon.


    He just wanted those idiots to be sane enough to at least recognise their kids first.


    Yeah, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was concerned that the implied allegations might be true after all.


    Nothing at all to do with that.


    Maxwell sent a message to Roy and set his phone aside.


    Then he stared towards the direction of Reyona¡¯s home.


    He looked at the time, and he could see that it was only a few minutes past eleven.


    They should be back at home now, right?


    Maybe they were still wherever Celia had in mind.


    Maxwell was d that at least one of them was enjoying themselves that night.


    Yet the urge to be with her was just so strong.


    He knew this was not a wedding like any other.


    It was nothing but a fake arrangement to which he had proposed.


    It was a different thing to know that in his head, yet his heart yearned for something else entirely.


    But then he knew he did not have the right.


    Not only was he nothing to her, but he had deceived her too.


    Maxwell¡¯s heart grew heavy as he thought of how much more she would hate him if she realised that they didn¡¯t have to do the fake marriage after all.


    She had only agreed because the children¡¯s parents were not around.


    When Roy called him that afternoon as he was getting prepared to leave for the registry, he had been filled with mixed feelings.


    Should he cancel the appointment?


    Should he tell her what one of his private investigators had found?


    They had been found unconscious in an alley.


    It had not taken more than a few exnations from Roy for Maxwell to know that finding those fools right now would make no difference to the plight of the children.


    It might even worsen it because it would give the ministry more ground to take the children away.


    Why on earth would they want the kids to be with two parents who couldn¡¯t even keep their eyes open?


    Maxwell had known that the best thing was to just go ahead with the arrangement.


    Yet he wanted so badly to tell Reyona about it, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He was more than certain that she would put a stop to everything.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t want that to happen, so he simply went along with it even as he dreaded what would happen when she found out.


    So, despite how much he wanted to see her face that night or at least her voice through a call, he couldn¡¯t.


    He couldn¡¯t trust himself not to tell her anyway.


    Since that would only ruin things more than fix them, he decided to let her be for the night.


    They would see each other the next day anyway.


    It would be the day they found out if their arrangement was for nothing after all.


    He turned around and headed home.

 No Blushing Bride

    The man looked from Reyona to Maxwell.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I need to get this straight. You were not married earlier, but now you are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly that. We have established this already. Is there any reason why my wife and I need to answer such a question again, Mr. Han? You have a copy of our marriage certificate too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand that, President Rohan. But then I will need you to bear with us because these questions need to be asked. It is only protocol, I am sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°I do. I just hope you will make it as fast as possible. I understand that the kids are to go to the new home you found for them today?¡± Maxwell asked matter-of-factly. His no-nonsense tone negated what he was feeling anyway.


    God damn it, but he was nervous.


    How ridiculous was that?


    He was not nervous because of the procedure or questions.


    Oh, they had that down to pat.


    He was nervous because of the woman sitting unmoving next to him.


    Even a blind person could feel that she was no blushing bride.


    Yes, they met very early that morning, so they could practise everything they were going to say when they asked them questions.


    Any curveball question not part of what they already rehearsed was left to Maxwell to handle.


    She had been very polite since they met that morning and very cooperative too.


    She had even taken his arm willingly before they entered the official building that morning.


    She had surprisingly turned to him with an adoring smile when Maxwell announced to the associatemissioner that the report he got was correct; they were indeed married and would like to have custody of the children.


    The associatemissioner had been surprised, but then he told Maxwell that he would need to question them first before they could proceed with anything.


    Since the children were supposed to go home with another couple that day already, things might be inconvenient, but they can make things work.


    Then he invited them to his office while announcing that the social worker in charge, Miss Macay, would also be joining them.


    Well.


    When the man looked at Reyona before he turned away to lead them to his office, she evenid her head against Maxwell¡¯s shoulder with a blissful smile on her face and patted his hand lovingly.


    The associatemissioner showed his teeth in a smile and said ¡°Come with me, please. We will start immediately.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona immediately created a distance between them as soon as the man turned his back.


    Though she still held his arm, the distance between them might have been that of a canyon.


    ¡°Do you think he believed us?¡± she whispered while looking straight at him.


    Maxwell had an insane urge to kiss her on the nose but he simply half-smiled and said ¡°I am sure we are about to find out.¡±


    It was clear that the social worker was not buying their ploy, and she had no intention of hiding it, while the associatemissioner was diplomatic about his feelings about all this.


    Also, Reyona had been quiet since they were seated and her arm was long gone from his, so yes, he was nervous.


    Not because of any questions those in front of him might ask, but because he was not sure of what the woman beside him might do.


    What if she decided she suddenly wanted nothing to do with this again?


    What if she gave the wrong response on purpose?


    What if¡­


    ¡°Yes, they are to leave for their new homes today.¡± the associatemissioner answered in response to Maxwell¡¯s initial question. ¡°In fact¡­¡±


    ¡°But that would no longer be necessary, would it? I mean we are here now, and we can just take them off your hands and take them home where they belong.¡±


    Mr Han had an awkward smile on his face as he looked from Maxwell to the unimpressed Miss Macay, to Reyona, and then back to Maxwell. ¡°Yes, uhm¡­¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°We will get to that in a moment.¡± he shuffled the file in front of him and looked back to Maxwell. ¡°So, I will proceed with the questions now, and I need you to answer me as truthfully as you can, please. Is that understood, President Rohan?¡±


    Maxwell nodded.


    ¡°Mrs. Rohan?¡± he called inquiringly.


    Mrs. Rohan.


    Hearing that out loud did something to Maxwell.


    A second pause, and then Reyona answered ¡°Yes, I understand. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Mr. Han said with a smile. ¡°So, how did you meet?¡±


    How long have you been together?


    Was your marriage a hasty decision because you wanted to have custody of the children?


    Does your family know about this?


    Will they be able to back up your im?


    What is your favourite thing about your partner?


    Have you ever discussed having kids?


    How many kids would you like to have?


    Do you think you are ready to have kids now?


    Do you think you are ready to take responsibility for kids now?


    Have you ever had to deal with grown-up kids before?


    What would you do if¡­.?


    On and on the questions went and Maxwell soon realised that his fears were for nothing.


    She handled the questions like a pro, and he could see that she was not going to back out on him after all.


    It was crazy that even though he knew that she was a woman of integrity who wouldn¡¯t freely give her word without intending to see it through, he was still nervous anyway.


    Only she could do that to him.


    He had long stopped trying to understand why.


    She was an exceptional woman, and he was proud to have his name linked to her as they easily fielded the questions that the associate minister and even the social worker threw at them.


    The sceptical social worker was the one who asked most of the questions that they hadn¡¯t rehearsed, and she mostly directed them at Reyona.


    But then Reyona handled them so well that Maxwell felt like apuding her right there and then.


    Eventually, they had no further questions to ask them.


    The associatemissioner informed them that even though there would still be due processes to be followed and follow-ups to be done, there was no reason why the children couldn¡¯t go home with them that day.


    They just needed to fill out some forms first and the next steps would be taken.


    ¡°I do hope you are not in a hurry, please. This might take a while.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. We are not, right?¡± Maxwell said as he looked at Reyona, and she nodded with a pleasant smile.


    That was when Maxwell noticed that they were still holding hands.


    In the course of the questioning, they had ended up holding hands. It felt so natural and surreal to Maxwell, and he knew she would distance herself again if she realised.


    So he smiled at her and looked back at Mr. Han. ¡°We are good. We are here for them and will wait for as long as this takes.¡±


    ¡°That is good to know, sir. We will try to make it as swift as possible. Please, get me the forms, Miss Macay,¡± he said to thedy, and thetter left.


    He turned back to Maxwell and Reyona, ¡°Congrattions on your marriage. May your home be blessed.¡± he said conversationally.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said, and she reached for the forms that Miss Macay had brought.


    There are two of them.


    Maxwell was just reading through his when Reyona frowned suddenly and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±

 Toria, Help!

    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.


    As tense as she had been at the beginning of all this, she had finally rxed as the questions proceeded.


    She was even surprised at the ease with which she went through everything.


    One would even believe she had actually taken those vacations she mentioned with him, and truly met him at a business party.


    Lying had not seemed so bad after all, and he had made it more believable with those adoring looks of his.


    Though Reyona knew it was all fake just like this arrangement, she went along with it and fully got into character while reminding herself why she was doing this.


    She just wanted to help the innocent. Nothing more.


    She was practically patting herself on the back when she saw that even the not-so-convinced Miss Macay had looked enthralled by their spun tales towards the end of the questioning.


    She even smiled benevolently at thedy as she passed the documents to them.


    All that was left was to sign the forms, get the kids, so he could take them home, and then she could go back to her life with the satisfaction that she had done the right thing.


    And now this?


    ¡°What?¡± Maxwell asked in response to her exmation.


    Reyona looked over at the sheaf of papers in her hand, she found the same spot she was reading on his form and jabbed towards it with her finger. ¡°That. Why is that a thing?¡±


    He quickly read through it and soon realised what she had seen.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said.


    Oh, indeed.


    ¡°Mr. Han, why is it necessary that we have someone sniffing around in our home once a week for the next three months? What is this?¡± Maxwell asked with annoyance ringing in his tone.


    ¡°Oh, that is not a problem at all. No sniffing around would be necessary whatsoever. It is just a due process to be followed. A social worker, specifically, Miss Macay here, would need toe to check on the kids once a week at least for the first three months. It is just a standard procedure to see how well the kids fit in. That¡¯s all. Each visit wouldn¡¯t take more than thirty minutes at a time. We wouldn¡¯t inconvenience you at all.¡±


    Easy for you to say. Reyona thought.


    Before she could say anything, Maxwell spoke ¡°Once in a week, for that long, seems ridiculous though. Are we forgetting the fact that these kids are family? They are my step-niece and step-nephew. Can¡¯t this visit be reduced to once in a month or so?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I am sorry, but that would be impossible, sir,¡± Mr. Han said. ¡°It is the procedure here and we can¡¯t overlook it. I am already bending backwards by making arrangements to have the kids go with you today. This normally wouldn¡¯t be the case, but because they are family, as you said, and I know how long you have been on this issue, that is why I am allowing that. I wish I could do more, sir, but I can¡¯t. I am sorry. The couple who were supposed toe to take them today also know about these regtions, and they are fine with it.¡± the man said politely yet firmly.


    Nobody in the room missed the subtle message.


    If they can¡¯t go with the rules and regtions, then others would be willing to.


    Maxwell nodded and looked at the file again before he asked ¡°And she will alsoe with us today? What for?¡±


    ¡°To check the environment they would be staying in, sir. Like I said, it is¡­¡±


    ¡°Standard procedure, yeah I get it. Does it just have to be today? Can¡¯t she juste next week when she ising to check on them?¡±


    ¡°If you are not ready yet, then we will understand, sir. She cane when you think the house is ready for them.¡±


    ¡°I assume the kids will have to stay here till then?¡± Maxwell asked the same thing that Reyona had in mind.


    ¡°I am afraid so, sir.¡± Mr Han answered.


    Maxwell looked at Reyona and she shook her head.


    There would be no point ining this far only to dy things now.


    She was not sure that this affable yet firm man wouldn¡¯t end up telling them that the kids had been taken to a new home after all if they dyed the process.


    Also, asking for extra time now might breed suspicions and invite more questions.


    After all, they were supposed to be ready and prepared to take the kids home.


    Maxwell got the message and said to Han. ¡°No, it is fine. You can send as many people to our home with enough finebs as you want. We want the kids today.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry that you see it that way, sir, but like I said¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, procedure. We understand¡± Reyona said with a barely concealed sarcasm.


    Han looked at Miss Macay and smiled sheepishly at the couple, cleared his throat awkwardly and then steepled his fingers before shuffling papers on his desk.


    Reyona carefully read through the other uses in the document just as Maxwell was doing.


    The others are just an emphasis of what they knew and listed what could make the state im the children again.


    She read the part about the parent¡¯s im and immediately took her eyes off it before she started overthinking things.


    They were signing when it urred to her!


    This means they had to live together, doesn¡¯t it?!


    No way!


    As she was already thinking of how she could make things work and wouldn¡¯t need to stay with them because of the weekly visit, another problem urred to her.


    Miss Macay wasing with them that day!


    After Mr. Han told them to please wait a bit while Miss Macay made arrangements to take them to the Emergency foster home. Reyona urgently turned to Maxwell.


    ¡°She ising with us,¡± she said urgently.


    ¡°Miss Macay? Yes, she is. I am sure we will find a way to do this¡­¡±


    ¡°She ising with us! To see our home!¡± Reyona said emphatically while trying not to raise her voice enough for any device in the room to pick up.


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of that. We will go to my ce and¡­¡± she saw when he realised it. ¡°Miss Macay ising to see if we are married, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°d you figured it out, genius,¡± Reyona said as she pulled out her phone.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We need to make this as real as possible, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Maxwell said, still not getting why she had her phone out.


    ¡°Good. That is what I am about to do, and if there is someone who can make that happen as fast as possible while we are stuck here with the delightful Miss Macay, I can only think of one.


    Reyona quickly opened her phone and typed a short message.


    ¡°Toria, help!¡±

 Crazy With Her Plans

    Oh, she loved her sister.


    Reyona almost gaped in shock when she saw her car parked in Maxwell¡¯s home.


    To make their story whole and believable, they had gone to the children¡¯s services department that morning in Maxwell¡¯s car.


    The car that Reyona had left sitting pretty in her parking space that morning was currently in front of Maxwell¡¯s parking lot like it had always belonged there.


    As Reyona helped Junior out of the car, she almostughed out loud when Maxwell¡¯s domestic staff came out of the magnificent door and lined up at the entrance.


    Six of them to each side of the door, they all bowed and chorused. ¡°Wee home, Mr and Mrs Rohan¡±


    Before Reyona couldugh at the ridiculous gesture that she was sure her sister was behind, the culprit herself wasing out of the house with a hooting sound and a confetti tube in her hand.


    ¡°Wee home, lovebirds!¡± Toria said as she pulled the string from the tube and a shower of confetti rained down.


    Junior pped his hand excitedly while his sister and Miss Macay looked at the disy in surprise.


    Reyona was surprised as Celia came out of the house with the baby on her hips.


    She beamed at them all and said ¡°Oh, I see you have the kids too. I am sure they would love it here. They can be big sister and brother to my baby. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± she beamed straight at Miss Macay.


    The befuddled woman had no choice but to smile in the face of Celia¡¯s exuberance.


    Celia was beside her in no time, and she wound her free arm through the woman¡¯s arm before thetter could protest.


    ¡°Come, let me show you the children¡¯s room. You are going to love it.¡±


    Miss Macay looked uncertainly towards Maxwell and Reyona as she asked ¡°Isn¡¯t that something that the owner of the house should do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it makes not much difference. We are a big, big family here, you see. The kids will have so much love from all of us that they won¡¯t even know what to do with it. Gabrie here would show us a tour of the rooms while the lovebirds here introduce their wards to their new home. I am sure they can¡¯t wait to have some time to themselves too if you know what I mean?¡± she said in a suggestive tone that had Reyona¡¯s ears heating up.


    Gabrie, one of thedies, quickly nodded, broke rank and led Celia and Miss Macay inside while the others waited for Reyona and Maxwell to pass.


    Reyona raised her brows at Toria and her sister winked at her before she sauntered in with her hand on the housekeeper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maria, we don¡¯t want to appear inhospitable to our guest now, do we?¡±


    ¡°No, miss,¡± the housekeeper said as she followed Toria in, no doubt her sister was going to join forces with Celia.


    Reyona was so filled with gratitude for her sister.


    She was grateful that Toria had insisted on waiting for her till she got back home before leaving Kayooma.


    She had no idea what she would have done if Toria had not been around for her to quickly send a message about what she needed.


    Toria had taken things into her own hands and even done more than Reyona had stated.


    The love for her sister shone in her smile as she looked at the quiet Allysyn while Junior regaled Maxwell with different questions.


    Maxwell mouthed ¡°What is going on?¡± to her, and she shrugged as she responded just as quietly ¡°Got it handled.¡±


    ¡°Come on, kids. Let¡¯s show you your new home.¡± Reyona said a bit more cheerfully as she inclined her head towards Allysyn.


    Junior held on to Maxwell¡¯s hand excitedly while Allysyn took the rear.


    Reyona almost missed her step as she entered the living room. She abruptly stopped in her stride and just gaped at what awaited them.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s quiet words of amazement were enough to cover what Reyona was feeling disguise that disguise.


    Okay, her sister had gone crazy with her ns. The first thing that anyone with eyes would be drawn to in the transformed living room was the overblown life-sized portrait of the two of them on the wall.


    Reyona had no idea how on earth Toria had found someone who could do that within the few hours it took them to round up the whole process, but it was believable.


    The image that Celia had cajoled them to take together at the registry tomemorate the moment has been edited so well that it has a dreamy quality to it.


    That was the least of what had stopped Reyona.


    Toria must have gotten the idea from one of those series of dramas she loved to watch.


    Happy married life paraphernalia and some other decorative items that are predominantly in red were almost everywhere.


    On the walls. On the railings. Behind the couch and all.


    Reyona understood why Maxwell¡¯s staff had seemed so at ease and familiar with her sister and Celia earlier.


    No doubt those two had rallied them together to pull off this borate disy.


    Maxwell¡¯s chuckle pulled Reyona out of her thoughts.


    She looked at him as his eyes twinkled with mischief and his chuckle became a quietughter.


    Reyona tried to show an annoyed expression but that onlysted for the first two seconds.


    She couldn¡¯t help herself as she startedughing. ¡°You¡­¡± she tried to hold in herughter, but her mirth overpowered her.


    The more she looked at some of the tiny Chinese, oddly looking decorations, the harder sheughed. ¡°You¡­ I¡­none of us is even Chinese,¡± Moreughter as Maxwell¡¯sughter also grew louder and Junior started jumping up and down while pping and shouting ¡°Oh, fun! What is funny?! What is funny, Reyona? Ally, do you know?¡±


    Allysyn ignored him and sat on the couch, trying to look unimpressed.


    The adults were too caught up in theirughter as Maxwell said ¡°Your sister¡¯s idea, I assume?¡±


    ¡°She watches¡­too¡­too¡­much drama, I am afraid¡± Reyona struggled toplete amidstughter.


    In his curiousity to know more, while jumping with excitement, Junior suddenly knocked into Reyona.


    It was so sudden that she staggered a bit towards Maxwell, and he quickly reached out to stop her from falling.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she looked at him with an animated face while still a bit breathless from the prolongedughter.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You are beyond wee. I don¡¯t think the idea was for you to fall amidst all this splendour, you know. What would the Chinese say?¡± he said with a mock horror in his tone.


    Reyona lost it again as sheughed out loud and unconsciously held his other arm.


    A little p from thending interrupted them as Celia gestured towards them like a performer showing her prowess. ¡°Have you ever seen two people more in love with each other?¡± she said to the smiling Miss Macay, looking down at the couple standing so close to each other and sharing augh.

 He Is No Such Thing

    Reyona¡¯s mirth was gone as fast as it came when she suddenly realised how close they were standing.


    All that was left was for her to exhale heavily and the front of her clothes would brush against his.


    Her heart did a silly jig at the way he was looking at her at that moment too.


    Almost as if¡­


    She stiffened and tried to pull back, but Maxwell said beneath his breath, ¡°No, honey. You don¡¯t want to do that now. I think your sister would kill you if all this work resulted in nothing.¡±


    Amazingly, that managed to get another smile out of her, and she rxed as Miss Macay came down the stairs with the others.


    ¡°That is better,¡± Maxwell said as he turned his head to gaze adoringly at her face.


    Then, unexpectedly, his hand curled behind her back, and he pulled her body flush against his!


    *******


    ¡°How on earth did you evene up with all that?!¡± Reyona asked withughter.


    ¡°Creative juices, baby. We¡¯ve got loads of it. Never doubt that.¡± Toria answered with glee as she pumped her feet up in the air.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I would never doubt that. Not after today, no. Next time I need an emergency nner, that role is all yours.¡±


    ¡°You are going to pay though. No more free work. I can smell fortune in my future doing this. I will be in high demand soon,¡± Toria said with augh.


    Then she shook some cheese crisps out of the box in her hand.


    She tossed them up and raised her head to grasp it with her mouth.


    She crunched loudly as sheid her head back on Reyona¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°So, I guess today didn¡¯t turn out all bad after all,¡± she said while chewing.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Reyona sighed as she said ¡°Yeah, I guess you are right. Thank you for being there. I am sorry you couldn¡¯t go back today though.¡±


    ¡°No, it is fine. I am sure Tara is doing fine on her own. She wouldn¡¯t miss me much.¡±


    ¡°Tara.¡± Reyona mused as she stretched her hand towards Toria and her sister shook some crisp in her hand. ¡°That is her name?¡±


    Toria nodded before she tossed another crisp in the air. She crunched and answered ¡°Tara and Toria. It has a ring to it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is she doing okay now?¡± Reyona asked.


    Toria¡¯s smile dimmed a bit as she said ¡°He messed her up real good, Rey. But yeah, she is getting there. At least she is no longer ming herself for everything he did. The work we had going on is helping, I think. He did some work on her, Rey. I have never seen a woman gaslighted so badly that she had totally lost her identity. I still can¡¯t believe I almost¡­ Imagine if I had just bought her life-long sweat from her without knowing that the bastard was the one behind it all along. That would have been so cruel.¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault, Toria. You had no idea.¡± Reyona said as she stroked her sister¡¯s hair and pulled the messy strands off her face. ¡°Some would say it is just business. I think there is a reason why you found out he was forcing her to sell though. You were meant to do something, and you are doing it. I am so proud of you, girl. I am sure Tara is very grateful too.¡±


    ¡°Too grateful most times,¡± Toria said with a deep sigh as she raised her head from where she was lying across the bed with her head on Reyona¡¯s stomach. She turned around to face Reyona and sat with her legs curled under her. ¡°It is so sad to watch atimes. She is so careful about everything. Like she is afraid that this break she got would only be temporary in her life. I think she is still scared that he wille back despite the retraining order we got on him, and I don¡¯t know. She is¡­ I don¡¯t think she trusts herself around him. She¡­ I think I need to get her to meet Mum soon. If there is anyone who could whip anyone into a confident badass, it should be her.¡±


    Reyona smiled ¡°Well, you got that right. Yeah, that might do her some good. Have you suggested therapy though? That should help her too. She was in there too long for some major damage not to have happened, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Toria said as she wearily stuffed her mouth with the crisps again. She crunched and said ¡°I have suggested it, but she wouldn¡¯t hear of it. I think she believes it is meant for people who are having a breakdown or major mental issues or something. There must be one other thing that asshole drilled into her.¡±


    She sighed again, then waved her hand in the air suddenly. ¡°Anyway, enough of dreary stuff. Let¡¯s talk about something juicy. What was your husband saying to you when we were leaving?¡±


    ¡°My husband?¡± Reyona said with a snort. ¡°He is no such thing, and you know it,¡± Reyona said as she moved her head from the headboard and eased downward. ¡°Now if you will excuse me, I think I am going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Bah, bah, bah. No, you are not.¡± Toria said, while wagging her finger at Reyona. Then she pulled at the cover that Reyona was trying to wrap herself up in. ¡°That sounds so much like a denialpared to what happened today.¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes as she turned to look at her. ¡°What happened? Nothing. I helped with what he asked. I did my part and now it is done. Satisfied? Now, I have to sleep. On my bed. Go sleep in yours.¡±


    ¡°Ooohh, now she is being aggressive. What is going on here? Definitely denial.¡± Toria said, as if talking to herself as she flicked imaginary dirt off her fingernails.


    Reyona ignored her as she pulled the covers up again and turned her back towards her.


    Toria was far from done though.

 Done Enough

    She moved closer to Reyona, leaned her back against the headboard and started talking out loud as if in contemtion.


    ¡°Hmm, I must be mistaken truly. I am sure I didn¡¯t see that steamy look that passed between the two of you when he pulled you close. Oh my God, I am feeling feverish just from the thought of it¡± she said as she hastily dropped the crisps bag and blew herself with both hands while exhaling. ¡°Phew¡±


    ¡°Did you see how easily they were talking andughing together all day?¡± she continued, now directing her question to an imaginary audience in the room. ¡°One could almost swear that they have been married for years. And the looks? Damn, I almost shouted, ¡°Please, get a room!¡±


    Reyona shook her head in exasperation as she tried not to think back to that afternoon to see if Toria was not exaggerating after all. But, of course, she was just being Toria. There was no way she had¡­


    ¡°And that little conversation they had when we were leaving? I am sure it had something to do with tearing each other¡¯s clothes off and¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Reyona blurted out before she could stop herself. She turned towards Toria as unbidden warmth coursed through her at the vivid imagery that her sister¡¯s words sprung up in Reyona¡¯s mind. ¡°It was nothing like that. Now, stop being ridiculous. I need to sleep.¡±


    Toria simply dropped her bag of crisps and turned to face Reyona. With both hands ced beneath her chin, she blinked innocently at her sister and asked ¡°Tell me then, and I will give you all the space you want. What did he say? Was he proposing another benefit to this arrangement of yours? Something about cleaning out your¡­?¡±


    ¡°He offered me his ce to stay, okay?!¡± Reyona blurted out in exasperation.


    ¡°Uh?¡± Toria asked with genuine confusion this time. ¡°What happened to this ce?¡±


    Reyona sighed and exined what the use on the documents they signed was.


    ¡°So he suggested that I could stay at his ce if I wished since we don¡¯t know when the social worker might be dropping by.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a scheduled visit?¡± Toria asked and Reyona shook her head.


    ¡°I think that is the point of the visit. To catch us at something untoward or something. All we know is that she would alwayse around once a week, but then it could be any time or day. We might get an hour¡¯s notice at most.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that is tough,¡± Toria said as she leaned back against the headboard again. ¡°So, let me get this straight.¡± She said in contemtion. ¡°First, he asked you to marry him.¡±


    When Reyona wanted to talk, she raised her hand and said ¡°Yes, yes, I know. Fake marriage. Now, stop interrupting!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡± Reyona smiled and leaned back against the headboard.


    Toria continued ¡°So, he could have any woman in the world but he only wants you, and now he wants you to live together? Hmm,¡±


    Then she looked sideways at Reyona. ¡°What did you say?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What else would I say? Of course, I refused. It is just one day of the week, and we will get a heads-up anyway, no matter how short it is. So, I will make it work. I am not moving in with anyone because of that.¡±


    Toria was quiet for a while before she said thoughtfully, ¡°He likes you.¡±


    Reyona scoffed as she looked at the bag of crisps and said ¡°If I didn¡¯t have some of that; I would think it wasced with something else. Now if you are done philosophizing, I need to sleep. I¡¯ve got work in the morning, and you have an early flight to catch.¡±


    ¡°Rey, I am serious,¡± Toria said as she pulled at Reyona¡¯s nket before her sister could wrap it over her head. ¡°I was not so sure of it before, okay? But today? Damn, have you seen how he looks at you? Even Celia could see it.¡±


    Celia would see romance anywhere. Reyona thought.


    ¡°Hell, even that social worker could see it too. Do you think she left so fast because of our tour and all? Well, yeah, that helped too, but I think she finally caved because of what she could see between the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what is this nonsense? Have you been drinking while I was in the shower? I¡­¡±


    ¡°Rey,¡± Toria called her name in a meaningful way that was devoid of any joke.


    Reyona sat up abruptly and looked at her sister with stormy eyes. ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. There is definitely nothing there. I¡­what do you want me to do?¡± she finished softly when her sister only kept looking at her with an indulgent smile on her face.


    Toria took her hand and asked gently ¡°What do you want to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What¡­ nothing? I am not going to do anything. I have done enough.¡± Reyona answered with a heartfelt tone.


    ¡°Of course, you have,¡± Toria said as she kissed her sister¡¯s cheek. ¡°You are a very remarkable woman, Rey.¡±


    Where had she heard that recently?


    ¡°I am so proud of you. And you know what? I know you are going to do what is right when you figure it out too. Good night.¡±


    So now she wanted to leave her?


    When her mind was suddenly filled with churning thoughts?


    In her move to get off of bed, Toria had forgotten about the half-filled jumbo-sized bag of crisps behind her.


    Her leg caught it just as she swung her off the bed and the bag of chips went flying upward.


    Floaty cheese crisps rained down on them.


    Most of it adorned Reyona¡¯s hair like yellow flowers.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Toria said as she pretended to hide her grin.


    She couldn¡¯t hold back the more she looked at Reyona¡¯s decorated hair and her resigned face.


    The tension in the air dissipated as the two of them dissolved into rumblingughter.

 The Cutest Thing

    The first time had been abination of the unexpected.


    They had gone all week with no message from the woman.


    Reyona was already thinking she had decided not to visit that soon when she received the notification.


    It was the weekend and Reyona had to forfeit the gym session she had nned to rush over there.


    As it was, she went there with her sporting clothes on because she was at the local gym centre when she got the notification.


    She rarely goes out to exercise, but that day, she had wanted thepany of adrenaline and determination around to take her mind off her bothersome thoughts.


    Thedy will be there in thirty minutes.


    There was no way Reyona could make it back home to change and get to Maxwell¡¯s ce before the woman got there.


    So, she rushed over in her tank top and tight-fitting leggings.


    He was waiting for her outside and she ignored the way his eyes took in every inch of her body as he came towards her.


    ¡°Not one word,¡± she said to him in a tight tone as she removed the clip in her hair and let it cascade down to cover her bare shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said in a fake meek tone that did nothing to hide the amusement in his voice. ¡°You look good though.¡±


    Reyona turned towards him with annoyance. ¡°What did I¡­?¡±


    He gestured at his mouth with a zipping movement.


    Reyona narrowed her eyes at him and asked ¡°Where are the kids?¡±


    ¡°In the living room. I suppose our dear Miss Macay should be here soon.¡±


    Junior rushed towards Reyona as she entered.


    She was just bending down to his level when they heard the sound of the car.


    ¡°Ah, herees the Marshall. Right on time.¡± Maxwell said with a flourish.


    He must think he is funny. Well, he is wrong, nothing funny about him. The only reason she felt like smiling was because of what Junior was telling her at that moment.


    They had been in the fitness centre when Maxwell received the notification too.


    No wonder he was in a sleeveless tight-fitting shirt that made his upper body look gloriously sculpted.


    His short, grey sweatpants had almost had Reyona telling him that that was not an appropriate way to dress in the presence of an impressionable youngdy.


    But then, she realised she might be overreacting.


    He had the right to dress as he wanted, right?


    And she doubted that the girl who seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was at the moment was even paying any attention anyway.


    By the time Maxwell escorted Miss Macay in, Reyona hoped this would all be over soon.


    As sports, their almost matching sportswear worked in their favour, as thedymented on it, ¡°Oh, I see you were working out. I am so sorry for interrupting your routine. We just have to do this, you know. I will be out of your hair soon,¡± she said pleasantly, as she took her seat.


    Of course, she need not know that they were not having the exercise together.


    All that mattered was that she was buying their facade.


    Maxwell winked at Reyona as he took a seat beside her on the couch facing Miss Macay.


    She almost smiled back, then ignored him as she gave her attention to Junior, who came to sit beside her.


    Allysyn was sitting as far away as possible from them all.


    They had exined the situation to the children before Reyona left the other day.


    Maxwell also told her that he had reminded them that morning too, so she was not bothered about that aspect.


    Though it bothered her that they were setting a bad example for the children by telling them to lie, she figured it was betterpared to all the many things that the alternative could have led to.


    So, as Miss Macay asked the questions, they all gave the rehearsed answers.


    Though the questions varied, one thing they didn¡¯t forget was the fact that their answers included Reyona¡¯s presence in whatever it was that they had done over the week.


    Thankfully, the woman didn¡¯t ask the kids many questions.


    Until Miss Macay asked the kids to give her a tour of their rooms.


    Reyona and Maxwell wanted to follow them, but Miss Macay said ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the kids do this? I am sure they would know the way around by now, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Reyona looked at Maxwell and thetter inclined his head.


    Junior was already halfway up the stairs.


    She looked at Allysyn and asked ¡°Would you like to take her to your room, Allysyn? Alone?¡±


    Allysyn shrugged in nonchnce as she said ¡°Okay¡±


    Miss Macay smiled as she said ¡°You make it sound like I am going to do something to them. I just want to see how well they are adjusting. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Reyona said with a tight smile.


    Of course, she had no reason to give the woman not to let the kids go off alone with her.


    That would seem suspicious.


    Yet Reyona knew that the woman¡¯s reasons were not that simple.


    ¡°Okay, then. Go ahead, we will be waiting here,¡± she said as easily as she could.


    She didn¡¯t take her eyes off them until they were out of sight.


    ¡°You do know that you look like a mother hen who is afraid that her chicks will be carted off by a hawk, don¡¯t you?¡± Maxwell said from behind her. ¡°What do you think that sweetdy would do? Take them away through the window?¡± he said in an attempt at a joke.


    Reyona narrowed her eyes as she said ¡°I am afraid that sweetdy deliberately took them aside just to¡­ I don¡¯t know, find something out.¡± she said as she tossed her hand out. ¡°She probably wants to know if we are mistreating them or making them give all those answers as a lie.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said as she sat down.


    ¡°Yes, oh,¡± she said, d that he finally saw what she meant.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Then she heard him say thoughtfully ¡°But then some of them were lies after all. You were not here when the kids were picking the theme they wanted for their room, nor were¡­¡±


    ¡°Get a megaphone, will you?¡± Reyona said heatedly as she finally turned towards him. ¡°Why not shout it out, so she can hear and take them right now.¡±


    But then she saw that he was deliberately trying to get a rise out of her because he was grinning as he slung his arms around the back of the couch.


    Reyona folded her hands and said ¡°I am d that this is fun for you, okay? Good to see you are enjoying yourself.¡±


    Maxwell stood up and went to her.


    He ignored her shrug as he put his arm around her shoulder and guided her to the couch. ¡°As you should too, Miss Dexter. You need to rx.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± She said as she sat grudgingly. ¡°Don¡¯t say I did not tell you. I will pay you no mind when¡­¡±


    ¡°Sssh¡± Maxwell said as he suddenly crouched in front of her and ced his finger a hair¡¯s breadth away from her lips as he looked straight into her eyes. ¡°Listen,¡± he whispered.


    The suddenness of his action and the intent in his eyes baffled Reyona for a moment. ¡°What are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Reyona. Just listen. What do you hear?¡± he asked softly as he gazed at her lips for a split second before looking back into her eyes.


    Reyona resisted the urge to lick her lips or inhale deeply as the scent of his distinct cologne filled her nose. She turned her gaze away from him as she tried to calm her thumping heart so that she could hear whatever it was that he wanted her to hear.


    One second. Two.


    She couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    The only thing she could hear was¡­


    Junior¡¯s happy chatter as he seemed to have a lot to say to Macay and any other person who was ready to listen.


    An unbidden smile showed on Reyona¡¯s face before Maxwell¡¯s voice intruded her thoughts again as he said ¡°You see that? That kid is having the best time of his life. He is a favourite with all the staff and I even think his sister is beginning to warm up to me.¡±


    When Reyona looked at him in disbelief, he smiled sheepishly and said ¡°Well, in her way, but that is not the point. Those kids are here todayrgely because of you. We got this far, right?¡±


    Reyona unconsciously nodded.


    ¡°See? That means we can handle this. Let Macay do all the snooping she wants. It won¡¯t change a thing. Those kids are not going anywhere. Now, while we wait, what can I offer¡­¡±


    He stood up so suddenly that Reyona¡¯s face was suddenly facing the bulge in his sweatpants.


    Reyona¡¯s blood spiked and her shock must have shown on her face because he suddenly looked down at himself and swore.


    ¡°Fuck. I am sorry. This is not¡­excuse me.¡±


    The way he hightailed it out of there was the cutest thing that Reyona had ever seen him do.


    Damn.

 Right, Babe?

    The second time was not so rough.


    Then the third time was more of a recipe for disaster.


    Reyona had been in the middle of ate dinner meeting she and Samantha were having with a new client.


    She had to round things up quickly and apologised to the man.


    Samantha was there to stay till the end of dinner with the man.


    ¡°You are a lifesaver. I owe you one¡± she whispered to Samantha.


    ¡°A raise would be enough thanks, ma,¡± Samantha said cheekily, and their clientughed.


    Reyona rushed out of the restaurant while Samantha and the man started discussing the philosophy behind every employee requesting a raise at every opportunity they could get.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t the woman be a bit more predictable?¡± Reyona muttered in frustration as she checked the message she got again.


    It was ten minutes already, and she could only hope she would be able to make it on time.


    Maxwell¡¯s call came through just as she was driving out of the parking lot.


    Reyona quickly connected it to the car speaker and picked it up.


    ¡°Hi, I got the message. Update me.¡±


    He had just started talking when the call got disconnected.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Reyona swore as she just got to the highway at that moment.


    She momentarily took her eyes off the road, so she could dial the number back.


    They had not spoken all week, so she had no idea what he had done with the kids.


    Of course, he had tried to invite her to some of it but she had declined.


    She was regretting that now.


    She should have at least get a list of what they had done from him.


    As it was, she was runningte already and might get there about the same time that Miss Macay would.


    Which meant there wouldn¡¯t be any time to prepare her for what to say.


    Reyona¡¯s phone rang just as she reached for it.


    She eagerly picked up the call without looking at the screen.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said as she quickly passed the intersection just before the light turned red.


    ¡°Oh, I see someone is impatient.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­oh,¡± Reyona said as the voice registered.


    Sehima!


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry. I was on a call with someone before and¡­¡±


    Sehima listened to her exnation and told her she understood.


    She was on her way to Japan for a conference too, but she had a juicy deal for her.


    An acquaintance who came from old money and has been living the trust fund lifestyle for too long has finally decided to go into business.


    He asked Sehima for advice about how to go about it, so he wouldn¡¯t end up in bankruptcy pretty soon.


    After giving him the business advice she could about his choice of business, Sehima informed him of getting a very good ounting firm to handle the financial nning and all the messy taxation issues for him.


    Then she had rmended Reyona¡¯spany.


    ¡°I will forward his details to you now. I need you to act fast though. He is a darling, but he can be very unpredictable too. Get your buttering-up game on too. You are going to need it with this one. If you can convince him that you are the good hands that hispany needs to be in, then you are good to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I am about to board. Let me know how it goes.¡±


    Reyona thanked her and promised to give her feedback just as she got to Maxwell¡¯s neighbourhood.


    Damn.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She had seen his numbere through again while she was speaking to Sehima, but she couldn¡¯t pick up the call.


    Her phone pinged with a notification, and she opened her inbox to check what Sehima had sent to her.


    That was when she realised that he had sent her a message too.


    A sound further in front of her made her look up as she tried to listen.


    It was the sound of a car, and it was further ahead.


    Macay would get to the house before her!


    Reyona quickly elerated, so she could catch up with the woman on time.


    Maxwell was on the porch of the house weing Miss Macay when Reyona hastily parked behind the woman¡¯s car.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said with a bright smile as Miss Macay looked back at her in surprise.


    ¡°Babe¡±, Maxwell said suddenly, as he quickly came towards her.


    With his hands outstretched like a love-sick husband who couldn¡¯t wait to hold his wife, Maxwell threw his arms around Reyona.


    With his back to Miss Macay, it seemed to the woman like he was hugging his wife tightly.


    But Reyona had her arm in front of her, which was creating a barrier between the two of them.


    ¡°Did you get the message?¡± he asked in a whisper as he tilted his head like he was kissing her.


    Reyona followed suit and bent her head just so as she said ¡°No, I just saw the notification. I haven¡¯t even opened it at all.¡±


    ¡°Shit. We will work with what we¡¯ve got.¡± Maxwell said, then wrapped his arms around her lovingly before turning towards Macay while asking Reyona with an indulgent smile. ¡°Hectic day, huh?¡±


    ¡°You bet,¡± Reyona said in a tired, almost drowsy voice as they came arm in hand towards Macay. ¡°All I want to do right now is sleep. With no one bothering me at all.¡±


    ¡°I will give you a good massage, so you can do just that. Then maybe I can join you in¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Reyona said shyly as she air-patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Miss Macay, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. I had such a busy day at work¡±


    Thedy smiled sheepishly at her. ¡°I am sorry for making it longer. This would be brief.¡±


    ¡°We would appreciate that. The children need to be in bed soon. It is school night, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you enrolled them in school already?¡± Miss Macay asked with a beaming smile as she followed them in.


    ¡°Yes, yes, we did. Right, babe?¡± Reyona said to pass the conversation to Maxwell before the woman started asking her more questions.

 An Ego Thing

    Reyona marvelled at her acting prowess.


    Maybe she had a second career lying in wait for her after all.


    But then she had taken it too far when she mentioned the school.


    She wished she had stuffed her feet in her mouth before the words got out.


    After all, all she had known about it was the name of the school, and she had video-called the children when they were leaving for school on their first day.


    That wasst week.


    Junior¡¯s squeal of ¡°Reyona, you came!¡± was the first hup of the night.


    Macay looked confused for a moment.


    ¡°I thought you were not going to¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­e back from work!¡± Reyona said as she suddenly hugged the boy, muffling the remnant of his words against her body.


    Still holding him, she smiled at Macay as she hurriedly said ¡°How can I note back from work, darling? I alwayse back. I am sorry that I came backte today.¡±


    Maxwell quickly led Macay to the living room, and they were soon seated after Reyona had lingered behind to remind Junior of their deal.


    As if that was not enough, Reyona had to tactfully direct most of the questions to Maxwell that evening.


    Allysyn and Junior made another mistake in including Reyona in their activities too.


    It seemed Macay was out to get Reyona that night as she mostly directed most of her questions to Reyona instead of Maxwell.


    She got most of them wrong, and Junior, in his exuberance, would innocently point out her mistake.


    Reyona had to feign a headache at one point and Maxwell quickly diffused the increasingly tense atmosphere by firmly telling Macay that his wife would like to have a rest.


    ¡°We can take this up next time, right?¡± he asked when Macay seemed reluctant to leave.


    The woman sighed quietly as she said ¡°Yes, I suppose we can.¡±


    Reyona gave her car key to Maxwell, so he could move her car from behind Macay¡¯s.


    She heard the children whispering urgently to themselves, and she looked over at them.


    Junior looked upset.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked wearily.


    ¡°Ally said I made you look like a liar, and now you might send us away.¡±


    There was another person who needed her feet stuffed in her mouth most of the time.


    ¡°No, of course not. That is not true. Why would you even say that, Allysyn?¡±


    Allysyn shrugged and said nothing.


    As much as Reyona would like to know what was causing all that attitude from the young girl, she was in no mood to start trying to pull a camel through a needle¡¯s eye.


    So, she said to both of them, ¡°No, I am not¡­we are not going to do such a thing, okay? We are not going to let them take you away either. If there is anyone to me for what happened tonight, then me me, okay?¡±


    ¡°So, so, you are not mad at me?¡± Junior asked as he fiddled with his fingers, his vital smile nowhere to be found.


    ¡°No, of course not. I can never be mad at you.¡± then she inclined her head with a smile as she said ¡°Well, maybe when you have been very, very naughty. But right now? No, that wasn¡¯t your fault. Come.¡±


    She spread her arms and waited as his face split in a smile, and he bounced over to her.


    She hugged him tightly and breathed in his sweet smell.


    Then, with her chin above his, she asked ¡°Does that look like the hug of someone mad at you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Reyona said as she kissed his hair.


    The nanny came in just at that moment to announce that it was time for their bed.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Junior said as he hugged Reyona tightly before running to hold the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Jane, are you going to read the fox and the grape today?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You bet,¡± the woman said. ¡°The first person to get into the bath gets to pick the second story.¡±


    Junior was off while shouting that he was going to be the winner.


    Allysyn shot Reyona what could have been termed an apologetic look before she quietly followed the two out.


    Expecting a good night would have been too much after all.


    Reyona sighed and leaned back wearily against the backrest of the couch with her eyes closed.


    She jolted as she felt a pair of strong fingers on her shoulders.


    ¡°Rx¡±, Maxwell¡¯s voice floated down her ears as he set out to gently massage the kinks she had not even known she had in her neck.


    ¡°So, that was a bit awkward, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he said as he moved down the nape of her neck.


    ¡°The worst,¡± Reyona said in embarrassment as she remembered how much she had messed up. ¡°You don¡¯t think she would¡­¡± she unconsciously turned her head to expose the spot she wanted him to get to. ¡°You don¡¯t think she would make a move to call us out or something right? The kids were worried that they might get sent away.¡±


    ¡°That is not going to happen. One strike shouldn¡¯t be enough ground for them to do that. Also, I made her realise that you do forget things at times when you are very tired.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great. Now she would think I am an idiot who can¡¯t handle a hectic day at work and mightpletely forget the children exist whenever I am tired.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s chuckle mingled deliciously with the tingling feeling she was getting all over her body from the way his hands were working on her shoulders.


    ¡°Only you would think of that,¡± he said in a low husky tone that was closer to her ears than before.


    She turned her head suddenly and realised that he had leaned closer to her.


    She straightened immediately and slowly eased her shoulders from beneath his fingers as she said ¡°I¡­uhm. Thank you. That was very helpful.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure,¡± Maxwell said as he tucked his hands into his pockets and watched her as she stood.


    He was still standing behind the couch, yet Reyona felt as if the distance between them had been reduced somehow.


    She looked towards the direction that the kids had gone with the nanny and fleetingly wondered how a home with so many domestic staff could manage to be that quiet.


    She could feel his gaze resting heavily on her as she wondered why she was finding it difficult to look back at him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± her gazended on the open cor of his v-neck tight-fitting shirt, and she wondered why he liked tight-fitting clothes.


    It must be an ego thing. He couldn¡¯t wait to show off his¡­¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you consider it?¡± he asked suddenly.

 Your Hands To Yourself

    ¡°Consider what?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    ¡°Staying here. I think it would help to prevent the kind of thing that happened tonight, you know.¡±


    ¡°I have a ce of my own. I don¡¯t need to move in with you to do this. I can¡­¡± When he raised his brow at her intended statement, she narrowed her eyes and said ¡°Tonight was just a fluke. Next time¡­¡±


    ¡°Next time, it might even be worse. Then they might take them away. And then all our effort would be for nothing. Is that what you want, Reyona?¡±


    Why was heing closer?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    Her initial difort disappeared in her temper at his insinuation.


    ¡°And who said I was afraid of anything? What would I be afraid of? You? Right, don¡¯t tter yourself, okay?¡±


    ¡°So, you agree with me that nothing is stopping you from staying here?¡± Maxwell asked while standing just a few paces from her.


    His hands were still in his pockets, which made not much of a difference anyway because his eyes were doing enough work of messing with her.


    ¡°I do not agree with anything. I just need to¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you are afraid of me?¡± he asked again as if he had not heard her the first time.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Reyona asked. She had had enough of this.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You know what?¡±


    ¡°You are moving in?¡± he asked matter-of-factly.


    ¡°No!¡± she snapped and then looked towards the stairs in fear that the kids would hear her.


    Now he would make her look like a banshee in front of the children.


    She figured she had had enough.


    Without saying one more word, she turned to leave.


    ¡°You are a practical woman, Reyona. I know you agree with me that it is a very practical option. How about this? I promise to be on my best behaviour if that will help to quell your fear.¡±


    ¡°I said I am not¡­¡± Reyona deliberately calmed herself before she said slowly ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know what best behaviour is, even if it bit you in the¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s gleeful smile when she stopped what she was about to say only infuriated her the more. ¡°Go on. I know you are dying to say it. Come on, Miss Dexter.¡± he said in a singsong.


    ¡°Asshole¡± Reyona said as she stalked towards the door. Then she swore under her breath when she remembered something.


    She turned towards him and had to back up when she realised that he was right behind her.


    ¡°Changed your mind?¡± he asked as he moved closer.


    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly, as her heart seemed to be beating somewhere around her ears.


    ¡°You are very adamant because you know I am right, aren¡¯t you, babe?¡± he said slowly as he moved very close to her so that she could feel his warmth through her chiffon top.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me babe,¡± she said breathily.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said in a mock offended tone. ¡°You called me that the other time. It is only fair that I get to call you that now,¡± he said as he held her shoulders gently, his thumb automatically caressing her corbone.


    Reyona could hear her breath in her ear at this point, and she knew she was going to kill him if he didn¡¯t stop doing¡­ whatever he was doing.


    He leaned towards her, and she could only stare at his mesmerising eyes as his gaze moved slowly from her eyes, down her nose to her lips.


    As if controlled by an invisible force, he leaned closer to her. Just as she thought he was going to do something as stupid as kissing her, he changed his movement and whispered so close to her ears. ¡°Please, move in.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked in the barest of a whisper as the warmth of his breath on her ear spread through her body.


    ¡°Because I love to have you around. Because it would make things easier for you as well. Because I believe you can be a better influence on the kids.¡± he said in a heartfelt tone as he moved back enough to look deeply into her eyes. ¡°So, what do you say?¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do you have a home office?¡±


    ¡°Ready to be renovated if you want.¡±


    ¡°I get to have space to myself without anybody disturbing me?¡±


    ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°I do not have to engage in any¡­ activity I am not interested in?¡±


    A new look entered his eyes, but then he nodded and said ¡°Oh, I would never force you to do what you don¡¯t want to do, babe.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like how he said that.


    ¡°You will not call me babe,¡± she said.


    He smiled and said, ¡°That will be a tough one, but okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said simply, hoping she would not regret that decision in the next two months and one week.


    His smile morphed into a full-blown grin as he said ¡°Alright? As in alright?¡±


    She had barely nodded when he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°What was that about you behaving yourself?¡± she asked in a mock stern tone. ¡°That means your hands to yourself too, mister.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Of course¡± he said as he stepped back from her and raised his hand in surrender.


    Reyona stifled her urge to smile as she stretched her hand towards him, palm up.


    He looked at her in confusion. ¡°You want me to show you to your room?¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes as she said. ¡°I need my car key if I am going to get home, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Maxwell said as he reached into his back pocket, then he said, ¡°Or you can just¡­¡±


    ¡°I am going home tonight. My home.¡± With that, she nipped the key out of his hands and turned to leave.


    It was not until she had his back to him that she smiled at the expression on his face.


    He looked like his treasure had been taken away from him.


    He followed her out and kept his gaze on her as she turned and drove down the driveway.


    As Reyona remembered the intense moment they had earlier, she hoped beyond hope that she was doing the right thing.


    She supposed she would deal with things as they came. For now, she has research to do on her trust fund potential customer.


    Thoughts about every other thing can wait.

 Inexplicable Pressure

    She was not stalling.


    Not at all.


    She just had a lot to do.


    ¡°Like sit at your desk and stare out of the window?¡± Reyona¡¯s subconscious reared its head to poke at her irond reason.


    She sighed and thought of how ridiculous her situation had be.


    It had been a week since she moved in with them, yet it did not look like the awkwardness would end anytime soon.


    Oh, he made her asfortable as possible, and she realised he was serious about renovating his home office if she wanted.


    She had told him not to bother about it and had chosen to stay in her room to do whatever she wanted to do anyway.


    But then he seemed hellbent on not leaving her alone.


    He was always trying to involve her in one thing or the other.


    For the past two days now, he had changed tactics.


    Junior was his secret weapon.


    He would simply send him to invite Reyona to join them.


    For dinner.


    For their walks.


    For the basketball he was teaching the kids.


    And for every other little thing that Reyona was certain that he was just bringing up just to get her involved.


    She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how good he was with the kids though.


    For a man with his ruthless reputation in business, and standoffish personality that made him an enigma to the tabloids, Reyona was surprised to see how gentle and involved he was with the kids.


    She had thought most of the kids¡¯ activities were left to the legions of staff that he had, but then she came home the other day to see him helping Junior with an assignment.


    The attentive way he managed to deal with how the boy had questions about every sum and why it had to be that way was just surprising.


    Reyona had no idea she was smiling at the banter between tutor and student until he smiled back at her.


    Then he winked and added ¡°Wanna join us? This is so much fun, I am not gonna lie.¡±


    Reyona quickly excused herself, bade the kids goodnight and shut herself in her room for the rest of the night.


    Going hungry for the night had not seemed so bad.


    Until she woke up during the night due to hunger pangs and remembered that she had not had anything all day.


    Reyona smacked her hand to her head as she remembered how she had contemted for a while before she could summon the courage to go to the kitchen.


    She was just sure he was going to pop out of somewhere and use her of being unreasonable or something.


    Thankfully, she was able to get some cooked salmon from the fridge and make salmon sandwiches with it.


    Of course, then she had to write a short note and stick it to the container, so the cook wouldn¡¯t think one of the staff took it or something.


    What would be worse than waking up in the middle of the night to eat was to find out that herte-night jaunt put someone else in trouble.


    Then she was unable to enjoy the food as she should because she was busy looking over her shoulders from time to time.


    Worried that he might decide to spring on her from nowhere after all.


    Reyona stood from her seat and started pacing as she bounced the Yoyo that Junior had given her that morning when she was leaving for work.


    This had turned out to be a big mistake after all.


    Not because there were any issues with the arrangement, but because she couldn¡¯t seem to rx no matter how much he tried to make her feel at home.


    The more he and his staff did to make herfortable, the more tense she got.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had had to be so careful about things before.


    Every time she had to step out of the mini-suite set of rooms given to her was pure torture.


    Would she meet him on thending?


    Would he be waiting around to invite her to do something again?


    Would she agree?


    Should she just stay in her room and do whatever she wanted toter when she was sure he wouldn¡¯t be around?


    But then, when wasn¡¯t he around?


    For a man with so many businesses, he sure seemed to be around almost every time.


    At least since Reyona had moved in, there was no day she hadn¡¯t met him at home.


    Which made her even more ufortable because she suspected he was deliberately being around because of her.


    If not, why was it that he was always at a spot where she couldn¡¯t avoid him?


    He was either outside or in the foyer.


    At times, he woulde down the stairs just when she got to the base of the stairs.


    Or he would be in the living room with wine and two sses at the ready.


    And he always wanted to engage in a conversation with her.


    Simple pleasantries wouldn¡¯t do.


    Of course not.


    He always wanted to know how her day went.


    If she was working on anything that evening?


    If she would like to join them for anything.


    The discussions were not as bad as the looks.


    He just had a way of looking at her these days that bothered Reyona.


    Just that evening, he called to invite her to dinner they were having at a Chinese restaurant.


    ¡°The little man wouldn¡¯t stop talking about some of their food that he saw in a moviest week. I figured we would go give him a treat. Wannae?¡±


    Reyona had quickly rejected the offer and told him she would be workingte.


    ¡°Oh, bummer. Would you like anything from the restaurant?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I am fine. I don¡¯t need anything.¡± Reyona had said and wished them a good time.


    Just when she was thinking that she would be able to get back without worrying about his presence, he sent her a message.


    Apparently, Junior had decided that he would rather have the chef¡¯s homemade pizza that evening.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Reyona said as she dropped the bag she had just picked up.


    And she had been waiting since then.


    She really didn¡¯t want to see him that evening.


    Not that she had anything against him.


    Oh, he had been the perfect picture of good behaviour, as he had promised.


    Reyona just couldn¡¯t seem to trust her reactions around him.


    Especially not that evening when she could feel an inexplicable pressure building within her.


    She dropped heavily onto her couch and wondered what she was going to do.


    She still had at least one month left, yet she just knew she couldn¡¯t handle being around him for about twenty per cent of the day.


    It didn¡¯t matter that she had avoided him as much as possible.


    What mattered was, that she knew he was somewhere close by, and as much as it annoyed her, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that it bothered her.


    In a way that she hadn¡¯t believed she could possibly feel towards him.


    Reyona tried for as long as possible to deny it, but she knew what she was feeling.


    And she hated it!Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

 Damn You

    She just¡­ she wanted to be done with all of this.


    ¡°I am a grown woman, damn it. I don¡¯t have to do what I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said as she walked to the table to pick up her phone.


    ¡°I will not being to your ce tonight. I am going home.¡± she sent the message and smiled as the tension in her chest immediately reduced.


    She didn¡¯t have to see him, be around him or even be reminded of him tonight.


    Just perfect!


    *******


    Reyona ignored her ringing phone as she drove home with Aria¡¯stest song ¡°Truth or Dare¡± ying on her stereo.


    She knew who was calling and since she could guess what he was going to say, she decided not to pick up yet.


    She was going to call him back when she was ready.


    Preferably after she had soaked in the ambience of her familiar home that would be free of a lurking man or kids trying to tug at her heartstrings.


    Where no one would try to pull her in further than she already was.


    As she took thest turn that led to her home, she was already anticipating how she was going to have the best sleep she had had in days.


    Right after¡­


    Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the familiar car in front of her house.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    What the¡­.


    Reyona parked away from the driveway, giving his car enough room to turn and leave as fast as possible.


    He came out of his car just as she wasing out of hers.


    ¡°Why were you not picking up?¡± he asked as he walked towards her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Reyona asked as she felt her rxed mood disappearing by the second.


    ¡°You promised,¡± he said simply, as he stood a few paces from her.


    Reyona could see the frustrated look on his face as he tucked his hands into his pockets and said ¡°You are backing out now?¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes and said ¡°Who said anything about backing out? I just¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked when she stopped talking.


    Her rising anger faded as she sighed and said ¡°I just need some time to myself, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it something that I did?¡± he asked as he ran his hands through his hair.


    ¡°No, of course, not. I can¡¯t just be there tonight, okay? I want you to respect that,¡± Reyona said as she grabbed her bag and proceeded to walk past him.


    ¡°And what if you feel this way tomorrow too? And next tomorrow? You just might nevere back.¡± he said in a low tone.


    ¡°Okay, what is this?¡± Reyona snapped as she turned to him again. ¡°Why are you making this sound like it is a permanent arrangement or something? It is just a temporary stay. A month at most and I am leaving. Yes, I have given my word and I will stick to it, but for tonight, I am staying here. At my ce. Now please excuse me.¡±


    ¡°I knew I was going to regret this,¡± he said as he ran his hand through his hair again.


    ¡°Regret what?¡± Reyona asked before she could stop herself.


    ¡°Suggesting that fake marriage. Just¡­ going about all of this the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what on earth are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought I would give you all the time you needed to get over that asshole. I thought it would be fine if I could just be close to you in any way. I thought I could get you to hate me a little bit less, but I can see that I am wrong. I am losing my mind around you, Reyona, but you wouldn¡¯t even have dinner with me.¡±


    Reyona was stumped for a moment as she stared at him.


    She had heard Toria and Celia say it before.


    Now that she could think of it, he had said something like that before.


    But not in the way he was saying it at that moment.


    Not with the utter frustration he had on his face at that moment as his words tumbled out like they couldn¡¯t wait to be uttered.


    ¡°I like you, Reyona,¡± he said as he moved closer to her, his voice less agitated now. ¡°I like you a lot,¡± he said again as he reached her. ¡°Please give me a chance to prove it to you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona blurted out as he got so close to her that all she was able to breathe in was his scent.


    Her statement was more to herself than to him.


    Something was happening to her.


    ¡°I promise to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t promise me. Don¡¯t say anything to me. Don¡¯t touch me. Please, leave.¡± she said as impassively as she could.


    Reyona¡¯s whole body was going haywire at his nearness, and she just knew she was going to do something she would regret.


    When he stood there without moving, she closed her eyes and repeated ¡°I told you to leave.¡±


    She expected to hear his footsteps leaving, but all that greeted her was silence and that damned scent was not decreasing, either.


    She slowly opened her eyes and, true enough, he was still standing there.


    He shook his head slowly as a new look entered his mesmerising eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. I want to stay right here.¡± he nodded almost to himself as her breath caught when he moved closer to her.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°And you know what?¡± he said in a whisper as he slowly reached for her. ¡°I think you want me to stay too.¡±


    That pressure building inside her roared to me as he curled his hand around the nape of her neck.


    Her breath got choppy as he tilted her head a bit and made her look straight into his eyes. ¡°Say it, Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Damn you,¡± She said as her bag dropped, and she grabbed his head to join her lips to his in a searing kiss.


    The sound of her keys falling to the ground sounded like a gong in her mind.


    Yet it was not enough to pull her mind out of the haze it was.


    ¡°Damn you,¡± she repeated as a new fire raced through her when he wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against the furnace of his body.


    Reyona was lost.

 Make Me Forget

    Reyona was going mad with a raging passion inside her.


    His hands roamed freely over her body as he kissed her like a parched man offered water.


    The kiss was engulfing and overpowering.


    He let out a groan in his throat when she bit at his bottom lip, then soothed it with her tongue.


    He touched her back in a certain way that had her gasping softly with pleasure.


    He took the opportunity to invade her mouth with her tongue, and they engaged in a duel of tongues as he backed her towards his car, which was the closest to them.


    Reyona gasped in surprise when she was momentarily suspended in the air, but she was soon seated on the hood of the car as he moved in between her legs and continued kissing her without breaking contact.


    Reyona could feel his bulge against herp as he changed the angle of his head and sent her into a frenzy again.


    Her senses were all ame, and she had no idea when she suddenly grabbed him tightly with her thighs.


    She was gasping for breath when he finally released her mouth and started trailing kisses all over her face.


    The whisper of ¡°I will worship your body with mine¡± filtered into her mind and spiked her fever higher.


    For a moment, Reyona thought he was the one who spoke before she realised that it was what she had heard him say in that first dream that had not ceased to bother her.


    Dream mixed with reality as he whispered across her skin. ¡°Please, let mee in. Let me stay with you tonight.¡±


    Reyona was beyond words at this point and all she could do was nod.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± he said as he moved away from her.


    She slit her eyes open and saw that he was picking up the bag and keys she had dropped earlier.


    He half-ran to the door to unlock it and before Reyona could find enough strength in her weak limbs, he was by her side again.


    He carried her off the hood and hastily walked towards the door.


    He carried her bridal style through the door and Reyona chuckled at his actions.


    ¡°Upstairs?¡± He whispered, and a memory mmed into Reyona¡¯s mind¡¯s eye.


    He seized her mouth in a kiss at that exact moment, but then she had tensed.


    She suddenly doubted her actions and just knew she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Put me down¡± she managed to say when she could disengage from the kiss.


    ¡°Right here?¡± He asked with amusement. ¡°Okay, babe. I could¡­¡±


    His expression changed when he saw the look on her face.


    ¡°Are you¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked as he set her down.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think you should go,¡± Reyona said with an averted face, and she tried to move away.


    He didn¡¯t give her the chance anyway because he had his hands on her shoulders and held her in ce. ¡°What is wrong? Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t want to.¡± Reyona said wearily. ¡°Just leave, okay?¡±


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± He asked in a forlorn voice and that was just too much for Reyona.


    ¡°No, not at all. This is not about you. This is¡­¡± she scrubbed her hand over her face. ¡°This is about me.¡±


    She let out a humourless halfugh at the disbelieving look on his face. ¡°I know that is a cliche, but it is the only exnation that I have. I am sorry for leading you on. I am not¡­ interested in you that way.¡±


    Reyona realised her mistake even before shepleted the statement.


    His eyes darkened dangerously as he held her chin and tilted her head backwards.


    He looked menacing, and an unexpected thrill danced down Reyona¡¯s spine as he said in a gravelly tone. ¡°Not interested in me that way, huh? At least be honest with yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    His mouth descended on hers so fast that her head spun.


    There was a new edge to this kiss that called to something deep within Reyona.


    Gone was the gentleness and careful touches that made her skin sing.


    This time he firmly ced his hands on her ass and held her tightly to himself in that region.


    He poured all his frustration into the almost punishing kiss while slowly grinding against her.


    A low moan escaped Reyona as her blood roared from the onught of his kisses.


    Her mind was wiped clean of any hindering memories as she met him fire for fire.


    She couldn¡¯t take it anymore when his hands suddenly brushed the sides of her breasts.


    She gasped when he grabbed her heavy breasts in his hands and proceeded to knead them through her clothing.


    His kisses were doing a lot to her, but it was nothingpared to what his touches were doing to her.


    When he slightly moved away from her, and the hot budge she was feeling down there was gone, she whispered in protest and tried to pull him back.


    Her nipples stood shamelessly at attention and her body called desperately for his.


    Yet he only trailed his fingers over her face while breathing harshly, ¡°I want you, Reyona. I want you so badly that it is messing with my mind. It is obvious you want me to. Why won¡¯t you just ept me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Reyona inhaled sharply as another memory invaded her mind.


    Then she closed her eyes and mentally shut the door on every and any memory whispering from all corners of the house.


    The house had been renovated, but it still had potent power on her.


    It was a ce where she had dreamed a lot and eventually lost a lot.


    It was a ce where she had only given herself to one man alone and thought she always would.


    Reyona had not realised how much the memories made in that house had lingered in the crevices of her mind despite all her derations.


    Not until he had carried her over the threshold.


    Just as¡­


    She mmed the door shut firmly over the pesky thoughts and opened her eyes to look at the man with the expectant expression in front of her.


    She thought she had moved on, but she was wrong.


    At least not in all the ways that matter.


    She moved on with her head, but her body still belonged to one man.


    That ends today.


    She gave him a sultry look as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her hands around his neck.


    Her puckered nipples dug firmly into his chest as she nibbled at the sides of his mouth.


    He stood so still as she looked at him from beneath her eyelids and teased her tongue over his lips.


    His muscles clenched as she trailed her fingers in patterns towards his waistband.


    ¡°Take me then.¡± She breathed. ¡°Make me forget.¡±


    It was all the encouragement he needed before she got swept under.

 Who Could Have Thought?

    The next few weeks were filled with guilty pleasures for Reyona.


    She knew she should put a stop to it, but she just couldn¡¯t.


    They could hardly keep their hands off each other.


    They made fiery, passionate love in unexpected ces.


    Just as they came together in the gentlest and soul-stirring ways.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe she could do the things she had done with him the past couple of weeks.


    She wanted to me it all on his insatiable hunger for her, but she knew that would just be hypocritical.


    She was as hot for him as he seemed to be for her.


    Having dinner or breakfast with him in thepany of the children was nothing short of torture.


    His eyes drank her most scandalously.


    Reyona wondered how she had managed not tobust from the way he looked at her at times.


    And the words he whispered to her when no one was watching?


    It was enough to send her heart spiking every time.


    His small and deliberate touches when they were together alone or with people never failed to suffuse her body with heat.


    Reyona had always believed she was too professional to do certain things.


    Well, she realised how wrong she had been when he had dropped in on her while she was workingte one day.


    It is safe to say that the work eventually waited till the next day.


    By the time they were done, her files were strewn all over the floor just like their clothes.


    And the food he brought for her was well past cold.


    Still, they had shared it while naked on the Persian rug in front of the firece.


    Of course, he ended up ¡°identally¡± smearing her breasts with the chicken sauce.


    And then, like the gentleman he was, he had to clean it up for her.


    That cleaning hadsted another hour, and they tumbled into Reyona¡¯s home that night well past midnight.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe how much she had let go of her inhibitions towards him.


    She almost couldn¡¯t remember why she had found him so annoying before.


    Still, she didn¡¯t want other people to read what was not there in their arrangement, so she told him she didn¡¯t want them to be obvious about their attraction to each other.


    Still, Celia had cornered her in the kitchen when they went to visit the Jordans on a weekend.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡± she squealed suddenly and Reyona almost dropped the apple pie they hade to get from the kitchen.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked in confusion, even as the smile on Celia¡¯s face made her guess what this could be about.


    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t pretend now,¡± Celia said as she wagged her finger at her.


    Then she dragged the stool out, sat down and faced Reyona. ¡°Spill,¡± she ordered.


    Reyona marvelled at how two people who looked so different could have so much inmon.


    Celia¡¯s gleeful look was almost the same as what Toria had on her face when Reyona told her she had moved in with Maxwell and the kids.


    Her sister had conveniently ignored the reason why Reyona had moved in, and she had gleefully dered that they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their hands off each other for long.


    Reyona still hadn¡¯t told her what had finally happened, just because of the glee with which Celia was looking at her at that moment.


    That and the ¡°I told you so¡± that her sister would ship in.


    Though none of them would admit it, she knew that her sister and Celia had a wager going on about her and Maxwell as well.


    Which meant anything she admitted to Celia would automatically be known by Toria. So Reyona simply shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you now?¡± Celia asked as she narrowed her eyes at Reyona and got off the stool to circle Reyona while nodding her head like a sage. ¡°Hmm. Hmm. Hmmm¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes and said ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go check on your baby or something? I am sure that everyone is waiting for this delightful pie. I, for one, know that I can¡¯t wait to have this.¡±


    ¡°Mira is perfectly happy with that beautiful girl of yours. They can wait for their cake, and you are hiding something.¡±


    ¡°Like what? I am not hiding anything.¡± Reyona said, undeterred by Celia¡¯s disbelieving look.


    ¡°I bet. I just bet you guys are all over yourself most of the time. What I would give to be a fly in that house right now or when you guys are¡­¡±


    Reyona shook her head as sheughed, mostly to cover the buzz she was already having under her skin from the image that Celia¡¯s words were reminding her of. ¡°You are a pervert. Does Andrew know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. You can be sure that he loves my perversity more than anything. Enough about my husband. Tell me what you two have been up to.¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all.¡± Reyona said as she sidestepped around her and took the pie tter from the counter.


    ¡°These beauties will be gone in no time if you don¡¯te out soon, and I wouldn¡¯t even be sorry for it. I should remind you that Junior loves them. I will remind Andrew that you won¡¯t mind if we have them all too.¡±


    ¡°Bitch.¡± Celia said in frustration and Reyonaughed.


    Celia was right about one thing though.


    Allysyn seemed to be taken with Miranda just as the toddler was with her.


    They had been almost inseparable since they had arrived that afternoon.


    Reyona got to see more of the girl¡¯s rare smiles that evening.


    She waved Maxwell¡¯s offer to help aside and went back to the kitchen to get the forks she had forgotten to take.


    ¡°I tell you she is glowing! Well, she wouldn¡¯t admit it, but I am telling you I know these things. They couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off each other either. Phew, I tell you they make me want to drag Drew away from the table and have my wicked ways with him. Oh, she thinks she is slick but¡­ah!¡± Celia jolted when she finally realised Reyona¡¯s presence as she turned.


    She disconnected the call and said, ¡°You scared me!¡±


    Reyona raised her brows. ¡°Oh, I am sorry. My bad. I totally ept full responsibility.¡± she said in a sharine tone that was anything but sorry.


    Celia narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°No, you are not.¡±


    ¡°Was that Toria?¡± Reyona asked.


    Celia looked at the phone in her hand like she was just seeing it for the first time.


    She gave Reyona a clueless look as she said ¡°What? No. It was¡­ I think I heard Mira crying.¡±


    With that, she hightailed it out of the kitchen so fast that Reyona burst intoughter.


    She was tempted to call Toria, but she knew that would only mean she was admitting something.


    Her sister wouldn¡¯t be able to hold off for long anyway.


    Especially if she was on the losing edge of whatever their wager was.


    For now, Reyona would eat the pie and try not to fantasize about many other things she would like to do with that pie.


    She chuckled at the naughtiness of her thoughts.


    Who could have thought?

 Please…Shut Up

    ¡°I think¡­mmm¡­ I think Celia is on to us.¡± Reyona said amidst moans that night.


    They were in the sunroom where the shimmering-low-toned dripping chandeliers had nothing on the ethereal glow of the moonlight filtering through the garbled, ss roof panels.


    The fluidity of soothing light as it prated through the roof-to-floor ss walls reminded her of how he had joined her in the swimming pool the night before and turned her into the wanton woman she had never thought she could possibly be.


    She discovered more about herself every time she was with him.


    She had thought she was conservative when it came to sex until she realised that was because she had never been with him.


    Their first time had been mind-blowing as he had unravelled all the defence she had put up that night.


    She had been expecting a clean and straight passion-crazed sex that they could both forget as soon as they were done, but somehow he had turned it around on her and turned it into the most sensuous lovemaking she had ever experienced.


    Not that she had much reference in that category, yet it had meant something.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many times they came together or where they were, it seemed new every single time.


    Maxwell raised his head from where he was busyving her nipples with his tongue and he scrunched up his nose as he said ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are thinking about Celia right now. Is that a way of saying that I am not doing a good job?¡±


    Reyonaughed softly as she locked her legs around his fine ass, then used the motion to rub herself against him as she said breathily ¡°Oh, trust me, you are doing more than a good job. A thumbs-up review would be an insult to your expertise. That just crossed my mind. She was asking questions earlier. I promise I will stop.¡±


    She mimed the movement of zipping her lips as she ran the heels of her feet up and down his back while gripping him closer to her


    Maxwell chuckled as he held her hand and sensuously pulled her fingers into his mouth one after the other.


    He gave each of them a good suck that had Reyona moaning out loud.


    She was writhing beneath him as he said ¡°I understand what you meant though. Andrews wanted to know too.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s heavily zed eyes popped open as she asked throatily. ¡°Did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked with a not-so-easy smile as he looked deeply into her eyes and traced his fingers over her lips.


    Reyona automatically opened her mouth to speak, and he slipped his fingers into her mouth.


    She gave him a look, but he only grinned as he raised his brows at her in a challenge.


    She took the challenge and sucked the hell out of his fingers.


    She pulled three of them into her hands and gave him a hell of a suck in the most suggestive way that had him groaning even before she wrapped her other hand around his shaft.


    ¡°Oh, fuck. Reyona¡± he breathed harshly.


    The way he called her name had always been Reyona¡¯s undoing and the effect was not less this time.


    She felt a new torrent of wetness gushing out of her as she slowly pulled his fingers out of her mouth and ced the wet digits around her straining breast.


    He groaned out loud as he rubbed his fingers over her puckered nipples.


    The nipples strained the more he rubbed them and Reyona wriggled closer to his mouth and said ¡°So, did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± he asked nkly, then realisation made him shake his head. ¡°Damn.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell him. I promised you, didn¡¯t I? Though I hate that you don¡¯t want anyone to know about us, I am not going to break the promise I made to you, okay?¡±


    Reyona smiled as she seductively licked her lips and said ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, please shut up,¡± he said gleefully.


    Reyona dly obeyed and showed him the many other things she could do with her mouth.


    She flipped him over and took charge.


    ¡°Oh, my God. Oh damn. Fuck, you are fucking gorgeous, baby. Fuck. Fuck, I think I am going to cum.¡±


    ¡°Hang on¡± Reyona moaned as she felt herself building up inside.


    She increased her pace as she rode him faster and faster.


    They both came together so powerfully that the aftershocks rocked them for a while.


    Reyona slid down bonelessly on him, and he held her closely as they both tried to get their breaths back.


    That was one thing he had always done.


    As much as Reyona always wanted to distance herself from him the moment their passion faded, he always wanted to hold her afterwards.


    Most times, she would simply pull away and pretend not to notice the look of hurt on his face when she did that.


    At times, he would take her again a bit more roughly than before, just as if he was trying toy im to her.


    Yet Reyona knew there was no im on either end toy.


    This was only a temporary thing.


    Once their arrangement was done, they would get a divorce and everyone would go their way.


    She didn¡¯t have to worry about the children, since he seemed more than capable of handling their affairs in the best way possible.


    Even if her asshole ex and his mistress never resurfaced, she was sure that the kids¡¯ future would be well taken care of.


    So she would take what she needed just as he was, and when it was time to part ways, their goodbyes would be done without any regrets.


    As he held her closer that night and slowly ran his hands through her hair, she told herself she was just too tired to distance herself immediately.


    Just a few minutes more and she would be gone.


    She was growing drowsy with sleep from the thorough sex and the monotonous rhythm of his hands in her hair was contributing to that effect too.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Then he turned his head andy a lingering kiss at her temple.


    Then, almost to himself, he whispered so softly that she almost didn¡¯t catch it, ¡°I love you.¡±


    All sense of euphoria vanished from Reyona¡¯s body as she froze.


    Maxwell¡¯s hand also steeled in her hair as he felt the change in her body.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she heard him mutter as she suddenly pulled away from him.


    ¡°Hold on¡­Rey¡­¡±


    A shrill scream pierced the night.

 They Wouldn’t Stop

    They met bleary-eyed Janeing out of her room while cinching the ropes of her nightgown.


    For a moment, she stared iprehensibly at the two of them rushing towards her.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reyona asked urgently.


    ¡°I am just about to check. I heard someone scream.¡±


    ¡°We did, too,¡± Maxwell said as they rushed past her.


    ¡°Ally?¡± they heard Junior¡¯s voice as Reyona opened the door to the children¡¯s room.


    The expansive room was decorated just as the kids wanted.


    The two sections of the room were divided by an AC sheet room divider that gave the children a feeling of having their own space even while being together.


    Allysyn¡¯s side was decorated ording to her taste.


    She was more of a purple and print girl and that influenced her choice.


    The wall was done in intecing bold and light purple, the bedding purple ents, while the wall decor, artwork, frames and sidemps were in contrasting bold colours.


    Even her mini bookshelf had purple ents at its end.


    While Junior¡¯s side was mostly done in blue with shades of orange, with his beloved football-rted decorations on the wall and his array of superheroes on his mini-shelf disys as well.


    His bed is in the shape of a Chevrolet car and covered with a blue, star-stripped cover.


    He was rubbing his eyes as he tried to get out of bed when the door opened.


    He looked towards the door with blinking eyes and his eyes widened a bit when he saw them enter.


    ¡°Reyona? Is Ally crying again?¡± he asked with uncertainty.


    ¡°Again?¡± Maxwell echoed as they rushed over to Allysyn¡¯s side.


    ¡°Jane stay with Junior¡± Reyona said in a near-panic as she saw that the sound they were hearing wasing from none other but the girl thrashing in her bed.


    ¡°Yes, ma,¡± Jane said as she held Junior back and led him to his bed with assurance.


    Reyona¡¯s heart constricted with pain as she saw the way the girl was struggling with all she¡¯d got.


    Her arms were iling above her as she thrashed with all her effort as if she were trying to fight someone off.


    Reyona quickly crawled into bed with her as she tried to reach for her.


    Allysyn¡¯s arms and leg movements became wilder as she let out keening sounds in her throat. ¡°No. No. no!¡±


    One of her legs kicked Reyona violently, and she stumbled against Maxwell.


    ¡°Are you okay? Let me try,¡± he said with worry in his voice while looking at the girl who seemed to be having more than just a nightmare.


    ¡°No, I can handle this,¡± Reyona said as she moved closer to Allysyn again.


    She quickly moved towards the girl¡¯s head to avoid another hit, then she gingerlyy her hand on the girl¡¯s hair while she crooned, ¡°Allysyn. It was just a bad dream. Baby, you are fine now. Nobody is going to hurt you here, okay? Can you hear me, Allysyn? You need to wake up now.¡±


    The thrashing seemed to reduce as Reyona spoke


    Then the girl¡¯s head moved slightly in the direction of Reyona¡¯s voice.


    Reyona quickly moved closer to her and reached out to touch her again.


    Though she jerked violently at the touch, her fist didn¡¯tsh out towards Reyona.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    So, Reyona quicklyy down and held the girl¡¯s shaking and mmy frame to her warm body as she stroked her hair while crooning to her in assurance. ¡°It is okay, Ally. You are okay. It is just a nightmare. You are fine. Whatever it is cannot touch you now. You are fine.¡±


    The girl¡¯s shakes reduced considerably as Reyona kept talking and assuring.


    The pace of her hands didn¡¯t stop and the girl finally stilled.


    That was when Reyona finally heard Junior¡¯s worried voice from the other side of the partition.


    ¡°Is she okay now? Is she still crying? I promise I will not disturb her, Jane. She didn¡¯t want me to tell anyone, and now she will be angry with me, that you know. Do you think she would be angry with me? I don¡¯t want her to be angry with me.¡±


    Reyona did not hear Jane¡¯s whispered response as Maxwell crouched in front of her at the side of the bed.


    He leaned over to brush his knuckles over her face as he said ¡°She is fine now.¡±


    That was when Reyona realised that she had been crying.


    She nodded at his statement and rubbed her hand over her face to clear the remaining smudges.


    What could have happened to the girl to cause all this? She wondered.


    Junior¡¯s earlier statement made her remember that he had once said something like that when they were in the Emergency Foster Home.


    Reyona covered her face as she wondered why she had not paid better attention to that.


    She had only thought the girl was crying because she was missing her parents.


    She had no idea it was something of this magnitude.


    She looked up when Maxwell pulled her hand from her face.


    He shook his head and mouthed ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    Her questioning look had him mouthing ¡°You can¡¯t me yourself for this. You did not know. None of us knew.¡±


    How had he known what she was thinking? She wondered.


    But the main question was, what exactly are they dealing with here?


    They still didn¡¯t know, all she knew was that no one would react the way the girl did unless something traumatic had happened to them.


    She doubted if the ever-so-quiet girl would be willing to share anything like that with them.


    She looked down again at the girl as she felt her body rx more against hers.


    Allysyn¡¯s choppy breathing was back to normal and Reyona felt she was sleeping again.


    She could still hear Junior¡¯s low murmur to Jane on the other side.


    She still marvelled at the fact that the boy had been able to keep something like this a secret just because his sister had asked him to.


    With his love for talking and filterless expressions, she still couldn¡¯t believe he would keep something like that.


    Only a fool would underestimate kids these days.


    She wondered if he knew what caused the panic too.


    She doubted he was going to tell them unless Allysyn allowed it though.


    The right person who could enlighten them about this was Allysyn.


    Reyona sighed inwardly at the thought of getting traumatic information like that from the girl.


    They would need all the patience and tactics they could summon.


    For now, she was d that the girl was finally sleeping.


    They could deal with other things the next day.


    She slowly stopped stroking her hair and gingerly shifted away from the girl¡¯s hold.


    She was just getting up when she realised that the girl¡¯s eyes were open.


    Not the sleepy eyes that you would expect from someone who has been sleeping.


    Her eyes were alert yet zed, and she kept staring at Reyona while she was lying so still on her side.


    Reyona could almost believe she was not seeing her.


    ¡°Ally?¡± she called uncertainly.


    Nothing.


    Maxwell raised his brow to Reyona in question as he mouthed ¡°She is awake?¡±


    Reyona nodded.


    ¡°They won¡¯t stop,¡± Allysyn whispered so low that Reyona almost didn¡¯t catch it.


    Her heart clenched at the anguish in the girl¡¯s voice.


    She leaned closer towards her as she asked ¡°The nightmares? I am sorry that you have to go through that. How long have you been having them?¡±


    Allysyn merely stared straight ahead for a moment.


    Maxwell quickly turned around to the other side of the bed, so he could see her face the way Reyona was.


    They both heard it when Allysyn said it again a bit more strongly this time. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t stop. They were trying to do¡­things to him.¡± she started crying as her face contorted in a semnce of rage and her hands curled in fists. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t stop. I tried to stop them.¡±

 Unspoken Agreement

    Reyona held the seven-year-old¡¯s quivering body till thetter cried herself to sleep.


    Then she gingerlyy her on the bed and eased out of bed as Maxwell covered the girl¡¯s body with her nket.


    Jane came forward to meet them as she stood up from the beanbag she had pulled closer to Junior¡¯s bed.


    ¡°He fell asleep,¡± she said quietly.


    Maxwell inclined his head towards the door as Reyona moved closer to the boy¡¯s sleeping form.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she whispered as she smoothed his hair away from his face.


    She pulled his nket tightly around him, suspecting it would be at the other end of the bed before the night was over.


    She left the room with a set look on her face.


    Maxwell followed her out to the hallway, where Jane was waiting in the hallway.


    ¡°Will she be fine?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°Do you want me to stay with them tonight?¡±


    ¡°There will be no need for that.¡± Reyona said, then asked, ¡°How much of that did you hear?¡±


    ¡°I heard some of it, ma,¡± Jane said carefully.


    ¡°Good,¡± Reyona said simply. ¡°That means I know who to go to if I hear anything about it anywhere.¡±


    ¡°No, ma. I would never do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°You had better not,¡± Reyona answered calmly. ¡°Goodnight¡±


    Jane left them and went to her room.


    Reyona¡¯s hands tightened around the railing and said ¡°I am going to kill them.¡±


    You will need to get in line¡± Maxwell said as hey his hand lightly on her shoulder. ¡°Verified foster parents indeed.¡±


    Reyona shook her head sadly as she said in a low tone ¡°Poor girl. I can¡¯t believe how much she had to deal with just because some assholes refused to do their jobs right!¡±


    Her hands tightened against the railing as she lowered her voice and said ¡°They have to pay. I know I don¡¯t have a say when ites to the kids, but I want to see those bastards pay for what they did.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s hand moved from Reyona¡¯s shoulder to her back in a soothing motion as he said ¡°You are one of the reasons why they won¡¯t have to endure something like that again. So, yes, you have every right to say this. They won¡¯t go scot-free. That I can promise you.¡±


    Reyona nodded and looked at him as she swiped at the unbidden tears thatced her eyes.


    ¡°These kids are very lucky that they have you in their corner,¡± Maxwell said as he turned her slightly and wrapped his arms around her.


    Though Reyona was tempted toy her head against his broad shoulders, she held herself back rigidly.


    His gentle touch made her remember what he had said earlier.


    Her posture even got stiffer as she wondered why he was changing the rules on her.


    She thought they had an unspoken agreement that their passion was just that.


    Two people who were attracted to each other and were acting on it for the main time.


    How can he spring something like that on her?


    The fact that her body wanted to do the opposite of what her mind was thinking made Reyona take a step backwards.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked as she tried to shrug off his restraining arms.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°I just need a moment.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest. It will be a long day tomorrow. Come, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, I would like to stay with the kids tonight. I don¡¯t think I would be able to have much sleep anyway. Not with that anguished scream still ringing in my head.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Maxwell said as he reached out to touch her again. ¡°Let me get some bedding and I can join¡­¡±


    Reyona subtly moved, so his hand missed her shoulder. ¡°No, I would like to stay with them.¡± A pause. Then she added, ¡°Alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said as he tucked his hand into his pocket and gave her a considering look. ¡°Okay,¡± he said simply.


    Hesitated for a bit, then added ¡°Let me know if¡­¡± he jerked his thumb towards the door they just came out through.


    Reyona nodded, even though she was sure that would be thest thing she would do.


    ¡°Right. Goodnight¡± he said simply.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Reyona said as she watched him leave.


    She let out the breath she had not realised she had been holding.


    What was that look on his face? She thought in exasperation as she entered the room again.


    Junior was still as covered up as possible while Allysyn was sleeping peacefully.


    Reyona was d that she had been able to soothe the girl¡¯s fear enough for her¡­


    The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts.


    She gave Maxwell a look as he came forward with an intable bed, bed cover, pillows and nket.


    ¡°I told you I¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you,¡± he said almost testily. ¡°Just let me do this, and I will be gone, okay?¡±


    He looked towards the bed to be sure that he had not woken the girl up.


    Then he proceeded to make the bed for her.


    Reyona just couldn¡¯t get over the many ways that he surprised her.


    The efficient way he made the bed like it was something he did every day made her feel somehow.


    Then he plumped the pillows and rose as he gestured towards the bed in invitation.


    ¡°You do not need to¡­¡±


    He strode towards her, held her before she could pull back, and then kissed her firmly.


    He pulled away before she could gather her shocked senses to make a protest.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± he whispered to her.


    Reyona blinked at him and said, ¡°About Allysyn, yes we¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I am not talking about Allysyn. You and I need to talk,¡± he said emphatically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Later,¡± he said before he kissed her on the cheek. ¡°Good night,¡± he said once again.


    He was out of the door before she could turn around.


    Reyona was not a fool.


    Of course, she knew what he wanted to talk about.


    Just as she knew, she didn¡¯t want to have that discussion.


    As her gaze went to the bed he had just made for her, even after she made it clear that she wanted to be alone, her heart sighed in a way that made Reyona ufortable.


    She went to sit on the mini couch close to Allysyn¡¯s bookshelf.


    She pulled her errant thoughts from the direction they wanted to head and looked back at what mattered at the moment.


    The kids and how they could get the justice needed for her to ensure that those bastards never tried that with someone else again.

 Like Any Serial Killer

    Reyona¡¯s anger rose to a feverish point as she looked at the couple who were nonchntly repeating the mantra ¡°Our boys are good breeds¡±.


    The husband was not as outspoken as the wife, yet, like broken records, one echoed what the other said.


    ¡°How can you even take what that troubled child said over what we told you?¡± The woman, who was oblivious to how close Reyona was to letting her have it, said to the associatemissioner.


    ¡°We have always been very diligent in taking care of these children and never has anyone had such aint about us before.¡± the woman¡¯s voice was rising by the moment. ¡°Our boys are an example of what a good job we do with these kids. Nobody had ever had aint about them before. They are good kids. Top of their sses too.¡± With her gaze turned towards Reyona. ¡°How dare¡­?¡±


    ¡°How dare a child speak about a traumatic experience she had in your home where she was supposed to be protected? How dare she try to protect her brother from your good boys? Well, I can see just how unreasonable you want to be, and I am sure you will soon be asking the judge how he dared to prosecute you and your good boys too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the man¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he said ¡°What? You will sue us?¡±


    ¡°How can you sue us?¡± The woman questioned shrilly as she looked towards Mr. Han. ¡°We did you all a favour, and now we are the ones getting sued? How can you allow this, sir? We have worked with the department for years now.¡±


    ¡°I think we should all¡­¡±


    ¡°No wonder you have grown sofortable with the money you are getting from the state for caring for those good children that you have forgotten your ce.¡± Maxwell barely raised his voice, yet his frosty tone effectively captured everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Well, guess what? You will be reminded of what your duties are, especially since you think it beneath you to even ask the culprits in question about what happened.¡± he narrowed his eyes as the woman wanted to interrupt him and thetter shut her mouth again. ¡°Seems to me like you were aware of all this all along. And if you dare call my niece a troubled child again, you are going to regret it. ¡±


    ¡°Now, now. I think we all need to calm down now. This is a serious issue, and we need to treat it ordingly. Mr and Mrs. Sanstons, I think you need to bring your boys over.¡±


    The couple looked at each other before the woman said hurriedly ¡°No, no. How can we humiliate them by asking them such a question? It would only devastate them. They are such good kids and¡­¡±


    ¡°Just like any serial killer before they are caught,¡± Maxwell said, and the woman turned towards him like she was about to tear into him. Her husband quickly pressed her hand to prevent her from talking.


    She looked at him and seemed to get the message as she turned back to Mr Han as she lowered her voice in a reasoning tone. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think all this is necessary. This might just be a prank on the children¡¯s part. You know how these kids can be these days. We have dealt with enough of them to know what they can do. This might just be the girl¡¯s way of asking for attention. The way I see it, I think you need to look into how well she is doing in her new¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sure you are not about to say what I think you want to say, are you?¡± Maxwell asked in a tone that was enough to cut anyone down to size.


    The woman looked away from Mr Han and looked at Maxwell ufortably.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The look on his face made her clear her throat as she looked away again.


    Maxwell turned to Mr Han. ¡°Will you handle this appropriately, or should we take it from here?¡±


    ¡°President Rohan. This case involved the department as much as it affected you too. We need to find a solution to this, and I am sure the Sanstons will be very cooperative too.¡±


    ¡°That looked to you like people who intend to be cooperative?¡± Maxwell asked frostily. ¡°They might be a case for you, but they are my family. And as long as their parents are not around yet, they are my wards, my responsibility. Which means I get to do what I think is the best for them, whether you and your verified ipetent fools agree with it or not.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± the woman yelled in protest, but the husband hushed her in an urgent whisper.


    As if he didn¡¯t hear anything, Maxwell continued with his frosty gaze on the difited Mr. Han. ¡°Did you even listen to those recordings? We had to make a girl relive the nightmare she shouldn¡¯t have had in the first ce, just because we wanted this conversation to be straightforward. Did you listen to what the boy said as well? Those were taped separately without one of them influencing the other with their words. We could do that to seven and four-year-olds just to make sure you have enough to work with, but they can¡¯t deem it fit to bring their seventeen and sixteen-year-olds for questioning. My wife and I are not here to exchange words with insensitive people like that. So, I ask again, what do you want to do about this?¡±


    ¡°We will do our investigation and¡­¡±


    ¡°When? How?¡± Reyona asked firmly.


    ¡°The process will start immediately, and the boys will be invited¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs Sanston, please.¡± Mr Han said to stop the woman¡¯s protest.


    Then he continued ¡°They will bring the boys in for questioning. President Rohan, I am assuring you that if they are found guilty, we¡­¡±


    ¡°If?¡± Maxwell asked with his brows raised.


    ¡°I mean¡­erm, President Rohan, I understand your concerns and that recording is very convincing too, but we still need to hear from both sides, sir. I can assure you that due diligence will be done, and the culprits will be punished ordingly.¡±


    ¡°My boys did¡­¡±


    ¡°Helga¡±, her sweaty husband, was the one who cautioned her this time.


    She red at him but managed to keep her mouth shut enough for Han to continue.


    ¡°We would do right by the children, sir. That is the main reason for this department. If we can¡¯t protect them as we were meant to, that would mean that we have failed. I don¡¯t want to fail my country.¡±


    Maxwell nodded and he looked at Reyona.


    She also nodded slightly.


    They both stood up and Maxwell said, ¡°We will leave this to you then. I need feedback within twenty-four hours, or I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do this my way.¡±


    ¡°It is a deal, sir.¡± President Han said as he stood up as well. ¡°We will get to the bottom of this, ma¡¯am,¡± he said to Reyona as well.


    Without acknowledging the Sanstons, Reyona and Maxwell left the meeting room apanied by Mr Han.

 More Than Friends

    In the car, Maxwell asked, ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think they know about this. It is either that or they suspected the boys were into something like that. What I don¡¯t understand is why they would allow it or even try to cover them up. A child almost got killed for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Just my thoughts,¡± Maxwell said as he clipped his seat belt. ¡°Those two definitely know something.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust Han to do the right thing?¡±


    ¡°He is a decent man, and he owes me a favour. He would do the right thing, or he would have me to contend with. Let¡¯s give him twenty-four hours as promised,¡± he said as he started the car.


    ¡°I think therapy would help her. We should get both of them into therapy. I know Junior seemed almost unbothered about it, but one can never tell about these things. If there is anything I have learned, it is that unpleasant memories tend to stay with kids more.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Maxwell said. ¡°We can get a top children psychologist in the city. Someone who wouldn¡¯t even mind working out of his or her office in case the kids feel ufortable about going to a ce like that.¡± Then he paused as if he just remembered something. ¡°Unpleasant memories. Which unpleasant memories are you talking about?¡± he said as he reached out to take her hand. ¡°Would you like to share them?¡±


    How did he¡­? ¡°What? I didn¡¯t say¡­ This is not about me, okay? Now, focus, please. About Allysyn¡­¡±


    ¡°I just wish there could be a day when you wouldn¡¯t mind sharing a bit of yourself with me. Even if it is just as a friend,¡± he said with a wistful, half-smile.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t understand how he managed to disarm yet infuriate her in turn.


    ¡°We are friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± he asked when she gave him an exasperated look.


    Friends? Since when? Yet Reyona couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he had be a bit of that.


    ¡°A friend who knows how you taste. Hmm,¡± her subconscious interjected.


    Reyona firmly ignored that.


    Not that she had set out for friendship between them, but then, it was crazy that he seemed to understand her perfectly most times.


    Just like earlier, how could he have deduced that she was somehow referring to her childhood even before she was fully aware of what her statement meant?


    When she said nothing, he raised his eyebrows and his mischievous grin materialized as he said ¡°Or am I to believe that we are more than friends?¡± he asked while wiggling his eyebrows.


    ¡°What? No. Friends, fine.¡± she snapped.


    Heughed softly and kept looking at her with that new look in his eyes even as she continued, ¡°Now, back to what I was saying, I just don¡¯t know what she would think of it. I think that girl is much too sensitive for her age. And now I can see one of the reasons why. What if she doesn¡¯t want therapy?¡±


    Maxwell nodded thoughtfully as he said ¡°I think we can just exin what therapy is all about to them, then see what they think of it. We can take it from there.¡±


    Reyona sighed ¡°You are right. What about taking them out this evening? Maybe to¡­yes, what about that restaurant you wanted to go to that day? A change of scenery and all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that could work. It can make her rx enough to be open to it.¡± Maxwell answered.


    ¡°Good, let me inform Jane,¡± Reyona said as Maxwell started the car.


    She was unlocking her phone when she felt his eyes on her. She looked back at him and asked ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Have I told you that you are the most brilliant andpassionate woman I have ever met?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Reyona rolled her eyes as a small smile escaped her, and then she said ¡°Drive¡±.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ********


    Jane had the kids ready by the time they got home.


    She told them the kids were waiting in the yroom.


    ¡°Who wants to go eat some Chinese¡­well, whatever they call them,¡± Maxwell said with augh as they entered the yroom where the kids were.


    ¡°Me! Me! Me! Chicken meatballs! One of them is chicken meatballs. Chicken meatballs are my favourite!¡± Junior said as he quickly stopped and got off his Ponycycle mechanical horse.


    ¡°Oh wow, someone is dressed for the part,¡± Reyona said as she entered the yroom just as Junior ran towards them.


    ¡°You like it?¡± Junior stopped his run and did a 180-degree turn for her while bouncing from foot to foot.


    ¡°Of course, I love it,¡± Reyona said, and she really did.


    He had on a blue loose-fitting shirt, beneath a ck cowboy waistcoat, with ck denim trousers. The cowboy look wasplimented by his cute tall boots with leather spurs and a patterned silk handkerchief knotted at his throat.


    He removed his blue, broad-brimmed hat in a salute to her, then he spoiled the serious look he was going for as he grinned and jumped in ce. ¡°So, do you reaaaally like it? Ally said it was silly.¡±


    ¡°What? Ally must be jealous,¡± Maxwell said as he bent to the boy¡¯s level. ¡°I am sure she wished she had this cool outfit on. I know I would want to.¡±


    Allysyn snorted from where she was seated at the other end of the yroom staring at a broad sheet in her hands.


    ¡°I am not jealous. I wouldn¡¯t want to wear something like that ever,¡± she said without looking up from what she was staring at.


    ¡°See?¡± Maxwell said. ¡°I told you she was jealous. That is whatdies say when they don¡¯t want you to know that they love what you have on.¡±


    Junior scratched his head in confusion as he looked at Maxwell and asked ¡°Uh? So, she liked it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she does.¡±


    Allysyn turned her head at that moment to probably emphasise how much she didn¡¯t like the outfit, but then her eyes met with Reyona¡¯s as thetter moved towards her.


    She quickly turned away again and practically buried her nose in the sheet.

 I Think I Like You

    ¡°Hi,¡± Reyona said as she wondered how the girl must be feeling after having to share something she had thought she couldn¡¯t share with anyone.


    Probably embarrassed. Reyona thought as she tried to picture what she might have felt if she had to exin such a thing to anyone.


    Though Reyona had seen what was on the sheet now, she asked ¡°What do you have there?¡±


    Silence.


    Then the girl said ¡°Puzzles. He wanted toe ride his horse while we waited for you, so I¡­¡± Shepleted her statement with a shrug.


    Reyona wanted to tell her that she didn¡¯t have to justify things she did to anyone, but then she thought it was better that the girl was saying something at all than her usual mming up.


    ¡°Do you want help with that?¡± she asked when the girl scrunched up her face and tried to trace a pattern with her finger.


    Allysyn finally looked up at her as she shook her head and said ¡°No, I will figure it out. I like to do this.¡± She closed the sheet as she spoke.


    ¡°What else do you like to do? Maybe we can get to do one of those these days?¡± Reyona asked, just to get the girl talking.


    The girl gave her a considering look and said ¡°I¡­think you don¡¯t like to do things with us. Maxwell does, but you are busy most of the time. I think you just don¡¯t want to do things with us.¡±


    What a misunderstanding. Reyona mused.


    How can she exin to the girl that they were not the ones she was avoiding spending too much time with?


    ¡°No, that is not the reason. You see, I¡­ well, it shouldn¡¯t be an excuse really, but I was truly busy all those times. I don¡¯t want you to think it has anything to do with you.¡±


    Allysyn just stared at her, then she looked towards the guys where Maxwell was busy exining the history behind the cowboy looks to Junior.


    They were both seated on the floor and seemed to be enjoying themselves.


    Allysyn turned back to Reyona and lowered her voice as she said ¡°I know that you and Dad were married. Mum gave birth to us while you were married, so that means we are the reason why you are no longer married to our dad. I understand if you don¡¯t like us, but ¡­.¡± she reduced her voice again and leaned towards Reyona as she said in a conspiratorial whisper ¡°Please, don¡¯t let Junior know. He likes you, and he will cry if he knows.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s heart swelled with anger and sadness.


    Just as she couldn¡¯t help but feel admiration for this small girl with an adult mind.


    The anger was firmly directed at the bastard who put them all in this situation.


    She leaned closer and kissed the girl on her forehead.


    Allysyn¡¯s hand half-rose towards her head as she looked at Reyona in confusion.


    Still leaning close to her, Reyona said ¡°Now listen to me. I know you are a very intelligent girl, so I won¡¯t try to fool you. I need you to believe what I am about to say now because it is the truth, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay¡± the girl nodded.


    ¡°You are right, but only about the fact that your dad was married to me while he had you with your mother. But that is not your fault. That is the fault of a two-timing man. I want you to know that I will not project the feelings I have about your father onto you. If I wanted to act ording to that, I wouldn¡¯t even be anywhere near you. I like your brother and you, and everything you see me doing now is because I just want to help the children that I like.¡± she paused and asked, ¡°Do you understand that?¡±


    Though questions were still in her eyes, Allysyn nodded slowly.


    Reyona continued, ¡°I am sorry that I have been absent from most of your activities. I want you to believe that it has nothing to do with any dislike towards the two of you. Not at all.¡±


    ¡°You are not really married to him, are you?¡± Allysyn asked matter-of-factly.


    Reyona wondered briefly if she did not prefer the silent Allysyn after all.


    Yet, she knew she had to deal with the girl with honesty. It was the least she could do in this case.


    ¡°We are legally married, yes, but it is an arrangement made because we don¡¯t want the government to take you away again. It is only a temporary arrangement. Just long enough for Miss Macay to stoping. Once your uncle has your custody without further visitations, it wille to an end. I am telling you this now because I wouldn¡¯t want you to think that I left because of you and your brother. Do you understand me now?¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Allysyn simply asked.


    ¡°In three weeks,¡± Reyona answered as she ignored a hollow feeling in her heart.


    ¡°So, we will never see you again?¡± Allysyn asked with a thread of anxiety in her voice.


    That made Reyona pause to assess what she was about to say. She didn¡¯t want to upset the girl nor did she want to lie to her.


    So she said ¡°I guess we can still see each other from time to time, but it won¡¯t be as often as it was these past months. Also, your parents¡­¡±


    ¡°They might be back soon, and then you wouldn¡¯t want to see us at all,¡± Allysyn said.


    Reyona guessed there was no point denying it. So, she said ¡°I just want you to know that nothing that happens will be because I don¡¯t like the two of you. You and your brother are both precious to me. I wouldn¡¯t trade our time together for anything else.¡±


    Allysyn looked at her for a while and said almost reluctantly ¡°I think I like you.¡±


    To stop the sudden moisture she felt at the back of her eyes, she smiled and said ¡°You think? You are not sure?¡±


    Allysyn shrugged with a small smile.


    Reyona wrinkled her nose at her and said ¡°I think I like you too. No, scratch that. I know that I like you. You are a very brave young girl, Allysyn. Never forget that. A brave young girl who loves her brother so much.¡±


    ¡°Uggh,¡± she said in denial of thest statement.


    Reyonaughed out loud at the expression on her face.


    ¡°I see youdies are having a good time over there, but if you don¡¯t mind, we men need to eat, right, Junior?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Junior said as he thumped his chest with pride. ¡°Maxwell said I am a man and a man doesn¡¯t disturb twodies when they are having¡­ a¡­a¡­¡±


    ¡°Chit chat¡± Maxwell supplied.


    ¡°Chit-chat!¡± Junior said excitedly. ¡°It is ady¡¯s thing.¡± Then the affected adult mien dissolved as he said ¡°Can we go now?! I want to eat chicken meatballs!


    Reyonaughed again and even Allysyn smiled.


    ¡°Yes, we can go now. We, thedies, are done with our chit-chat, thanks for being a man about it.¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Yay! Let me go tell Jane we are leaving¡± he said as he bounced out of the door.


    Maxwell looked at the two females who were standing close to each other and said ¡°I will go change too. I need to see if I can find something as hot-looking as our cowboy here. I can¡¯t afford to lose my hottie status.¡±


    With that, he left.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I need to go change as well. See you downstairs?¡±


    Allysyn nodded, ¡°Yes, see you downstairs.¡±


    She was almost out of the guestroom turned yroom before she heard ¡°Reyona?¡±


    She looked back as the name felt strangeing from the girl.


    She realised that was the first time the girl had ever used her name as she turned around and answered ¡°Yes?¡±


    Allysyn firmed her lips and asked, ¡°Did they say I was lying?¡±


    Reyona instantly knew what she was talking about.


    Her mood soured, and she said ¡°Promise me something, okay?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Allysyn asked anxiously.


    ¡°That you would not think about that for the rest of the day. I will tell you about itter.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Promise,¡± Reyona answered.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°Good¡± Reyona answered with a smile before she left the room.


    She had no idea how she expected the girl not to think about what would probably be the most prominent thought on her mind.


    But if she had anything to do about it, she was going to provide a hell of a distraction.


    And the culprits would pay!


    Oh, they would!

 Sibling’s Logic

    The afternoon started on a pleasant note as they arrived at the acimed Bombay Wok, a high-end Chinese restaurant in Kayooma.


    Reyona had heard of the restaurant being the best Chinese restaurant in the country, but she had never been there before.


    Just as Maxwell was parking in the sectioned parking lot, Junior was the first to exim. ¡°Look! Look at that giant cat! Wow! Why does it have all that stuff? And he is waving at us!¡±


    Reyona smiled as she came face to face with the biggest Maneki-neko she had ever seen.


    The statue is otherwise known as the beckoning cat and is always like a figurine that the Chinese and Japanese put in their ces of business for good luck. It was mostly ced on desktops or near the cashier, but this particr one was set on a pedestal at the forefront of the restaurant, almost like a guardian angel.


    ¡°It is cute¡± Allysyn said as they came closer.


    ¡°What is that written on its body?¡± Junior asked in confusion as he pointed at the  written in red letters to match the red, white and gold colour of the calico Japanese bobtail raising its hand in a wave or a beckon, depending on who was looking.


    ¡°It is a Chinese character,¡± Maxwell answered as he smiled at the fascination on the kids¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Chinese! I know Chinese! The people in the cartoon! What¡­ what does it say?¡± Junior asked curiously as he bent his head like that would help him understand the characters better.


    Maxwell looked at Reyona as he answered ¡°Well, that is a tough one, kiddo. I think it says something about luck, yeah?¡±


    Reyona smiled as she said, ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±


    Then she turned to point at  written on the gold pendant attached to the cat¡¯s cor as she said, ¡°Do you see that?¡±


    The children nodded. ¡°That says ¡°Fuku¡± and it means luck. While the bigger letters on the body say ¡°sen man ryou¡± and that means 10 million gold pieces¡±


    ¡°Woah. That is a lot.¡± Junior said in awe.


    He tried to count that many gold pieces in his hand and then gave up as he repeated ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°I see someone paid attention in history ss¡±, Maxwell teased Reyona.


    ¡°Not all of us went to school topete for the hottest on campus¡± Reyona countered.


    ¡°Oh, burn. I will get you back for that. I also won¡¯t forget that you think I am hot,¡± Maxwell said with a wink.


    Before Reyona could respond, he turned to the kids just as Junior moved closer to the statue and said ¡°Okay, kids. If we do not get in there soon, I am sure the owners might use us of staring too much. You wouldn¡¯t want to be sent off before you enter at all, would you?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I want to eat chicken meatballs!¡± Junior dered as he moved away from the statue. ¡°I know what the writing means now. The owner wants 10 million gold pieces. Do you have 10 million gold pieces to give him?¡±


    ¡°No, dummy. The statue means good luck. He wants good luck.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°You are both right¡± Reyona quickly interrupted Junior¡¯s protest. ¡°The owner wants good luck that would let him make up to 10 million gold pieces.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡± Junior said with his eyes widened in spection. ¡°The owner will be rich! I would like to be a Chinese restaurant owner!¡± he dered.


    ¡°What an ambition, bud. Way to go!¡± Maxwell said as he fist-bumped him. ¡°I call dibs on being your first customer, but before then, let¡¯s eat here first.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay,¡± Junior said solemnly, then in the next moment, his face lighted up as he called out. ¡°Look at birds! They have red things on their heads. Look at their super thin and tall legs. Woah!¡±


    ¡°Those are called cranes. They¡­¡±


    The look Maxwell gave Reyona made her smile, and then she quickly said, ¡°You know what? I will tell you more about themter. Let¡¯s go in first.¡±


    The Maneki-Neko and the two beautifully sculpted cranes nking the entrance on each side were the least of the many beautiful artefacts that adorned the restaurant.


    As they entered, Reyona wondered how people managed to get any eating done in the restaurant when there were many unique and historical artworks everywhere. It was almost like going to a mini-museum.


    The main floor of the family-friendly Chinese restaurant has bright lighting, with a huge dining room. One couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to therge murals on the Great Wall of China along with disys of Chinese paintings of emperors, warriors and other scenes from China¡¯s imperial history, which adorned the wall with intricate detailing.


    The floor has earth-toned tiling, the wall features wood panelling that resembles bamboo shoots. While different groups of people and a handful of individual customers enjoyed varieties of delicacies on the solid wood rectangr, table tops and matching vertical chairs in dark mahogany.


    After Junior had proudly dered to the owner that they were only eating there until he could open his restaurant and make his millions of gold coins, they were led to their private dining room, where the contrast to the main floor was so significant.


    The room had muted ambient lightingpared to the main floor.


    It had intricate piping along the ceiling, and a teal and grey tile floor, while hand-painted and embroidered wallpapers adorned the beige walls.


    Their table had an exquisitely padded seat that matched the antique lighting.


    Objets d¡¯art and etched oval-shaped fake windows depicting pastoral views illuminated the room with their splendour.


    Junior and Allysyn marvelled at the reversible tabletops and Allysyn even went to check out the fake window to be sure it wasn¡¯t real.


    One of the attendants assigned to them threw them into an excited frenzy as he pointed a remote at the window and the pastoral scene changed to that of a water brook where fishes were leaping out of the water and sshing themselves.


    For the first time, Reyona heard Allysynugh, it was such an enjoyable, tinkling sound that had her smiling wildly.


    She felt Maxwell touch her hand and she looked at him as she blinked back the moisture that was setting in her eyes.


    He looked at her in understanding as he curled his hand around hers.


    Reyona didn¡¯t protest as they both looked back at the children marvelling at the change of scenery.


    At that moment, Reyona understood what Toria meant when she said she was going to get hurt anyway.


    Reyona could see how much the children hade to mean to her within thest few months.


    She was going to miss them a lot when it was time to say goodbye.


    They allughed out loud when the attendant changed the scenery again and the children danced back in excited shock when the furious face of a horse filled the window panel.


    Allysyn even squealed as the horse neighed and threw his head up proudly.


    ¡°Ally shouted like a girl!¡± Junior pped his hands in excitement.


    ¡°No, dummy. I did not!¡± Allysyn said with a chagrined face.


    ¡°Hey, Ally is¡­¡±


    ¡°Children, children. I think we should settle down now, okay?¡± Reyona said to avoid a confrontation.  ¡°These gentlemen are looking forward to feeding us some chicken meatballs.¡±


    ¡°Meatballs!¡± Junior forgot about horses and annoying sisters as he ran to sit beside Maxwell.


    Reyona leaned towards Allysyn as she sat and said ¡°You know he doesn¡¯t like you calling him dummy. Why do you keep doing it anyway?¡±


    Allysyn forgot her embarrassment as she smiled slyly and responded, ¡°Because he does not like it.¡±


    Ah


    A logic that could best be understood by someone with siblings.

 To See You Laugh

    They requested that the first course be Chinese chicken meatballs, much to Junior¡¯s delight.


    The sticky, yet savoury dish was an eye-opener for Reyona, and she wondered how much more she had been missing.


    It was garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, which did nothing to detract from the slightly spicy taste of the mouthwatering meal.


    After that, they had Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, Peking roast duck, Mapo tofu, chow mein and Wonton soup sessively.


    By the time they rounded everything up with mango pudding, the pipa music that was trickling in from the room next room had risen in frenzy.


    Even Junior was silent, as they simply enjoyed the culture of another country through the food and music.


    By the time they were leaving, the attendants informed them that their private room was next to a shopping centre where they could get their children any Chinese paraphernalia and clothes they might want.


    Though Reyona felt a bit weird when the attendants assumed they were a family of a couple and their children out for a good time, she didn¡¯t say anything to dispute the fact.


    ¡°Why not?¡± she said, and Maxwell nodded as well.


    ¡°Who wants to go shopping?¡±


    ¡°Me! Me! Me!¡± they both chorused.


    Reyona wished they would forever be as happy as they were at that moment.


    The mega-shopping centre that had been cleverly nestled close to the restaurant had arge variety of items, from the most practical to the silliest of toys and gifts.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    When they were getting clothing for the kids, they cajoled Reyona to try something out too.


    ¡°Please, do,¡± Maxwell added to their plea. ¡°I just know you are going to look magnificent in whatever you put on.¡±


    Reyona eventually tried the Qipao.


    The dress fitted her like a dream.


    The cream-coloured, tight-fitting, shin-length dress has a standing cor with an asymmetric left-over-right opening and two side slits.


    It was beautifully embroidered with the emblem of a magnificent phoenix rising in a wraparound way that goes from the back to the front. Exquisite knot buttons adorned the front to the midriff and the hazel green embroidery matched well with Reyona¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Woah! Reyona, you are so beautiful!¡± Junior eximed loudly as she came out of the dressing room.


    His exuberant statement grabbed the attention of others and Reyona quickly told him ¡°Thank you,¡± as she bent down towards him to prevent people from staring at her.


    That was when it hit her.


    What are they doing?


    This was supposed to be just an arrangement that was known to only them and people close to them.


    What if someone recognised her and¡­


    As she hastily stood up, she came face to face with Maxwell, who hade closer to her.


    He leaned towards her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he said ¡°He is right, wifey. You are breathtaking. Now, how can I be the odd man out? Wait here.¡±


    With that, he went to get into the store and came back in no time with his regal-looking Changsan robe which made him look like a prince.


    Then he raised the slitted robe and wiggled his eyebrows as he showed the Ku trousers he had underneath.


    Reyona doubled over withughter at the bulky-looking cream-coloured trousers that seemed to be held in ce by the stic band of the trouser end.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Reyona said as she tried to curb herughter.


    ¡°You look silly¡± Allysyn said as Maxwell threw his head back arrogantly and struck a pose, then he raised his arms and started moving in what was supposed to be a regal walk but ended up looking like a waddle because of the bulky trousers.


    ¡°Oh, please, please. Just stop, okay? You look¡­¡± Reyona sucked in her breath to stop herughter as Junior pped his hands while jumping around, which only egged Maxwell on. ¡°You look ridiculous¡±


    She finally managed to say, then almost squealed as he suddenly caught her in his arms and dipped her in a semnce of a dance.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Reyona muttered in a hushed whisper as she looked around to see if they had attracted attention again.


    ¡°Let¡­¡±


    Maxwell stopped her statement with a resounding kiss, after which he grinned at her surprised face and said ¡°I love to see youugh.¡±


    Reyona wanted to go change, so they could leave, but he told her to leave it on.


    Before Reyona could protest, Junior had started mouring that he would like to change into his Hanfu as well.


    Even Allysyn was quick to say she didn¡¯t mind changing.


    Just like that, they left the centre dressed like a Chinese family on tour.


    Reyona had no idea why, but she started feeling ufortable about the whole thing.


    Maybe they should have just stayed at home and found a different way to entertain the kids.


    Just when Reyona thought the kids would be tapped out, Junior asked if they could go watch Doctor Check Up at the cinema.


    He had heard a friend at school say they were recently showing it.


    ¡°Doctor checkup? Never heard of it.¡± Maxwell said, then he asked Reyona. ¡°Have you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I suppose it might be a cartoon though¡± she said as she took out her phone to check.


    She smiled as she looked away from the phone.


    ¡°What?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°I think you might have a boy who is obsessed with everything Chinese on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it is about¡­¡±


    Reyona showed the phone to him.


    The cartoon has magical Chinese characters in it.


    ¡°Are you sure you are not tired yet, Junior? This will take about an hour and a half, you know,¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I am not tired. And there is no school tomorrow!¡± he said while jumping excitedly at the back of the car.


    ¡°Allysyn, what about you?¡± Reyona asked.


    Allysyn shrugged and said ¡°I am not feeling tired, and it is just some minutes past six,¡± she said as she looked at her watch.


    ¡°I guess we are watching some cartoon tonight?¡± Maxwell said as he looked at Reyona with a grin.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Reyona said in resignation as Maxwell started the car.


    Junior hooted in excitement and Reyona smiled.


    Moments like these are fleeting after all.


    Why not take it when she can?

 Smudging The Line

    The ringing phone woke Reyona up.


    Without opening her eyes, she stretched her hands towards the direction of the sound.


    The phone stopped ringing just as her hands touched something warm.


    Her foggy mind was confused for a moment as she poked at the firm, warm¡­


    ¡°Fleshy form?!¡± Reyona¡¯s eyes popped open as she suddenly realised that she was not alone in bed.


    Not only was she not alone, but she was wrapped in his arms like¡­


    Didn¡¯t he say he was going to leave after she fell asleep?


    What the¡­


    Reyonay still as she listened to his rhythmic breathing.


    She was half-tempted to give him a little idental jab.


    Maybe that would knock some sense into him, she mused, even as she knew that she was not going to do it.


    As she tried to wriggle out of his arms, she suddenly froze when she felt a well-recognised budge cradling her ass.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Reyona thought as her insides automatically reacted to his boner.


    She needed to get up as soon as possible.


    She did not consent to this.


    Having sex with him was a different thing, but sleeping with him like this?


    It was something else entirely.


    He knew she had never epted his invitation that they should sleep together!


    How dare he trick her like that?!


    After the kids went to bed the night before, he had wanted to follow her to her room, but she told him she was too tired for any action that night.


    He epted and informed her that he just wanted to talk.


    Though she was reluctant about it, Reyona allowed him toe into the mini living room in her suite, while she went in to take her shower.


    He had made a joke of joining her, but she had firmly declined, knowing that the shower would end up in something else.


    Then she hade back to see him with a ss of wine, which he had invited her to.


    They sat and talked mostly about what they had done that day, and also touched on what he had nned if Han did not deliver on his promise.


    When he started getting that disturbing look on his face, Reyona knew he had something on his mind that she might not like.


    Before he could get around to it, she yawned loudly and told him she wanted to sleep.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said without making any move to leave.


    Reyona looked at him, then subtly looked in the direction of the door.


    She was certain he would get the hint since he had decided not to do what was required.


    Instead of getting up, he only continued turning the base of the wine ss over and over in his hands.


    Then he asked, ¡°Can Ie?¡±


    Come where?


    ¡°I already told you I do not¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t like staying with me after we make love, but we did not make love now. So, can Ie?¡± he asked again.


    Make love.


    Why did he keep getting these things mixed up?


    They were not making love. They were having sex.


    Sex borne off passion alone.


    It was vital for Reyona to keep reminding herself that there was a line between the two, yet he seemed hellbent on smudging that line.


    She had told him many times already, yet he kept using that term as if they were two people who were in a rtionship or love¡­.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to sleep with you,¡± she said hastily. When he raised his brow, she merely continued ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. I just want to have a good night¡¯s rest. Alone¡± she added emphatically.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he said, as if he really understood what she meant. Then when she expected him to get his fine ass out of the door, he simply said ¡°Can I watch you sleep then?¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Reyona blurted out.


    ¡°I am not allowed to sleep with you, we can only make love. I understand that, but I would really love to watch you sleep. I promise I won¡¯t bother you.¡±


    ¡°Being around me would be a bother enough. How can I sleep when¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you that afraid of me, Reyona?¡± he asked with his roguish grin.¡± Are you scared that you won¡¯t be able to resist me after all, and you will pull me into bed with you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Reyona said more to stop her mind from conjuring the bothering pictures that his words were provoking.


    When he only looked at her expectantly with an innocent expression, Reyona said ¡°Fine, do as you like. I don¡¯t care. It is your home, anyway, you can choose to be wherever you want. Just don¡¯t¡­ bother me¡±


    ¡°If that is a ploy to guilt-trip me, Miss Dexter. I am afraid it is not working¡± he said as he stood up expectantly.


    Reyona red at him and went into the bedroom.


    She suddenly became very self-conscious about everything.


    Did she have anything lying around that she shouldn¡¯t? Did she¡­Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She mentally stopped herself from obsessing about anything.


    She didn¡¯t ask him toe into her room anyway.


    Even if she had a bloodied tampon lying around, it wouldn¡¯t be her fault if he saw it.


    Nobody forced him to follow her.


    Though he was sitting on a couch, shey at the side of the bed farthest from where he was seated.


    Even at that, she couldn¡¯t rx.


    Shey rigidly at her side, hoping he would take that as a sign that she had slept off and simply leave her alone.


    The man could be full of lots of shit at times.


    What on earth does watching her sleep have to do with anything?


    ¡°I think you are at the risk of falling off the bed, Miss Dexter¡±, his voice interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t bother me!¡± she said in exasperation as she shot up from the bed and shot him a re.


    She might have well been wasting her energy because he only smiled as he said ¡°Ah, I did say that, didn¡¯t I? I am sorry. Carry on.¡±


    Reyona flopped back into bed and thumped one of the extra pillows hard.


    She stopped trying to hold her breath and faced the ceiling as she held the mangled pillow to her body.


    Why did she even agree to this nonsense?


    She should have stood her ground and personally tossed him out of the door if he refused to leave.


    If she told him she had changed her mind now, he would definitely find a way to turn it on her and call her a coward or something.


    He believed she was afraid of him. Idiot. Why would she be afraid of him?


    Now she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep while he was sitting there and watching her like a hawk.


    She would open her eyes, tossing and turning all night because he couldn¡¯tprehend something as simple as a no.


    She will have bags under her eyes tomorrow and probably end up scaring the kids shitless.


    Then she would be drowsy all day and¡­


    The next thing she heard was the sound of the ringing phone.


    As Reyona looked at the well-lit room that indicated that it was already morning, she wondered how she had been able to fall asleep.


    The main question was, how did she end up wrapped in his arms and had to wake up to his bony while he slept on innocently?


    She ignored the hard flesh poking at the exposed part of herp and tried to get up again.


    She had hardly shifted when he murmured and held her more tightly to himself, this time his hands firmly grabbing her breasts.


    ¡°Oh, hell no¡±


    Reyona raised her elbow just as hot breath caressed her ears as she heard ¡°Hmm, what wouldn¡¯t I give to wake up every day like this, wifey?¡±


    ¡°Get your hands off¡­¡±


    He kissed her cheek firmly as he reluctantly pulled his hand away from her breasts.


    She was sure he deliberately dragged his hand over her flesh in its exit, making her nipples hardened, and she had to catch her breath before she could speak coherently.


    First, she quickly moved away from him and his poking rod as fast as she could.


    ¡°Oops,¡± he said as he seemed to finally realise his boner. ¡°See? All of me will be d to see you any day, any time,¡± he said, with a wink.


    ¡°You said you were going to lea¡­¡±


    His phone started ringing again.


    ¡°Sorry, I have to pick this, ma¡¯am,¡± he said unapologetically as he rolled out of bed.


    Reyona gasped as she saw that he was entirely naked under the sheet.


    He looked at her in confusion, then looked down at his protruding dick hanging out in all its glory.


    Then he looked back at her shocked face in disbelief as he said ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve never met him before.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    He chuckled and went to the living room to get his call.


    Reyona was fanning herself with her hands when she heard him swear and asked ¡°Are you sure?¡± paused. ¡°When?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s phone started ringing as well.


    It was her mom.

 Every Child Deserves

    Reyona quickly entered the bathroom so that his voice wouldn¡¯t be heard over the phone.


    On second thought, she locked the bathroom door before she picked up the call.


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°What is this, dear? What is going on? How did this even happen? How can you hide this from us? This can¡¯t be true, can it?¡± dys Rochester asked anxiously over the phone.


    ¡°Mom. Mom, please calm down. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Reyona Beatrice Dexter, don¡¯t you have something to tell me? Why do you have to let us find out like this? What are you doing? Who are those kids, eh? Just tell me they are not who I think they are. Are they?!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Reyona moved her phone from her ear and she felt it vibrating with another call.


    She was surprised to see Samantha¡¯s number.


    Samantha wouldn¡¯t call her on a weekend unless it was something very urgent.


    Dread settled in Reyona¡¯s bones as she thought of the coincidence.


    Her mum¡¯s call.


    And now Samantha?


    Her mom asking about the kids.


    How did she¡­?


    ¡°Mum, did you hear anything about¡­?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course, I heard something. I heard and read too. How can you make me find out like this, Rey? Is it true that you got married to him? Without telling us? And those kids? They are your ex¡¯s children, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom, but¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God. What have you done, Rey? What is this? I can¡¯t¡­no, I can¡¯t deal with you right now. It is like I don¡¯t even know you anymore.¡±


    With that, the call was disconnected.


    Reyona sank slowly to the tub¡¯s edge as she tried to call her mother back.


    She disconnected the call before it could ring and called her dad instead.


    She braced herself for the disappointment she might hear in his tone.


    He had always supported her choices and never condemned her mistakes, but Reyona felt it might be different this time.


    The hurt in her mother¡¯s tone cut deep into her heart and the guilt she had suppressed over the past months reared its barbed head.


    The assurance she had always convinced herself that she wouldter tell them after all this had passed seemed thoughtless at that moment.


    Her actions hurt her mum and her dad would probably be more disappointed.


    All because of a situation she could have distanced herself from.


    ¡°Could you really have though? You are not the type to look away when someone is in need¡±. Her subconscious decided to be supportive that morning, yet its reminder did nothing to console her.


    Reyona sighed in frustration when she heard the notification that the person she was calling was on another call.


    She waited till the call was disconnected and called Samantha back.


    ¡°Hello, ma. Thank God, I was getting ready toe to your ce. Have you seen the news?¡±


    Just what she thought.


    Rubbing her aching temple, Reyona asked ¡°What is it?¡±


    Samantha exined what she could, then she sent links to Reyona.


    Reyona put her phone on Do Not Disturb, and started checking the trail of what could be another big scandal for ReyDexter.


    Someone had taken different pictures of Reyona and Maxwell together, then they had sold them to media outlets with the juicy bit that the two are together.


    One of those outlets, which was not even a Kayooma media outlet, published the picture the day before with the caption.


    ¡°After divorce, ReyDexter CEO found love again¡±


    Other media outlets that had varying pictures of the two of them together must have seen that, and because they didn¡¯t want to lose the freshness of the news, they all posted the pictures they had with them between the interval of the night before and that morning.


    Each of them had varying captions.


    Then one of the articles was about the pictures of Reyona, Maxwell and the kids the day before.


    That one had a headline of ¡°Was ReyDexter boss cheating on her husband all along?¡±


    Then a photo caption of ¡°Reyona Dexter, CEO of ReyDexter seen with her children and new husband¡±


    The narrative of Maxwell being her husband was driven from the first images that had been released.


    A collection of images of when Reyona and Maxwell arrived at the registry, when they were leaving, and when the two came out of the registry side by side.


    Online posts have been reposted many times already.


    Reyona¡¯s stoic expression wavered when she saw a post which brought up Thomas¡¯s deration at the press meeting about Reyona cheating on him.


    People started specting if Maxwell was the lover she had been cheating on her husband with after all.


    Reyona chuckled humorlessly when she saw some people wondering if they had wronged Thomas after all by believing Reyona¡¯s story in the live session she had crashed.


    Once she had got the bulk of the gist, Reyona cleared her browser and removed the DND from her phone.


    She could see missed calls from Toria and her dad.


    Reyona decided she would call them back.


    For now, she has some damage to repair.


    This situation had done enough damage to her life and she would be damned if she would allow it again.


    At first, she med herself for acting without much thought and engaging herself in messy situations like this again.


    Yet thest image with the damning usation was also the one that helped to firm her determination the most.


    That particr picture had been taken when they were at the shopping centre and the children had just finishedughing at Maxwell¡¯s antics.


    The animated look on their faces made her realise one thing.


    If she had this to do again, she would still choose to take any action that could lead to them being that happy.


    Messy situations aside, they are just kids.


    And every child deserves to be happy.


    All she had done was ensure that.


    If some bastards wanted to lurk somewhere behind cameras to swipe at her years of sweat because of that, they would have to think again.


    The first time, she had only scrambled after the damage they had done with the hope of patching things up.


    This time, they would wish they had not tried that with her.


    As she stood up from the edge of the tub she had sat all through and winced at the pain in her calf, determination overrode the initial anxiety and panic she had felt.


    Yes, she was sorry towards her family and she would find ways to make amends.


    But if some faceless bastards thought they would bring her down again, they would be in for a nasty surprise.


    A soft knock came from the door.


    ¡°Reyona, are you okay?¡±


    She looked towards the door and tried to analyse her feelings about his involvement in this issue.


    What did she feel towards him?


    Anger? me? Regret?


    Reyona realised surprisingly that she felt none of those at all.


    She had done everything she did of her own ord.


    Yes, he might have managed to pull her in more than she had ever intended, but she had done this willingly.


    Being a hypocrite was not something she was known for, and she was not about to change that now.


    Could it be that she had never thought of the consequences that mighte from their involvement?


    Of course, she had.


    Yet she had done what she felt was right anyway.


    Now, was not the time to point fingers, it was the time to crush any finger intent on jabbing her in the eyes.


    Not again.


    The doorknob twisted before the knock came again.


    ¡°Please, let me in, okay? At least let me know you are alright.¡± his concerned voice came through the door again.


    Reyona smiled humourlessly and wondered how things might have been if he had been the one she had met in that gym all those years ago.


    Or in college.


    Or¡­.


    ¡°Just give me a moment, okay? I will be out soon,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, alright. I will be waiting¡± he said immediately.


    Reyona looked at herself in the mirror before she picked up her phone again.


    She called Rouarke and made an appointment with him.


    After that, she called the head of ReyDexter¡¯s legal department.


    By the time she finished giving out the directives, Reyona was feeling much better.


    Then she called Toria back.

 Let Me Love You

    ¡°Rey, I have been trying to call you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw that. I am sorry for missing your calls. Have you spoken with mom?¡±


    ¡°Boy have I. And dad too. They hate me! And I me you!¡± Toria said passionately.


    ¡°I am so sorry about this, Toria. Is mom fine? She was very upset with me,¡± she said.


    ¡°She still is. And with me too. She is so disappointed that none of us thought of telling them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Toria. I am so sorry. You could have just told them you were unaware too, you know. At least, they would only have been mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was tempted to,¡± Toria said instantly. Then she sighed ¡°But then, I couldn¡¯t. As crazy as I thought the idea was, and I still think it is crazy, mind you. I understand why you did it. And like it or not, I was there, so I couldn¡¯t just throw you under the bus like that. I guess now they would just disown the two of us together. Great!¡±


    Reyona let out a shortugh at the sound of Toria¡¯s bemoaning tone.


    ¡°You can stillugh? How can you stillugh?¡± Toria asked in surprise. ¡°Have you seen all those posts? What are you going to do now? Laugh it all away?¡±


    As much as the unexpected mirth wanted to bubble out of her throat again, Reyona tamped it down and answered her sister in a serious tone. ¡°Yes, I have seen them. I don¡¯t want you to worry about them, okay? I will handle it.¡±


    ¡°How can I not worry? At this rate, I am sure I will have grey hairs soon.¡± Toria responded. Then she sighed and asked, ¡°How are you doing though? How are you really doing?¡±


    Reyona didn¡¯t hesitate to say ¡°I am fine, Toria. Believe me, I will handle this.¡±


    ¡°Why do I believe that?¡± Toria said in contemtion. ¡°Just¡­let me know if you need me to do anything, okay? Anything apart from keeping secrets from our parents!¡±


    Reyona smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it.¡±


    ¡°Now I need to go think of all the ways I can get Mum to remember that I am her favourite daughter. After giving her some space, of course. I am sure she is on the verge of disowning us all right now.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure she knows that I forced you not to tell them,¡± Reyona added with a genuine smile.


    ¡°Pfft, as if anyone would believe that,¡± Toria said with a snort. Then her voice gentled again. ¡°Please, take care of yourself, Reyona.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°How many weeks left now?¡±


    ¡°Less than three weeks¡± Reyona answered automatically.


    Toria sighed, then said ¡°You do too much for others, Rey. How did I get so lucky to have a sister like you? I love you, sis.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Reyona blinked back the sudden moisture in her eyes as she said ¡°I love you too, Toria. A lot¡±


    *********


    He had his trousers on when she came out.


    His pensive gaze tracked her movements as she came forward.


    ¡°You know,¡± he simply said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Reyona responded.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± he said as he stood up from where he was seated.


    ¡°For what? It is not your fault.¡± Reyona said as she stopped walking with the expectation that he would do the same since there was only a little distance left between them.


    Instead, he kept walking till he reached her.


    ¡°I am the one who proposed this, so it is my fault. I am sorry¡± he said as he wrapped his arms around her rigid body and hugged her.


    With her hands hanging between them, Reyona answered ¡°And I am the one who epted the proposal, knowing what the implication would be. This is as much my responsibility as yours.¡±


    She shrugged slightly and he stepped back from her.


    He didn¡¯t let go of her hand though, as he said, ¡°Please, let me handle this.¡±


    ¡°Why? I already told you that you don¡¯t need to take responsibility for anything. Moreover, have you seen the articles? My name and that of mypany are the most prominent of all. Why then would I let you handle what I should do? To give more impression that I am a woman who left her husband to be with a powerful man? I don¡¯t need you to handle anything for me. My involvement in this is the reason why mypany is involved. It is only right that I extricate mypany as soon as possible. I will not let them do what they did the first time.¡±


    He thoughtfully rubbed his finger around his nose as he gave her a keen look. ¡°Why is it so difficult for you to ept help from others? Why do you find it hard to lean on me?¡±


    Reyona shrugged his hand off hers and folded her arms to her body as she asked ¡°Lean on you? For what? I told you I could handle this. Would you rather I break down in tears and run to you so you could save me?¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea, would it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I don¡¯t need you or anyone to save me. Your oversized ego just will have to ept that.¡±


    ¡°Just as I should ept that you wouldn¡¯t let me love you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, what the hell are you talking about right now?¡± Reyona asked as she narrowed her eyes at him in exasperation.


    ¡°That I love you, Reyona. That I want to take care of you. That I want to be the man you turn to in situations like this. I want to be able to give the world to you and more. I¡­¡± he turned away from her and paced for a moment.


    Then he turned back to her suddenly again. ¡°I promise myself I won¡¯t spring this on you again until you are ready for that discussion, yet here I am. You do things to me, Reyona. Something that no other woman had ever been able to do. It hurts me that you wouldn¡¯t even let me help you. Let me help you, Reyona. Let me love you.¡±


    Reyona stood still as torrents of thoughts cascaded into her mind.


    The woman in her yearned for such a deration.


    Yet her battered heart recoiled from such a statement.


    She could see the burning desire in his eyes as he walked towards her, then stopped suddenly, as if he couldn¡¯t trust himself to be that close to her at that moment.


    She had no answer for him, yet she had much to say.


    ¡°Say something.¡± he implored after a lengthy pause.


    Reyona knew what he wanted to hear, yet she could only say, ¡°I have scheduled an interview in two hours. What do you want people to know about our arrangement?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­¡±


    He gave her a look that cut deep into Reyona most ufortably.


    Then he turned around to pick up his discarded shirt from the edge of the couch.


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t just tell them that this was just an arrangement, that would be like confessing to a cr¡­ Maxwell!¡± she called him urgently as he kept going without acknowledging her.


    He stopped abruptly and turned to her.


    That look.


    Reyona wondered how he could evoke variations of feelings in her with just a look.


    She didn¡¯t like how she was feeling at the moment at all.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want,¡± he said gravelly. ¡°Let me know if you need me for anyth¡­,¡± he snorted with a dryugh. ¡°Oh wait, you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    With that, he wore his shirt and stepped out of the room.


    Reyona went towards the couch and sat down slowly.


    She hated that she wanted to rush after him to apologise.


    Apologise for what though?


    She had not done anything.


    ¡°Yeah, apart from taking his heart and practically grinding it under your heels¡±, her subconscious was at it again.


    Reyona shook her head as she leaned back against the couch.


    As his lingering scent wrapped itself around her, Aria¡¯s song chose that moment to pop into her head.


    ¡°Boys have feelings too.¡±


    Even bad boys bleed¡­

 Like Roses

    Reyona spoke with her dad that morning before leaving the house.


    As always, he was careful not to condemn her actions.


    He just wanted to understand why she did not trust them enough to keep such information from them.


    The more understanding he was though, the worse Reyona felt.


    She exined to him how she knew what she did was not ideal, especially about how she came to know the children.


    ¡°So, this whole marriage thing was because of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it legal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but temporary.¡±


    ¡°Do you love him?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Reyona, did he force you into doing this?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I volunteered to do this. It was the only choice at the moment.¡±


    ¡°No, my darling, there is always another choice. Always.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry that I didn¡¯t think of it. I am sorry that I did not tell you and Mum about it. I just didn¡¯t want you to be as upset as you are right now.¡±


    ¡°No, my dear. You should share things like this with us. We are your family. We should be able to share whatever burden it is you have with you. I know you have always been independent and think you must do everything yourself, but it doesn¡¯t have to be so with family. We love you, Reyona. We are supposed to be there for you when you need us.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry that I didn¡¯t think of it that way. I am so sorry. Also, I made Toria promise not to tell you. She also learned about this veryte.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t force that girl to do what she doesn¡¯t want to do, so I am sure she kept it from us for her own free will. She did it because she loved you. As we do too, you know. We love you. Even though it might not have felt like that for the first few years of your life. We love you, Reyona, no matter how badly we might have handled things then. Your mother felt maybe you were still punishing us for what happened then. She thinks that is why you hardlye to us when you need help.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. I love you guys too. I am sorry for not telling you.¡±


    ¡°Will this not affect yourpany again? I can see everything they have started saying. Will this cause another scandal? Do you need us to do anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I have it handled, Dad. I will keep you updated about things. I am sorry once again.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I am okay. Your mother is very upset though. She is more afraid for you than hurt, but she is very upset. I have just spoken with George. She has been crying.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt either of you, Dad. I didn¡¯t mean to. I am so sorry.¡±


    By the time Reyona was done with the call, she had tears in her eyes and grief in her heart.


    She took a moment to regain herposure before she left the room.


    She expected to find him somewhere around, but she was soon informed that he had left the house.


    Firmly reminding herself that his actions had nothing to do with her, she shut off any guilty feelings which wanted to trickle into her mind.


    She had enough to deal with already.


    The children were also not in the house because Jane had taken them out to the swimming pool to practise their lessons.


    Reyona watched them for a moment from the window and smiled at their activities.


    If Allysyn had known how to swim before, she might not have helplessly ended up at the hospital.


    Reminding herself how much good her decision was doing rather than the bad, she turned away to face the consequences of her actions.


    Reyona took the phytonic blue BMW X3 that morning.


    She was sharply dressed in a blue zer and pants, with a cream silk shirt underneath.


    Her favourite pearl ne adorned her neck with matching earrings.


    All she had on her wrist was a cream diamond-studded Carter wristwatch which matched her thin-strapped heels.


    Her minimal make-up was artfully done and her zing eyes were covered with a pair of dark-lens sses.


    Samantha called just as she was getting into her car. ¡°We are ready, ma.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    *********


    Reyona was grateful for the efficiency with which Rouarke had organised the presence of top reporters from the most formidable media outfits from all over the country.


    She knew this would have been a great coup for him if his station broadcast this first, but still, he had done as she had requested.


    Reyona knew she was never going to forget this favour, just as many others he had done for her too.


    She wanted this interview to cover as many grounds as possible within the shortest time.


    She wanted its coverage to be even further than what the nderous posts had done.


    Since they wanted to use her personal decisions to ruin herpany, she would use that opportunity to make herpany known to those who had never even heard of it before.


    Samantha and Phil met her at the entrance when she arrived.


    Her security personnel with the external outfit that had been hired for the asion effortlessly easily held back the paparazzi that had tried to gain her attention from the moment she stepped out of Maxwell¡¯s area and had followed her to thepany.


    ¡°What would I do without you two?¡± she said with a confident smile as she reached out to take their hands.


    ¡°You will handle this like the bossdy that you are, I am sure,¡± Samantha answered.


    Phil whistled as he asked, ¡°Did I ever mention that you are the hottest boss I have ever worked with?¡±


    Samantha rolled her eyes as she said ¡°You started working here straight after college.¡±


    ¡°Still the hottest¡± Phil said. ¡°With that killing aura too. I can already feel these motherfuckers running for their lives¡±


    Samantha smiled as she looked at Reyona. ¡°You look superb, boss. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Very¡± Reyona answered.


    Rouarke came to meet her before she entered the conference room set up for the interview.


    ¡°Ms. Dexter¡± he greeted respectfully.


    ¡°Thank you for setting this up, Rouarke. You are a lifesaver.¡±


    ¡°It is the least I can do. I was able to get three international reporters to key in too. They are very reliable. Just like the reporters who couldn¡¯t make it here on time, they would join us online.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, a lifesaver.¡±


    Rouarke smiled and asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. You are doing the interview, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything. I already have the questions that all the reporters would like to ask. You can trust everyone I have in that room to do a good job.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said as she mentally prepared herself to face the camera to defend herself and herpany.


    Again.


    ¡°After you, ma¡¯am¡±, Rouarke said, and Reyona nodded.


    She looked behind her to see Phil wink at her and Samantha smiled reassuringly.


    Reyona stepped into the room professionally lit and ready for her.


    After greeting the few reporters who could make it to the interview, Reyona took her seat with an easy smile on her face.


    The reporters were all with their equipment and ready to film.


    As Rouarke started off the live interview with introductions and easy questions, Reyona efficiently answered them as she anticipated the more intruding questions.


    Determined that this time, she woulde out of this smelling like roses.

 I Will Be Here

    They were almost done with the interview session when her eyes went in the direction of the door.


    She could see him through the ss wall.


    He was standing outside the closed door with a pensive look on his face.


    What was he doing there?


    Reyona stumbled on her train of thoughts for a moment and Rouarke had to repeat the particr question he was asking at that time.


    Reyona quickly answered the question and took her mind off any distractions to answer appropriately.


    Some of the reporters had a few other questions which stemmed from some of the things that Reyona had said during the interview.


    So, Rouarke asked if she would like to answer a few more questions from them.


    Reyona agreed and Rouarke read out the few other questions that one of the crew had passed to him from the reporters.


    She mentioned that she only just got married to President Rohan a few months ago. Does that mean they had been having a rtionship a long while ago?


    Maybe even before her divorce?


    Reyona¡¯s answer was clear and direct: ¡°No, marriage is a sacred thing to me. I never cheated on my husband. The rtionship only started after the divorce. It was a short courtship.¡±


    The elites have always married for different reasons over time. For business, alliance and even for convenience at times. It has not always been because of love. Is that also the case for CEO Dexter and President Rohan? Is it just so they can have custody of the children?


    Reyona had learned long enough that in any crisis management, it is crucial to lead with the truth.


    So, she said ¡°There is attraction and friendship. And it was also the right thing to do for those who depend on us.¡±


    Will ReyDexter be merging with the Rohan Group ofpanies?


    ¡°No, that was never in the n. ReyDexter is an independent entity, and it will continue to be. In fact, we are working on¡­¡±


    As Reyona went on to talk about what they should expect from ReyDexter soon and whypanies shouldn¡¯t hesitate to hand over their ounts to them, she could see the pride on her employees¡¯ faces just as she could see the admiration in Rouarke¡¯s.


    The interview ended soon after and Reyona had never been more sure about anything before in her life.


    She knew there was still more to do, but she was certain she was going to beat this.


    Not to mention, she had subtly mentioned that everyone who ndered herpanies was going to face the music.


    The message was clear yet vague enough that they might not know just what she intended to do about them.


    Well, they would find out soon enough.


    Reyona personally bade all the reporters goodbye before she stepped out of the room nked by her beaming employees.


    She thought he had left when she didn¡¯t see him where he was standing for a moment,


    But then, just as she was stepping out, he came towards her from the other direction.


    Reyona tried not to remember the look on his face that morning and smiled at him for the sake of the reporters who were still packing up their equipment in the conference room.


    But then he surprised her by kissing her right there and then.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Not just a peck or a kiss on the cheek but a full, lingering kiss as he wrapped his arms around her in a loving hug.


    Phil¡¯s low whistle prated Reyona¡¯s momentarily foggy mind.


    What was he doing?! Her mind screamed.


    He leaned back before she could react, and then he looked at her like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.


    ¡°I am so proud of you, babe,¡± he said for everyone around to hear.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    He hugged her to his side in a one-armed hug as he waved at the reporters who had not even bothered to pretend they were not watching.


    At that moment, one of them raised his camera and took their pictures together.


    As if he had not noticed, he turned her around and led her towards the elevator.


    ¡°Oh, my God. I feel so single.¡± Reyona heard Phil crooning behind them.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Reyona snapped the moment the elevator door closed behind them.


    He easily let go of her and leaned against the elevator wall as he said ¡°Being a supportive husband.¡±


    ¡°Nobody asked you!¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, too bad. Since you have chosen to let the world know, well you will have to bear the consequences of having an affectionate husband, ma¡¯am. I have a reputation to defend after all.¡±


    Reyona gawked at him. ¡°What reputation? You are mostly referred to as standoffish and ruthless!¡±


    ¡°What can I say? Love changed me,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Everybody loves a story like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t know what this is all about, but I want you to stop it! You said I could tell them what I want! Now, I did, and you are acting like a¡­a caveman or something.¡±


    ¡°No, I am acting like the loving husband that I am. Yes, you said we have attraction and friendship. I appreciate that, but who says I can¡¯t be in love with my wife?¡±


    Reyona looked at him iprehensibly for a moment as she said ¡°You were angry earlier, and now you are¡­¡± She waved her hand in exasperation.


    ¡°Did I mention that you look so hot in that? So bossy too,¡± he said in a low tone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind having you boss me around for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell!¡± she called urgently.


    ¡°What?!¡± he asked in the same tone. Then he smiled and said ¡°Yes, I was, but now I am not. You can choose not to acknowledge my feelings, but then you can¡¯t force me not to love you. I want to love you. I will love you with the hope that you can return that feeling one day. I am so proud that you let the world know about us today. You can¡¯t understand how proud I am right now to have my name linked with a woman like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Words failed Reyona as she looked at his carefree face. ¡°I¡­¡± the elevator stopped and the door opened.


    Reyona stepped out and raised her hand as if to stop him from following her. ¡°Please, stay away from me. I have other things to deal with. I can¡¯t deal with you right now.¡±


    Maxwell stepped out as he said ¡°I will be here while you deal with what you want to do. I will help you when you allow me and I will quietly be by your side even when you won¡¯t ept my help.¡±


    ¡°We only have three weeks left,¡± Reyona said softly as he held her outstretched hand and ced it against his firm chest.


    Every beat she felt through her hand mingled with her racing heartbeat until she had no idea where her heartbeat started and where his stopped.


    ¡°Then I had better do my husband¡¯s duties well, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    She shook her head in confusion, then felt her heart dip as he swiftly turned to her and carried her in his arms.


    ¡°I will be here, babe,¡± he said as he headed towards her office.

 Like Your Ex

    It was hard for Reyona to focus.


    Not when he made himself sofortable on the couch in her entertainment area.


    For a moment, she wished she had asked Charlotte toe after all. At least she would have been a buffer between them at that moment.


    But then she had felt bad about taking Samantha and the others from whatever they might have nned on a Sunday morning already, that she didn¡¯t want to have to bring in her secretary too unless it was absolutely necessary.


    It wasn¡¯t necessary, but now she wished she had her there anyway.


    Sure, he was quiet as he had promised, but then all it took was for him to breathe, and she was distracted.


    It shouldn¡¯t be, yet the scent of his cologne found a way to reach her despite the distance between her desk and the couch.


    As if her eyes had developed a mind of their own, she also couldn¡¯t stop her gaze from going towards him from time to time.


    And he always caught her at it!


    Whenever her gaze involuntarily went to him, his gaze was always on her.


    He would alternately wink, smile, or wave at her.


    She can¡¯t work like this!


    At one point, she dropped the fileption that Samantha had given to her heavily on the desk.


    He looked innocently at her and asked ¡°What is it, babe? Do you need my help with anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± can¡¯t work when I can feel your eyes on me. I can¡¯t work because your looks bother me. I can¡¯t think straight because your ever-changing attitude disconcerts me. I can¡¯t do much because I am afraid you are going to spring something else on me.


    That was what she wanted to say to him. Yet she knew that would only give him more armour, so she narrowed her gaze at him and asked ¡°Have you heard anything from Han?¡±


    ¡°Nothing concrete yet. They are meeting with the kids in¡­¡± he checked his watch ¡°20 minutes.¡±


    His face darkened as he said, ¡°Apparently, the Sanstons didn¡¯t think it was necessary to let the boys miss their Sunday practice.¡±


    ¡°Those bastards,¡± Reyona said in anger as her hand clenched around the pen she held.


    ¡°They will pay for every single dy and get their full punishment, babe. I don¡¯t want you to worry about that. You have enough on your te as it is.¡±


    Reyona looked down at the file she was going through. ¡°Yeah, about that. I have a meeting with thewyers in a few minutes.¡±


    He grinned as he looked at her in admiration.¡± You are suing them?¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t help but smile back at him as she said ¡°For every single nderous letter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± Maxwell said with a gleeful look as he stood up from the couch and went towards her.


    Reyona rolled her eyes as she said ¡°I am not your girl. Your pretend wife? Yeah. Your girl? Never. And stop calling me babe! You promised.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± he brushed her words aside with a wave of his hands as he asked ¡°Is that the list of those involved?¡±


    How did he¡­ ¡°Yes,¡± she answered with a questioning look on her face.


    ¡°May I see it?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Reyona said as she handed it over to him.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    She waited as he quickly scanned through it and asked ¡°Why just this though? They are more than that.¡±


    ¡°You checked?¡± Reyona asked before she could stop herself.


    Of course, he would check.


    He looked at her with a smile. ¡°You think I would let something like that slide without checking?¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother answering him. She only answered his first question. ¡°Because these are the bigger fishes involved in this. The lesser ones would see them as a scapegoat, and I am sure they would do what is necessary.¡±


    ¡°And if they didn¡¯t?¡± Maxwell asked as he sat on the desk with an indulgent smile on his face.


    ¡°Then they would have to face the music too. They are mostly private outfits who are hardly getting by, so I want to give them that chance. If they choose not to take it, then I wouldn¡¯t care if they got crushed by this. What? What is that smile?¡± She asked suspiciously as his smile widened with that look still in his eyes.


    ¡°Is it any surprise that I am bing increasingly crazy about you?¡± He said almost to himself. Then ¡°Only you would think of something like that in such a situation. They tried to ruin you, but you want to consider them? Your heart is just so beautiful. Where have you been all my life?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate, okay?¡± Reyona said to cover her conflicting emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t have to act like a snake just because I want to deal with one.¡±


    Maxwell smiled and said ¡°Thank God I don¡¯t have the same moralpulsion as you. I can fight dirty if I have to. Taking the high road is not my thing. Not when someone touches what is mine. They touched my wife, and they are going to pay dearly for it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    Maxwell stood up from where he sat and came forward to stand directly in front of her chair. ¡°I could almost believe you have telepathic powers when you mentioned that you wanted to sue them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I am doing the same. Every single one of them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    He leaned forward toy his finger on her lips. ¡°Before you say it, I didn¡¯t act against your wish. I am doing this because my name was also mentioned in that, which means mypany was targeted as well. Also, I am doing it because nobody touches my wife and not expect to face the consequences. Not dealing with them will give others the impression that they can do the same. It has nothing to do with me trying to help you.¡±


    What was the difference?


    He thumped his finger on the file as he said, ¡°You go ahead with your ns and I will execute mine. Let it be a double blow to them. It will be a reminder to anyone that this couple is not to be messed with.¡± he grinned at her befuddled face and just knew she wanted to protest at the term ¡°couple¡±. He looked at the file again and said, ¡°Someone is missing from that list though.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    He scrolled through his phone and gave it to her.


    ¡°It started with him. The only name we could get is Asher. They will have him picked up soon.¡±


    ¡°The photographer? This man is a paparazzo?¡± Reyona asked as she looked at the picture with widened eyes.


    ¡°Not as far as my sources are concerned. This is his first job.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona looked up at him, then back at the image.


    She zoomed in, and the erged image only jolted her more. How can two people have so much resemnce?¡±


    Almost to herself, she said ¡°This can¡¯t be. I know it is not him, but he looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like your ex¡±, Maxwellpleted.

 Addicted To You

    Reyona and Maxwell soon left the office after she was done with the meeting with thewyers.


    He offered to be her chauffeur, so Reyona left her car at thepany.


    They had already started working on their game n and Reyona was pleased with what they presented.


    At this rate, those rumour-mongers hiding behind the facades of being a media house would rue the day they decided to take her life as their personal project.


    It also didn¡¯t hurt that the result would rake in some money into the ReyDexter ount too.


    If they can unscrupulously tread on her just to gain more subscriptions and make more money, why can¡¯t she make some while taking charge of her life back?Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    So she firmly refused when he offered to pay for all it would take until the case came to a close.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Because it would kill you to ept help from your husband?¡±


    She rolled her eyes ¡°Because it is not needed. They are my in-house legal counsel, and if there are any expenses rued in the process, my ount department would deal with them. So, thank you¡± she said emphatically.


    ¡°Spoken like a bossdy¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Which I am. You will do well not to forget it, mister.¡±


    He smiled and asked, ¡°Can I at least take this bossdy out to eat?¡±


    Reyonaughed softly ¡°It seemed you have a fetish for feeding me.¡±


    He gave her a heated look as he said ¡°Oh, baby. You have no idea how much I want to feed you every time. Every day. Everywhere.¡±


    The way his gaze lingered on her lips before caressing her body down to the part of Reyona that clenched automatically, was enough for even the most clueless to know what he was talking about.


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona called his name in exasperation.


    He chuckled and said ¡°What can I say? I am addicted. To you. Now, if you would only ept my help now and then, things would be perfect.¡±


    Reyona turned her face towards the window to hide her smile as she said ¡°Drop it.¡±


    ¡°Dropped. Now about that meal?¡±


    ¡°We can eat when we get back. I am sure your chef can whisk something up soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Our chef, baby. You need to start getting the statements right.¡±


    Reyona shook her head and kept silent. Whatever had gotten into seemed not to be letting go anytime soon.


    Well, she wouldn¡¯t acknowledge it.


    ¡°And now she won¡¯t talk to me again,¡± he said with a forlorn tone. ¡°God, I love being married.¡±


    ¡°Just shut up,¡± Reyona said with abruptughter.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said cheekily. ¡°So, about that meal?¡±


    ¡°We can eat when we get back.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get to have you to myself then. Where is the fun in that?¡±


    ¡°And you will have me to yourself in a restaurant full of people?¡± Reyona asked with an upraised brow.


    ¡°That is why I love restaurants with private rooms.¡± his eyes lit up with mischief as he turned towards her. ¡°Have you ever tried to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Reyona gritted out as her face heated when she guessed what he was about to say.


    He wiggled his brows at her and said ¡°So, where would you like to go?¡±


    Reyona sighed in resignation and said ¡°Your pick. I just want to eat. Also, no ce with¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ seafood. I got you, babe. Your husband is very observant.¡±


    Reyona ignored him as sheid her head against the headrest and closed her eyes.


    Unbidden, the image she had seen earlier popped up in her mind again.


    How can two people have such a resemnce? She wondered in amazement.


    And what a coincidence too.


    Yet even before the thought formed in her mind, she knew it couldn¡¯t be.


    That was not Thomas, she was sure of it.


    ***********


    He took her to an upper-ss modern tavern, where they not only have private rooms but also have the choicest of hearty meals on their menus.


    They enjoyed their sulent roasted prime rib served with au jus, horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables with light-hearted conversations that surprisingly took Reyona¡¯s mind off the niggling thoughts at the edge of her mind.


    At first, she had thought he would want to get up to something, and she had been on guard, but as the meal proceeded, she realised that she had only got her defence ready for nothing.


    He was toying with her.


    He had got her all hot and bothered by those talks and looks of his on their way to the restaurant where she had certainly expected that he would want to try something.


    She couldn¡¯t even get angry at him for it.


    She med her overripe imagination that had her seeing graphic images and pictures of different styles the moment the door shut behind them in the private room.


    Damn!


    He was on her case until she shared some anecdotes about her childhood with him.


    She didn¡¯t realise how difficult it was to talk about the time before and after her parents separated.


    She had not realised it because she hadn¡¯t shared it with anyone before.


    Grams had been there with her all along, and she had somehow understood without being told.


    Thomas had never asked, and she had never felt the need to share that part of her with him before.


    When Maxwell realised how difficult it was for her to talk about her childhood, he simply changed the conversation by saying ¡°Tell me about Victoria then? How much of a pain in the ass was she? I never had the privilege of having a younger sibling getting on my nerves, you know.¡±


    The tension had been diffused as Reyonaughed, and she went on to talk about the first time she realised she was about to have a sister. Of course, she was still angry with her parents then and thought she wouldn¡¯t like the baby either.


    Then the baby had been a beautiful, finger-grabbing and gum-showing Toria, and she had felt the greatest love that her seven-year-old heart could epass.


    Reyona marvelled at the fact that she was exactly the age that Allysyn was now when she met her sister for the first time.


    The conversation had moved on from that, and they easily talked about many things that Reyona would have felt awkward talking about with someone who was not family.


    She should have known, of course, that he would pull a fast one on her again.


    Just as they were leaving the private room, he caught her hand, turned her around, pressed her against the door and proceeded to steal her breath as he thoroughly kissed her.


    His hands were all over her as he moved his lips from hers and kissed his way down her neck to the small cleavage in her v-necked silk blouse.


    Reyona¡¯s head was thrown back in abandon as an uncontroble soft moan escaped her throat when he pushed her zer aside to fondle her breasts through theyer of silk.


    She could have easily been naked with the way his hands branded her skin.


    ¡°Fuck, do you know how badly I am tempted to take you right here though I know those attendants are right outside this door?¡± he gritted out as he reluctantly separated from her.


    Reyona doubted she would mind at the moment. Her body was on fire, and she knew just what she needed for that fire to be quenched.


    They were both breathing harshly as they stared at each other like two diators at a stalemate.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that¡± he swore under his breath.


    ¡°Like how?¡± Reyona managed to ask through her racing heart as she bit hard at her lips to stop its tingling.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± he said as he smashed his lips on hers again.

 Dance Of Lies

    While theirwyers handled the media outfits and thetter scrambled to save their skins, Maxwell and Reyona dealt with the family whose adoptive sons had almost drowned Allysyn because she was trying to protect her brother.


    Of course, the kids had denied it, and they were vehemently backed by the Sanstons, who even had the guts to demand that they should bepensated for defamation and affecting the boys¡¯ mental health.


    They threatened to go to public with the case if they were notpensated.


    After all, they had also seen Maxwell and Reyona on the news, and they believed they wouldn¡¯t want another scandal.


    They didn¡¯t expect the couple to call their bluff.


    Right before they presented the evidence that had been gathered against the boys and Sanston themselves.


    The good boys are not only brothers but lovers too.


    One major spice of their rtionship was ying with smaller boys.


    They would lure the innocent boys into their room or the fort that they had in the woods close to their house.


    That was where they would have their ways with the boys and then threaten them not to talk.


    That was the kind of big brothers the Lanoth siblings were unfortunate to have for the short period that almost imed Allysyn¡¯s life.


    The boys had always wanted to lure Junior to the fort but Allysyn, who must have suspected something, was always on hand to dissuade Junior from going.


    Ally also told them when she was rying the ordeal that she told Junior to not let the big brothers touch him in certain ways.


    Surprisingly, Junior was obedient to Allysyn despite their frequent spats, so whenever the boys tried to take him away with them or touched him inappropriately, he would shout ¡°Ally said you shouldn¡¯t touch me like that!¡±


    Then he would start screaming for her or just run off to join her.


    The Sanstons boys must have been frustrated by her intrusion and the way she was stopping their intent.


    Conveniently, they learned that the kids can¡¯t swim and that must have given them the perfect idea of doing away with the pests in their lives forever, so they could have their way.


    They didn¡¯t know that Junior had followed them when they grabbed Allysyn out of bed that night when their parents were out of the house.


    They sneaked into the closedmunity pool park while holding the struggling Allysyn between them.


    Then they threw her into the pool, believing nobody woulde along to save her until morning.


    Reyona could still remember when they were asking Junior about what happened.


    The only time she had seen the boy upset talking about the event was when he said loudly ¡°They wereughing andughing. Ally was in the big water¡­ the¡­ the¡­ pool but they wereughing. Bad people!¡±


    Then he remembered how he had begged Allysyn to wait for him, and he ran around until he got a passing mailman to save Allysyn.


    The boys left her there and went home like nothing happened.


    They expected Junior to still be asleep in bed as they left him before.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The mailman made the mistake of carrying Allysyn home instead of straight to a hospital, and he met the Sanstons, who were justing back from a club.


    They dismissed him, and they eventually took the convulsing Allysyn to the hospital with the tale that she wanted tomit suicide by drowning herself.


    It was soon discovered that the kindergarten where the boys volunteered, the ygrounds and even their church were the boys¡¯ favourite prey grounds.


    The two Lanoth kids had just been home games and had walked right into their den.


    The investigators Maxwell had on the case while the Sanstons were doing their dance of lies did a thorough job, and they were even able to get a few kids whom they recorded, and their furious parents promised to have them on standby if witnesses were needed.


    By the time the investigation was done, there were a considerable number of parents who were ready to have the boys and their parents¡¯ heads, but they only held on because Maxwell and Reyona asked them to and on a promise that they would eventually have justice.


    One other undoing of the boys was that they believed that the CCTV camera at themunity centre was not working.


    And it had been faulty for years but, unknown to them, new cameras were installed a week before.


    Just in time to capture them as they carried a struggling girl in and left without her minutes ago while thumping themselves on the back and making crude jokes.


    Han and Miss Macay were appalled by all the evidence that Maxwell and Reyona had been able to gather in the short period that the Sanston were prancing and dering how much they had done for the state and other children.


    The Sanstons started singing different songs when they realised that their secrets were fully out.


    They started pointing fingers and ming each other.


    That was when Reyona and Maxwell realised that their initial suspicions were right after all.


    The Sanstons knew about the boy¡¯s dirty acts, yet they didn¡¯t dare to stop them.


    It was in juvenile court that the truth came out.


    The elderly Sanstons were involved in moneyundering and pimping.


    The boys learned about it and had a deal with the couple that they wouldn¡¯t tell on each other.


    When the heavy evidence and the collection of angry parents against the boys at the juvenile court made it clear to them that they were not going anywhere anytime soon, the sixteen-year-old boy figured there was no point in keeping the Sanstons¡¯ secrets anymore.


    After all, they had also failed to protect them as they promised.


    He outed them and the Sanstons were arrested right there and then to be held for further investigation.


    No one in that court that day doubted that the Sanstons would be going away for a long, long time though.


    The explicit, confident descriptions of the boys, the fear and shrieking denial from Mrs Sanston were damning enough.


    The boys were given five years imprisonment each for all the atrocities they hadmitted in the neighbourhood and the Sanston¡¯s properties were to be confiscated and sold to be paid for the medical examination and therapy that the victims would have to go through.


    The seventeen-year-old would spend one year in the juvenile correctional centre before being moved to a proper prison, while the sixteen-year-old would spend two years in a different centre before being sent to prison.


    Even before the case of their crime is settled, the Sanstons already have eight years in prison without parole waiting for them because of their involvement in the boys¡¯ atrocious actions.


    Reyona was more than relieved that the likes of the Sanstons would never be in charge of another innocent child again for as long as they lived.


    Their cases were also broadcast to serve as a lesson to foster parents who might be hiding under the guise of being upright citizens tomit atrocities.


    Allysyn also didn¡¯t mind seeing a therapist.


    Junior got a kick out of going to see a mind reader!


    Despite their exnation, that was his interpretation of what the therapist would be doing.


    On the day of their first session, he could be seen bouncing from foot to foot excitedly as he called to Allysyn.


    ¡°Ally, be fast. We shouldn¡¯t keep the mind reader waiting!¡±

 For The Best

    ¡°C¡¯mon, mum. I thought you already forgave me¡± Reyona said as she chuckled and covered her mouth to muffle the sound.


    ¡°Of course, I forgave you. Who said I didn¡¯t? That doesn¡¯t mean I will forget anytime soon though. I can do both. Forgive you but not forget.¡± dys dered over the phone.


    Reyona grinned at the mental image of the expression she knew her mom must have on at that moment.


    ¡°I am going to make it up to you, I promise. You will soon forget when you remember just how much you love me. Let¡¯s not forget that I am your favourite daughter too.¡± Reyona added with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°Ah, at the moment I can dere without remorse that Toria is my favourite daughter. Yes, missy. You heard that right.¡±


    ¡°I am so sad,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, it is quite obvious. I can feel your pain from here¡±, dys added withughter, which was a replica of her daughter¡¯s.


    After curbing her mirth, she said ¡°Are you serious about making it up to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am¡± Reyona answered sincerely.


    ¡°Good, then I guess you wouldn¡¯t mind attending Seth and Sean¡¯s graduation ceremony then, would you?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    ¡°And herees the excuse,¡± dys singsonged.


    ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t even given me the time to think about it yet, Mom. Come on¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I? Your first statement already gave me a hint of what to expect. Mum, I am busy. Mum, I have apany to run or mum, the world is about to end, and I have to save it. Which one is it going to be this time, eh?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I have never said any of that, have I?¡±


    ¡°Tell me why you have hardly ever been around since then. Girl, these kids could pick Toria out of the dark but you? Na, thank God for the video call. If not, I am sure you will need to describe who you are whenever you meet. Makes me feel like you still won¡¯t forgive me for¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom,e on. You know it is not like that. I am just¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ busy.¡± dyspleted.


    Reyona mped her mouth shut since that was exactly what she was about to say.


    She quickly said ¡°Ain¡¯t they 11? They are graduating from high school already?¡±


    ¡°12, girl. You sent presents, remember?¡± dys sighed theatrically, then added ¡°And no, it is not high school. They will bepleting their 9th grade soon. Their school put together this mini-graduation for their students and I think it will be a good time to be together as a family, you know. They have only met you a couple of times after all.¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡±


    ¡°Video calls don¡¯t count.¡± dys interrupted Reyona before she couldplete her statement.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    dys chortled, then she said ¡°Will you at least consider it? I will let you know the exact date when the school announces it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will consider it,¡± Reyona said in resignation.


    She reached for her pad to note that she needed to get the twins gifts for their graduations.


    They were pretty smart to be done with junior high school too.


    It seemed the brilliant gene runs in the family, she thought to herself in amusement.


    ¡°So this whole madness ends in a few days, right?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s mood turned sombre as she realised what her mom was referring to. ¡°Yes, it does.¡±


    dys was quiet for a moment before she said ¡°Good. At least now you can be free to finally let go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right¡± Reyona answered automatically.


    Silence ensued between them, then dys said ¡°I have seen pictures of the two of you together.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Reyona said, forck of a better thing to say.


    Of course, she had seen their pictures together. After that particr picture that had been taken of the two of them after the interview, more pictures of them together popped up from time to time.


    The reporters seemed to have a radar on them somehow. The captions this time were not malicious at all.


    It was all a story about how love found a man who had always been seen as unapproachable and how a formidable woman like Reyona had found love again.


    Reyona¡¯s pictures had been taken more in the past few weeks than they had been taken throughout her eight years in her former marriage.


    She also couldn¡¯t deny that the publicity drove more businesses into ReyDexter.


    As it was, she knew she couldn¡¯t dy opening a new branch anymore.


    She had thought it would be the perfect thing to upy her mind and time when she finally left the family.


    But as her mother had stated, it was nothing but pure madness.


    If not, why else would her heart ache so much when she thought of continuing her days as she had intended?


    A life devoid of those kids and the man who had managed to intrude on the walls around her heart seemed nk in a way.


    Before her mom called that afternoon, she was contemting adopting a child or two.


    That would help to take her mind off children she had no im to.


    They had agreed that she would stay one more week after Macay¡¯sst visit, so it would be much more convincing to whoever might be taking note.


    That was thepromise they had made.


    After he had gone back on his promise and told her he had no intention of dissolving their marriage.


    ¡°I would like to properly court you and have a proper marriage if you want. I want a chance at a life with you. I don¡¯t want to give up on what we have¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    As much as Reyona¡¯s heart yearned to say yes to his offer, as much as she wanted to forget all her doubts and fears, the most prominent thing on her mind was how another man had promised her much more than that before.


    Yes, she couldn¡¯t lie to herself that he had note to mean much more than a lover to her, but she knew it wasn¡¯t enough for her to entrust herself to someone else just as she had done before.


    It was one thing to y pretend, but the real deal? That was not something she intended to try again anytime soon.


    She had been generous enough to offer that they could still be lovers if he wanted, but instead of taking her up on that, that had managed to anger him somehow.


    Very unreasonable man!


    That had been the night before.


    They hardly spoke to each other that morning while having breakfast before Reyona went to drop the kids off at school on her way to work.


    He had mostly responded with grunts and nods to all she had been saying regarding the birthday celebration they intended to have for Allysyn.


    So, the media can say all they want about couples in love for all they care.


    This would all end soon and everyone would go their own way!


    ¡°¡­ are you even listening to me?¡± dys¡¯ question jolted Reyona out of her thoughts.


    ¡°What¡­yes, yes. I am listening.¡± Reyona said as she hoped her mom had not asked her a question she expected her to answer.


    dys sighed and said, ¡°I guess it is for the best, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is¡± Reyona answered, with no idea of what is for the best.


    ¡°Alright then. You think about that graduation, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will, mom. Send my love to George and the boys.¡±


    She had barely dropped the call when Charlotte knocked and entered to give her a message.


    ¡°Miss Boone said she had been trying to reach you, but it wasn¡¯t connecting. She said Mr Rakir and his assistant would soon be at the restaurant. You need to leave now if you don¡¯t want to keep him waiting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Reyona said as she remembered the business lunch she had asked Samantha to organise with a potential customer.


    The man was Samantha¡¯s contact and though Reyona knew Samantha would have done a good job of prospecting him, the man still wanted to discuss with the owner to be sure his oilpany would be in good hands if he handed the ounts over to ReyDexter.


    Reyona was suddenly not in the mood for polite smiles and careful talk.


    The sudden tiredness that had been setting in her bones recently also set in, and she felt very reluctant to leave her office at that moment.


    She was almost tempted to tell Samantha to make an excuse for her.


    But the thought had barely formed before she brushed it aside.


    She was not going to brush her business matters aside for anything.


    ¡°Tell her I am on my way,¡± she said as she stood up immediately.


    She left the office anticipating another sessful negotiation.

 Remember Me, Bitch?

    Mr Rakir turned out to be an agreeable person after all.


    Just a cautious businessperson who liked to know the nitty-gritty of what he was getting into before he took a step.


    He was also very traditional in his approach to business and believed his gut could never be wrong about someone.


    Business statistics aside, the man trusted his guts when dealing with someone.


    Reyona was very relieved that the oil magnate¡¯s guts agreed with her.


    She only wished her own guts would be calm enough to allow her to finish her meeting in peace.


    But, nope, she started feeling the need to ease herself in the middle of discussing the crucial details with the man.


    Though she had used the restroom before leaving the office, it felt like she had a gallon of water in there ready to rush out anytime soon.


    She swore beneath her breath as she firmly held it in toplete what she was saying.


    After that, she told Samantha to take over, quickly excused herself from the table, and headed to the restroom.


    Her eyes somehow caught a movement as she passed the side where Mr. Rakir and his assistant sat facing Samantha.


    She realised that while they had both been focused on what she had been saying all along, the capable assistant¡¯s hand had been busy.


    On Mr. Rakir¡¯sp.


    Oh.


    ¡°Not your problem¡± she quickly reminded herself as she hurried off towards the direction where the toilet indicator pointed.


    The restaurant had an open floor n, and it was easy for Reyona to find the restroom.


    She entered the restroom just as one woman smiled in greeting as she came out of one of the stalls.


    Reyona rushed into one of the stalls and sighed in relief as her dder emptied.


    She couldn¡¯t hear any sounds from any of the other stalls and assumed she was the only one in the restroom.


    ¡°Well, all the better,¡± she thought as the pee went on and on.


    She was sure she had not had that much fluid that day.


    She wondered briefly if she wasing down with something as she thought back about how long she had been having this pressing need to pee.


    ¡®Let¡¯s not forget the tiredness too¡±, she thought ruefully as her body calmed.


    She heard the sound of the main door of the restroom opening.


    The door closed as Reyona cleaned herself.


    ¡°I need to go do a test or something¡± she thought as she came out of the stall and realised that the person who had entered was not a customer there to pee.


    It was a cleaner.


    Though the restroom looked squeaky clean to her, she guessed routine cleaning, no matter what kept it looking that way.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she greeted thedy pleasantly as thetter came out of one of the stalls with a scrub and a mop.


    ¡°Hi,¡± thedy answered curtly before turning away.


    All Reyona caught was a bit of what seemed like a gaunt face.


    Thedy had a face cap on with the beak covering her forehead and her ginger hair was covering the sides of her face.


    Her leather jacket looked like they had seen better days and the jeans didn¡¯t look any better either.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t see the typical cleaning shoes that most cleaners have on while working on thedy too.


    She just had crocks on.


    Crocks?


    She also had no gloves on.


    What self-respecting cleaner wouldn¡¯t have gloves on while cleaning a ce like this?


    Reyona shook her head internally at the ways she observed the littlest details at times.


    The poordy was probably just trying to get her job done with what was avable and here she was already profiling her.


    Thedy moved to the stall where Reyona had juste out from, which was directly behind where Reyona was washing her hands on the sink.


    She needed to join her guests soon before they thought¡­


    ¡°So it is not enough that you took my man. Now you whore your way into my brother¡¯s bed and think you can take my babies too?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s blood chilled as she heard the most malevolent tone that had ever been directed at anyone.


    Thinking thedy was on call or something, she raised her head in confusion and her heart thumped as she looked in the mirror.


    Thedy was standing behind her with a murderous re.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Reyona eximed in surprise as she swung around to face the woman.


    ¡°You are¡­excused!¡± The woman said as she jabbed the handle of the mop in her hand vehemently into Reyona¡¯s stomach, that she got mmed back against the sink.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes smarted as her vision greyed for a moment.


    She couldn¡¯t handle the excruciating pain in her stomach as she slid down to the floor.


    The woman removed the cap on her head as she sneered. ¡°Remember me, bitch? Yeah, you better remember. You have been fucking my life up for a while now!¡±


    Reyona hoped she really wouldn¡¯t ck out left alone with this insane woman.


    She tried to breathe past the pain that seemed to have exploded through every part of her limbs.


    Her stomach was on fire, and she just knew she couldn¡¯t let the darkness take her.


    Not when she was alone with the gaunt-faced, crazed-eyed bitch that she finally recognised under all that ginger mess.


    Her ex-husband¡¯s once-blond, home-wrecking mistress whose children she was currently taking care of had gone mad enough to attack her in a public restroom.


    Just perfect.


    Breathe.


    Just breathe.


    ¡°What are¡­¡±


    Reyona was interrupted as Susan¡¯s head swerved towards the direction of the door.


    Reyona was a bit relieved when she heard two womening towards the restroom as they chatted.


    This bitch was going to have a lot of exnations to make.


    She just needed to get her breath back enough to get off the floor.


    Maybe the women could¡­


    ¡°Ugh. Plumbing problems, stay off? I swear I am going to use the men¡¯s¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Reyona realised they were moving away and opened her mouth to call out to them.


    All she could manage was a squeak as the wrecking ball jumped on her, causing Reyona to hit her head against the wall in the process.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Damn! It hurt like hell.


    Reyona wed at the hand that covered her mouth while the other was trying to press her neck.


    She used all her strength to dig into any exposed flesh of her assant.


    Susan swore ¡°Bitch!¡± Before she finally snatched her hands back while still trying to get atop Reyona.


    It was at that moment that Reyona knew she might die in a restaurant toilet a few minutes away from clinching a new deal.


    The body on hers was bony, yet the lethal intent of the owner gave it immense strength.


    ¡°Get the hell off me!¡± Reyona managed to grunt as she put all the waning strength she could muster into pushing her away.


    Susan stumbled towards the mop and reached for it as she said¡± I am going to end your miserable life once and for all. You have done enough damage, snotty bitch. If you are not useful, then go to hell!¡±


    Reyona scrambled to her feet as Susan tried to break the mop stick into two.


    To buy herself time, she said ¡°You are going to regret this. The KDLEA are still looking for you. They will get¡­ you good for this. Your kids are asking of you.¡± She was standing upright now, though she was still weaving.


    She slightly shook her ringing head as she breathed through the stabbing pain in her stomach. ¡°Your¡­ your brother is looking for you. He will be very¡­ mad at you if he knows this is what you are doing instead ofing home to your¡­your kids¡±


    It seemed her legs were not going to fold on her after all.


    ¡°You keep my babies out of your whore mouth! My brother?¡± Susanughed horribly as she finally broke the mop into two.


    She threw the head away as she held the other jagged half like a javelin.


    ¡°He is my fucking half-brother, you moron! I see he doesn¡¯t tell his precious wife everything. Do you think he doesn¡¯t know where I am? How do you think I got here?¡±

 Taste Of Your Medicine

    Everything else stilled under the enormity of the pain thatnced through Reyona.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to shut you up forever, bitch¡± Susan sneered nastily as she rushed towards Reyona with the jagged end of the mop raised.


    Shock borne off unexpected betrayal paralysed Reyona.


    Then her survival instinct kicked in as she saw the maniac aiming for her eyes with the pointy stake.


    She dodged at thest minute and had Susan stumbling past her.


    Susan smashed her face into the wall, howled and turned in rage to finish what she had started.


    She yowled in pain when Reyona viciously yanked her hair and mmed her head against the wall again.


    ¡°You are going to kill me, you bitch! Let go!¡± Susan cried pitifully as her head started bleeding.


    ¡°Oh, am I? I am sorry¡±


    Reyona said as she easily dislodged the crudely fashioned stake from Susan¡¯s weakened hand.


    She turned her around and threw her hard to the floor as she said, ¡°Pardon me for giving you a taste of your own medicine.¡±


    She dragged Susan back as thetter tried to crawl away from her.


    Pinned her legs with her weight as she methodically and ruthlessly dealt punch after punch in her face.


    Susan wed at her hand, tried to bite her and tried to buck her off, but she just continued hitting her again and again on her face, neck, and wherever her fist couldnd.


    At the moment, Reyona was not just seeing a bony, nasty face in front of her.


    In her cold rage, she saw three faces in one.


    Betrayal, pain, and self-me all rolled into one to fuel her anger.


    The bites, the bucking and not even the screech in between each punch stopped her.


    Soon enough, she felt Susan ckening under her.


    She forcefully stopped her hands, which seemed to have developed a mind of their own.


    She looked down dispassionately at the unconscious woman andid two fingers on her neck to be certain she was still breathing.


    ¡°Seriously? Now what? I have to get home before I can pee? Fancy nothing¡± she heard a womanin outside the door as the woman tried to open the locked door, kicked at it when it wouldn¡¯t open before she turned away.


    The management would be getting an earful from that one.


    She got off the prone body and dragged her into the same stall she had used.


    A key fell from Susan¡¯s jacket and Reyona picked it up, figuring it must be the key to the lock.


    She left her right there on the floor.


    Then she opened the main door and ripped off the notice pasted on it.


    She pasted the notice on the stall where she kept Susan and locked the stall.


    She hurried out of the restroom and had to quickly hold the wall as her vision greyed again.


    The pain and weakness that had retreated from her numbing rage started trickling back.


    ¡°Please, not now¡± she mumbled as she swallowed hard to steady herself.


    She heard a rush of feet and a familiar voiceining to someone.


    She straightened as the woman she heard her voice earlier came around the corner with one of the restaurant staff who looked harried.


    Thedy saw the unlocked door behind Reyona and said in exasperation ¡°I thought you said this door was locked.¡±


    ¡°I ah¡­ I swear it was¡­ Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to get back to work, ma¡¯am,¡± thedy said.


    ¡°I ¡­ can you believe her?¡± The offended woman asked Reyona as she passed.


    Reyona shrugged with a smile.


    The next moment, the woman was marching past her towards the restaurant while mumbling in annoyance.


    Reyona had intended to signal to Samantha to get her phone since their seating arrangement had them facing the direction of the restroom while Mr Rakir and his assistant backed it.


    But when she got there, Mr Rakir was no longer in his seat.


    She sucked her breath in at the wave of pain that rolled over her again and came forward with a smile.


    ¡°Where is ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, what happened to you? You are bleeding,¡± Samantha said in worry as she came around to where Reyona was standing.


    Reyona noticed that she had some blood on her knuckles, truly.


    ¡°Not mine¡± she muttered, just as Samantha peered into her face and said ¡°You look pale too. Here, have your seat. I was wondering what took so long. Mr Rakir left as soon as you came in. He got a call. What do you mean it is not yours?¡±


    ¡°Samantha?¡± Reyona called to calm her employee¡¯s increasingly anxious look and demeanour.


    At this rate, she was going to attract unwanted attention to them.


    ¡°What? We need to go to a hospital. My God, your pulse is racing.¡±


    ¡°I am fine. Hand me my phone¡±


    Samantha automatically reached for the phone as she said, ¡°Of course, you are not fine. We need to let the doctors help by looking at that hand and whatever might be wrong. What even happened in there?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The word ¡°help¡± spiked Reyona¡¯s anger again as a certain voice rang in her mind.


    Let me help you.


    Why wouldn¡¯t you let me help you?


    Would it kill you to ept help from your husband?


    Bastard! Fucking Asshole!


    ¡°You want to help?¡± she snapped at Samantha, who looked at her in surprise and nodded slowly.


    ¡°Good. Come with me¡±


    She found the number she was looking for and dialled it as she tried not to wince at the pain in her stomach that seemed to increase with every step she took.


    It was picked on the second ring.


    ¡°Good evening. You are on to Kayooma D***s Law Enforcement Agency. How can I help you today?¡±


    ¡°I have information about someone.¡±


    As Reyona walked as briskly as she could towards the restroom followed by a confused Samantha, she waited while she was transferred to those in charge of the case she mentioned.


    The man had juste on the phone when Reyona got to the restroom.


    The widely opened door was the first to tell that something was wrong.


    ¡°Hello? Ma¡¯am? Can you hear me? I heard you have something for me. I am Agent¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Reyona said as she disconnected the call and rushed forward.


    The stall door was wide open as well.


    And empty.


    Even the broken mop was nowhere to be seen.


    Damn it!

 Do Not Tell Him

    The agent kept calling until Reyona picked it up.


    After exining everything to him, he asked her to wait for him on the stage and Reyona agreed.


    She told Samantha to leave but thetter insisted on at least getting her aspirin and cold packs for her bruised hands before leaving.


    Reyona agreed to avoid further argument.


    She hardly had the breath for it anyway.


    She was beginning to think that the mop had done some major damage inside her after all.


    Not to mention the excruciating pain she was feeling from where she had hit her back against the sink.


    In truth, she ached from head to toe, yet she knew it was not time to fold yet.


    She had to see this through first.


    ¡°I am really worried about you,¡± Samantha said as she came back from the pharmacy.


    She popped the aspirin for her and held the cold pack to her knuckles.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to a hospital? You look like you need it. I could call Phil if you want¡­¡±


    Reyona managed a pain-wracking smile as she said ¡°Good God, no. He would be even more anxious than you are. I will go home soon. I just need to meet someone first. He will be here soon. I can already feel the aspirin kicking in. With some rest, I will be fine.¡±


    Samantha sighed as she gave her a worried look. ¡°Do you need me to wait until the person gets here? I really don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°Go, I will be fine. I promise. I will give you a callter.¡± she looked at her watch and realised that it was almost 5 pm anyway. ¡°No need to go back to the office. Just go on home.¡±


    Samantha nodded as she reached for her bag.


    Then she looked back at Reyona again as she asked ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Reyona wrinkled her nose as she said ¡°Of course, I am sure. When have I not been sure?¡± she smiled. ¡°Go on. I am sorry for snapping at you the other time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Samantha said. Looked towards the door, as if she wished the person would arrive before she could leave.


    Reyona didn¡¯t mind the pain this time as she smiled and said ¡°Go on, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I am leaving. I will call you. Pick up and let me know you are fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom. Mind you, don¡¯t bother Phil about this. You know he would only worry.¡±


    The look on her face made Reyona know that she was spot on.


    She would have informed Phil the moment she stepped out of that door. Then she would have two people worrying about her.


    Samantha finally left and sagged against the chair.


    She had been holding herself up rigidly just to reassure Samantha.


    She cradled her stomach and swore under her breath.


    That man had better get here soon, or she might leave after all.


    Agent or not, she was not so certain that she could put on a brave face for much longer.


    She gestured at one of the waitresses and asked ¡°Are your CCTV cameras in good condition?¡±


    Thedy must have thought her questions weird because she could see the confusion on her face as she answered ¡°Uhm, yes, yeah. They are.¡±


    ¡°Including the ones in the restroom?¡± she asked simply.


    She saw thedy¡¯s eyes widen slightly before she schooled her expression and said ¡°No, there are no cameras in our restrooms, but the ones in the corridors are working.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Forgive me.¡± Reyona said with an apologetic expression. ¡°Do you have a control room here where the camera clips can be surveyed?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, ma¡¯am. You will have to ask the manager, please.¡± she looked at the cleared table in front of Reyona save for a ss of water and asked, ¡°Would you like me to help you with anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, no. You have been very helpful. I am waiting for someone. Thank you.¡±


    Thedy had not lied, but she did not say the whole truth either.


    Yes, there were no cameras in the stalls, but there were two in the main area of the restroom. They were hidden cameras fixed to the knobs of two of the doors.


    Reyona discovered the first one when she was trying to lock the door of the stall she stuffed Susan into.


    The other was on another door on the other side.


    Just enough to capture people entering and leaving through the main restroom door and some parts of the area too.


    She thought it was clever. Not intrusive on people¡¯s privacy yet security-conscious.


    Though she was sure most wouldn¡¯t agree with it if such should be known by the customer.


    That must be why the waitress had been disconcerted when she mentioned it.


    If there was anyone who wouldin about it, that person was not going to be her.


    Not when it would make things easier to exin.


    She looked towards the door as she had been doing whenever she heard it open or close.


    She knew the moment they entered.


    Two men dressed in normal clothes.


    One of them stocky and the other wiry and younger.


    It was in the way they scanned the room.


    The stocky man¡¯s eyesnded on her and Reyona raised her hand with a nod.


    An expression she was too far to detect crossed his face as they headed towards her table.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said as they took the seats opposite her.


    ¡°It is you.¡± the stocky man said as if reaffirming something.


    ¡°Yes, I called you,¡± Reyona answered without so much as an expression on her face.


    The younger agent nodded towards her as he said ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. I am Agent Ty.¡±


    The older man seemed to finally remember himself as he said ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself, we spoke on the phone. I am Agent Stanilovoski. Steve if you want. I forgot my manners because I was surprised that you were the caller. You are Maxwell¡¯s wife.¡±


    Reyona simply breathed through her pain and anger as she said mildly ¡°You know him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do. We go way back.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do you want to see the scene now? I think you can ask the manager for their clips too. I don¡¯t have the authority to. You do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we will do that.¡± Agent Stanilovoski said.


    Even as he spoke, Agent Ty had already stood up and headed to the reception desk.


    Reyona saw him sh his badge as he spoke to the receptionist with an affable smile on his face.


    ¡°Are you okay, ma¡¯am?¡± Agent Stanislovoki asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine,¡± Reyona said as she looked back at him, and she noticed that he was staring at her bruised knuckles and the pack.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine. Agent¡­ I will just call you Steve.¡± she said as she stood up and indicated that he shoulde with her.


    ¡°So if I got you clearly on the phone, you meant¡­.¡±


    Reyona exined everything to him again without any omission or mistake.


    At this time, she was merely hanging on by the thread of sheer willpower.


    Steve told her their men had alreadybed the neighbourhood even before they got to the restaurant.


    Susan was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Are you okay, ma¡¯am? You look really pale,¡± he asked her the second time.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine,¡± Reyona said a bit breathily.


    At first, she hesitated but then told him ¡°I think he knows where she is.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Steve asked curiously, and then he shook his head slightly as he realised what she meant. ¡°Max? That is not¡­ why do you think so, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Reyona exined what Susan said to him, and she could see the anger that darkened the man¡¯s face briefly before he curbed his expression and told her to be very careful.


    ¡°We think the d***s have made her very dangerous, so you need to look out for yourself out there, ma¡¯am. I shouldn¡¯t tell you this, but I will, just so you can know the enormity of this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Reyona asked with trepidation.


    ¡°That woman is a murder suspect and what happened here just confirmed that she had aplices. I doubt she broke that lock herself. We will confirm that when we check the clips.¡±


    Murder? Reyona wondered in shock even as a part of her knew that the woman with the crazed eyes who was ready to gouge out her eyes and maybe even do worse, could be capable of such.


    ¡°Who?¡± she asked woodenly.


    ¡°A roommate at the centre¡±, Steve said, as he looked at theyout of the restroom and noted something in his notebook.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    In disbelief, Reyona asked what popped into her mind. ¡°Does¡­does he know?¡±


    Steve hesitated when he saw the look on her face.


    That was enough answer for Reyona. She nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him about this.¡±


    When she saw the questioning look on Steve¡¯s face, she said ¡°Tell him whatever you want, but not that I was here.¡±


    When he hesitated, she added ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Agent Stanilovoski said. ¡°I will let you know how it goes.¡±


    Reyona nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°They are ready for us.¡± Agent Ty said as he came around the corner.

 Of All The Women I Could Have?

    She couldn¡¯t do it.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t believe there would be a day when something as easy as breathing would be a problem for her.


    Just as she had no idea that something as second nature as driving would be impossible for her.


    She soon found out how much her body could work against her will after she got behind the wheel that evening.


    She knew she had to go to the hospital.


    And that was the intention as she left the restaurant and all its discoveries behind.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    But then every single turn of the steering wheel robbed her of her breath, and she was soon breathing heavily and sweating profusely too.


    Thepany was closer to the restaurant, so she headed towards it, hoping she wouldn¡¯t pass out while on the highway.


    She managed to get to thepany and thought of calling Samantha after all.


    She dismissed the thought even before it formed.


    Her employees had closed for the day, and the night lights wereing on as she drove into the parking lot.


    One of the security men saw her sitting in the car and greeted her with a bow.


    Reyona merely raised her hand to wave at him.


    She contemted asking him to drive her to the hospital, but that could cause panic among her employees if they knew she was not fine.


    So, she called a cab.


    While waiting, she looked at the calls she had missed while her phone was in silent mode.


    He had called her twice.


    She had missed calls from Jane and Samantha.


    His call came through just as she was typing a message for Jane.


    She ended the call and sent him a message.


    I am busy.


    She sent Samantha a message to tell her she was better now.


    Then she responded to Jane about the question she asked.


    ¡°Yes, the beige gand will work well with the theme. Do the rest as you see fit. I trust your judgment.¡±


    To Samantha, she responded, ¡°I am fine now. I am about to sleep. I will see you tomorrow.¡±


    The cab man called just as she sent thest message. ¡°I am here,¡± he said.


    Reyona sucked in her breath and gingerly stepped out of the car, she waved at another security man standing at the front of thepany and headed towards the cab man.


    ********


    Reyona was so weak by the time she got to the hospital that she had to be wheeled to the emergency room.


    She breathlessly exined what had happened, and the doctors got to work. They gave her medication to make her morefortable while they ran scans on her stomach.


    Reyona could see the look on the face of the nurse when her shirt was raised.


    ¡°Is it bad?¡± she asked.


    The nurse, who had not realised she had been watching, looked back at her and said ¡°No, no, just a bit bruised.¡±


    Right.


    If the excruciating pain she was feeling in her back was what a bit bruised could do, then she never wanted to know what a lot could mean.


    The high-necked cut of her shirt had managed to hide the finger imprints on her neck but the moment she changed into the hospital garb, it was in for all to see.


    The doctors asked if she wanted to call the police on whoever had done that.


    Reyona let them know that the appropriate authorities were already on it.


    ¡°I believe I can trust your confidentiality too, right? If I can¡¯t, let me know and I will be on my way.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can, ma¡¯am. We will do all we can to ensure you arefortable and back on your feet in no time at all.¡±


    That was when Reyona could finally rx.


    She told them about the tiredness she had been feeling before the incident too.


    When she mentioned the constant urination, the doctor requested that they do a urinary test too, to know if she had any dder infection.


    She started feeling drowsy as the doctor exined that they would get back to her with her results soon.


    She seemed to be floating in a euphoria caused by the medication given to her.


    Her eyes drifted towards the clock as it fluttered close.


    It was already 7:04 pm, and she could hardly feel any pain in her body again.


    Bliss.


    *******


    The bliss followed her into a dreamless sleep.


    And for a while, it stayed that way as peace settled into her subconscious mind.


    Then all of a sudden, hateful eyes mmed into her mind¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So, you think it will be that easy? Think again, bitch!¡±


    Before Reyona could respond, the hate-filled face was gone and in its ce was another.


    ¡°Jumped right from my bed into another, didn¡¯t you, whore? I bet you have been spreading them for your clients all this while. Think you could y me for a fool? I see through you!¡± the sneer was worse than the hate-filled gaze.


    Then another reced it as she saw the roguish grin she realised she hade to like so much.


    She had hardly basked in it before it morphed into a mocking grin as he said ¡°I bet you think I meant all that bullshit about love. Come on, don¡¯t be stupid. Of all the women I could have? Why would a man like me love a woman like you?!¡±


    Cruelughter followed that.


    The echoes of Bitch! Whore! Stupid! Bullshit! Love! as the faces mingled and merged in her presence, had her straining to talk, yet her mouth wouldn¡¯t obey her.


    Her heartbeat was erratic as she tried so hard to let these beasts know that they had chosen the wrong victim.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. Ma¡¯am?¡±


    They are calling her ma¡¯am now? A new way to mock her?


    A cool hand touched her arm and sheunched upwards.


    Her eyes looked unfocused at the nurse who had ducked to avoid her fist that hadshed out.


    Reyona finally realised that she was still in the hospital and not in a dark bottomless vacuum where all she could see were hateful faces.


    ¡°Are you alright, ma?¡± the nurse finally said as he realised the danger was over.


    ¡°I¡­ I am fine,¡± she said as she focused on calming her breathing.


    She could see the bedsheets twisted around her legs just as the nurse took the pillow from the floor.


    Reyona did not need to be told that she had dislodged it while she had been struggling with invisible faces.


    Damn it.


    What was happening to her?


    ¡°It seemed you were having a nightmare. Would you like some water, ma?¡± the nurse asked as he helped her lean against the upraised pillow.


    Reyona nodded and collected the ss of water with both hands.


    She slowly sipped it to soothe her parched throat.


    ¡°Your phone was in¡­¡±


    Her phone started ringing again on the bedside table.


    It was Maxwell.

 When My Husband Gets Here

    Reyona requested that she should be discharged.


    Though polite, the doctor denied her request.


    Yes, he understood the urgency of what she had to go do.


    Yes, he knew her and he believed that she wouldn¡¯t endanger her health in any way.


    But the fact remained that she still needed to be taken care of.


    They were still awaiting her results too.


    Reyona had not wanted to use her personal doctor, who was known to Maxwell, to prevent the situation where the man might be inconvenienced by questioningter.


    Though she had Andrea¡¯s number too, she had not called her for the same reason.


    Andrea was even closer to Maxwell than she was to her.


    But as she looked at the courteous yet resolute face of the doctor, she supposed she should have just called a doctor in after all.


    After gathering her strength and being sure that she could speak without the breathy quality that kept threading her voice as a result of tiredness, she faced the doctor.


    ¡°I have something that I need to go do urgently. No, it can¡¯t wait till tomorrow. I need to get it done tonight. I promise to be back as soon as I am done.¡±


    The stubborn looked at the stubborn set of her chin and knew he might be in for a long night if her request was not granted.


    Still, he hesitated.


    ¡°You can have a nurse go with me if you wish. I don¡¯t mind any extra charges that would cause. I will be back in two hours.¡±


    The doctor looked at the nurse and then back at Reyona.


    Then he said ¡°Not more than two hours, ma¡¯am. If you are not back within that time, I will be forced to discharge any power in my ability to ensure that you get the care needed.¡±


    Reyona frowned slightly as she wondered what the man meant.


    Since the only image that popped into her mind was the one where she was being dragged back to the hospital against her wishes, Reyona smiled at the ridiculous thought and agreed with the doctor.


    ¡°Nurse Killian will go with you, ma¡¯am¡± The doctor nodded at the nurse she had almost punched the other time.


    When she mentioned someone going with her, Reyona had not thought that they would take her up on it. She wondered if that was a normal hospital procedure, or if they were merely doing it because they knew who she was.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Either way, what mattered was that she could go now.


    She was running out of time.


    She managed not to hobble or wince at the pain she felt as she moved to the changing cubicle to put her clothes back on.


    She knew the doctor was watching her with hawk¡¯s eyes like he was looking for the simplest excuse to get her back in bed.


    It would have been fun if she had not had other thoughts on her mind.


    ¡°The cab will be here in three minutes, ma¡¯am.¡± the nurse said as he came back in jeans and shirt.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Reyona smiled at him as she looked over at the doctor, who looked like he was regretting his decision already.


    ¡°Doctor¡± Reyona inclined her head at him.


    ¡°Two hours, ma¡¯am,¡± the doctor said as he gestured at the nurse and thetter took her to the wheelchair that was outside the private room.


    Reyona recognised the same wheelchair that had been used to carry her when she almost lost her footing after entering the hospital lobby.


    ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t need that.¡± Reyona tried to say even as an involuntary wince showed on her face.


    The doctor looked passively at her as he said ¡°Not ording to what I can see, ma¡¯am. You need to stay off your feet as much as possible, ma¡¯am. At least until we get your results and know what exactly we are dealing with.¡±


    To avoid more dy, Reyona sank into the wheelchair and the doctor followed them as Nurse Killian wheeled her out.


    Reyona wished no one would pay extra attention to the woman in the wheelchair or look closely enough to connect her to the CPA CEO. The media would have a field day with that and her efforts to prevent such would have been for nothing after all.


    Just before they went out of the lobby, Reyona told Killian to stop.


    As he stopped to inquire what was wrong, Reyona stood up from the wheelchair immediately.


    The doctor looked at her in disapproval, but she told him firmly ¡°I am not going out there with this. I told you I could walk.¡±


    ¡°Now, are you still going with me or not?¡± she said to Killian and turned to leave before either of them could say anything.


    Nurse Killian quickly followed her as she walked out of the hospital and saw the cab man who was just pulling up at that moment.


    Reyona gave the cab man her location and sighed as she sagged against the seat.


    God, her back was killing her!


    ¡°The pain ising back, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nurse Killian asked beside her.


    Reyona looked at the nurse and said firmly ¡°No, it is not.¡±


    The nurse smiled and nodded before he turned his head towards the window.


    Reyona supposed she was acting like a petnt child at the moment.


    If the situation was reversed, she would probably be like that doctor if she saw someone she knew handling such pain this way.


    But then she was the one it was happening to, and she just knew she had to get there before him.


    When he called to ask her why she was not at home yet, she only told him that she had to workte and would stay at the office that night.


    He mentioned that she had not mentioned anything like that earlier and wondered why she had not been picking up her calls too.


    Reyona told him she had no idea she would be workingte and was busy when he called at first.


    Then she told him she had to go.


    Instead of disconnecting the call as she hoped, he had only asked her calmly if she was okay.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine,¡± she said, even as she got increasingly angry that he was still acting as if he cared.


    Then he offered toe apany her at the office.


    She rejected the offer before she told him firmly that she had to go before she bade him goodnight.


    Yet, she knew. She just knew that he was going toe after all.


    She didn¡¯t want him suspecting anything until she was ready to face him with her questions, but since he didn¡¯t even have the decency to give her the time she needed, she was going to get it done and over with anyway.


    When the cab dropped them at thepany, Reyona asked one of the security men to lead him to the lounge.


    She gave the instructions that they should provide anything he wanted for him.


    The bemused nurse reminded her of the allotted time and Reyona said she would keep to it.


    To her security men, she said ¡°When¡­my husband gets here, send him to my office.¡±


    She guessed she might have been wrong in her assumption.


    If that was the case, at the most, she would rx a bit in her office and go back to the hospital.


    And if she was right, at least he wouldn¡¯t caught her by surprise.


    Not again.

 Handsome Distraction

    She had barely settled into her chair when she heard the sound of his car downstairs.


    Of course, it could have been anyone passing by, but somehow she just knew that was his Mustang.


    It was what he had driven the day they went out with the kids.


    Reyona berated herself for even noticing something like that.


    Just as she stemmed thencing pain that had nothing to do with the wounds on her body.


    She adjusted the neckline of her shirt to be certain her neck bruises were well covered.


    By the time he knocked at her door, her props were in ce.


    Just as her mask.


    ¡°Yes,e in,¡± she called calmly and managed to look surprised as he came in.


    ¡°Hi, what are you doing here?¡± she said with a smile.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    He went around to her seat and Reyona lifted her cheek as he leaned forward to kiss her.


    He gave her a look as he changed the angle of his head and kissed her on the cheek instead of the lips he had been aiming for.


    She smiled at him and gestured at one of the chairs in front of her as she looked back distractedly at the file she had opened in front of her.


    It was a real document that she was working on that morning.


    She had purposely opened it in case he wanted to look too closely at what she was doing.


    Instead, he hesitated for a moment before moving to the chair she was gesturing at.


    ¡°Are you fine?¡± he asked with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°Yes, of course, I am fine. I am swamped with the details of this document that I have to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any of your employees around though,¡± he said as he sat.


    ¡°Yes, I told them to go home. We have been on this ount since morning, and they have not been able to do anything else. So, I dismissed them a while ago. I can finish up here, and we will be able to turn it in tomorrow morning as requested by our client.¡±


    ¡°Wow, what a considerate boss you are,¡± he said as he crossed his legs, steepled his fingers and gave her a smile that reminded her of the nightmare she had minutes ago.


    She clenched her teeth in a semnce of a smile as he said ¡°I would like to have a boss like you. Can Ie work for you?¡±


    ¡°I will ask HR if there is a vacancy for you. I am afraid we might not be able to pay a man like you though.¡±


    How can a man like me¡­


    ¡°Hey,e on. I don¡¯t charge much. I can even work for free if I get to stay close to the bossdy herself. I could be her personal assistant.¡±


    I am sure Charlotte will have something to say about that¡± Reyona said as she wondered if someone¡¯s face could split open from a fake smile.


    She looked down at the file in front of her again as she leaned back and said ¡°You have not told me why you are here though. I already told you I wouldn¡¯t being home tonight.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t Ie to check on my darling wife? What kind of husband would that make me?¡± he asked with widened eyes.


    Just look at him sitting there like he was not hiding anything from her.


    The audacity to walk into her office to tell her silly things like he was not keeping the biggest of secrets from her.


    Imagine howfortable he could sit in her office even while deceiving her.


    ¡°The regr kind of husband, I guess,¡± Reyona said with a shrug. She looked down at the document again and said ¡°I need to get back to this, so I can be done in time to be fully involved with Allysyn¡¯s birthday tomorrow. I can¡¯t afford the distraction.¡±


    ¡°Even a distraction as handsome as this?¡± he asked as he cupped his face and wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.


    ¡°Especially a distraction as handsome as this¡± Reyona answered with her clenched teeth.


    She supposed anger was a good thing after all.


    She couldn¡¯t feel a bit of her pain under theva of anger rolling within her.


    He sighed as he leaned back in his seat and said ¡°Okay then. Since my wife wants nothing to do with me, I would just go then.¡±


    When she said nothing, the smile on his face waned as he said ¡°The kids asked about you tonight.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you told them I would see them tomorrow¡± Reyona stated.


    He nodded as his look turned serious, and he asked ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    Reyona raised her brows in question as she asked ¡°Why would I be mad at you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Because of how we left thingsst night? Or my response to you this morning?¡± he asked rather than stated. Then he looked at her passive face again as he asked ¡°So, are you?¡±


    ¡°Mad at you? No, not at all. We have alreadye to an understanding.¡±


    Once I wouldn¡¯t give a damn about breaking up, just like you didn¡¯t.


    They were both silent for a while before he said ¡°I was just hurt that you don¡¯t want to give us a chance, you know?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry about that. I have offered what I have to give though. I am sure a man like you would find someone else who can fill that position as soon as possible.¡±


    He looked at her for so long that the atmosphere grew pensive. Then he said ¡°I am going to pretend that I didn¡¯t hear that. No, I¡­¡±


    Like I care. Reyona thought as she furtively nced at the clock and realised that fifty minutes had passed already.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked to change the conversation.


    What do you care?


    ¡°Yes, I had a¡­business dinner with someone earlier. I have eaten. Now, I need to get back to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will leave you to get back to¡­¡± he gestured at the document. ¡°¡­ your work.¡± he stood up and hesitated.


    Let him go. Let him go. Just let him go.


    Reyona repeated the litany in her mind as she looked down at the document again.


    She could hardly pick out the lettering on the document.


    She hade here to confront him once and for all, hadn¡¯t she?


    Why was she now hesitating?


    Was she afraid of what his response would be?


    ¡°So, I will see you in the morning?¡±


    Reyona jolted as she realised that he hade close to her again.


    ¡°Yes, you would.¡± she saw his brow furrow at her reaction and she gestured at the document again as she said ¡°I am sorry. I was just thinking of how to go about this.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest,¡± he said as he reached for her hand.


    How she wanted to fling his hands as far away from her skin as possible.


    Instead, she looked up at him and said ¡°Yes, you are probably right. I will get some restter.¡±


    Still holding her hands, he crouched in front of her and asked ¡°Can I help? I know I am not as smart as you when ites to numbers, but I can brainstorm with you and help you with whatever is causing you this much stress. You look drained.¡±


    ¡°Do I? I must be tired,¡± she said automatically. ¡°Like I said¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will restter. I guess that answered my question too. You don¡¯t need my help.¡±


    He stood up and said, ¡°I will see you in the morning.¡±


    He was almost at the door when she blurted out ¡°Have you heard anything about her whereabouts recently?¡±

 More At Stake

    Maxwell stopped in his stride and turned to her with a furrowed brow as he responded. ¡°Susan? No, nothing at all. I know as much as you do. My men are still on it though, just as they are looking for him as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Reyona answered easily.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking that?¡± he asked as he approached her desk again.


    ¡°Oh, you know. I just think that Allysyn¡¯s birthday is tomorrow, and yes, we got her presents and all, but I think I know what she would have wanted the most tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To have her parents around to celebrate it with her, of course. She would have been so delighted. Erm, her mom just disappeared without leaving anything behind? I mean maybe she left a note, or she did something. Anything at all that we can read meaning to?¡±


    Maxwell inclined his head as he said ¡°No, nothing at all. I heard they just couldn¡¯t find her one morning.¡±


    ¡°So, she did nothing? Nothing at all? Just disappeared?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± he narrowed his gaze in thought as he asked, ¡°Why do I feel like you are referring to something in particr?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know¡± Reyona shrugged. ¡°I have heard of mothers who tend to take to things like embroidery or stuff in ces like that. Especially with their roommates, you know?¡± she looked at him expectantly.


    All he did was nod.


    She nodded subtly as well and shrugged as she said ¡°I just felt she might have done something like that. Like something they found in her room after she escaped.¡±


    ¡°No, I was not informed of anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Just asking¡± Reyona said with a smile before she added, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ********


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as Nurse Killian helped her settle back in bed.


    ¡°It was nothing, ma¡¯am¡± the nurse responded.


    She sucked in her breath as she brushed her back against the pillow while trying to sit upright.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She smiled at Killian¡¯s watchful gaze as she said ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest. I am sure what you did tonight was more than what you signed up for, yet you took it in your stride. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You are wee, ma,¡± the nurse said before he stepped back. ¡°I will get the doctor,¡± he said.


    Reyona nodded and he stepped out.


    He had tried for her that evening.


    Not only had he been herpanion, he had even been her chauffeur when they wereing back to the hospital.


    Reyona didn¡¯t want to have to take a cab again since her car was perfectly idling in the parking lot.


    She wanted to try driving, but she had not even taken more than a step towards the car before she felt the aura of disapproval rolling off him.


    Musing about how she had ended up in a situation where she even needed someone¡¯s approval before she could drive her car, Reyona pointed the key at him before he could say what she knew he was dying to say.


    ¡°Can you drive?¡± she asked grudgingly.


    ¡°I race in my spare time.¡±


    Typical.


    ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t mind driving us to the hospital then,¡± she said coolly.


    ¡°I will be more than happy to,¡± he said as he collected the key from her.


    Reyona could easily see him on a racecourse with adrenaline spiking, and his dreads flying as he gave the car all he had.


    In as much as he remembered that they were not on a racecourse, she mused as he settled behind the wheels, and she had to make do with sitting in the passenger seat.


    It felt weird for her to be sitting there when a stranger was in the seat she should be in.


    That bitch had better run as far as possible.


    ¡°I bet this sucks, right?¡± Nurse Killian suddenly and Reyona realised she had been scowling.


    They looked at each other andughed.


    The remaining journey had been pleasant as he filled it with chitchat.


    Then she saw a food stand and remembered she had not eaten much since morning.


    She didn¡¯t like hospitals, and she doubted she would like hospital meals any better either.


    So, she asked him to take a turn at the next intersection, so they could go back.


    Of course, like any typical medical personnel, he had to spend about three full minutes pointing out the things she couldn¡¯t eat and how they might inme her wounds and make her heal slowly.


    So, she had told him that she would let the doctor know that it was his fault that they got to the hospital a few minutes past two hours.


    His look of shocked horror as he pleaded with her not to let him lose his job caused what Reyona had no idea could happen so soon after the scene in her office.


    Sheughed.


    That bastard had looked her in the eyes and lied, but she couldugh after all.


    Thanks to a man who knew nothing about her yet chose to cheer up her sour mood, sheughed.


    She needed to find a way to reward him for what he had done that night.


    Without knowing it, he had helped take her mind off the crippling thoughts that would have filled her mind if she had been alone immediately after that two-faced liar left.


    Now, if she could just find a way to sleep without having any more nightmares, then things would be perfect.


    She will be better tomorrow.


    She was sure of it.


    She had nothing to lose anymore.


    She had lost what was much more, and it didn¡¯t break her.


    This wouldn¡¯t as well.


    She would simply toss the past few months aside like it never happened and move on with her life.


    She had done it before. She can still do it again.


    ¡°I see you cut it close, ma¡¯am¡±, she opened her eyes as she heard the doctore in.


    ¡°Were you about to send the police after me, doctor?¡± Reyona asked with a smile.


    ¡°Good to see you are feeling better,¡± the doctor responded.


    Feeling better enough to make jokes, he meant.


    Reyona looked over at Nurse Killian as she said ¡°Actually something dyed me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look straight at her, but she saw his eyes smiling.


    Reyona turned her head to face the doctor again as she said ¡°I had to eat. I was hungry, and I don¡¯t like hospital food.¡±


    ¡°Understandable, ma¡¯am,¡± the doctor said as he handed the file in his hands to Nurse Killian and moved closer to check Reyona¡¯s vitals.


    ¡°So, what is wrong with me?¡± Reyona asked as she nodded towards the file in Nurse Killian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You have some internalceration on your back where you hit it against something. The puncture to your stomach is the most dire of your wounds. Your uterus was saved by a hairsbreadth. A little shift downward and that impact would have ruptured your uterine wall. It is amazing that you can even move about at this rate because we detect minimal internal bleeding from the juncture of impact.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked anxiously as she raised herself on her elbow. ¡°Does that mean I will need surgery?¡±


    ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be necessary. We will have to give you mild intravenous vitamin K, fresh frozen sma and telets to keep you steady. We have to monitor the progress for a while though because¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t go home tomorrow?¡± Reyona asked anxiously.


    ¡°I am afraid you can¡¯t, ma. There is a lot at stake here, so we can¡¯t afford to be carefree about this.¡±


    ¡°More at stake?¡± Reyona was worried at that point. What else had that bitch destroyed in her body? ¡°What else is wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Nothing else. But your uterine wall is of the utmost importance right now. You are pregnant, ma¡¯am.¡±


    What?!

 Signing Her Death Warrant

    ¡°You know what happens to people who lie to me. Right, Maxie?¡±


    ¡°Uhn?¡± Maxwell murmured iprehensibly as he rubbed his hands on his face and sat up in bed.


    The voice registered as silence greeted his incoherent mumble.


    The phone ring had woken him from a troubled sleep he had only fallen into a few minutes ago.


    Maxwell removed the phone from his ear to look at the unrecognised number again.


    In his subconsciousness, he had automatically picked the call thinking it was Reyona.


    It would teach him to look closely at caller ID before picking up calls, drowsy state or not.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Why was he calling him so early in the morning?


    Maxwell looked at the time on the phone and saw that it was 4: 37am.


    ¡°Don,¡± he stated more than asked.


    The silence on the other end made him realise that Donald-turned-Serena, Aka Don, was waiting for a response to his first question. ¡°Yeah, I know that,¡± Maxwell answered, as he instantly became fully awake.


    ¡°Where is your step-sister, Maxie?¡±


    Maxwell got even more confused by that question.


    ¡°Susan? Thest I knew, she was with you. What is¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you being a businessman with me right now, Maxie?¡± the unchanging tone said from the other end.


    Being dubious?


    ¡°No, of course not. I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to keep running. She should never stop because her fate would be worse than how it started the moment I got hold of her.¡±


    ¡°She ran away?¡± Maxwell asked in shock.


    ¡°Stole from me and went with my man too. Nobody steals from me. My trust in you had better not be misced, Maxie.¡±


    The call was disconnected before Maxwell could say anything else.


    What the fuck is wrong with that piece of shit?


    Maxwell called the number back automatically, only to get the notification of ¡°The number you dialled is not in existence¡±


    Fuck!


    Maxwell was fully alert as he got off the bed, flung open the double door that led to the balcony and stepped out, mindless of his naked state.


    He swore beneath his breath as he rested his elbows on the railings, and raked his hands through his tousled hair.


    He let out a causticughter as he sat heavily on the wicket chair behind him.


    That fucking bitch!


    All those efforts for nothing.


    He had strung himself tight, did things against his instinct and tried his very best to save her skin.


    Only for her to toss it all in his face by signing her death warrant.


    She stole from Don?


    What could she have possibly stolen?


    It didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    Nobody stole from Don and lived to tell the story.


    He knew what was stolen was not the main crime.


    It was the principle behind what she did.


    She had made a fool of Don.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t remember one person who had done that and it ended well.


    Who the fuck was the foolish man who had left with her?


    Maxwell was sure he mustn¡¯t be one of the men who had stayed with Don for long.


    It must be a novice who had no idea of the one thousand ways to die.


    Well, he would surely realise it soon enough.


    Don won¡¯t stop now.


    Not when his reputation was on the line.


    He had a statement to make to his men now.


    Thomas?


    Maxwell was already shaking his head even as the thought formed.


    Don wouldn¡¯t have called Thomas his man.


    Susan had just done what even her mother in heaven couldn¡¯t help her from now!


    Fuck! Maxwell swore once again as the unconcerned dawn approached and the sky brightened.


    He wished he had not done all he had done after all.


    He wished he had left them in that alley.


    He wished he had called Steve immediately.


    He wished he had not kept it a secret from the woman he loved.


    He had had trouble going to sleep the night before because of how much he missed having her in the house.


    Apart from that one time, they had never slept together, yet the knowledge that she was somewhere in the house hade to fill a ce in him that he had never thought of as empty.


    The house had seemed colder and more empty the night before, not just because she was not there.


    But also because of her questions and statements the night before.


    There had been something in her tone and demeanour.


    Something he had not been able to put his fingers on, but it had been there anyway.


    He had convinced himself not to read anything into the fact that she had decided to stay back at thepany when she could have used the home office just as she had done at times when she needed to bring work home.


    He told himself to ept the exnation she had given as to the reason why she had asked about Susan.


    Yet as he drove back, something kept niggling at the edge of his mind.


    He just knew that something was wrong.


    Yet he had no idea what that thing could be.


    Trying to check the data his men sent to him about the dwindling advertising agency he wanted to acquire did nothing to take his mind off her.


    Neither did the generous hands of brandy he had downed again and again as he tried not to picture her emerald eyes as they had looked at him that night.


    Seemingly clear, yet he felt they were hiding myriads of emotions.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think of what he had kept from her again.


    It wasn¡¯t as bad when he had simplymitted the error of omission, but he had looked at her yesterday and lied.


    As difficult as it had been, he had done it.


    He had panicked when she asked that question; all he could do was tell her what wouldn¡¯t make her mad at him at that moment.


    It wasn¡¯t until he wasing home that he realised the enormity of what he had done.


    She was a woman who had been deceived and betrayed before.


    If she had learned that he had been keeping such vital information from her, it wouldn¡¯t end well.


    He doubted that she would see it from the angle that he was seeing it from.


    He didn¡¯t tell her because he was afraid of losing her, but then his greatest fear mighte to pass if she found out.


    As he abandoned what he was checking in his home office and headed to his room, he knew he had to tell her.


    He had toe clean.


    He would do it the next day.


    Yes, Allysyn¡¯s birthday would put her in a celebratory mood and might make her more receptive to his confession.


    He was going to tell her after the girl¡¯s birthday.


    It would be the first thing he did once they got some time to themselves after the festivities.


    That thought had been what finally made him calm enough to sleep off at 4:26 am after tossing and turning all night.


    And now this?


    Would his confession even have any impact again at¡­


    Maxwell¡¯s ears pricked as he heard the sound of a vehicleing up to the house.


    That must be her!


    He quickly jumped off the chair and rushed in to toss his clothes.


    He had to do this right.


    He had to do it now!

 Foolproof Contraceptive

    She couldn¡¯t sleep.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many times they tried to convince her that she needed to.


    ¡°Please try to get some sleep¡± the doctor had said. ¡°Consider your recovery and your condition.¡±


    Her condition! Ha!


    She was certain of it.


    Reyona was sure that there had been a mistake somewhere.


    There must have been a mistake with the samples, and they had handed her the wrong result.


    Yes, she could see her name on the result, and the doctor could sound as confident as he wanted for all she cared.


    They were wrong, and she was sure they woulde in anytime soon to prove her right.


    Despite the doctor¡¯s seeming conviction, Reyona had told them to do the blood HCG test.


    Everyone knew that urine tests are not so reliable, right?


    She turned over again on the bed and wished the damned pain in her back would ease up enough for her to get down from the bed and pace as she wanted to.


    But that would mean she was anxious, wouldn¡¯t it?


    It would mean she actually believed what they said.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    She was not someone who would be careless about something like that.


    The gynaecology she had consulted after Thomas had reemphasized the need for them to wait before having children, had been the best in the city.


    Still the best.


    Reyona had ensured she got the most foolproof contraceptive which the doctor had rmended the imnt.


    She had been on the imnt despite the few inconveniences it had caused her at first.


    She had been on it since then and only had it removed after she and Thomas got divorced.


    She opted for the injection after she and Maxwell had their first intercourse, which he used protection.


    The doctor promised her that it was foolproof.


    She promised!


    And the three months had not psed yet.


    So Reyona was certain that it had all been a huge mistake.


    Very soon that doctor woulde in here all apologetic and tell her that they had made a mistake.


    And she would leave immediately!


    How could she even trust that they were good at their jobs if they could make such a silly mistake with something as simple as a test?


    Maybe the other diagnoses were wrong too.


    And how long does it take to do a goddamn test?


    She was sure they were purposely dying the inevitable.


    They were making her wait because they didn¡¯t want to admit their mistakes.


    Reyona¡¯s head jerked towards the door as she heard movement.


    ¡°You are still not sleeping¡± Nurse Killian said as he entered in his normal clothes.


    He had been checking in on her all night as he went about doing his duties.


    ¡°I am waiting for my test results,¡± Reyona said tersely.


    Nurse Killian was silent as he went to check her transfusion.


    ¡°Your colour is not looking promising. You really need to rest,¡± he said in concern.


    ¡°I am not tired,¡± Reyona said. ¡°All I have been doing is lying in this bed. That is enough rest for me. Now, can you tell the doctor to hurry up with the tests? I don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    Killian looked at the clothes, ¡°It is barely 5 am, ma¡¯am, and I think you will be staying with us for the day.¡±


    ¡°Not if you all go about giving people wrong test results,¡± Reyona said before she could stop herself.


    Then she leaned her head against the pillow again and tried to find afortable angle for her neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to brag, ma¡¯am, but we don¡¯t make mistakes like that here. Here, lift a little,¡± he said as he helped her to adjust the pillows that now looked haphazardly shaped from her tossing and turning. He continued as he readjusted them. ¡°We are very thorough with our procedures, with a system in ce to ensure mixups like that don¡¯t happen. We are very aware of how important these tests are to our patients, and we try as much as possible not to screw them up for them. There,¡± he said as he moved back.


    Reyona sighed quietly as she leaned back against the fluffed pillows.


    ¡°Thank you. You are done with your shift, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I shouldn¡¯t have left before you got the second result, but I have an exam by 7 am and Dr Romano said I could go. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± he asked hesitantly.


    Reyona opened her eyes with her brows furrowed. ¡°Why would I mind? You have helped me quite a lot already. Go do your exam, best of luck. I will just wait for¡­¡±


    They looked towards the door as Dr. Romano came in with a doctor.


    ¡°Nurse Killian, you are still here¡± he said in passing, as he came closer to Reyona¡¯s bed.


    Reyona could feel her heartbeat thumping in her ears the closer the man got.


    The file in his hand looked tiny in her vision for a moment, and she blinked to refocus.


    He gestured at the doctor beside him and said ¡°Ma¡¯am. This is Dr. ir Salem, our certified gynaecologist. I brought her with me, so she could help to put any doubts you have to rest and answer your questions too.¡±


    That was not the attitude nor the words she expected.


    ¡°What are you saying, doctor?¡± Reyona asked through a constricted throat.


    ¡°Your blood HCG test is here, ma¡¯am. There was no mistake. You are pregnant, ma¡¯am. With the level of hcg in your blood at the moment, it is about a couple of weeks, but you are very pregnant, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Reyona could barely hear him at that point.


    She looked at the gynaecology gym and said in a voice that sounded faint to her ears ¡°I am on contraceptives. Foolproof contraceptive.¡±


    The gynaecologist stepped forward to exin.


    *********


    Maxwell rushed down the stairs while adjusting his shirt and headed straight for the main door.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    He came out of the door just as a brown van backed up the driveway while his security men tried to catch up with it.


    What the¡­


    The van suddenly stopped some distance from the main door and Maxwell barely caught the reflection of the man in the driver¡¯s seat before the back of the van opened.


    Something¡­ someone was thrown out of the van.


    The back door closed just as the van zipped down the driveway, almost creaming the security men who had just got to it.


    ¡°Pretty useless¡±, Maxwell thought in annoyance, as he rushed down the porch.


    ¡°Sir, please stay back. There might be a dangerous item on it¡­him¡±, his head of security said, as he came close to the tightly bound man on the ground.


    ¡°Then do your fucking job,¡± Maxwell said as he came closer.


    The security man turned the man over in his attempt to check the body.


    Maxwell saw the unconscious face and said ¡°Fuck¡±


    ¡°Sir, he is¡­¡±


    ¡°Clean¡±, Maxwell said, as he brushed him aside.


    He was brutally tied with duct tape that would make it impossible for him to move even if he had been conscious.


    Pasted on his mouth with two strips of duct tape was paper with bold writing on it.


    IF I HAD TO LOOK AT HIM ONE MORE TIME, I WOULD KILL HIM.

 To Hold. To Love. To Cherish

    She did not want to ept it.


    She was not supposed to ept it.


    Yet the evidence was clear.


    As the gynaecologist exined how it was possible for even the most foolproof birth control to have a loophole, Reyona simply nodded and stared.


    Her mind was racing with a thousand and one thoughts.


    ¡°It is very rare¡­¡±


    Pregnant. She was pregnant.


    ¡°¡­ 1 out of 100¡­¡±


    She will be a mother. Somebody¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. Are you with me?¡±


    Reyona looked at the woman staring at her in inquiry.


    She saw Dr. Romano was looking at her with his typical passive face.


    Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked over at the concerned-looking Killian.


    ¡°You will bete for your exam,¡± she said simply.


    Killian smiled and said ¡°I live nearby. I can still get home in time for it.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to go then,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°You are not thinking of leaving again, are you?¡± Nurse Killian asked with a smile, reminding her of what she had said earlier.


    Reyona cradled her hand against her stomach and said ¡°No, I am not. Thank you.¡±


    Nurse Killian excused himself and left.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± She asked the gynaecologist.


    ¡°First, you need to register for antenatal, then¡­¡±


    As Reyona listened to the gynaecologist talk, her situation became more and more real to her.


    She now belonged to a category she had no idea she could be in a few minutes ago.


    She was going to be a mother.


    When Dr Romano and Dr Salem left her to rest before the nurse assigned to her that morning woulde.


    Reyonay down properly on the bed and started thinking of all the things she needed to do.


    She needed to start eating more healthily than she used to.


    No more alcohol or anything rted to it.


    She needed to minimise her stress too.


    Well, she would just speak to Dr Romanoter and ask the gynaecologist to make a list of the things she should be eating and those she should stay away from.


    She might just get a nutritionist cook.


    Yes, that is right.


    She wouldn¡¯t be eating for one anymore, and she needed to do it right.


    She would do things right and get them done well.


    This was a second chance given to her by God.


    By the universe.


    By fate, and she would be damned if she wasted it.


    Probably better to stop swearing now too.


    Whether in her head or out loud.


    Babies caught on to things like that fast.


    Baby.


    She was going to have a baby.


    Someone to hold.


    Someone to love.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Someone to cherish.


    Someone who wouldn¡¯t betray her.


    Someone who wouldn¡¯t lie to her.


    Someone that¡­.


    Reyona stopped as she realised that her hands were clenched around the sheets and tears wereing out of her eyes.


    Even as she had decidedly focused on the good of this situation.


    As she had deliberately fixed her mind on the miracle of this situation, her mind had pulled along towards the ugly.


    Reyona let her tears flow freely as the ridiculousness of her situation hit her.


    Something she had long dreamed of even when she was a kid was finally happening.


    It was finally happening yet not how she had pictured it.


    She had imagined that she would be happily married when she conceived the baby that she and her loving husband would receive with such joy.


    Even before she had the face of any man in mind, she had held on to that dream.


    As her parents went on to create new families, she held on to that dream.


    One day, she will have a family of her own.


    A family that would always be hers and never leave her.


    Her tears streamed down the sides of her as she thought of her current situation.


    After wasting her years on a man who was never sincere with her from the first day.


    Now she somehow found herself in a fake marriage with a man who had been lying to her to use her.


    And she almost lost her long-wanted treasure because of a soulless bitch who hadn¡¯t hesitated in her intention to kill her.


    Reyina cupped her hand against her stomach as she whispered ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    What would she have done?


    If the sick woman had made her lose her baby, she wouldn¡¯t have forgiven herself.


    It didn¡¯t matter that this baby came in an undesired way.


    What mattered was that it was hers.


    And she was going to protect him or her with everything she had.


    And keep him away from any unscrupulous character.


    No matter who they were.


    Coming to a decision on a question she had hardly acknowledged, Reyona wiped her tears clean.


    There would be no unnecessary tears around her baby.


    She was going to be positive and strong both in mind and body.


    That way, her child can draw from it and learn to be happily independent too.


    Her child would be protected against the scum of the earth and by the time she could no longer protect him against everything that might want to hurt him, he would have already learned that not everyone could be trusted.


    At the end of the day, family is something you can rely on.


    With that thought in mind, she reached for her phone and called Toria.


    She could hear construction sounds in the background as Toria said ¡°Hi, sis.¡±


    ¡°Hey there,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Are you busy? Can you talk right now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Of course, I can. What¡¯s up?¡± Toria asked in a distracted voice. Then she said, ¡°Hold on¡­¡±


    Reyona heard her speaking to someone in the background, then the background sound receded as Toria said ¡°I am all yours.¡±


    Reyona excitedly added the other two people.


    ¡°Rey? Hi. This is a conference call?¡± dys¡¯ voice came on.


    ¡°My dear, what is going on? Are you fine?¡± Carlisle said from his end.


    Reyona supposed it was a great idea that she had not used the video feature, so they wouldn¡¯t see her in her hospital garb.


    Her smile bloomed into a grin as she said ¡°I am fine. I am pregnant.¡±


    A momentary silenceden with shock.


    Then ¡°Rey! Oh my God!¡±


    ¡°My baby! I am going to be a grandmother?!¡±


    ¡°My dear girl!¡±


    As the exmations and joyful reactions cascaded over her, Reyona¡¯s hope bloomed and her conviction increased.


    She was going to be fine.


    She and her baby were going to do just fine.


    Anyone who threatened that would have her to contend with.


    Whoever they may be.

 Partially rehabilitated Junkie

    ¡°Make sure that no one goes in there¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡± his head of security answered instantly.


    Maxwell saw the guard that had hit the curb hard when the van drove out.


    What was the idiot doing standing there when he should be getting checked?


    ¡°You are hurt,¡± Maxwell stated tersely.


    The man looked at him, then looked at the security head as he said ¡°No, sir. I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Maxwell said as he moved closer to him and punched him in the right shoulder.


    The man howled in pain and immediately stood upright again with a stoic look even as sweat popped on his forehead.


    Idiot. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your face out here when I get back,¡± Maxwell said sternly.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sir, please. I promise to do better. I¡­¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you, man? Go get yourself checked now, or you can forget your job anyway.¡±


    Maxwell looked at his head of security.


    The man, who still looked slightly embarrassed that the men had gotten past them, nodded and said ¡°Noted, sir.¡±


    Maxwell headed towards the house in a foul mood.


    It¡¯s not even midday yet, and he already had to face all these?


    And where was Reyona, by the way?


    She promised to be back as early as possible.


    Fuck it!


    She had promised the girl that she would be fully avable for her day, and now she was not back yet.


    The kids would be about soon, and they would expect to see her.


    How was he supposed to start answering all those questions without thinking of the fact that their dad was somewhere on the property at that moment?


    ¡°Fuck it, Don. You couldn¡¯t have picked a better time?¡± Maxwell mumbled out loud as he scraped his hand through his already-tousled hair.


    Maxwell knew he couldn¡¯t let the kids see that bastard the way he was looking at the moment.


    Gaunt, sickly-looking, sore-faced and stained teeth were not the way the kids were expecting to see their dad after all this while.


    He was not about to ruin a little girl¡¯s birthday just when she was beginning toe out of her shell.


    At this point, he didn¡¯t care about how much Reyona was going to be mad at him.


    He just wanted to share everything with her and get her opinion on what they should do.


    He just needed her to get home first.


    As he went back to the house, he thought of going to get her.


    She might have subtly shown that she wanted nothing to do with hispany the night before, but that doesn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t do his best to get her home that morning.


    She had had a long night, and she deserved all the rest she could get that morning.


    He just needed to get his phone and keys from his room first.


    ¡°So¡­so¡­when will you be back?!¡± he heard Junior¡¯s voice from their room.


    Are the kids awake?


    Who was he talking to?


    As much as he was anxious to get going, he did a double take and headed towards their wing.


    The door was slightly opened, and he could see Jane standing close to the door with her arms folded.


    He slightly opened the door, and she looked towards him.


    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± She greeted him before he could tell her not to alert the kids.


    He saw Junior scrambling off Allysyn¡¯s bed where both of them were huddled around a phone.


    ¡°She is noting!¡± Junior said as he ran towards Maxwell.


    Who? Had Susan found a way to call the children?


    How will she get the number? Maxwell thought as he strode towards the bed where Allysyn was still holding the phone with a sour look on her face.


    Junior pouted because Maxwell didn¡¯t pay attention to him, then he brightened and followed Maxwell to bed.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Maxwell asked anxiously as he turned around to see the person on the video call.


    ¡°Reyona. She is noting.¡± Allysyn said, just as Maxwell saw her on the phone.


    He could have sworn he saw anger re in her expressive eyes, but then it was gone before he could look closely.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hi, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Remember that ount I was working on? There was aplication and I had to travel quickly. So, I wouldn¡¯t be there for Allysyn¡¯s birthday. Jane would handle things. She knows what to do.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ I¡­is this about¡­?¡± he stopped and looked at Jane.


    ¡°Kids,e with me,¡± Jane said quickly.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Junior asked curiously.


    Allysyn looked like she had no intention of leaving her room anytime soon as she folded her arms and fixed her gaze somewhere above Maxwell¡¯s head.


    He had not even wished her a happy birthday yet.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Allysyn,¡± he said hastily as he rose. ¡°I will borrow this for a moment, okay?¡± he said as he strode out.


    ¡°What is going on, Reyona?¡± he asked as he came out of the children¡¯s room.


    ¡°What do you mean? I just told you. I had to quicklye to Bermuda to meet an entric client. I realised the need to do that after you leftst night. It was a veryst-minute thing.¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡± he ran his hand through his hair and said ¡°You prepared all these for the girl. She was looking forward to everything you had nned today.¡± he entered his room and locked the door.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°And everything would go ording to n too,¡± she answered. ¡°Jane has all the details, and she would get help from Ann and the others too. It would be fine. You would hardly notice that I am gone.¡±


    ¡°You know that is not true. I would notice. The kids would notice. Things would not be the same around here without you around.¡±


    There was a pause at the other end as she looked away.


    When had she had the chance to change? And why was she in an office already when she was supposedly on her way to¡­ Bermuda?


    ¡°I need to go. A meeting is starting soon and I¡­¡±


    ¡°When will you be back?¡± he asked quickly as he sensed she was about to disconnect the call.


    ¡°Not today. It depends on how long it took to sort out these things. I need to go now.¡±


    ¡°I will miss you. I have something I¡­¡±


    The call was disconnected.


    Maxwell frowned as he looked at Jane¡¯s serpentine wallpaper.


    He sighed as he dropped the phone on the table.


    He had been wrong when he thought the day couldn¡¯t get worse.


    And now he had to be cheery to the sulking kids and be in a celebratory mood, even though he was feeling anything but celebratory.


    ¡°Great. Just great,¡± he muttered as he leaned back on the chair he was seated in and looked up at the ceiling in thought.


    Something was wrong.


    He just felt it.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it.


    Maybe she would tell him when she was ready?


    In the meantime, what the hell was he supposed to do with a partially rehabilitated junkie?

 Wall Of Resistance

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said to Dr Rory Murphy, as he entered.


    He was waiting outside the office with the others as Reyona used his temporarily re-arranged office for her calls.


    ¡°It is no problem.¡± said the doctor as he came to sit opposite her in the chair she would have sat as a patient under normal circumstances.


    But nothing was normal at the moment and as it was, she was seated in the man¡¯s chair wearing a shirt he had got for his wife over her hospital gown.


    The handsome man with a pleasing smile, a high forehead, and a well-built body made him seem more like a bodybuilder than a hospital medical director.


    He smiled slightly as he said, ¡°Anything for you, lioness.¡±


    When he saw Reyona wince, he added ¡°Or should I say, Sherlock?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Come on. You have to let that go.¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    Lioness was the nickname that her coursemates had given her because she hardly engaged in any frivolous activities, yet when there was anything that needed someone taking charge, they always automatically nominated her, and she always delivered.


    Sherlock was the nickname he had given her when he asked her out, and she had been brutally blunt about the reason why she would never date him.


    As Reyona remembered now, she shook her head and said ¡°You are going to have to erase that from your memory one day.¡±


    ¡°Not ever. It is my favourite anecdote to share with my wife. I think I will still tell my grandchildren about it too. Yes, it would make for a very nice bedtime story.¡±


    Reyonaughed softly and unbuttoned the shirt she had over her hospital gown. ¡°Thank you. I will get someone to get a recement for her.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Dr Murphy said.


    ¡°Please, I insist,¡± Reyona answered. ¡°You have done a lot for me already.¡±


    Dr. Murphy shrugged in eptance.


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding of this too. You made it much easier.¡± Reyona said as she raised her hand to gesture at the twowyers sitting on the couch in the director¡¯s outer office.


    ¡°It is nothing. I don¡¯t think it is necessary, but I see you need it. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure your peace of mind, Sherlock.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, just call me Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Humour me. It has been so long¡± he said, as he looked back at thewyers who stood behind him with their briefcases in hand. ¡°You cane in now,¡± he said to the doctors in the waiting room.


    Thewyers brought out the agreement document and gave copies of it to Dr Murphy, Dr Salem, Dr Romano, and Nurse Killian to read.


    A copy was given to Reyona as well for verification.


    Though she knew what would be there, she collected the non-disclosure agreement and read through it.


    Everything was in perfect order.


    All that was left was for everyone to sign, and they could all move on.


    ¡°Pretty stiff penalty here, Sherlock.¡± Dr. Murphy said, with a slight frown on his face.


    ¡°What is worth doing at all, Murphy,¡± Reyona answered easily. ¡°I am sure you have nothing to worry about anyway.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Dr. Murphy said automatically, then looked at his staff. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, sir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    They all chorused in their answers.


    Dr Murphy inclined his head at Reyona with a wry smile and leaned over to take his pen.


    Thewyers collected the copy from him and gave him the original they were all meant to sign.


    ¡°Right here?¡± Dr Murphy said as he pointed at the slot with his name and title.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Just there.¡± thewyer responded.


    Reyona leaned back in the chair and winced a bit from the pull on her back.


    She was grateful to Rory and was slightly ufortable about all this, but she knew it had to be done.


    When she told Dr. Romano about what she wanted from them. The doctor had said it was not standard procedure in the hospital.


    The hospital operated by standard codes and one of those codes was that they would never divulge the confidential information of a patient to anyone without the patient¡¯s consent.


    Reyona was well aware of that, but she was not ready to put anything to chance anymore.


    She was done trusting people just based on faith and what they were meant to do.


    In her experience, people never really stick to what they were meant to do unless they are aware of the consequences of backing it up.


    So, she had insisted.


    When Dr Romano insisted and kept emphasising the fact that the management would not allow it. She had demanded to see whoever was in the position to allow it then.


    Reluctantly, Dr Romano had agreed to let her talk to the medical director directly.


    Reyona was gearing up for another wall of resistance.


    Then she saw that it was Rory!


    Rory! The most reckless yboy of their time in college was not just a doctor, but a medical director too.


    Reyona had rxed a bit and exined to him about what she needed.


    He also told her the same thing Dr Romano had said.


    But Reyona insisted and made him know how important it was to her.


    Just when she thought she would have to leave the hospital after all, he finally agreed to it.


    Then she asked for another favour from him while they waited for herwyers.


    To stage a scene while she called the kids.


    Of course, she had somehow known the bastard would be on hand to talk to her as well.


    The part about the kids was genuine.


    Yes, she hated their parents, yet she couldn¡¯t find it in her to fault the kids foring into the world through such despicable people.


    She detested their step-uncle, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her from wishing the girl a happy birthday.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t be there for the girl as she had promised, she would do what she could.


    And nobody was going to stop her.


    No, no longer would anyone stop her from doing what she wanted to do.


    Not with lies, nor with deceit.


    She was only going to do what was right for her and her baby from now on.


    They could all go to hell.


    ¡°Here, ma.¡± thewyer handed her the original agreement after everyone had signed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she collected it and signed where she was supposed to.


    She looked at everyone and said ¡°Thank you very much for doing this. I appreciate it a lot. A copy of the arrangement will be sent to you soon.¡±


    Thewyers nodded as they put the agreement and copies back in their briefcase.


    They nodded at Reyona and left.


    ¡°You are wee. Now, I think you need to get back to bed.¡± Dr. Murphy said.


    ¡°Just say you want your chair back,¡± she said as she gingerly stood up.


    ¡°Exactly my thought.¡± Dr Murphy said with a smile as he came forward to give her a hand.


    ¡°One more thing though,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°What do you want, Sherlock?¡± Dr. Murphy asked with a careful tone.

 I Want It

    For the next few days, Reyona settled in the private VIP suite of the hospital.


    Dr. Murphy had given her the most secluded section she had requested, and she knew she couldn¡¯t ask for anything better.


    Things were going ording to ns as well, just as her body was also cooperating with the treatment.


    She no longer winced every time she brushed her back against something, and she could easily hold herself up in the routine mini-walk she had started taking on the terrace connected to her suite.


    As agreed, Dr Romano, Dr ir and Nurse Killian were the only ones attending to her, and Dr Murphy also checked on her constantly.


    She still didn¡¯t know the gender of her child yet because Dr Romano had advised that they hold on till her fragile, bruised stomach was healed.


    Dr. Murphy also agreed with the man and Reyona had no problem waiting.


    The gender of the child didn¡¯t matter to her anyway.


    What mattered was that the baby was hers.


    Hers and nobody else.


    Over the course of a few days, Reyona had given good thought about the only thing she had a pause about.


    Denying her child the knowledge of his or her paternity.


    She had concluded that she was doing her baby a favour by keeping her away from that vicious cycle.


    She would not expose her innocent child to such people.


    Or allow him to use the opportunity to y another fast one on her.


    Yet she knew she couldn¡¯t keep things from him for long.


    Not while they were still in the same city.


    His incessant calls and messages over the past few days had made her know that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to break free as easily as she would have wanted.


    The audacity he had to be pestering her like he gave a damn about her.


    She was going to get away from him, and it would be as clean as possible.


    She had learned her lesson the first time.


    This time, there would be no messiness.


    ¡°I am going to protect you, baby. You can be sure of that,¡± she said as she cradled her stomach while looking out at the scenic view of lush gardens from the window of her room.


    Thank God for her family.


    After she had hastily disconnected her call the other day when they asked her to video call, Reyona called them back separatelyter to exin how things stand to them.


    The first call was to Toria and the message was clear.


    She was not to tell Celia, Andrew or anyone, for that matter, about her condition.


    They shouldn¡¯t know that she was in Kayooma at the moment too.


    As far as anyone was concerned, she was still in Bermuda dealing with theplicated issues of her client¡¯s ount.


    And that was how she wanted it to stay.


    Until she and her baby were ready.


    Sheter called her parents with varied requests for what she wanted too.


    When they asked in bewilderment about what happened, she gave them a brief version and informed them that she would exin things better when they met.


    ¡°Should wee to Kayooma?¡± Carlisle asked immediately.


    ¡°Yes, you need us at this moment, baby. This is a very fragile moment for a woman, and you shouldn¡¯t be alone, especially based on the circumstances.¡± dys quickly added.


    ¡°I am not in Kayooma, remember? How would anyone believe that if you were seen here?¡± Reyona had called their attention to that fact.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What can we do for you then?¡± dys asked in exasperation.


    ¡°Just be patient with me, mom. I will see you soon and exin better, okay?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you areing for the graduation?¡± dys asked.


    Reyona had been expecting her mom to ask that, so she smiled and said ¡°Yes, I will being for the graduation.¡±


    ¡°That is fine then,¡± dys said with relief.


    Then sheunched into the things she would prepare for Reyona and started giving her tips on what she should do and what she shouldn¡¯t do.


    As Reyona recalled the conversation and how her dad hade to her rescue by subtly changing the conversation, she couldn¡¯t help but muse about how lucky she was in her family.


    Yes, the world out there might be shitty and all, but she was never going to forget the most important fact again.


    Her family was going to have her back no matter what.


    There might have been a strain between them from the beginning of her life till the most significant part of her developing years, but she wouldn¡¯t let that subconsciously stop how she reached out to them anymore.


    They were the main people she could rely on right now, and she was going to do it more and more.


    If for nothing else, at least for her baby.


    Her baby was going to have big brothers in the twins.


    Her baby was going to meet her dad¡¯s stepdaughter too.


    Her baby was going to have the most doting aunt in Toria.


    Just like her, her child would have the most loving grandparents in her parents and extra love from their spouses.


    The child would have a mother who could go to the end of the world and back for him too.


    That was more than what some kids get to have.


    It would be enough for her child to thrive.


    It had to be enough.


    She wished she could involve such a soothing nature as that of Celia in the child¡¯s life too, but as things stand, that would be unwise.


    As sorry as she was about that, she knew it was how it would have to be.


    Just as her crashed dreams had shown her, we can¡¯t always get what we want.


    She was d that Celia was away from Kayooma at the moment.


    She and her family had decided to take a maternity trip.


    They wanted to start showing their daughter the world as soon as possible.


    Reyona mused as she imagined holding her child in her hand one day to travel the world.


    She could even imagine the feel of his soft skin and his amusedughter as she held him high above her head and swung him around.


    The wrong thing about that image was that when she pictured the face of her baby, she couldn¡¯t help but see a familiar face on him.


    Even when she tried to adjust the image to a girl, the familiarity stayed.


    Just as the smile held the element of a certain roguish smile that hade to lodge itself in her mind.


    Reyona shook her head and opened her eyes as she reached for the cut-up, mixed fruits on the table close to her openptop.


    She chastised herself for engaging in a silly pastime.


    Daydreaming was for the idle, and she was anything but idle.


    She had things to put in ce.


    Things that would ensure that her baby arrived in this world in the most sane environment.


    She heard a ping from the system just as she speared the fruit mix into her mouth with the fork.


    She looked down at the loosely wrapped Anti-electromaic-radiation pregnancy band she had wrapped over her stomach.


    She patted it into ce before moving closer to theptop.


    The message was from Phil.


    It was a picture of a mega officeplex which¡¯s size rivalled that of the ReyDexter building.


    Reyona smiled as she zoomed into the overview picture, then clicked on the album of specific spots andyouts of the building.


    Her phone rang, and she picked it up automatically as she saw the caller.


    ¡°Hello, boss. Have you seen it?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Reyona said even as she continued clicking on the images.


    Her smile widened as she said, ¡°I love it.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? It is perfect. The agent in charge of it is an acquaintance, and he has given me the full details about it. It is the exact fit, boss. Even better. It is just that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked as her smile dimmed. ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me someone else is about to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It is very much avable. But the price is stiffer than what we had in mind.¡±


    ¡°I want it. Make the arrangement with Lane.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note


    Thank you dear reader for turning the pages up until this point.


    You are my source of motivation.


    I really do appreciate your time and interest.


    Don¡¯t forget toment, and leave your review on the book as well.


    Your opinion will be highly appreciated.


    Take a moment to vote for this book as well.


    It would mean a lot.


    Take good care of yourself.

 Irreparable Differences

    ¡°Okoo mi, my dear. When will you start getting ready for your outing with your husband, na?¡± Marissa heard footsteps behind her as her door opened and her grandma entered.


    She shook her head andughed as she turned to face her grandma. ¡°Ah ha, maami. This is just four thirty. And his name is Bernard.¡±


    Her grandmother smiled as she sat down on the couch. ¡°Eh, look at you. ¡°His name is Bernard,¡± Mama mimicked. ¡°Is he not your husband? Is it an old woman like me that is supposed to be telling you how long it takes for a woman to dress up when she is going out on a date?¡±


    ¡°Old ke? You are not old, you are sweet sixteen. Which of your friends canpete with you when ites to dressing?¡± Marissa said she intended to distract her grandmother. Judging by the countenance on her grandmother¡¯s face, she knew the older woman had a mission.


    Grandma knew her very well, so she merely shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to butter me up. That won¡¯t stop me from saying what I came to say, so just save your breath already,¡± she said as she readjusted her position on the couch.


    ¡°What?¡± Marissa said it innocently. ¡°I was onlyplimenting you, na; can¡¯t Ipliment my beautiful grandma, ag?¡±


    ¡°What is happening between you two now?¡± her grandmother said.


    ¡°Well, that was worth a try,¡± Marissa thought as she realized that Mama would not let this matter go. Still, she said, ¡°Me and who?¡± as she turned back to close her ledger. Though she has an app where she gets to do her inventory and calctions electronically, she still does her documentation the manual way as well.


    ¡°You know who I am talking about. Girl, will you leave that book and turn to me when I am talking to you?¡± her grandma said.


    Marissa turned swiftly to her on the chair she was sitting on with a salute ¡°Aye aye, captain grandma.¡±


    Grandmaughed and said, ¡°Naughty girl, I see where that rascal gets his antics from. He is getting more mischievous by the day.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? It seems like I can¡¯t keep up with him either. That boy is sure intelligent, and he is getting smarter by the day. Just the other day, he


    ¡°Ehn ehn, we are not going there right now. I already said you shouldn¡¯t try to dissuade me from having this conversation.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ Okay, maam, what do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Why are you two not living together as husband and wife yet?¡± Grandma asked simply.


    ¡°Maami¡±


    ¡°Maami, what? Maami, what na? Is that a strange question to ask? What exactly is still stopping you two from living your life as a couple?¡±


    Marissa sighed. ¡°How can I tell Maami that I demanded a divorce from him? She thought. ¡°She would certainly ask me why. How am I supposed to exin how I feel about this thing to her? She would never understand.¡±


    She sighed again.


    ¡°Okoo mi,¡± Mama said again in a concerned tone. ¡°I know, I know what you have been through and how this journey started, but you can¡¯t let someone so vile and something so tragic stop you from grabbing on to the happiness in front of you, can you?¡± Mama asked.


    ¡°Maami, I¡­ how can you be sure of that? Have you forgotten what I told you about Evelyn? was what she intended to say, but she merely kept silent.


    ¡°Marissa, what is it? Are you saying that you can¡¯t share what is on your mind with me again now?¡± Mama asked when she saw that Marissa was still not saying anything apart from the asional ¡°maami¡±.


    ¡°No, ma, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that we still need more time to get to know each other. You know that the main reason why we got married before was because of the child and now¡­¡± she swallowed ¡°Now that the child is no longer there, he has no reason to want to be with me. Though he said he loves me, but¡­


    ¡°But you do not believe him. Hmm, my child. Do you believe that a man like Bernard would simply marry you because of a child? I am sure that his mother is more than capable of taking care of a child if he only requested that the child be what he wanted. You need to have belief in your man and his love for you, my child. I have seen the way that boy looked at you when you were not looking, even when you were looking at him. It reminds me a lot of the way your grandfather looked at me back in our days. Also, may your parents souls rest in peace. Your parent¡¯s devotion to each other was so evident, even to strangers. You were small then, so you might not understand what I mean,¡± Imama said.


    Marissa had an idea of what her grandmother was talking about. She could remember that her parents had always had a smile for each other, and they were always looking for opportunities to touch each other and to do things together.


    ¡°My dear¡± Grandma¡¯s voice brought Marissa out of her reverie: ¡°You know I would never lie to you; that boy truly loves you. Do you think that I urged you to marry him merely because of your pregnancy? No, my dear, it was because I see how he treats you and how you treat him. I still don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t realize it yet, but you deeply care about him as well. Why not stop wasting each other¡¯s time and start your life together in earnest? Neither of you is getting younger, you know, and don¡¯t you forget that Emma is also watching you as well. He asked me the other day if I think that his mum will start living with his new dad the way the Onwurahs are staying together.


    Tears came to Marissa¡¯s eyes from Grandma¡¯s words. She knew that Emma was too inquisitive not to have been curious about that, especially since he had made friends with other kids now whose parents were staying together. She had convinced herself that it made no difference to Emma since he didn¡¯t ask her about it.


    Hearing Mama say what the kid asked her now saddens her. She knew that rationally there was nothing to be afraid of, but it was a different matter with the feeling of apprehension in her heart. She had this inherent fear that the moment she gave in and they finally got together, things would change between them. She cared about him too much to be able to bear it if things got ugly between them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to part ways now when we are still on good terms and could stay friends than for us to do itter when there would be irreparable differences?¡± she thought.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She looked at her grandmother, who was looking at her in concern. ¡°I asked him for divorce, maami,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± the old woman jumped up and sat down back as pain shot through her legs at the abrupt movement.

 Can’t Imagine It

    Maami!¡± Marissa eximed as she hurried to her grandmother¡¯s side. ¡°What is the problem? Are your legs giving you issues again?  Sorry, here, stretch it out a bit. I already said that we should go to the hospital so they can check you out properly. All this shea butter and herb mixture won¡¯t work,¡± Marissa said in concern as she massaged Mama¡¯s legs, hoping to relieve the pain.


    ¡°I am fine. I am old, and this kind of thing is not unusual. I just need to¡­ ah wait¡± she said holding Marissa¡¯s hand to stop her from massaging her legs.


    ¡°Sorry ma, am I hurting you?¡± Marissa said as she crouched down in front of her grandmother.


    Mama sighed as the pain subsided again ¡°It is fine, don¡¯t worry. But you..¡± she hit Marissa in her arm ¡°What do you mean by you asked him for divorce, ehn? How could you do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Marissa said, rubbing at her arm ¡°I just¡­I just didn¡¯t want him to feel that he is obligated to stay with me now that the child is not here anymore¡± she exined, not liking how her exnation sounded to her ears as well now that she is saying it out loud.


    ¡°Ahah, of course, he is responsible for you and obligated to stay with you no matter what. He is your husband. Isn¡¯t he? You this strong¡­ strong-headed girl¡± Mama said hitting her again.


    ¡°Ouch, maami. You will hurt your hand o¡± Marissa said as she moved back from where Grandma¡¯s hand could reach her and sat on the floor facing her grandma. Out of reach of course.


    She shook her head at how much the pain stung despite how frail her grandma¡¯s hand looked now.


    ¡°Leave me, let me hurt my hand. Ehn, you this child. What were you thinking? Ah okay, tell me what did he say? Did he agree with your silly idea?¡± Grandma asked with apprehension.


    ¡°No, he was really against it and he said he doesn¡¯t want to, though these days¡­¡±


    ¡°Ehn ehn of course, I know that he wouldn¡¯t agree with you. Isn¡¯t that a reason enough for you to know that he truly wants you? If it was one of these irresponsible ones that are out there today, do you know how high they would jump in jubtion for their freedom? Ehn what did you mean by though these days?¡± she asked suddenly as she seemed to recollect that Marissa had added that.


    ¡°I mean we had an altercation the other day regarding this same discussion and since then he had been mentioning the issue more often. He refers to it most times even when what we are saying does not rte to it¡± she said with a furrow on her brow as she tried to recollect his strange attitude these days and what she thought it could be about. ¡°I think he might be considering it as well. He has probably realized that he does not love me after all and he probably wanted the same thing now. Well, we have¡­¡± She mped her mouth shut, she knew that her grandma would only berate her more if she informed her of the three-month deadline they had with each other. Well, it remains two months and some days now, she mused.


    ¡°He¡­.¡± Her grandma gave her an exasperated look as she gingerly stood up from the couch. ¡°Probably¡­maybe¡­ he thought. Keep guessing, you hear? Have you asked him to know what he is thinking now?¡±


    Marissa shook her head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything again, you hear. Just know that if you lose that loving responsible boy, you will regret it. I am not saying it because I am all-knowing but because I know that you wouldn¡¯t forgive yourself¡± Grandma said as she turned to leave. ¡°Think well and have a rethink, my dear. Some kinds of people are just like rare opportunities. They bothe your way once and once you lose them, you cannot regain them again¡±


    Grandma turned to her with her hand on the doorknob ¡°Just imagine that you go through with this ridiculous divorce idea and you end up alone with Emma as you had always convinced yourself that you want to be. Then picture him with someone else, with another woman, living their lives in joy, love, and happiness. That other woman getting all the love that he is offering you now that you decide to throw it away. Okoo mi, just think of that in your head. If you are okay with it, then go ahead with whatever it is you want to do to separate from him but if not just get up from that floor and go and dress up. Go out with your man to get back on track with building your home¡± She twisted the knob and went out closing the door gently behind her.


    Marissa sat there on the floor with her arms around her knees as she tried to imagine what her grandma just said but her mind shied away from it because just thinking about him touching a faceless woman alone caused her heart to ache not to talk of him spending the rest of his life with that woman when Marissa would not be in the picture.


    She tried to imagine another woman waking up to see his handsome, beloved face first and sleeping with that sight being thest thing she would see.


    Marissa sighed at the waves of unreasonable jealousy that gripped her at the thought.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine it but still¡­.¡±


    Her phone rang.


    She stood up, wincing at the cramp in her back.


    He was the one calling!


    She nced at the clock. It¡¯s still 5:16 pm.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be calling this early about the outing. Would he? Did grandma call him?¡± she thought hesitating to pick up the call as she wondered what she would say to him if he mentioned anything like that right now that her emotions are still unstable.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The call disconnected.


    ¡°Way to go, babe. Let¡¯s just stand here like a scared kid while the phone rings away¡± her subconscious smirked at her.


    She was contemting if she should call him back or just pretend she had not seen the call when the phone rang again. She snapped it up on the first ring.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said then realized how thready her voice sounded so she cleared her throat and repeated ¡°Hello, why¡­it is just past five now. Do¡­¡±


    She paused to listen to what he was saying and the expression on her face changed.


    ¡°What?¡±

 His Dreams

    ¡°A club?¡± Marissa pronounced out loud what he had said, just to be sure that she had not heard him wrong.


    ¡°Yeah, is there any issue with that?¡± Bernard replied over the phone; Marissa could sense the hint of a smile in his voice, and she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°As in the wriggling bodies, fast drinks, neon lights, and head-pumping fast music kind of club?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°Is there any other fun type? I sure wasn¡¯t referring to country clubs or the kind that my father joined these days, which has been driving my mother crazy. A golf club,¡± he replied,ughing outright this time.


    Marissa pictured herself in one of those spaces, twisting around packed people just to get to the bar, colorful lights shing in her eyes, and banging deafening music all around. The only time she had ever been in that kind of atmosphere was when she went to pick Evelyn up one day when she and her colleagues had gone out to celebrate the engagement of one of them. Evie had drank too much that day, and her colleague, who had known Marissa with her, had called her toe take her home.


    Marissa could remember that it had been as if she had entered an alien world that night when she had entered the club, annoyed from being distracted from the work she had brought home from the office that day due to Mrs. Martins¡¯ inherentziness. She had stood just inside the door that day, taking a moment to adjust herself to the alien intrusion on her senses. The bouncer¡¯s askance look, coupled with the fact that Evie was there vulnerable, was what had propelled her feet forward to delve into the cacophony of voice, wildughter, music, and wriggling bodies, as she would have been more than happy to turn right back and go back home, pretending she just had a weird dream.


    She was amazed by the throngs ofdies with heavily painted faces, slinky dresses, mile-high heels, and tart attitudes mingling around. Some danced seductively by themselves, with their partners, and on theps of their significant others, who were showing all signs of enjoying the disy. Marissa could still remember that she had gawked that day at the amount of exposed flesh she had seen; somedies had even been dancing on poles with guys hooting and egging them on. Encouraging them and making promises to give great tips if thedies¡¯ legs could go wider or if they could bend lower.


    Marissa could still remember how much Evie hadughed at her the following day while recovering from her hangover.


    ¡°How exactly did you go through your university days without stepping foot in a club?¡± Evieughed while holding her head after Marissa exined it to her.


    Marissa had narrowed her eyes at thetter even as a reluctant smile curled her lips.


    Evie hooted withughter, then sobered, ¡°I am sorry. I am sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t beughing right now, especially since I was the apparent reason you went into a space you wouldn¡¯t normally be in, but really? A whole four years without going to the mostmon center of entertainment for college kids? No, no, something is wrong with this image. Your friends need to be questioned.¡± Evieughed again, then groaned as her headache came back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of those anyway. There is no time for outings with friends or ssmates. I was too busy trying to support myself and study,¡± Marissa had mused.


    Awwn, poor you.¡± Evie had said it in all seriousness.¡±We need to rectify this situation. A woman cannot be called well-rounded if she has not been to the club and gotten drunk at least once.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. If going to ces like that is what would qualify me as a worldly sophisticated woman, biko, I am fine with this unrounded me,¡± she had said as she picked up her bag to go to work.


    ¡°No, not all ces are that¡­ well, that extra. Samantha just has crazy taste, and it suits some of us. Thank you. Not all of us are as unrounded as you are after all,¡± Evie said,ughing as Marissa picked up a throw pillow and hauled it at her. She ducked and said, ¡°Really, Marissa there are other more ssy clubs out there you can go to, you know, just to mingle and all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but no thanks,¡± Marissa had said as she opened the door. ¡°Close my door when you leave or I would kill you when Ie back.¡±


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t! You love me too much to hurt a strand on my head! Ouch my head!¡± she had heard Evie shout after her as she smiled in her hurry to get to work before the bitchy Mrs. Martins.


    True to her word, Evie had tried so many times to get Marissa to go to a club with her, all to no avail. Marissa had dug in her heels and refused to budge until Evie finally gave up, calling her a hopeless case.


    ¡°Now he thinks that the best ce for an outing is¡­¡±


    ¡°Babe? Why had you spaced out like that? I really wouldn¡¯t mind listening to the sound of your breathing over the phone; believe me, it is more erotic than phone sex, but would you¡­


    ¡°Benard, have you been drinking?¡± she asked abruptly.


    ¡°No, of course not. Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ well,¡± she wasn¡¯t going to tell him that she had never been a patron of a club before; of course, she wouldn¡¯t put it past him tough at her outrightly.


    ¡°Babe?¡±


    She wanted to snap at him, but then she remembered her current discussion with her grandmother. She swallowed her retort.


    ¡°Maybe I should put what Mama said into¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid that you would fall for me so hard in that kind of hyper environment that you wouldn¡¯t want to let me go?¡± he taunted her.


    Marissa forgot her resolve as she snapped at him ¡°Yeah, right! In your dreams. Where is the ce?¡±


    What had Mama called him again? Loving and responsible boy? Pfft, more like an infuriating man that would make her head explode one day!¡± She thought in exasperation.


    Bernard chuckled. ¡°Why would I allow my beautiful wife to arrive at such a ce alone? That would be stupid of me, don¡¯t you think? I aming over to pick you up.¡±


    Marissa agreed with him. The stupid part, that is. If he were so wise, he would simply cancel the ridiculous outing and let them go to a normal ce or not go at all, but she knew that he would simply use her of chickening out now if she said that or even infuriate her more into agreeing with something else.


    So she nodded, not caring that he couldn¡¯t see her. He could use her apparent silence for whatever he wanted.


    ¡°See you at eight, babe.¡±


    ¡°Right¡±


    ¡°Rissa?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wear something sexy for Daddy.¡±


    ¡°For da¡­¡± she started, but he had already disconnected the call.


    Marissa blew out her breath slowly as she wondered how on earth he always managed to rile her so much. She was considered a sensible, reasonable, and levelheaded person by most, after all, but when it came to him, he always managed to make her act like a raving lunatic. Her actions sometimes surprise her.


    He challenges her like no one else she has ever known.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He encourages her without saying a word most of the time.


    He has the uncanny ability to show up just when she needs him the most.


    He is sweet with her child.


    He is wonderful with her grandma.


    His employees speak highly of him, and even his domestic workers adore him.


    Yet he infuriates her more than anyone she has ever known, and half of the time she has no idea if she wants to give him a swift kick in the shin or strangle him. What with his ready tongue that was always giving her back whatever she said to him in folds? His naughty nature and his cheerful, unpredictable mood could change when she least expected it. Especially these days when she had no idea what to think of him.


    Henrietta had once told her that only Bernard could match her vigor; any other man would be steamrolled.


    ¡°Pfft, steamrolled indeed,¡± Marissa thought as she booted herptop.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget the fact that he also makes youe like no one else could,¡± her subconscious added.


    Marissa rolled her eyes ¡°And how do I know that? It is not as if I have ever been with someone else, have I?¡± She muttered to herself and shook her head as she tried to imagine herself being attracted to someone else, but all she could see was Bernard in her head. She gave up with a self-deprecating smile.


    ¡°Dress up for Daddy, my foot. In his dreams,¡± she muttered as she opened her browser and typed:


    WHAT TO WEAR TO A NIGHTCLUB

 When Had He?

    Bernard got out of his car and pasted on his newly adopted signature smile. He had even practiced it in the mirror the other day, and he could see that he was getting better at it.


    ¡°Two months and three days to go now,¡± he mused as he stepped on the porch, raising his hand to press the doorbell, then remembering that he had stopped doing that already.


    He twisted the knob and found it unlocked. ¡°Well,¡± he thought, and he entered.


    Grandma was seated in the living room telling a story to Emma, who was listening with rapt attention while trying hard to keep her eyes open.


    ¡°You are feeling sleepy now, Okoo mi, my dear. Let us continue this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, no, mama. See, my eyes are open!¡± he said as he jumped up from his reclining position ¡°I will not sleep again. What now happens to the cunning tortoise? Ehn ganma! Did the king¡­¡± he looked over at where Bernard was standing, looking at them in amusement. ¡°Hey! Daddy Bernard! Mummy! Daddy Bernard is here!¡± he shouted at the top of his lungs as heunched off the couch to go meet Bernard.


    ¡°Ei, Emma! You can deafen someone¡¯s ears with that loud voice!¡± Mama said as sheughed.


    ¡°There is my guy! The man of the house himself!¡± Bernard said as he caught Emma when thetter jumped at him, squealing as Bernard swung him around.


    ¡°Good evening, ma,¡± he greeted as he stopped swinging Emma.


    ¡°Good evening, my dear. Hmm, be careful, or he would expect you to keep up with that in the next ten minutes and then another ten minutes. You might end up having your date here after all if care is not taken.¡± Grandmaughed as Emma shouted for more and Bernard obliged him.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dy him. He is taking Mama out. We can y moreter, right?¡± Emma said with a gap-toothed smile at Bernard, which made thetterugh out loud.


    ¡°You bet. I am sorry I have not been able to take you to that field. I promised we would go again the other day. I woulde around next week, okay, and we would go. Just you and me¡±


    Emma nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed yet, though? I thought he was normally in bed by now.¡± Bernard asked, extending the question to Mama.


    ¡°He gets an extra hour on weekends. Moreover, he had been waiting for you toe around, even though he had been feeling sleepy earlier. That was why you met us in the storytelling session,¡± Grandma said with a smile as she leaned forward to ruffle Emma¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Yes, I get to do whatever I want with my extra hour on Fridays and Saturdays. I could watch Henry Danger and the Thundermans and do anything I wanted. Mummy said, Mummy!¡± He shouted as he saw his mother on the staircase smiling down at them.


    ¡°Wow, see, mummy looked so fine. Grandma, am I right?¡±


    ¡°You are indeed right, my dear. Your mother takes after her mother,¡± Grandma said to herself.


    ¡°Really? Mummy, is that true? Did I take after my mom too? He asked Grandma, then swung his head toward his mum as she approached where they were seated ¡°Mummy, did I take after you?¡± he asked earnestly.


    ¡°Of course, where do you think you got your brilliance from?¡± Marissa asked as she bent to kiss his upturned face, carefully evading Bernard¡¯s gaze. He hadn¡¯t said anything since Emma announced her presence, but the prickling sensation on her skin alerted her to the fact that he hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off her since she entered.


    ¡°Really? Hmm, mummy, I like your perfume. Can I have some?¡± he said as he sniffed at her cloth.


    ¡°Of course, my dear,¡± Marissa said as she unsped her evening purse, noticing how unstable her hands are. She had to try twice before the sp sprang free.


    ¡°I had to be damned if I would squirm in front of my kid just because of his silent perusal,¡± she thought as she felt heat suffuse her body at their closeness as she bent to dab a little perfume behind Emma¡¯s ears and on his wrist. Thank God her bodice was fitted to her skin; if not, well, he had probably seen straight down to her crotch.


    ¡°Hmm, I smell nice now! I smell like a mummy! Grandma see!¡± Emma said excitedly as he stretched his hand toward Grandma and the other toward Bernard. ¡°Daddy Bernard see!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, you smell so good.¡± Bernard¡¯s voice sounded so close to Marissa¡¯s ear that she jerked and wondered why she was still bent there like an imbecile. She hurriedly stepped back and fluffed her hair.


    ¡°You smell fine, truly. Though I don¡¯t know if you want to go and smell nice for the angels in your dreams,¡± Mama said as she stood up. She noticed that those two stubborn children had not said a word to each other since her grandchild got downstairs, and they had avoided eye contact. Well, that was on the part of Marissa solely, as she could see that Bernard¡¯s eyes had not left her granddaughter¡¯s body since, but that headstrong girl had not even looked at him. Even when it had been obvious that he was referring to her when he was saying ¡°You smell so good¡± to Emma because his eyes were fixed on Marissa.


    Emmaughed hriously at Grandma¡¯s statement, ¡°Smell nice for the angels, haha. Grandma said to smell nice for the angels. Angels don¡¯t smell people, grandma. They only protect us!¡± he said with conviction.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Grandma said this as if seriously considering his statement.


    ¡°Yes. Mummy, angels are here to protect us and guide us. right?¡±


    ¡°You are right, my sweetheart. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to tuck you in tonight?¡± Marissa asked in ast bid to postpone the inevitable. She had begun to doubt the wisdom of epting to go out with him tonight already. To a club of all ces.


    ¡°Yes, we are sure,¡± Mama replied with a meaningful look in her eyes as she tilted her head at her granddaughter and turned to Bernard with a smile. ¡°You can go now, my dear. We are good here.¡±


    Okay, ma,¡± Bernard smiled at the older woman. He turned to Marissa, but she quickly turned to her grandmother.


    Maami, there¡¯s no need for you to go upstairs to tuck him in. I can just call Esther to do that,¡± Marissa said, thinking of her grandmother¡¯s joint issue.


    ¡°What do you mean? Where have you seen an old woman who can¡¯t even take care of her great-grandchild? Certainly not here. We can manage here, you hear? Bye-bye,¡± Grandma said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Maami..¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye. In fact. Emma, would you like to sleep with me tonight?¡± Grandma asked.


    Emma jumped excitedly. ¡°Yes! Grandma can tell me stories till I sleep!¡±


    ¡°See? We are good here!¡± She made a shooing sound at Marissa with a glint in her eyes as she turned towards the direction of her room.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t believe that you are not sshing on that perfume for some girl out there,¡± Marissa could hear her grandma say to Emma as he skipped along beside her. ¡°I am suspecting that you now have a girlfriend, Emma. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A girlfriend? Grandma yuck!¡± Evident disgust could be heard in Emma¡¯s voice. ¡°I do not have a girlfriend!¡±


    Grandma¡¯sughter could be heard preceding the sound of her door closing.


    Marissa stood looking towards her safe zones, which had just departed. She was schooling her face to neutrality before facing him when she heard his voice so close to her ear. She jolted but tamped down the yelp that rose in her throat.


    ¡°Errr, not that I mind because, mind you, I don¡¯t mind, but I would like to know if we are going to stand here all night looking at that invisible door while you pretend that I am not right here behind you, we can even eavesdrop at your grandma¡¯s door and listen to all the deep secrets that your grandma and kid are sharing. We can even get something that can prate the door and look in as well, if that is what you want.¡±


    Marissa rolled her eyes. He was all smiles and respectability with her grandma just now and all sweetness with Emma but with her¡­


    ¡°Do I need to get popcorn as well? Because¡­¡±


    She turned and walked past him, still without looking at him. ¡°When you are through with youredic session, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    Her heart thumped in her chest as he snagged her hand and expertly turned her, bringing her flush against him. His hands on her ass, he whispered, ¡°You look so hot tonight,¡± before he brought his head down and kissed her fully on her glossed lips.


    Marissa was so surprised by his move that she couldn¡¯t even protest before he took her under.


    ¡°When had he gotten so smooth?¡± she wondered briefly right before her thinking faculty decided to depart her.

 Just Let Go

    ¡°I have been longing to do that since the moment I saw you up there on that staircase,¡± Bernard said momentster as he raised his head. He was breathing harshly, and the sight of Marissa¡¯s closed eyes and her wet, plump lips beckoning on him was enough to have him swooping in again, especially when her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him vulnerably for a moment with those expressive eyes of hers-an expression that was rarely seen in her eyes.


    He almost took her right there and then, giving no damn about the dratted outing, but still with that vulnerable look lingering in her eyes, she whispered, ¡°What are you doing, Ben? What are you doing to me? Why do you seem so changed?¡±


    Benard turned away from her as he struggled to bring his breathing under control. As much as he felt the urge to present his case again, he was not about to spoil the mood of the evening by saying something that was guaranteed to spoil the nice time they could have together that evening, so he pasted on his smile and turned back to her. Giving her a once-over, he whistled, ¡°Babe, you look so hot tonight. I have never seen that on you before. I guess I should propose we go out more if that means I get to see you in hot getups like this,¡± he said reverently as he came back to her. His look heated up as he looked her over again, like he wanted to strip the piece of clothing off her.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Marissa had discarded different options of clothes she had seen online when she searched for clothes that women wear to clubs. Many had been so ludicrous that she couldn¡¯t even imagine herself in them. She had seendies in bum shorts that were so flimsy that they were showing part of their buttocks. Some were in jeans so tight that she was sure they would have needed the help of another person to pull them on or off. Crazy jeans and dresses showcase a lot of skin. Tight-fitting clothes that had seemed ufortable just by looking at them, and she had wondered how the owners had been able to breathe.


    She had been about to give up and just put on her regr casual clothes when she saw one simple sleeveless bodycon dress with straps. Thedy had on not-so-high heels and a purse.


    ¡°This I can do,¡± Marissa thought as the dress reminded her of one like that that Henrietta had urged her to get back when they were shopping for her wedding trousseau. Thetter had joked then that Marissa could even wear the dress to do ap dance for Bernard when she hadined that she had never been a fan of tight-fitting clothes.


    Perfect,¡± Marissa had thought when she dug it out of the back of her closet. The slinky dress was a subtle shade of pink, and she found matching heels and a purse for it.


    Seeing the appreciative look in Bernard¡¯s eyes now made the uncertainty she had felt while putting it on recede. She had felt that it was unbing of her since it was not what she was used to wearing; she had wondered if it would seem as if she was trying to please someone and failing horribly. The look in his eyes made it all worth it, and the tension she had not realized her body was infused with quietly subsided.


    ¡°Not that I wanted to please him anyway. I wore this for myself, not because I want him to like it,¡± she thought to counter the direction her thoughts were going.


    ¡°Of course,¡± her subconscious replied sarcastically.


    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± she said, and he bowed slightly as he motioned for her to go before him.


    Marissaughed shortly as she passed, and he closed the door behind them.


    He opened the car door for her. Mdy,¡± he said as Marissa entered.


    ¡°Uhhh, how chivalrous of you, dear sir,¡± she responded in the same tone, and they shared augh.


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


    Club De Royale was different from what Marissa had been expecting. Her one-time experience of a club had her carrying a mental image of what clubs look like but she was shocked when she entered the club.


    The first thing Marissa noticed was that it wasn¡¯t as rowdy as the one she had gone to then. Even though the music was ring and people were busy throwing out suggestions and requests to the DJ who merely nodded and assured everyone that they would get what they needed before the night was over.


    ¡°Good evening, people! This is Club De Royale, baby!¡± The clean-shaven DJ shouted over the scratching sounding from the jukebox and the crowd roared in reply as another catchy music came on and the frenzy of moving, wiggling bodies continued again.


    Marissa shook her head as she thought that it wasn¡¯t so different after all but she knew that she could get used to this. Bernard brought her abruptly close to him as a couple that seemed to have had one too many drinks elbowed their way past them.


    He smiled as Marissa shouted ¡°Hey, watch it¡± after the departing duo as he wondered if they even knew she was referring to them, that was if they could even hear her over the ring music.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± he said moving against her when she looked back at him and realized that he was holding her so closely and her body tensed.


    ¡°Nope, we would have none of that today,¡± Bernard thought. It was one of the reasons Bernard had picked a club for their outing.


    Marissa had always had this underlying reservation in her that never really leave her and the only time he had seen it leave her for a fleeting moment had been when she had been inhibited by sex. Every other time, she had always had this underlying carefulness in everything she does, like someone afraid of crossing the line. He wanted to see how free she could be if she can let go when the atmosphere calls for it.


    ¡°I¡­ah don¡¯t dance, not that I can¡¯t but¡­¡± her heart jumped to her throat as he sharply twirled her, holding her so effortlessly that she matched her movement to his without even realizing it as they moved among the wriggling bodies on the floor. One minute they had been on the edge of the floor where she had been certain that no one else would be able to squeeze in among the throngs on the floor and the next minute they had been among that throng, a part of the pulsing beat. She was stered against Bernard and her crotch was rubbing right over his bulge as they danced like a four-legged creature.


    The heat was getting too much for her and she knew that she needed space from him before she made a fool of herself ¡°Bernard¡± she whispered wondering if he could even hear her over the ring sound of the music. The DJ had just changed the music to a popr one that seemed to be a favorite of the clubgoers and the din had risen as they started singing along to the music, but he heard her and he smiled at her with that warm twinkle in his eyes that does things to her inside.


    ¡°Rx, babe¡± he whispered to her ¡°This is a ce to let go. Forget all your worries and just let go. Let it all out, babe. All those bothersome thoughts in your head. Simply let the music guide you, hon¡±

 Oh, The Wife

    His words seemed hypnotic to Marissa coupled with the fact that the music seemed to pump in her blood as well. Soon she was able tough out loud when she stepped on him and when the guys behind her bumped into her, making her get closer to Bernard; she merely raised her arms and encircled his neck with her arms and she moved her body to the beat. That was what was mostly required of anyone there apparently as the floor was too packed anyway to showcase any serious dance moves and that worked perfectly well for Marissa. Not that she had any exceptional moves to showcase anyway. She stopped feeling so self-conscious about her closeness to Bernard and she even started flirting subtly with him.


    Bernard grinned as he was having a great time. The fact that he could see Marissa¡¯s inhibitions dropped only make the moment more enjoyable to him. They danced from music to music until Marissa whispered in his ears that she was parched.


    He maneuvered her to the other side of the club.


    ¡°And here we are¡± he announced and Marissa raised her head to see that they were standing at the base of a staircase that leads to the upper-level marked VVIP section.


    Marissa looked at him with a grin ¡°Hmm, VVIP section, is it? Are you unting your money now, Mr. Babal?¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Mrs. Babal,¡± he said and she giggled as he pulled her along. They ran up the stairs and the bouncer discreetly stepped aside as Bernard shed a card at him.


    ¡°Very lord of thend indeed,¡± Marissa said as they sat syed in the designated couches. She turned her head and she could see the dance floor as there were merely railings around the top level and the music could be heard clearly from where they sat also though the vibrations were not as much as it was down there.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°This was exactly what I needed after the craziness down there. To think some people deliberately choose this as a way of life every other night¡± she shook her head as Bernard signaled to a waiter.


    ¡°I would take a beer, extra chilled thank you,¡± he said to the waiter then turned to Marissa ¡°What would you have, babe?¡±


    She almost said that she would have what he was having but then she shook her head and said simply to the waiter ¡°I would take a soda, thank you¡±


    Bernard grinned ¡°We are keeping it safe, I see¡±


    Marissa shrugged ¡°I don¡¯t fancy woozy head and cotton mouth, thank you¡±


    The young man left them to go get their order.


    ¡°How do you like this ce?¡± Bernard turned to her, moving to sit on her side of the wraparound couch.


    She grinned ¡°It is a great ce. I was totally expecting something else but this ce? It was more than my expectation. Positively so, mind you¡± she admitted freely.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± he grinned as he set his hand on her leg and she didn¡¯t shrug him off. ¡°Simon and I discovered this ce years ago and they have certainly improved a lot¡± he looked at the dance floor as the music changed again and new cheers could be heard from the dance floor. He smiled then turned back to see her looking at him with something akin to wonderment in her eyes.


    She averted her eyes and looked around. ¡°Why was it taking this guy so long to get our drinks?¡± she said.


    Bernard smiled ¡°Sooo, now that you like this ce, does that mean that we can¡­.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ben? Oh wow! I was right after all. I thought this dim lighting was ying tricks on my eyes¡± they heard a sultry voice from behind them. Marissa turned back to see a gorgeous woman in a ck slim-fitting bodysuit with a red leather mini skirt approaching them in her mile-high heels that entuated her long legs. Marissa was sure that if she bent ever so abruptly; whoever was behind her would be treated to a tantalizing show of her crotch.


    ¡°She probably had no panties on¡± Marissa was surprised by the unbidden thought and the ugly strange feelings that rise in her as the woman approached their table with a wide wide smile for Bernard, her eyes fixated on him that Marissa could have easily been the furniture or an essory.


    Bernard stood up to greet her, extending his hands for a handshake as he said ¡°Oh good evening, Ms¡­oh.¡± he said looking as surprised as Marissa felt when the woman ignored the hand he extended and hugged him.


    ¡°Hmm, Mr. Ben. You smell good as always. Fancy seeing you here. I wouldn¡¯t have expected that you frequent this kind of ce. See? We do have things inmon after all¡± she crooned to him as she kissed his cheeks and slowly disengaged from him. Marissa was very sure it was not her imagination. The woman had subtly ced her hands on Bernard¡¯s butt while she was moving back.


    Marissa looked at Bernard to see if he had taken note of it as well. He seemed to as she caught him look over at her ufortably.


    ¡°Ms. Robinson¡± the womanpleted what Bernard had been saying before she hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot again, I will be simply devastated¡± she crooned. ¡°Just call me Ruby. the name is Ruby. Jeez, it is not that hard, right? Then I can properly call you Ben as I wanted to. We are friends after all¡± The woman finished with a sly look at Marissa.


    ¡°Friends? Something is definitely going on here¡± Marissa thought, wondering what the woman¡¯s sly look implied.


    ¡°Ms. Robi¡­¡±


    ¡°Ruby¡± the woman smiled beatifically at him, seeming to stretch sinuously towards him with thate hither look in her eyes. Marissa had never thought one could pull that off while standing straight but she was sure that was what the woman just did.


    ¡°See? That was not so hard, was it? I even have a nickname¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Robinson!¡± Bernard said firmly. ¡°Meet Marissa, my wife. Marissa, meet Ms. Robinson, my new neighbor¡± he introduced with a look of difiture in his eyes.


    Just as Marissa was thinking ¡°What? This kind of woman is staying close to him?¡± The woman in question turned to Marissa, sizing her up with hostility in her eyes. Her expression was the opposite of what she had been bestowing on Bernard.


    She offered Marissa a stic smile as she said in a condescending tone, ¡°Oh, the wife.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, burn. Are you going to take that lying down?¡± Marissa¡¯s subconscious reared its head.

 How Was It?

    Marissa did not need the extra jab from her subconscious to take offence at the woman¡¯s tone and attitude, so she pasted on her fake smile as well, more like a gritting of her teeth, as she replied to the woman. ¡°Yes, THE wife,¡± she said, emphasizing the, and she deliberately stretched out her left hand in a handshake, perfectly disying her ring finger. She had been looking for something simple and unpretentious to essorize her dress with, and the ring and a watch seemed fine to her.


    Marissa was d that she had chosen tonight of all nights to have it on, and she smiled inwardly as the woman¡¯s eyes alighted on the ring. Her smile got frostier as she barely touched the tips of her fingers to Marissa¡¯s outstretched hand. Not that Marissa gave a damn anyway, as she barely squelched the urge to wipe off the little piece of her flesh that the silly woman touched.


    ¡°I see that your wife is a lefty. How cute!¡± the woman directed her statement to Bernard, her megawatt smile back on disy as she stepped back.


    ¡°His wife is very ardent with both hands. She just decided to use the left hand tonight,¡± Marissa replied acerbically, forcing the woman to return her gaze to her.


    Bernard looked surprised by Marissa¡¯s reply, then he smiled as he realized that this was probably the first time she would use that word so possessively. His wife. That sure sounds good. Bernard thought, and he smiled at her.


    Marissa¡¯s eyes were on the woman, though, as thetter was giving her an assessing look like she was readjusting her previous opinion about Marissa. She gave her a slight nod, like she was acknowledging the fact that Marissa could not be easily handled, then smiled as a challenging light entered her eyes.


    ¡°Uh oh, that can¡¯t be good,¡± Marissa¡¯s subconscious whispered to her just as the woman turned to Bernard with that easily switched smile on her face again.


    ¡°I was supposed to meet with a model of mine, but he seemed to have bailed on me. You wouldn¡¯t mind if I joined you, right? It would be a great shame for me to just go home like that after I had a night out nned,¡± she crooned to him. Marissa simply couldn¡¯t think of any other word to qualify the way the insensitive woman talked to Bernard as if they were together alone on a She internally shook her head at the direction of her thoughts.


    ¡°Be rational, girl,¡± she thought to herself.


    Bernard, who had been wishing that the woman would simply leave so they could get on with their night, looked up sharply when he realized that the woman was waiting for him to ept her own invitation. He looked at Marissa, who had a nk look on her face and was looking at something over his shoulders. ¡°I.. errr. My wife and I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh great, just what I needed right now,¡± Ms. Robinson eximed as the waiter got to their table and she swiped the beer off the tray. Hmmm,¡± she moaned softly as she gulped the chilled drink. ¡°This just hit the spot, down down down, right where I need it,¡± she purred in that sultry voice that she had taken up a notch, trailing her hand up her throat like she was in the throes of ecstasy. Even the waiter looked away ufortably as he handed the soda to Marissa, who had her eyes pinned on the dratted woman.


    Ms Robinson looked around suddenly, like she just realized what she did and her eyes widen in shock, her lips forming a perfect O ¡°Oh, my God, oh my God,¡± she said with an embarrassedugh as she dabbed delicately on her blood-red lips ¡°That was meant for you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked Bernard. ¡°Oh my! I am so sorry. It¡¯s just that I tend to lose my head sometimes when I see a chilled beer like that. Just like fine, well-sculpted men, they are highly irresistible,¡± she said with her eyes on Bernard¡¯s body. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. Here, you can have it back. Oh, what am I even saying? Pardon my manners, please,¡± she said as she pulled her hand back and turned to the waiter. ¡°Please get this fine man another beer, and keep the refilling, please. Tabs are on me.¡±


    The waiter nodded and left.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to bother. it¡¯s totally fine.¡±


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind if I join you then? Thanks,¡± she said, sitting down directly opposite Marissa before Bernard could say anything. ¡°Where is that waiter? They can be pretty annoying, don¡¯t you think?¡± She directed her question to Marissa with that fake smile on her face again.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, seeing as I don¡¯t frequent ces like this. You, on the other hand, seemed to be a veteran at this, though,¡± Marissa replied, thinking, ¡°I had be damned to let any bitch fluster me and spoil my night for me.¡±


    Ms Robinson gave her an insincereugh ¡°I know, right? Though I wouldn¡¯t use the word veteran, I can confidently hold my own anywhere, any day, anytime. If you want to mingle, I am your person. I can show you the rope,¡± she said, showing her teeth at Marissa before taking a sip of her beer. ¡°Does that mean you are a homebody? Don¡¯t you work?¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Marissa thought but she tamped down the retort that came to mind and replied with the same frosty smile Oh, I work; what do you do? Ogle men?¡±


    Bernard looked sharply at Marissa, but she ignored him. Ms Robinson was taken aback for a while as well but then she smiled and said, ¡°How apt. Did your husband tell you that I am an artist?¡±


    ¡°Oh? He knows what you do.¡± Marissa said, still smiling as she picked up her soda and sipped.


    ¡°Oh yes, thank you, sweetheart,¡± Ms. Robinson said to the waiter. ¡°Keep ¡¯eming, okay?¡±


    ¡°She mentioned it the other day,¡± Bernard said, feeling a need to exin. Even though Marissa¡¯s expression had not changed from that carefully nk te except when she was smiling at Ms. Robinson. Bernard could feel a storm brewing, and he started doubting his idea of a date for them.


    ¡°Oh great,¡± Marissa said, taking another sip when her voice sounded squeaky to her ears.


    ¡°Yes, I exined to him the other day at his ce, but he seemed embarrassed when I was trying to exin what I do to him. You know men, they can be silly like that,¡± she said with a seemingly conspiratorial look at Marissa.


    ¡°His¡­ce. You were at his ce.¡± Marissa looked at Bernard as she asked the question.


    ¡°Ms Robinson came over to my ce the other day on a neighbourly visit when she moved in, so you know¡­¡± Bernard trailed off, wondering what he had done wrong when Marissa just kept looking at him.


    ¡°I brought my signature pasta along as well. You know, my ex-husband once confessed that my incredible skill at making pasta was one of the things that made him fall head over heels in love with me. Silly man,¡± Ms. Robinson said as she sipped her beer, giving a sly look at Marissa, and she smiled with satisfaction as she saw the way Marissa narrowed her eyes at Bernard.


    ¡°You ate pasta¡±, Marissa said simply, as if she were stating a fact.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡­ah¡± Bernard was about to let her know that he had given it to the gateman, but he didn¡¯t want Ms. Robinson to feel as if he had made a mockery of her good gestures, so he shrugged and stuffed his mouth with his drink.


    ¡°We should order some peppered meat to go with these drinks, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ms. Robinson said to Bernard ¡°You know, to reduce the risk of getting drunk.¡± Then to Marissa ¡°Not that you have to worry about that anyway, seeing as you are going the safe route. Wise indeed, but I know men who prefer daring women, you know. So how was it?¡± she asked Bernard abruptly.


    ¡°Ehn, how was what?¡± Bernard asked in confusion.

 Oops, Butter Fingers

    ¡°The pasta, I mean. Was it as hot as my husband, well, my ex-husband always says it was?¡± She asked, giving her full focus as if his answer mattered a lot to her.


    Bernard had no idea what the woman intended to aplish by insisting on the answer to that, especially when she rolled her tongue around the word hot,¡± but he knew that he was getting ufortable with the way Marissa¡¯s face got more and more nk by the moment. So he simply gave her the truth. Hurt sensibilities be damned.


    ¡°Oh, I have no idea how it tasted. My gateman gave it a glowing review, though. Remember I told you that day that I am not a fan of pasta, so I had to give it to him? He sent his thanks, though,¡± he said simply.


    Marissa couldn¡¯t stop the small smile that curled her lips, especially when she remembered that he was not averse to pasta. Bernard was pleased as he caught the smile, and they exchanged a look that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the hawk-eyed Ms. Robinson.


    Sheughed airily Oh, that is no problem at all. I could make something else next time if you let me know what you like.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that that wouldn¡¯t be necessary.¡± Marissa replied, cing her hand on his thigh as she said, ¡°Bernard here doesn¡¯t like eating out, so no matter how ¡®hot¡¯ the meal could be, it just wouldn¡¯t agree with him.¡± Her emphasis on the wordhot, just like Ms. Robinson had done earlier, made Bernard smile, and he wondered if he could be lucky enough for Marissa to be jealous because of him.


    ¡°Maybe all hope is not lost yet,¡± he thought as he entwined his hands with hers, and she squeezed his hands in return.


    ¡°That is true. Marissa knows me so well,¡± he said with an adoring look in his eyes as he looked at her face.


    ¡°Of course, darling.¡± Marissa answered, getting into character as she returned his look, ¡°That is why I am your wife and not your well¡­ You know, and not your neighbor.¡± Marissaughed and smiled sheepishly at Ms. Robinson, who smiled back at her with a steely re in her eyes.


    Bernard covered hisughter with a slight cough as he picked up his drink again. ¡°Well, well, my wife has ws after all,¡± he thought as he began to rx for the first time since Ms. Robinson had joined them, certain that Marissa could handle herself. ¡°I might even enjoy this; after all, it is not every day I get to see hery im to me like this, and after these two months? Well¡­¡± he refused to think about that as he sat back.


    ¡°Well, Marissa, is it?¡± Ms. Robinson said after a pause.


    ¡°It is Mrs. Babal to you,¡± Marissa replied with her smile still in ce.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Mrs. Babal, it is then,¡± she said agreeably, and Bernard looked away so she couldn¡¯t see the smile on his face. It wouldn¡¯t do to be caught mocking ady, would it?


    ¡°We were talking about what we do.¡±


    ¡°Were we?¡± Marissa replied innocently.


    ¡°Yeah, what is it that you do?¡±


    ¡°I am into dropshipping; I have been at it for a while now and now I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you are a merchant then? How cute to be able to y around with figures and merchandise with the sense of being a big shot,¡± she said, showing her ws.


    ¡°Okay, that is going too far,¡± Bernard thought, and he was about to tell her off when Marissa replied with a smile.


    ¡°I imagine that¡¯s how cute it is to y around with paint and brushes as well as calling yourself an artist with the self-righteous thought of thinking that you are the next best thing that happens after the discovery of toast bread.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t just think it. Most of my clients and models think so. I have an exhibition center where the patrons say that every time, and veteran critics agree with them. I made millions selling just one of these paintings that I was ying around with, as you said justst week.¡±


    ¡°I see that I am expected to be wowed. So yeah, let me say, Wow, oh, you are so incredible, Ms. Robinson. Let¡¯s also not forget the fact that you are the one who first thought that it was fine to throw shade at what people do just because you do not understand it and you expect all of us to make things happen for ourselves by pping paint around painting.¡±


    ¡°Nudes¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Marissa asked in confusion, and even Bernard, who was about to call Marissa¡¯s name and suggest they change ces, paused as well.


    ¡°Well, I figured I would save you the stress of guessing what I paint after all,¡± Ms. Robinson said with her fake smile as she raised one perfectly manicured finger to signal the waiter for a refill. She turned back to face Marissa and said, ¡°I am a figure painter. I paint human bodies, and I specialize mostly in painting nudes. Male models mainly: I appreciate and am fascinated by the way the male bodies are made and sculpted; no two bodies are ever the same. Not even that of identical twins. There is always something different, something unique, and that is what I help to bring out. That is what I bring to life on the canvas. I am obsessed by it,¡± she described, her face glowing with an inner light that made Marissa think that she truly loves what she does.


    ¡°If only she wasn¡¯t slutty about it, I would have appreciated her love for her art,¡± Marissa thought, as she loves people who can conform ideas in their heads and make theme alive and real.


    ¡°You are the perfect specimen as a model,¡± she said suddenly to Bernard as Marissa choked on her drink.


    Ms. Robinson gave a small sigh of satisfaction before leaning forward to pat Marissa on the back. Oh, sorry, did you have any issues hearing about nudes? You shouldn¡¯t though, seeing as you are a married woman.¡± Marissa¡¯s eyes were still smarting, and as much as she would have liked to reply to the sick woman, she was not about to risk her health, so she subtly moved her body from Ms. Robinson¡¯s reach.


    Ms. Robinson smiled at the approaching waiter and said, ¡°There you are, sweetheart. I was about toe hunt you down myself,¡± she smiled at the waiter. She picked up her drink and jumped up as she knocked Marissa¡¯s drink over right on thetter¡¯sp.


    ¡°Oh my, I am so sorry!¡± she eximed.

 Two-Faced Bitch

    Marissa sat frozen for a minute, looking at the cold liquid seeping into her dress, and she could feel the liquid numb her thighs. She closed her eyes and counted to ten.


    ¡°Calm down, girl. Calm down¡­ You are more than this bitch,¡± she thought to herself slowly, not taking heed of Bernard¡¯s concerned voice.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she heard Ms. Robinson say to Bernard in that syrupy voice again. ¡°I have always been so clumsy. Ronald, my ex-husband, had always said:


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go meet that ex-husband of yours and stop unting yourself when you are not invited here?¡± Marissa exploded, unable to keep her anger in check again. She could have sworn that the woman did it deliberately.


    ¡°Come, Rissa Let¡¯s go and get you cleaned up,¡± Bernard said.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ms Robinson said, fluttering her hands ¡°That was an ident. Let me just go with her; other women would be in the rest room, and they might frown at a man entering there as the sink is just right outside the stalls.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even try to say you want to follow me anywhere! I can clean myself up, thank you.¡± Marissa spoke in a low, vicious tone and turned to Bernard. ¡°And you, sit there and be enjoying her making gooey eyes at you with that sick e and fuck me¡± voice of hers!¡± she shouted at him before she turned to stalk off in the direction the waiter pointed at.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Bernard thought as he looked after her, then turned to Ms. Robinson, who merely shrugged and said in fake concern, ¡°I still think I should follow her; it was my fault after all that she got that jealous. I get that women can be quite insecure when they have handsome, fit men like you for husbands. I would never be like that, mind you,¡± she said with ae-hither look before Bernard could reply. She hurriedly added, ¡°I understand. I really must go after her. I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if she ended up losing her way since she had not been here before. That would be one more thing that she would me you for,¡± she said, touching Bernard¡¯s shoulder as she went after Marissa in a hurry.


    ¡°She said¡­.¡± Bernard saved his breath as the person he was talking to was hurrying away after Marissa.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± he thought in confusion. How did a night that had started on a great note seem to be getting so out of hand?


    ¡°I think you just screwed up, buddy,¡± his subconsciousness whispered.


    Bernard heaved a sigh and picked up his lukewarm drink as he rubbed his hand through his hair.


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


    ¡°That bitch!¡± Marissa muttered repeatedly as she tried to clean the soda out of her tight-fitting cloth without pouring more water on herself. The blotch was already showing on her pink wear and she was trying to get it out but it was no easy task as she didn¡¯t want to pull the clothes up as people keep going in and out of the stalls. There was a line for those that wanted to use the restroom.


    ¡°Try to be polite to crazy people and this is what you get!¡± she muttered, as she wasn¡¯t about to appear crazy to thedies who milled about. ¡°He had to pick a ce where a sick bitch like her patronizes to take me to!¡± she said as she got more frustrated by her attempt to clean her bodycon. Her attempts seemed futile and she cupped her hand to get water to simply ssh on it. She might as well get wet anyway.


    ¡°If by bitch you mean me. I would say you are wee because yeah I am a big, bad bitch. You have no idea, sister. Though I take an exception to the sick that you used in the same vein with that. Ouch, that was cruel. And I thought we were bing best of friends¡±


    Marissa heard that hateful voice close to her ear, all trace of the syrupy, throaty quality gone. She turned to see Ms Robinson looking at her with a malicious re.


    ¡°Best of friends, my foot¡± Marissa replied ¡°I see that you have decided to drop all forms of pretence and finally show your true colour. What is it that you want because I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sshh ssshhh. Girl, I am not about to engage in a catfight with you¡± she shushed Marissa as she turned toward the mirror to retouch her makeup. She gave Marissa a feral smile through the mirror. ¡°Since we are dropping all pretences; do you want to tell me that you have no idea of what I want? No, let me be specific. Do you want me to believe that you do not know who I want?¡± she grinned evilly, her perfect white teeth setting against her blood-red lips.


    Marissa turned her concentration on her cloth as she saw that a fewdies that were touching up their makeup had started giving them sideways nces.


    ¡°Aawwn, do you intend to ignore me and just expect me to disappear because of that? How naive of you, poor little Marissa¡±


    Marissa knew that she was trying to get a rise out of her so she merely smiled with her eyes on Ms. Robinson¡¯s in the mirror. ¡°If you have anything worthwhile to say, I am sure that you don¡¯t need me pumping your ego by focusing on you before you can say it, and even though I can see some crowfeet fanning out from your eyes that could easily have been from substance abuse than age; I am sure that you are not qualified to call me little anything¡±


    Marissa patted her dress to get as much water as possible out of it then she turned to leave but Ms. Robinson shifted slightly to block her exit and she ced her hand over Marissa¡¯s.


    Marissa was about to shrug her off but stilled when she said with confidence ¡°I want him. That awesome hunk in there whom you are deluding yourself is your husband? I want him for myself, at first I thought I would merely have an affair with him but with your performance tonight¡­¡± she leaned closer to Marissa as she whispered ¡°I will take him from you finally and you would be able to do nothing about it. That is a promise¡±


    She stepped back. Marissa felt her heart thump at the look she saw in the woman¡¯s eyes but she hide her difiture byughing in Ms Robinson¡¯s face ¡°What a fantasy, I see that your belief in the imaginary is affecting your grasp on reality now¡±


    ¡°Hmm, bravery¡± Ms. Robinson purred with a maniacal glint in her eyes ¡°I love to see a brave woman¡± she patted Marissa¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t go crying when it happens. Who knows? I might even let you watch the first time I ride him, hmm I am so looking forward to that. Merely looking at him got me so wet that my pussy calls for attention from those strong, capable hands, and I..¡±


    ¡°Jesus, you are one sick woman you know that? I¡­I don¡¯t care about whatever it is that you are imagining in that twisted mind of yours; I can assure you that it wouldn¡¯t work. If you are so brave and bad as you imed, why not go say it to him directly instead of blowing hot air here¡± Marissa said, realizing that her voice had risen when thedies around swerved their heads to look at her.


    ¡°Aawwn, my dear. I like the show of bravado you are trying to put on that this didn¡¯t rattle you at all but let me assure you that you are not fooling anyone, least of all myself¡± Ms. Robinson whispered to Marissa with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about whatever it is you are saying or thinking. I am his wife and¡­¡±


    ¡°And I am his neighbour. You are his wife that is not staying with him while I am the neighbour who was always there when he leaves for work in the morning and when hees back home in the evening. Did I forget to inform you that I can see directly into his office from my studio? Oh, you might want to know that his bedroom is quite a vantage position from mine. As an artist, you should know that I have ample imagination. I have jerked off a lot to that beautiful, rugged body a lot these past nights. And in my dreams¡­hmm. Your ¡®husband¡¯ is one of the good things about my change of residence and I won¡¯t mind giving him an opening in¡­.¡±


    ¡°I am not listening to this! Go fuck yourself¡± Marissa said intending to push her aside to pass before she realized that Ms. Robinson still had her hands over hers. ¡°Take your filthy hands off me¡±


    ¡°Okay, chill, pussycat¡± Ms. Robinson said as she removed her hands stretching them up as if in surrender. Marissa passed her intending to leave the club immediately but Ms Robinson¡¯s voice stopped her. ¡°No, don¡¯t get it wrong, babe. I won¡¯t be the one fucking myself, your husband would be the one doing that very soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep going, keep going¡± Marissa¡¯s subconscious whispered to her as she stopped abruptly at the woman¡¯s parting shot.


    ¡°¡­. he would be digging it so deep that¡­¡±


    Marissa swung around and punched her with all the strength in her arm. Straight on her painted mouth.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    One of thedies squealed as Ms Robinson went down.


    THANK YOU, SWEETHEART


    For turning the page up to this point


    For partaking in this journey


    For being my source of motivation.


    YOU ARE THE BEST!!!


    As you read: please rate and drop your reviews as well.


    Let me know your opinions, it matters a lot to me.

 How Blind Can He Be?

    Bernard still has no clear idea of what happened in the restroom. He had been standing with Marissa¡¯s purse, expecting her toe out. Knowing that she would want to leave immediately when she got back. He had his eyes on the direction of the ce she had departed from when he heard it.


    The girlish squeal


    The fact that he had realized instantly that the voice didn¡¯t belong to Marissa hadn¡¯t stopped him from leaping from his spot and rushing to the ce where the sound hade from. True enough, it had been from the restroom. He saw somedies scurrying out of the restroom as a bouncer entered, and one female waitress entered a few steps before Bernard.


    What he saw when he entered would have been funny if not for the fact that he was directly in the middle of the urrence. He saw his wife standing over Ms. Robinson, who was on the floor, writhing in pain as she held her hand to her bloodied nose. Bernard could see that she had split lips as well, and they were stained with blood, or so he thought, as the heavy red lipsticks made it impossible to tell which one was the blood and which one was the paint.


    She was shouting profanities at Marissa, calling her ugly names, while thetter stood still, looking down at her with her hands fisted at her side, like she wouldn¡¯t mind decking her again.


    ¡°That bitch hit me!¡± Ms Robinson shouted as she saw the bouncer follow the waiter in. ¡°She broke my nose!¡±


    ¡°I did not even touch your nose, you liar! It was your crazy mouth that I punched. me no one if you have a weak face, idiot,¡± Marissa replied before turning to the approaching bouncer. She saw Bernard behind the bouncer and averted her face as she faced the towering mass of muscle before her.


    ¡°Kick her ass out!¡± Ms. Robinson was shouting as the waiter helped her up. ¡°I want her kicked out or I will sue this shitty hole after suing that bitch that dared to put her hands on me.¡± She was checking herself out in the mirror, so she didn¡¯t realize that Bernard had entered as well.


    ¡°Miss. A no-violence poster was pasted at the door, and that goes for everyone,¡± the bouncer said in a booming voice that had a few of the onlookers leaving the restroom. ¡°Who started this fight?¡± The bouncer asked, looking around, but the onlookers averted their eyes while some merely shrugged.


    ¡°What question are you asking again, you buffoon?¡± Ms Robinson shouted at him as she swiped wads of tissue paper that someone had handed her over her bruises ¡°Can¡¯t you see my face? Of course, the bitch started it. She attacked me!¡±


    Maam, you will mind your tone with me.¡±


    ¡°Or what? Or what now, you idiot?¡±


    ¡°I hit her first. She deserved it,¡± Marissa said simply, sounding weary.


    ¡°Did you hear¡­?¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Bernard said as he stepped forward.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the bouncer started, but Ms. Robinson rushed forward with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh my God, Ben, your wife went berserk, and she hit me! See? Look at my mouth,¡± she pouted prettily, or at least as prettily as one can pout with split lips. ¡°Just take a look at how she attacked me. I was only trying to be helpful, but she just went off on me,¡± she cried as tears fell from her eyes.


    Marissa rolled her eyes to the ceiling and passed them as she went to the sink to wash the red lipstick off her hands.


    ¡°Do you have this under control, sir?¡± the bouncer asked Bernard.


    ¡°Yes, we are good here. Thanks, man,¡± Bernard replied to the man.


    The bouncer nodded, then turned to the spectators and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move it,dies. There¡¯s nothing to watch here. The main entertainment is on the main floor,¡± he said as he herded them out.


    They grumbled, and some called him a spoilsport, but they left.


    Ms. Robinson was still whimpering, Oh, my lips. I might end up having stitches. Can you imagine how ugly my lips would look if they were stitched up? Oh, my sensuous lips,¡± she was sobbing while hanging on to Bernard¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Sweetheart, what happened?¡± Bernard asked, and Ms. Robinson answered again.


    ¡°I told you she¡­ oh her,¡± she said when Bernard leveled a look at her.


    ¡°Rissa?¡± he said again when she just fixed her eyes on the mirror without saying anything.


    ¡°I am sure you heard me correctly when I told the bouncer that she deserved it, right? That is all I am going to say about the matter. Now if you are through with theatrics 101, I need to leave.¡± She turned from the mirror and gave him a defiant look.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Did you hear that? I have never seen this kind of insolence before,¡± Ms. Robinson said in an outraged whisper, all while hanging on to Bernard¡¯s arm. ¡°I think I am going to faint.¡±


    Bernard ignored her.


    He knew that Marissa wouldn¡¯t just hit someone unless she had been greatly provoked, and he was about to say that, but he had just said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± when Marissa narrowed her eyes at him and said:


    ¡°If you are about to ask me to say sorry to this¡­ this thing! Then you must be out of your mind! I am doing no such thing!¡± She said it vehemently.


    ¡°Of cour¡­¡± Bernard couldn¡¯t continue when two pairs of eyes narrowed at him.


    He was about to say, Of course not, but then he couldn¡¯t take any more of Ms. Robinson¡¯s screeching or pitiful whimpers. Marissa had made her stance known that she didn¡¯t give a damn about what he had to say anyway, so he shut his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take her to a clinic so they can check out her cuts,¡± he said when he realized that she was still bleeding, that patches of tissue paper that had snagged in her wound had been soaked with blood again, and that the crimson was spreading over her mouth.


    ¡°You do that,¡± Marissa said as she approached them where they were standing. She intended to pass them as she said, ¡°I am going home; take her to the hospital and then take her home with you.¡±


    Bernard snagged her arm before she passed through. Marissa, please,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, babe,¡± Bernard repeated.


    ¡°You can drop me off at home on your way to the clinic, but I am not going with her to any clinic, okay? Can¡¯t she take herself to a clinic? Isn¡¯t she here with her car?¡±


    Bernard looked at Ms. Robinson in question, and she quickly shook her head, wincing slightly as she said, ¡°No, I did not bring my car. I took a cab. Havepassion, Marissa. At least the least you can do after busting my lips is to help me get it stitched up.¡±


    ¡°Keep my name off your mouth!¡± Marissa said, levelling her finger at the woman as she red at her.


    Marissa huffed as she saw Ms. Robinson throw her a triumphant look as she moved closer to Bernard.


    ¡°How blind can the man be?¡± she thought in exasperation. ¡°Can¡¯t he see that the woman is pretending?¡±

 Breathe, Reyona, Breathe

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with your body, ma¡¯am. You are perfectly fine.¡± the doctor assured Reyona.


    The look on her face was enough to let the doctor know that she was not buying her exnation at all.


    The woman leaned back in her seat and said ¡°I am sure you trust us to take very good care of you, madam. Dr Romano also rmended me because he knew I will do what is best for you and your baby. You are in good hands, ma. I just need you to trust me.¡±


    ¡°I do trust you, okay? That is why I asked you to do the ultrasound, so you can be sure that my baby is fine. Though I still don¡¯t want to know the gender yet, I believe what you said that the baby is fine. But I don¡¯t¡­¡± she shrugged as she unconsciously lowered her voice. ¡°I mean this urge is just weird, you know. I think I will take the regr morning sickness that most people dread over this.¡±


    The doctor smiled and said ¡°I doubt that, ma. Not when you have to go through it nonstop at least.¡±


    ¡°Anything is better than this,¡± Reyona said impassionately.¡± The worst part is that it can start anywhere, anytime. It is just uncontroble. Are you sure the baby is fine?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°I am sure, ma¡¯am. I have to say you are going to be very pleasantly surprised when you finally allow us to show you the scan results.¡±


    ¡°Surprised? Surprised how? You said my baby is fine.¡± Reyona said urgently as she cupped her slightly thickened stomach.


    ¡°That is right. And you are fine too. Your symptoms might be rare, but it is not strange. I need you to take your mind off any worries on that end. You are fine.¡±


    Reyona decided to stop at a bistro after her not-so-convincing hospital visit. The doctor believed she was fine, but she doubted it.


    This was just not normal.


    She had even asked her mom the other day about all the symptoms she had when she was pregnant with her, Toria and even the twins, yet none of them had been like what she had been having.


    She had read books she couldy her hands on and even searched online for any rted cases.


    They had all said that it was possible, yet none had emphasised that it was supposed to be this intense.


    At first, it had started mildly and Reyona had not thought much of it as she had simply taken it as one of the signs that she was a healthy, properly functioning woman with the expected wants and needs.


    But then it had increased in the past month.


    The interval had grown increasingly short, and she had had to resort to means she had never used before, even before she got married.


    She was so sure that something was wrong with her the first time she was rushed to the hospital because of it.


    But just like today, the doctor had only sent her home with a ¡°You are fine. Nothing is wrong.¡±


    The second time, she had demanded that an ultrasound should be carried out on her baby so that she could be sure.


    The doctor had wanted to excitedly tell her the gender of the baby, but she stopped her.


    ¡°Just tell me if he or she is fine, please. That is all I need to know for now. I would like to find out the gender when I finally see my baby,¡± Reyona had said.


    As she sipped her chilled iced tea in the outdoor seating area of the bistro where she sat, she wondered if there was something else she could do about her condition.


    Something apart from the method she had resorted to, of course.


    She looked at her handbag on the table and pinked slightly with embarrassment at the thought of what was inside it at the moment.


    Since the urge had increased its tendency to strike at the most ufortable time and ce, she had also learned to always be ready.


    She adjusted her dark shades and continued her people-watching.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± the bistro attendant said as he ced the tter of fragrant and tantalising zhini muffins in front of Reyona.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    ¡°Anytime,¡± the attendant said before heading towards the new guests who had just arrived at the closest table.


    Reyona imagined people might be wondering why she had dark shades on in such a friendly and carefree environment where people easily wave at strangers and just enjoy good cheers while they pop in for whatever caught their fancy in the simple yet weing bistro.


    It was his fault!


    Before that stupid message of his, she had been very carefree with how she spent her days and even went out as often as possible.


    She and Toria had even gone to historical ces in Sydney, and she had lived the perfect tourist life before Toria and Tara had to leave for Aspen to work on a property that their first international client had contracted them for.


    That message of his had got her looking over her shoulders when she went out, and now she had even reduced the amount of time she went out for anything and had chosen to stay indoors more.


    Of course, she had told herself that it had nothing to do with him, but she knew the truth anyway.


    She just had the urge that he might just pop up somewhere in Sydney one day.


    Though she looked so different now with her hair and all, she doubted that would stop him from sniffing her out.


    As much as she hated it, now she had resorted to using dark shades whenever she was out too.


    He had her acting like a fugitive for fuck¡¯s sake!


    She wished he would just sign the damn papers and let her at least leave with her pride intact.


    But no, he wouldn¡¯t even do that.


    He must have wanted to look her in the eyes when he finally told her just how much of a fool she had been in trusting him.


    Well, she didn¡¯t need to hear it from him.


    She just needed him to sign the damn papers so that their ties would finally be over.


    Even as her hand went to her stomach, she shook her head firmly as she muttered ¡°Mine. This baby is all mine.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, excuse me, miss. Are you talking to me?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Chills raced down Reyona¡¯s spine even as she raised her head to look at the man who was on his way into the bistro before her muttering must have stopped him.


    Either that or he was¡­


    Pleasant smile and furrowed brows, he steadily gazed at her as he said ¡°I could have sworn that you look familiar. Have we met before, miss?¡±


    Breathe, Reyona. Breathe.


    When she did not answer him, his smile dimmed a bit, and then he turned it up another notch as he stretched his hand towards her and said ¡°I must have been mistaken. It is not every day one gets to meet a beautifuldy like you after all. Pleasure meeting you. I am Thomas.¡±

 Perfect Little Replacement

    ¡°Boss, I am so, so sorry. I have no idea that¡­¡±


    ¡°That you were going to fall sick? Who has prior ideas about stuff like that? Come on, stop worrying your head and get the rest you need.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I understand that you had no intention of showing up now, and yet I messed it up. I¡­¡±


    Phil¡¯s croaky voice turned into a wracking cough that had Reyona wincing from her end.


    ¡°Sorry, are you sure you don¡¯t want me toe take you to the hospital? I can do that and still¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­.¡± cough ¡°I have done enough. I can just¡­¡±


    ¡°Babe, you really need to stop talking. You are going to keep hurting your throat.¡±


    Reyona raised her eyebrows in amusement as she heard Phil shush the male voice at the other end ¡°Sshh. I am talking to¡­ this is important, okay?¡± cough.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry, but you shouldn¡¯t be talking this much. See? We need to go to the hospital right now. Jeez, babe, you are burning up.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I¡­ just¡­go, okay. I need to¡­¡±


    Phil must have covered the phone because Reyona stopped hearing anything.


    She leaned back andughed softly as she pictured Phil¡¯s embarrassed face at that moment.


    He came back on almost immediately. ¡°I¡­ uhmm, boss. I¡­¡±


    ¡°He is right, you know. You should stop talking right now and go to the hospital.¡± then she grinned as she added, ¡°Let your baby take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, he is, you know. Someone I just met and¡­ I can assure you that this is not affecting my work. I¡­¡± cough.


    ¡°Listen to yourself, Phil. I am not your mom. Now, why would I think that a capable CEO like you would let your personal life affect work? Now, get off the phone and go do the needful. I don¡¯t want to see you around when you still have as much as a wheeze left in you.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, okay. Are you sure¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am sure. This was my idea, remember? Also, I know all of them even though you were supposed to be the one meeting with them. I will just be your perfect little recement until you are back, and we will all be fine.¡±


    ¡°If you are¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sure. Now, bye. And I mean what I said, if I so much as see your shadow around thepany while you are still down, you are fired.¡±


    She disconnected the call before he could croak out some other excuses or concerns again.


    Sheughed softly at how his voice sounded after he had finished speaking with the person with him.


    Reyona supposed she would probably die of embarrassment too if her partner or, well, someone she just met had also interrupted her business call like that.


    ¡°Guess what, baby? You are going to see Mommy in action today. You and I get to y the CEO for the day, or well, till Uncle Phil gets back from sick time.¡±


    She scrambled off the bed to get ready.


    Her phone pinged before she could go far, and she went back to check it.


    It was Phil sending her all the little details they had not discussed since he was supposed to handle this, and she trusted him to do a good job.


    He also informed her that he had informed his assistant about the change, and she would take over what needed to be done.


    Reyona shook her head at her worrywart employee and imagined that ¡°baby¡± was going to have his hands full that day.


    She was sure he would probably stay glued to the TV until the event was over.


    It was a live event after all.


    The thought of being on camera for that long gave Reyona a pause for a moment, but she shrugged off her concerns and intended to be extra careful that day.


    She knew what she had to do.


    First, she was going to have a meeting with the representatives of thew firms, consultantpanies, financial institutions and startuppanies that wereing.


    After that, theworking event would start fully.


    The goal was to ensure that SEA gets more recognition in Sydney, to make more people know about it, and to know more about the key yers in the industries that could bring referrals and eventually conversions for Summit Edge ounting.


    The goal was to let others have an enjoyable day in a rxing atmosphere as theywork among people from the same industries orworks and also find relevant connections which would make them remember the event where they got those connections.


    If they can make good connections bying to the events, they will certainly have Summit Edge at the back of their mind someway, somehow.


    It was meant to be a win-win event for everyone.


    Reyona was not going to allow some reservations to hold her back from that.


    Yes, she had intended to stay as far away from the limelight as possible until she had her baby, but thepany was her brainchild and she was not about to let it down.


    ¡°I am sure you will understand, right?¡± Reyona asked her baby with a smile as she gently trailed her hand over her barely-there bump.


    She looked back at herself in the mirror and smiled.


    Not to mention it would also be a great distraction from the thought of¡­


    ¡°No, I am not doing that,¡± she said emphatically as she rinsed off her brush and practically leapt into the shower as she stripped.


    She was done within a few minutes.


    She needed to be at thepany on time to receive their guests after all.


    It was one thing that they would expect to see the boss only to find his recement.


    Reyona could imagine what it would look like if that recement then decided to waltz in long after they had been received and seated.


    ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t do unprofessionalism here. We show up and we make things work. Hear that, baby? If you are going to take anything from me, take that.¡±


    As she continued to apply her minimalistic makeup, Reyona wondered if it was weird that she had grownfortable talking to her baby anywhere, anytime.


    It just felt so natural and made her feel not so¡­alone.


    She frowned at that thought.


    ¡°Alone?¡± She was not feeling alone.


    Her life was going great, and she was living the dreams of many other women right now.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Herpanies are thriving and after this event, her new brainchild was going to excel more.


    What on earth did she have to feel alone for?


    Dressed in an emerald green sheath dress with a modest neckline and cap sleeves, essorised with gold drop earrings, a thin bracelet and a stylish gold ne, Reyona smiled at her reflection in the mirror.


    Her ssic gold watch glinted in the mirror as she added a slim ck leather belt with a subtle gold buckle to her dress.


    Ensuring that it didn¡¯t fit too snuggly against her stomach, she added her moderate-heeled, ck leather pump to the ensemble and topped it off with a ck leather handbag with gold ents.


    ¡°Are you ready, baby?¡± She nodded to herself in the mirror as she slicked down her polished chignon, d she had decided to go with the earthy tone makeup.


    She checked the time and reached for a very important part of her looks that morning.


    A Cartier dark shades.

 I Know You Like Me

    There is something about knowing you look good that just automatically boosts your mood.


    Reyona was feeling that effect as she drove to thepany.


    The fact that she was about to get into her element was also another mood booster for her.


    Yes, she had been working from home and pulling her weight without cking off.


    Yet there was something about actually clocking in that she had not noticed she sort of missed until she got closer to thepany.


    It would also be the first time she saw her newpany in daylight as well.


    Apart from the pictures and videos, she had only seen thepany at night when she came over after she arrived in Sydney.


    Then she had firmly told herself to stay away.


    After all, if she was to make her n work, there was no point in outing herself even before she could achieve her goals.


    As she got closer to the office, the anticipation grew in her.


    She was feeling very good and looked forward to a very productive day.


    She hummed in her throat and nodded her head to the song ying on her stereo.


    Life was good, why bother herself with irrelevant things when she could focus on the things that were working so well?


    After today, maybe she could even work out an arrangement with Phil so that she coulde in from time to¡­.


    She shook her head at herself as she reminded herself of the reason why she had stayed away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Let¡¯s just get over the day,¡± she muttered as she drove towards the boisterous area of Martin¡¯s ce.


    Highrise buildings housing multiplepanies and offices greeted her even before she got to one of the rare low buildings that one could see in such an area.


    Summit Edge ounting building stood proudly as a connection between the highrise buildings and the other part of Martin¡¯s ce that led to where shopping centres and malls were located.


    For a while, Reyona admired what belonged to her before she drove into the parking lot of thepany.


    She had been really lucky in acquiring the ce.


    Personal parking lots andpany-owned buildings were a very rare thing to see in such an area, yet that was what she had been able to snag.


    While other business owners and employees had to park their cars in themercial parking lots, and then walk to theirpanies, Summiy Edge had its own parking space.


    Which gave them the luxury of having their own security personnel as well, unlike others.


    The SEA logo stood proudly at the front of the three-story building and Reyona couldn¡¯t have been more proud of herself at that moment.


    Thepany¡¯s facade was predominantly made of sleek, reflective ss panels that create a mirror-like surface. The ss was interspersed with structural steel elements that added to the building¡¯s contemporary look.


    Just as she had requested, thepany had been renovated and its predominant tone of silver and grey had been changed to beige and gold.


    Soft gold ents were incorporated in the metallic trims, window frames and structural highlights, while warm beige was used for the entrance canopies and the lower facade sections to provide a bnced look.


    The result was even much better in the daylight than when she had seen it at night and how the images had portrayed it.


    With excitement, Reyona parked in the section of the parking lot marked CEO. It was the only avable spot anyway.


    She was just leaning over to get her bag when she heard ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. I am sorry, but you cannot park there.¡±


    Not again. Reyona thought as she froze in ce.


    All her gay mood and excitement went down the drain as she heard that sickening voice again.


    She was more than certain now that this couldn¡¯t just be a coincidence anymore.


    Was the bastard stalking her?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    What on earth was he even doing in Australia?


    Of all the ces that her goddamn ex could disappear to, it had to be the ce she had chosen to start over?


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Miss, I think you should move your car, please,¡± he said politely again.


    What do you know? The bastard knew how to speak politely after all.


    Since she couldn¡¯t sit forever in that spot with her face turned away, Reyona came to a decision.


    Her eyes went to the clock on her dashboard and she swore beneath her breath.


    Recalling Tara¡¯s breathy voice and hoping she could pull it off, she adjusted her shades and turned to face him.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It is you!¡± he eximed.


    Damn it! He recognised her.


    He got closer and leaned towards the car window after looking over his shoulder.


    ¡°This must be fate. I thought I would never see you again after you left yesterday without so much as a word. Isn¡¯t this beautiful? I had no idea that God would answer my prayer so soon, you know.¡±


    Bastard. Of course.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw the logo of Ironshield security on his grey uniform.


    That name rang a bell.


    If he had that uniform on, and he was osting her in SEA¡¯s parking lot, then that meant¡­


    Almost losing the voice she had decided to imitate, she asked suddenly ¡°You work here?¡±


    He readjusted his uniform self-importantly, as he said ¡°Actually, I am a man of many means, but for now, I am working here. More for the culture, you know. Like I said, I am new to Sydney.¡±


    Then he looked behind him again and said ¡°You really can¡¯t park there. It is not allowed.¡±


    Reyona nodded and gestured with her hands for him to move back from the car. ¡°Step back.¡±


    He straightened and said ¡°Okay, then. You can just make use of one of thosemercial lots, you know. If you want, I can give you a rmendation, so they won¡¯t charge a beautifuldy like you too much.¡±


    Instead of driving out as he expected, Reyona got out of the car and locked it.


    Behind her, he said, ¡°I said¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. The CEO told me I can park here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask him,¡± she said with her back still to him, as she fitted her sses firmly against her face.


    Behind her, Thomas was already calcting. ¡°Oh wow, you know the CEO. That is¡­¡±


    Reyona turned just as he pulled out a pen and a jotter from his pocket. ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep in touch? I am not here with my phone, but you can call that number. I can meet you up after work and¡­here.¡±


    He quickly stepped forward as Reyona ignored him and started walking towards the entrance.


    When she didn¡¯t stop, he quickly tucked it into the edge of her bag.


    The audacity!


    When Reyona turned her head to re at him, he winked at her as he said ¡°I know you like me too. Let¡¯s catch up soon. I will make it worth your while.¡±


    Then he quickly hurried away when he saw another security man moving in that direction.


    As Reyona heard the man asking him what was going on, she looked up towards the edge of the building.


    When she found what she was looking for, she smiled.


    And tucked the paper into her bag.

 What A Man Can Do

    ¡°That was such a powerful session, ma. I can tell that they enjoyed interacting with you. Thanks to you, the event even turned out more sessfully than we had anticipated. Thank you foring.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure,¡± Reyona said as she followed Nicole, the assistant, back to Phil¡¯s office.


    Thedy opened the door and stepped aside for Reyona to enter.


    The office brought a nostalgic feeling to Reyona as it reminded her of her Kayooma office.


    She had given Phil the go-ahead to design the office ording to his preference, yet he had managed to make it look like a replica of her office.


    She shook her head in amusement as she went to sit on the chair.


    Nicole ced the documents in her hand on the table in front of Reyona.


    She turned to leave and then turned towards Reyona.


    ¡°You have been busy with the event since morning, ma. I am sure those finger foods couldn¡¯t have been satisfactory. What can I get you, please?¡±


    Reyona was about to wave her concern aside when she stopped.


    Though she was truly famished, the weighty matter thaty leaden in her stomach wouldn¡¯t let her eat anything satisfactorily.


    She had to get rid of what would ruin her newfound peace as soon as possible.


    ¡°Yes, thank you. I would like to get some food. How do you get your food around here?¡±


    ¡°We have a cafeteria downstairs where¡­¡±


    ¡°Do they have any Mexican food?¡± Reyina asked simply.


    ¡°No, ma. We¡­¡±


    ¡°I would like to have some Mexican food. That can be arranged, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma. I will make the order and¡­¡±


    ¡°Order? No, that will take too long. Just send someone here to get it for me.¡± Reyona said simply.


    Of course, she knew that most of the employees were getting off work already.


    The few that were still around were either busy with one thing or the other.


    ¡°Oh, okay, ma. I will get it.¡± Nicole said as she turned to leave.


    ¡°You? No, you don¡¯t have to do that. By the way, you and I have some things to work on before I leave. Just¡­send one of the security guards. I think there are about five of them on duty now, right? Send one of them.¡±


    Nicole looked very hesitant as she looked towards the door, then back at Reyona.


    ¡°I am afraid that is a bit outside their du¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is right.¡± Reyona leaned back in her chair as she turned the pen in her hand over and over again. ¡°They might feel offended about going on an errand for me. Is that what you are saying?¡±


    Nicole suddenly looked flustered as she looked at the calm woman who had not removed her shades once since she arrived in the office that morning.


    She just got this job a month ago and was very conscious of anything that could make her lose such a well-paying job.


    For all she knew, thedy might be the boss¡¯s girlfriend.


    Though she had not acted like the typical nasty girlfriend type since she arrived and had even handled theworking event so skillfully, Nicole knew it still wasn¡¯t toote for her to lose her job if she messed up now.


    So, with a contrite look on her face, she quickly said; ¡°No, ma. I didn¡¯t mean that. I meant¡­¡±


    Reyona smiled to dispel thedy¡¯s anxious look. ¡°No, it is fine. I understand that I was asking for something extra. Anyway, they looked amiable when I wasing in, and I didn¡¯t think they would mind. Especially¡­¡± She appeared thoughtful as if trying to remember something. ¡°Thomas? Yes, I think that is his name. He was quite¡­friendly with me. Yes, I think he wouldn¡¯t mind. Just tell him the errand is from the CEO¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay ma¡± Nicole answered instantly.


    She turned to leave and then turned back to her.


    ¡°What would you like to eat, ma?¡±


    Reyona told her.


    After Nicole hurried out of the office, Reyona closed her eyes and kept her mind nk as she leaned her head against the headrest and waited.


    Nicole soon came back in after giving the instructions.


    ¡°You are right, ma. He didn¡¯t mind at all. He has gone to get it. Is there any other thing you need, ma?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Reyona said as she sat upright. ¡°I think the HR manager was heading to his office the other time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma. Mr. Malcolm leaves the office veryte most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Very good. I need you to call him for me. I need him here in the next three minutes.¡±


    ¡°O¡­¡±


    ¡°And the person in charge of the control room as well.¡±


    Confusion was evident on Nicole¡¯s face at that point.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Reyona raised her finger as if she had just remembered. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget the chief of security too. Let them know I hate it when people keep me waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma,¡± Nicole said as she quickly hurried out of the office.


    They were all with her within three minutes.


    When she told them what she noticed, they were very shocked and apologetic.


    Yet Reyona could see the semnce of disbelief in their countenances.


    Of course, they had no idea who she was. For all they know, she might just be a wannabe whom the boss had given a chance for a day, and had in turn decided to take more than what was offered.


    Reyona was hellbent on tying up all her loose ends that day while also clearing any doubts they might have.


    So she gave them directives on what to do.


    **********


    As much as he hated this, Thomas waited in line until it was time for him to ask for the takeaway order of grilled chicken fajitas with a side of ck beans and rice.


    The fuck does he have to do with some fucking weird smelling food?Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    But then he reminded himself of the end game here.


    He even managed to smile at the attendant just as he had smiled at that bitch with tight-fitting skirts that made him want to smack that ass.


    He chuckled to himself as he stepped out of the restaurant and imagined bending that bitch over on her spiffy desk while he showed her what a man can do to unravel all that prissiness.


    But that was nothing but his imagination. That would also remain so unless she gave him the green light.


    He bet she wanted some of this, but she was too snobbish to overlook his security uniform.


    Well, all that won¡¯t matter soon.


    His n was working already.


    ¡°I have an errand from the CEO¡¯s office. You were specifically asked for.¡± She had said hesitantly.


    That was enough for him to get excited.


    They asked for him from the CEO¡¯s office.


    Cool!

 Friends…With Benefits

    Thomas had an idea of who it could be, and he was more than d to do her bidding.


    Even when he heard that he was to walk some distance from thepany to get her food, that had not stopped his excitement.


    Get her food? He was sure that was more of a bait.


    After getting her food, then what will be next? She might ask him to feed her, then things would take their natural course.


    When she had told him that the CEO had given her permission to park there, for a moment, he had thought she might be the CEO¡¯s girlfriend or something.


    Not that it mattered to him anyway.


    If she was willing to get fed by him, who was he to say no?


    As he wiped hisscivious smile off his face, he waved at one of his colleagues as he passed with his shoulders raised high.


    They had given him weird looks when he had told them he was sent to get food from the CEO¡¯s office.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He was sure they were very jealous of him.


    Bunch of idiots.


    Only idiots would choose to stay in such a kind of work for years after years without thinking of scaling up.


    He was much smarter than them, and he would soon prove it to them all by the time he had that weird, shades-wearingdy eating off his palms.


    He checked his appearance on the chrome wall of the elevator reflecting his body.


    He used his hand to slick his hair and stepped out of the elevator in as much style as he could muster.


    He was not surprised that most of the offices on that floor were empty as he had seen most of the employees leave earlier after the event.


    Excitement built in him when he realised that the assistant¡¯s office was also empty.


    Had she gone home?


    Does that mean¡­?


    His blood quickened as he decided to still thread with caution until he was fully certain.


    ¡°Miss Schuller? Miss Schuller, are you here?¡± His smile increased as he inched away from the door of her office. ¡°I am here with the¡­yes!¡± He ended in a low tone as he pumped his empty fist in the air, then quickly adjusted his stance.


    He hurried over to the door of the CEO¡¯s office and knocked gently.


    He almost hooted in excitement when that breathy voice answered almost immediately.


    ¡°Come in¡±


    She was seated in the CEO¡¯s chair, her head bent over what she was working on.


    She still had that damn shades on, and she didn¡¯t even raise her head to acknowledge his presence.


    Thomas was momentarily annoyed before he remembered the type that she was.


    She must be the coquettish type who always wants a man to take control while pretending not to have an interest.


    ¡°I have your food, ma¡± he said in the most husky voice he could dredge up.


    That sure got her attention. He thought when she finally raised her head and pointed at the table in the seating area.


    ¡°Thank you. You can ce it there.¡±


    By the time he turned back, she had already given her attention to what she was doing again, and he just knew he had to act.


    Just as she would have been expecting.


    ¡°So you asked for me, miss¡± he started as he moved slowly towards her table instead of leaving.


    She raised her head, and he could see her raised eyebrows even though she still hadn¡¯t removed the shades.


    ¡°Yes, to get me the food. Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, miss. I see that Miss Schuller is not in her seat.¡± He said in a low tone.


    She still pretended not to get the hint as she looked towards the door and said ¡°Yes, yes. She had to leave.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said as he stood directly in front of her desk.


    He contemted going around to stand directly in front of her, but he hesitated as he gave her a look and smacked his lips together.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± She asked innocently.


    The pretending bitch! Well, he would y.


    ¡°Actually, yes. But then I think you want me to help you with something first.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Something like what?¡± She asked in that damned breathless voice that suddenly seemed hot to him.


    The bitch assistant could wait. He wouldn¡¯t mind bending this woman over the table first.


    With her ass in the air and her shades on.


    ¡°I think you deliberately sent me to get that food. Then you sent Miss Schuller home so that it will be only you and me here. I already figured it out, you know. No need to keep pretending now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± She said as she leaned back in her seat.


    For a moment, the way she tilted her head brought back a memory as the sense of familiarity washed over him again.


    But then he shrugged it off and got ready for the kill.


    He answered her question with ascivious smile and wiggled his eyebrows at her.


    ¡°I can only believe that I am mistaken in what I think you are suggesting. Do you understand that I am a¡­ friend of your boss?¡± She asked.


    Now they were getting somewhere.


    Now he just needed to get his hands on her, and she would soon start singing a different tune.


    He started moving around the table with his eyes on hers, well, on the shades.


    His eyes dipped towards the modest neckline of her dress as he said ¡°You can be my friend too. We can both be friends¡­with benefits. I will make you feel so good that you will forget¡­¡±


    ¡°Heard enough?!¡± She snapped, and he frowned at the change in her tone.


    ¡°Heard¡­?¡±


    A movement to his right caught his attention.


    Not just a movement.


    Three movements.


    His eyes widened as he asked urgently ¡°What¡­what is going on?¡±


    The chief security officer walked furiously to him and dragged him away from where he was standing close to the woman.


    Before he could blink, the man sent a mighty punch to his face that sent him flying towards the door.


    As he hit the door hard and shook his head to get his bearing, he heard the control room operator say in disgust, ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone like him thought she liked him. What a creep!¡±


    What? What?!


    Thomas quickly scrambled off the floor as he yelled. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You can¡¯t prove anything!¡±


    Just like the first time he met her at the bistro, she didn¡¯t say anything as she closed the document before her.


    She simply raised something and shook it for him to see.


    They set him up!


    All of them!


    She had recorded everything that he said while the others listened.


    Bitch!


    Before he could calm his racing heart to think of what to do, the door behind him opened suddenly.


    Two of his colleagues seized his hands from behind and dragged him out.

 Bit Of Goodness

    Face swollen from the hits he had taken, drained and shocked, supposed fortune maker, Thomas Lanoth walked towards the bungalow where he had been staying with Trent.


    For the first time in a long time, he began to rethink the choices he had made in his life.


    As he watched people zipping by in their cars andughing gaily as they went about their day, he cursed his luck.


    He cursed his choices, including the woman who had been at the centre of all that.


    She was the reason why he had agreed to that bet that long time ago.


    She was the reason he had lived a lie for many years.


    She was also the reason why he had almost died from an ov***ose.


    She was also the reason why he was beaten up and sent to Wollongong.


    By extension, she was the reason why he was walking aimlessly towards a house where his bad day was going to get worse.


    What was he going to tell Trent?


    He still couldn¡¯t believe that a weak-looking, breathy-voiceddy had managed to trick him into ruining his promising prospects.


    At the moment, he was too drained to be mad at how she had skillfully trapped him as if she was out to get him before.


    ¡°This must be Karma,¡± he thought fleetingly as he stopped walking when he suddenly realised why she had seemed familiar even though she had the shades over her eyes.


    She looked like his ex-wife!


    Wincing as he mistakenly touched his face, he started walking again as he wondered if his grief was making him go crazy already.


    That woman was a redhead and how on earth would his ex-wife, who had never been to Australia before, be the girlfriend of the CEO?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Even though he had never seen the CEO once since he started working there, he knew the man must be powerful in Sydney for him to be able to own a building in a ce like Martin¡¯s ce.


    ¡°You are lucky that madam decided not to take this up with you. If not, you will be rotting in prison soon enough. Don¡¯t be fooled though. Your appointment with us is terminated immediately. You would be a fool to think that any other security agency in Sydney would ept you too. Your image and name will be sent to the employment bureaus and circted among allpanies. You are automatically cklisted from now on. If you dare show your face anywhere at all in Australia for employment, you will be immediately arrested.¡±


    The damning words of the I. S. S boss, who was already waiting for him as the chief security officer and the others took him there rang in his head as he continued his meandering walk home.


    Home! He scoffed pitifully.


    Where was his home? He wondered in pain.


    His mother¡¯s face came to his mind and he wished he could see her at that moment.


    She might be a nag and always get on his case, but she would never say no to him.


    He knew his absence this time around was the worst he had ever done since he started leaving home, and he doubted she could easily forgive him this time after he had left her alone with three kids for almost a year now.


    It would have been a different case if he had been able to make his fortune and go back home to her in fanfare.


    With thetest verdict, he would be lucky if he could even get out of Australia with the clothes on his back.


    Trent will certainly make him pay dearly foring home with nothing.


    Ever since he had been rejected at the bar where he had applied after ISS rejected him, the man had got more drawn more and more to the bottles.


    Thomas tried his best to avoid him most of the time and only ensured he went back home when he knew that he would have passed out over some empty bottles.


    Thomas had no idea where he was getting the money to keep drinking, and he was not about to ask.


    At that moment, though, he cared less about what Trent would say, he just wanted to find a ce to lie and forget his shame for a moment.


    His mother¡¯s face came to his mind again.


    What if he could get some of the money that Trent had been wasting so he could go back home?


    His mother would not forsake him no matter what.


    He was sure of that.


    There was a time he could have been sure of another person like that too, but he knew he had no right to even ask anything of her.


    For a moment, the selfish, narcissistic and entitled Thomas seemed to give way to the teeny-tiny bit of goodness in him, and he thought of the damage he had done to the woman who had shown him love and unconditional support.


    Sadness made him mncholic.


    His grief made him remorseful.


    Then he saw the house from afar and his mood nosedived even more.


    Hoping that Trent would be out of the house so that he could even get some sleep to clear his head, Thomas checked under the doormat without reaching for the door.


    The empty spot sent spikes into his heart and sharpened the thought of how pathetic his life had be.


    He, who once had a home he could easily go to without a second thought, had now be someone who dreaded entering a house.


    He reached for the door and turned the knob slowly.


    Maybe if he was¡­


    He realised his hopes were futile when he saw Trent sitting in the grandfather¡¯s chair, which he had pulled from its spot.


    He was seated in the middle of the room facing the door as he jiggled his feet slowly.


    Fuck!


    Trent jiggling his foot was nothing but bad news.


    It was tantamount to the ticking of a time bomb.


    Instead of bottles, Thomas could only see his alcohol sk in his hands, and it was capped.


    But then, his nose was ruddy and his eyes as he looked at Thomas was enough to tell him that the man was well on his way to being wasted as always.


    ¡°You came back early,¡± he said with a slur.


    ¡°Yes, I¡­¡± why was he waiting for him like that? Had he somehow found out that¡­ ¡°¡­ Yes,¡± he said as he moved closer.


    A spurt of anger sparked in him at how he had somehow be afraid of a man like him.


    If it came to a fistfight, he was sure that he could beat the man. After all, he had been a trainer for the better part of his life.


    Yet here he was cowering in front of a slobby mess like this because of his circumstances.


    With that thought fuelling his courage, he made a move to pass Trent so he could walk to the closet where he was sleeping.


    ¡°Who said you could leave, you piece of shit?!¡± Trent¡¯s voice stopped him.


    Though he knew the man was just some pace away from violence, he simply said ¡°What do you want? I am justing from work and I need to sleep.¡±


    Of course, the man¡¯s intoxication didn¡¯t make him notice his swollen face and bruised body.


    That was more than fine with Thomas, he just wanted to sleep.


    ¡°Who gave you the gut to give my phone number out to someone?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Which¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go lying, you piece of trash!¡± Trent yelled as he lumbered up from the seat and weaved from side to side. ¡°How dare you give my number to some woman?!¡±


    What woman? Thomas was even more confused when he remembered the woman he had given the number to.


    It was¡­.


    ¡°There I was minding my business when a woman who called herself Mary interrupted my fun and started asking about you!¡±


    Mary? who¡­Mary!


    ¡°When I told her to piss the hell off, she started talking some shit about how your mother was dead and she¡­.¡±


    Thomas¡¯s legs ate up the distance between them in one stride, he grabbed the shocked Trent as he asked ¡°What did you say?! What did you¡­ You said what?!¡±


    ¡°I told you never to interrupt me when I am talking, you piece of¡­¡±


    ¡°I asked you what nonsense did you just say, you motherfucker?!¡± Thomas said as he shook Trent violently like a limp cloth.


    With widened eyes, Trent tried to push Thomas away. He didn¡¯t budge one bit. ¡°Get your hands off me. You are sleeping out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what she said! Tell me!¡±


    Trent¡¯s half-raised fist had not covered the distance before Thomas sent a head-snapping fist into his jaw!


    *********


    Later that night, a man with a small bag came out of the house.


    He looked around to be sure he was not being watched.


    Then he locked the door behind him and put the key beneath the mat.


    And he headed south.

 I Know It Is You

    She couldn¡¯t believe it worked.


    She had only decided to give it a try.


    After all, for all she knew, he might not have clicked on the link sent to the phone.


    But as shey curled up in bed and watched the indicator of the phone¡¯s location head towards the airport, Reyona couldn¡¯t be more d.


    Finally!


    Soon enough, the locator showed his arrival at the airport.


    Reyona tossed her phone aside and stared up at the ceiling with a big sigh.


    Her mind went back to the urrence the day before, and she smiled at how she had handled the bastard.


    Looking back at how she had hesitated many times when it came to dealing with him before, Reyona wondered why it had taken her so long.


    ¡°Because you loved the man for about a year. Hello? You don¡¯t expect all that to go away in a snap, do you?¡± her subconsciousness whispered.


    Reyona smiled as she admitted the truth of that statement to herself.


    She thought back to how much of a mess she had been back then, even as she vowed to take revenge on him.


    A part of her had still shied away from actually hurting him despite all the hurt he had caused her.


    Then all the messy eventsplicated things further.


    She turned over as she tried to analyse what her feelings had been towards him in the past few days.


    She tried to see if she still felt all the hurt, the pain, and the lingering shock.


    Yet all she coulde up with was¡­nothing.


    She felt nothing towards him.


    Not the pain.


    Not the hurt.


    Not even the betrayal.


    She remembered when she had once told him that he was dead to her.


    In all truth, back then, her mouth had only said what she wished her heart would listen to.


    At the moment, it was fully true.


    He meant absolutely nothing to her.


    Yet that didn¡¯t mean she was willing to let him stay anywhere around her.


    Not especially when that could lead to the discovery of her location.


    For a moment, she had almost vindictively set him up to the extent that he would spend the better part of his life in a foreign prison.


    Yet one thing had stopped her.


    The children.


    Despite everything, her feelings had never changed about those two.


    They never asked for any of this.


    So, she had onlye up with a n that would kill two birds with one.


    Something that could keep him as far away from her and send him back to his kids.


    She had been hesitant about what she had in mind when she first saw him at the bistro.


    That was because that could have backfired on her.


    Sending any hint at all to Maxwell could have led straight back to her no matter how well she tried to mask her trail.


    She was sure he would somehow know that it was her.


    But then, that idiot had done himself in any way.


    Not only did he make things easier for her, he made her remember one other person she could reach out to who wouldn¡¯t have the same abilities as Maxwell.


    Finally free of the worm that hade to disrupt her peace of mind, Reyona was very excited about starting her day that morning.


    There was nothing urgent to be done at the office that morning, so she had already informed Nicole that she wouldn¡¯t being in.


    She had called Phil the night before as well, and he seemed to be getting better.


    Reyona felt veryzy that morning, and she didn¡¯t really feel like doing much.


    Yet the gentle breeze blowing through the curtain called to her, and she felt like soaking it all in as she felt it caressing her face.


    Life is good, and she was going to share every beautiful moment life brought her way with her baby.


    ¡°That includes a walk this beautiful morning too,¡± she said with a smile as she got out of bed.


    She got ready and dressed up in her exercise outfit.


    As much as the allure of her well-fitted exercise room beckoned, she ignored it and decided to take a walk.


    She breathed in the fresh scent as she raised her head to look at the perfectly cloudless sky, feeling a sense of freedom and peace wash over her.


    Nothing beats such a sight as this.


    She started by walking slowly as she admired the beautiful and picturesque environment.


    For a moment, she thought of going back to take her camera so she could take some good shots.


    But then she shrugged and continued walking.


    Then she started jogging.


    The breeze was still rustling gently, and it felt amazing on her skin.


    She soon started hearing someone¡¯s footsteps behind her and smiled at the thought that she was not the only person who had been drawn by the allure of the morning.


    The person soon caught up with her, and she moved farther to her left so that the person could pass her.


    ¡°Hi,¡± the person said.


    Heat washed over Reyona, contrasting with the coolness of the breeze.


    Thinking she was mistaken, she turned her head with a smile to say, ¡°H¡­¡±


    She stumbled and would have fallen over if he had not grabbed her.


    Her skin tingled where he held her as she kept her face down and quickly reminded herself that she looked different now.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said hastily as she let him steady her on her feet without looking at him. ¡°You can let go now. Thanks,¡± she said in a thin voice.


    He let her go, and she got ready to break into a run.


    She had not even taken a step when she heard him say, ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that I will not recognise you, do you?¡±


    Shit!


    She desperately tried again ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, sir. Thank you for your help.¡±


    With that, she continued walking.


    She heard him swear under his breath.


    Then he strode towards her and grabbed her hands.


    ¡°I know it is you, Reyona.¡±


    In frustration, she looked back at him with anger in her eyes, ¡°What are you all looking for?! Leave me alone!¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Which Of Them?

    Reyona ran all the way home without caring how she might look at that moment to whoever was watching.


    Lucky for her, Beverly Hills homes are not closely situated.


    She had not even seen any of her neighbours since she moved in, and that was more than fine with her.


    Especially at that moment when she couldn¡¯t afford to be stopped by anyone.


    Before she got towards her ce, she remembered something.


    Instead of taking the right turn, she just kept on going.


    After a while, she stopped at one of the mini-parks that dotted the area.


    She sat heavily on one of the benches while trying to catch her breath.


    She looked around to be sure that nobody had followed her.


    Instead of the relief she expected to feel when she saw that she was alone, her insides were twisting with nasty mixtures of emotions.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, she could feel the stirrings of that urge.


    ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t.¡± She muttered to herself even as her breathing steadied.


    She tried to take her mind off it, hoping that would make it stop.


    Yet her mind went straight to the other thought she didn¡¯t want to have.


    What the heck was he doing here?


    How had he found her?


    Why is heing now just after she got rid of one?


    What is wrong with all these people?!


    He didn¡¯t follow her now, but she was not fooled by that one bit!


    She knew this was far from over and the thought caused her anxiety again.


    She looked down at her subtle bump and wondered if he had felt it when he held her.


    Why did she have to stumble right there and then?


    She smacked her head with the heel of her hands and wondered what she should do.


    She just knew he was going to find out.


    She knew it!


    She removed her phone from her pouch and called Toria.


    Her sister didn¡¯t pick up on the first ring, and Reyona was about to disconnect the call when she finally picked up.


    ¡°Hey, Rey. Missing me too much?¡±


    ¡°He is here,¡± Reyona said immediately.


    ¡°Who is¡­ please, don¡¯t tell me your motherfucking ex is in Sydney right now,¡± Toria said anxiously.


    Which of them was she referring to?


    Reyona suddenly remembered that she had not even told Toria about seeing Thomas, not that there had been much to say anyway.


    ¡°What does his cheating ass want? Do you need me toe there right now, cos I can¡­¡±


    That answered Reyona¡¯s question. ¡°No, not him,¡± she said. ¡°Him!¡±


    ¡°Oh, him?!¡±


    ¡°Him¡±


    ¡°How did he find you?¡± Toria asked in wonder.


    ¡°Same question I have, Toria. I was careful. You know I was careful. He caught me unawares while I was out for some exercise. For a moment there, I thought he wasn¡¯t going to recognise me. Well, guess what? I was wrong! He called my name even when I pretended not to know him.¡±


    ¡°Shit! Well, I hope you gave him a piece of your mind?¡±


    ¡°I started to. Then I ran!¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°I ran, Toria. Like a headless chicken, I ran way farther than my house. And now I am in a park still wondering if he is lurking around somewhere so he could jump out and scare me shirtless again.¡± Reyona admitted in embarrassment.


    ¡°But¡­what do you have to run for? If anyone should run, then it should be his scrawny ass for¡­what did you say he did again?¡­ Yes, for lying and deceiving you!¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Reyona said with an exasperated sigh. ¡°It was just a kind of automatic reaction, you know. I can see how silly it must have looked right now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he knows?¡± Toria asked suddenly.


    ¡°I bet he did¡­how else would he have been able to¡­oh,¡± she said as she realised what Toria meant. ¡°About that¡­ I don¡¯t think there would have been a way for him to know. I don¡¯t think so. I made sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You do know he is not just going to go away, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, why else do you think I am sitting out here when I should be at home right now?¡± Reyona answered in exasperation as she rubbed her hands over her face and sighed weakly.


    Toria¡¯s chuckling sound had her raising her brows in disbelief.


    ¡°I am d this is fun for you, you know.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I am sorry. It is just¡­if you are not in the middle of this right now, you will probably see it how I am seeing it.¡± She chuckled again before she exhaled deeply and said ¡°Okay, there. That is over. What are you going to do, Rey?¡±


    ¡°I am going to make sure he is not lingering around, then I will go home. Then¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± shepleted in a low tone as she covered her face with her hand and leaned forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Toria. He wasn¡¯t supposed to find me!¡±


    Toria was silent for a moment before she said ¡°What about you trying to talk to him?¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am just saying he¡­maybe¡­just maybe there was a misunderstanding somewhere. I mean, there has to be a reason why he would go this length to find you, you know. And¡­¡±


    When she stopped, Reyona furrowed her brows and asked ¡°And? What?¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to hear anything about him and that is why I didn¡¯t say anything to you but¡­ Celia told me how he had gone crazy looking for you too. She said she had never seen him feel this way about anyone before. He was the type of man who avoided women like the gue until you. It just¡­ I saw it too.¡±


    ¡°You¡­what do you mean, you saw it too?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°He found out about Dad¡¯s address and even went to Copenhagen to see Mum too. Then, just before we left Sydney, he came to see me.¡±


    What?!

 Only One Reason

    That shocked Reyona. ¡°He was here? Why didn¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to hear anything about him, Rey. Mum and Dad respected that. They sent him away with a warning to stop looking for you. They didn¡¯t want to upset you or anything. That is the same reason why I didn¡¯t tell you either. You seemed truly happy these days, Rey. I didn¡¯t want to ruin that. I have seen your reaction whenever he was mentioned, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡­thank you. But did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I sent his ass packing after giving him a piece of my mind for being such a loser.¡±


    That brought a smile to Reyona¡¯s face as she sighed softly and asked ¡°What am I going to do, Toria?¡±


    ¡°You are going to do the right thing,¡± Toria said with the confidence that Reyona wasn¡¯t feeling a bit. ¡°You will do what¡¯s best for yourself and for your baby. I am sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Toria,¡± Reyona said as she felt pinpricks of tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you still need me toe over and beat his ass?¡±


    Reyonaughed softly while sniffling. She wiped the underside of her eyes and said ¡°I wish I could have been selfish enough to ask you toe right now.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Just say the word, sis.¡±


    Reyona smiled and asked ¡°How are things going over there? How is Tara?¡±


    ¡°Things are goooood. We¡¯ve made considerable progress. Aspen is a beaut. I think I am going to retire here. Guess what? We got a surprise of ours here yesterday too.¡±


    ¡°What surprise?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°Remember Manuel? Well, he is here right now.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡±


    ¡°Well, ourndscaper got some emergency and had to bail. I guess Tara told him about it when they were talking and guess who we saw yesterday? Manuel! Here to offer his services!¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. That is great. It is great that he could help out. He is fully recovered now, yeah? I haven¡¯t seen him since he was discharged.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is doing more than fine. And for the record, I think he is here to do more thanndscaping. You should see Tara¡¯s face around here these couple of days.¡±


    Reyona covered her mouth to cover herughter ¡°You mean¡­ Tara and¡­¡±


    ¡°And to think I was the one who asked him to look out for her in the first ce. Damn, at this point, I might just start my matchmaking agency, you know.¡± Toria said withughter. Then she sobered up as she continued ¡°Tara is still very scarred, but I think Manuel will be very good for her, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I think I can see it now¡± Reyona said thoughtfully as she remembered the day Manuel had taken the bullet for the woman and the other times she had seen them together. ¡°Yeah, definitely something there.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, if I do not want a query from my boss, I need to go now.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she said ¡°Thank you, Toria. You are the best.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Rey. For the record, I don¡¯t really think he has a scrawny ass.¡±


    Reyonaughed out loud as the call was disconnected.


    Her hands went to her stomach as she stared straight ahead with a peaceful look on her face.


    Her eyes widened when she realised that the niggling urge had faded on its own too.


    What?! That has never happened since it started.


    *********


    Aftering to a decision, Reyona enjoyed the rest of her day.


    She had her meal on time and spent most of the day putting in the small portion of the garden that she had asked the hardener to leave for her.


    She wanted to nt some Azaleas there so she could show her baby and tell her how she nted them.


    Then they were going to nt other flower beds of her baby¡¯s choice and watched them grow.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to have her baby here with her, and she was beginning to wish she could feel the baby¡¯s kick already.


    That was her main question the next day after her check-up.


    ¡°Your baby is fine, ma¡¯am.¡± The doctor said ¡°It is normal that you can¡¯t feel your baby kick yet. Normally, the kicks could start on the 18th week, then, for the first time-mom like you, it could be aste as the 25th week before you can feel anything. There is nothing to worry about.¡±


    Reyona thanked the doctor and left her office.


    As she left, she thought of the fact that the doctors were probably tired of her one thousand and one questions by now.


    She smiled and vowed to try to not be so anxious about everything anymore.


    She had been really lucky in her pregnancy after all.


    The doctor had said it was quite rare for a first-time mom to have next-to-one pregnancy woes, as most people call it.


    Reyona thought about how she was going to spend the rest of her day and figured she might go shopping.


    Phil had resumed work that morning, and she didn¡¯t have much to do.


    It was high time she started getting some clothes for her baby anyway.


    She was about 16 weeks already and by the time her baby started kicking, she wanted to be able to show her the nice outfits she had gotten for her.


    She looked up the closest baby shops around and chose the one she liked.


    Her finger hovered over her contact icon for a moment before she pressed the power button and tucked her phone away.


    In her efforts not to think about a particr someone the night before, her mind had grabbed onto every other thought that she could upy it with.


    One of those thoughts that refused to leave her mind even after the urge had hit her again, was the thoughts about Celia.


    Reyona had tried not to think much about how the woman might feel about her sudden disappearance.


    She had cklisted her number too, because she didn¡¯t want her to learn about where she was at the moment.


    There was only one reason for that.

 Damn Hormones

    Since the reason had now be moot after he had suddenly dropped on her and disappeared again like a ghost, Reyona supposed there was no point in trying to hide her location from the woman again.


    Even at that, she had not been able to bring herself to remove the number from the cklist.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She just knew she might not be able to handle the woman¡¯s hurt at the moment.


    She had been to Sydney twice after all!


    Shrugging the disturbing thoughts off her mind, Reyona focused on the present.


    Which had to do with getting some nice clothes for her baby and nothing more.


    That, and that was the only thing worth upying her mind right now.


    Then that determination went right out of the window as soon as she got outside.


    He was standing¡­no, pacing close to her car.


    At that moment, he had his back turned to her as he ran his hand through his hair.


    He half-turned towards the entrance of the hospital, then turned towards the car again in agitation.


    But then, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of her when he turned earlier, because he sharply turned around again, and she could see relief wash over his face.


    His slightly angr face.


    With his eyes intent on her face, he took a step towards her and then stopped.


    He gave her a beseeching look, then he strode towards her as fast as he could. He moved his hands like he wanted to hold her, then dropped his hands again.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked anxiously.


    That was his first statement to her?


    He wouldn¡¯t leave her alone and even stalked her there just because he wanted to know if she was okay?


    Right.


    As much as she wanted to stalk past him, his appearance stalled her for a moment though.


    She had been right the first time.


    His face did look gaunt.


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± she wondered anxiously.


    Instead, she said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I just want to talk, okay? I know I shouldn¡¯t have scared you like that yesterday. I just¡­you¡­¡± he ced his left fist over his mouth and stared at her for a moment, before he said, ¡°Please, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    He pointed at the building she had juste out of and said ¡°Are you fine? Why did you need toe to the hospital?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s heart thumped as she quickly thought of a suitable excuse. ¡°I just came for my regr check-up. Not that it is any of your business.¡±


    ¡°You? Willinglye to the hospital when you are perfectly fine? You hate hospitals.¡±


    Why did he have to know that?


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t pretend you know me, okay? What I do is none of your business. Now, leave me alone.¡± she said hurriedly to cover the sudden fluster she was feeling.


    She tried to walk past him and hoped she could get to her car fast enough.


    What the hell was this feeling?


    She thought she had those all well forgotten and done with.


    She hated the fact that his damn cologne could still find a way to dredge up memories in her.


    She hated that she was momentarily bothered by how he looked and she¡­


    He was following her.


    She had no intention of looking back, but he was surely following her.


    Yeah, she was sure of it.


    If anything, that lingering cologne of his seemed like it was stuck to her skin instead of his and the fact that she was tempted to turn swiftly to bury her nose in his skin made her walk faster.


    Stupid hormones.


    If not, why would she suddenly feel like bawling right then?


    She could imagine how she would look to anyone if she suddenly broke into tears right there.


    Especially in front of him? The ground might as well open up right now.


    She reached for her car door and pulled it before she remembered that she had not even unlocked it yet.


    Shit!


    ¡°Can we talk, please?¡± he asked behind her suddenly, and she forgot what she had intended to do.


    ¡°About what?¡± she asked as she scraped her hair behind her ear without turning to look at him, or entering the car to leave too.


    Right, she had not opened the door.


    She reached for her bag as he said, ¡°I am not here to upset you, Reyona. I just want to¡­understand. I need to understand, and I have things to tell you too. Just give me some time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine,¡± she said as she turned to him.


    She looked away from the intensity of those eyes for a moment before she continued ¡°You have something to say to me? Then go ahead.¡±


    He looked around the parking lot where they stood and said, ¡°Can we change location, please? I don¡¯t think it is appropriate for us to talk here.¡±


    Reyona raised her brows at him, but then she said ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get it over with. We can have this talk at one of the many bistros around.¡±


    A public ce.


    That was the only thing that could work for her right now. If he should say no to that? Then¡­


    ¡°I am okay with that. Thank you,¡± he said almost immediately.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said as she finally got her door opened and entered


    When he only stood there with the hint of that memory-stirring smile of his, she gave him a questioning look.


    He smiled fully as he said ¡°I don¡¯t know the bistro we are going to. I can¡¯t call you, remember?¡±


    Right ¡°Where is your car?¡± she asked as she looked around.


    ¡°I came in a cab. Can I juste with you?¡± he asked with an innocent expression.


    Reyona didn¡¯t trust that look one bit, yet she knew it would be ridiculous to say no at that point.


    ¡°Fine, hop¡­¡±


    He was almost at the passenger door before she couldplete her statement.


    Great. Just great.


    She couldn¡¯t think of a possible way for her not to regret her momentary decision soon enough.


    Yet as she looked away from him as she maneuvered the car out of the lot, she found herself smiling.


    Damn hormones!

 Much Too Long

    She ordered a cocoa drink so she could have something to do with her hands.


    He had not bothered to order anything.


    He just sat and gave her a disturbing look until she was forced to raise her brows at him.


    He gave her a bemused smile as he leaned forward and said ¡°I just never pictured you as a redhead, you know. But then, just like every other thing, it looks good on you.¡±


    The fact that she wanted to pat her hair in ce made Reyona firmly keep her hands around her cocoa and give him a direct look.


    ¡°You look really good, Reyona. It is good that you look good,¡± he said as he leaned closer to her and said urgently. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to think. I was afraid you might be¡­¡± he sighed and nodded slowly as he said, ¡°It is good that you are fine.¡±


    Before she could stop herself, she asked, ¡°Are you fine though?¡±


    Damn it!


    She expected him to give her an affirmative answer so they could go on with whatever he was there to feed her with.


    Instead, he said in a low tone¡±No, Reyona. I am not fine. I am not fine without you. I miss you so much, Reyona.¡±


    Damn it. Where was all her resolve and self-promise?


    When her hand itched to stretch forward.


    To just stretch forward enough to touch his face.


    To just feel that newly shaved¡­


    She sipped her cocoa.


    And swore beneath her breath as she burnt her tongue.


    She lowered her head as she used her tongue to soothe the roof of her mouth and vice versa.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, already standing up.


    ¡°Stop asking me that.¡± she snapped in a soft tone that took the bite out of her words. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked with a sigh as she felt those damned tears at the back of her eyes again.


    Why had she agreed to this? She doubted she could do that.


    What made her think his presence wouldn¡¯t affect her?


    She should have just entered her car and zoomed off without a second look.


    ¡°I want you, Reyona. No, scratch that, I need you. I don¡¯t care what I have to do, but can you please, never go away like that again? It killed something in me.¡± he said passionately as his hands inched towards hers on the table.


    Why was he doing this?


    Weren¡¯t men supposed to be the ones good at masking their emotions?


    But his looks, his words, and that gauntness of his features; it was just too much for her.


    She reached for her bag and stood up. She shook her head and said ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Reyona, please,¡± he said as he stood up and grabbed her hand before she could go far.


    Sizzling currents shot through her from the spot where their naked flesh touched, and she quickly shrugged his hand away.


    She looked around at the people currently enjoying their meals and a free show as well.


    She looked back at him and wondered why she would want to postpone what was inevitable anyway.


    She removed some bills from her bag and put them beneath her cup of barely-touched cocoa.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± she said and took him to an amusement park.


    When they arrived, and he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, she shook her head at him and said ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Get down.¡±


    He got down just as she did, and she walked a bit further from the boisterous crowd before she turned towards him and said ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have it.¡±


    His momentary amused look was gone as he tucked his hands in his pockets and said ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Okay, she was not expecting that.


    She held her arms to her body as she asked dispassionately. ¡°What are you sorry about?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for lying to you. I am sorry for not being honest and forting with you.¡±


    As much as her insides were whirring with different sensations and emotions at that moment, Reyona held on tightly to the tears that kept tickling the back of her eyes. ¡°You are still not saying much. What the hell are you sorry about?¡± her voice wobbled slightly at thest word.


    ¡°Steve told me about¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    He stretched his hands forwards as he moved closer urgently ¡°I swear not at first. He didn¡¯t mean to tell me what you asked him to keep. I found out myself. Then I asked him.¡±


    Reyona scoffed ¡°Of course, you will say anything.¡±


    ¡°I am not lying to you, Reyona. I am standing here in this park filled with hundreds of people and saying to you that I am not lying to you. I will never do that again. I thought I was doing the right thing, but look where that got me. I want to be honest with you from now on. I don¡¯t want to lose you, Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should have thought of that when you made me discover that you were making a fool of me. You¡­¡± She swiped at the stubborn tears that plopped down her face.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Maxwell said as he held her shoulders and wiped her tears himself. ¡°I am so sorry. I am very sorry. It was stupid of me. I don¡¯t want to lose you. I¡­¡±


    With every rasp of his warm thumb against her skin, Reyona felt more lost in his mesmerising eyes.


    She didn¡¯t even realise when he stopped talking, just as she had no idea who pulled who closer first.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The next moment, they were both kissing each other passionately as they held each other tightly like they never wanted to let go.


    Reyona¡¯s body was on fire as her hands raced over him just as his branded her in turn.


    When his hands brushed the sides of her breast, she moaned unashamedly into his mouth.


    Even when her urge reared its head, she mindlessly knew she wouldn¡¯t mind relieving it right there and then.


    It had been too long.


    Much too long.


    Her body was straining against her dress and she wished he would just rip it off her and¡­


    It took her a moment to realise that his body had stilled.


    ¡°Wha¡­what?¡± she asked in confusion as his mouth moved from her neck where he was formerly kissing it like he wanted to draw the skin straight into his mouth.


    He slowly turned to look at her, and she was jolted by something else entirely.


    His face looked ashen, and his eyes bulged as he looked at her with a mixture of fear and apprehension in his eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona whispered breathlessly.


    He didn¡¯t take her long to find out as his gaze went downward.


    Reyona paled when she realised that his hand was on her small bump.


    She stumbled back from him as his hand fell away while his eyes were still fixed on her stomach.


    Reyona¡¯s dress suddenly felt tighter than it had been earlier, and she felt like her bump, her secret was on disy for all to see.


    Breathing harshly, he asked ¡°Are you¡­ Are you pre¡­pregnant?¡±


    Reyona looked around as the sounds of the boisterous park that had fallen away earlier suddenly rushed back.


    Along with the ringing in her head.


    ¡°Reyona, tell me!¡±


    He said so suddenly that she jolted and looked back at him as she snapped while backing away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you anything! I don¡¯t owe you anything! And you can be sure that if I am pregnant, it has nothing to do with you!¡±


    Tears blurred her vision as she saw the wobbling image of him moving towards her. She swiped at the persistent waterworks furiously. ¡°Stay the hell away from me!¡±


    Then she turned and ran.


    Again.

 When And Where

    Like a hurricane survivor, Maxwell Rohan stumbled out of the park.


    He looked up and down the parking lot like he was expecting to see her waiting for him there.


    He wished she was.


    By god, he wished she was waiting right there to tell him that she didn¡¯t mean what she said.


    She had probably said that out of anger, right?


    She couldn¡¯t be pregnant, right?


    When he remembered that they had been separated for almost four months, his blood boiled at the possibility of all that could happen.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± he growled in pain as he continued walking towards the road.


    A kid going towards the entrance of the park inched closer to her mom as she looked at him fearfully.


    The mother quickly turned her daughter¡¯s face away as she muttered ¡°I need to have a talk with the management.¡±


    A kid!


    She was pregnant with a kid!


    And if what she said was right, that meant someone else had held her, touched her the way he¡­


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he yelled as he kicked hard at the guardrails.


    Oblivious to the askance nces that people were tossing his way, he pulled out his phone and made a call.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    A Maserati car pulled up in front of him soon enough.


    He got in and said, ¡°Find a goddamn gym around here.¡±


    The driver nodded and the car moved.


    He was going to kill the man.


    He was going to break every single finger he had dared toy on her.


    He was going to y his skin off his damn¡­


    The image of Reyona arching her back as a faceless hand trailed from her throat down to her¡­


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he smashed his hand hard against the reinforced ss.


    The bastard must have taken advantage of her broken heart.


    She had left Kayooma with anger and feelings of betrayal because she must have thought that the deception that her husband had treated her with was happening again with him.


    Stupid! He had been so stupid to think keeping all those things away from her was going to protect her or make things better!


    Instead, he had caused her pain and put her in danger because of it.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He had been fucking stupid, and now he was going to pay for it for the rest of his life!


    If she was carrying another man¡¯s baby, does that mean she was with the man?


    She was probably married to that asshole, and they would have the life that Maxwell had pictured that both of them would have.


    She couldn¡¯t have easily moved on like that, could she?


    His Reyona would not just move on like that, right?


    Your Reyona? When had she ever been yours?


    The urate thought only enraged him further.


    ¡°Why the fuck is it taking forever to find a gym?!¡± he snapped at the driver.


    ¡°I am sorry, sir. We are almost there. It is¡­¡±


    Maxwell looked towards his left at that moment and his eyes caught something. ¡°Forget the gym. Go there.¡± he pointed to the building.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He dismissed the driver and entered the dimlit bar.


    He ignored the chairs and couches around and headed straight towards the bar.


    He sat on the stool and told the bartender to give him a scotch.


    ¡°Keep theming,¡± he said as the man slid the first fill at him.


    ¡°You got it, boss,¡± he said as he got back to attending to the others.


    Maxwell¡¯s phone rang, and he ignored it as he gestured at the bartender to fill more.


    When the man returned with the filled ss, he said ¡°Give me the bottle.¡±


    The man looked at him in surprise, looked at his colleague and said ¡°Okay, boss.¡±


    He took the bottle of scotch for him and said ¡°You were the first I opened it for. I am going to need an upfront payment, boss.¡±


    Maxwell took out his card without asking for the price.


    He gave the card to the bartender and collected the bottle of scotch from him.


    The bartender quickly input the amount, then turned the machine towards Maxwell. ¡°Your pin, sir.¡±


    Maxwell punched it in and thetter swiped the card.


    The payment went through sessfully and the barman smiled before he handed the card back to Maxwell.


    He was just tucking the card back into his wallet when his phone rang again.


    He turned the phone over to see who was calling.


    Unknown to him, a girl behind him was watching his movements as she shared a beer with the man she was with.


    She looked away again and smiled at the guy before he caught her looking in the direction of the oblivious Maxwell.


    Maxwell¡¯s phone rang again, and he picked it up with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Stop calling, Drew,¡± he said with an exasperated sigh as he drew his ss closer again and poured more scotch.


    ¡°And I will dly do that, you know. But I can¡¯t. Celia wants to know if you have been able to talk to her yet.¡±


    Maxwell snorted in self-derision. ¡°Yeah, I have been able to do that.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, why do you still sound like shit?¡± Andrew Jordan asked.


    Maxwell drained his ss and thumped it on the table as he said ¡°She is pregnant, Drew. She is fucking pregnant because of some piece of shit!¡±


    Before he could hear Andrew¡¯s response, Maxwell felt a suspicious softness press against his back just as he felt a sultry whisper close to him ¡°I can get pregnant for you, handsome. Just tell me where and when.¡±


    Still brushing his side with her breasts, the girl came forward to directly face him as she looked at him seductively and leaned against the bar while lifting her breasts so that her nipples were almost peaking out of her provocatively low top.


    ¡°Like what you¡­¡±


    Maxwell disconnected the call and said, ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡±


    She was taken aback for a moment, but then she lowered her voice more as she smacked her lips together and stretched her hands towards him in yful flirtation.


    ¡°I am with a friend for now, but why don¡¯t you take my number and let¡¯s talkter? A hottie like you shouldn¡¯t be worrying your head over some bitch. Let me¡­¡±


    ¡°Let your hand touch me, and it will be thest thing you touch in a while. I say get the fuck away from me!¡± Maxwell snapped at her.


    The bartender¡¯s colleague snickered before she could stop herself.


    That increased the girl¡¯s embarrassment, and she looked around to see that a few others had noticed her antics too.


    ¡°Dickhead¡± she said as she pretended like she was leaving, and knocked her hand against the bottle of scotch.


    The drink poured straight into Maxwell¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry,¡± she said with a fake concerned tone as she fluttered her hand towards the wet spot.


    Maxwell pushed her hands away just as a man yelled.


    ¡°Hey, prick. Get your fucking hands off my girl!¡±


    The girl¡¯s tears were instant as she turned towards her boyfriend, who wasing from the direction of the toilet.


    ¡°I just wanted to get us more drink, and he grabbed me, babe.¡±


    The exmations of those who had seen what happened went unheeded as the enraged boyfriend moved towards Maxwell to defend his girl¡¯s honour.


    ¡°You motherfu¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s first punch had him knocking into his girl, who was about to start rejoicing.


    As she went flying, her boyfriendunched himself at Maxwell.

 At Peace And Happy

    Maxwell swiped at the tiny cut at the edge of his lips.


    A cut he could have easily dodged, yet he epted it to wee the pain.


    The pain fuelled his frustration and he unleashed it on the unfortunate man who had blindly chosen the wrong target that evening.


    By the time they were separated, the other man¡¯s face was bloodied, and his girlfriend was crying real tears this time.


    If Maxwell was in a better mood, he could have admired the dude¡¯s resilience ining for more even as he wobbled on his feet and the power of his punch got lesser and lesser.


    But the piercing pain in his heart had been stirred by the barely felt punch of the man, and he kept pummelling him over and over again.


    The female bartender¡¯s continuous yell of ¡°I will call the police! I am calling the police! The police are on their way!¡± did nothing to stop Maxwell.


    Yet, he stayed his hand when the male bartender grabbed him from behind as he said, ¡°I think he is done now, boss. A few more and he might croak.¡±


    The haze of rage that got over him cleared enough for him to really look at the man, who was struggling to get up from where thest punch tossed him.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Maxwell said to the bartender, and thetter quickly moved away from him as he raised his hands in a sign of peace.


    The owner of the bar got to the bar just as Maxwell was looking around to see the damage that had been done from the fight.


    ¡°Dios mio. What is going on here?!¡± the man shouted as he saw the mess everywhere.


    As people started getting back to their drinks on the seating arrangements still in good shape, the female bartender exined what happened to the man.


    He supposed he was the police officer she had called.


    The battered man on the floor was ring at Maxwell as his girlfriend fluttered around him with her breasts almost popping out of her clothes and mascara running down her face.


    Maxwell turned away from the scene with a look of disgust.


    Then he passed his card to the male bartender.


    ¡°Remove what will be enough for the damage and your trouble,¡± he said as he reached for the scotch in the ss.


    The bottley wasted on the floor with its contents on the floor and Maxwell¡¯s pants.


    He withdrew his hand from taking the scotch that had been opened while he was fighting, and he turned to look at the owner who approached him.


    The man readjusted his initial intention when the bartender waved Maxwell¡¯s card behind him.


    The man immediately caught on, quickly collected the machine and punched in the numbers.


    Then he directed his anger at the man who had finally stood while his mess of a girlfriend hung on to his arm while asking, ¡°Are you okay? Are you fine?¡±


    In a menacing tone, the bar owner said ¡°You will get out of my bar right now if you know what is good for you! You and your tart are no longer wee in this bar. If I see you here, I will have you arrested immediately, and you will pay for everything you ruined here today! Cindy! Lou! You hear that?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± the bartender said as he turned the machine towards Maxwell for him to input his pin again.


    ¡°Now scram!¡± the man boomed at the couple with his boisterous voice and both of them left with shame dogging their heels.


    The bar owner offered to help Maxwell rece the wasted scotch, but he declined.


    Just as he declined the offer of calling a cab for him too.


    Soon enough, his car arrived, and the bar owner escorted him to the door while apologising over and over again.


    When the man saw the Maserati he was getting into, he shouted ¡°Pleasee again next time, sir. Our ce is the best in town and what happened today will never happen again!¡±


    The car soon arrived in Bellevue Hill.


    The car stopped in front of a wrought iron, automatic sliding gate.


    The driver moved into ce and waited as the roving camera device atop the gate tilted downward and a sh of light came from it.


    The light illuminated the te number and the gate soundlessly slid open.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maxwell went straight into the shower. He put on the jet and controlled the temperature with a voicemand.


    Like a robot, he methodically washed off any hint and smell of the scotch on him.


    While the smart mirror automatically defogged the steam behind him, Maxwell left the bathroom.


    Then he went into his bedroom to put on his t-shirt, sweatpants and suede house shoes.


    He went out of the house through the back door and headed towards the gurgling sound of the babbling brooks.


    What he had termed a w in the architecture of the whole ce worked perfectly fine for him that evening.


    As high as the main gate was, the wall that led to the property of the next house was low enough for a determined mind to climb over it.


    Maxwell was more than determined that evening.


    Though he had wondered if that was the architecture¡¯s way of promoting neighbourhood spirit in an environment where neighbours could easily not see each other for ages, Maxwell was more than grateful for whatever philosophy was behind the low wall as he climbed over it that evening.


    As the cool water of the brook soaked his shoes and sshed over him as he dropped to the other side, Maxwell figured getting drenched was a fair price for whoever had decided to take the jump anyway.


    Still not fully acknowledging what he intended to do, Maxwell entered the oasis and went straight to his favourite spot in the oasis, the lounge chair.


    He removed his soaked suede shoes and squeezed them out as best as possible.


    Then he leaned back and stared at the darkening sky as he finally allowed his thoughts to intrude.


    One thought was prominent in his clearer mind.


    He couldn¡¯t let her go.


    He had been shocked, appalled and scared when she told him she was pregnant.


    His reaction was borne of the fear of losing her forever.


    He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    He had to get to her somehow.


    He had to exin himself to her.


    He had to let her see just how much she meant to him.


    He had to make her realise that they belonged together no matter what.


    He was certain that she felt something deep in him as well, yet she wouldn¡¯t let herself lose control enough to acknowledge that feeling.


    He had to convince her to try.


    He had waited all his life to feel this way about someone, and he wasn¡¯t about to easily let her go because he was being judged based on what another man had done.


    He knew he had fucked up too, but that shouldn¡¯t ruin everything they could have, right?


    He looked away from the sky and straight at the window of the home he had bought after he discovered her address.


    For the past couple of days, watching her through that window when she came to the oasis had been the highlight of his day.


    She always looked at peace and happy in that spot.


    ¡°I can make her happy,¡± he thought to himself in determination. ¡°I want to make her happy. It is not fair that she wouldn¡¯t allow me, yet she let some bastard¡­¡±


    Maxwell ruffled his hand through his hair again as he stood abruptly from the lounge chair.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to think of it. He couldn¡¯t!


    As he paced around the oasis, a thought urred to him.


    Why had he never seen the motherfucker who impregnated her?


    What kind of expectant dad wouldn¡¯t always be with his woman at such a time?


    Especially if that woman was Reyona?


    The thought of Reyona alone in that house with the faceless man infuriated Maxwell further.


    Yet he tried to think calmly.


    If she really liked this man, and he was around, wouldn¡¯t she have at least brought him once to the oasis?


    ¡°I would have seen the asshole, right? He¡­. unless¡­¡±


    He paused in his stride as his eyes widened when another thought intruded his mind.


    What if¡­


    It¡¯s not possible, right? She wouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°She was on the pill when¡­¡±


    He hurriedly dipped his feet into his damp house shoes and hurried towards the house.

 Enviable Silicone

    Reyona drove as fast as she could to her house.


    She hurriedly parked the car in front of the house instead of entering the underground garage.


    She rushed to the door and quickly unlocked it.


    She locked the door behind her and rushed into the living room.


    She was certain that her day staff would have left already, since it was past 6 pm, so she didn¡¯t bother calling out.


    She was sweating at this point from holding back for so long.


    Instead of heading for her bedroom, she quickly pressed a button at the side of the sofa in the living room.


    As the sofa automatically shifted and adjusted to the bed, Reyona quickly removed the lube from her bag just as she pulled out her dildo too.


    The sight of it alone almost made her go berserk as she quicklyy on the bed while pulling off her panties with one hand.


    She flung the pants behind her and squirted a generous amount of lubricant over the dildo.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She tossed the tube aside as she clicked on the button at the base of the dildo.


    Reyona inserted the throbbing tip into herself and almost wept with relief as she pushed it in and out again.


    ¡°When will this end?¡± She moaned out loud as she closed her eyes and started pumping her hand furiously to get to satisfaction.


    She closed her eyes and his image automatically popped into her mind as it always does.


    She could see him pumping into her rhythmically like he couldn¡¯t get enough of her.


    That graphic motion in her mind only increased the sensations searing through her body and she opened her legs wider while pumping the vibrating dildo into herself again and again and twisting on the bed.


    Her dress felt constricting, and she tried to pull it over her head with one hand while she continued pleasuring herself with the other hand.


    A small sound caught her attention just as she tried to remove her arm through the armhole.


    Her eyes popped open, and she screamed as she flung her hand upwards, making the edge of the dress cover her face for a moment, thereby exposing her fully to the man in front of her.


    She threw the dildo in her hand in his direction as she quickly removed the cloth from her face and tried to stand.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?!¡± she yelled.


    *******


    Maxwell was more annoyed than relieved when he saw that the back door was unlocked.


    He had almost gotten to the house in his anxiety before he thought of how he was going to get in.


    She still hadn¡¯t given him her new number yet and in an area with homes riddled with motion detectors and rms, he would probably set off something that would alert the closest police station long before she even had any idea that he was outside.


    With her countenance that afternoon, he doubted she would even allow him to go anywhere close to her, even if she knew that he was outside.


    He couldn¡¯t go around to the front door from where he was unless he went back to his ce, and then passed through the gate beforeing around to her side.


    His patience was too thin at that moment for the lengthy turnabout, so he decided to try his luck.


    Maybe she would see him through the inte and allow him toe in?


    As much as he doubted that, he decided to try anyway.


    He moved closer to the back door and was surprised to see that no rm sounded.


    Then his surprise increased when he turned the knob, and he found it unlocked.


    That was why nothing had triggered off upon his approach.


    The door was not locked, so the trigger mechanism didn¡¯t function.


    His surprise and relief quickly morphed into worry and annoyance.


    What if he had not been the one who came around?


    What if it had been a random stranger here to rob her?


    Though things like that are rarely heard of in ces like Bellevue Hill, it was still a possibility.


    A possibility that could have many fatal results.


    He would have to tell her to¡­


    ¡°What right do I have to tell her anything?¡± he thought in exasperation as he entered the house fully.


    The dim, soft lighting in the house slowly brightened with his approach and he could feel that there was no one around.


    There were lingering scents of food as he passed the kitchen that made his mouth water.


    He called out just to know if his initial thought had been wrong.


    No one was truly in.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± he wondered.


    He felt guilty when he remembered how upset she had been when she left the park.


    Anxiety grew in him again as he wondered how she was at the moment.


    He shouldn¡¯t have reacted the way he did, he should have gently asked her about it, and she would be at home right now instead of being upset at God-knows-where by that time of the day.


    The day was darkening already.


    Wasn¡¯t there some saying about how it was not good for a pregnant woman to walk about at night?


    Wondering where he had heard such a silly thing, Maxwell decided to go look for her.


    It didn¡¯t matter that he had no idea where she could be at the moment, he just knew he had to do something.


    Anything than sitting around doing nothing.


    He quickly strode towards the door, held the knob and pulled.


    There wasn¡¯t so much as a budge as he tried again in surprise.


    The automatic, reinforced door that didn¡¯t lock because it was not well closed earlier had locked behind him after he firmly shut the door.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he muttered in frustration as he rushed towards the main entrance without much hope either.


    His thoughts were right.


    The door was also locked.


    There was also a distress-motion-sensing light on the knob of the door that flickered when he pulled the handle hard the second time.


    Maxwell knew if he didn¡¯t want to trigger something, he had no choice but to wait.


    ¡°Where are you, Reyona?¡± he muttered as he sat heavily on the sofa.


    For a moment, he was tempted to check out her home to see if he could find any hint of where she might be so he could tell his driver to go check, but then he stopped himself.


    He was sure she was going to be angry at finding him in her home in the first ce.


    Now snooping through her ce?


    That would be worse.


    So he waited.


    He went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, and he was just opening the fridge when he heard the sound of the car outside.


    He heard the sound of the door unlocking even before he could put the water back and get out of the kitchen.


    Apprehension filled him again when he thought of what he would say to her and what her reactions would be.


    Then he forgot about that as he heard her rushing movements in the living room and wondered what was going on.


    He paused at the edge of the living room when he saw her practically dive onto the sofa which he had sat on earlier.


    Well, it was lower now.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± he wondered as he moved closer.


    Maxwell¡¯s mouth hung open when he saw what was going on.


    Reyona?


    He knew he should have just turned away and waited elsewhere.


    But damn if her eagerness to get things started at that moment didn¡¯t turn him on.


    He was instantly stiff as he saw the way she massaged the lube on the enviable dildo.


    Maxwell wanted so badly to trade ces with that piece of silicone right there and then.


    When she let out that long and low moan strewn with words he couldn¡¯t decipher, Maxwell knew he had to go.


    If he stayed there a moment longer, he was going to embarrass himself.


    Not to mention what she was going to do when she found him watching her.


    He turned around and in his haste, he hit his elbow against the edge of the wall.


    Fuck!


    Before he could turn back to see if she heard him, she screamed.


    Then the synthetic cock that had just been in her hit his chin!

 One Option

    ¡°I just asked you a question!¡± She said breathlessly as she got up awkwardly from the bed.


    Maxwell was sorry to see that her dress was back in ce even as his blood spiked as he spotted the panties she had thrown behind her earlier.


    She was naked beneath that dress.


    Naked and wet.


    *I am calling the cops.¡± she threatened, yet what he heard mostly was the breathiness of her voice.


    ¡°The back door was unlocked¡± he said slowly as he bent down to pick up the dildo that was still vibrating against his foot where it had fallen.


    ¡°What do you mean the back door was unlocked? They wouldn¡¯t have¡­ I don¡¯t believe¡­¡±


    Her eyes went to the dildo as he raised it and they both watched the vibrating head that looked as if it was ready to go again.


    She looked away and said ¡°Drop that. I need you to leave right now.¡±


    ¡°The door is locked.¡± He said again simply.


    ¡°Lo¡­¡± she looked around for her bag and couldn¡¯t seem to remember where she dropped it, even though Maxwell could see it from where he stood.


    He started moving towards her as he held the wiggling dildo in his hand.


    She shot him a re and her embarrassed blush increased even more when her eyes got drawn to it again.


    She found the bag and removed her key fob from it. She clicked on a button on it and Maxwell could hear the small sound of doors unlocking.


    ¡°There, now leave!¡± She said as she backed away.


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes went to her heaving breasts and his sweatpants got more tightened.


    ¡°No, I am here to talk to her,¡± he thought to himself like a vow.


    Still, he continued looking at her as he held the dildo in his hand.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I told you to leave. I am really¡­going to call the cops this time.¡±


    Maxwell nodded and said ¡°Can we talk¡­¡± his eyes went to the dildo again, automatically drawing hers to it. ¡°¡­.ter?¡± He asked huskily as he looked back at her.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She answered instantly.


    So fast that he knew she just wanted to get him as far away as possible.


    She must be eager to get back to her¡­exercise.


    The thought stuck in Maxwell¡¯s craw even as he nodded and said ¡°I will just drop this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, fine. Just drop it there and leave!¡± Her breathlessness had even increased at this point, just as her chest heaving had increased too.


    Maxwell turned and took one step, then he shook his head as he said while turning around. ¡°Actually, I want to¡­¡±


    Stay.


    Sheunched herself at him and fused her mouth to his.


    Hisst words died in her mouth as she kissed him like her life depended on it.


    Maxwell could feel his eyes crossed as she reached for his sweatpants and fondled him through the clothes.


    ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± Maxwell got enough of his brain cells back to hold her shoulder and pull away from her a bit. ¡°You are pregnant¡± was all he could say.


    ¡°So?¡± She said as she strained to reach for his rigid cock again.


    Maxwell shook his head and said the words that ripped at his heart even as he said it, ¡°You said you are pregnant for someone else.¡± He said with fear and hope.


    She scoffed and said ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You think I will let you touch me if my baby belongs to someone else?¡±


    ¡°What?! The baby is mine?¡± Maxwell asked as a st of joy, hope and wonder engulfed his body. ¡°I¡­¡±


    She grabbed his face as she said ¡°Look at me!¡±


    Oh, he was looking.


    ¡°I think I have a problem. I am horny as hell almost all the time and right now, I just might explode. Now you have two options. Either you shut up and fuck me or you leave! Which one is¡­?¡±


    Her words got muffled under his lips as he lifted her and carried her back to bed.


    There was only one option, anyway.


    *********


    Almost Two Hours Later


    Naked limbs entangled and their breathing calming down, Maxwell and Reyonay syed over the sofa bed.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Maxwell said breathlessly.


    Reyona smiled, as she thought, of how that was the third time he had said that after they climaxed for the fourth time.


    For the first time in a long time, she felt true relief from her urges.


    Yes, she had been making do with her variety of toys, and it had been satisfactory, but there was just¡­ah.


    Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt his hand on her throbbing breast.


    Automatically she felt a response in her core again.


    Just when she was thinking that the urge would leave her be now.


    She wiggled away from his hand and tried to think of something else that had nothing to do with reawakening his slightly limp shaft and riding him senseless.


    He beat her to it as his hand moved from her breast to her slight bump and said ¡°The baby is mine. We are going to have a baby¡±. The excitement in his voice increased.


    We. Reyona was not ready to think about what she felt about that.


    She knew she had crossed a line when she told him that the baby was his.


    A line that she might not be able to cross back no matter what.


    It wasn¡¯t just about her anymore.


    And for once she wondered if it might just be wise to let things take their natural course anyway.


    There was no point in lying to herself about what was between them.


    She was attracted to him no doubt.


    A look from him was enough to set her on fire.


    A feeling she had never had before she met him.


    She might hate the circumstances through which they met, but she was certain of that.


    She definitely has feelings for him.


    Serious feelings.


    She, of all people, knew that was not going to automatically make things easier, and there was still a lot she wanted rification on.


    But then, wrapped in the cocoon of euphoria at that moment, she didn¡¯t want to talk about anything that could ruin her mood, so she simply asked; ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    He turned his head to look at her with a smile as he said ¡°I meant it when I said the door was¡­¡±


    Regina shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean here, her. I mean, how did you find me?¡±


    His smile turned a bit painstaking as he said ¡°Local news.¡±


    Reyona raised herself on her elbow and asked in confusion ¡°Local news? How?¡±

 No Further Persuasion

    ¡°Tara told me firmly¡­in many colourful words, of course, that you are not here, and I should stop bothering her,¡± Maxwell said as hey back and stared at the ceiling with the bemused smile still on his face.


    ¡°It was really frustrating but then, for a moment there, I almost believed her.¡± He turned around to look at her and reached out to touch her face. ¡°You know, for a moment there, I truly thought I would never see you again. I was¡­¡± he shook his head, rubbed his eyes, then let out a short, humourlessughter.


    Then he brightened again as he continued his narration ¡°So, there I was on my way back, already in the car and I saw this notification on my phone. You see, I have this setting that enables me to get news notifications from any country that I am currently in. I¡¯ve got to keep abreast of things, you know.¡±


    ¡°Uuh, uuh,¡± Reyona said, with a questioning look still on her face.


    ¡°I just automatically clicked on it, and boy was I happy to, because after checking that news, I scrolled down. Then guess what I saw in the third line of the crime section.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked eagerly.


    ¡°A headline about a marriage turned sour. Then just beneath it was this picture of a woman looking so lost, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Reyona smacked her hand against her forehead as she guessed what was toe. That damn reporter!


    Maxwellughed and turned to face her as he said ¡°There you were so¡­¡± he gave her a keen look as hepleted ¡°¡­ beautiful. ¡°Naturally, I was shocked by the change of hair and had to look closely for a moment. Then I saw Toria beside the woman too and that was just it. I had that car turned around so fast.¡± he chuckled as he reached out to her and scooped her closer to himself.


    ¡°I was almost at Toria¡¯s ce before I realised how foolish that move would be. She had denied that you were here at all. I could see the hair change too. Then, coupled with the fact that I couldn¡¯t reach you, I figured you wanted nothing to do with me. I just knew if I alerted her that I was sure that you were here, she would inform you and you would leave again. I couldn¡¯t afford that.¡± he kissed her forehead and continued.


    ¡°I am not ashamed to say I stalked your sister for a while. My frustration grew in my search for anyone with any record of your name in Sydney. I couldn¡¯t find any! It was just so crazy. Then Fate smiled at me when she left work one day and didn¡¯t head home, to the club or anywhere else but to this area.¡±


    The day before Toria left for Aspen!


    ¡°I thought finally!¡± he turned to her as he trailed his hand over her back. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got so lucky.¡±


    Yeah, who could have thought?¡± Reyona said with a wry smile.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Then he asked, ¡°Who is Patricia?¡±


    ¡°. Grams. My grandmother,¡± she answered.


    Maxwell looked at her in surprise as he asked.


    ¡°You put your grandmother¡¯s name on the trust fund you purchased this ce with?¡±


    Reyona smiled as she shook her head and said ¡°No, it is meant for my baby. That is the name I would like to give her.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes danced with joy as he looked down at her stomach and said ¡°A girl? We are having a girl?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have no idea,¡± Reyona said with a sheepish smile.


    ¡°You have no idea?¡± Maxwell echoed.


    ¡°Not one bit,¡± Reyona answered with a smile.


    ¡°But how?¡± Maxwell wondered.


    ¡°I am getting a bit chilled,¡± Reyona said as she reached for her dress.


    Instead of letting her put it on, Maxwell removed it from her hand when she wanted to put it on, he covered her with it, then scooted her closer to cover her exposed part. ¡°Here, I will keep you warm.¡± he said with a grin, then asked, ¡°Now tell me.¡±


    She was getting warmer alright. Right down to her blood.


    Reyona took her mind out of the gutter for a moment as she swallowed audibly and said ¡°I do not want to ruin the surprise yet. I want to find out the gender when I meet my baby.¡±


    Maxwellughed as he said ¡°You are crazy, you know. It is no wonder I am crazy about you.¡± he said before he stole her breath with a lingering kiss.


    Chilled? Reyona wondered what she was thinking.


    If she didn¡¯t know better, she might have thought someone had toyed with the central heating.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± she hummed in her throat as she snuggled closer to him and put her arm around his neck to get more of him.


    They separated breathlessly, and he asked ¡°What if the baby is a boy?¡±


    Reyona took her gaze off his eyes enough to answer ¡°What¡­oh, hmm, I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.¡± She smiled as she added, ¡°I have a feeling though.¡±


    ¡°I guess I have to trust you on that,¡± he said as his hand covered her stomach.


    He was silent for a moment as he slowly rubbed his thumb over her stomach, with his hand still syed over her stomach.


    ¡°You were not going to tell me,¡± he said slowly.


    When he looked back at her eyes, his were swimming with emotions. ¡°This was the main reason why you left. You knew before you left, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Reyona sighed as hey back on her back, feeling bereft when his hand momentarily left her stomach because of the moment.


    There was no point denying it.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You believed I was deceiving you all along. You thought I never meant it all those times when I told you I loved you.¡±


    Reyona turned her head to him and just couldn¡¯t handle the look on his face. ¡°Can we talk about thister?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want any misunderstanding between us anymore, Reyona. I¡­about Susan¡­¡±


    She pushed him back and straddled him. She cupped his face and looked at his instantly heated eyes as his hands grabbed her ass. Leaning close to him, she whispered ¡°Shut up¡±.


    And get down to the business of shutting him up properly.


    No further persuasion was needed on his side.

 Very Married

    Reyona blinked awake groggily as she groaned and covered herself to ward off the thin ray of sunlight peeking through the closed curtains.


    ¡°Go away,¡± she mumbled as she rolled onto her back.


    ¡°I assume that is not meant for me?¡± She heard Maxwell¡¯s amused voiceing from the direction of the door.


    She peeked out beneath her hand to see himing towards her bare-chested, with only his pants on and a covered tray in his hands.


    He looked deliciously handsome in the morning light and Reyona was sure that her watering mouth wasn¡¯t just from the aroma of whatever he had with him.


    ¡°Good morning, sleeping beauty. Like what you see?¡± He teased her as he carefully ced the tray on the bedside table.


    ¡°Nuh uh, not sure. Come closer, let me see.¡± She said flirtatiously, and he obliged her as he knelt on the bed beside her and leaned forward.


    ¡°What about now?¡± he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.


    Reyona rose to wrap her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to her.


    They shared a long kiss that left them breathless.


    ¡°My oh my, Miss Dexter. I think you are growing quite insatiable for me.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm¡± Reyona said as she gave him a sultry look beneath hershes and reached out to trace his biceps with her fingers.


    Heat was already pooling within her. A few minutes after she woke up, and she was more than ready to have him sink into her over and over again.


    Damn.


    ¡°Or should I say, Mrs Rohan? We are still very married, you know.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s fingers stilled, and she cleared her throat as she looked towards the thin ray of light that had probably woken her in the first ce.


    ¡°Can you please pull the curtains tighter? I think I am not ready to face all that much lighting yet¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he responded as he got up.


    She lifted and readjusted until she was lying on her back against the headboard.


    ¡°That for me?¡± She asked as she pointed at the covered tray.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± He said as he lifted the tray, then handed it to her as he said. Here, hold on to this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    Maxwell moved to unfold the foldable mini-table he carried beneath the tray. ¡°I had to go do something, you know. Otherwise, I am unsure if I wouldn¡¯t have given in to the temptation of waking you up with some action. You look so hot when you sleep.¡±


    Damn, his directness could be so hot at times.


    Or maybe her heart was because she wouldn¡¯t have minded one bit if he had woken her up with what he had in mind.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± He asked as he uncovered the mouthwatering dish of bacon, whole grain toast, and eggs, with warmed milk.


    Warm?


    ¡°So, I was reading some articles earlier, and it says that warm milk is very good for expectant mothers¡± he said with a sheepish smile when he saw her feeling the milk ss with her hand.


    Reyonaughed ¡°I think I need to give you some heads-up that you can¡¯t always trust everything you read online. But thank you, and the article was right.¡±


    ¡°Good, now eat up.¡± He said as he held a strip of bacon to her lips.


    ¡°I need to go brush my teeth first,¡± Reyona protested.


    ¡°Come on, that will take too long and it will get cold. Nobody said you have to brush before eating. Doctors only said brush twice daily.¡±


    ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Reyona wondered aloud. ¡°Obviously it wasn¡¯t stated because it was expected to be the normal thing to do.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Maxwell merely wiggled his eyebrows at her and shook the bacon slightly. ¡°I can personally brush it for you if you want. Later. I think the baby wants to eat now.¡±


    Reyona shook her head at him in amusement, bit off the bacon and chewed, slightly self-conscious about how he was looking at her with such admiration in his eyes.


    After a while of feeding her, he said ¡°I am going to get some of those expectant dad books and learn some more. I am sure you can help me learn too. And when we go back¡­¡±


    Reyona almost choked on the milk she had in her mouth at that moment.


    He quickly patted her back as she coughed lightly, dabbing at her mouth with the napkin. She gawked at him and asked ¡°When we go back? Where is thating from?¡±


    ¡°I just thought¡­¡± he stopped talking when he saw her narrowed eyes. Then he said ¡°I am sorry for assuming. That was inconsiderate of me. What do you want?¡±


    She told him.


    **********


    The next couple of weeks were the most decadent Reyona had spent all her life.


    It was also the most enjoyable time she had spent closely in thepany of another person in a long while.


    It had been enjoyable in many ways, yet she couldn¡¯t take her mind off one particr.


    The love-making!


    Damn, the rate at which they go at each other was just scandalously off the chart.


    Reyona had thought her insatiable urge in the first few days had been because she had been suppressing the nerve-wracking urges for so long.


    She had thought it would stop after a couple of days, and she would be her normal sex-when-you-can self again, but no such luck.


    If anything, the urge seemed to be on the increase.


    Despite her vow not to ask the doctor again, she couldn¡¯t help but share her concern with the woman when Maxwell drove her there for her next appointment.


    ¡°You are perfectly fine, madam. I am d to see that your husband is here with you too. I would suggest that you two enjoy this moment the best way you can. Everything is fine with the baby and your health couldn¡¯t be better.¡±


    Still, Reyona wasn¡¯t so sure that ¡°fine¡± was the term she would use for how she felt during the birthing ss she had signed up for but had only attended once before.

 Man Of Her Dreams

    As the instructor was telling them what to do with the birthing balls, she was thinking of another set of balls differently.


    And when she started sweating and breathing harshly during the exercises they were asked to do with their partners, it certainly had nothing to do with squatting positions.


    It was all because she had various other positions in mind that had nothing to do with how to easily push babies out.


    When she was already picturing every other person in the room falling off the face of the earth, she knew they had to go.


    She gave a close-to-incoherent excuse and practically dragged Maxwell out of there.


    They had barely gotten inside before they began to tear each other¡¯s clothes off.


    Thankfully, there was no fear of being discovered by anyone.


    Reyona had given her staff a month-long paid leave for fear that she would probably do something inappropriate in front of them one day.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t that she had be so dangerous that every man in her vicinity turned her on. Nope, it just had to do with a certain man.


    ¡°It must be the baby. Baby and hormones.¡± she thought to herself as she licked the spoon of her strawberry tart clean.


    She suddenly realised that she had been touching her swollen breast even as she had those thoughts.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± she murmured as she looked around in the private dining room where she was.


    Though there was no one around to see her, she still couldn¡¯t shake the embarrassment at the kind of thought she was having in a public ce.


    He had brought her to the La Premiere restaurant because she had told him she would like them to eat out that night instead of staying in the way they had been doing for the past weeks.


    The aim was so they could manage to keep their hands off themselves for a while.


    At least that was what she thought, and it was a brilliant idea at the time.


    But then the affluent La Premiere restaurant had been fully booked that night when they got there, and they had almost turned away in disappointment when the receptionist told them that someone had just cancelled one of their VIP dining room reservations.


    In truth, Reyona would have preferred the main dining room where she could see others seeing them and reminded herself of the goal ofing out, but the private room was all they could get.


    The meal there was wonderful. Just as always, conversation was very easy between them.


    They talked about lighter things like his travels, how he started his first investment, her dealings with certain customers who did not think a woman could run a sessful business, and they were always expecting her boss when she met them for the first time. They talked about many other things as they enjoyed their five-course meal.


    Lighter things that were nothing like the intense conversations they had had over the weeks.


    Reyona finally understood his reasons for keeping those things from her.


    He even told her about the reason why Thomas had not been connected to the purchase of the mask in the sex scandal video.


    It had been the handiwork of his stepsister.


    He told her the reason he had made the mistake of trying to heal both of them before telling his NDLEA friend about Susan.


    Just as he exined why he had not told her about it when he learned about them that morning before their marriage.


    He had not been ashamed of telling her that he was scared of losing her.


    That particr act and its confession meant so much more to Reyona in a way she couldn¡¯t exin.


    Then he had told her about the disaster of the sunk ship.


    Reyona was devastated by the news and how much more it had cost him.


    Sheforted him and told him how sorry she was that while he was dealing with that, he also had to deal with trying to find her.


    Reyona had spoken to Celia earlier, and she had cried when Celia exined how things had been with him during those months she had been unreachable.


    Then he totally disarmed her when he said ¡°None of them matteredpared to losing you. I can lose everything and I will survive it all. I havee to realize that I can¡¯t survive losing you, Reyona.¡±


    It was at that moment that she realised it.


    Those strong feelings she had finally admitted to herself she felt about him?


    It was love.


    An engulfing love that scared her with its enormity.


    Not the kind she had ever felt before for any man.


    Not the kind she had thought was possible for her battered heart to be capable of again.


    She realised it and it scared her.


    It scared her so much that she couldn¡¯t talk about it.


    It scared her so much that she couldn¡¯t make the deration. She could see its expectancy in his eyes whenever he whispered those words to her.


    His ¡°I love you¡± spiked ranges of emotion in her every time.


    It was never the same.


    It was always different.


    Yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to make that deration.


    She just gave him herself in the way she could at the moment.


    She had expected him to argue or try to convince her otherwise when she told him she was not going back to Kayooma anytime soon.


    She had told him that she wanted to stay in Sydney to build her newpany to a certain level before she could fully leave it to Phils, who had told her he had no issue with moving permanently to Sydney.


    Reyona had expected Maxwell to tell her he had to go back to Kayooma as soon as possible, but he had surprised her when he told her he could handle hispanies from wherever he was in the world.


    ¡°What I can¡¯t do is stay away from you and our baby,¡± he had said without any hesitation.


    He just kept surprising her in unexpected ways and Reyona finally realised how prejudiced she had been about him from the start.


    For now, she decided to take each day as it came and live it to the fullest with the man who had turned out to be the man of her dreams and the family they were about to build.


    He had talked about them having a proper wedding ceremony but Reyona felt they should still hold on, but then she surprised him when she had herwyer send the divorce papers she had signed to her.


    She presented the papers to him that evening when she went to the ce. Which he had gone to, when they agreed that was the way either of them was going to get any work done.


    Without saying anything, Reyona presented the envelope to him.

 Safe With Me

    She watched in concealed excitement as he removed the sheaf of papers from the envelope.


    When he saw the heading, his eyes widened as he asked; ¡°Is this¡­?¡±


    Reyona merely shrugged and waited as he fully pulled it out and stared in amazement at the part where she had crossed out her signature with a big X.


    ¡°This¡­. Reyona¡± he had called her name in such a heartfelt tone that had her smiling widely as tears glistened in her eyes.


    Then, with his eyes on hers, he aggressively shredded the papers into tiny bits while Reyonaughed.


    Together, they went to the firece and tossed the shredded papers into the fire.


    He held her close to his side as they watched the papers burn into nothingness.


    He turned to her with a suspicious wetness in his eyes.


    Reyona¡¯s heart was close to bursting as he cupped her face and trailed its features with his hands.


    ¡°You are mine, Mrs. Rohan¡±, he whispered in a tremulous voice before he gave her a lingering kiss.


    Reyona could feel his body shaking as he held her tightly in a hug even while being mindful of her stomach.


    That night, they hadin in bed, just holding each other in silence as they listened to each other¡¯s heartbeat.


    Then, towards dawn, they turned to each other in the mostnguorous and soul-stirring lovemaking they had ever engaged in.


    As they stared into each other¡¯s eyes whileing together in the most wholesome way, Reyona finally believed that things would eventually work out between them.


    Despite the unsettled things around them, they are going to win if they have each other.


    This was someone she wouldn¡¯t always need to show her strength and independence around.


    This was someone she could rely on.


    The dining room door opened, and he entered looking all dashing and hers.


    ¡°Mine¡± whispered her subconscious without hesitation.


    He was smiling as he approached the table. ¡°What are the odds of meeting someone who knows me here in Sydney? Well, I just discovered it is a pretty high one. I met a man I know in the restroom of all ces. Then he wouldn¡¯t let me go until he introduced me to the others he was with. I had to finally excuse myself when they started suggesting I bring my date over so we can have a good time together.¡± he said as he sat down heavily with a shortugh.


    ¡°Sorry about that, babe. Did you miss me?¡± He asked with a wink.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm,¡± Reyona said with a hum as she leaned forward in her seat, ced her elbows on the table, theny her chin on her steepled fingers as she gave him a sultry look.


    She locked her legs together to stop herself from moaning out loud when he leaned towards her with that look of his.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    What made her think that thinking about serious matters or being out in public was going to change anything?


    Ah.


    All it had taken was his presence in the same room with her and her seemingly calmed arousal had reared its head again.


    He grinned wickedly, and his teeth glinted in the soft lighting as he said in a husky tone, ¡°Damn Martins. I should have gotten back earlier.¡±


    His voice caused a tingle down her spine and Reyona arched her back slightly as she felt her nipples straining against her dress. Then, she let out a soft gasp when she felt dampness in her crotch.


    His eyes glistened dangerously as he heard her gasp, but he stayed put and kept that grin on his face.


    She swallowed hard and bit her lips seductively before saying ¡°Yes, you should have.¡±


    He stretched his hands towards her and stopped just a hairsbreadth from her elbow as he asked in a low tone. ¡°Betterte than never, Mrs Rohan. I am here now. What would you like to do to me?¡±


    His fingers reached out to touch her elbows but Reyona subtly moved her hands backwards.


    The challenge heated his eyes and his grin widened as he tilted his head and waited.


    With her eyes still on his, Reyona took her hands off the table and reached downward until her hands were on herp.


    The imagination of his hands on her made her hotter and she let out a soft moan.


    She could see a muscle tick in his cheek, and she knew that he was tightly holding himself under control, yet he gave her an easy look that was nothing but easy on her.


    He watched her as she slowly raised the hem of her gown to her crotch. Then she dipped her fingers into the sides, wiggled a bit and slowly rolled her panties downward.


    She raised her leg and removed the panties from it, then watched as he finally realised what she was doing when she raised the other leg.


    He swore beneath his breath, even before she gestured at him to open his hand.


    He did so automatically, and she leaned forward with her eyes still on him as she ced the damp thong in his hand.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he growled as he held the panties tightly.


    Then, with his eyes still on hers, he moved the hand holding it slowly to his face and buried his nose in it.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t stop her audible moan this time.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Hemanded in a voice that never failed to be her undoing every time.


    She slowly stood up by rolling her dress down.


    ¡°Leave it.¡± He said as he leaned back in his chair, with his legs wide apart.


    She gave him a sultry smile while biting her lips as she did as he said, and approached him.


    Their eyes were glued to each other until she got to him.


    She leaned towards him as if to kiss him, but then she moved towards his back and whispered breathily in his ear.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me, Mr. Rohan? There might be unseen cameras in this room, you know.¡± She ended thest statement with a flick of her tongue against his ear.


    He inhaled sharply as he grabbed her waist and made her stand in front of him.


    ¡°You are right, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a nonchnt shrug. ¡°Still, unless there is one under this table, your modesty is safe with me, wifey.¡±


    Under¡­


    He pulled her into hisp, making a gasping moan escape her as she felt his rigid bulge beneath her.


    He groaned as their bodies touched and adjusted the chair a bit, so her legs were under the table.


    He leaned forward and moved the clingy dress higher as Reyona unconsciously ground against his bulge.


    Sheid her head against his shoulder as he strained forward a bit and his fingers branded her skin as they trailed her exposed thigh.


    Reyona let out a long, low moan as his finger sunk into her.


    Oh!

 Old-Fashioned And Sweet

    ¡°Oh my¡­Rey! Get it, girl!¡±


    Toria¡¯s squeal from the other end of the phone made Regina grin on her way to her office.


    ¡°I tell you, Toria. This is not normal.¡± She said with a sheepish smile as she pressed the button on the elevator.


    ¡°Girl, I don¡¯t care if it is normal or not. As long as you are having fun and no harm is done? I am all for it.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she waved at Nicole in response to her greetings and headed to the office that Phil had prepared for her.


    ¡°It is¡­¡± She waited until she opened and closed the door before she continued ¡°It is all just so intense, you know. The feeling, the conversation. The¡­everything. I didn¡¯t know it was possible for me to feel all this for one person.¡±


    ¡°Rey,¡± Toria breathed in a low tone. ¡°You are in love with him!¡±


    Reyona opened the curtains with the remote before moving towards her desk. She sighed with a smile and said ¡°I am, Toria. I don¡¯t know how this happened, but I really am.¡±


    ¡°Reyona!¡± Toria called excitedly. ¡°I am so, so happy for you, sis. Oh lucky him! Have you told him?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± she twirled her chair until it was facing the window. ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Toria asked in surprise. ¡°He is a good man, Rey.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. I just¡­ I will tell him. I will.¡±


    Toria was silent for a moment before she asked in a sober tone ¡°Do you still have doubts about him, Rey?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°The deration would make it much more real?¡±


    Regina shrugged as she tilted her head ¡°Uhmm, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid to love him?¡± Toria asked in an understanding tone.


    Reyona blurted out what she had not fully admitted to herself. ¡°I am terrified, Toria. I¡­ I am scared by the magnitude of this feeling and I¡­¡± she closed her eyes and said in a passionate voice. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to give someone else that much power over me, you know.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid he might turn out like Thomas? He is a good man, Toria. Even I could see how much he loves you. It is not the same.¡±


    Reyona nodded to herself as she said ¡°Yes, it is not the same. I never felt like this with Thomas the way I do about him and I could see just how much he wants me to. Maybe he¡­what if something changed? What if he stopped feeling this way? Or what if I do? What if this feeling is only heightened by hormones? I don¡¯t think I could handle it if this turned out to be something fleeting, you know. I just¡­¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I think you will have to trust yourself enough to believe it is not just a passing feeling, you know. If left to me, I know you are not the type to entertain mere in-the-moment feelings, you know. For you to feel this deeply right now. This must have been brewing for a while and you have been suppressing it. But then, that is my thought. You need to trust yourself enough to arrive at that conviction. Just as you need to trust him enough too. Talk to him about your fears, Rey. If you really want to do this, then you need to talk to him.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she answered. ¡°How did you get to be so wise?¡±


    She could vividly picture Toria flicking her hair back as she said ¡°Duh, have you met my sister?¡±


    Reyonaughed ¡°Oh, wow. You better not let Mom hear that you did not give credit to her. She is going to wring your neck, then she will disown me.¡±


    Theyughed before Toria said ¡°Did I remember to tell you that your man is the cutest? Mom said he called Dad to officially ask for your hand.¡±


    ¡°Max?¡± Reyona said in shockedughter.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Toria responded with gleefulughter. ¡°Heard he would have gone physically to Mn to ask, but because Dad and Madeline are not back from their trip yet, he had to do it on the phone.¡±


    This man never ceased to surprise her. Reyona thought. And he had not said anything to her about it.


    ¡°What did Dad say?¡± Reyona asked with a grin.


    He put Mom on call and they both grilled him, of course. Trust Mom to do the honours. Oh my god, I think I am going to get a bellyache from all thisughter. She¡­ they asked him about his intentions with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh god,¡± Reyona said as she covered her face with her eyes.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    As she looked down at her bump, she wondered if that question wasn¡¯t a bit toote to be asked.


    ¡°Mom was impressed by how respectful and proper he was when he was answering all their questions.¡± Toria chipped in gleefully.


    Proper? Maxwell?


    ¡°Oh my. It was so old-fashioned and sweet too, you know¡±, Toria said in a contemtive tone. ¡°Now my future billionaire husband has one more thing on the list of things he needs to fulfil,¡± she said with augh.


    Then ¡°Shoot, I need to go. Tara just sent me a message that we are getting onboard already.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, go on, you world traveller,¡± Reyona said in a teasing tone.


    ¡°What can I say? I love my job.¡±


    ¡°My regards to Tara. Manuel stilling to join you thereter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, once he is done with what he had to do in Sydney. At this rate, I think I will have to discuss with him abouting aboard, you know. Cos why not? He is very good at what he does and loves working with us, even though I know that is mostly because of a certain someone. Oh, okay, okay. On my way. Bye, Rey. Don¡¯t go asking for some distance from that man now.¡±


    ¡°Why do you know me so well?¡± Reyona said with augh.


    ¡°Just so I can embarrass you by sharing all the juicy info on your wedding day, of course. Bye!¡±

 Save Me From Myself

    ¡°Safe jour¡­ney¡± Reyonapleted as she heard the disconnecting tone of the call.


    She ced her phone on the table as she mused on the sess of Toria¡¯s interior designpany with her partner, Tara.


    Tara had started the samepany on a small scale before her husband forced her to sell it so she could be a permanent housewife.


    Toria had discovered the emotional and physical abuse the woman had been going through. So, instead of buying out the woman¡¯s only means of escape from her marital problems, her sister had helped the woman finally speak up about her situation, reported him to the authorities and finally ensured that he was locked away for a long time after he almost killed Manuel in his intention to shoot Tara.


    Then she used the money she had intended to use to purchase the building which Tara¡¯s parents had left for her to enter into a partnership with Tara.


    That birthed T and T Interiors, a source of new life for Tara and a chance for Toria to fully utilise her managerial and creative skills.


    Toria was also thepany¡¯s creative director, besides being a partner. Reyona couldn¡¯t be more proud of Toria¡¯s influence on the once-rundown, barely-getting-bypany which Toria had shown her.


    Now rebranded in name, renovation and reach, thepany got their first international customer through the Aspen deal.


    Reyona was surprised when Torid told her they had gotten a referral from their Aspen customer even before they finished their job.


    The team was on their way to Cyprus for another mega project that would take several months toplete.


    Reyona was so proud of her sister. She knew that once Toria had finally settled down to her choice of profession, she was going to do very well.


    She couldn¡¯t be more d that she had been right too.


    As she found herself whiling away the morning with one thought after the other, Reyona firmly turned her chair around and moved closer to her desk to do what was required.


    ¡°Your aunt is on her way to making money, baby. So let¡¯s do the same¡± she said with a smile as she opened the file that Nicole had already arranged for her to sign and work on.


    Soon enough, her pen was suspended over the files while she stared ahead, lost in thought again.


    Toria was right when she said she might ask for some distance from Maxwell.


    That was the main reason why she hade to thepany so early.


    The idea of shutting herself in her home office while he went to his ce to work was not working for them at all.


    In the past week, she had gotten more naked in her home office than get any work done.


    Just as she had also jumped him many times in his home office, she had lost count.


    After the morning exercise that had ended in them having another sort of exercise on the yoga mat, Reyona suggested that they needed much more distance between them if any of them were going to function normally at all.


    ¡°You want me to go back?¡± He asked with apprehension in his tone as he held her while their breathing both calmed.


    ¡°Back?¡± She asked as she lifted her head and looked at him because of his tone. That was when she realised what he meant. ¡°You mean back to Kayooma? No, no, I don¡¯t want you to go back.¡± Then she quickly added ¡°Unless that is what you want, of course. I mean¡­ I have no issues with it if that is what you want.¡±


    His arms tightened around her as he kissed her forehead and said ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to go back. I want to stay right here with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Reyona said as shey her head back on his chest she wondered why she had felt a slight panic when she had thought that he was about to tell her that he was going back.


    ¡°I mean we need some distance between us during the day. I mean¡­¡± she paused as she felt his dick swelling against her. ¡°That¡­ I meant just that. At this rate, the baby would be lucky to meet both of us in one piece by the time she gets here.¡±


    He deliberately wiggled beneath her as he said ¡°What? I have no problem with that at all. I am sure Pat would understand too. She must know that was how she got here in the first ce, right?¡±


    ¡°Pat?¡± Reyona said with a wrinkle on her face.


    ¡°Could be Patricia or Patrick as you said. I love Pat. I wished I had met your grandma, you know.¡±


    Tears pooled in Reyona¡¯s eyes, and she could see that he saw it as he leaned forward to ce lingering kisses on her eyelids.


    Emotions bloomed inside Reyona, and she gave him a loving look as he leaned back and smiled at her.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What was I saying?¡± She asked iprehensibly.


    ¡°That we should stay like this forever,¡± Maxwell said with a grin.


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona said emphatically. ¡°I have to go to the office. That is how we can manage to keep our hands off each other for a while.¡±


    ¡°Howe I got no vote on that? I like where my hands are at the moment.¡± He said as he moved his hands downwards and grabbed her ass.


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona said as she unconsciously rubbed herself against his bulging shaft. ¡°I am serious,¡± she said breathlessly.


    ¡°I am serious too, you know,¡± he said as he leaned forward to capture her mouth in a kiss. ¡°Let me show you how serious I am.¡±


    Then he proceeded to convince her of just how serious he was.


    Reyona had to push his reluctant ass out of the door that morning after he asked for a single kiss that wouldst him the day and then went on to get more than an innocent kiss.


    She was breathing heavily as she leaned against the door as if afraid he would pull it open again, and she would give in to his smoldering gaze and urge-stirring touches.


    He had told her he also had meetings to attend that day because he was considering some investments in Sydney.


    ¡°Might as well get some of the action, you know. I love what the market is saying, and I think I would have a try¡± he said that morning.


    Reyona jolted as a knock came from the door.


    Damn it. Not only had she been engulfed in her thoughts again, but her skin was tingling from a mild arousal that her thoughts had caused.


    ¡°Hey Phil,¡± she said brightly as she saw Phillip Aguir at the door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Save me from myself!

 What You Made Me Do

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Reyona asked in a strangled tone.


    ¡°Ie bearing gifts,¡± he said automatically as he held the bag in his hand forward like a peace offering.


    ¡°I told you¡­¡± she looked beside her when she saw him grinning as he looked towards her side too.


    Phil gave her an innocent look as he said ¡°I can¡­go?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t want you to go. I have something we need to do right now. We have¡­¡± she trailed off as she tried to remember what she was going to do with Phil before he decided to difit her with his presence.


    ¡°Meeting. We have a meeting, boss.¡± Phil quickly finished for her. ¡°A very important meeting that can¡¯t wait. Yes, that is it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t wait,¡± she said as she looked back at Maxwell and inclined her head for him to leave.


    Instead, he moved forward with his hands outstretched towards Phil. ¡°Hi, I am Maxwell. I don¡¯t believe we have met. You must be the very capable Phil who has been helping my wife out.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona said under her breath as she saw Nicoleing towards them.


    Just as Phil took Maxwell¡¯s hand in a handshake and said ¡°Yes, I am he.¡±


    ¡°They are ready for you, ma,¡± Nicole said as she got to them.


    ¡°Your meeting¡±, Maxwell said as he gave Reyona a prating look.


    ¡°Uhh? My¡­hmm,¡±


    ¡°Come with me, Nicole,¡± Phils said instantly and practically dragged the confused Nicole away.


    Then she heard Phil say before they rounded the corner. ¡°I think it has just got hotter around here.¡±


    Reyona pinked even more in embarrassment. ¡°Look what you made me do.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± he said innocently as he moved closer to her.


    ¡°No, no, stop. Stop right there.¡± She said desperately. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She turned on her heels and quickly headed to her office, amazed that her jelly legs still managed to carry her so well.


    She jerked the door open and inhaled deeply before she turned to face him.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Your gift.¡± He said immediately as he stretched the small bag with the logo of a bakery to her.


    She looked from his innocent face to the bag, then back to his face. ¡°What gift?¡±


    ¡°I know how much you love Tiramisu, so I just couldn¡¯t pass it over when I saw it on the disy of this cute bakery.¡±


    ¡°You came all this way to bring me a Tiramisu from a cute bakery?¡± She asked iprehensibly.


    His grin was not helping her at all as he said ¡°Very cute.¡±


    ¡°I just had my lunch¡± she quickly said.


    ¡°Great. Then this could be your dessert.¡± He said without missing a beat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is alcohol-free and decaffeinated too. Talk of cute, did I ever tell you how beautifully cute you look when you blush?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blush.¡± She said emphatically.


    ¡°Must be my imagination then. Still, you look very¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± she said as she walked up to him and did what she had been tempted to do since she saw him standing there in the hallway, looking like a billion bucks and yummy in his pinstripe suit and trousers that moulded his physique so perfectly that she wanted to rip them all off while dering to the world that this man belonged to her.


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± he said as she finally got ahold of herself to pull back from him.


    ¡°If I had known that getting a Tiramisu would bring this great reward, I would have gotten the whole bakery¡¯s worth.¡±


    His husky tone was her undoing.


    Reyona strode towards him again, then she stopped herself as she took a step backwards and said ¡°No, I am not doing this. I am a professional and I will stay that way.¡±


    His grin widened as he said, ¡°Even professionals have got to eat, you know.¡±


    Chest heaving, Reyona keened low in her throat as his suggestive tone almost turned her into a puddle of mess.


    His gaze and tone were enough to let even the deaf know that he was not talking about food. Certainly not the ordinary kind.


    ¡°You need to go,¡± she said as she bit her lips and stood back from him.


    ¡°I would rather stay, you know. I want to take you home when you are done with work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to¡­ I came with my car.¡± She said with determination.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te with mine,¡± he said automatically.


    ¡°Then how¡­ I really need to go to this meeting.¡± She said to change the topic.


    That should get him going, right?


    ¡°I am already done with my meetings for the day. I can stay here to wait for you, then take you out to dinner before we go home, or I cane with you to the meeting. I would like to watch you in action, you know. That is a privilege I have never had before.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I remember to tell you that I also have a surprise for you?¡± He asked as he moved closer to her.


    She wanted to move backwards, but she stood her ground.


    She had given him too much power to see how much he affected her.


    It was time to put a stop to that.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t stop her chest from heaving as he slowly reached for her waist while he ced the Tiramisu on the table with his other hand.


    ¡°What surprise?¡± She asked breathily.


    He smiled as he bopped her on the nose and said ¡°It is why it is called a surprise, Reyona. Can¡¯t tell you yet. Let me sit in for your meeting.¡±


    ¡°It is not professional, you are not¡­¡±


    ¡°I can look in from outside. I don¡¯t have to be part of it. I just want to see you in boss mode. I am already getting stiff from imagining you in that element. Wanna check?¡± He asked mischievously.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When she opened her mouth to talk, he quickly said, ¡°I am kidding. Can Ie?¡±


    Come? Damn it, how was she supposed to have a whole meeting in his presence when she couldn¡¯t help but have a different meaning for such a simple word?

 Don’t Hold Back

    The meeting was mostly one for introductions where the personnel got to meet Reyona as the chairperson of thepany.


    Most of them had seen here a few times already, and they knew about how she had filled in for Phil on the day of the event as well, but they still didn¡¯t know her real identity.


    After Phil introduced her, to the surprise of those who had thought that she was Phil¡¯s girlfriend, they all began to introduce themselves as well.


    Then Reyona gave a little speech that epassed her gratitude for the efforts they had been putting in, a promise of due rewards to those who continue to work diligently, a reminder of the goals of thepany and how they were the face of thepany who must endeavour to portray thepany in the right light every time.


    She soon dismissed them, and they were barely out of the room when he pped as he stood up from where he had been sitting on one side of the room.


    ¡°You were brilliant,¡± he said as he came forward and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°You think?¡± She asked in a rare need of validation.


    ¡°Absolutely. They love you.¡±


    Sheughed nervously and said ¡°That might be a little over the top. This is like the talking stage between us, at least.¡±


    ¡°Trust me on this¡± he said as he slung his arm around her and said ¡°Who can me them too? Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t love you. You know. You are a total package, Mrs. Rohan. If I didn¡¯t know what the answer would be, I would have poached you from your boss and put you in charge of my group ofpanies. Then I can finally retire and spend more time with my wife.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Reyona said with a wrinkle of her nose before she moved back from him.


    When she was tempted to move closer to breathe in his intoxicating cologne, she merely stepped around him and stepped towards the door.


    He grabbed her hand before she could go far and pulled her flush against him back to front.


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± she said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked innocently in the same tone.


    When she looked towards the ss walls where anyone who was inclined could easily see them, he said ¡°Oh my bad. I am so sorry¡± in a voice that was far from being apologetic.


    Then the next minute he was leaning down to kiss her neck.


    Reyona danced out of his arms and hurried towards the door.


    Before she opened the door, she patted herself into ce.


    Checked her face in the mirror to see if she was flushed and quickly rushed out of the door before he could get to her.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Hisughter dogged her heels as she walked briskly towards her office.


    Nicole smiled at her when she passed her quickly as she felt him getting closer to her.


    ¡°Great, now the assistant will think I am a silly leader¡± she thought before she jerked her door open and entered.


    After promising her that he would remain a perfect gentleman for the rest of the day, he got busy on his phone in the entertainment section of the office.


    ¡°I have some emails to check and return anyway. Might as well get them done now. I also have some other things that will keep me busy and out of your way until you are ready to leave. At this rate, you won¡¯t even know that I am here.¡±


    Yeah, right. She thought in exasperation as she tossed her pen on her desk minutester.


    After she had read a line about three times without understanding a thing, she knew it was hopeless.


    Expecting to get anything done while he was sitting there all calm and unruffled was useless.


    Look at him typing away as if he was not doing things to her even without saying anything.


    How could he be that cool as a cucumber when she was almost going nuts here?


    She had tried to keep her mind solely on work and nothing but work. Still, it had been a futile effort.


    At one point, she was tempted to stand up and go closer to him just to see if he was truly engrossed in what he was doing in a way that she couldn¡¯t, yet she knew that would mean admitting her weakness when he came to him.


    She was a professional woman, and would show just how¡­


    ¡°Need some help there, babe?¡± He asked so suddenly that she jolted in her seat.


    ¡°No¡­¡± shit! She thought when she saw where his eyes were as he asked her that question.


    Even as she thought of how she needed to show him that she was not weak, she had been trailing her fingers from her corbone down her throat to the top of her breasts.


    Just the way he did.


    ¡°I am working,¡± she said emphatically as she looked away from him.


    ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am. I respect that.¡± He said in such a serious tone that she automatically looked back at him.


    Only to see him grinning mischievously.


    They bothughed, and then he said ¡°Have your dessert.¡±


    Winked at her, then turned back to what he was doing.


    Since she couldn¡¯t seem to work anyway, she unboxed the Tiramisu and dipped the spoon into it.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want some of this?¡± She asked as she put the spoon in her mouth and licked it.


    ¡°Some of what?¡± He asked as his head turned towards her direction so fast that she smiled. ¡°You were the one who said you wanted to be professional, Mrs Rohan. Are we forgetting that so soon?¡± he asked with a heated look.


    ¡°What? I was only asking if you wanted some Tiramisu¡± Reyona said innocently, even as she scooped out a tiny bit of the Tiramisu, put it in her mouth and let out a soft moan as she pulled the spoon out of her mouth slowly.


    He dropped his phone immediately.


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona said emphatically. Then she set the Tiramisu aside as she said ¡°Get back to work. I need to do the same.¡±


    She bent her head over the pages in front of her.


    ¡°Okay then.¡± He said in a disgruntled tone that had her smiling secretly.


    Finally, she got off work, and they went to the parking lot to pick up her car.


    What was it about cramped spaces? She wondered as she rolled down the window.


    They had shared a passionate moment in the elevator, too, that could have led to more if not that the elevator dinged right on time, and they quickly separated.


    As she sat beside him in the car as well, she had to forcefully turn her head away from him to calm herself a bit.


    ¡°You look peaked, Mrs. Rohan. Something I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Just drive,¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to hold it in, right? I mean I am notining, you know.¡±


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Drive, okay?¡±


    He touched her that moment and she lost her slippery hold on her control.


    She automatically removed her seat belt, turned to him and kissed him aggressively.


    ¡°We need¡­ to go¡­home. Anybody could see¡­ us here¡± she said, with kisses even as she grabbed his hand and guided it under her.


    ¡°Then let them see.¡± He responded with harsh breathing. ¡°Don¡¯t you just love living dangerously?¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    Maxwell released the seatsh and pulled the car seat back so she could have the chance to wiggle onto him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, Reyona. You never have to hold back. Not with me.¡±


    He pulled his straining bulge free as she rose over him and sank deeply onto his engorged shaft.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He said with a long groan as she moaned in tandem with him.


    He grabbed her ass and guided her up and down his straining dick as they rode each other to oblivion.


    Maxwell¡¯s phone started ringing.


    It was automatically ignored as the couple stayed locked to each other.


    Lost in their passion, they didn¡¯t take note of the phone when it rang the second time.

 You Should Go

    ¡°I think it is you,¡± Reyona said breathlessly.


    She was staring up at the roof of the car while trying to catch her breath.


    ¡°It is me what?¡± Maxwell asked as he turned to her, his chest still heaving as well.


    ¡°You did something to me. You¡­ I was perfectly fine before you came around, and now I can¡¯t remember a day that I did not have the thought of¡­ you know.¡±


    He had a proud look on his face as he grinned and said ¡°That was the best thing you had said to me all day.¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes and sat up to rearrange her clothing.


    Just as he started doing the same, his phone started ringing again.


    ¡°Someone must be very desperate to get to you. That has been going on and on.¡± Reyona said as she moved from the console and properly got back in her seat.


    ¡°You heard it? I thought those were the sound of you moaning.¡± Maxwell said with a grin.


    Reyona raised her brows at him as he turned to search for the phone which was ringing from below the seat.


    He chuckled and said, ¡°How had that got there?¡±


    He stretched to reach the phone, and he said ¡°This had better be good because I do not appreciate it when anyone interrupts my me-time with my wife¡­ Jane.¡±


    The smile on Reyona¡¯s face morphed into a confused look as she turned back to him. ¡°Jane?¡±


    She could already see the instant worry on his face as he pointed at the phone that had stopped ringing. ¡°Five missed calls. She wouldn¡¯t call me five times un¡­ Hi, what happened?¡± he asked instantly as the call was picked up.


    Reyona could hear some rushed, mumbled words on the other end as Maxwell¡¯s brow furrowed.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Jane. Listen to me!¡± Maxwellmanded. Then, when he saw the questioning look on Reyona¡¯s face, he put the phone on speaker even while saying, ¡°Calm down and tell me what happened.¡±


    Reyona could hear the voices in the background even as she heard Jane sniffling.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡­¡± sniffles. ¡°It is Allysyn¡­ the sleepover that you approved? The one with Amelia, sir. I was getting ready to go pick her up this morning when Amelia¡¯s dad called me, sir. They couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice got clogged again as she said, ¡°Allysyn is missing, sir.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean she is missing?! What do¡­have they checked everywhere? How can a girl be missing in their home?!¡±


    ¡°Amelia said she was grabbed, sir. By some man. They were outside the house when it happened, sir. The parents didn¡¯t see anything but Amelia said she was grabbed by a man just as a van parked suddenly, and the man pushed her inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Reyona said with widened eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands.


    She started hearing amotion in the background. ¡°What is going on? Is she¡­have they found her?¡±


    ¡°Amelia¡¯s mom is asthmatic. She is having a crisis. The police are here, sir. What should I do? I was supposed toe get her, sir. She would be so scared right now.¡±


    ¡°I am on my way. Just cooperate with the police and give them every detail they need. Can Amelia talk? Was she able to give them the needed details?¡± Maxwell asked anxiously as he ran his hand towards his hair, then adjusted his seat in ce.


    ¡°I will do it,¡± Reyona said as she helped with the adjustment while he quickly put on the ignition.


    ¡°She is¡­yes, I think she is giving them now. She was in¡­she is in shock¡­¡±


    ¡°I am on my way,¡± Maxwell repeated as he started driving out of the lot.


    Reyona shook her head and gestured that they should switch ces.


    He parked automatically and they both went out to change ces.


    Reyona got behind the wheel as Maxwell asked ¡°Where is Junior? Does he know?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. He is with Meg.¡± the housekeeper. ¡°He thinks I wasing to get Allysyn.¡± she started sniffling again. ¡°What will I tell him, sir?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, you are not telling him anything. Stay right there or go back home if you have to, but you should not have to let that kid or anyone else know what is going on. Now, are any of the police officers right there with you?¡±


    ¡°No, okay, yes. One of them is close by. Amelia¡¯s mom is steady now.¡±


    ¡°Good, give the officer the phone.¡±


    Heartden with guilt and fear, Reyona drove as fast as she could.


    She supposed he would want to get his things from his ce before leaving, so that was where she headed.


    Her guilt stemmed from the fact that while the poor girl was being grabbed, they were all over each other like dogs in heat.


    She cringed as she remembered how they had conveniently ignored the phone when it was ringing.


    ¡°Poor Allysyn,¡± she thought as she half-listened to Maxwell¡¯s conversation with the cop.


    She looked towards the dashboard and saw that it was almost 8 pm.


    The time difference between Kayooma and Sydney was twelve hours, which means it was almost 8 am at Kayooma at the moment.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what the girl was going through at the moment.


    Why would anyone kidnap an innocent girl like Allysyn?


    For the money? A gang thing?


    Not that she had ever really heard of many gang activities in Kayooma, but that could be a possibility, right?


    Hoping that they wouldn¡¯t hurt the girl before the cops could get her back, Reyona drove as fast as she could.


    She had just gotten to Bellevue Hill when Maxwell got off the phone.


    ¡°What are they doing already? Do they have a clue about where she could be?¡± she asked as she took the path that led to his ce.


    ¡°No, not yet. They arebing the neighbourhood, asking questions and getting warrants to check every camera in that vicinity that could have possibly picked up anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God. She must be so terrified right now,¡± Reyona said as she approached the house.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how much,¡± Maxwell said as he removed his seatbelt before pointing at the spot she needed to stop for the camera to pick up her te number that he had already added to the configuration. ¡°There, right there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°So, I will quickly grab my things while Stefan gets ready for us. I will pick you up once¡­¡±


    Reyona stopped moving abruptly just before she got to the spot. ¡°Wait, what do you¡­? I¡­you¡­¡± She looked forward and upward as the camera got into the spot but couldn¡¯t pick up any signal, then whirred away uselessly.


    ¡°You areing with me, right?¡± Maxwell asked anxiously.


    ¡°No, I am not¡­¡± she stopped her agitated tone and looked straight at him as she said ¡°No, I am noting with you. I told you¡­we talked about this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but this is¡­different. This is Allysyn,¡± he said emphatically in a tone that said it all.


    ¡°I know, and I am sorry that this is happening. I just¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t plunge into all that mess again so soon. She thought.


    But to him, she said ¡°I can¡¯t just leave like that. I have a life here too. I am¡­tomorrow, thepany is having¡­¡± she stopped as her churning emotions escted. Tears tingled at the back of her eyes as she looked away from his confused and hurt look. ¡°You should go,¡± she said thickly.


    ¡°Yes, I should,¡± he said as he opened the door and got out immediately.


    Reyona instantly turned and zoomed off.

 Does He Know?

    She was not being selfish!


    No, Allysyn meant a lot to her, and she would make sure she kept in touch with him¡­


    Well, she was not sure whether he would pick up her calls after what just happened, but she was going to try.


    Reyona paced to and fro in her bedroom as she felt like her skin was too tight for her.


    What did he have to look so hurt for?


    She liked Allysyn!


    She wished that whoever was the bastard whoy his hands on the girl would be instantly caught and dealt with.


    She hoped the girl wouldn¡¯t be plunged into the gloom she had once gotten into.


    Of course, she knew it was Allysyn!


    He didn¡¯t have to make her seem so heartless while looking at her like¡­


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Reyona sobbed as she rushed towards the nursery they had just started working on together.


    *****


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?!¡± Reyona asked urgently. Chest heaving, she hoped she was not toote already.


    ¡°I am on my way to the¡­ what do you want, Reyona?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me where you are unless you don¡¯t want me toe any¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­stay right there!¡± He said urgently before he disconnected the call.


    Reyona swiped at her eyes and tried to calm her breathing.


    She had only a duffel bag as she walked towards the edge of her driveway.


    He didn¡¯t even ask where she was. What if ¡­


    Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the familiar caring towards her.


    He rushed out of the car before it fully stopped.


    Unbidden tears flooded Reyona¡¯s eyes as she said ¡°I am sorry. I should¡­¡±


    He reached her and grabbed her face to kiss her soundly, then threw his arms around her in a tight hug.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said in a heartfelt tone.


    Reyona nodded against his shoulder as tears glistened in her eyes again.


    They separated, and he wiped her tears before grabbing her hand and turning towards the car.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Reyona said to the driver as they entered the back.


    The man responded and Maxwell told him to hurry to thending pad.


    He turned to pat Reyona¡¯s hand as he said ¡°She will be fine.¡±


    Reyona was unsure if he was trying to reassure her or himself, but she nodded, and he did the same too.


    With their hands entwined, they silently rode to thending pad.


    Stefan, the pilot, was ready for takeoff when they got there.


    Maxwell guided Reyona aboard and helped her buckle in.


    Apart from telling the two air hostesses to take proper care of his wife, Maxwell was on the phone for most of the flight.


    Alternating between calls and messages.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t keep up with his agitated pacing anymore, and she finally stood to go meet him.


    His worried expression turned to concern when he heard her approach.


    ¡°Do you need something? I told them to¡­¡±


    ¡°They are doing a good job. I don¡¯t need anything.¡± Then she held his hands and gave him his earlier statement, ¡°She will be fine. Come and sit with me.¡±


    She held his hand and led him to the plush seat that one of the hostesses had reclined for her.


    ¡°Tell me what you have found out.¡± She said to get him talking.


    Reyona was very worried too. When she closed her eyes for a moment the other time, she couldn¡¯t help but see the oddly vacant eyes of Allysyn back when she was not saying anything to anyone.


    Her heart constricted in pain as the images changed gradually from the very closed, adult expression that was perpetually on the girl¡¯s face to how vulnerable she had looked when she confessed to them that night, then to the recently carefree and happy face of the current Allysyn.


    This beautiful man beside her was the one who had been a big part of that change.


    Even when Reyona had finally agreed to do a video call with the kids the week before, she could see how much more they had changed.


    The uncertain and scared kids had bloomed under Maxwell¡¯s care.


    Even when Reyona had tried her best to guard her heart against totally going all the way with the kids, Maxwell had done the opposite.


    He had given himself to them fully without holding back.


    Reyona was beginning to understand the kind of man he was.


    One who never did things halfway.


    He loved those kids like they were his, and she could feel it in the tensed muscles of his shoulder as shey her head against it. ¡°Tell me,¡± she said softly while holding his arm.


    He covered her feet again with the shawl she had tossed off when she stood up to go to him.


    Then heid his head against his headrest and sighed.


    ¡°They have not found anything. The Langdon¡¯s frontal CCTV camera had a malfunction. They have not been able to pick up anything from the surrounding cameras. Many of them are so far back that they only focused on the driveway of the owners and the range of the door, not as far as the street itself. Reyona, Allysyn is¡­¡±


    Reyona patted his arm and said ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that. Let¡¯s be positive. What about¡­ have there been any¡­¡±


    She trailed off as her statement would have confirmed what she had not wanted to acknowledge.


    But he seemed to understand anyway because he said ¡°No, there has been no call for ransom.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Reyona said as she covered her face with her hand and leaned forward.


    ¡°Hey, hey.¡± He said as he reached for her shoulder and moved her back until her head was against his shoulder again. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry about this, okay? We are going to find her. Allysyn wille home where she belongs, and we will all forget about this madness. It means so much to me already that you areing with me, and I am sure if we¡­when¡­we find her, she will be so happy that you left everything to look for her. She is a very sensitive child.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Reyona said as she turned her face to his chest and sniffled.


    ¡°Rey,¡± he said as heid his chin atop her head and held her tightly to himself. ¡°I am sorry that I have to bring you into this. I am beginning to think I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Without raising her head, Reyonaid her finger against his lips. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t make me do anything. You were right. This is Allysyn. I am here because I want to be. I am here because I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay away for long anyway. Now, let¡¯s go bring our baby home.¡± She said passionately.


    He held her tighter to himself and said ¡°What did I do to be gifted with such an exceptional woman like you?¡±


    Reyona merely smiled, and they stayed like that for a while.


    Reyona didn¡¯t want to, she had been trying so hard not to mention it since they started the journey, but she knew it was necessary.


    ¡°Have you told him about it? Did he know already?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Maxwell asked in confusion.


    Reyona raised her head from his chest and said ¡°Thomas. Does he know that Allysyn is missing? Is he at your ce right now? Waiting for you¡­us to arrive?¡±


    She felt his body still instantly.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked before he could say anything.


    He had that look on his face.

 Unlikely Coincidence

    ¡°Reyona, I need you to understand that this has nothing to do with me deliberately lying to you or anything. I just felt it was no longer necessary, you know.¡±


    Okay, now she was sure of it. Something was up.


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona asked again as she straightened.


    ¡°I sent Thomas away from Kayooma. I sent him to rehab far from¡­actually, it is not that far away from Sydney, but then I had no idea you would be in Sydney anytime.¡±


    Sent him right to her.


    Reyona slowly and rigidlyy back in her seat as she said ¡°And if you had known? Where would you have sent him to?¡±


    He was silent for a while before he asked, ¡°Why are you angry?¡±


    The hostesses discreetly left where they were.


    ¡°I guess I just think your deration that you are not going to keep anything away from me was nothing after all,¡± Reyona said tonelessly.


    ¡°Hey, no. Why would you even think that? I thought¡­ I just didn¡¯t think it was necessary, and I also did not want to upset you. I know you don¡¯t like his name being mentioned. I did not want to see you sad again. That is the reason I did not talk about him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to analyse my feelings will be about something to me. I don¡¯t feel anything for that bastard anymore! I just wish you would be honest with me like you promised, you know!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t feel anything for him, anymore. Right,¡± he said with a tsk.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Reyona asked as she turned her head to him.


    She saw him try to hold back, but then in the next second, he said anyway, ¡°If you really still feel nothing for him, then why are you upset that I sent him away? I thought you would be more than relieved that I did that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to think for me!¡± Reyona snapped at him. ¡°What gave you the right to think you can decide by believing it is what I want? Without asking or talking to me about it?¡±


    She raised her hand when he wanted to talk and said ¡°You know what? I think you should ask yourself why exactly you sent him away. A rehab? Really? I bet the centres around Sydney have some special powers that make you choose them. Is it really that or do youn¡¯t trust me enough? Did you think I was going to go running back to him or that his kids would choose to go with him once they saw him? Have you been enjoying ying ¡°daddy¡± for so long that you were afraid of what was going to happen when he gets sober while in Kayooma?¡±


    He gave her a pained look that cut into her as he said in a low tone. ¡°That is not fair.¡±


    The fact that she knew it wasn¡¯t, only spiked her anger.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Anger at him. Anger at herself, and she rolled them all into one tosh at him with it.


    ¡°You know what? Since you believe there was nothing wrong with you keeping that vital information, then I am sure you won¡¯t see anything wrong in what I am about to say either. Guess what? Thomas is back in Kayooma.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Maxwell eximed. ¡°How?!


    ¡°I have no idea where the hell you sent him to, but he showed up in Sydney, at mypany, breathing down my neck, and I sent him right back to where he came from. Then you showed up.¡±


    ¡°And you are angry that I didn¡¯t tell you that when you also kept this from me? Isn¡¯t that a double standard?¡±


    She looked him straight in the eyes and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it mattered. It was not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw my words back at me right now, Rey¡± he said in a cutting tone.


    ¡°Or?¡± She asked with her nose turned up while she red at him in a challenge.


    He gave her a keen look before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, toote. You should have thought of that before you went about keeping secrets.¡± She said tersely.


    She expected him to call her out again that she did the same, but he only ran his hand through his hair before leaning against his headrest again.


    ¡°He is in Kayooma.¡±


    ¡°He is¡±


    ¡°That motherfucker!¡± he said suddenly as he jerked out of his seat.


    He strolled towards the galley while pulling his phone out.


    ¡°Really?¡± Reyona thought in simmering anger as she watched him go.


    She pulled the shawl closer to her chest and turned it on her side, facing the window.


    Well, they could all go fuck themselves for all she cared.


    She was only concerned about the girl.


    Any macho idiot can decide to suit themselves.


    She didn¡¯t have to put up with it, and she wasn¡¯t going to!


    She turned over onto her back, then to the other side again.


    So he wasn¡¯t going toe tell her what he found out?


    So much for he didn¡¯t want to fight with her.


    How dare he even think she still felt anything for that idiot?


    He was wrong.


    Totally wrong!


    She turned again and faced the other side.


    She was right in thinking that Thomas was the one with the tracked phone that day, right?


    What if it was someone else who was with the phone?


    No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    She had picked up the phone¡¯sst signal from Kayooma before she disconnected from it.


    Can there be such a coincidence?


    Did he get back to Kayooma without trying to get in touch with his children?


    Or was Maxwell still hiding things from her?


    Could Thomas have anything to do with Allysyn¡¯s disappearance?


    ¡°No, that would be crazy. Kidnapping his own daughter? Even he wouldn¡¯t be that despicable, right?¡± She thought in uncertainty.


    She thought of one person she could ask if he had been seen around.


    She reached for her phone to call Mary but then withdrew her hand before picking it up.


    They would soon be in Kayooma anyway.

 There’s Been Nothing

    Reyona opened her eyes when she felt a soft kiss on her cheek.


    She stared blearily at his mesmerising eyes.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    They were clouded with worry at that moment, but they still stole her breath away.


    Why were they fighting again?


    ¡°You look so beautiful when you sleep.¡± He murmured to her.


    She raised her brow in a ¡°really?¡± gesture as she levelled her gaze at him.


    As he countered her look with a smile while staring at her like he was memorising her features, she thought ¡°Toss words at me. use me of having feelings for my ex. Then walk out on me only toe back to wake me with a kiss and a half-asspliment. Sure why not?¡±


    As if he was reading her thoughts, he said ¡°I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have raised my voice at you that way.¡±


    What now?


    He rubbed his hand over his mouth and jaw as he said ¡°You were right. My decision was more because of you than any other thing. I guess I was¡­ I was scared of losing you.¡±


    He did it again. He managed to disarm her with a few well-chosen words and those soul-stirring looks.


    Before she could stop herself, Reyona raised her hand to trail her finger over his lips as she said ¡°He didn¡¯t know who I was. Through it all, he was fooled by my change of voice, hair and shades.¡±


    She smiled as she saw the astonishment on his face.


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Maxwell asked as he touched her face. ¡°I can pick you out of the crowd no matter what you have on.¡±


    Reyona smiled as her heart sighed. ¡°That is why you are not him. There is nopetition here, Maxwell. I am also sorry for using you like that. You were right. It is not fair.¡±


    He smiled and asked ¡°Truce?¡±


    She nodded ¡°Truce.¡±


    He leaned forward and kissed her. She wrapped her hands around his neck and deepened the kiss with a hum in her throat.


    Then she swore under her breath as she pulled back and said ¡°What was I thinking?¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought.¡± He said with an understanding smile.


    Reyona looked away from him to further calm her hot blood, which seemed to have noprehension of the right time or circumstances.


    ¡°Where are¡­?¡±


    ¡°We are almost at Kayooma. Stefan just told me minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡±


    On their way home, he told her he had confirmed Thomas¡¯s whereabouts.


    He had been staying at his mom¡¯s ce since he got back.


    ¡°So it was really him?¡± Reyona thought. ¡°Well.¡±


    ¡°I actually have one other thing I want to tell you about,¡± Maxwell said in the car.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Reyona asked carefully.


    ¡°Promise not to be mad?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to be?¡± Reyona countered.


    ¡°Just promise, okay?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Reyona answered.


    ¡°That is not a promise, but here you go¡±, Maxwell said. ¡°I brought that property.¡±


    ¡°What property?¡± Reyona asked, and her eyes widened when she realised what he meant. ¡°Ruth¡¯s home? Why would you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not just hers actually, I bought the whole property around, but she was the one who was served the paper.¡±


    Reyona rubbed her hand over her head to try to process what he was saying.


    ¡°You wanted to send Ruth out of her home? Why?¡±


    Maxwell looked a bit chagrined as he reached for her hand and said ¡°She was part of those who hurt you. You wouldn¡¯t let me do anything for you. You practically hated being around me, but then I promised myself I was going to deal with Thomas for everything he put you through. His mother¡¯s ce was the only ce he had left. I decided to start with that. Apart from making sure he never gets employed in Kayooma again, I was going to do so much more. He hurt you and I wanted to make sure he never forgets who he messed with.¡±


    When she just kept looking at him, he continued a bit nervously as he said ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it when people do things without talking to you about them. And maybe it wasn¡¯t the best thing to do but I¡­¡±


    She leaned forward and kissed him.


    She leaned back and said, ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s nice to know that I have you in my corner long before I even realized it.¡±


    ¡°You are not mad?¡± He asked with surprise in his tone.


    Reyona sat back as she pushed her hair away from her face. ¡°No, I am not¡­mad. I am just trying to process all this information at once. I think my brain is on overload¡± she said with a dry smile.


    Then she looked at him. ¡°Is there more?¡±


    Maxwell shook his head slightly and said ¡°No, nothing of significance again,¡± he said automatically.


    ¡°Good,¡± Reyona said while still looking at him.


    He raised her hand and kissed it.


    Love bloomed inside Reyona for no reason at all.


    ¡°Allysyn, please be okay,¡± she thought as they approached his ce.


    The entire journey had taken them eleven hours.


    The change of time zone was a bit jolting to the system.


    They had left Sydney around 9 pm on a Friday and got to Kayooma around 8 pm on a Saturday because of the twelve-hour time difference.


    Even though it waste, the staff were still fully active and from the look on the butler¡¯s face, Reyona could see that the staff knew about what had happened already.


    ¡°Wee home, sir and ma,¡± the butler said solemnly, as he collected their bags.


    Jane and Meg were sitting by the phone when they got there.


    Jane¡¯s face was blotchy with the signs of weeping and her eyes were red-rimmed too.


    Megan was not looking any better either.


    Together, they looked like they had had a long, unpleasant day.


    That made Reyona feel even more guilty for dozing off on the jet earlier.


    ¡°I am so sorry, sir.¡± Jane apologised as she came to meet them. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to talk about it but when I got back without Allysyn, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It is okay,¡± Maxwell said, then looked at the phone. ¡°Anything yet?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. I have not left here since the police left. I do not want to miss it, but there¡¯s been nothing. Maybe they were wrong, maybe there wouldn¡¯t be any¡­¡±


    ¡°They know what they are doing. Let¡¯s focus on what we can.¡± Maxwell said briskly.


    ¡°Gather everyone together, Meg. I need to talk with them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Where is Junior?¡± Reyona asked Jane.


    ¡°He is in bed. I just took him up a few minutes ago. I am sorry, ma, but he didn¡¯t want to go to bed even after I told him that Allysyn was only extending her sleepover. He just¡­ I carried him to his room when he dozed off here, ma.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I am sure you did your best. Thank you for taking good care of them. We are going to get Allysyn back, okay? We are ¡±


    Jane nodded as tears filled her eyes again.


    Reyona held back her own tears as she turned to Maxwell.


    ¡°I am just going to check in on him, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will be up soon,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± Reyona said with a nod before she turned away.

 Small Price To Pay

    The boy was sleeping in Allysyn¡¯s bed.


    Reyona doubted that Jane had been the one who put him there.


    The tears she had held back stained her eyes as she looked down at the innocent face so peaceful in sleep.


    Had he suspected anything, despite the attempts of the surrounding adults to fool him?


    From Reyona¡¯s experience, she knew that kids always seemed to know much more than the adults wanted them to know anyway.


    Jane had told him Allysyn was staying for one more day, but when Allysyn did note home again in the morning, he would begin to ask questions.


    ¡°It is over twelve hours already,¡± she thought in agitation. ¡°Who could carry the girl and why are they not making any calls yet?¡±


    When she was tempted to ruffle his hair away from his face, she stepped back.


    What would be the point in waking him if she couldn¡¯t provide the answer to what might be the most prominent question on his mind?


    She had a call to make anyway.


    She stepped out of the room and closed it slowly behind her.


    As she came to thending, she saw one of the security men look away from thending and quickly head towards the back of the house without acknowledging her presence.


    She fleetingly wondered if he was standing there or walking before she came out. He was facing thending though.


    She supposed Maxwell must have tightened the security of the property after what happened.


    Reyona pulled her phone out without giving the matter a second thought.


    She unblocked and dialled a number as she headed towards his bedroom.


    The woman on the other end picked up with a drowsy tone.


    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mary. This is Reyona.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry I didn¡¯t¡­you said¡­ Reyona?!¡±


    Reyona heard the rustle of sheets as the older woman was probably sitting up in bed.


    ¡°Where have you been? Your young man has been looking for you!¡±


    *******


    She met him on thending.


    Reyona had gone to her room to change into one of her clothes that was still there.


    Then, when he was still not back, she decided to meet him downstairs anyway.


    She saw himing upstairs as she got to the top of the stairs.¡± You are done?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just rounded up with them now. I had to talk to my security men also to tighten security. I know it didn¡¯t happen here, but we still can¡¯t be too careful, you know?¡±


    ¡°What was that one doing walking about, then?¡± Reyona thought as she remembered the man she had seen, but then she figured that might have been before he called for them.


    ¡°You look tired,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much more tired Allysyn might be right now. She must be so¡­¡±


    ¡°Positive thoughts, remember?¡± Reyona said as he reached her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°I remember. Jane offered to stay on the phone even though I told her she could have some rest. She looked like she had been beating herself up a lot over this.¡±


    ¡°I will talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Good. Thank you. I need to call Andrew. I know the police said we shouldn¡¯t make it public but he and Celia are practically family. I wanted to get here first to know the extent of things before telling him about it. There could be a way he could help as well. What the police were doing didn¡¯t seem to be working yet. We might as well think of as many options as possible.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± said Reyona. ¡°Can that call hold on for a while? I made a call of my own to Mary, and she told me that Thomas had been staying at his mom¡¯s.¡±


    As Maxwell¡¯s eyes narrowed, she added ¡°I just figured he might be rted to this in a way. I mean, the kids were fine before he got back. He got back, then all of a sudden one of them went missing?¡±


    ¡°I fail to see your point,¡± he said woodenly.


    ¡°We need to know if he is connected to this.¡±


    ¡°The police could¡­.¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself that the police¡¯s efforts are still very fruitless at this point. What if he mmed up? Or what if he thinks we sic the cops on him? What if he runs again? Remember your stepsister is still very missing? Is that what we want?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if he dropped off the surface of¡­¡±


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± Reyona called his name with meaning.


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡± He looked at her change of clothes. ¡°I take it you want to go? Right now? Don¡¯t you need to like eating something first? You have not had any real meal in the past thirteen hours. We need to think about Pat too, you know.¡±


    ¡°I am not hungry, and the baby is fine. No time like the present. I was thinking we could go together, but if you want to stay here to make that call, then¡­.¡±


    ¡°You must be kidding if you think I intend to let you go alone,¡± he said as he turned back and went down the stairs again.


    When she was still standing where she was with a bemused look on her face, he turned to her and said ¡°Well?¡±


    Reyona came down the stairs as she wondered what had put him in a foul mood again.


    But then she could guess why.


    Men.


    He exined to her that he had thought he could go check on the Langdons that night before.


    ¡°I just found out they are in the hospital. The wife had another crisis and had to be taken to the hospital. The girl is staying at home with an aunt to wait for a call. There is a police officer there with them too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess they didn¡¯t feel someone needed to be here since it didn¡¯t happen here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that must be it. Our phone here is rigged though.¡±


    Reyona turned sharply to him. ¡°What? By who? Was that how they knew where Allysyn would be?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I meant by the police. They connected it to their phone at the station. That way, they would know immediately we would receive a call from them.¡±


    ¡°Or from anyone else who called at all,¡± Reyona mused.


    ¡°A small price to pay,¡± Maxwell said.


    They eventually fell silent as they drove the rest of the way.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Reyona wondered if they were thinking the same thing.


    She figured he didn¡¯t want to talk about what must be most prominent on his mind at that moment.


    Did he still believe that she would still be affected by Thomas?


    Even the possibility of that thought did not cause anger in her at all.


    She just wished their journey had not been for nothing.


    If they could get anything. Anything at all, then it would be worth it.


    She wondered what must be going through Allysyn¡¯s mind at the moment.


    The girl must have been hoping they would get her out as soon as possible, yet here they were with no clue of where they should even start looking.


    Damn it.


    Soon enough, they arrived at the area.


    Reyona thought of how many times she had driven up that same street in the past.


    All under different circumstances, and this one was the worst yet.


    They parked directly in front of Ruth Lanoth¡¯s ce. It was already past 10 pm by this time and Reyona felt there was no need to wake the elderly couple up anyway.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s phone started ringing as Reyona unbuckled her seat belt.


    ¡°It¡¯s Officer Guy,¡± he said as they got out.


    ¡°Alright, pick it. I will go see if he is around or something.¡±


    He looked like he wanted to disagree with her, but he nodded and said ¡°Okay. I will be with you soon¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.


    And he picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello, officer.¡±

 Skunk Hell

    She knew what he had done.


    He wanted to show her that he trusted her.


    For a moment there, she could see how he wanted to tell her to wait until he was done with his call.


    He hated the idea that she might face her ex-husband alone, yet he decided to trust her as she had asked.


    Emotions swirled in Reyona as she raised her hand and knocked.


    It was a bit disturbing that the house was eerily quiet and everywhere was dark too.


    Reyona knocked harder as the image of Ruth popped into her mind.


    She almost expected the woman to open the door at that moment and wee her in the way she had always done, even when she was lying to her face.


    Reyona shrugged away the uncharitable thought and the niggling feeling that apanied it.


    She turned back when she heard his footsteps.


    ¡°Maybe he is not in there after all? They found something.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s heart thumped as she came forward. ¡°What? Do they know where she is now?¡±


    ¡°No, not that. While they were interviewing the people around the area this morning, they found this girl. When they mentioned a van and gave the description that Amelia had given, she remembered. She remembered because the van had messed up the video she was making twice that morning.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s hand went to her mouth as she asked hopefully. ¡°Did she¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she deleted them though, and it took a while for the police to convince her to let them have her phone long enough to retrieve her deleted media, but yes, they found the video. In one of them, the van was blurred due to the speed with which it passed, but the second was better once they¡¯d blown it. It was the same van Amelia had described. Too bad they didn¡¯t get a te number though.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Reyona said in disappointment as her hope crashed.


    ¡°They did find something though. From what the camera could pick through the rolled-up windows, the driver looked like a female.¡±


    ¡°A female? A female? A female helped in kidnapping a child?¡± She asked in surprise.


    Then, because she couldn¡¯t stop herself, she asked, ¡°Do you think it might¡­¡±


    He put his hands in his pockets and shook his head as he said ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t want to believe that she had gotten worse and that she would kidnap her own daughter. She could have just shown her face and asked me for them if she wanted to see them. She would know that I wouldn¡¯t keep her away from them.¡±


    Reyona was not sure if he believed himself, but she nodded and said ¡°Of course,¡±


    She knew the kind of woman she had faced in that bathroom though.


    Once she wouldn¡¯t put anything past.


    ¡°They are looking into it though. They are working with the KDLEA to pull anything they can get at all about her case. Anything that could help at all.¡±


    ¡°Right. And that is why we need to do our part too.¡± Reyona said as she turned back abruptly to go to the door again. ¡°Allysyn is counting on us.¡± she knocked harder on the door again as he came up behind her.


    ¡°Maybe he is not¡­¡±


    ¡°Mary said he was around. She saw him this evening and didn¡¯t think he left again. We need to ask the bastard if he at least knows if his criminal girlfriend had any¡­¡±


    Heid his hand on her shoulder and she turned to wrap her arms around him as she buried her tears-streaked face against him. ¡°Oh my god, she would be so scared. We need to get her back, Maxwell. We need to take her home. What kind of cruel person would snatch a little girl from what she believed was a safe ce? She is counting on us, and we have no clue of where to even start the search from.¡±


    Maxwell held her to himself as hey his head atop her hair that she had rid of the dye. ¡°Please, calm down. We will get her back. We will get Thomas and see if¡­¡±


    He had reached for the handle of the door behind her and twisted while he was talking.


    Reyona knew when the door gave as he turned it.


    She turned around with an ¡°oh¡± and pushed the door wider.


    The st of stench that struck made her cough.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Maxwell said hurriedly as he moved her behind him and pulled out his phone.


    Then he put on the shlight as he wrinkled his nose at the stale smelling from inside.


    ¡°You know where the switch is¡± he asked.


    ¡°It is right¡­you know what, let me get it.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you going into that sk**k hell without a full st of light on.¡± He said with determination.


    ¡°Just point out the right ce for me and I will figure it out.¡±


    ¡°To your left,¡± Reyona answered. ¡°A bit inside, but yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± he said and moved.


    In seconds, the light came on, and Reyona gasped at what she could see from the door.


    Mess and debris were strewn everywhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really think you shoulde in here,¡± Maxwell said, subtly blocking her at the door.


    When she raised her brows at him, he said, ¡°Breathing in this can¡¯t be healthy. Not for you or the baby. Why not let me check around and¡­¡±


    ¡°Maxwell, I will be fine. You and I don¡¯t know what Allysyn could be going through right now. I am sure something as small as this horrible smell is nothingpared to that. I aming in.¡± She said with determination.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said in resignation. Then he took out his handkerchief and tied it over her nose and mouth before stepping out of the way.


    He closed the door behind him as they stepped in fully.


    Sadness washed over Reyona anew as she saw the once-well-kept home reduced to nothing but a pigsty.


    The TV in front of which she had bonded with Leah was no longer there.


    The couch was gone.


    The curtains were no longer there.


    The hard-backed chair was lying drunkenly on its side.


    Food wrappers were strewn everywhere.


    Empty bottles were lying around, and the floor felt sticky to the heels of her shoes.


    ¡°Well, a lot of good that rehab did him,¡± she said in a voice muffled by the handkerchief.


    As she moved inward with Maxwell silently walking by her side, her heart constricted when she saw all the empty spaces where Ruth¡¯s beloved knickknacks used to be.


    She could only think of one reason why they were no longer there.


    The same reason why every other valuable thing was gone.


    The bastard!N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Thomas, where the hell are you?!¡± She called out suddenly, surprising herself.


    They were close to the entrance of the kitchen at that time.


    ¡°Reyona¡± Maxwell called as heid his hand on her rigid shoulder.


    She shrugged and said ¡°I am fine. I said¡­¡±


    ¡°Reyona¡± he called her with more determination, and she jerked her head towards him to ask¡­


    Whatever she intended to ask was immediately forgotten as she saw what he was looking at through the opened kitchen door.


    Beside the edge of the kitchen ind, she could see the pair of bare feet sticking out, while the counter hid the rest of the body.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes widened as her hand covered her mouth in horror, ¡°Oh my god¡±


    ¡°Listen, Rey¡­¡±


    Before he could stop her, she rushed towards the prone figure.

 Completely Useless

    Reyona¡¯s blood chilled when she saw that it was Thomas.


    He was unconscious and sprawled out like someone who had been knocked out by a malevolent force.


    The surrounding stench was even more than any other around the house.


    An unfinished bottle of beer was lying close to his hand with some of its contents already drying up close to his soggy pants.


    Even as Reyona¡¯s eyes narrowed, she quickly leaned forward to put her finger beneath his nose.


    It was there!


    Coming in spurts, but the bastard was breathing.


    For a moment there, he had made her think that¡­ bastard!


    She automatically picked a bowl off the counter as she turned towards the sink.


    She filled it mechanically.


    As she turned this time, she could see the lifting and falling of his chest.


    How had she missed that at first?


    She dumped the water on his face.


    ¡°Reyona¡±


    She barely heard Maxwell as she reached down and pulled up the soggy mess who was stirring from the soaking.


    Methodically, she dealt him two sharp ps that echoed throughout the house.


    ¡°Idiot! Idiot!!¡± she shouted at him before she let go of him.


    Maxwell was behind her when she turned, and he wrapped his hands around her.


    She held him tightly and sobbed into his chest.


    ¡°I thought¡­I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Ssshhh, I know. I know.¡± Maxwell said infort while he pinned a murderous re on the soppy mess behind her.


    ¡°Uhh, uhhh¡± Thomas mumbled incoherently as he dragged himself up from the puddle forming around him.


    His bloodshot eyes brightened a bit when he saw the discarded bottle with the little liquid left in it.


    He reached for it just as he finally acknowledged the presence of the couple standing close to him.


    ¡°Awn uh, isn¡¯t this¡­just¡­¡± hup ¡°¡­ sweet?¡± he slurred with a sloppy, yellow-teethed, smile.


    Maxwell¡¯s look darkened as he felt Reyona stiffen in his arms.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Then she lifted her head from his chest and cleaned her face with his handkerchief still tied over half of her face.


    ¡°Reyona¡± he called her gently as she stepped back from him.


    She smiled and said ¡°I am fine. I am.¡±


    Then the smile died on her face before she turned to face the miserable piece of shit she had once called her husband.


    ¡°Hey, look. It is my ex-wife.¡± Thomas chuckled weakly as he moved himself enough to lean against the ind. ¡°My ex-wife and the man she is fucking now.¡± he slurred almost to himself.


    ¡°You piece of¡­!¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s fist was instantly raised as he wanted to descend on him, but Reyona¡¯s hand stopped him.


    She saw the struggle on his face but shook her head firmly as she said ¡°He is not worth it. Remember why we are here.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Maxwell swore as he lowered his fists and made to walk past her.


    She grabbed him instead and kissed him.


    Thomas¡¯s face, which had been filled withzy amusement, twisted with derision when he saw them kissing in front of him.


    Then Reyona turned around to face him as she wrapped Maxwell¡¯s hands around her, with her back to his front.


    ¡°We are not here to exchange words with you, nor do I give a damn if you waste your life away while selling every single thing that your mother left in this house.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her!¡± he said as he grabbed the bottle again. Furious that there was nothing inside it, he threw it to the far edge of the kitchen away from them. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking talk about her!¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, bastard,¡± Maxwell said as he felt Reyona jolt from the crashing sound of the splintered bottle.


    Reyona patted his hand as she swallowed hard at the raw pain in Thomas¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t talk about her. Let¡¯s talk about someone else. Your daughter.¡±


    Thomas¡¯s head swerved towards them and his bloodshot eyes trained on Maxwell as he said ¡°What about her? She is with you, isn¡¯t she? What did you do to my girl?¡±


    ¡°Your girl that you didn¡¯t bother to check on since you got back here? Yeah, right.¡± Maxwell said with a scoff.


    Thomas looked away and said in a low tone, ¡°They don¡¯t need me. I can¡¯t do anything for them. I can¡¯t do anything for anyone.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where¡­have you seen her recently? Have you talked to anyone about them? Anyone at all?¡± Reyona asked urgently.


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± he looked back at them. ¡°Why are you asking me all this?¡± he asked in a stronger voice.


    ¡°Just answer the damn question, Lanoth,¡± Maxwell snapped.


    Thomas looked at him warily, then back at Reyona. ¡°No, I have not seen them. I got back and found out that¡­no, I have not seen her.¡±


    ¡°She asked if you talked about them to anyone, or if anyone spoke to you about them recently. Did you give anyone my address, Lanoth?¡± Maxwell asked.


    Thomas looked like he wanted to counter the question with another question, but then he slumped weakly against the ind as he said ¡°No, I didn¡¯t give the address of your hoity-toity house to anyone. I did not talk to anyone. Now, please leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°dly,¡± Maxwell said as heid his hand on Reyona¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s leave, babe. This has been a waste of time, and you¡¯ve been here long enough.¡±


    Thomas scoffed ¡°Yeah, you shouldn¡¯t be here, ma¡¯am,¡± he said in a pitiful tone with a downcast gaze while his hand hung limply over his raised knee.


    Reyona hesitated, shook her head, then she moved towards the door.


    She suddenly turned back to see that he had raised his head to watch her go.


    ¡°Just so you know, Allysyn is missing. She has been kidnapped and if there is anything you know, anything at all, it is better if you find enough time to check that alcohol-soaked brain of yours for any information you can think of. Anything that the police can use to find her.¡±


    ¡°The police?¡± Thomas¡¯s eyes widened as he tried to stand up and pathetically tripped over his feet.


    He swore weakly as he said ¡°Allysyn is missing? I did not do anything. I did not tell anyone anything.¡±


    ¡°See? Completely useless,¡± Maxwell said as heid his hand on her shoulder.


    Reyona nodded and turned to leave.


    Then, suddenly, she heard him shout, ¡°Lance! I spoke to Lance about Rohan and how you now have¡­¡±


    Everything that once belonged to me.


    The unspoken words were apparent to everyone in the room.


    Thomas tried to stand again as he held on tightly to the ind just so he could stand straight. ¡°I spoke to Lance. The fucker stopped talking to me though, so¡­ Please, find Allysyn.¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°He uses the same number?¡± Reyona asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes, you have it. I mean, you used to have it,¡± Thomas said in desperation.


    Reyona nodded sharply before she went towards the door.


    From her side-view, she saw him fall again.


    His frustrated swear followed them out of the house.

 But When?

    Lance Pratchett¡¯s temper was still as short as ever.


    The moment he heard that Reyona¡¯s call had anything to do with Thomas, he sparked like a lighted fuse.


    ¡°I already told him I don¡¯t want anything to do with him again! And now he is asking his wife to call me?! Hey, hey Davies! Switch off the TV now! It is long past your bedtime! This is not your Mama¡¯s ce!¡± He said to someone for a while before he continued to talk to Reyona.


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you his ex-wife? What the hell are you calling me for? I have enough problems of my own and I don¡¯t have a dime to borrow Tom anymore. You all should leave me alone!¡±


    Maxwell collected the phone from Reyona and said ¡°Now, listen here. Thomas said he talked to you about me and his kids. Did you by any chance tell anyone about those things too?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you? That asshole told me lots of things that passed right through the right ear, then out the left. I don¡¯t have time to prattle to someone else about¡­ hey, Davies! What did I say?!¡± To Maxwell. ¡°Nobody should call my number for such shit again. Now fuck off.¡±


    The call was disconnected immediately.


    Maxwell looked at the phone as he pondered the audacity of the man who wouldn¡¯t dare to raise his voice in his presence.


    He shook his head and said, ¡°Well, that was helpful.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Reyona said with a sigh. ¡°You are right. This is useless.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You did what you felt was right. For all we know, there might be something there. I am going to send Pratchett¡¯s number to Officer Guy anyway.¡± Then, to cheer her up, he added ¡°Even if it is just so they could rouse him out of bed tomorrow and take some of his precious time.¡±


    Reyona smiled and sighed again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home,¡± Maxwell said.¡±You need to eat and sleep. It is going to be a long day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not taking no for an answer,¡± Maxwell said as he started the car. ¡°Think of Pat, please.¡±


    Around midnight, they settled down to a turkey sandwich, lentil soup and warm milk.


    They shared the food in silence after they had sent the reluctant Jane to bed.


    When Reyonained of ack of appetite again, Maxwell urged her to eat by feeding her.


    After the mini table they had brought to the living room had been cleared, they sat on the couch opposite the phone as they waited.


    After a while, Maxwell urged Reyona to lie down.


    She did not protest much as she wearilyy against his side with her eyes on the phone.


    ¡°Do you think they might hurt her?¡± She askedter with a catch in her throat.


    Maxwell held her closer as he said ¡°Positive thoughts, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I just¡­¡±


    She turned her face to his neck and he could feel the wetness of her skin against his.


    ¡°I just hope she is okay, and they will make the damn call so we can know what they need.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Maxwell said as he leaned down to kiss her. ¡°Try to sleep. I will keep an eye on the phone.¡±


    ¡°You need to sleep too.¡± She says in a small voice.


    ¡°You need it more than I do though. Pat needs you to stay strong for us all. It wouldn¡¯t do if you break down after we found Allysyn.¡±


    Reyona nodded as she snuggled closer to him.


    ¡°Can I take you to bed?¡± He asked gently.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°No, no, I want to stay right here. Please wake me if¡­¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± He promised and kissed her hair again.


    Soon enough, he felt her body cken against his.


    Maxwell protectively cradled her stomach with his hand as he listened to her sleep.


    He needed to protect his family as much as possible.


    He needed to make her stop worrying.


    He needed to get Allysyn home.


    He wished he knew of ways to do that that had nothing to do with her having to face her deadbeat husband.


    Maxwell could easily picture her reactions to the mess that had be of Lanoth.


    He didn¡¯t want to put much meaning into it.


    Pregnancy made people more emotional, and she was apassionate and kind woman to start with.


    So he supposed he shouldn¡¯t put much thought into the raw panic that had shown on her facest night when she thought Thomas had drunk himself to death.


    Maxwell could not stop the ugly feeling in him as he remembered the moment he held her while she cried for another man.


    He smoothed his hand over her hair and breathed in her scent.


    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t matter. She is mine.¡± he reminded himself.


    If she said she felt nothing for him again, then he had to believe her.


    What had happened tonight had only been her natural response as the loving woman she was.


    ¡°Really? Why then has she never told you she loves you?¡± His mind whispered disturbingly.


    Maxwell held her to him and turned his mind to Allysyn¡¯s case.


    When he sent Pratchett¡¯s number to Officer Guy, there were no new updates on their end.


    No call. No update.


    ¡°Just great!¡± he thought in a sudden surge of anger.


    Reyona was right.


    Even as Maxwell reassured her, he knew she was right.


    Anything could be happening to that girl right now.


    She must be so scared and waiting for them to rescue her, yet here they were with nothing vital other than an unidentified van with an unidentified te and a probable female driver.


    The police are already trying to track such a van in Kayooma based on the dates of their make, but that would take a long time. The time that Allysyn did not have.


    His men were at work already, yet nothing satisfactory wasing from that end also.


    For a moment, he thought of calling Don again.


    He had done so earlier, but just as it had been since Susan¡¯s escape, Don didn¡¯t pick up his call.


    After the incident, Don had just sent him a message after he called the first time. ¡°I have a score to settle with that bitch. Wait until it is done before you know if you still want to talk to me.¡±


    Maxwell had been a bit anxious about the many ways that he knew Don could choose to settle his score with anyone.


    But at the moment, he did not care. He just wanted help from any angle he could get from to get that little girl home.


    Why were they not calling yet?


    Wasn¡¯t that how all the kidnapping cases yed out?


    A call to demand ransom right after the kidnapping had taken ce?


    Why was this different?


    Maxwell didn¡¯t even want to think of the many alternatives that could be the reason for theck of calls.


    ¡°They would call.¡± He affirmed firmly.


    But when?

 Mess With Me

    Dawn met them with uncertainties.


    Reyona woke up as she felt someone covering them up.


    It was Jane.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡± the nanny greeted her just as Maxwell stirred too.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually dozed off.¡± He said tersely.


    Reyona patted his arm as she said ¡°You needed it.¡±


    They started the day with a call to the police station again.


    Nothing yet.


    Andrew and Celia arrived that morning with three other men whom the couple called experts in cases like that.


    While the men discussed in Maxwell¡¯s office, Celia urged Reyona to walk with her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too well,¡± she said after they walked in silence for a while, ¡°Have you slept a wink since it happened?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I slept for a while,¡± Reyona said. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I would, but then¡­¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°That is nothing to me yourself for. The two of you have gone through a lot in the past twenty-four hours, and it is understandable how much more your body needs rest.¡± Celia said as she looked down at Reyona¡¯s rounded stomach.


    Reyona sighed as she ced her hand on her stomach.


    ¡°How are you feeling? I mean apart from this unfortunate incident, of course,¡± Celia asked.


    Reyona looked down at her stomach and said ¡°I feel fine. I feel great, actually. I just wish Allysyn would be back, and then I would feel better.¡±


    Celia put her arm around Reyona¡¯s shoulder as she said ¡°She wille back to us safely. Between the police and the boys, something will click eventually. Poor girl, I can¡¯t imagine how terrified she must be right now, but we will all be here when she gets home. We will help her get behind this. This will all be behind us soon. You need to take care of yourself in the meantime though. You need to¡­¡±


    Reyona¡¯s phone started ringing.


    Reyona frowned a bit as she saw the unknown international number.


    She wondered if it was someone from Sydney, but then the code was different.


    Her mind went to Toria with a slight worry as she said ¡°Sorry, I need to pick this up.¡±


    ¡°It is fine, I will just be there,¡± Celia said as she pointed at the bench that was some distance away from them.


    Reyona nodded and quickly picked up the call before it disconnected.


    She was not used to talking first when the number was unknown, so she put the phone to her ear and waited for the person at the other end to talk.


    Nothing.


    All she heard was an eerie silence and then a soft breathing.


    What the¡­did the person mistakenly dial her number or what?


    Just as Reyona wanted to disconnect the call, her finger hovered over the disconnecting button as a chill crawled down her spine.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be. It couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said urgently.


    A pause. Then ¡°Are you alone?¡± said a distorted voice.


    Oh god.


    ¡°Y¡­yes,¡± Reyona answered in a squeaky tone as she turned away from where Celia was seated and turned her back to her. She firmed her lips and said in a clear voice. ¡°Yes, I am alone.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do you still want to see this girl alive, or you wouldn¡¯t mind getting her dead body?¡± the awful voice that sounded like it wasing through water said again.


    ¡°Of course I¡­please, I want to see her alive. What do you¡­¡± she lowered her voice and said, ¡°What do you want, please?¡±


    ¡°Listen to me carefully. First, you are not going to tell anyone about this. We are watching you. The moment you tell the police or even your husband about this, forget about seeing the girl again.¡±


    ¡°No, please. I will cooperate with you. Don¡¯t do anything to the girl. Please, don¡¯t hurt her¡± she begged.


    ¡°Shut up and listen. $30 million. You will get $30 million without telling your husband, the police or anyone else. If anyone, I mean anyone at all, knows about this, you can be sure that we will know, and you will never see this girl again.¡±


    ¡°Please, I¡­ I will get it. I will get it. How¡­ how long do I have?¡± she said in a shaky voice as tension held her in its grip.


    ¡°1 hour. You should stay outside your estate within an hour and someone will pick you up there. Failure to be there and you can be sure that your girl is gone forever.¡±


    ¡°One hour, please, that is too short. Can you please¡­ please give me some more time? I can¡¯t get thirty million withdrawn in one hour. Please, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to have it withdrawn. Just have it in your ount and ready for transfer when you get here. Mess with me and you will regret it.¡±


    ¡°Please, I need more time. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Tik¡­ tok. Your hour begins.¡± the call disconnected before Reyona could say any other thing.


    ¡°Hello, He¡­ oh my god.¡± when she wanted to pace in agitation, she remembered Celia sitting just some distance from her. She held herself rigidly as she turned around.


    Celia was looking at her.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Celia asked as she stood up from the bench.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reyona said in a high-pitched voice. She quickly cleared her throat when she saw a worried look on Celia¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, I am fine.¡±


    Celia¡¯s brows were furrowed as she came closer to her and said ¡°You don¡¯t look fine though. You look peaked.¡± she said as she reached out to touch the back of her hand to Reyona¡¯s forehead. ¡°Not fever. What is going on?¡±


    Not the best way to go if she was going to pull this off. Think Reyona. ¡°Just some problems with Summit Edge,¡± she answered with a bit of moreposure.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Celia said while giving her a keen look. ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°No, just a managerial issue, you know. There is this contract that would have been our major one in Sydney, but then there¡¯s been a slight error, and we might lose it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry,¡± Celia saidpassionately.


    ¡°No, it is fine.¡± Reyona said instantly, she looked at her phone clock and her heart thumped hard before she said ¡°They will¡­fix it. I have already told them what to do. You know what, I think you were right. I do need some more rest. Can we go back now, please? I wouldn¡¯t mind lying down for a while. I am suddenly feeling very tired.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Come on, then. Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡±

 Very Soon, Baby

    Reyona consciously rxed her body, as Celiaid her hand on her back on their way to the house.


    While she kept a pleasant smile stered on her face, her mind raced terribly in every other way.


    What was she going to do?


    How was she going to get the thirty million dors within one hour?


    Though she didn¡¯t have all the data in her head at the moment, she knew they did not have up to in thepanies¡¯ ounts at the moment.


    ReyDexter¡¯s ount had been drawn down recently to cover the expenses of Summit Edge, so she was sure what they had at the moment could be nowhere near that amount.


    Summit Edge was also not yielding much yet and what it had yielded so far was still going back into making thepany a force to reckon with in all of Australia.


    The bulk of her personal money had been mostly used in her recent travels too.


    ¡°What will I do?¡± she thought as she looked at Celia sideways.


    She knew the woman could help if she was shameless enough to ask, but how would she exin why she needed the money?


    They were watching. The voice had said.


    Reyona was not about to take that for granted and put Allysyn¡¯s life in danger.


    She had to get that money. She had to get it without letting anyone know.


    She could apologise to them all after she got the girl back.


    Oh, Maxwell!


    She almost sobbed as she thought of what he might think if he suddenly found her gone.


    The reminder of why she couldn¡¯t sob made her remember to keep her tensing body rxed again.


    She smiled at Celia as they entered the house.


    ¡°Thank you. I think I will just¡­¡±


    ¡°Reyona! You came back!¡±


    Copper-wavy hair flying, Juniorunched himself at Reyona.


    Reyona quickly grabbed him before he could hit her stomach.


    ¡°Junior!¡± she called excitedly as she bent down to hug him tightly to herself.


    She couldn¡¯t stop the tears that gushed out of her eyes as she breathed his innocent scent in. ¡°I have missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I miss you too,¡± Junior said as he squirmed out of her arms and looked at her face. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°I just miss you so much, and am so sorry for missing your birthday.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cry because of birthdays, silly,¡± he said as he patted his hands against the tears on her face. ¡°Maxwell said I am a man now that I am five,¡± he said as he thumped his chest. ¡°I had a cool party. Cooler than Allysyn¡¯s own. Everybody got me gifts. Did you get me a gift? I will forgive you for noting if you get me a gift.¡±


    That got a short tearyugh out of Reyona. She swiped at her face as she said ¡°Yeah, gifts. I will get you loads of that.¡±


    ¡°What a sharp little businessman you are,¡± Celia said as she reached out for Junior¡¯s hand. ¡°I am sure you are going to get a good deal out of this, but for now, your business partner needs some rest. Let¡¯s go raid the kitchen or something.¡±


    Junior ced his hand in Celia¡¯s as he said ¡°She is not my business partner, Celia. She is Reyona, don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad. I forgot. Now, do you want to see what we can talk the chef into making?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, please. He gave me chocte truffles yesterday!¡±


    ¡°Uuhhh, lucky you,¡± Celia said as she walked down the hall with Junior bouncing beside him.


    She looked back at Reyona mouthed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Celia winked at her and turned away.


    ¡°Actually¡­ Celia?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Celia turned to her automatically.


    ¡°Can you make sure that nobodyes looking for me in the next hour? That should be enough time for me to rest,¡± she said.


    Though Celia had a curious look on her face, she said ¡°Okay, you got it. I will make sure they have breakfast ready by then too. The guys should be done by then. Just rest and don¡¯t worry, okay?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    Just before they turned the corner, she heard Junior ask Celia, ¡°Do you know when Allysyn ising back?¡±


    A sob caught in her throat as she rushed up the stairs, ¡°Very soon, baby. Very soon,¡± she vowed to herself.


    She was already dialling a number as she entered the room and locked the door behind her. ¡°Hi, how much do we have in thepany¡¯s ount right now?¡±


    She listened to the other person speak, then swore beneath her breath in disappointment before saying, ¡°Send everything to my ount right now.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed as she said ¡°Did I ask for your opinion? Good. I want it in my ount in notter than two minutes!¡±


    She disconnected the call and made a simr one to Sydney.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± she said as she threw the phone on the bed and panicked for a moment as her eyes went to the clock beside her.


    Fourteen million! All she had been able to get so far was fourteen million!


    It was about thirty minutes already and all she could gather together was fourteen million!


    She hurried towards the closet to change from her voluminous gown into something fitter.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± she said while pulling off her dress with one hand and reaching for the jeans with another.


    She could tick off all the people she could call on the tip of her fingers and she would get the money instantly, but then they were all too close to this matter.


    But then they would all be worried enough to ask why she wanted the money.


    And none of them would ever agree to let her go on a dangerous mission alone.


    The more time she wasted, the less chance Allysyn had.


    Her mind was racing as she buttoned up the slightly tight jeans.


    Who else? Who can I call? Oh my¡­


    Her hands stilled just as she was pulling on the voluminous t-shirt she had brought in her duffel bag.


    Yes! Why hadn¡¯t she thought of that?!


    She quickly rushed to bed to pick up her phone and dialled the number.


    Her feet tapped crazily as the call went unanswered.


    ¡°Oh, please, please, please,¡± she mumbled with tears streaming down her face as she called again.


    This time the call was disconnected.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± she quickly sent a message to the number as her eyes went towards the clock again.


    ¡°Please, can you give me a minute? I need your help.¡±


    Twenty-five minutes left.


    ¡°Oh, please, please.¡± she tucked her feet into her running shoes and reached for her phone to call again when the phone rang.


    She picked it up instantly.


    ¡°I was in a meeting,¡± the woman on the other end said. ¡°What do you need my help for?¡±


    ¡°Sehima, please I need a fourteen million loan. It is very urgent, and I need it in less than twenty minutes. Help me, please.¡±

 Lots Of Fun

    In a few minutes, she was stepping out of the house in her casual wear as if she was just taking a walk.


    Thankfully, no one had noticed her as she stepped out of the back door.


    She continued walking towards the main road parallel to the driveway without actually stepping out onto the driveway where she could be seen by anyone looking out of the window.


    Maxwell¡¯s home office where the men were having the meeting faced the driveway.


    Reyona looked at her phone and saw that she had fifteen minutes left.


    She sent the ready link to Maxwell and then deleted the message and every call she had made in thest few minutes.


    Then she hid the app on her phone.


    She suddenly crouched when she heard the sounds of vehicles going down the driveway.


    ¡°That must be the men,¡± she thought, as she hoped they had been able to give Maxwell some hope.


    Grateful for the foliage that covered her from whoever was passing in the driveway, she finally stood up and moved a bit farther away from the driveway before she continued her walk towards the main road.


    She swore in frustration when she had to dodge one of the security men who was on patrol.


    She waited until the man walked on, then she tucked the phone in her pocket and started running.


    She was more concerned at this point about beingte than about the fear of discovery.


    Panting and sweating, she got to the road with just four minutes to spare.


    As she bent over trying to catch her breath, she wondered if she was toote.


    Did they mean she should get there before or in one hour?


    Was she toote?


    Had the cars of those men scared away whoever was supposed to pick her up?


    Maybe they already thought she was the one who called the men?


    Oh my god. Allysyn.


    She was panicking as she quickly pulled her phone out of the tight-fitting jeans and clicked on the number to call it back.


    It had not connected when she heard the sound of a car driving towards her.


    The car parked directly in front of her and the door opened instantly.


    Reyona didn¡¯t hesitate to get in as she knew there could only be one reason why a car would be waiting for her at that moment.


    The driver had a weird mask on. A transparent mask with carbon filters and airtight seals on it.


    Reyona was shocked as she recognised him still.


    ¡°It is you!¡± she eximed right before she noticed a slight, sickly sweet smell in the air.


    The driver merely gunned the engine without saying anything as rm bells went haywire in Reyona¡¯s mind and unexinable weakness engulfed her system.


    She soundlessly slumped against her seat.


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


    Maxwell watched the men leave.


    The trio of a forensic engineer, a crime scene consultant, and a seasoned private investigator who had worked on a simr case before had promised to hit the ground running.


    They had already reached an agreement with the police through the call that Maxwell made that they would not hinder the procedures of the police and would give them feedback on anyone and anything they discovered.


    ¡°They are good, man. Let¡¯s give them a chance.¡± Andrew said from behind Maxwell.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know that.¡± Maxwell said as he ruffled his hair and turned back to go inside.


    He wondered where Reyona and Celia were as he went back to the living room.


    Jane was standing guard again as she stared at the phone like she was willing it to ring with her mind.


    ¡°Jane, do you¡­¡±


    ¡°Max!¡± Junior called excitedly as he ran towards him.


    ¡°Hey kiddo,¡± Maxwell said as he bent down to catch the boy.


    Junior¡¯s lips were smeared with a bit of creamy smudge.


    Maxwell smiled and said, ¡°I see that someone has been having some kitchen adventure.¡±


    ¡°Rox gave me a cheese filling. He said it wouldn¡¯t spoil my breakfast. Right, Celia?¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± Celia said behind him as she went to meet her husband. ¡°Hi. How was it?¡±


    ¡°We are hopeful,¡± Andrew said as he kissed her.


    ¡°Uh, yuck,¡± Junior said with a wrinkle of his nose. Then he shifted from leg to leg excitedly while asking ¡°Can we have breakfast now? Rox said it is ready.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you need to brush and bathe first though. Jane? Jane.¡± Maxwell called her more loudly before she jolted on the couch and hurried towards them.


    ¡°Sir, Yes, sir.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get him ready.¡± Maxwell said, then he pulled her aside as he said ¡°You need to get ahold of yourself, or you will scare him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I am sorry, sir.¡± Jane said before she turned around to call Junior.


    ¡°I am going to eat a big breakfast.¡± Junior was telling Jane as they left. ¡°Rox said I can have as much as I want. Oh, Ally is going to be so jealous when she gets back. Celia said she was having lots of fun with Amelia. I am going to have lots of fun too, then I will tell her about it.¡± his gleeful chuckle filled the pensive silence surrounding the adults.


    When Maxwell looked at her, she raised her shoulders in a shrug as she said ¡°I had to tell him something that would make him stop asking every other second.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Maxwell said. His gaze went towards the phone before he turned away to ask Celia. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    She went upstairs to rest for a while. She was feeling very tired. I think the stress she went through yesterday is finally taking a toll on her.¡±


    Maxwell slicked his hair back as he said ¡°Damn it. I should have stopped her. I should have made her rest earlier.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would want you to me yourself, bud. She knew what she was doing. Like this one here, that woman doesn¡¯t seem like someone you could simply stop from doing something unless she really wanted to,¡± Andrew said.


    With an unconvinced tone, Maxwell said ¡°Yeah, uhm. I will just freshen up and join you guys. I will check in on her on my way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do that. The girl will be found, man. She will.¡±


    ¡°We will set the table before you guys get back. If she is up, see if you can get her to have an early breakfast. She needs it.¡±


    Maxwell nodded and headed upstairs.


    ¡°This one here? Is that supposed to be me?¡± he heard Celia say behind him.


    Maxwell pulled his hand back just as he wanted to open her door.


    She needed sleep as much as she needed food.


    Maybe he should leave her to sleep for a while longer. He could call her after his bath.


    And even if she was still asleep when he was going back, he could just tell Rox to put her food in the warmer.


    He was tempted to check in on her, but then he remembered that she was a light sleeper.


    He didn¡¯t want to wake her when she was not ready, only to have her worrying about the situation again.


    He turned away quietly and headed to his room.


    Fuck, he hated that they had separate rooms.


    That would change soon enough, he vowed as he entered his room and headed straight into the bathroom.


    His phoney silent on the desk of his home office.

 All I Have

    A hot p jerked Reyona awake.


    The pain sang through her body, clearing her fuzzy head for a moment.


    She tried to reach for her stinging face and found out that she couldn¡¯t lift her hand.


    She started panicking before she realised that her hands were tied to the iron chair she was sitting on.


    What?


    She blinked hard in the dark room as she tried to remove her hands from the tight bounds.


    ¡°When you are done with your drama, let me know.¡± a rough voice said close to her ears.


    Reyona jolted and tried to talk.


    Her mouth was also tightly gagged and all that came out was just an incoherent muffle.


    ¡°I am going to release one of your hands, then you will make the transfer. After that, you will be allowed to see the girl. Nod if you understand me.¡±


    Reyona quickly nodded as tears squeezed out of her eyes.


    She had never been more terrified in her life.


    She had never known that the worst feeling she would have in her life was one she would feel in the presence of a faceless man she couldn¡¯t see in a room as pitch-dark as ever.


    Had Allysyn been held in this kind of room? Where was she now? Reyona wondered as she felt the cable ties on her right hand give way.


    The hands were tied separately to each handle of the chair, so loosening one didn¡¯t affect the other.


    Reyona¡¯s blood chilled as she felt something held to the back of her head before her phone materialised in front of her.


    ¡°Take!¡± the voice snapped close to her ears and she almost dropped the phone in shock.


    ¡°Make the transfer. If you dare to press something else on that phone, don¡¯t me me for two deaths.¡±


    Two deaths!


    Reyona quickly opened her bank app, where thirty million and two hundred dors sat.


    When she wanted to type in thirty million, the voice snapped ¡°Send everything!¡±


    With a keening sound in her throat, Reyona quickly typed in everything while tears blurred her vision.


    He collected the phone from her to type in the ount, then gave it back to her to type in the PIN.


    Reyon shuddered as the rubbery feel of his glove touched her hand as she collected the phone.


    The transaction went through almost immediately.


    Reyona was expecting that he would bring Allysyn to her and set her free immediately so they could leave.


    Instead, he collected her phone again and jerked her hand back to tie her again.


    Reyona protested in her throat as she tried to tell him that that was not the agreement.


    Her muffled protests went unheeded and when she was not keeping still enough for him to tie her, he ced the cold steel against her head again and said ¡°Move once more and your body will drop.¡±


    Reyona stilled immediately, and he tied her hand even more tightly than before.


    She tried to see his face as he moved from her back.


    All she saw was a silhouette in the dark that was not different from the surrounding darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t until he opened the door at the far end of where she was before she saw his back.


    He was a ck-haired man dressed in total ck from head to toe.


    He went out of the door and shut it behind him.


    The slim ray of light that had brought some hope to Reyona plunged into dark gloom again as her hope crashed.


    Bitter tears trailed down her face as realisation dawned on her.


    This was a big mistake.


    ***********


    Maxwell was just dressing when he heard a knock at his door.


    Frowning as he quickly wore his trousers, he wondered who that was.


    As he walked, he remembered that he had left his phone on his office desk before seeing those men off with Andrew.


    He swore at his forgetfulness, as he knew this was not the time to keep his phone away from him.


    The knock came again just before he pulled the door open.


    It was the butler.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Maxwell asked tonelessly.


    ¡°There is a man outside, sir. The security men tried to send him away, but they said he kept shouting desperately that he had to see you.¡±


    Maxwell frowned in confusion. ¡°Why did they try to send him away without asking me?¡± he asked in a forbidden tone.


    ¡°They called you but you were not picking. Also, you once said he should never be allowed anywhere near these grounds again.¡±


    Maxwell swore as he instantly knew who it was.


    ¡°Where is Junior?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I will find out, sir,¡± the butler answered.


    ¡°Do, and keep him there. He is not toe out until I get back in.¡±


    He strode past the butler immediately and thetter pulled the door close before following him down the stairs.


    Maxwell hoped Reyona was still soundly asleep as he walked out to send the vermin away before Reyona could see him.


    Thomas looked even worse in the morning light.


    Bloodshot eyes, splotchy skin and bruised face, he stood outside like a lost puppy about to be squashed by the two hefty security men surrounding him like they were looking forward to squashing him like a bug.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Maxwell asked as he gestured for the men to move back.


    ¡°I came to check if she¡­¡± Thomas checked his forward movement from Maxwell¡¯s menacing stare.


    ¡°Please, have you found her?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any useful tips that could help find her?¡±


    ¡°No, I already told you I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Get off my property. Now!¡± Maxwell snapped.


    ¡°Please, let me help with looking for her. Tell me what to do and I will do it.¡±


    ¡°You have done enough. You can choose to walk away now or wait to be thrown out. I can assure you that the second choice will be painful.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Thomas looked defeated as he turned away, then he turned back to her. ¡°Have you tried to reach out to Susan too? Maybe she knows something too.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how I can reach her?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°No, I was punished because she ran away, and I have never heard from her since¡­¡±


    ¡°Out!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I am going. I am going now. Please help me find my daughter. She and Junior are all I have left now.¡±


    He quickly hurried off as the security men stepped towards him.


    Maxwell stalked inside with anger and headed towards his home office to pick up his phone.


    He intended to go wake Reyona after that.


    That would be enough time for that bastard to have taken his fucking self off his property.


    ¡°Where the fuck are you, Susan?¡± he thought suddenly as his mind went to what Thomas had said.


    The thought of the woman driver came to his mind again.

 She Is Not Here

    His security men¡¯s missed calls were the first thing he saw.


    Then he swore when he saw Officer Guy¡¯s missed call as well.


    He saw a message notification sign at the top of the screen as he dialled Officer Guy¡¯s number back.


    ¡°Hello¡±: he said as the officer picked up the call. ¡°Sorry, I missed your call. I wasn¡¯t with my phone.¡±


    ¡°It is fine, we found the van.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What, where? Is she¡­¡±


    ¡°No, she is not there. Not much clue here either. They strip it down. I am beginning to think we are dealing with some professionals here.¡±


    ¡°But the van, tes and everything. It can lead you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was our initial thought as well, but we just released the van to a very happy grandfather a few minutes before you called. It was stolen, Mr. Rohan. They stole it from the man¡¯s grandson, who decided to test his driving skills without telling the old man. It was reported stolen in another district the same day they kidnapped the girl. So it was a one-stop job.¡±


    They stole the car, then drove straight to steal the child. Fuck.


    ¡°What about the boy? Was he able to identify anyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he confirmed there were two people. A male and a female. He was osted from the back though. They grabbed him and threw him to the floor whilemanding him to keep his eyes on the ground. He confirmed catching a glimpse of the female¡¯s hair though.¡±


    Hair? How will that help them with anything?


    But then Maxwell quickly asked ¡°What kind of hair? What colour?¡±


    ¡°A short bob, he said. ck colour.¡±


    Maxwell swore under his breath. For a moment there, he had held out hope.


    It dawned on Maxwell that he had hoped it would match any of Susan¡¯s descriptions.


    ¡°Damn, has ite to this?¡± he thought as he sank heavily into his chair.


    He had been denying it right from time, but somehow he hade to believe that Susan might be behind it.


    D***s could make anyone do anything after all, not that she had any ster character to begin with.


    Thomas¡¯s visit and statement must have finally nudged him in that direction too.


    ¡°Then it could be a wig, for all we know. Anybody can have any hair these days, so it is not of much help.¡± Maxwell heard the man say.


    ¡°Oh, are you sure he is saying the truth though? Do you suspect foul y on the boy¡¯s part?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. He looked very scared of what happened. Scared and wounded too. I don¡¯t think he will get behind any wheel in a long time either way. He was that terrified. What he was guilty of was getting behind the wheel without a license or proper training.¡±


    ¡°Have you found anything else about her? On Susan?¡± Maxwell asked what was on his mind anyway.


    ¡°Nothing new, Mr. Rohan. Your step-sister seems to have burrowed deeper than a squirrel, but we are working on it. Your new set of hands areing in with vital information too. I have a feeling we will nail them soon. Still no calls?¡±


    ¡°None¡±, Maxwell answered, knowing it was a redundant question.


    The police would have found out anyway.


    ¡°What about your phones? We didn¡¯t link your cellphones because we expect you to do what is necessary. You have not received any calls?¡±


    ¡°None but yours,¡± Maxwell said tersely.


    ¡°And your wife?¡±


    ¡°None¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I need to go. Keep us posted if you notice anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I think she got some help.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Officer Guy asked.


    ¡°Susan. You might want to look into that. I don¡¯t think she could have stayed hidden all this while if she was alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are looking into that angle too. Do you have anyone in mind that she could have gone with?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a man? It just makes sense, right?¡±


    ¡°Nothing makes sense until we find the truth. We will get back to you, Mr Rohan. Stay close to the phone and ask everyone to be extra careful.¡±


    When the phone disconnected, Maxwell sighed and dropped the phone on the table.


    Of course, he knew that she had left with a man.


    That was one of the things Don was pissed about.


    But telling them specifically would only make them think he knew more than he did. All he knew was that she had left with one of Don¡¯s men, and promptly put a tag on her back.


    Now they had a man and a woman robbing a kid of his grandpa¡¯s truck and a female driver at the scene of a crime?


    Maxwell was beginning to think that Reyona was right in her first thought after all.


    ¡°Reyona,¡± he thought, as he quickly stood up.


    He snatched the phone off the table and headed outside.


    He needed to share the news with her.


    As disappointing as the news might be, it was something at least, something that might give her some hope.


    Something to make her worry less.


    He could hear Junior¡¯s voice from the dining room.


    As he got to the base of the stairs, Celia came out too.


    He remembered the notification he saw the other time.


    ¡°Oh, I wasing to get the both of you. Our mister here had to start without us. We are waiting for the two of you. How is she?¡±


    ¡°Still sleeping, I think. I have not seen her.¡± His brows furrowed in confusion as he saw that the message was from her and that it was a link.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Celia asked as she saw his expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She sent me this¡­ thing about an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°An hour? She should be asleep by then.¡± Celia said behind Maxwell.


    He was already taking the stairs even as he clicked on the link.


    He knocked on the door as he stared at his phone in confusion.


    After the link loaded, it simply went back to his home menu.


    Nothing at all showed.


    What was the point of the link? He thought as he called out her name while opening the door. ¡°Reyona¡±


    Her opened bag on the very empty bed made him wonder.


    ¡°Reyona!¡± he called more loudly.


    No sound wasing from the bathroom, but he headed there while checking out the dressing room on his way.


    Nothing!


    Nothing!


    ¡°Reyona!¡± Maxwell called this time with panic in his voice.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± he heard Celia¡¯s voice as he hurriedly unlocked his phone to call her.


    ¡°She is not here!¡±


    That was when he saw it.


    The GPS location tracking icon blinking over and over in his notification bar.


    That link!


    With his heart in his mouth, as he barely heard Andrew¡¯s question, Maxwell clicked on the icon.

 Guest Of Honour

    Reyona had no idea how much time had passed before the door opened again.


    Never in her life did she know that she would be so grateful for that tiny nt of light.


    The light did not even reach where she was, but it was something.


    Something other than the crippling darkness that seemed to be seeping under her skin.


    Keeping Allysyn¡¯s face in her mind had been one of the things that had staved off the gloom.


    Reminding herself that the girl was alright was the goal.


    Maybe they can release Allysyn even if they keep her?


    Then she would remember Pat and sobbed behind her gag.


    When she started giving in to despair, she would remember Maxwell.


    He must be on his way already. He would surely get them out of this, and they could all go home.


    Then she would remember Junior and vow to open her heart to that delightful kid fully.


    Then her family woulde to her mind and she would wonder what they would do if something happened to her.


    It was the darkness.


    It was doing something to her mind.


    It was driving her crazy and she began to believe that was part of the n.


    Drive her crazy with the sinister darkness. Then finish her off.


    At one point she felt like she heard some argument nearby, but she was not sure.


    She just wanted this horrible darkness to stop.


    Then the door opened and her entire world at the moment seemed to depend on that sh of glorious light.


    The light was disturbed for a moment as a figure stepped in.


    ¡°Thank god, he kept the light on¡± was the first thought in her mind when the all-ck, masked figure stepped inside fully without closing the door.


    Then she heard the voice even as the masked figure removed her mask to show a sharp angr face with sickly pallor and dark, short hair.


    ¡°Did you think you would be in this situation, bitch?! Guess who the boss is now.¡± She sneered with a cackle.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The shock was the least of what Reyona was feeling as she felt likeunching at the soulless being in front of her.


    ¡°How could you?!¡± She screamed.


    At least she did so in her mind. The only thing that came out through the gag was grunts and squeaks.


    The chair scraped against the concrete floor as Reyona strained against the chair.


    She just needed to wrap her hands around that bitch¡¯s neck.


    That was all.


    The world will thank her for it and she will have no regrets.


    Frustrated tears squeezed out of her eyes as the struggle only made the cable ties chafe and cut deeper into her skin.


    Susan Rohan cupped her hands against her ear as if trying to listen to something.


    ¡°What? Uh? You were saying? Oh, I am sorry. I don¡¯t listen to mumbo jumbo¡±. She let out a shrill cackle before the mirth wiped from her face as fast as it hade.


    She turned her head towards the door. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for, girl? Come on in and meet our guest of honour.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. No, no, no.¡± Reyona¡¯s mind strained against the possibility of the height of this woman¡¯s madness.


    She need not bother because what she feared was exactly what happened.


    Allysyn hesitantly entered her frame of vision.


    Unharmed!


    Unharmed, untied, yet terrified.


    ¡°Ally¡­!¡± Reyona struggled, and the chair almost tipped over this time as she saw Allysyn finally looking away from Susan and towards her.


    ¡°Reyona! You¡­¡±


    Susan grabbed her before she could rush forward to Reyona.


    ¡°Now, look here. You little bitch. I am your mama! I gave birth to you, ruined my body for you and suffered for you. That woman right there is the enemy. She is the worst!¡±


    As if she didn¡¯t hear her, Allysyn turned her head towards Reyona and said ¡°You came.¡±


    Reyona had never felt more helpless in her life as she tried to speak but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Of course, she came. She came back to take my brother¡¯s money! She came back to take you away from me again. She is a thief. Always stealing everything. Now stay right there and listen to a story. A story of how this bitch stole everything from me!¡±


    She picked up something that she had used to prop the door open.


    She jerked it away and plunged them all into the gloom again.


    Reyona had seen it though.


    The object.


    It was a baseball bat!


    *********


    ¡°The number you dialled is switched off!¡±


    ¡°Come on,e on!¡± Maxwell muttered in desperation as the tracking path got choppy.


    He heard the switched-off voice notification from Andrew¡¯s phone just as he heard one of the gardeners telling Celia, ¡°I saw Madam leaving through the back door the other time. I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t stop her?¡± he thundered.


    The man dropped to his knees in fear as he said hastily. ¡°I thought she was taking a walk, sir. I am sorry, sir.¡±


    Maxwell rounded on the security men standing in line behind them. ¡°You! All of you! You are fired!¡±


    ¡°Max, I think you should calm down¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down!¡± Maxwell said as he headed in the direction of the garage.


    ¡°Where are you going, Max? The police are on their way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the fuck the police are doing. I am going to get my woman.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t be that sure of that link. The phone is switched off, so how¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Maxwell said as he turned back and grabbed Andrew¡¯s shirt. ¡°She sent that link to me because she expected me to save her. She doesn¡¯t ask for anything. Now tell me if you would sit around and wait for the fucking police if this was Celia!¡±


    When he saw the look on his friend¡¯s face, he said ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± He let go of his shirt and walked towards one of the cars. ¡°Now you can either help me or get the fuck out of my way!¡±


    He had barely finished his statement when he felt Andrew behind him.


    ¡°Give me the damn key¡±, Andrew said, as he snatched the key from his hand.


    In fury, Maxwell said, ¡°Hey, I told you¡­¡±


    ¡°Get in the damn car, will you? We are not dying first.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celia asked in fear as she saw them driving outside.


    Andrew stopped and said, ¡°He will go anyway.¡±


    She looked over to Maxwell who had his eyes glued to the phone and firmed her mouth as she nodded and patted her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°Be careful¡±


    ¡°We have to tell the police to look into Julian as well.¡±


    That got Maxwell¡¯s attention. ¡°Who the fuck is Julian?¡±


    ¡°One of your security men. He got off some minutes before the gardener saw Reyona. He said he was sick. His number is not going through now.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes widened as he swore in realisation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He said to Maxwell as he connected the phone¡¯s coordinates to the car control centre.


    Andrew nodded at his worried wife before he drove off.


    Just as they were about to leave the estate, three police cars blocked their path.


    Officer Guy stepped out.

 Nothing But A Bet

    ¡°And then she ruined everything!¡±


    Susan¡¯s crazed eyes shone at Reyona in the dark.


    She could see the way Allysyn jolted even though she couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Please, make this stop¡± Reyona prayed in desperation as she continued trying to move her hands.


    At one point, she thought she felt the tie on the right hand cken but soon realised it was just her imagination.


    The hands were tied separately and so tightly that she couldn¡¯t even move them an inch from the spot they were.


    At this point, her tears were mingling with her snot as she kept her eyes pinned on the spot where the girl stood rigidly while her crazy mother kept prattling on about how Reyona took everything from her and ruined her life.


    ¡°You were nothing but a bet, you know. I could see your stupid virginal look in that gym that day and I told Tommy to ask you out. It was all a lie! I was behind every step of it the entire time.¡±


    Reyona was no longer surprised by anything again at that point.


    She just wanted to get the shell-shocked girl as far away from that room as possible.


    Her crazy mother was not done though.


    ¡°I ate the most at your stupid little wedding. I ate andughed at your foolishness. Then I gave him children! Something you could never do. I made that possible! I made him a father, you cunt!


    She grabbed Allysyn suddenly again and said, ¡°See? She is mine! They are all mine! You should have continued being stupid! But then you have to ruin everything! You think I do not know it was you?! I know, you bitch!¡±


    She shook the bat furiously at Reyona. For a moment, Reyona thought she was going to throw it at her.


    Then she turned towards Allysyn again as she pulled the girl forward and said ¡°Look at her. She was the reason why I was arrested.¡±


    ¡°How did she know that?¡± Reyona thought in shock.


    As if she could see her face, Susan said, ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t know? I know, you bitch! Who did you think picked your call first before it was forwarded to their leader? It was¡­!¡±


    ¡°I told you to keep me out of this!¡± A voice thundered from beyond the door.


    Reyona and Allysyn jolted as their heads swerved towards the door.


    Susan was silent for a while before she raised the bat in her hand and said, ¡°You think you can just worm your way into my brother¡¯s bed?¡±


    Step-brother.


    ¡°You think because you whore your way into having a bun in the oven, now you are some important piece of shit? Well, let me show you what happens to people who ruin my life!¡±


    In horror, Reyona watched as she raised the bat in her hand and approached her.


    Her struggle increased in a frenzy as Susan got to her with a sickening smile on her face.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes seemed to sharpen suddenly as she could see every feature of the hate-filled face in front of her.


    ¡°Go to¡­.¡±


    The chair gave way from Reyona¡¯s struggle as she fell sideways just as the bat whistled above her in its intended deadly strike.


    The pain that shot through Reyona went unnoticed as she tried to escape her ghastly fate.


    ¡°Pat, please be okay,¡± she thought in desperation.


    Susan staggered because of her forward motion that met empty air.


    Reyona tried to use the legs of the chair to make her fall but every part of her was still very tied and her awkward attempt with the heavy iron chair yielded nothing before Susan righted herself.


    Breathing heavily and more furious now, Susan yelled ¡°Just stay still, bitch.¡±


    She swung the bat again.


    Reyona froze when she suddenly heard, ¡°Mummy no!¡±


    Right before Allysyn threw herself over her.


    Iron chair and all.


    The bat struck, and she heard the girl let out a short scream before she went limp against her!


    Susan threw the bat away while yelling ¡°Ally! You made me kill my baby, you bitch!¡±


    She pulled the girl off Reyona and set her aside before reaching for Reyona¡¯s throat. ¡°It was you! You made me kill my baby! You¡­¡±


    The door burst open and Reyona could hear ¡°What is going on here?! I told you this was madness. Take the money and go!¡±


    ¡°I have to kill her! She made me kill my baby!¡± Susan¡¯s hands were tightening around Reyona¡¯s neck while she struggled to turn over.


    If she could turn at all, she could gouge Susan¡¯s eyes, side or anything with the closest upraised leg of the chair.


    Half curled, eyes bulging, her shin scraping against the hard floor with the heavy weight on her back, Reyona strained away from the maniacal face in front of her.


    ¡°Die, bitch¡± Susan said as she moved her head closer to Reyona.


    That was her mistake.


    Reyona headbutted her with every ounce of energy in her body.


    Susan screeched as she fell back, and her hands fell away from Reyona¡¯s neck.


    Reyona coughed behind the gag as her eyes went to Allysyn¡¯s unmoving body. ¡°Please, be okay¡± she prayed while coughing and getting ready for the monster in front of her.


    ¡°Fuck this shit. I am leaving and taking the money with me!¡± The man threatened me.


    That got Susan¡¯s attention. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, asshole. That is my money!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The man¡¯s phone rang as he turned to leave. He quickly picked up the call and asked urgently. ¡°Julian, what¡¯s going¡­shit!¡±


    He disconnected the call and red at Susan. ¡°I knew you would do us in, co***ead. Cops are here! Leave now or fuck yourself!¡±


    He ran out of the door before hepleted the statement.


    Susan was pulled betweenpleting her revenge and escaping.


    She took thetter as she shouted ¡°This is not over, bitch!¡±


    Reyona was lightheaded with relief as she finally let herself fall over to her side.


    She heard a door open and a thud closing somewhere in the house.


    Allysyn!


    She started dragging the chair with herself towards the girl.


    ¡°Please, be okay! Please, be okay!¡± She prayed as fresh tears squeezed out of her eyes as her bounding limbs frustrated her efforts.


    The door thudded open again and Reyona screamed in her mind!


    Are they back?! That bitch would finish her off this time!


    ¡°Reyona?! Reyona, are you here?!¡±


    Is that¡­?


    Reyona started moving the chair against the floor so it would attract attention.


    She didn¡¯t mind that she was scraping her sides against the hard, unforgiving floor too.


    She kept making noises until the door sted open.


    ¡°Reyona!¡± He yelled when he saw their silhouette in the dark.


    Reyona smelled his cologne as he came closer, and fainted.


    Right beside Allysyn.

 You Didn’t Know?

    ¡°Hey, you! Stop!¡±


    Susan ran faster!


    They were not going to shoot!


    Cops don¡¯t just shoot at people randomly.


    If she could just get to the end of that alley with Rad, she would be safe!


    He would have activated their n B already.


    If she could get to the alley at the same time as he did, she would be safe.


    Unless he chose to fuck her up and bail, those cops behind her have no chance.


    Though she was getting breathless and wished she could quickly get a puff to keep up her energy, she ran with everything in her.


    She had a third of thirty million waiting for her anyway.


    She wouldn¡¯t need to work anymore for the rest of her life.


    Fuck her kids and Tommy.


    The little bitch had chosen the life wrecker over her anyway.


    Whatever happened was not her fault!


    She just needed to catch up with Rad and her life was set forever.


    He was right¡­


    She frowned as she saw him trip and fall as he rounded the corner.


    What the¡­


    She knew something was wrong when he was not getting up immediately.


    She got to the corner and glimpsed the blood just as she saw the ck van open at the end of the alley.


    The man with the gun gestured for her to keeping.


    She knew them!


    They finally found them.


    Rad had been the one covering their tracks and now he was dead.


    Susan looked back and saw the police almost where she was.


    The police officer taking the lead, stopped and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash, ma¡¯am. Just surrender.¡±


    From where he was, he couldn¡¯t see what was at the other end of the corner.


    The man with the gun raised three fingers and started folding them one by one.


    When he folded the second one, Susan turned to run back towards the police officer.


    The silent bullet pierced her arm and she fell forward.


    The van barrelled down the alley to the connecting road before the shocked cops could round the corner.


    Shey bleeding beside her dead friend.


    ********


    Light and Life Hospital was abuzz with activities as three ambnces zoomed into the hospital¡¯s driveway one after the other.


    Nurses and paramedics were ready, and they quickly rushed the patients off ording to the perceived seriousness of their case.


    ¡°Please, be careful with her¡±, Maxwell said, as he rushed after the gurneys.


    ¡°Please, step aside, sir. Please, let¡¯s do our job¡± one of the nurses said as they quickly wheeled the patients in.


    No one batted an eye as two police officers followed the gurneys down the hall.


    The child took the main priority, followed by the pregnant woman, then the cussing and swiping woman who was bleeding from a nasty hole in her arm that had struck a vein in her elbow.


    Maxwell was beside himself with worry as he paced in front of the adjoining emergency room.


    Andrew was right there with him, their clothes stained with splotches of blood and dirt.


    They both paced in turn.


    ¡°Drew,¡± Maxwell said at one point, then he stopped because he couldn¡¯t go on with voicing the fears of his heart.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    His friend understood though, and he said ¡°She would be fine. They would both be fine. Just hang in there, man.¡±


    Maxwell swore under his breath and started pacing again in a renewed frenzy.


    Celia soon arrived with worry in her voice. ¡°Oh my god!¡± She eximed when she saw the blood on Andrew¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°It is not mine. It is not mine.¡± Andrew quickly assured her before he took her hand andid it on his body.


    That prompted her into action, and she quickly patted his body over and over again as if looking for a hidden wound that he was hiding from her.


    She turned him around in her anxiousness and took a while to hear Andrew¡¯s assurances ¡°Babe? Babe, I am fine. I am fine.¡±


    He finally grabbed her in a hug, and she hugged him tightly as she breathed in relief. ¡°Thank God you are fine. Thank God¡­¡± her eyes widened as she pulled back and asked ¡°Reyona? Where are Reyona and Allysyn?¡±


    Andrew pointed at the two emergency rooms where Maxwell was standing in the middle as if he had no idea which one he should stand in front of.


    ¡°Is it¡­are they very¡­¡±


    ¡°Reyona is banged up, but we have no idea what happened to the kid. She was unconscious and Reyona fainted almost immediately so we couldn¡¯t¡­ the doctors are checking.¡±


    Oh, god¡± Celia said as she went towards Maxwell.


    ¡°Max¡±


    Maxwell turned to her with a lost look on his face.


    ¡°Oh, Max. I am so sorry. She would be fine. They would both be fine¡± she said as she hugged his rigid body.


    She felt him swear under his breath, and she moved backwards to see him looking at something above her head.


    It was the light above one of the emergency rooms that had changed to IN OPERATION.


    As Andrew came to stand with them while also looking at the light, Celia asked.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Allysyn. I think they found what was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡± Celia whispered with her hand to her mouth and tears in her eyes.


    The doctor in Reyona¡¯s room soon came out.


    Maxwell immediately rushed forward as he asked anxiously. ¡°Is she okay? Is my wife okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. She is stable at the moment. We still need to keep an eye on her because some of her cuts are beyond the surface.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry, Reyona. I am so¡­ Is Pat okay?¡± He asked suddenly.


    ¡°Who is Pat?¡± The doctor asked in confusion as he looked from Maxwell to the nurse beside him.


    Thetter looked at the clipboard in her hand and back at the doctor as she shook her head.


    ¡°I am so sorry. I meant the baby. Is the baby fine?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. The babies are in a stable condition. Like I said, we have to¡­¡±


    Maxwell had grown still as he looked at the man with a zed expression. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said we have to keep an eye on her and make sure that she and the¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you say, babies?¡± Maxwell asked impatiently.


    ¡°Yes, they¡­¡± When the man saw the shock in Maxwell¡¯s face, he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± Celia asked as they came closer.


    ¡°You are having twins, sir. Thankfully, they were not affected by the fall she seemed to have, but we still need to keep her under constant monitor.¡±


    The man turned away just as the door behind him opened, and they wheeled the bandaged and unconscious Reyona out with the IV transfusion attached to her bed.

 Are You Happy, Dad?

    ¡°Go, we will stay¡± Celia said when she saw the torn look on Maxwell¡¯s face.


    He looked back at the ¡°In operation¡± sign still showing over the door, then back to Reyona¡¯s gurney and nodded, ¡°Thank you¡± before he hurried after her bed.


    Celia moved closer to her husband, and they held each other as they waited.


    ¡°I thought they don¡¯t do operations in the emergency room,¡± she said in contemtion.


    ¡°They could, in peculiar cases,¡± Andrew said in a sombre tone. Urgent, peculiar cases.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God. Please let her be okay¡± she prayed as she held him tighter.


    After a while, she said, ¡°They should know.¡±


    ¡°Her family?¡±


    Celia nodded and said, ¡°They would hate themselves if they couldn¡¯t be here for her at this moment.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell felt¡­.¡±


    ¡°It was good that we didn¡¯t tell them when she was still in danger, but not anymore. They need to know now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I guess you are right,¡± Andrew said as Celia put on her phone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they are having twins. Can you believe that?¡± Celia asked with a pensive smile. Then her smile dimmed as she said ¡°I wish they didn¡¯t have to find out this way though. Reyona was looking forward to the surprise.¡±


    ¡°They will be fine,¡± Andrew said as he led her back to the bench.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose they will.¡± She said before she dialled the number.


    ********


    Maxwell was still very much numb with shock at the news the doctor casually gave him.


    Just as he was filled with pain at the way Reyona was swaddled with bandages from side to side.


    He wanted to hold her and beg her to forgive him for putting her in such a situation.


    He wanted to curse the day he first got rted to such a vicious being as Susan.


    He wanted to hold her hands to feel anchored by the fact that she was still there with him.


    Yet even her fingers were bandaged in ces and the uncovered part was already purpling with signs of bruises.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± He muttered after the nurse, setting things up in the VIP room, left.


    ¡°I am so sorry, babe. I hope¡­I¡­I am so sorry.¡± He repeated in such a pained voice. ¡°Can you please wake up? I need you to tell me that¡­¡± his voice caught in his throat and he leaned back in his seat.


    Then he stood up in agitation and started pacing.


    He went close to her, then moved away again.


    The gentle rise and fall of her chest was doing nothing to reassure him.


    He just wanted her to wake up.


    He turned away from her and faced the curtain-draped window.


    He could hardly see what was in front of him as his mind was more fixated on what he had seen in that room.


    He had died when he saw the glint of her eyes one moment, then the next she had slumped without moving.


    He held his head and dragged his hands through his hair like he wanted to yank it off its root.


    Then he almost tripped on Allysyn¡¯s body right before Andrew and the police entered the room with a shlight.


    The windows of the basement of a deserted home had been nailed shut and as much as one of the cops tried to open it, itdid not budge.


    Maxwell swore as he remembered that scene again.


    Susan had better rot in jail because he was going to kill her.


    He had no idea how she had sustained the shot in her arm, but he wished it was more grave than it was.


    He wished she suffered more damage even while she rot in hell because he was not going to forgive her.


    The police had better keep her as far away from him as possible. Oh, they had better!


    He turned to look at Reyona again as he said ¡°I wish I had listened to you when you brought it up. I am so sorry.¡±


    He leaned against the wall and shook his head in disgust.


    How can a mother kidnap her daughter?


    Maxwell still couldn¡¯t believe anyone could be that despicable.


    Was it just because of the money?


    He shook his head as he looked at Reyona¡¯s swaddled body.


    It was more than just the money.


    Just as it had nothing to do with maternal love too.


    His greedy step-sister had seen the chance to make money off her daughter and to dispose of who she termed her enemy too.


    The thought that he could have lost her weakened him, and he slid down the wall until he was crouching with his eyes firmly locked on the bed.


    ¡°Please, wake up, Reyona. Please.¡± He whispered unconsciously, then his gaze went towards the door as he heard footsteps.


    It was Celia.


    She had an apologetic look on her face as she held the phone in her hand.


    His eyes narrowed as he heard sniffling noises from the phone.


    ¡°I am sorry about this, Max. I thought it was necessary to let her family know, you know.¡±


    When he said nothing, she pointed at the phone while saying, ¡°It is Toria.¡±


    ¡°Please, just let me see her, okay?¡± Toria¡¯s teary voice came through the phone. ¡°I promise I am calm. I just need to see her!¡±


    Maxwell merely hung his head as shame, regret and helplessness engulfed him.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    He knew the moment Celia switched the video view around because he could hear Toria¡¯s cry.


    ¡°Rey! Rey!! It¡¯s me, Rey! Why isn¡¯t she saying anything?! Why is she banged up like that? What had that bitch done to you?! I told you were gonna get hurt, Rey¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, calm down,¡± Celia said as she switched the video around again.


    With tears clouding her voice, Toria said ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down. Don¡¯t tell me¡­did you see what that bitch did to her? Where the hell were you, Maxwell? Where the fuck were you when my sister was getting beaten up with your kid inside her? Turn on the camera! Let me see that idiot¡¯s face. Let me¡­¡± She broke down in tears before she couldplete her statement.


    As Celia soothed her, Maxwell stayed as he was while feeling even worse than Toria¡¯s opinion of him at the moment.


    He hated himself for letting the woman he loved get hurt by the family he detested.


    ¡°Are you happy, dad?¡± The unchivalrous thought popped into his mind before he could stop it.


    Yet at the moment, he didn¡¯t feel guilty about that thought at all.


    In a way, this was his fault.


    If only he had not ingrained that ¡®family above all else¡¯ bullshit into him from childhood.


    He would have stayed as far away from Susan¡¯s situation as possible.


    ¡°And probably never meet Reyona¡± his mind whispered.


    Fuck!

 Once A Promising Boy

    Maxwell was contemting whether he just saw her finger move or he was hallucinating when Andrew came in.


    He looked at Reyona¡¯s still body and said ¡°Still nothing?¡±


    ¡°I think I saw her finger move,¡± Maxwell said woodenly. Then he shook his head while still staring at the hand. ¡°No, I think I was just¡­it didn¡¯t move.¡±


    Andrew nodded and said, ¡°Can you step out for a bit?¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Allysyn.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s head jerked upwards at that. ¡°What?¡± How could he have forgotten that she was still in surgery?


    It¡¯s been over two hours.


    Maxwell saw the doctor close to the door, and he was already walking towards the doctor even as Andrew jerked his thumb towards the doctor.


    ¡°What is going on? What happened? How is she?¡± He asked anxiously as he went out.


    ¡°She is fine. She is fine. I need you to know that she is fine.¡± the man said automatically.


    Yet the way he said it made Maxwell ask, ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°She sustained an injury. A nasty one from a blunt hit to her Cyx, that is her tailbone. We had to quickly do surgery because I noticed she was in shock due to internal bleeding.¡±


    Maxwell swore as his mind went to the discarded bat he had seen in the room.


    Susan? Damn it!


    ¡°Thank God we urgently rescued the situation because the shattered cyx had punctured the surrounding tissues, and she was bleeding badly. We were able to manage the situation, but she has lost a lot of blood. She needs a blood transfusion immediately.¡±


    Why did he have to tell him that?


    ¡°Where is the problem?¡± Maxwell asked testily.


    ¡°The problem is we don¡¯t have her blood type in our blood bank. She has a very rare blood type. Rh-Null. It is so rare that less than a hundred people carry it in the whole world. We don¡¯t have the arrangement for it.¡±


    That bitch must be useful for something.


    ¡°Susan. Get that bitch to do something useful for once in her life. She caused this after all.¡±


    ¡°Miss Rohan has lost a lot of blood as well, but it is of no use. We tested her blood just to see if there was any way we could work around their situation, but there wasn¡¯t. She does not have the same blood type at all.¡±


    Neither did Maxwell as well.


    ¡°How is that even possible? She is her mother.¡± Maxwell said in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, in some cases, a child can carry a type of blood even if the parents do not have it, but then that would mean that both parents had the recessive genes of such blood type. Bothbined can cause the blood type in the child, but in this case, the mother does not have even a trace of the gene in her blood at all. And that only leaves us with one other possibility.¡±


    Thomas ¡°The father.¡± Maxwellpleted.


    The doctor nodded. ¡°We need to get him here as soon as possible. She needs the transfusion urgently. We might have to temporarily use the synthetic blood for the moment because she can¡¯t wait for long without having anything, but it is risky for a long-term solution. We need her blood type donor here, sir.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡­¡± he was already pulling out his phone to call Thomas when he remembered that his number had not been going through for a while now.


    He faintly heard Andrew telling the doctor that they would get back to him as soon as possible.


    He dialled Thomas¡¯s number anyway.


    The number you dialled is currently¡­


    Damn it.


    He looked back at Reyona as he thought of going to Susan¡¯s room to shake any information he could out of her.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Andrew asked him.


    ¡°We need to get that bastard here. We need to get his ass here so he can give her the blood she needs.¡±


    ¡°Okay, are you able to reach him?¡±


    ¡°His damn number is not going through. I have no idea if he is at¡­¡± he stopped talking as he remembered who he could call to confirm that.


    He dialled Mary¡¯s number.


    Mary picked on the second ring and Maxwell could barely hear her at first.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hello, Mary. Mary? Can you hear me?¡±


    He heard a muffled whisper, then the sound of someone loudly blowing their nose.


    He could hear another voice in the background also.


    Just as he wondered if he had saved the wrong number, he heard the woman¡¯s voice at the other end.


    Still unclear but better than at first. ¡°Hello, Max? Is that you?¡± Mary asked at the other end.


    ¡°Yes, yes, it is me,¡± Maxwell quickly answered.


    As much as he wanted to just ask his burning question, the woman¡¯s voice made him ask, ¡°Are you fine, Mary?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am fine. Life can just be so cruel, you know.¡±


    Maxwell had a feeling that asking further about that was going to take time he did not have. He simply said, ¡°You are right. I am sorry about that. Have you seen Thomas today? I mean, do you know if he is around right now?¡±


    ¡°No, he is not. I just¡­ Cliff and I came over so I could bring him some food. We talked about it, you know, me and Cliff. We thought we could convince him to shape up his life again. I mean¡­ he was once a promising boy. Not solid in character like my Billy, but promising. Ruth was so proud of him. She would talk about him at every gathering. To see what he has be just breaks my heart. The bottle is killing him. I can¡¯t imagine how Ruth would feel right now if she could see this ce. Such a terrible mess. He stripped the whole ce down! He couldn¡¯t even be bothered to lock the door on his way out!¡±


    She said in agitation and Maxwell heard someone telling her, ¡°There, there,¡± in the background.


    Old Cliff, he supposed.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t care if the bastard was about to jump off the cliff, he just needed his blood.


    His possibly alcohol-free blood.


    ¡°I am sorry to hear that,¡± Maxwell said tofort the woman. ¡°Do you have his number? His new number, I mean. I need to reach him urgently.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± She heard him ask her husband something. The man responded in a gruff tone. Then Mary was back on the phone. ¡°No, we don¡¯t. Cliff saw him on a phone the day he got back, but not anymore. Maybe he sold that too?¡±


    Damn it.


    Andrew raised his brow at him as he asked ¡°Nothing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡±, Maxwell answered in frustration.


    Behind him, he heard a breathy call of ¡°Max¡­well?¡±

 Could That Be The Reason?

    He was going to get better.


    He would show them.


    Every single one of them would see.


    What was so difficult about being sober?


    He would be sober, and that damned Rohan would take him seriously.


    Everyone would treat him as he deserved to be treated.


    He deserved to be allowed to help find his daughter.


    She is his daughter, after all, not theirs!


    He would stay sober and get a job! Then he could get his children back and take them home!


    ¡°Sober, yes,¡± he thought as he lifted the ss of beer to his mouth.


    Right after having thisst drink, he would do exactly as he had said.


    They should have found her by now, right?


    Thomas¡¯s gaze went to the small blinking TV atop the head of the bartender.


    The small tavern was the type where he could get a cheap, watered-down beer.


    Just the type he could afford with thest dregs of histest sales ¨C his mother¡¯s china tes.


    The bartender had collected money upfront before pushing the sloshing beer his way.


    ¡°Snobs everywhere. Even a stinky bartender dared to disrespect me these days,¡± he thought in self-righteous disgust.


    They should all wait. They would see.


    Thomas was about to drain his beer in the almost vacant tavern when he blinked at the muted TV again.


    ¡°Hey, increase the volume,¡± he said to the bartender without taking his eyes off the TV set.


    The bartender paused in his current act of coin mining on his phone.


    He gave Thomas a curt, annoyed look for interrupting him.


    Then he increased the volume anyway while muttering ¡°Cheapskate¡±.


    He promptly went back to his tapping.


    Thomas had sat straighter at this point.


    He leaned forward on the stool he sat on, almost tipping over, as he realised that he had not been wrong after all.


    He knew that shade of hair anywhere.


    And the girl!


    The camera moved from the patients who were being rushed into the hospital and turned to a petite reporter who was talking about how they followed the Rohans from the scene of the incident to the hospital.


    They still had no idea what had happened, as the police were not divulging any information yet.


    By the time the reporter was telling the viewers to stay tuned, Thomas was already on his way out.


    He had caught the name of the hospital after all.


    ¡°Hey, you¡­!¡± The bartender seemed to remember that he had collected money before as he stopped his furious call and grimaced at Thomas¡¯s departure before turning to what he was doing.


    Tap¡­tap¡­tap.


    *******


    ¡°But he is not.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°He is not what?¡±


    ¡°Here, take some more sips. I don¡¯t think you should be talking yet. You need to conserve your energy,¡± Maxwell said anxiously before he moved the straw closer to Reyona¡¯s mouth.


    Reyona nodded, then grimaced in pain as she sipped some more water.


    She leaned back against the bed with her eyes closed andid her hand on her stomach.


    Thank God her baby was okay.


    As soon as she woke up, she was concerned that something had happened to her child.


    As she anxiously asked, Andrew quickly pressed the call button beside her while Maxwell came to reassure her that the baby was fine.


    He was afraid to hold her but Reyona had told her she was not too fragile for his hug.


    In truth, her body ached like she couldn¡¯t ever remember it aching before.


    Yet, his warmth as he held her with such gentleness filled something deep within her.


    When the horror of the past few hours wanted to crawl into her mind, she only inhaled his scent to keep it at bay.


    His anxious and apologetic gaze was more than she could have hoped for at the moment.


    It was a far cry from the maniacal look that had dogged her even in her unconscious state.


    He had wanted to tell her something when the doctor entered.


    ¡°Allysyn? Is Allysyn fine?¡± she asked as the doctor entered, followed by a nurse. ¡°That bitch hit her! She was protecting me. She went limp.¡±


    ¡°Allysyn is fine,¡± they all chorused before the doctor checked her and asked the nurse to bring her some liquid for her parched throat.


    It wasn¡¯t until the doctor went out before Maxwell filled her in that they needed to look for Thomas urgently.


    ¡°What for?¡± She asked in surprise.


    Then they exined.


    Something was not adding up though.


    She rested her woolly head for a moment before it came to her.


    She gathered her strength again and said ¡°He is not Rh-Null. Thomas, I mean. He is AB negative.¡±


    ¡°What? How could that be? Could you have gotten it wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was the man¡¯s wife for eight years, remember? I know everything about his blood work. He is not Rh-Null. Maybe the doctor got it wrong? Can you check again?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Maxwell said, and they pressed the call button again to get a nurse to call the doctor treating Allysyn.


    The man was shocked by Reyona¡¯s revtion.


    ¡°I am not sure what happened, but I am sure of the girl¡¯s blood type. It is so rare that it can¡¯t be mistaken for another. Maybe there is an error in your reminder of the father¡¯s blood type?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he is the one with the recessive gene,¡± Andrews said. ¡°Could that be the reason?¡±


    ¡°That is not a typical case, sir.¡± The doctor answered. ¡°If one of the parents had the recessive gene, then the dominant gene would have ovee the recessive one. That is what the baby would have carried. Not the other way around. We can still check to be certain though. Rarities have never been unheard of.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean her brother has it too?¡± Reyona asked suddenly.


    The doctor gave her an odd look as he asked carefully, ¡°Uhm, you don¡¯t possibly think we should¡­¡±


    ¡°No, what? Of course not.¡± Reyona said in a stronger voice. ¡°I would never expect you to take blood from a five-year-old, I just wanted to know how this works. How on earth did she end up with this rare blood when her parents do not have it?¡±

 Difficult Situation

    ¡°Oh,¡± the doctor smiled in relief as he said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know until we checked him, but it is not a must for siblings to have the same blood type. A lot of things constitute blood types, and they vary between siblings.¡± he sighed before he continued ¡°What about we get the father here just so we can test him?¡± he turned towards Reyona apologetically as he said ¡°Not to dispute what you are saying, ma¡¯am, but we need this blood urgently. We have also been reaching out to international agencies and NGOs who have actively engaged in preserving the rare blood type over time, but we have not gotten any affirmative response yet. Any help we can get right now is fine. Any means at all. Let¡¯s start by checking the father, please. Or anyone that you know who could be a possible match.¡±


    The doctor left in a hurry as he got a call from the nurses.


    Celia came in just as Maxwell was calling Andrea to see if she could help them get the blood from any of her connections.


    Andrea eximed when she heard the blood type and promised to do her best, but even before he disconnected the call, Maxwell already knew it would not be that easy.


    Celia expressed her joy at seeing Reyona awake.


    Then she told her about Toria¡¯s call.


    ¡°Though I told her we got this handled, I think she might be on her way here,¡± Celia said.


    ¡°What? But she is in¡­ may I have your phone, please?¡±


    She tried Toria¡¯s number, but it was not reachable.


    She sighed in resignation and handed the phone back to Celia.


    ¡°I will call my parentster. My head is aching.¡±


    Reyona asked if she could see Allysyn, but Celia urged her to please concentrate on her recovery first.


    The girl was in the ICU currently and the doctor had advised no visit to avoid any transfer of bacteria that could affect her in her current fragile state.


    Celia told them worriedly that she was sceptical of the worried look on the doctor¡¯s and nurses¡¯ faces.


    Whenever she asked them if everything was alright, they said, ¡°We need to get her blood type as soon as possible.¡±


    When she saw the anxious look on Reyona¡¯s face, she swore and said ¡°Oh, I am so sorry, I tend to open my mouth and just utter the first thing that pops into it these days. I shouldn¡¯t add to your worries. She is going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°But we need the blood urgently,¡± Reyona said in a waning voice.


    ¡°We need that blood,¡± Celia said. ¡°And you also need to rest.¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± Maxwell said urgently. ¡°Please, stop worrying about this, Reyona. We will sort it out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop worrying,¡± Reyona said with tears in her eyes. ¡°She is in that state because of me. She protected me and my baby.¡±


    ¡°No, she is in that state because of her vicious mother who dared to bring a child into such a situation. Let¡¯s not forget that,¡± Celia said firmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just want her to get better.¡±


    ¡°Reyona,¡± Maxwell said worriedly as he moved closer to her.


    ¡°I am fine, Maxwell. I am fine. Just do something, please. Just¡­anything. That girl needs to be fine as soon as possible. Do you see that doctor¡¯s face? Not getting that blood could be dangerous!¡±


    Maxwell nodded as he knew there was no way he could get her to calm down at that moment unless she had some assurance.


    ¡°Okay, I will make some more calls. Just please calm down, okay? Think of the baby.¡±


    He saw Celia raise her brow at him above Reyona¡¯s head.


    He knew what she was asking.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The baby? Have you not told her?


    Maxwell inclined his head to let her know the time had not been right.


    ¡°Please, stay with her, Celia. I have to make some calls.¡± Maxwell said, and Celia nodded.


    He leaned over to kiss her forehead and quickly hurried out.


    Andrew was just getting off a call when he came out. ¡°Anything?¡± he asked anxiously.


    ¡°They will get back to me. Doesn¡¯t look promising yet.¡±


    ¡°Please, keep an eye on them, will you?¡± he asked Andrew.


    ¡°You got it. Where are you going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To get Lanoth or some fucking answers,¡± Maxwell answered as he strode past Andrew.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he heard his friend say curiously.


    He owed him and Celia a lot, and he would properly thank themter, but for now, his mind was focused on that little girl probably struggling for her life, because they couldn¡¯t get their hands on what she needed the most.


    ¡°Where are you, Officer Guy?¡± he asked as the man picked up the call.


    ¡°I have actually just got back to the hospital now. I was going to check on you once I am done here.¡±


    Done with her.


    ¡°Alright. I will join you there now.¡±


    Maxwell asked one of the nurses he had seen earlier about the room where Susan was.


    The woman gave him the number and pointed him in the direction.


    He had no idea if it was by design or pure coincidence, but the room was far from where Reyona and Allysyn were.


    Good, he didn¡¯t want either of them to have any cause to set their eyes on her anyway.


    Officer Guy was waiting for him in the hallway.


    ¡°Hi, is this about your step-sister? I just learned that the doctors had a difficult situation on their hands too. We will need your opinion.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Maxwell stated without even hearing what the situation was. ¡°Can you work out a missing person announcement from here, Officer Guy?¡± he asked urgently.


    The man looked at him curiously and said ¡°Not exactly, but I can call it in.¡±


    ¡°Good, his name is Thomas Lanoth. Dark hair, blue eyes. Looks like shit, and he probably smells like the inside of a stale cheap liquor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will need more information than that, but has he been missing more than twenty-four hours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has been gone more than long enough,¡± Maxwell answered.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Officer Guy took out his radio, then gave MAxwell a curious look as he asked ¡°This person, he is not really missing, is he? I want the truth. Mr. Rohan.¡±

 Bane Of His Existence

    ¡°He is. I can¡¯t reach him, and his daughter needs his blood to survive. Please, don¡¯t hesitate to add somepensation for whoever can find him as soon as possible and haul his ass down here too. I don¡¯t care how much.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Officer Guy said. ¡°Does his daughter really need his blood or is that a metaphor of some sort?¡±


    ¡°It is a matter of life and death, officer,¡± Maxwell answered earnestly.


    ¡°Do you have a picture?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, but I can get it,¡± Maxwell said.


    Officer Guy quickly passed the pen and note to Maxwell and told him to write down everything he could remember about the man, including thest time and ce he had seen him.


    He made a call to the station and called for an urgent announcement.


    ¡°I am going to need that picture,¡± he said as he disconnected the call.


    Then, as if he had just remembered, he dipped his head into his jacket and took out Reyona¡¯s phone. ¡°Here we found this on the dead guy. We thought it was his, so our tech guys unlocked it and went through some stuff. The transaction. A 30 million plus was made from this to a dummy ount some hours ago. That was when we realised it was the victim¡¯s ount. We are currently working on getting the money back. It might take a while.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe she had sent that much money and had not even mentioned it once since she woke up.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Maxwell was humbled by the kind of woman she was.


    He collected the phone and fought the temptation of doing what popped into his mind.


    But the hesitation only took a second.


    This was better than asking her directly for his photos anyway.


    Hoping he was right, and she had actually deleted his pictures, Maxwell quickly installed a deleted photo recovery app on her phone and searched for pictures of a certain duration. The pictures came up almost immediately.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t know he had been holding his breath until then.


    He had deliberately not gone into her gallery for fear that she might actually still have his images in her gallery.


    But when he saw the deleted pictures and how long it had been, he let out an unconscious sigh of relief.


    He picked a very clear, full one and ignored the rest.


    ¡°I have the picture now,¡± he said to Officer Guy.


    He sent the picture to the man and thetter forwarded it to the right department.


    ¡°It is done,¡± Officer Guy said after he made another call after sending the picture.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°How soon can we get a result?¡±


    ¡°That depends. It could be much sooner orter. In the meantime, I would suggest you check at every ce he could be as well. Maybe with friends or family?¡±


    Maxwell could imagine what Lance¡¯s opinion would be if he got another call about Lanoth.


    Just as he wondered if Reyona would be pissed when she found out what he did on her phone.


    As he deleted the picture and app, he thought to himself that she didn¡¯t have to know.


    This had nothing to do with keeping secrets from her, right?


    He just didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    And yes, it had nothing to do with not trusting her either.


    ¡°Why then were you so hesitant about checking her gallery?¡± his mind whispered.


    Maxwell swore beneath his breath, knowing he would eventually tell her anyway.


    ¡°Butter, muchter,¡± he vowed to himself as a disturbing thought urred to him.


    Since when did he start having insecurities about anything?


    ¡°Thank you, Officer Guy, please let me know once you hear anything.¡±


    ¡°You are wee,¡± Officer Guy said, then he hurriedly added, before Maxwell could turn, ¡°About the difficult situation¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, officer,¡± Maxwell said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to her. Just arrest her as soon as the doctors are done with her. Then take her as far away from me and my family as possible. I am sure you already know she had a case with the KDLEA by now too. Between you and them, you can do what you want with her. The name she has meant nothing anymore. She does not deserve it, and she has exhausted all the grace she could get from it. Thank you.¡± he turned again and heard.


    ¡°The doctor thinks she needs amputation.¡±


    ********


    Thomas was all sweaty as he approached the Light and Life hospital.


    He couldn¡¯t believe how worse his shape had gotten regarding physical exertion.


    He was breathing heavily, his mouth and throat were dry, and he wished he had not left that little portion of beer in that tavern.


    If only he could get just a drop of that glorious liquid in his throat at that moment.


    Maybe he was going to pass out after all.


    He would pass out, and then they would carry him to the same hospital too.


    Great, then it would be a real family gathering.


    Thomas chuckled bitterly at the irony of it all.


    His ex-wife, the mother of his children, and his child were at the same hospital.


    If he could join them, then the picture would certainly beplete.


    He didn¡¯t have to think too much about putting two and two together.


    He just knew he had been right.


    Susan had had something to do with Allysyn¡¯s kidnapping.


    Why? He supposed he would know soon enough.


    At the moment, he regretted ever meeting Susan.


    In a rare mood of contemtion the day before, he had realised just how much she had ruined his life.


    Apart from being the mother of his children, every other impact she had had on his life had been negative.


    If not for her, he might not have be a truant today.


    Maybe his mom would even have been alive.


    He might have met Reyona anyway and genuinely liked her, because who wouldn¡¯t like a woman like his ex-wife?


    His body certainly wouldn¡¯t have been wrecked by drugs.


    And here he was finishing the job off with drinks.


    Who was he to mock Trent for falling off the wagon?


    When his mind wanted to go to that disturbing night in Sydney, he simply took his mind off it and turned it back to the bane of his existence.

 Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

    Everything had gone downhill from that sick bet.


    Everything had been set and shaped from that fateful day.


    Right down to his lumbering walk on the sidewalk where he sweated heavily and struggled for a mile, which would have been nothing to him when his body was still in top shape.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± he thought to himself as he saw thest sign of the hospital.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he thought as he saw two men looking at him from where they sat on the stairs of a closed shop.


    He saw them whisper to each other and pointed to their phone.


    ¡°It must be fun to be that carefree,¡± he thought in disgust as he remembered a time he had been like that.


    He had had everything working for him.


    Flourishing businesses in his chosen field, a beautiful wife, and a home he was always wee to. Life was going well for him.


    And now he had nothing.


    No, not nothing. He had two children. He just needed to shape up enough to stand for himself, and they woulde to him.


    Yes, he would start by being a good father when he showed up at the hospital and offered to help in any way he could.


    They would see that he had changed.


    Maybe he could even get to ask Reyona for¡­


    ¡°Hey, you Lanoth?¡±


    Thomas heard the question just as he realised that he was being followed.


    ¡°Yes, who is asking?¡± He looked back and saw that it was the men he saw earlier ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± they said simply and carried him.


    ¡°Hey, hey¡± he struggled, but they had his arms and legs pinned in a way that his struggle was nothing to them.


    Kidnapping in broad daylight?


    ¡°What the hell do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Some meal tickets,¡± one of the men said with a chuckle.


    Some meal¡­


    Thomas let out a bitterugh as he interpreted what the man said ¡°You are wasting your time with me, I tell you. You can¡¯t get a dime from me. You¡­let me go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know just how weak he had be until that moment when he couldn¡¯t even get free from men who were not even as buff as he used to be.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Why would anybody kidnap him?


    In broad daylight too?


    ¡°Are you all just going to stand there and let them do this?¡± he yelled in desperation when he saw people pulling out their phones and recording instead of trying to help him.


    ¡°You all just go about your business. We are good citizens here. This man here is a wanted man. We are just helping the police.¡±


    ¡°Wanted what? I am not wanted for anything! I am just going to see my daughter in the hospital!¡± he saw the men look at each other for a second.


    Then, just as if he had not said anything, they continued on their way.


    Carrying him like a human sedan chair while people record and snap away.


    He saw the hospital from afar, and a thought came to his mind. He was going to conserve his strength and have a good struggle when they got to the front of the hospital.


    If he could get the chance to dislodge one of their arms, he could get free and run towards the hospital.


    He didn¡¯t mind screaming for help if he had to.


    Desperate times call for desperate measures after all.


    Wait, who the hell kidnaps people on foot?


    *********


    ¡°What do you mean she needs to get an amputation?¡± Maxwell asked in the most careless tone he could muster.


    ¡°Three counts of damage done to her arm. The shot shattered her bones and caused vascr injury, which was the reason for her excessive bleeding, and then it automatically affected her nerves too. The doctor is certain that there is no way they could save her arm. The damage is too extensive.¡±


    ¡°That was why you came back?¡±


    ¡°I heard you wouldn¡¯t listen to anything that has to do with her. The doctor needs someone to give consent,¡± Officer Guy answered.


    ¡°What is she? A kid? She couldn¡¯t give consent herself?¡± Maxwell asked tersely.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say she didn¡¯t take the news very well. She got very hysterical. They had to sedate her.¡±


    ¡°Then wait till she wakes up and ask her again.¡±


    ¡°They are afraid that infection might set in if dyed,¡± Officer Guy said.


    ¡°What part of it I don¡¯t care, do you not understand, officer? Any news from the station yet?¡±


    Officer Guy checked his pager and said ¡°No, not yet. We¡¯ve made it a high priority. They will find him soon unless he deliberately didn¡¯t want to be found.¡±


    Like Susan. The murdering bitch.


    ¡°Thank you, please let me know,¡± Maxwell said as he turned to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Rohan, are you sure you don¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s phone started ringing, interrupting Guy¡¯s persuasion.


    ¡°Drew,¡± Maxwell said as he picked up the call. ¡°Is she fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is. The receptionist just called though. Your attention is needed upfront. I think they found Lanoth.¡±


    ¡°What? I am on my way.¡±


    He was already hurrying out before he disconnected the call.


    Officer Guy followed him.


    ********


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I told you I wasing here!¡± Thomas turned towards the nurses standing around.¡± Look, they just grabbed me down there. You can see how sweaty I am. I was on my way here. How can I be wanted?¡±


    ¡°Liar! He is a liar. We caught him when he was about to run away! We caught him and brought him here because we love doing our civic duties. We can¡¯t have criminals like him walking about scot-free.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a criminal? Let go of my hands and let me show you what a criminal is!¡± Thomas Lanoth was shrieking in the hands of the men who still held him like they were afraid that he would run away.


    In truth, they were afraid that he would jeopardise their rewards.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Maxwell said as he strode out of the hospital, followed by Andrew.

 Do It

    The men looked at the two formidable men and gauged if they were the ones to pay them.


    Their status did shine through despite their current slightly dishevelled appearance, but the men wanted to be sure that they were not about to lose the money. After all, they had already discussed how they would spend it even before they saw Thomas.


    ¡°We were asked to bring him to this hospital. By the police. You don¡¯t look like a police officer.¡± one of them said to Maxwell.


    ¡°Is this your work, Rohan? Why would you have me humiliated like this? I wasing to see Allysyn and these assholes grabbed me! What are you taking pictures for?!¡± he shouted at the people around him, who were stylishly recording the scene while snickering and mocking him behind their hands.


    ¡°Put him down now, or you can forget about your rewards,¡± Maxwell said sternly.


    ¡°Oh, we are sorry, sir.¡± the men quickly dropped Lanoth.


    He fell on his butt with a yell.


    Then ¡°You want to reward them? I aming already! Why would no one believe me?! They grabbed me from down there.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Maxwell said with apparent disbelief. Then to the men, he asked ¡°How much were you promised?¡±


    The men looked at each other and one of them quickly said ¡°Five thousand,¡±


    ¡°Two thousand,¡± Maxwell heard Officer Guy say behind him as he came out of the hospital.


    The men looked angry as they wanted to confront whoever wanted to cut down on their easy pay.


    ¡°Who is¡­?¡±


    They stopped talking when they saw Officer Guy¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Has your memory been revived, gentlemen, or would you rather leave with nothing?¡± he said curtly.


    The men shrugged and the one who had been speaking since said sheepishly, ¡°I forgot for a moment. I am not good with numbers.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Officer Guy said with a disparaging smile.


    ¡°What money? They don¡¯t deserve any money! Why is nobody listening to me? They¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Maxwell snapped at Thomas as he reached into his pocket, only to realise he was not with his wallet.


    ¡°I have some cash here,¡± Andrew said automatically and took out a bulky stash of 100-dor bills from his wallet.


    The men quickly collected them and counted them.


    From the look on their faces, it was way more than two thousand, but they merely smiled and said ¡°Nice doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°I am a business?¡± Thomas asked in outrage.


    Then he turned to Maxwell, ¡°What do you want from me, Rohan?¡±


    ¡°Your blood,¡± Maxwell said tersely.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Uhh?¡± Thomas gaped at him as Guy told everyone around that the show was over.


    ¡°Get in here,¡± Maxwell said, and entered the hospital.


    When Thomas hesitated, a look from Andrew was enough to get him moving.


    Muttering and grumbling, Thomas followed them inside.


    The doctor quickly got to work, and they drew his blood for a check-up.


    Andrew stayed with him in the waiting room.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to babysit me, you know. I am not going anywhere. I need to see my girl first.¡±


    Andrew merely looked at him and turned back to his phone.


    Defeated and drained, Thomas leaned back and wondered what was going on.


    He wasn¡¯t sure he didn¡¯t hate Susan at that point.


    He had loved her fiercely at one point and thought her the love of his life, but at that moment, he was feeling anything but love towards her.


    This was all her fault.


    Maybe she would tell him why she did it.


    ¡°Where is Susan?¡± he asked Andrew suddenly.


    Thetter gave him a disgusted look as he asked ¡°Do I look like her keeper?¡±


    ********


    ¡°No,¡± Maxwell said unconsciously, as he turned towards the approaching doctor.


    He had followed the man to theb and waited outside while thetter said he would put a rush on it.


    He was pacing in the hallway when the man came out with the result in his hands.


    Maxwell didn¡¯t have to see the result or hear it.


    The look on the doctor¡¯s face already set ice in his veins.


    ¡°I am sorry, but your wife was right. No chance of a match at all.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Maxwell asked contemtively.


    The doctor adjusted his coat and said ¡°Not to insinuate anything, but I think there is only one person who can shed more light on this right now.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s eyes widened as he realised what the doctor had subtly hinted.


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not in my ce to¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Maxwell said as he turned swiftly on his heels. Then he turned to the doctor and said, ¡°How long do we have? How long can she hold on?¡±


    ¡°Not long at all,¡± the doctor answered.


    ¡°Give me a number,¡± Maxwell said in a curt tone.


    ¡°If we do not get it in the next three hours, we will have to detoxify her system. The synthetic blood was only ast resort to start with, and it is not ideal that it should stay for so long in her before we get the right supply. It was meant to keep her cirction going.¡±


    ¡°Three hours,¡± Maxwell stated to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, sir. After that, we would have to detoxify her every two hours. I don¡¯t want us to have to get to that. It could have adverse effects on her health and recovery.¡±


    Maxwell ran his hands through his hair with a sigh, ¡°No response from those organisations yet?¡±


    ¡°No positive ones.¡±


    ¡°Okay, keep reaching out,¡± Maxwell said. Just as he was about to turn around, he looked at the test result in the doctor¡¯s hand and asked ¡°You have everything needed to do it, right?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡± the doctor nodded and said, ¡°Yes, we do.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°The result will take at least twenty-four hours or forty-eight hours at most,¡± the doctor said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Maxwell answered and left.


    He had some results of his own to get.


    If what he thought was true, she had better start singing or amputation would be the least of what she would have to worry about.

 Shakes Or Not

    The oxygen therapy worked faster than the nurses had expected.


    As she started stirring groggily, one of the nurses removed the cann from over her nose.


    Maxwell was looking at the window and the slowly darkening sky increased his dread.


    It would devastate Reyona if anything happened to that girl.


    For the moment, he did not even dare to think of how much losing her would hurt him.


    He just knew he couldn¡¯t let Reyona have that weight on her for the rest of her life.


    Also, no child should have to be dealt such a cruel fate because of the actions of an unhinged parent.


    He would get the answers he needed, even if he had to shake it out of her.


    The doctor had been a bit reluctant at first when he told him to reverse the effects of the sedative she had been given.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He had to tell him how urgent it was.


    Then Officer Guy also told the man the importance of waking her immediately.


    ¡°Maybe you can help to convince her about the amputation as well,¡± the doctor said.


    That was when he suggested oxygen therapy since that would reduce the chance of adverse effects.


    Maxwell turned away from the window as he heard the nurses going out.


    She must have forgotten the handcuff that held her good hand to the bed as she tried to lift it.


    The jangling sound of the handcuffs against the bed rail made her swear as she flopped her arm back on the bed.


    Her damaged arm was held down with an immobilisation splint that kept the arm in ce.


    Then she suddenly reared up as she seemed to have caught sight of something close to the window.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked as her face twisted with fury. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    Maxwell simply walked over to the door. ¡°Answer me, I am talking to you!¡± she shouted while trying to lift her splinted arm, then she yelled as pain shot through her upper arm.


    She flopped back in bed, breathing harshly as sweat popped from her forehead.


    Maxwell merely nodded at the police officer standing outside the door before closing the door.


    She calmed down as she realised that he was not leaving after all.


    ¡°I see you have noticed that you could have saved yourself pain,¡± Maxwell said coldly as he looked down at her.


    ¡°What do you want? You must have been the one who told them to cut off my arm, right? It is you. You would do anything to see me suffer. I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Maxwell asked simply.


    ¡°Leave me alone. I do not have to have my arm amputated. I do not!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Do I look like I care if your arm rots and takes you right with it?¡± Maxwell asked dispassionately.


    ¡°Then why are you here? Why are you here, asshole?¡± she asked in a calmer tone. ¡°Tough at me? To watch them cut off my arm? To mock me when they take me to jail?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would do every single one of those things. All in its due time though. I am here for a different reason and I would have you know that I would not ept any bullshitting from you.¡±


    She let out a grating, humourlessughter ¡°What would you do? What more can you do? You think I am scared of you? I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°You should be scared,¡± Maxwell said in a deadly tone. ¡°You should be very scared. I have been tolerating you because of the name you carry. The name makes me think of you as family. Well, guess what? You are no longer my family. You are my enemy, and if you know what happens to those I see as my enemy, you will stop running your mouth right now.¡±


    Fear showed on Susan¡¯s face even as she said, ¡°You¡­you can¡¯t do anything to me. You won¡¯t do anything to me. Dad said¡­¡±


    A muscle ticked in Maxwell¡¯s cheek as he snapped ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Don¡¯t you dare mention his name. He is not your dad. Your dad is a w**d-dealing pimp who impregnated your whore of a mother and ran. You and your mother are nothing but stray dogs who brought your soiled feet into my home and made me outsiders.¡±


    Susan reared up again as her voice shook in her agitation: ¡°You! How can you talk like that about my mom?! You asshole! You are just jealous that dad loved me more than you even when he was alive¡± she said pettily.


    ¡°You are as delusional as your two-faced mother,¡± Maxwell said with a pitiful smile.


    That seemed to enrage her more than anything else. ¡°Get out! Get out! Help! Officer!¡±


    The officer opened the door and asked if all was well.


    He was confused when he saw that Maxwell was not anywhere near where Susan was lying.


    ¡°He wants to kill me!¡± Susan yelled.


    Just as Maxwell shrugged and said ¡°There is no such thing, officer. My sister and I were just having a little family discussion.¡±


    Calling her his sister shocked Susan enough for her to shut her mouth till the officer closed the door.


    Though the door was automatic, it also had a locking knob on the back that seemed like a w to Maxwell.


    But at the moment, he didn¡¯t mind as he moved to it and locked the door.


    ¡°I thought you said I am no longer your family?¡± Susan asked in a small tone as she twitched again.


    Maxwell had seen her twitching since they started talking.


    She had been suppressing it, and he supposed it was also one main reason she wanted him to get out as soon as possible.


    Clear signs of an ad**ct.


    He didn¡¯t care how much she had ruined her body with subs***ces, he just wanted to get the answers out of her.


    And he would, shakes or not.


    ¡°You are not, and you will no longer be.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Allysyn is Rh-Null,¡± he smoothly interrupted her.


    ¡°Uh?¡± she asked in confusion, then her eyes clouded a bit before she ckened against the bed and said in a pitiful tone. ¡°Your bitch made me kill my baby.¡±


    ¡°She is not dead,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°She is not? Is she here?¡± she asked with waning excitement.


    ¡°She is not better off either,¡± Maxwell said in answer to her first question. Then he moved closer to her bed as he said ¡°Her blood type is RH- Null. That is not your blood type. Neither is it Thomas¡¯s. In fact, the blood type is so rare that few people have it in the whole world.¡±


    He paused as he saw her looking at him nkly.


    Then he asked, ¡°Who is Allysyn¡¯s father, Susan?¡±

 I Did Not Mean To

    One Hour Later


    Maxwell ignored the knock on the door again as he continued to check the messages from the broadcast stations he had sent the announcements.


    The groans, tossing and teeth-chatters from the bed did not faze him as he sent a message to his men to increase their reach and double the rewards offered.


    ¡°Sir, please we need to check on the patient.¡± the doctor knocked again.


    He finally raised his head after he sent thest message and said ¡°There is no need. We are still having a discussion,¡± he said casually.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it, sir. Please, we need to check on her. Any agitation could affect her splinted arm, and it could rupture the damaged tissues again, which could endanger her life.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Maxwell said in consideration as he moved closer to where Susan was shaking like a leaf while sweating profusely.


    He looked like he was about to give in to what the doctors were saying, but at thest minute, he shook his head and said ¡°It is fine. Nobody will miss her.¡±


    ¡°I¡­hate¡­you¡­¡± she said through chattering teeth.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual, dear.¡±


    ¡°Pl¡­please. I just¡­need¡­I need¡­¡±


    ¡°To tell me who the father of your child is? Yes, I agree with you. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡­did¡­not¡­do¡­anything¡­¡± she insisted.


    Just as she had been insisting since he asked her.


    The outrage with which she hadshed out at him when he first asked would make anyone in the vicinity think that she was truly being wronged.


    She called him all sorts of names and rained abuse on him.


    Undeterred, Maxwell knew a guilty person when he saw one.


    His goddamned step-sister was as filthy as a white garment soaked in used oil.


    He was sure of it.


    The doctor had said the result would be at least twenty-four hours, but Maxwell did not have until twenty-four hours.


    Allysyn did not have twenty-four hours.


    Not that a result would matter to a pathological liar like her anyway.


    Maxwell had a hunch, and he had gone with it.


    When he first saw her twitching, he had not thought much of it, he just wanted to get his answers so he could get the needed solutions on time.


    But when she started shouting at him, even while spasming from time to time, Maxwell had seen an opportunity and he took it.


    He waited her out.


    He had sent a message to Andrew to ensure that Reyona did not worry about him.


    He told Andrews what to do about Officer Guy.


    Then he waited and waited.


    Soon enough, her shouting, yelling and name-calling soon toned down to teeth-chattering.


    Then the shakes had started.


    Then the chills.


    Followed by mmy sweat.


    Then the pitiful tears.


    Maxwell knew the pattern very well.


    He had seen it in pay-per-sleep rentals far too many times not to know the pattern.


    She had not gotten to the breaking point yet.


    She was close but not quite there yet.


    ¡°Sir, I am afraid we will be forced to break down the door. I also have a responsibility to my patients.¡±


    ¡°That would be a waste of a perfectly useful door,¡± Maxwell said, with his gaze pinned on Susan.


    To her, he said ¡°Just tell me the truth. Tell me the truth and we can end this right now. The doctors wille in and help you, and you never have to see my face again.¡±


    ¡°Theyc¡­can¡¯t¡­won¡¯t help¡­me¡±


    We are getting somewhere.


    ¡°I could make them,¡± Maxwell said easily.


    She looked hopeful for a moment like she wanted to believe him, but then she shook her head.


    Just when he thought she was going to keep her teeth-chattering going again, she said ¡°I¡­ I¡­helped him. That¡­was¡­what¡­ I¡­did¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you help him?¡± Maxwell asked immediately.


    She stopped talking again as Maxwell heard people talking beyond the door.


    More voices. Shit.


    ¡°Damn it! How the hell did you help him?¡± Maxwell asked in a furious, low tone.


    She only shook her head as tears squeezed out of the sides of her eyes.


    Maxwell knew her tears had nothing to do with remorse.


    It was more because of the thirst for the enemy eating her up.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Your daughter, who you put in this state, could die if you do not tell me what I need to know. We have not been able to get her blood type anywhere. She could die. Do you understand me? Allysyn could die.¡± he said urgently, with the hope that whatever maternal instinct that could possibly be inside her would be awakened by that.


    No such luck.


    ¡°I¡­did¡­not¡­do¡­anything.¡± she squeezed out as she twisted violently on the bed again.


    The cuffed hand was already having bruises at the point where she kept pulling at it.


    Maxwell knew he couldn¡¯t overlook what the doctor had said, yet he had to get the answer out of her.


    If he lost her now, he was sure she would m up once she felt relief.


    He moved closer to her and used thest ace up his sleeve. ¡°Look here. I know what you need the most right now. I know how much you wish you could just have some in your mouth or a little¡­just a little of it, and you will be fine, yeah?¡±


    She nodded instantly, with widened eyes as drools joined the tears wetting the sides of her face.


    ¡°Yeah? Yeah? You were right. The doctors can¡¯t help you with that. But you know who can help you?¡±


    ¡°Who, please?¡± she begged desperately.


    ¡°Me, tell me what I need to know, and I will bring it to you. I already have it in my bag in the other room because I know you will need it. You give me what I want, I will give you what you need.¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t trust¡­you,¡± she said with tears mixing with her snot.


    With a steely gaze, Maxwell straightened, ¡°I guess you will never know then. I will call the doctor toe and do what is required, then the officers will take you away.¡±


    He took a step towards the door before she said ¡°I¡­did¡­not mean to¡­ I loved¡­love him.¡±


    ¡°So you naturally help him,¡± Maxwell said with an understanding tone. ¡°I am sure he would understand. Now, how did you do it?¡±

 Who Is Maze?

    Maxwell met Reyona having a video call with her parents.


    Their worried voices and dys¡¯ sobs cut through Maxwell deeply.


    In a way, he was responsible for causing them pain again.


    He stood aside as he watched her reassure them over and over again.


    Apparently, Celia had stopped the calls after seeing Toria¡¯s reaction.


    Reyona was the one who called them to tell them before they could see the news.


    She looked at him and inclined her head so he woulde closer.


    Yet, Maxwell couldn¡¯t face her parents at that moment without feeling ashamed, so he shook his head and stayed where he was.


    Reyona told her parents again that they didn¡¯t need toe over.


    Then she promised them to take better care of herself, after which she disconnected the call.


    ¡°Hello, stranger.¡± She said wearily as she gave him a curious look.


    He came closer and gingerly kissed her forehead. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± she smiled and added as she patted the space beside her on the bed, ¡°I ate something.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That is wonderful news. What did you have?¡±


    ¡°You know, just gravy and mixed fruit. Celia got it for me.¡±


    ¡°She is an angel,¡± Maxwell said, then looked around. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Checking in with the nanny,¡± Reyona said while giving him a keen look.


    When he only nodded and said, ¡°Oh, Mira must be missing them so much.¡±


    ¡°She must,¡± Reyona answered automatically. Then, ¡°Are you going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± Maxwell asked as he looked back at her.


    She only gave him a look, and he ran his hands through his hair.


    Then he saw that her legs were outside her duvet. ¡°Here, let¡¯s get you tucked in. It¡¯s beginning to get chilly.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona called him in a warning.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Please, don¡¯t agitate yourself.¡± He said as he looked at her bandaged body, which made the hospital gown she had changed into slightly bulky at the sides.


    She nodded and looked at him in expectation.


    Maxwell stood up and walked towards the window as he said ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this now. I don¡¯t want you to worry when you should be concentrating on recovering.¡±


    ¡°Now you are getting me worried,¡± Reyona said impatiently.


    ¡°He is not Allysyn¡¯s father,¡± he stated simply.


    ¡°Who is not¡­oh my god¡± Reyona¡¯s eyes widened as she raised her hand towards her mouth, then winced suddenly in pain.


    Maxwell rushed to her side and said ¡°You see? That is why I do not want to tell you.¡±


    ¡°No, I am fine.¡± She said urgently.


    ¡°What happened? How did you know?¡±


    ******


    A FEW MINUTES EARLIER


    ¡°It¡­has to be¡­ Maze¡±


    ¡°Has to be?¡± Maxwell asked urgently.


    Shaking badly, Susan¡¯s eyes rolled back in her head as she tried to turn to her side again, but the restraints on her hands stopped her. ¡°P¡­please, you said you would¡­¡±


    ¡°You have not answered my question. Why did you say ¡®have to¡¯? Who the fuck is Maze?!¡±


    ¡°He¡­he is my mutual friend. He helps me¡­with things. Please, help me,¡± she said desperately. ¡°I think I am going to die.¡± she cried pitifully.


    ¡°No, you are not,¡± Maxwell said as he got closer to the bed when she turned her face away from him, and he felt like she might stop talking.


    There was a pause filled with the disturbing sounds she was making in her throat.


    ¡°Susan!¡± Maxwell called to snap her out of whatever d**g-induced hole she might have fallen into.


    ¡°Mr Rohan, please.¡± the doctor¡¯s voice came from outside the door again.


    Her head jerked back to his, and she stammered out ¡°I already told you. It has to be Maze!¡±


    ¡°Why did you say you helped Thomas? Why¡­¡± Maxwell stopped and ran his hand through his hair to calm himself. ¡°Okay, when you said it had to be Maze, does that mean there are others apart from Maze?¡±


    The look on her face was enough answer for Maxwell, then she stubbornly repeated the ¡°It has to be Maze¡± mantra again.


    ¡°How do I get to Maze? His number? His address?¡±


    ¡°You said you would give me¡­¡±


    Maxwell smashed his hand against the bed rail in sudden fury as he grabbed it tightly to prevent himself from throttling her in anger.


    With his face close to hers, he said ¡°Now look here, if you waste one more minute of my time and I have to leave here without the full details, not only will you not get any of this shit you are killing yourself with, I will make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life and believe me when I say I can make it very painful for you. Now, how the fuck do I find this Maze?!¡±


    With tears trickling out of her eyes, she told him. Then added, ¡°He once spoke of leaving for New York.¡±


    Maxwell swore as he stalked towards the door, ¡°You had better hope he had not!¡±


    ¡°You s¡­said you would give¡­¡±


    With his hand on the knob, Maxwell looked at her in disgust and said ¡°Well, I lied. Also, I meant it when I said you are no longer family. You will not go to jail with my family name. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this is the medical director. I need you to unlock this door ande out right now, or I will be forced to takews into my¡­¡±


    Maxwell unlocked the knob and the automatic mechanism sprang into action.


    He opened the door to see many doctors and nurses on the other side.


    The medical director was in the middle with a stern look on his face.


    When he saw Maxwell step out, he was shocked and his look immediately changed to respect. ¡°President Rohan, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi, you need to change your doors,¡± Maxwell said as they parted ways with him.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, sir.¡± the man was saying behind him as the doctor and nurses tending to Susan rushed in.


    Susan¡¯s screams followed Maxwell down the hall as he quickly put his men on the task of getting Maze and hauling his ass down to Light and Life so they could check his match.


    After sending his address to them, he dialled the number Susan gave him.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    A grumpy voice on the other end picked up the call with ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Maze?!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?!¡±


    Maxwell set things in ce and anxiously waited for his men to get back to him.


    One thing was certain. Maze was still very much in Kayooma.


    Good.


    That was when he decided to check on Reyona again.


    **********


    ¡°That is, that is just so¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Reyona, with emotions clouding her voice.


    ¡°Say about what?¡± Celia asked as she went inside.


    Reyona looked towards her and saw Andrewe up to the door too. ¡°Allysyn is not Thomas¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°What?!¡± shouted a voice Reyona was not expecting to hear.


    Thomas gaped in shock behind Andrew.

 Give It Up

    ¡°What did you¡­¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is he doing here?¡± Maxwell¡¯s furious voice overshadowed Thomas¡¯s question. ¡°Why is he still here?¡±


    ¡°He never left,¡± Andrew answered.


    Then he looked at Celia.


    ¡°I am sorry, but he just said he wanted to apologise to Reyona, and he would leave¡­¡± she said with a look indicating she was already ming herself.


    Maxwell¡¯s fury was directed at her as he said ¡°You brought him to my wife to apologise? For what exactly?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shout at my wife, Rohan.¡± Andrew¡¯s voice had undergone an immediate change as he stepped forward andy his hand on Celia¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Then maybe your wife should learn to think things through before doing them!¡± Maxwell snapped immediately.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Andrew said as he took a step towards Maxwell, but Celia quickly held him back.


    ¡°Guys, guys, you two need to¡­¡±


    ¡°Will someone answer me? Did I hear you right?¡± Thomas chose that moment to speak.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Maxwell, Andrew and Celia shouted at him.


    He stood there wide-eyed with his gaze on Reyona, and she closed her eyes as she heard Celia saying, ¡°Look, it¡¯s been a long day for everyone. I am sorry, Maxwell. I shouldn¡¯t have allowed him here. I just thought that would make him leave faster or something. I can see that wasn¡¯t well thought of me right now. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to be sorry for,¡± Andrew answered instantly with barely contained anger in his tone. ¡°He had no right to talk to you like that!¡±


    ¡°Drew, stop it,¡± Celia said with a sheepish tone.


    ¡°You need to apologise, Max,¡± Andrew said.


    ¡°For what? For¡­¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and apologise already,¡± Reyona said without raising her voice.


    She could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on her even though her eyes were still closed.


    She moistened her lips and said tersely ¡°Go ahead,¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Celia,¡± Maxwell said grudgingly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound sincere enough to me,¡± Andrew said immediately.


    ¡°Stop, just stop,¡± Celia said with steel in her often cheery voice.


    Reyona opened her eyes and gave Maxwell a look, before turning to Celia, ¡°I am so sorry, Celia. You know he didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Celia said as she came closer to Reyona¡¯s side.


    To Andrew, Reyona said ¡°I understand how you feel, Andrew. You guys left everything you have going on to stay with us since morning and here we are practically insulting you. I am so sorry. You know he is sorry.¡±


    In answer, Andrew merely red at Maxwell and thetter gave him a look in return.


    ¡°Men,¡± Reyona said as she shook her head and tried to pat Celia¡¯s hand.


    She winced in pain as she said ¡°You understand, right?¡±


    ¡°I do. I do.¡± Celia said as she gently cupped Reyona¡¯s bandaged hand without really holding it. She lowered her voice as she said with a wry smile ¡°He understands too. His ego just wouldn¡¯t let him admit it yet.¡±


    Reyona nodded as she said, ¡°They can be such babies at times, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Celia rolled her eyes as her smile widened, and she said ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Then she sobered as she inclined her head slightly towards the door and said ¡°Are you sure about what you said earlier?¡±


    Reyona nodded as she said ¡°Maxwell just confirmed it. His men are on their way to get the man she mentioned. The doctors will do the test once he gets here.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Celia said with a shake of her head. ¡°Though it is sad, I hope the blood will match. At least Allysyn will be able to get what she needs.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Reyona answered in contemtion.


    ¡°You will update us, right? We need to leave now.¡±


    Reyona looked pensive as she asked ¡°Is this because of¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all. We wereing to tell you that before, you know. The nanny said Mira wouldn¡¯t go to sleep until we got back. Every time she dozed off, and the nanny tried to take her to her bed, she would wake up right back and ask for us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you need to leave. I am so sorry for only thinking of it¡­ I have been so selfish.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Selfish? You?¡± Celia shook her head with a smile as she rose and said ¡°We will see you tomorrow.¡±


    They both looked up to see the man¡¯s initial furious look gone.


    They both had twin looks on their faces that suggested they were wondering what the women were whispering about.


    Reyona and Celia looked at each other and smiled broadly.


    Celia gave Maxwell a look and went towards him with her arms spread. ¡°Come here, you¡±. She hugged him and gave him a peck on his cheek. ¡°We need to leave now.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Celia¡±, Maxwell said in a contrite tone. ¡°Drew was right.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he was,¡± she said with a smile. Then she patted his cheek. ¡°I understand. I will think of the perfect revenge soon.¡±


    Maxwell gave a mock shudder even as the serious look remained on his face and he asked ¡°Are you leaving because¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft, think you can get rid of me that easily? Ah, think again. We had to leave anyway. Princess Athena is turning out to be a little diva.¡±


    ¡°Stick to a name,¡± Maxwell said just to get her to smile.


    It worked instantly as she smiled and said ¡°Never.¡± she hastened towards her husband while saying, ¡°Come on, Drew. Wipe that look off your face. You look ugly.¡±


    Drew looked at Maxwell and said ¡°Rohan.¡±


    Maxwell inclined his head and responded ¡°Jordan.¡±


    Reyona smiled as she shook her head.


    ¡°Good night, Reyona.¡± Andrew waved at Reyona.


    ¡°Good night, Andrew. Thank you so much for today.¡±


    He nodded and followed his wife out.


    He came out and saw Thomas leaning against the wall with a shocked look still on his face. ¡°Give it up and leave, man.¡±


    ¡°But I just want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave now!¡± he said sternly while blocking the door.


    Thomas looked over Andrews¡¯ shoulder at Reyona but was instantly blocked as Maxwell came forward to block his vision.


    The murderous re on his face was enough for him to turn his eyes back to Andrew.


    The unweing look he saw on Andrew¡¯s face was enough for him to think twice.


    Without another word, he slinked off.


    Andrew and Celia followed him out of the hospital and watched him leave.

 Think Of Me

    Reyona was telling Maxwell that he also needed to eat something when the doctor came to her room.


    He asked to speak to Maxwell and the two of them went outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Maxwell asked anxiously.


    ¡°It is almost three hours, sir. I just wanted to ask if you have been able to get anything. We just got a response from thest organisations with such a type of blood reserve. They don¡¯t have any at the moment. They are helping us to get in touch with some beyond-border organisations who might have it, but the problem is, even if they do have it, theirst documented destination was Sierra Leone. It might be toote to get it down here.¡± The doctor exined.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Maxwell responded. ¡°I think we might have our perfect match soon. They are getting him down here as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Great. That is great news¡± the doctor said. ¡°We will get things ready.¡±


    Maxwell nodded, and the man hurried off.


    He quickly took out his phone and made a call again.


    ¡°Boss, I was just about to call you.¡± The man on the other end said.


    Maxwell¡¯s heart tripped and imagined the worst.


    ¡°He is not¡­¡±


    ¡°We found him, sir, but he is insisting on talking to you first, and he wants some assurance.¡±


    The bastard. Maxwell thought.


    ¡°Should we¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, no. This is very important. Give him the phone.¡± Maxwell said urgently.


    The phone was passed to the man.


    ¡°What is all this cloak and dagger stunt, blud?¡±


    ¡°I will exin things to you when you get here. Do you really want to miss this business because you are too much of a coward? If you are not brave enough to evene with my men, then I already know you are not the man for the job.¡± Maxwell bluffed.


    In the next second, he asked ¡°What is it going to be? Take it or leave it?¡±


    ¡°I am taking it.¡± The man said, then in a sly tone he added, ¡°It would cost you though. I am taking a risk here. Everyone knows Maze don¡¯t take no risk for nothing.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Twenty. Upfront.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Maze asked in surprise.


    ¡°You get ten now, and get the other ten when you get here and do what is required. Take it or leave it.¡±


    ¡°Taken.¡±


    ¡°Give the phone back,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Sir,¡± his man said, on the other end.


    ¡°Give him ten and get him here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Maxwell disconnected and rubbed his hand over his face as he stood there in the hallway for a while.


    Let the bastard think he had the upper hand for now.


    Of course, he had no idea that his ce had also been surrounded by the police, and he would have gotten picked anyway.


    But Maxwell wanted the process to be as fast as possible.


    The best way to get that done was for Maze to not feel threatened. Feeling threatened could make him bolt.


    Maxwell needed him to cooperate.


    At least until he had provided his blood to be tested.


    When Maxwell called him earlier, he had simply told him that he had a business deal for him.


    The fact that Maze didn¡¯t ask for many details over the phone when Maxwell had told him it was a job that would pay a lot of money already confirmed Maxwell¡¯s hunch.


    Maze was even shittier than Thomas was.


    It was nearing midnight already and Maxwell hoped they would get there on time before the doctor would have to be forced to detox the girl after all.


    Even though the man had not listed them all out earlier, Maxwell guessed that the adverse effect might be nasty.


    He didn¡¯t want Allysyn to have to live with something that could end up being permanent from this ordeal.


    Apart from the trauma it would have already caused, of course.


    ¡°Fuck¡± Maxwell swore as he remembered how he hadst seen the girl.


    Heposed himself before going back to meet Reyona.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°What is going on? Is she fine?¡± Reyona asked anxiously as soon as he entered.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, she is fine,¡± Maxwell responded to assure her. Then he added, ¡°They have already found him. He should be here anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°So he is real?¡± Reyona blurted out.


    Maxwell raised her brow at her, and she said ¡°No, I know he has to be a real person, but for a moment there, I was thinking¡­¡±


    She stopped talking, but Maxwell did it for her anyway. ¡°You were hoping there had been a mistake, and she belongs to Thomas?¡±


    She looked at him with a shake of her head as she said ¡°Not hoping exactly, but I just don¡¯t understand how that can be, you know. If Allysyn is not Thomas¡¯s, then that means there is a possibility that Junior also doesn¡¯t belong to him. I just don¡¯t know how that is possible, because they look more like him than they look like her. Junior and Leah even have the Lanoth eyes. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°We are not going to worry about that. He will get here, the doctor will check him out, and we will see where we go from there. You, Mrs Rohan, need to rest now. The nurse would have kicked me out hours ago, remember?¡±


    Reyona shrugged as she said ¡°That was just for show. She knew none of us were going to sleep anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not me,¡± Maxwell said as he came toy down on her upraised bed. ¡°But you are the patient. You need to sleep.¡± He said as he bent down to kiss her forehead.


    Reyona gave him a look for a while before she said ¡°You hate it when I so much as think of anything that has to do with him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t bother to deny it as he said ¡°Very much. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be in your thoughts. You want to think of something? Think of me.¡±


    He said right before he kissed her fully on her mouth.


    She threw her arms around his neck and crooned as they deepened the kiss.


    When they leaned back, she said ¡°You are in my thoughts far too much for my own good.¡±


    ¡°Good. I need to be more in it, then you won¡¯t have the space to think of any other.¡± He said as he moved back and looked at his phone again.


    Reyona narrowed her eyes before asking, ¡°Are you jealous, Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said automatically. Then, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± He added with a shrug in an impassionate tone. ¡°One thing I know for sure is I am tired of seeing his fucking face anywhere near you. It sickens me. I¡­¡± Before he could stop himself, he added ¡°It is no secret that you have so much history with him, and you and me? You and I are not even close to building anything solid yet. I just don¡¯t want him popping up every goddamn time I turn around!¡±


    Surprise showed on Reyona¡¯s face, and she lifted herself on her elbows as she said ¡°I didn¡¯t know you felt like that. I want you to know that¡­¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s phone started ringing, and he looked down at it.


    With regret, he said, ¡°I think they are here, but you can¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Reyona shook her head. ¡°We will talkter, okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Maxwell said as he picked up the call.


    He listened for a moment and said ¡°Good. Bring him in.¡±

 Hit Me

    Maxwell was waiting in the waiting room when they led the man in.


    He was draped in cockiness that belied his arrogant nature.


    Dressed in crazy jeans and a t-shirt that had dried-up spots of God-knows-what on it, he gave Maxwell an assessing look as he entered.


    He was a bit taller than Thomas and bulkier like one who liked to y around with weights too, but when he removed his cap, Maxwell¡¯s eyes furrowed a bit.


    The hair colour was not the same, but one could see it.


    The slight resemnce he had to Thomas.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Maxwell wondered as he remembered Reyona¡¯sment about why the kids looked like Thomas.


    This man had even the shade of blue eye colour she had called the Lanoth¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a hospital to be our meeting ce,¡± Maze said as he got to Maxwell. He put his baseball cap back on and sat on the couch in front of Maxwell without waiting for an invitation. He looked up at Maxwell and said ¡°Now it makes sense. I think I sold myself short when I asked for twenty. I know you. You are a big shot, blud.¡±


    Maxwell sat as he said ¡°Then, there is no need for an introduction, then. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    ¡°In a hospital?¡± Maze asked with a chuckle, then he cleared his throat when he saw Maxwell¡¯s look. ¡°Alright, blud. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Two things. I have a doctor standing by to test your blood. Then I need information about Susan¡±


    ¡°Ol¡¯ up, ol¡¯ up. You want my blood, then you want information about that bitch? Where is the business we spoke about?¡±


    ¡°That is the business.¡±


    He gave Maxwell a weird look. ¡°My blood?¡±


    ¡°And some information. Are you up for it or not?¡± Maxwell asked urgently when his eyes went to the clock above Maze¡¯s head.


    ¡°Why my blood though?¡± Maze wanted to know.


    ¡°It could be a match, it could be as useless as possible, and I would just have wasted my time. Before you ask me why I thought your blood would match, let¡¯s just say I have my ways. Now will you take the offer or not? I have others to get to. If you take it, of course, then I don¡¯t need to offer it to anyone else.¡±


    Maze¡¯s eyes shone in the calctions as he asked ¡°What are you offering for it?¡±


    ¡°What do you want for it?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°Hundred for the test. Then another twenty for the info on the bitch. If there is any info that could affect me, I am out.¡±


    ¡°A hundred if the test proves you are a match, and you offer the necessary pint of blood that the doctor needs. Ten for the information. Plus the ten you were supposed to get aftering here, of course. You know it is a good deal¡±, Maxwell said.


    ¡°I am a business person and I know when to give. So, yeah, I will take it.¡± Maze said as nonchntly as he could when Maxwell could see the excited glint in his eyes.


    The man might as well be licking his lips and rubbing his hands together in excitement.


    Of course, Maxwell had no issues with giving him as much as possible, but he knew if he had only given in without so much as a semnce of negotiation, Maze might have dragged his feet further.


    ¡°Good, you will go with the doctor, and he will get what he needs for the test. Then, you and I will have a little chat about that info before we know if you are a match or not.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±, Maze said as he stood up. He turned his cap around again and said ¡°You can see how cooperative I am, right? Don¡¯t try to change our agreement after the deed is done. Big shot¡±


    He said before he followed the man that Maxwell gestured at.


    Maxwell only allowed his anxiety to show after they had left.


    He looked at his phone to see if the picture he had discreetly taken while talking to Maze was well taken too.


    It was clear enough for viewing.


    Maxwell had a feeling he couldn¡¯t shake.


    What¡¯s up with the resemnce? He wondered.


    For now, he simply sat as patiently as he could when he wanted to stand up and pace.


    When he wanted to rush after them to theb to check what the result was already, he simply checked his phone to see if any of the announcements had yielded any results.


    Nothing yet.


    What if Maze¡¯s blood was not a match?


    Or what if he had some contagious disease in his blood that could make his blood useless for transfusion into the innocent girl¡¯s body?


    Then they would be back to square one again.


    Maxwell hoped upon hope that the blood would match.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    When he heard approaching footsteps, he looked up immediately but curbed his expectant look when he saw that it was Maze and the man he went with.


    ¡°Done?¡± He asked the man and thetter nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°And now we wait,¡± Maxwell said to Maze.


    Maze grimaced in a familiar way before saying ¡°I hate hospitals.¡±


    ¡°Now the information.¡±


    ¡°About the bitch?¡±


    ¡°I am sure I made myself clear¡±, Maxwell answered in a curt tone.


    Maze cleared his throat and leaned forward, ¡°Okay, hit me.¡±


    Maxwell asked him the most burning question he had on his mind.


    ¡°Do you know Thomas Lanoth?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of him,¡± Maze answered without hesitation.


    It was either he was telling the truth or he was a skilled liar.


    Maxwell found himself thinking it was the first.


    ¡°Do you have a twin?¡±


    Maze gave him a look as he said. ¡°None of this sounds like questions about that bitch, but okay. I do not. The only son in a family with so many extended ones that you can find us all the way to Arkansas.¡±


    ¡°You better be sure that I will find out if you give me any bullshit,¡± Maxwell said impatiently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it, blud. It¡¯s your money. It¡¯s not my problem if you want to use it to learn about my family tree.¡±


    Maxwell gave him a chilling look that shut up his low chuckle. ¡°Sorry¡±


    ¡°She mentioned that you helped her with things. I want to know what they are. Every single one of them.¡±


    Maze was immediately on guard as he said ¡°Are you with the cops?¡±


    ¡°Did you do something that made you have issues with the cops?¡± Maxwell asked in the same tone.


    ¡°No, you know what, blud? I don¡¯t want any trouble. I no longer have anything to do with that bitch. I have nothing to say.¡±


    ¡°And if I add another twenty to your money?¡±


    It took him less than a minute to think about it before he said ¡°You will keep my name out of anything. This remains between us because if anyone asks, I will deny it with everything.¡±


    Maxwell nodded even as he pressed the record button on his phone. ¡°Okay, so what are the things you did for her?¡±

 User With A Resemblance

    When he started, Maxwell wondered why he thought he would be interested in telling anyone about the disgusting acts that he and Susan had gotten into over the years.


    Even when he learned Maze had helped Susan feed the habit he probably introduced her to over the years, he hadn¡¯t given a two fig about it.


    Until he heard Maze talking casually about how he had ¡®helped¡¯ Susan clear up a mess that had to do with her man.


    Maxwell was on the verge of lunging at the bastard when the nurse came in to inform him that the doctor would like to see him.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Maxwell said sternly to Maze.


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± thetter said with a jaunty salute that showed he had no idea of how much he had fucked up.


    Maxwell met the doctor in consultation with another doctor as they stared down at some results.


    Maxwell¡¯s heart thumped as he thought that the whole effort had been nothing but a waste after all.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t match?¡± He asked immediately after the nurse led him in.


    ¡°It is a match actually,¡± the doctor answered.


    ¡°But?¡± Maxwell asked anxiously, as he supposed there was more toe.


    ¡°His blood has impurities in it¡±


    ¡°Disease?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Metabolites and residues from recent d**g use. We can¡¯t give her this.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s high hopes crashed.


    This was even worse than if the blood had been ipatible.


    To have it right on hand only for it to be useless because some bastard couldn¡¯t keep his hands off what he shouldn¡¯t take?


    ¡°Is there anything else we can do?¡±


    The doctor shook his head as he said ¡°He will need to stay off d***s for a long while before we will be able to use his blood for her.¡±


    ¡°A long while?¡± Maxwell echoed. ¡°That girl does not have a long while to wait! Does she?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± the man said contritely while still looking down at the film-like material that had connected and crisscross patterns on it.


    ¡°There must be something else we can do. Isn¡¯t there something else you can do?¡± He asked urgently.


    The second doctor started slowly as she said ¡°We can try purifying¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that is too risky. The stakes are high. The adverse effects might even be worse than expected.¡±


    ¡°What stakes? What are you talking about?¡± Maxwell asked urgently.


    Allysyn¡¯s doctor faced him and exined reluctantly ¡°What Dr. Shawn is trying to say is that we can try to purify the blood so we can use it, but the problem with that is with the urgency of this case, we don¡¯t have machines or the procedures that could do rapid and total removal of residues. If we end up giving her blood with any residues left in it, there could be adverse effects that might be worse in the long term. We need to avoid that.¡±


    ¡°But you can try. You could at least try, right?¡± Maxwell asked urgently.


    Allysyn¡¯s doctor looked at Dr. Shawn before looking at Maxwell. ¡°Yes, we could try. But we will need to be sessful fast. If not, we might have to do the detoxification anyway. We have less than an hour already.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try,¡± Maxwell said, then a thought came to his mind. ¡°Can you speak to another doctor? Can you tell her whatever you need to speed the process up? If they have it, then they will get it here.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Allysyn¡¯s doctor said with a stronger conviction on his face. ¡°The medical director still needs to approve this, but okay¡±


    Maxwell quickly called Andrea.


    ¡°Hi, I have not called back because we are still¡­¡±


    ¡°I need you to help these doctors, Andrea,¡± Maxwell said urgently before giving the phone to the doctor.


    They discussed it briefly and returned the phone to Maxwell.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We have it, sir. I am on my way right now.¡±


    With heartfelt gratitude, Maxwell said, ¡°Thank you, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°It is the least we can do, sir,¡± Andrea answered before the call was disconnected.


    The doctor had just got off a call too, and he turned to Maxwell.


    ¡°The MD gave the go-ahead, sir. We will get things ready now.¡±


    Maxwell nodded and called his men to bring Maze back.


    Then he called the officer in charge of the still-open arson investigation.


    *********


    Maxwell was surprised to still meet Reyona awake when he got back to her room.


    ¡°I was waiting for you to get back¡±, she responded in answer to his unspoken question.


    ¡°Your recovery is very important to me as well, you know,¡± Maxwell said in a tired voice.


    ¡°I will recover better when I know that our girl is fully out of danger,¡± Reyona said as she looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°It is a match,¡± he said with a smile.


    Tears filled her eyes in excitement as she said ¡°Oh, thank God. Does that mean¡­?¡±


    Maxwell shrugged as he said, ¡°I have no idea but the fact that the blood matched says a lot, after all.¡±


    He kissed her on her forehead and said, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest as well. I have the easy part, you know. I am the one lying here while you are going about to do all this.¡±


    Maxwell shook his head as he looked at her and emotions filled his eyes when he said ¡°I am not the one who got tied up and¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t go on as he shook his head and ran his hand through his hair in agitation.


    ¡°I swear if anything had happened to you and¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened to me,¡± Reyona said urgently. ¡°Nothing happened to me and the baby is fine too. Look at me.¡± She said when he only swore beneath his breath and kept his head down. ¡°We are fine. We are here with you, and we are not leaving. You are not getting rid of me that easily, you know.¡± She said with a cheeky smile.


    Maxwell smiled as her words reminded him of what Celia had said earlier.


    He owed Celia.


    He rubbed his eyes and got closer to her as he said ¡°You know I love you, right?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Reyona answered with a nod. Then she gingerly shifted, so there could be space behind her. ¡°Come to bed. You are exhausted. Come hold me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t bruise that easily, mister.¡± She said.


    He slowly got in bed behind her and soon enough, he was curved around her while being mindful of causing her pain.


    After a while, he sighed and said ¡°I am afraid I might sleep off.¡±


    ¡°That is the goal,¡± Reyona responded.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Maxwell said with a sigh. ¡°Andrea is on her way here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Maxwell told her.


    ¡°So, Allysyn¡¯s probable dad is also a user?¡±


    ¡°A user that has a resemnce to the man she thought was her dad,¡± Maxwell said in contemtion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Reyona asked curiously.


    Maxwell took out his phone and showed her the clearest picture he had taken.


    He felt her freeze almost immediately.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked urgently.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°He¡­he looked just like Thomas¡¯ste cousin.¡±

 Just A Silly Title

    Reyona woke up to a sniffling sound in her room.


    She instantly noticed that Maxwell was no longer in bed with her.


    As she blearily opened her eyes, she heard a strange, melodic voice say ¡°The doctor said she is fine, ah gah pee moo.¡±


    Wait, what?


    Reyona opened her eyes fully and turned her head towards the direction where she heard the voice from.


    ¡°Rey!¡± Toria called her name urgently as she rushed forward to hug her.


    Then she stopped abruptly before touching her and just repeated ¡°Rey! Thank God you are okay. Are you okay? Your hands, Rey!¡±


    More tears gushed out of Toria¡¯s eyes onto her already wet face.


    Reyona¡¯s sluggish brain was fast to catch up as she reached for Toria¡¯s face and automatically wiped it with her thumb.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± she asked.


    That got more tears out of Toria. ¡°Rey,¡± she said again as she moved forward to hug her but stopped again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± she said.


    What was it with people around her treating her like an egg?


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t hug me if you tried. Now bring it in, or I might just offer my hug to that masterpiece behind you. That is a human, right? Or is my brain ying tricks on me?¡±


    Toria gave a wateryugh as she finally hugged Reyona tightly.


    Reyona winced a bit but quickly wiped it off her face as she hugged Toria back.


    ¡°Hmm, I have missed you, sis.¡±


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Toria responded. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone to Cyprus. I should have stayed with you, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Awn awn, give it up for the almighty Toria!¡± Reyona said in the best umpire imitation she could do.


    Toriaughed and finally sighed in relief.


    Then she leaned back as she sniffed and wiped her face. ¡°Uggh, I ugly-cried.¡±


    ¡°When is someone going to make an introduction?¡± Reyona asked with a teasing smile as she looked at the man standing some distance behind Toria.


    He was the one who had spoken the first time and Reyona couldn¡¯t get over how¡­beautiful he looked.


    Beautiful


    That was the word that came to her mind even as she watched the man walking towards Toria when thetter gestured to him.


    The man had an olive skin tone, a toned and muscr build, tall like Maxwell, brown expressive eyes, a well-defined jawline and a chiselled look teased by his wavy chin appearance, and dark hair.


    His eyes were all for Toria as he took the hand she extended to him before introducing him, ¡°Rey, this is Andreas Kanellis, my current boss. Andreas, this is Reyona, my sister. Rey, Andreas offered the service of his jet when he learned that he had to get to you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°And his service too, I suppose,¡± Reyona mused as she tried to keep her face nk.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am,¡± Andreas said with a slight bow. ¡°It is my pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard a great deal about you from Victoria.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. I guess we are using the full name in that delicious voice now.¡± Reyona¡¯s subconscious was having a field day with its naughty thoughts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything she tells you though. She tends to exaggerate. Also, I can assure you that I am the best-behaving person you will ever meet. If you hear anything different, just know it is a lie.¡±


    ¡°Rey¡± Toria said with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°Just had to make that clear,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    ¡°I have only heard good things about you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am makes me feel so old, Mr. Kanellis, just call me Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Only if you ept to call me Andreas.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Actually, it is Lord Kanellis,¡± Toria chipped in.


    Andreas gave her a fond look and Reyona raised her eyebrows at Toria.


    ¡°Oh, you got a lot to spill, girl,¡± the look says.


    Then she turned to face Andreas when he said, ¡°Just a silly title, nothing to it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Reyona said cheerily. ¡°It is fancy. I like it.¡±


    They allughed just before Maxwell came in.


    His gaze went straight to Andreas and his eyes held that instant possessive glint as he looked back at the remnant smile on Reyona¡¯s face, then back to Andreas.


    Toria interrupted whatever he was going to say as she shook her finger at him and said ¡°You!¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t even try to move out of the way as she drew her fist back and punched him in the stomach.


    He doubled over as Reyona shouted ¡°Toria!¡±


    Andreas had something of a smile on his face that he tried to mask well, but Reyona could see it as she said ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there.¡±


    ¡°I think she is done now, ma¡­. Reyona.¡± hepleted in a meek tone that Reyona did not believe for once.


    He was right though, because even though Toria pulled back her fist again, she only held it suspended before she red at Maxwell, who had straightened and waited calmly for another punch.


    She growled under her breath and weakly punched the air. ¡°How can you let her get hurt like this?!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Maxwell said simply.


    ¡°What is the use of sorry? Look at her! Where are the bastards who did this to her?!¡± she asked in a fierce tone.


    ¡°One of them is dead. One of them is in custody and one is about to get her arm amputated right before she ends up in jail.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Thest statement was certainly shocking to her, but after a brief pause, she said, ¡°Good, maybe you are not so bad after all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the thought,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Are you making fun of me, Rohan?¡± she asked with a narrowed gaze.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Maxwell answered instantly.


    At this point, Reyona was very sure that fancy, chinos-wearing Lord Kanellis, was definitely finding it hard to hold his mirth in check.


    She smiled with a sigh as Toria suddenly threw her arms around Maxwell in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you for not being such an asshole after all.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I am happy to help.¡± Maxwell said as he hugged her back. Then he groaned ¡°Euf, easy there. I think my rib is cracked from someone¡¯s assault.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby,¡± Toria said with a mistyugh as she moved back from him. ¡°You are lucky that Andreas talked me into keeping it to one.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Maxwell said as he looked at the man who was looking at Toria with a peculiar look that he was familiar with. ¡°I suppose I owe my life to you, then,¡± he said as he came forward. He offered his hand in a handshake as they got to each other. ¡°Maxwell Rohan.¡±


    ¡°Andreas Kanellis.¡±


    ¡°Kanellis? Any rtions to THE Kanellis of Cyprus?¡±


    Andreas smiled.

 He Is A Goner

    Maxwell exined to them that Allysyn had finally gotten her transfusion.


    ¡°It worked?¡± Reyona asked in excitement.


    ¡°It does, babe,¡± he responded with a big smile on his face. ¡°No residue, no risk of contamination. They didn¡¯t have to do the detox as well. They just started the transfusion with the little they were able to purify first. Then, before that could finish, they had enough for the first transfusion.¡±


    Toria looked at both of them and said ¡°Okay, I am going to need some exnation for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that might take a while,¡± Maxwell responded. ¡°The most important thing is that our girl is finally on her way to getting better. She has a rare blood type which took a while to get but finally, we have it. Visitation will be allowed soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, definitely going to need more deets on that, but I am so happy that you are all doing fine and those creeps are getting what they deserved. This calls for some celebration!¡± she dered immediately.


    Leave it to Toria to go from being teary-faced to snapping energy all in less than an hour.


    She looked around Reyona¡¯s room and said ¡°This ce looks dreary like a nursing home for reluctant patients. We need to change that. I am going to get something to decorate this space.¡± she dered.


    Reyonaughed softly and said ¡°In as much as you didn¡¯t go crazy about it. If I had to open and close my eyes to some eye-popping, gaudy ornament in here, I might never want to open my eyes again.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, you hurt me,¡± Toria said as she patted her heart delicately. ¡°Hello, world-ss interior designer here, you know. My designs are top-notch. Tell them, Andreas.¡±


    ¡°She is the best,¡± Andreas said in that warm tone apanied by a worshipful look that had Reyona clearing her throat.


    When she looked at Maxwell, his smile made her realise that he noticed it too.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Okay, she was not seeing things that were not there then.


    ¡°Hear that, Rey? I am going to make this ce so beautiful that you will bepelled to pay me. I don¡¯t work for free anyway. I will just wait until you are better to collect my pay. We have to keep body and soul together, you know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need my money to keep your body and soul together,¡± Reyona answered with augh. ¡°How is Tara, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Thriving,¡± Toria answered with warmth in her eyes. ¡°Manuel got back yesterday, a few hours before¡­¡±


    Before Celia called her.


    She brightened again and said ¡°Okay, I will get out of your hair now. Andreas, want toe with me?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± he said instantly.


    Toria smiled beatifically before she blew him a kiss. ¡°You are a darling. Have I told you that he is the best boss ever?¡± she said to no one in particr before going to kiss Reyona on her cheek. ¡°I will be back soon, don¡¯t go anywhere. I just might check on Celia too. I will see if I can drag her here with me so she can help to convince you about anything you think is ¡°too much¡±.


    ¡°Now I think I should put a stop to it before you start,¡± Reyona said with a mock horror look.


    Toria let out a thrillingugh before she glided towards the door while putting on her rhinestone sses.


    Andreas waved silently at the couple before he followed her out.


    Reyonaughed for a full minute before she could curb her mirth.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He is a goner,¡± Maxwell said instantly.


    ¡°Oh my god. I believe he is in love with her.¡±


    ¡°No argument, from this end,¡± Maxwell said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Reyona asked as she looked at him. ¡°I am not just reading what is not there?¡±


    ¡°Nope. That man looked like he would happily follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked for it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reyona said while beaming proudly. ¡°How do people fall in love within a week?¡±


    ¡°Careful, babe. You look like a mother walking her daughter to the aisle.¡± Maxwell teased.


    ¡°That obvious?¡± Reyona asked with a wrinkle of her nose at him.


    ¡°Very,¡±


    ¡°I am just so happy for her. He looks like a very nice man. Does he look like that to you?¡±


    ¡°He sure did. And if he is anything like his family, he is an honourable man. The Kanellis pride themselves on being honourable.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you know them so well,¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Had few businesses with them. Still has. They are a few of those I have respect for in business. They will never try to pull one over you. I was at one of their soirees when I happened to be in Cyprus then. The biggest family I have ever met. I stopped trying to remember who is who after the third cousin¡¯s introduction.¡±


    Reyonaughed. ¡°Oh wow, Toria is going to love that. I can see her thriving with a big family.¡±


    ¡°Easy there, Cupida. The arrow is showing now. Let¡¯s not talk about that glint in your eyes too. Hey, wait, is that a drool I see?¡±


    Reyona swatted at his outstretched hand that he put forward like he wanted to wipe the imaginary drool off from her mouth.


    ¡°Oh,e on. I just¡­ Do you think she knows it?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I just know she is going to need some backbones if she wants to get into all that.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s smile died immediately as she looked at him urgently and asked ¡°Why? Is he¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing to do with the guy. But uhm, how do I put it?¡± he pondered for a while before he got the right expression. ¡°You see the little circus we always have with the media when they have any news about us?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Reyona nodded immediately.


    ¡°It would be nothingpared to what the Kanellis had to deal with regrly. They are like the royalty of Cyprus. Andreas seemed to have lived a low-profile life for a while though. I only know of him but have never met him, so yeah, it might not be that much of a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are they that influential?¡±


    Maxwell smiled and ¡°They put influence in influential, babe. Their family is one of the founding families in Cyprus. I think they have some kings and dukes tossed in there too, but they pride themselves mostly on their business prowess. They started back in the 1800s, with the cinnamon business where their surname was derived from. Now they are into a lot of other things, like real estate, hospitality and tourism, shipping, technology, energy, agribusiness, art and culture¡­ you know what? Anything that is worth something in Cyprus and many other countries in the world, you can be sure to find a Kanellis there.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡±


    ¡°Yeah, wow is right,¡± Maxwell said with a grin.


    Reyonaughed before she ended it with a croon of ¡°Toria.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you are reading too much into this, you know,¡± Maxwell said. ¡°She did say he is her boss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really. I guess that is how you look at your female employees then?¡± she asked with a yful narrowing of her eyes at him.


    ¡°Is that an indirect way of offering to work for me, Mrs Rohan? Cos I only got eyes for you, goddess,¡± he whispered over her lips before kissing her.

 She Lied

    Reyona¡¯s eyes glistened with tears as she looked at the innocent girl lying facedown in bed.


    The transfusion was still being administered, and the doctor was currently checking the surgery site.


    He made certain notations on the medical charts attached to the clipboard. Then he handed it back to the nurse with some instructions.


    Then he went out and nodded at them before saying,


    ¡°I asked the nurse to get you because she has been asking for you. I need you to know that she is still very weak, so I hope you can keep the visit to a minimum.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Reyona said immediately. ¡°How is she though?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she is responding fine to treatment. Now that she has the needed blood, her vitals are better too. We just need to keep our eyes on her and ensure the wound heals properly. She should be up and about soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± Reyona said.


    ¡°Thanks, doctor,¡± Maxwell said as well before the doctor left with the nurse.


    Maxwell wheeled Reyona in.


    They had just finished sharing a simple breakfast when a nurse came to inform them that the doctor said they could visit now.


    In her haste, Reyona had almost jumped to the ground to go see her, but Maxwell had kept her in bed while insisting that he would rather carry her, or she could use a wheelchair.


    Reyona grudgingly opted for the wheelchair and Maxwell asked for it after pressing the call button.


    When they got to Allysyn¡¯s new room, to Reyona¡¯s disappointment, a nurse said they had to wait a bit before they could go in.


    When she saw the anxious look on Reyona¡¯s face though, she offered to let them stay right outside the door and look in through the double-paned, wide, ss window.


    As she finally entered the room and her eyes met with Allysyn¡¯s drowsy eyes, unbidden tears fell on her face as she sobbed.


    ¡°Reyona¡± Allysyn said groggily as she raised her hand towards her.


    Reyona quickly grabbed the girl¡¯s hand, not minding the pain it caused her injured hand.


    The girl stared at Reyona¡¯s bandaged hands for a moment before she said ¡°Your hand. Is it paining you?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all, baby¡± Reyona said, even as more tears gushed out of her eyes.


    Allysyn looked at her face, and it seemed to take her a while before she focused. When she did, she simply said, ¡°You are lying.¡±


    Reyona let out a wateryugh that got a small smile out of Allysyn.


    ¡°I know when people are lying,¡± Allysyn said slowly. ¡°They don¡¯t know that I know, but I know.¡±


    Reyona nodded as she said, ¡°You are right. It hurt just a little.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Allysyn said, then ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby, we came to check on you. We would havee earlier, but you are not allowed to receive visitors yet.¡±


    Allysyn only looked at her as she slightly shook her head and said ¡°Not now. You, you came. She lied when she said, ¡°You are only interested in Max¡¯s money, and you would note for me.¡± You came. She lied. You came and she hurt you.¡±


    Reyona couldn¡¯t hold back her tears as she leaned closer to the girl and said ¡°You didn¡¯t have to see that. You shouldn¡¯t have to risk yourself like that. I am so sorry, Allysyn. I am really sorry that you got hurt because of me.¡±


    Allysyn shook her head once as she said ¡°She shouldn¡¯t hit you. I know what bun in the oven means. You are pregnant.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s tears were like unstoppable rivulets at this point as she nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I am. Yes, I am. Wanna feel it?¡± She asked as she collected the handkerchief that Maxwell passed to her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Allysyn said as she shifted closer towards her. ¡°Hi, Max,¡± she said as she looked up at Maxwell.


    ¡°Hi, kiddo,¡± Maxwell responded in a gruff tone.


    Allysyn¡¯s attention was back to Reyona as thetter ced her hand on her pronounced bump.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Allysyn said at length.


    ¡°Yes, wow,¡± Reyona said with augh that instigated her tears again. ¡°I think that covers it.¡±


    Allysyn smiled and pulled her hand back before she asked, ¡°Will you send us away when you give birth to the baby?¡±


    ¡°What? No, no, not at all. You and Junior will always have a ce with us. Always, right, Max?¡±


    ¡°Yes, kiddo. You got us for life.¡± Maxwell responded as he bent to her level so she could see his face without having to strain her neck.


    She looked at him for a while, as if trying to gauge the truth of his words.


    Finally, she said ¡°Kidnapping and tying people is a crime. She is a criminal. Will she go to jail?¡±


    Maxwell and Reyona looked at each other, and they knew nothing but the truth would be satisfactory for this incredibly intelligent and sensitive kid.


    Reyona did the honours.


    ¡°You are right. She will need to. The¡­ Uhm¡­the police have to do their job and one of those is to¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ put criminals in jail.¡± Allysynpleted simply.


    Reyona supposed there was no point in glossing it over anymore. So she said, ¡°Yes, she will be going away to a ce where she can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±


    She was silent for a while before she said ¡°Junior will cry when he knows. Can you not tell him?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Oh god.


    Reyona firmed her lips, which wanted to tremble and said ¡°Okay, but what about you? How do you feel about it?¡±


    Allysyn looked at her with earnest eyes and said ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t feel anything. I just don¡¯t want her to hurt anyone again.¡±


    ¡°That is okay. It is okay for you to feel the way you feel. You can figure it out as time goes on. We can figure it out together. Okay?¡± Reyona asked as her eyes filled with tears again.


    ¡°¡®Kay¡± Allysyn answered with a nod.


    Reyona sniffled and looked away to stop her insistent waterworks.


    To fill the sudden silence, Maxwell said, ¡°We are so happy that you are getting better, Allysyn. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you. Celia, Andrew and Mira wille byter too. Even Toria is here. The doctor thinks we shouldn¡¯t tire you out with long visits though. What about we check on youter?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Allysyn said. Then ¡°When can I go home?¡±


    Home. That word sounded like music to Reyona.


    ¡°Very soon.¡± She said. ¡°As soon as the doctor gives the go-ahead.¡±


    Allysyn nodded as her eyes closed drowsily and opened again.


    ¡°Can I talk to Junior? I am not allowed to lie on my back or sit, but I can talk to him like this if you hold the phone for me. Just for a little time. Then I will sleep.¡±


    Reyona knew they should just leave immediately so she could get her needed rest, but what was a few more minutes, right?


    Junior had been asking for her too.


    She raised her hand to collect the phone from Maxwell.

 Lucky Fella

    Though a spare bed had been pulled into the newly decorated room for Maxwell, Reyona insisted he slept with her in hers.


    His protest that he might jostle her in his sleep and hurt her went unheeded.


    She told him she believed he would not hurt her.


    ¡°Not even in your sleep,¡± she said as she patted the space behind her.


    So, after a day filled with Toria and Celia¡¯s decorating frenzy of Reyona and Allysyn¡¯s room, they finally settled in bed.


    They reminisced about the antics Toria and Andreas had pulled to keep Allysyn entertained and to keep her mind off the fact that she could only lie down in a certain position.


    Theyughed about Mira¡¯s intention to be involved in the adults¡¯ activities as she would screech from time to time and babble non-stop whenever someone stopped cooing over her.


    Eventually, Toria put her to work by letting her ¡°help¡± with the streamers.


    They mused about Andreas¡¯ slight reluctance when they offered him the house to stay in instead of the hotel he had booked beforehand.


    ¡°I think he wanted to have her all to himself for a while.¡± Reyona chuckled as she remembered his thinly veiled exasperated look. ¡°Do you think I shouldn¡¯t have insisted?¡± She asked Maxwell. ¡°Toria looked so clueless though.¡±


    Maxwell kissed her on the nose and said ¡°You did the right thing, babe. You were being practical. What is the point of the extra charges for the hotel when they could use the house? What more? Junior is there to keep thempany,¡± he added with a sly smile.


    ¡°Oh my, I think Andreas would hate me right now,¡± Reyona said with a sheepish smile.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Maxwell said again as he kissed her forehead.


    ¡°You are enjoying this, ain¡¯t you? Is that why you agreed with me so fast?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I even made sure to tell Maggie to give them separate rooms. On different floors¡±, Maxwell chuckled without remorse. ¡°Let the man work for it a little.¡±


    Reyonaughed softly as she drilled her finger into his chest. ¡°d to know I am not the only one he would hate. When his family ising for us, I will point them directly in your direction. I am just a weak, guileless woman after all.¡±


    Maxwell sighed and said ¡°Oh, what we do for love,¡± then he added, ¡°Do you think your sister will let something as silly as different floors stop her if she really wants him with her?¡±


    Reyona grinned as she added ¡°Just as being cooped up in a cave together wouldn¡¯t have made any difference to her if she wanted nothing to do with him. She is much more assertive than I am.¡± She mused.


    ¡°You?¡± Maxwell asked with a shocked expression. ¡°That was you not being assertive? Phew! Thank God I never met the assertive you. I wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.¡±


    Theirughter ended in an impregnable silence as their looks went from cheery to heated in seconds.


    ¡°Reyona¡± Maxwell whispered before their lips fused in a passionate kiss.


    As much as he wanted to run his hands all over her, he was conscious of her bandaged sides.


    As badly as he wanted to strip her right there, have his way with her and brand her as his over and over again, Maxwell held back.


    Their lips, tongues, and hands had grown minds of their own, and they were busy devouring each other without a consciousness of time, ce, or circumstances.


    When her roving hands reached for his shaft, Maxwell swore as his already hardened member red dangerously.


    ¡°Babe, we need to stop¡± he groaned out as he held her hand.


    ¡°Why?¡± She looked at him with heavily aroused eyes.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± he swallowed hard and got off the bed to calm himself down with the distance from her alluring body. ¡°Because you are still very much in pain and I just can¡¯t overlook that.¡±


    Reyona looked at him with inviting, blood-stirring eyes as she said ¡°I am not feeling any pain.¡±


    Maxwell held his hand to his head as he snorted outughter and said ¡°Remember what Allysyn said earlier?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed even as a smile tickled her lips ¡°Are you calling me a liar?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Maxwell said innocently as he went back to bed and said ¡°Let¡¯s take care of you first, babe. We will have enough time for every other thingter.¡±


    She sighed and looked up at the ¡°Get well soon¡± banner that Toria had roped Andreas and Andrew into hanging in her range of vision.


    When she wanted to smile at the memory, she sighed again as she said ¡°You are no fun.¡±


    ¡°I am d I got you to marry me before you realise that. What a lucky fe I am.¡±


    ¡°You tricked me!¡± She said in a mock agitated voice.


    ¡°Like I said, I am a lucky one.¡±


    She red at him and said, ¡°You are not funny.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said as he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°I guess you will want me to sleep now?¡±


    ¡°As annoying as it is, you need it. On the bright side, the faster you heal, the earlier we can get to other¡­activities.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Get in bed and hold me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°dly,¡± he said as he held her in a spoon fashion on the bed.


    While turning around, she wiggled and wiggled, while brushing up against him at every shift until he was holding his breath to tightly control his raging blood.


    ¡°Reyona¡± he groaned as his hand unconsciously tightened on herp.


    ¡°What? I am sleeping. Keep your hands to yourself, mister. Goodnight¡±, She said in a not-so-innocent voice.


    Soon enough, he felt the change in her body and the change of rhythm in her breathing as she slid into genuine sleep.


    Maxwell was so conscious of hurting her in his sleep that it took him a while to sleep off.


    The same consciousness made his sleep light, and he found himself jolting awake some minutester.


    He tried to sleep again, but then he frowned as he thought back about why he woke.


    Was it the state of his mind or something had woken him?


    He turned over in bed to look around the room, but there was not so much as a flicker from the cheery streamers in the room.


    Maxwell wanted to curl up against Reyona and tried to sleep again, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He decided to check the hallway to see if someone was passing by.


    ¡°Who would be passing by this time of the night?¡± He asked himself, even as he thought it could be anyone at all.


    Ranging from the nurse at night doing routine checkups to cleaners or anyone at all.


    He silently opened the door so as not to wake Reyona.


    He looked to the left but saw nothing.


    Then his head swerved to the right as he heard a barely-there sound.


    At the farther end of the hall, someone just turned the corner.

 Don’t Get Me Started

    Wondering if sexual frustration was causing his over-heightened imagination, Maxwell followed the figure in his stockinged feet anyway.


    He knew Reyona was going to have a goodugh at his expense in the morning if he ended up realising that he was this spooked because of a cleaner going about their nightly duties.


    Least of all, the heart attack he might give to the poor cleaner when he or she found him lurking in the hallway like a stalker.


    The cold was beginning to prate through his stocking as he got to the corner where the person had turned.


    Maxwell could see the silhouette of the person as he turned another corner down the hallway.


    He was about to give up and go back to bed before someone called security on him.


    But then he stopped as he noticed something strange.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    From where he was standing to the direction he came from, light flooded the hallway.


    But from that point down to where the figure had just turned, no light was on.


    ¡°Electrical fault?¡±


    Even as the thought came to his mind, he had already quickened his pace as he rushed after that figure.


    He got to the corner and the same darkness prevailed in the hallway.


    The only thing giving a semnce of light was the light from the windows of the room where the patientsy unwary and ignorant of the movement in the hallway.


    Warning bells went haywire in Maxwell¡¯s mind when he remembered where the next turn led.


    He broke into a run without a second thought.


    He turned the corner and almost stumbled over a body in front of the door.


    ¡°Shit! I am toote!¡± He swore in his mind until he saw the dark-d figure standing by the bed.


    He had a filled syringe in his hand when Maxwell burst through the door.


    He threw the empty vial at Maxwell as he turned to plunge the needle into the body on the bed.


    Maxwell lunged with his fist and knocked the man right onto the sleeping body.


    She screamed as the needle fell from the man¡¯s hand to the other side of the bed.


    In fury, the man jabbed Maxwell in his chest with the elbow, and he backed up a bit.


    Before Maxwell could right himself, the man gave him a roundhouse kick that had him hitting the closest wall.


    ¡°Run!¡± He shouted at the screaming banshee who was jerking her head from Maxwell to the man while waving her good hand.


    ¡°Hijo de puta!¡± The man swore in fury. Son of a bitch!


    He was already going towards the needle but turned to grab at Susan when he heard what Maxwell said.


    Susan screeched and rolled out of bed onto the floor.


    Her scream could wake the dead as she fell on her bandaged stump.


    Yet she kept rolling until she was behind Maxwell and running out of the door.


    Like an enraged bull, the masked man abandoned the syringe and approached Maxwell.


    Maxwell was fully ready this time, and they went head-to-head.


    The man was a skilled fighter, but Maxwell¡¯s street survival fighting skills and years of boxing made him a match for him.


    Grunts and curses filled the room as none of them got the better of each other.


    They finally held each other in a grapple and suddenly Maxwell ducked as a glinting knife wheezed past where his head was seconds ago.


    The adrenaline of the near-death drove his bent head straight into the man¡¯s gut with all his strength.


    The man went flying and struck the wall with a bone-wracking, crunching sound.


    Furious beyond reasoning, Maxwell approached him even as he heard somemotion from afar.


    All he wanted at that moment was to grind the fucking asshole in front of him to dust.


    The man dragged himself up and turned swiftly away from Maxwell.


    When Maxwell dodged to avoid the kick he might want tounch at him again, he was surprised when the man simply crashed through the window of the room!


    His forward lunge was useless as the man was gone just as security men burst into the room.


    Maxwell looked out through the broken window.


    As fast as lightning, the man had picked himself up from where he fell.


    The fall from the ground-level window must have meant nothing to him because he climbed the barbed fence without hesitation.


    By the time the first security man got to Maxwell and shed his shlight towards the wall, the man was gone.


    Almost immediately, the sound of cars could be heard beyond the wall.


    ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Maxwell directed his anger at the first security man who asked him that question.


    He strode out of the room while taking note of the dripping blood that had trailed Susan¡¯s exit out of the room.


    He came out just as the medical director arrived at the scene with some doctors.


    The security men were lifting the police officer that Maxwell had almost tripped over earlier.


    ¡°President Rohan, oh my goodness. Are you¡­?¡±


    Maxwell jerked the man¡¯s shirt and held him tightly by it, to the surprise of everyone.


    ¡°Pre¡­president Rohan?¡±


    ¡°Who made you the medical director?¡± Maxwell asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°The¡­the board?¡±


    In a louder voice, Maxwell said ¡°Someone needs to tell them that you are doing a shitty job. Your doors are wack. Your windows are worse. And your security?¡± He turned his furious gaze on the security still standing around as if they were wondering if they should rescue their MD from the furious man or stand back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started.¡±


    He pushed the man back as he let go of his shirt.


    He saw Susan in the next room being attended to by doctors.


    He saw her bloody stump as the doctor unwrapped it and their eyes met as she followed the doctor¡¯s gaze to the door.


    She opened her mouth like she wanted to talk, but Maxwell walked on without a word.


    He momentarily wondered when and why they had removed the cuff that held her other hand to the bed.


    Whatever reason for the removal had worked in her favour that night.


    The bitch had always seemed to have a lucky break while everyone around her paid for her shit.


    He turned the first corner and there she was talking to one of the nurses who were calming people down and telling them to go back to bed.


    As if she sensed him, she turned away from the nurse and looked straight at him as he halted momentarily.


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± she said wordlessly, yet it was the loudest sound Maxwell had heard that night.


    They rushed towards each other and met midway.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± She asked anxiously as she looked at his bruised face.


    Maxwell wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as the thought fuelling his anger broke through.

 Man Of The Dark

    He could have died tonight.


    In that slim moment, he could have died.


    He could have been yanked away from the life he could have with this phenomenal woman in his arms all because he was ying the hero for a bitch that wouldn¡¯t think twice before hurting her own blood.


    His stupidity could have put her in a lot more pain than the one the bitch had inflicted on her.


    He was not ashamed when his lone tear fell on her neck.


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona called his name in a heartbreaking voice. ¡°What happened? Are you crying? What happened back there? They wouldn¡¯t tell us.¡±


    He sniffled and said, ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Reyona said as she leaned back and looked at his face.


    ¡°For being stupid,¡± he said tersely and leaned down to sweep her off her feet.


    He gingerly carried her to bed while she kept looking at him with a questioning look.


    ¡°Just give me some minutes, okay?¡± he said to her, and she nodded before he stepped out into the hallway.


    He had just finished calling his men when he saw Officer Guy and Steve rushing down the hall towards him.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Officer Guy said before moving on.


    Steve stood and looked at Maxwell¡¯s face before saying ¡°I heard you¡¯ve had quite an adventure tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see that you and the cops are bed buddies now¡±, Maxwell retorted automatically.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Steve looked a bit taken aback by his tone, then he said, ¡°If you mean Officer Guy, we actually met in the parking lot. This is still my case too, you know.¡± He shifted from foot to foot before saying, ¡°I understand that your night is not the way you want it, but imagine what being pulled out of bed when your daughter is sick is doing to my mood. So suck it up, Rohan. Get someone to look at that bruise. Your pretty boy¡¯s face might scar. We don¡¯t want that.¡± Steve said as he thumped him on his arm, waved at Reyona, and walked on.


    ¡°Get that bitch away from me and mine. I have had enough of her troubles.¡± Maxwell called after him.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Steve said with a jaunty salute as he kept walking on.


    Maxwell took in a cleansing breath to get rid of his rising anger again before he went to face Reyona, who was expecting some coherent answers from him.


    He swore when his phone started ringing again.


    His brows furrowed when he saw the private number.


    Why was he¡­


    ¡°Maxie¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Maxwell said, knowing she never wanted him to call her name.


    He had a feeling though.


    Even before she said, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been quite the hero tonight.¡±


    ¡°It was you?¡± Maxwell said as the dregs of his anger red again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you are surprised. I told you I have a score to settle with your bitch of a step-sister. Now, you have interrupted my score. You know I hate it when people do that. I hate it a lot. What should we do, Maxie?¡±


    Chill raced along Maxwell¡¯s spine even as he said ¡°Did he tell you he almost killed me?¡±


    ¡°He omitted that little detail, but then he didn¡¯t know who you were. What a dilemma. It is a dilemma that I am fond of you, Maxie.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Maxwell asked tersely.


    ¡°Easy now. Your ws are showing. I do not need to remind you that I am not one of your men, Maxie, do I?¡±


    She gave a humourless chuckle when he didn¡¯t answer her question.


    A chuckle that could mean anything to anything.


    Then she said ¡°You are lucky that I like you, Maxie you are lucky that I cherish history. Maybe, just maybe I was too hasty in my decision to silence your sister for life. I am going to let her go. There is always a price, of course. This is the end of any history that you and I ever had, Maxie. Do not ever call me like I am one of your men again. The number you know will never go through again.¡±


    Just as Maxwell felt an unexpected feeling of a sense of loss, he expected the call to be disconnected immediately as usual.


    But Don was not done. ¡°And oh, if she made any attempt at all to open her mouth to spew anything that dead faggot might have said to her, I would still go for her. So, I suppose you know what to do, Maxie? Goodbye forever.


    ¡°Goodbye, Donald,¡± Maxwell said in a low tone after the phone disconnected.


    He knew she would hate it if anyone called her by the name she bore before she turned.


    Maxwell closed his eyes and leaned against the wall wearily.


    For a moment, he could picture how he had met Don.


    Maxwell would probably have died out there on the unforgiving street if Don had not taken him under his wing and made it known to everyone that he was his boy.


    To date, Maxwell still had no idea why Don had never fully taken him into his circle and made him work for him.


    Instead, he had told Maxwell, ¡°You have potential. Now, go make use of it. If anybody tries to stop you, mention my name.¡±


    That was how Maxwell had begun to have enough backbone to do some things he wouldn¡¯t have dared to do when Fiona first sent him out of the house with frustration.


    Don had thought of the street survival skill of fighting dirty to win just as he had always weed him with open hands when he came back hungry and defeated after losing any new venture he had thought was the one.


    He would give him enough to eat, ask him what happened, give him some pocket money, and some advice, then tell him to get his ass up and get back to it after nudging him in a better direction with his business-wise advice.


    Maxwell realised that, in a weird way, Don had been a sort of father to him.


    In his dangerous, no-nonsense way, he had set Maxwell on the path to bing the formidable man he became.


    Donald-turned-Serena, aka Don, was a man of the dark, yet he had helped forge Maxwell in the limelight.


    Just when the forces of the street would have wiped him out.


    Maxwell sighed again as he realised he had never really had the opportunity to show his gratitude to Don.


    Don never had the patience for such things.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Reyona¡¯s voice made him open his eyes wearily.


    Without moving, he turned his head to look at her.


    ¡°You should be in bed,¡± he said slowly.


    ¡°Not when you are standing here looking so lost¡± she responded withpassion.


    Maxwell looked behind her to see a nurseing over with a medical kit.


    He straightened andid his hand on her shoulder as he followed her in.


    The nurse he had thought was going elsewhere entered the room after them.


    He looked back and asked Reyona. ¡°What is that for?¡±


    ¡°For you. Those nicks need tending to.¡±


    Maxwell didn¡¯t mind the pain.


    The pain felt good.


    It meant he was still alive.


    But he didn¡¯t want her to worry, so he sat patiently as the nurse doused his wounds with stinging antiseptic.


    He smiled at Reyona and reassured her, while he pondered if there was any need to pass Don¡¯s message to Susan.


    She wouldn¡¯t dare, would she?

 Good Luck With That

    Susan was moved from Light And Life before morning.


    After ensuring that his men were around and that they had surrounded the hospital and the entrances of Reyona and Allysyn¡¯s room, Maxwell got back into bed.


    At first, they had thought of having Allysyn wheeled into Reyona¡¯s room, but since that could wake the poor girl up, they decided to wait until morning.


    Maxwell exined what happened to Reyona without talking about the part where he almost got shed.


    He knew that would only agitate her more, since the part he told her about already had her sniffling before he was done.


    ¡°She is not worth it. She is never worth it,¡± she repeated while they consoled each other.


    They were interrupted by a knock on the door.


    Maxwell got up when he saw that it was one of the men at the door.


    He went to meet him and thetter told him that Steve was waiting for him outside.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little bit fancy?¡± Steve said as he gestured at the bodyguards with his head. ¡°Makes me actually remember that you are a big shot in town,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°What do you want, Stanislovoski?¡± Maxwell asked, as they started walking towards the entrance.


    ¡°I see we are reverting to surnames now, Rohan,¡± Steve said in the same tone.


    ¡°You started it,¡± Maxwell said tersely.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that is fair. So, I wouldn¡¯t mention that you were acting like a jerk.¡± Steve said simply.


    That got a smile out of Maxwell as he said ¡°You are lucky that I like you, Steve. Even luckier that I like your wife more.¡±


    His words reminded him of Don automatically.


    ¡°Oooh, I am shaking. Who would save me from the big shot now?¡± Steve shivered exaggeratedly.


    Maxwell shook his head and asked, ¡°What happened to your daughter?¡±


    Steve¡¯s countenance soured as he said ¡°Kid got herself an ulcer.¡± bitterness was evident in his tone as he shook his head and said ¡°The world is a shitty ce at times. If anyone should get an ulcer, then it should be me. All those skipped meals, eating crap in the name of food, and I never got anything like it. Now the kid who hardly skips meals is the one with ulcers. Acute one too. Damned if I know how that could happen. Apparently, ulcers aren¡¯t only caused by hunger. When did the rules change?¡± he asked no one in particr.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Maxwell said, ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. We got this. It is just so hard to watch her struggle so much when it hits, you know. It¡¯s hard on Antonia too.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Maxwell said as they stepped out of the hospital.


    ¡°It does. It is shitty.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I wanted you to know that we are moving her,¡± Steve said as he pointed at the vehicle parked some distance away from them.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Maxwell asked as he looked at the time. It was a little past 2 am.


    ¡°Yes, I just felt maybe you might have something you wanted to say to her?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Maxwell said. Then, even though he didn¡¯t want to ask, he said ¡°What is going to happen to her?¡±


    ¡°She is going to court next week,¡± Steve said.


    ¡°But her arm.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait forever until she is fully healed. The doctors said the healing of the stump could take over a month or so.¡± he gave Maxwell a sideways look as he said, ¡°Then if she ever gets the chance of a prosthetic arm, the whole process of that could be at least six months or more. She has three counts against her now. The murder case¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she had something to do with that?¡± Maxwell asked with his eyes pinned on the vehicle.


    ¡°Oh, we will go through the dance and all, but all the evidence points to the fact that your little step-sister there caused her roommate to ove**ose, leading to the youngdy¡¯s death. The motive is not clear yet, and we will be getting it out of her as soon as we can, but you can be sure that she is not going anywhere anytime soon. Between you and me? She would be lucky if she did not get the chair. Between that, the assault and the kidnapping cases, yeah, definitely not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Where are you moving her to?¡± Maxwell said in a toneless voice.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you that. That is why I wanted you to see her now if you have anything to say. She will be under heavy guard from now until we catch whoever tried to kill her tonight.¡±


    Good luck with that.


    ¡°Her hearing will be a closed-door proceeding, but you will be informed if you want toe.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Maxwell said. ¡°Let me see her now,¡± he decided on the spot.


    He had not wanted to bother with warning her before, but then he thought he might as well get it over and done with.


    If she did not get the chair and ended up being sent away for life, she might get toofortable and start running her mouth after some time, and that would end up snuffing her miserable life out instantly.


    Not that he cared, but well, he just had to.


    Steve nodded and gestured at the armed men guarding the car to step aside.


    Even the driver and the nurse inside with her stepped out as Maxwell got closer.


    He could see that the backpartment of the car was heavily tinted both at the back and the sides.


    He opened the door and there she was seated with her head resting against her back.


    She looked at him drowsily like she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.


    ¡°You saved me tonight,¡± she said simply.


    ¡°Do you know who might be out for you?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°It could be Jeff and his men,¡± she answered.


    Who the fuck is Jeff?


    Then she was shaking her head as she said ¡°Or not. They are much too stupid to get past the hospital security. So, I think it could be¡­¡±


    ¡°The earlier you stop thinking about hypothetical nonsense, the better it will be for you. Do you know why I think they areing for you tonight? Because whoever it was probably thought you had something to b about. If you prove them right by running your mouth, just know you will trigger them again. You have seen what they are capable of tonight. You might not get so lucky next time. So, think of that when you go making your guesses next time,¡± he said.


    She nodded and said ¡°I am sorry for hitting Ally. I did not mean to.¡±

 Friendly Advice

    Maxwell shut the door in her face and approached Steve as thetter walked towards him. ¡°Add one more thing to those charges, will you?¡±


    Steve raised his brow at him.


    ¡°Name-retrieval case.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°The Rohan name was not hers to start with. She has ruined it enough. I want it back before she stepped into jail. If possible, I want it back before the case starts.¡±


    ¡°It is not possible before the case starts, but then I think the judge could grant your request. You can use all the atrocities she has caused as a basis for the case.¡± Steve said contemtively while nodding. Though I think you need to speak about this to Guy, I will let him know and you guys can talk betterter. You might even need to use a differentwyer. If there is a need for you toe in for the proceedings, it will be discussed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes, just make sure she doesn¡¯t go to prison with my name.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Steve said as he gestured to the men again, and he started to move towards the car.


    ¡°What happened to the cop?¡±


    ¡°Just unconscious. He would be fine. The nasty thing was what was in that syringe. It would have wiped her out in seconds. So you did save her life. Take some credit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡±


    It took him only a few seconds to give in.


    He swore under his breath before he said ¡°Hey Steve?¡±


    Steve looked back at him in question.


    ¡°Let her have the prosthetic arm if she wants it. Let me know what it will cost.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah,¡± Steve said with a ¡°So much for I don¡¯t care¡± smile.


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Maxwell said before he turned to go back inside.


    Something made him look back just before he entered the hospital.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡± he muttered when he saw the person standing some distance away from the driveway.


    Will this night never end?¡± he wondered as he turned fully to wait for the man who was looking at the cars pulling out of the driveway even as he hurried towards Maxwell.


    He looked more sober than Maxwell had seen him in recent times.


    Sober and miserable.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me get close to her,¡± he said as soon as he got close to Maxwell. ¡°I saw them bring that bitch out, but they wouldn¡¯t let me get close to her.¡±


    What?


    ¡°Wait, you have been lurking around since? Since when?¡±


    ¡°I just want some answers,¡± Thomas said pitifully.


    ¡°What answers?¡± Maxwell asked impatiently.


    ¡°Is what R¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mention her name, you filthy dog!¡± Maxwell snapped at him.


    ¡°Okay, I am sorry. Is what your wife said true?¡±


    ¡°That I am not Allysyn¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Maxwell said dispassionately.


    He was tired of the whole bullshit, and he just wanted to be done with them once and for all.


    Thomas looked like he had been punched in the chest, and he was struggling to breathe. He gaped at Maxwell for a few seconds as if he couldn¡¯tprehend what he had just heard.


    ¡°Is that all? Because if that is all, I need you to get the fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°No, please, no. I need proof! I want proof! I deserve some proof! They are my kids! I have taken care of them since¡­ are you sure?¡± he ended in a defeated tone.


    Maxwell pointed in the direction where the car had just left. ¡°You want your proof? Go get it there. If I see your feet anywhere near my family, you will curse the day you were born. I have had enough of your bullshit!¡±


    ¡°Please, please.¡± Thomas rushed forward as if he wanted to hold Maxwell¡¯s clothes when thetter was about to turn. A look from Maxwell stopped him, but he quickly said, ¡°What about Thomas Junior? They¡­they can¡¯t all not be mine. Can they?¡±


    Maxwell swore as he took out his phone and made a call.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The doctor picked up the call on the first ring.


    ¡°Mr. Rohan. I am sorry I have not got back to you about that result. I got it sotest night and I thought you would still be asleep by now.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the result with you?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, but I know the content.¡±


    Maxwell gestured at Thomas, then put on his phone speaker before saying, ¡°Tell me the results.¡±


    ¡°The first sample has 0% probability,¡± the doctor responded.


    Maxwell ignored Thomas¡¯s eyes-widened, crestfallen look and asked, ¡°What about that of the donor?¡±


    ¡°The donor has a 99%patibility chance with the child.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is the donor?¡± Thomas yelled in pain.


    Maxwell gave him a quelling re that shut him up.


    Then Maxwell said to the doctor. ¡°You know what? There is one more of this to do. I will send another sample to you. When will it be ready if you have the sample by morning?¡±


    ¡°Two days, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good, I will not be here for it. Someone else will be. His name is Thomas Lanoth. How will he find you when he gets here?¡±


    ¡°He should just ask for Dr. Ray at the reception, and give them his name. I will know it is him.¡±


    Maxwell raised his eyebrows at Thomas and thetter quickly nodded.


    ¡°Okay then. Add his bills to my tab,¡± Maxwell said.


    He disconnected the call and said, ¡°Any other thing you want to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡­no¡­. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, get the fuck out of here. You had better not let me see you anywhere near my family, or you will regret it. You see those men there?¡± Maxwell asked as he jerked his thumb at his bodyguard at the entrance.


    Thomas nodded iprehensibly.


    ¡°Stay away from this hospital as long as they are still there. If you choose to forget that friendly advice, deal with whatever consequences you get. Now scram.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Thomas said in a pitiful voice before he walked dejectedly down the street.


    Maxwell stayed until he was sure that Thomas had finally left the vicinity.


    ¡°Enough of this already,¡± he thought in anger as he turned back.


    Then he gave his men instructions.

 Shady Deals

    dys arrived the next morning just as Maxwell arranged to have Reyona and Allysyn taken home.


    Andrea and her team had already consulted with the doctors in charge and the proper arrangements had been made.


    Andrea went with the team, who arranged one of the spare rooms in the mansion to get into a suitable setting for their recovery.


    When dys called that morning, she was on thest leg of her journey to Kayooma, and Toria and Andreas offered to pick her up at the airport.


    Instead ofing to the hospital, they were to take her to the mansion, so Maxwell, his family, and the evacuation team could meet them there.


    Apparently, what happened had gotten to the board of directors within a few hours of its urrence.


    Most of the board of directors knew Maxwell¡¯s influence, and they were well aware of how it could affect them negatively if it got out that they were unable to meet his needs in their hospital.


    By the time Maxwell came out of Reyona¡¯s room the next morning, about four were waiting at the entrance.


    In their midst was the medical director, who looked shamefaced and very contrite too.


    ¡°President Rohan, my name is Killian Saltun, I am the chairman of the hospital¡¯s board of directors. We are here to tender our apology for what happened here.¡± said the man who led them.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Maxwell asked in confusion as he wondered why they were there that early.


    ¡°We have heard of what happened and how you are very dissatisfied with the state of our hospital at the moment, sir. We assure you that we will make amends immediately.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± Maxwell said dismissively as he turned to leave.


    ¡°Uhm, we can¡­we can even relieve the medical director of his duties if you want,¡± the man said urgently before Maxwell could leave.


    ¡°What has that got to do with me?¡± Maxwell wondered aloud as he looked at the MD with his head bent at that moment.


    Maybe he had been a bit too harsh on the man. He wondered.


    He stopped and said, ¡°Do whatever you need to do in your hospital. Do not take any administrative decisions on my ount. I might have been a bit outrageous in my actions too.¡± As the MD raised his head in surprise, Maxwell looked directly at him and said ¡°I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have touched or spoken to you like that in the presence of your subordinates. That was not well done of me.¡±


    By the time the MD tried to say, ¡°It is f¡­¡±


    The chairman was already saying, ¡°It is fine with us. Of course, we all know that President Rohan is a reasonable person, and you must have acted in the heat of the moment. We all believe you will help us to handle this matter reasonably as well. That is why we are here this morning to apologise to you and to let you know that we are ready to do everything you want us to do. Your bills here will be taken care of and anything you have had to pay will be returned to you, sir.¡±


    That was when Maxwell knew that their apology wasn¡¯t that simple.


    He looked at the man directly as he asked ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The man smiled sheepishly before saying ¡°We would like to keep this between us, sir. Letting a shameful thing like this get out might show our hospital in a bad light. So, we¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you hiding?¡± Maxwell asked the man in a no-nonsense tone.


    The man nched before he quicklyposed himself and said ¡°Nothing at all, sir. News like this could just affect the good reputation that we have been building for a long while. Everyone knows that our hospital is a very prestigious one and any sort of blemish on it could affect thepany. We can¡¯t take proper care of patients if we have to deal with the media bacsh, sir. Some of the Rohan Group partners are also our clients, and it would be a shame if we are unable to provide the perfect service to them if you take this up with us, sir.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell wondered if it was just his thoughts or if there was some thinly veiled threat tossed in by the smiley-faced chairman.


    ¡°Oh, that is true,¡± Maxwell answered, and the man nodded with satisfaction that his message had been well passed across.


    ¡°So, you want me to keep my mouth shut about this? I shouldn¡¯t b to others so as not to affect the reputation of your hospital?¡±


    ¡°I will never use those words, sir.¡± The man said urgently, then added ¡°But I am happy that you understand the point of my words, sir.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. I do,¡± Maxwell said agreeably. ¡°It is fine. I have nothing to gain from ndering your hospital after all. I don¡¯t need you to pick up my bills as well. We are leaving here this morning anyway, so whatever you do from now on has nothing to do with my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, sir¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you fretting about? This has nothing to do with your impable treatment, adequate instruments and foolproof security here at all. It¡¯s just time for us to leave. Thank you for your service.¡± Maxwell said with a barely-masked sarcasm.


    When the man looked at the others and tried to speak but got stopped by Maxwell¡¯s raised eyebrows, he finally stopped making any attempt and just stood there.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me about?¡± Maxwell asked in a sharine tone.


    ¡°No, sir. Thank you for giving us your attention.¡±


    ¡°You are wee. Let¡¯s do more of this.¡± Maxwell said tonelessly.


    The men turned to leave, and Maxwell frowned as the MD looked back at him uncertainly.


    Maxwell was feeling more like he had truly judged the man harshly.


    Why had the board members woken up from their gilded beds toe to meet with him that early in the morning?


    What do they have to lose if Maxwell reported the hospital¡¯s inadequacies?


    Yes, he had said all those things about reputation and all that shit, but Maxwell didn¡¯t believe that man¡¯s words.


    He had an instinct for things like that. It was one of the reasons why he had turned out so sessful in business, partnerships and acquisitions.


    He knew when a man was shady.


    That board chairman was shady as fuck.


    He was sure the board members couldn¡¯t be that clean as well.


    He had only discovered the crappy material used for the windows, the outdated doors and the fact that they don¡¯t have the kind of machines that should be considered basic in a hospital of that capacity.


    Where was all the funding going?


    What more could those in the administration be hiding from the powers that be?


    What more could they be cutting costs on?


    Inferior medication?


    Maxwell knew he wasn¡¯t going to let this go now.


    Staying back in their gilded bed while he went on his way would have been a better action for them than the apology versus the veiled threat that that idiot had riddled him with.


    He made a call instantly.


    ¡°Look into Light and Life Hospital¡¯s administration. Look into every member of the board. Look twice at the chairman of the board. If there is as much as a speck of dirt anywhere, buy the hospital, then send me everything you found.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 Hush, Spider Girl

    dys was waiting anxiously outside the house when they arrived.


    Toria and Andreas stood aside with indulgent smiles after they¡¯d tried to tell her countless times that Reyona was better now.


    Well, Toria tried to tell her that though.


    The jury was still out on Andreas.


    After all, dys was perfectly shocked when she found a very male shirt in the room that had been given to Toria.


    The exnation from her daughter that she loved trying out new things, including male clothing, had not made any difference to her at all.


    She automatically suspected something was happening between Toria and her so-called boss.


    ¡°Which boss would personally take you from almost half the world away and stay till now?¡± she grumbled before Andrea arrived that morning to check out the allocated medical room and direct those making the arrangements.


    That took her mind off her daughter¡¯s escapades for a moment as she went to discuss Reyona¡¯s current health status with Andrea.


    When she came out and saw Toria and Andreas standing so close to each other, she immediately called Toria and reminded her that the doctor needed an extra hand.


    When Andreas offered to help, she told him very sweetly, ¡°Oh, why would I bother a guest? Especially the one who is my daughter¡¯s boss? Guests are supposed to keep to the room given to them, you know?¡±


    Andreas had been confused by theck of corrtion in her sentence before Toria brushed against him while passing and hissed, ¡°Ignore her. Be on your best behaviour.¡±


    Then she slung her arm around dys while saying loudly, ¡°Put me to work, Mom. God knows what I can get into if I am left idle. We wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    Andreas immediately figured out what the assignment was.


    So, as Toria was telling her mom that there was nothing to worry about, and she should stop fretting too much, Andreas had only agreed with dys when she turned around and said ¡°That is not something you should ask of me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± was all he said as he stared innocently at dys with a twin-worried look on his face.


    She looked like she was about to say something, but then the sound of approaching vehicles had her turning around again.


    Andreas only gave Toria an innocent look when she smiled indulgently at him.


    Soon enough, the preceding jeep came up the driveway followed by the Type 3 ambnce that housed the two gurneys carrying the patients.


    dys was already calling Reyona¡¯s name by the time the paramedics opened the door.


    ¡°Oh, my God. My baby¡± she said with her hands held to her mouth as she stared at Maxwell lifting Reyona off the gurney as he stood on the ambnce steps.


    The paramedics waited until he got off the steps with Reyona in his arms before they folded it back in and ced the mobile ramp at the entrance to wheel Allysyn¡¯s gurney.


    ¡°Look at your hand. Look¡­¡±


    ¡°Mum? Mum, I am better than I look. I could even walk, you know. He insisted I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Reyona said with a roll of her eyes at Maxwell.


    ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t.¡± dys agreed as she leaned forward to kiss her daughter on the cheek. ¡°I am so d you are okay,¡± she said before looking at Maxwell. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be mad at you after all.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. I did enough for both of us. And we should go inside too, before Allysyn decides to jump off the bed and walk in.¡± Toria said as she breezed past Reyona and went to Allysyn¡¯s gurney. ¡°Hey there, spider girl.¡±


    ¡°Not that again.¡± Allysyn groaned as she lifted her head and buried her face in the bed.


    ¡°Sorry, love. That hase to stick.¡± Toria teased as they wheeled her in.


    ¡°Leave my girl alone, Toria,¡± Reyona called from Maxwell¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Just yesterday, I was the love of her life, and now she is tossing me aside for a girl the size of my thumb.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°No, I am taller than that. Bigger too.¡±


    ¡°Hush, spider girl. Come argue with me when you can catch me on a run.¡±


    They allughed and chuckled as they entered the house.


    Reyona gasped and Allysyn squealed in excitement as confetti rained down on them as they entered the house.


    A wee home banner was raised by the butler and one of the gardeners, while the rest of the staff stood behind them with beaming expressions.


    Jane went straight to Allysyn, crying and crooning over her.


    After all, she had only seen her on video call since the day she had been missing.


    ¡°Ally!¡± Junior screamed in excitement from the stairs as he ran down with the homemade card in his hand.


    It was a celebratory mood for everyone in Rohan¡¯s household as the patients were settled into their customised recovery room.


    Reyona kept insisting that she was fine enough to be let off already, but Maxwell was having none of it.


    He did allow her to join them in the dining room for the celebratory meal though.


    Celia and Andrew also joined the family before the day was over, and palpable relief was evident in the air as Junior continuously made themugh with his antics.


    Which was augmented by Toria, who seemed like she had been an aunt to the kids for ages.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t be more grateful for how things turned out.


    When the thought of that darkened room wanted to intrude on her thoughts, she merely banished it and fully engaged in whatever was going on.


    She knew there was still more to discuss, there was a lot still to be put in ce before the life she was beginning to envision could be an unshakable reality.


    But for now, she revelled in the joy of being alive and being with the people dear to her.


    Every other thing could wait.


    She grumbled andined when Maxwell told her it was time to get her back in bed, yet she enjoyed his blissful warmth wrapped around her as he lifted her and took her back.


    If she felt unbidden strings of passion as she automatically imagined him carrying her while both of them were naked in a space where they were alone, she was not ashamed of it.


    Especially when she raised her lips to his, and he indulged her in a heated kiss before he leaned back and said ¡°Later, babe. Let¡¯s heal up first.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and curbed her lustful look when he carried her into the room where Junior was currently telling Allysyn another of the many things she had missed.


    She innocently teased her hand over his slight bulge andughed mischievously when he gritted his teeth and stifled the curse he had almost let out.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t stop herughter when Junior came over and asked what was funny.


    ¡°Yes, babe. Tell Junior what the fun was,¡± she said mischievously.


    ¡°Get some rest. Both of you,¡± he said like a school teacher.


    Maxwell shook his head at her unrepentant look before taking Junior with him as he made something up.


    Reyona looked at Allysyn and said ¡°And they¡¯ve banished us again.¡±


    Allysyn smiled conspiratorially, and it was the most beautiful thing Reyona had seen all day.


    Life was good.


    It could only get better from now on.


    Right?

 Left What?

    Andreas left for Cyprus the next day but Toria stayed behind.


    Though Reyona told her she was feeling better, Toria told her her teammates got everything handled.


    Andreas told them he had no issues with her staying for as long as she wanted to.


    The property they were currently working on was one in a series of many that Andreas had lined up for T and T Interiors.


    It turned out that Andreas had carved out his niche in real estate investment by doing flipping.


    His business had to do with buying run-down properties and turning them into extravagant masterpieces before selling them off.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    It was a lucrative yet risky venture to get into.


    From the little that Toria had told them at dinner, Andreas had made quite a name for himself in Cyprus and across the continent, which set him apart from his family¡¯s affluence.


    Andreas himself had barely said anything at all, but even from what Maxwell, Celia and Andrew had said about him, it was apparent that the man was worth much more than the credit he was giving himself.


    Just as it was obvious to Reyona that she was not mistaken in her initial impression of the man.


    Kanellis had the hots for her sister.


    Damn.


    It was in the looks.


    One couldn¡¯t help but notice how he looked at her like the sun rose and set on her.


    In the subtle touch and the way he always seemed to look for an excuse to touch her at all.


    What confused Reyona was Toria¡¯s seeming indifference to the man.


    Did it have anything to do with their mom¡¯s watchful gaze?


    When Maxwell and Andrew had to step out for a while that morning, Maxwell had made Reyona promise to use the avable wheelchair if she needed to go with a wheelchair, since he wouldn¡¯t be around to carry her.


    So when Andreas came to say his goodbyes, Reyona and dys bade him farewell.


    Reyona thanked him for his generosity towards Toria and foring all the way when he didn¡¯t have to.


    Even dys thanked him and then said bluntly, ¡°You are not acting like any boss that I know, though. Do you like my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Toria said in embarrassment and practically dragged Andreas out before he could say whatever he had intended to say.


    When Reyona gave her a look, dys spread her hands innocently and asked ¡°What? It was a reasonable question. Don¡¯t pretend you can¡¯t see how he has been acting around her.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s admonishing look dissolved into a smile.


    Then her look turned mischievous before she turned her wheelchair around and quickly wheeled herself to the closest window facing the front of the house.


    dys followed immediately.


    To their disappointment, Andreas was already stepping into the car that came to carry him.


    Still, they stayed there, one looking over the shoulder of the other as they watched Toria standing there for a while, long after the car had gone.


    ¡°Yeah, definitely something there,¡± Reyona thought as Toria finally turned around, and her shoulder rose and fell in a sigh.


    She and her mother almost fell over each other when Toria suddenly looked in that direction.


    Reyona ducked and dys hid behind the closest wall.


    ¡°Do you think she saw us?¡± dys asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡­what are we doing?¡± Reyona asked out loud in disbelief and they both burst intoughter.


    They were stillughing as dys wheeled her back to the living room.


    Toria entered and looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± dys asked innocently.


    ¡°Theugh? What were youughing about?¡± Toria asked in an exaggerated tone.


    ¡°What were weughing about, Rey?¡± dys threw Reyona straight under the bus.


    What? ¡°Uhm, something that Junior said before going to school.¡± Reyona improvised.


    Now, Toria looked more suspicious as she folded her arms and asked ¡°Oh yeah? Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell her about it, Rey,¡± dys said before she yawned suddenly and said ¡°I need to go have my siesta now. Didn¡¯t have much sleep overnight. New ce, you know.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it is 11 am,¡± Toria said emphatically.


    ¡°No better time to have a nap,¡± dys said as she hurried off. ¡°I will send your regards to Georgie and the twins when I call themter. Reyona, don¡¯t forget to ask your sister about that thing you wanted to ask her.¡±


    ¡°I have something to ask her?¡± Reyona thought in exasperation.


    And she was gone.


    ¡°So?¡± Toria said as she came to stand in front of Reyona.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Start by telling me why you and mom are acting so sneaky,¡± Toria said with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Wait¡­what? No, pfft, get out of your mind,¡± she said in a tone that was so like Toria¡¯s that they both looked at each other andughed.


    Toria¡¯s gaze went towards the window and her eyes widened when she saw one of Reyona¡¯s slippers close to it.


    She looked down at Reyona¡¯s stockinged foot and eximed ¡°Rey!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Reyona asked in the same tone before she looked down and saw what gave her away.


    She looked back in the direction of the wall and simply gave up the pretence.


    ¡°You and Mum were watching us?¡± Toria asked in surprise.


    ¡°Not that there was much to watch anyway,¡± Reyona said unapologetically.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would do that,¡± Toria grumbled as she went to flop down on the couch. ¡°Mum, I can see, but you? You have changed.¡±


    ¡°Hey, the woman gave birth to me. What do you expect?¡± Reyona said in a mock offended tone as she wheeled herself closer to the inte.


    She ced a call to the kitchen and asked for some fruit juice and treats. Then she turned to Toria and said ¡°Spill.¡±


    Toria was currently jiggling her feet while staring at the ceiling.


    She turned to Reyona and asked, ¡°Spill what?¡±


    Reyona rolled her eyes and said, ¡°What is going on with your handsome boss?¡±


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you supposed to be pregnant and technically married?¡±


    ¡°None of those makes me blind. And if you think I didn¡¯t see how he was gulping you up with his eyes, then think again. Even Mom noticed.¡±


    Toria blushed and asked, ¡°That obvious?¡±


    ¡°In Maxwell¡¯s words, he looked very much like a goner.¡±


    ¡°Even Max? Oh! Come on!¡± Toria said in exasperation as she recovered her eyes.


    Reyona thanked the two maids who brought the pitcher of freshly squeezed juice and treats.


    ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s take these to the terrace, shall we? I feel like having some fresh air,¡± she said as she gestured to them to make the arrangements.


    They immediately left.


    ¡°Looks to me like you want some gossip,¡± Toria retorted.


    ¡°Hey, who said I can¡¯t have both?¡± Reyona said as she patted her stomach. ¡°Even Pat would like to have some fresh deets on her aunt.¡±


    She saw that look again.


    She wondered if she was just thinking too much, but it seemed like everyone around her had that look in their eyes whenever she talked about Pat recently.


    She supposed she must be overthinking things though, as Toria stood up immediately and came behind her to help her push the automated wheelchair.


    With a sigh, she heard Toria say ¡°There is hardly anything to say though.¡±


    Sighed again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he left it for me.¡±


    Left what?

 Mail-Order Bride

    ¡°He left me his jet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona eximed in surprise.


    ¡°His pilot would be on standby to call whenever I am ready to go back.¡±


    ¡°How is he getting back?¡±


    ¡°He said his brother was picking him up.¡±


    ¡°Picking him up, his brother is a pilot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not professionally, of course,¡± Toria said as she sat in the wicker chair with a sigh. ¡°They are licensed to do a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± Reyona asked curiously.


    ¡°He has five brothers, Rey. I can¡¯t even wrap my head around the number of cousins he has,¡± Toria said in a pensive tone.


    Reyona stared at Toria for a moment before saying ¡°You like him.¡±


    Toria looked at her with contemtion before saying ¡°Is it obvious?¡±


    ¡°Not at first nce, but I think you do.¡±


    Instead of answering, Toria reached for her ss of drink and sipped it.


    When she looked at Reyona¡¯s expectant face, she shook her head and said ¡°He is¡­intense.¡±


    That surprised Reyona. ¡°Andreas? He looked veryid-back to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It fools you, doesn¡¯t it? That is not all there is to him,¡± Toria said in contemtion.


    Reyona sighed and leaned back in her chair before saying, ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    ¡°Very much.¡±


    ¡°Does he know?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he likes you?¡±


    ¡°He told me the first day he saw me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Reyona snorted inughter.


    ¡°I told you, intense¡± Toria said without so much as a smile on her face.


    ¡°Sorry, I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯tugh about that.¡± Reyona said as she reached for her drink.


    She had just sipped when Toria said ¡°He wants to marry me.¡±


    She coughed as the drink went down the wrong way. ¡°Excuse me? I thought you met him three weeks ago?¡±


    ¡°Two. He wasn¡¯t around when we first got there.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow.¡±


    ¡°Looking at him, would you believe that he is a firm believer in fate and all?¡±


    ¡°He believes you are fated?¡±


    ¡°Told me I am the woman of his dreams. Literally.¡±


    ¡°He dreamed about you?¡±


    ¡°ording to him, he started having dreams about me long before he saw me. The job offer wasn¡¯t random at all. He saw my picture on our website. Our Aspen customer just happened to be his acquaintance. It wasn¡¯t really a referral after all. He asked for us. For me.¡±


    Reyona was so astonished that she could only repeat ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°So you see what I meant when I said he is intense? I don¡¯t even know if I should be angry at his meticulous calction or be d that someone wants me that much. It just feels like a mail-order bride kind of thing, you know?¡±


    ¡°At least he didn¡¯t drop on one knee and ask you to marry him on the spot,¡± Reyona said for theck of something better to say.


    But then she turned her head to look at Toria when thetter didn¡¯t make a jest about it orugh.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When she saw the look on Toria¡¯s face, she shook her head unconsciously while saying, ¡°You are kidding.¡±


    ¡°He gave me two offers just before Manuel arrived,¡± Toria said simply.


    ¡°Offers?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    ¡°A lifetime contract offer for T and T, and an offer of marriage.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He is a firm believer in love after marriage. He believes I cane to love him as he already did,¡± Toria said ndly and drained her juice before reaching out to pour another.


    ¡°Toria¡± Reyona called softly to get her to look at her.


    With a snorting shortugh, Toria said, ¡°He sounds crazy, doesn¡¯t he? Just like the kind of guy I should run as far away as possible from?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want to do?¡± Reyona asked.


    Toria shook her head and said ¡°I probably would have turned right back the moment wended in Cyprus. I could have even found a valid excuse to give Tara why I rejected such a lucrative job, but then he had to wait until we all fell in love with the project. He came and got me hooked right off the bat too. So, no, I don¡¯t want to run. I should. If anyone told me the same, I would probably have told them to leave as fast as possible, but I havee to realise that I do not want to run. I like him. I think I might just give it a shot after all¡± she said, with a smile, as if she had juste to a decision.


    ¡°And the lifetime contract?¡±


    ¡°The conditions are pretty flexible and in our favour too. We wouldn¡¯t be working for them exclusively, but we get to call dibs on all their future projects.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that would be such good leverage for T and T. It would put you up there, you know? It is just like having a stable source of ie while you are free to take any side hustle you want. Think of the exposure too.¡±


    Toria smiled fully for the first time since they had gone out.


    ¡°So you think we should take it?¡±


    ¡°Business-wise, it will be a good deal for yourpany with those terms. What does Tara think?¡±


    Toria smiled sheepishly and Reyona said, ¡°You have not told her?¡±


    Toria leaned back with a sigh and said ¡°I needed to wrap my head around what it would mean if I took the offer and agreed to be with Andreas, you know?¡±


    ¡°So you will ept his marriage offer?¡±


    ¡°No¡±, then she smiled and said ¡°At least not yet. The man had been knocking my breath out of me at every turn with each of his statements and gestures. It is time for a change of game.¡±


    ¡°Now I feel scared on his behalf,¡± Reyona said as she saw the glint in Toria¡¯s eyes.


    Toriaughed and rubbed her hands together like the evil witch about to conjure some magic. ¡°I think I am going to enjoy this. At best, if it doesn¡¯t eventually work out, I am going to enjoy myself in the process.¡±


    ¡°Good luck on that¡± Reyona said and raised her ss in salute. ¡°I can¡¯t have champagne, but this should do. Cheers.¡±


    Toria clinked her ss with hers andughingly said ¡°To a change of game.¡±


    ¡°To a change of the game,¡± Reyona said with a smile.


    As they sipped their drinks, Reyona remembered the extensive web of family that Toria might have to deal with if this ended up bing a serious thing.


    ¡°Just be careful.¡± She said.


    ¡°I will,¡± Toria responded and saluted her with her ss.

 Not Enzo

    The next few days were spent in bliss by Reyona.


    Surrounded by her family and friends, someone was always with her at one point or the other.


    Feeding her some sort of nourishing meal they were always convinced was good for her or the baby.


    Reminding her that she was not allowed to do anything more than lift her cutlery to eat or rest.


    She almost baulked when Maxwell insisted on helping her with her bath.


    Then she agreed when she thought of the many possibilities of what could happen during the bath.


    But then, the infuriating man had to leave her unsatisfied when he insisted he wanted her to be at her hundred per cent when they finally got down to business.


    She was not even that bruised anymore, for god¡¯s sake.


    The bandages hade off her hands and her sides only had a few bruises left.


    She didn¡¯t wince again when holding something or making any sudden movement.


    She could even walk now without feeling any pull at all.


    At least he had finally let her get off the damn wheelchair.


    She still had Andrea to thank for backing her up on that.


    Herpanies were functioning very well too, with minimal input from her from time to time.


    Maxwell was always right on hand to take her tab orptop away from her when he felt she had been staring at it for too long.


    She was only allowed to concentrate on anything rted to work for two hours a day.


    The rest of her days were spent caring for herself and her baby.


    Reyona realised she had truly changed in some ways.


    There was a time when the excess attention might have felt a bit cloying to her.


    There was a time when she might have baulked at being told how to take care of herself or do what was necessary.


    But now, apart from the little grumblings and resistance she put up just for show, she was enjoying every single aspect of the care bestowed on her.


    Maxwell was almost always at her side throughout her week of recovery.


    He was there to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with her even when Toria and the others were not avable.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Before she couldin about being cooped up, he was there to take her out on walks, to the gym with him, and for the first time, Reyona got to see his beautiful horse.


    A day after her dad arrived, he surprised her most unexpectedly.


    She had no idea of his horsemanship prowess until he told her they were going for a polo game.


    He got her to dress up in a polo shirt matching the one he had on.


    Then he made her giggle when he whisked out a bucket hat with the imprint of ¡°I am the queen of the game¡± on it.


    ¡°After you, my queen,¡± he said before leading her to the field meant for the game.


    A replica of a professional polo field was awaiting them.


    Reyona marvelled at how much detail had been put into the arrangement, down to the spectator¡¯s area and the announcer¡¯s box.


    Though she had had her share of outdoor sports and had even learned golf just so she could be on a level ying ground with some customers, polo was never her strong suit.


    She had not even ridden a horse before.


    While she was still marvelling about the grand arrangement, he came behind her and asked her to close her eyes.


    She felt like a schoolgirl as she did so immediately with excitement building in her.


    ¡°No peeking,¡± he said with a smile in his voice as he led her in the direction of the stable.


    Reyona had once taken a walk in that direction before and the stables had been empty then.


    When she asked him why he had a stable when there were no horses there, he informed her that he had his horse moved to an equestrian facility since hisst groom had to travel back home.


    ¡°I hardly have the time to exercise him anymore anyway. Also, being with others would be good for him. So it was a win-win. I go for a visit once in a while and Enzo is living his best life.¡±


    ¡°Enzo?¡±


    ¡°He is a regal bastard. Handles the field like a dream too.¡±


    Then he went on to show her pictures of the horse on his phone.


    Reyona had never seen that type of horse before.


    It looked so majestic with a metallic sheen that made it look almost unreal.


    When she asked him what kind of horse it was, Maxwell told her it was a rare breed.


    ¡°Enzo is an Akhal-Teke breed,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Akhal what?¡± Reyona asked in confusion.


    Never had she heard of any type of horse like that.


    He smiled and said, ¡°The breed is one of the oldest and purest horse breeds in the world. They originated from Turkmenistan. Even believed to be more than 3, 000 years old.¡±


    Reyona had marvelled about the dedication and deliberate acts it would have taken to have preserved a breed for that long.


    She had expressed her wish to meet the horse one day.


    So, from the moment Maxwell had mentioned a polo game, she guessed he might bring Enzo over after all.


    And when he covered her face to lead her some distance away from the field, she was almost sure of what he was about to show her.


    Yet she was d anyway, and she couldn¡¯t tamp down the excitement she was feeling as he said ¡°Almost there. Just a few steps more.¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes,¡± he said a few secondster.


    Reyona opened her eyes ready to be wowed by the majestic presence of Enzo, yet all that greeted her was an empty space.


    Yes, they were in front of the stables yet nothing else, but space was there.


    ¡°What?¡± she said as she looked back at him with a confused smile.


    He grinned and pped his hands.


    Almost immediately, a groom came out with the most beautiful horse she had ever set her eyes on.


    It was a chestnut-coloured horse with that exquisite sheen she had seen on Enzo.


    The sheen made the colour look like polished copper,plementing the horse¡¯s elegant slender build, and regal presence.


    ¡°Oh my god, it is so beautiful.¡± Reyona marvelled as she automatically moved towards the horse. ¡°But wait, this is not Enzo, right?¡±


    In the picture, Enzo had a golden colour with a ck tail, mane and lower legs.


    She had notpleted her statement when another groom brought out the most anticipated celebrity.


    ¡°Enzo¡± Reyona breathed as she saw him in all his glory.


    The regal horse turned his head towards her direction when she called him and softly nudged his head against her as the groom brought it to a stop beside Reyona.


    Sheughed in excitement as she gently patted his face and looked at his intelligent eyes.


    Then she felt a nudge behind her as the other horse tried to get her attention.


    ¡°Will you look at that?¡± Maxwell said with a chuckle behind her.


    ¡°I think someone is feeling neglected here,¡± he said as he nodded at the chestnut Akhal-Teke. ¡°She must think her owner does not like her.¡±


    ¡°Her owner? What?!¡± Reyona eximed as she turned to look at his grinning face. ¡°It is mine? You got it for me?¡±


    Maxwell inclined his head as he said ¡°Well, seeing you do not like her¡­¡±


    Sheunched herself at him while smothering his face with kisses. ¡°I love her. You are the best. This is the best gift ever!¡±

 Noble Mission

    Reyona dered she was going to give her horse the most regal name in history.


    ¡°When I can rationally think of one that I wouldn¡¯t regretter,¡± she added, with the most adorable look Maxwell had ever seen on her.


    After spending some time with her new horse to make up for the initialck of acknowledgement, Reyona dered she was ready to make her childhood dreame true.


    ¡°Which is?¡± Maxwell asked indulgently while drinking in every inch of her joyful exuberance.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that a woman who had so much more would be deeply touched by something as simple as what he had done.


    It made him want to think of many more ways to surprise her.


    He knew if he could live the rest of his days seeing this kind of smile on her face, he would be the most fulfilled man on earth.


    ¡°Back when my dad and mom used to fight, I would hide under my covers and try to block them out.¡± she started with a pensive smile on her face.


    Maxwell hugged her to himself and kissed her hair as she continued ¡°Well, I have always had this vivid imagination that a handsome prince woulde galloping on his fine horse, you know.¡± she chuckled sheepishly as she shook her head. ¡°I could even picture the horse. The shining coat. ck. It had always been a ck regal horse, almost like these beautiful creatures here.¡± She said as she reached out to run her hand through her horse¡¯s mane.


    ¡°Then the prince would be in a white knightly uniform, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Maxwell said as his chest rumbled against her back.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t mock me,¡± she said as she gently nudged him with her elbow. ¡°It was a valid imagination. Quite vivid too. Cindere had her prince, you know. Who says I can¡¯t have mine?¡±


    ¡°You deserve every prince in this world, mdy,¡± he said automatically.


    Reyona shook her head and wondered aloud. ¡°Why am I even telling you this?¡±


    ¡°Because you want to finally live your dreams?¡± he prompted.


    ¡°Yes, that. Anyway, you already know the rest of the story. I never got my prince but I got Grandma. And¡­¡±


    ¡°And now you have got a very life-sized prince that is more handsome than any prince of your imagination,¡± Maxwell said, as he turned her around and kissed her lips firmly.


    She crooned as she slung her arms around her neck and deepened the kiss.


    Then she leaned back and scrunched up her nose at him before saying ¡°The jury is still out on that, you know? I had quite the imagination, you know. He was so damn gorgeous.¡± she said with a grin as his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Well, guess who is here right now while he is not?¡± he said before seizing her lips in a searing kiss.


    The grooms standing some distance away had developed hard hearing and instant blindness anyway.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Maxwell said with a triumphant exmation. ¡°Can he do that?¡±


    Reyona grinned at this silly side of his.


    Then she flicked her hair back and said ¡°Well, in my imagination, he did quite a lot, you know. I am not sure if you can live up to that.¡±


    ¡°In that case, mdy, I am rising to the challenge,¡± he said. ¡°Let me start by giving you an unforgettable ride on your recently acquired prize.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s look turned heated as she moved closer to him and leaned around to whisper in his ear. ¡°There is only one ride that you can give me right now that will be unforgettable.¡± she looked back at him with a sultry look before nipping at his lips.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Reyona¡± he groaned helplessly as he covered his face.


    Then he exhaled and forced himself to look away from her tempting lips and alluring body as he said ¡°You can tempt a saint, Mrs. Rohan, but I am a knight and I have toplete this noble mission without thinking of ravaging you in the fields.


    Reyonaughed and whispered ¡°Coward,¡± before dancing away from him.


    ¡°Come along now,¡± he said in an affected ent as he gestured grandly at her horse.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked in excitement.


    ¡°We might not be able to do some galloping and flying across the terrain, but we can do a trot. It is the thought that matters, anyway,¡± he said as he reached for her and gestured to the groom to lead the horse closer.


    Then, just before the groom got to them, he whispered to her, ¡°Hold that thought, ma¡¯am. One day, Enzo is going to hear your screams and I will be the object of equine jealousy.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s face heated at the thought of what he meant.


    ¡°Really?¡± she thought. ¡°Will he, really? On the¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± she cleared her throat as he simply turned away innocently when the groom got to them.


    Reyona had the sudden urge to fan herself as he guided her on how to put her legs into the stirrup, and he hoisted her up on the horse, whose warm silky skin beneath Reyona was doing nothing to calm her sudden raging hormones.


    She tried. She did try to focus on the glory of being on the back of a horse for the first time.


    Yet it was difficult with his warm broad chest behind her.


    When he wrapped his arm around her to keep her in ce, as he increased the pace of the horse, she almost moaned in desperation.


    With his rush of warm air against her ear as he exined how to handle the horse to her and show her the vast terrain of lush greenery that led from the field to the part of the estate that had not been tampered with, Reyona simply gave up and leanednguidly against him.


    She grew bold at a point and squirmed against his bulge brushing against her.


    ¡°Babe,¡± he gritted out through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I did not ask you to be noble, you know. Scratch that. I do not want you to be noble. I am not even feeling any pain anymore. Why wouldn¡¯t you just throw me over your shoulder and behave like a caveman here in this greenery? I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said in frustration.


    He chuckled behind her and gave her lingering, nibbling kisses on her neck that only spiked her passion more.


    She was almost twisting around on the horse to face him and finish what he started when he raised his head and swore under his breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare stop now,¡± she moaned, and he swore again when he saw her smouldering eyes.


    ¡°We have to. Everyone is waiting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about everyone. Waiting for what?¡± she asked iprehensibly.


    ¡°Fuck¡± he said before he told her to hold steady, and he got down from the horse.


    Then he led her to the nearest tree there before saying ¡°This will have to do for now. Hang on.¡±


    With that, he held her sitting sideways on the patient horse, with her back to the tree and her legs facing him.


    Before she could ask what he was doing, he bent down and slowly raised her skirt.


    His heated look was enough to answer for her.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she held on to the tree behind her with both hands as he removed her pants and dragged her slowly forward so that she could feel the light breeze on her core when he parted her legs more.


    ¡°Bless the horse,¡± she thought in ecstasy as his warm mouth reced the breeze she felt in her core.


    Oh yes!

 What Parents Do

    Reyona orgasmed over and over again.


    She bit her lips to stop herself from screaming out loud for the ears of whoever might be close enough to hear.


    Just as she was getting too weak to keep holding on to the tree, he threw her over the edge again.


    She slumped forward as she screamed anyway.


    He straightened as he took her lips in his mouth, swallowing her scream as her body bucked against his.


    She slid off the horse, and he held her to his body.


    She could feel his rock-hard shaft as he helped her to her feet.


    ¡°We¡­we need to take care of that. Take care of you.¡± she managed to say as they caught their breath together.


    ¡°No time,¡± he said breathily.


    ¡°Time for what?¡± Reyona asked as he moved her a bit so he could lead the horse forward.


    ¡°Surprise,¡± he said with a strained smile.


    ¡°More? I don¡¯t think my heart could take more,¡± she said in a naughty tone. ¡°Not after that.¡±


    He groaned as he said, ¡°I am trying to calm this beast down, Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I am sorry. I feel bad though. I so want to take care of it for you.¡± she said with a genuine tone.


    ¡°And you will, Mrs. Rohan. But we¡¯ve got a lifetime for that, don¡¯t we? For now, please, look away from it. I am close to bursting here.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said in a meek tone that only made him grin as he tried to think of whatever could make his raging blood calm as soon as possible.


    They would probably be wondering if we had gotten lost by now. He thought.


    Reyona patted the horse and said ¡°Good girl. I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t spook.¡±


    ¡°I chose her for a reason. She has the most gentle nature of them all.¡±


    Soon enough, they were on their way back to the field where the game was supposed to be held.


    That was when Reyona realised what he had meant when he said that they would be waiting for them.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Toria, who was dressed in the full regal of a polo sport woman down to the gloves, said as she came forward to meet them.


    ¡°Did you get lost on yournd, Max?¡± she said as she folded her arms and gave both of them a suspicious look.


    Unapologetically, Maxwell said ¡°I did get lost in¡­¡± his eyes slid towards Reyona, and he added, ¡°¡­ something.¡±


    ¡°Eeew!¡± Toria said loudly before she turned back and went towards the stand while shouting ¡°Dad, these two want to traumatise me!¡±


    ¡°Hey there,¡± Celia greeted Reyona as she came to hug her.


    ¡°Hi,¡± said Andrew, who was already cing a bet with Toria on who was going to win.


    Reyona was surprised to see three more horses at the ready, making five horses altogether with Enzo and Reyona¡¯s horse.


    Reyona showed off her horse to everyone, and they all admired the unique coats of the two Akhal-Teke horses.


    Beside them, the other horses looked like Serfs beside Lords.


    Maxwell led Reyona to the high-backed chair close to the audience row.


    Her father, who hade to Kayooma from his trips with his wife, was dressed as part of the umpire, and he was taking his duty very seriously.


    He and Maureen had stayed at Reyona¡¯s ce and had only just arrived for the game.


    Reyona was happy that her parents had been lucky in their second marriage.


    Just like George, her stepfather, Maureen was also a very nice person that Reyona did not find it hard to warm up to when she finally visited her father in Mn.


    That had been before she went to her ind home and ended up in Sydney.


    Looking back on those times seemed like a long time ago to Reyona, and she couldn¡¯t help but be happy about how things had turned out eventually.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    As Andrew, Celia, Toria, dys and Maxwell, who were all skilled at horseriding, got ready to start the polo game, Maureen came to sit with Reyona.


    They bothughed as Toria argued that it was only fair that the three weakdies should team up against the two men.


    Andrew wanted one person to bow out so that the team could be even, but Toria would have none of that.


    When Andrewmented that they were about as weak as nails and leatherbined, thedies booed him and said he was being ungentlemanly.


    ¡°He knew he was going to lose before he started that debate,¡± Maureen said.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Reyona said with augh as she turned to Maureen. ¡°I think he just loved arguing as much as Toria does. Who could have thought?¡± she added with augh as she looked back at the field where dys was being a voice of reasoning.


    In favour of thedy, of course.


    She grinned when dys said she was not so good at ying polo anyway, so she didn¡¯t really count as the third member of the female team.


    ¡°Ah! Those men don¡¯t know what is about to hit them! She taught Toria how to y, you know. George taught her, and George used to be a professional yer. They have this ce in Copenhagen where¡­.¡± she turned to look at Maureen and paused as she saw the woman looking at her with an indulgent smile on her face.


    ¡°What? Do I have something on my face?¡± she asked as she urgently rubbed her hand over her face.


    ¡°No,¡± Maureen said with a smile. ¡°It just feels so good to see you smile, you know. Genuinely, I mean.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s brow furrowed a bit as she said ¡°I have always smiled genuinely. I think?¡±


    ¡°Not when I met you. You were so determined to make us think you were fine. To make him think you were fine, but he saw right through it. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant then when he said ¡°That is not my daughter¡¯s smile. I didn¡¯t realize the difference, since we have never spent time together before, but I can see it now. That was really not your true smile.¡±


    Reyona smiled more fully as she looked away from Maureen and over at her father, who had finally interceded as the umpire andid down the rules of the game.


    The females still get to keep three teammates anyway.


    ¡°Was he really worried?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Maureen said as she patted Reyona¡¯s hand. ¡°But then that is what parents do. Even when our kids want to spare us from worrying about them. We do it anyway. I am sure you will soon understand how that feels.¡± she said as she looked down at Reyona¡¯s pronounced stomach.


    Reyonaid her hand on her stomach and looked over Maureen¡¯s shoulder as she said ¡°You are right.¡±


    ¡°Reyona!¡± Junior called her name while skipping alongside Allysyn¡¯s gurney.


    She had sent one of the maids to get Allysyn and Junior toe watch the game as well.


    The staff with the carts of refreshments were right behind them.


    Reyona waved at the kids excitedly as she called out ¡°Come on,e on! You are just right on time.¡±


    Maureen smiled at her as she realised what Reyona had been staring at when she responded earlier.


    ¡°But then I think you already know how it feels. They are adorable children.¡±


    Reyona beamed with pride.

 The Right Motivation

    Reyona was super happy when Andrea finally gave her a clean bill of health.


    Alysyn also had her bandage adjustment the day before,


    Her bandage was switched to a lighter dressing, and she could finally turn over on her back with some soft cushion tofort her behind in the little period that the doctor said she could try resting on it.


    ¡°Any difort at all and I want you to turn over immediately.¡± Andrea had instructed.


    She even promised they could start with some sitting in a couple of days.


    Allysyn was so happy about it and Reyona could understand how the girl felt.


    Even she who could walk about, lie on her back and sit as much as she wanted, had felt constrained by the extreme carefulness with which she had to do everything.


    All because those surrounding her think she was an egg that could break anytime from something as small as filling the tub for her own bath.


    She could only guess what it must have been like for a kid who had to do what the adults say most times anyway.


    Add that to tailbone surgery and boom, adults get to order her around more.


    So she helped Allysyn make a card-like calendar that the girl decorated herself.


    A calendar named ¡°Countdown to Freedom¡±


    Then they badgered Andrea into giving them a specific date when thetest dressing woulde off and Allysyn could get to walk about and use the wheelchair if she so wished.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Exasperated but amused by their teamwork, Andrea gave them a five-day deadline.


    Of course, she had to add an ¡°If, and only if¡± term.


    But that didn¡¯t stop the two from making the most of it.


    Reyona even got some streamers to redecorate the medical room with Jane.


    Then she changed the ¡°Get well soon¡± banners and decor to ¡°Out of here, soon.¡±


    They had fun all day as they took different pictures, and she made a video of Allysyn marking the first day out of the five days as the evening approached.


    Then she thought of letting Allysyn talk about her feelings about what had happened.


    Though she didn¡¯t want the girl to think of bad memories that could affect her, she had still hoped that the girl might say something about what had caused her surgery.


    Reyona was afraid that the incident might cause Allysyn to turn back to that withdrawn girl that Reyona had initially met.


    Yet it seemed that her fears had been for nothing.


    Allysyn had been very engaged in everything that was happening around her.


    Though she couldn¡¯t do much because she had to lie on her front almost every time, she was very active.


    If Reyona were not really watching, she wouldn¡¯t have caught the few times when the girl would have some pensive look on her face, but then the next moment, she would be lively again.


    So, as Reyona acted out the part of being a fawning reporter interviewing a big celebrity, she hoped the undemanding, yful atmosphere might let the girl talk about how exactly she felt.


    Yet when Reyona shushed Junior¡¯s exuberant p by telling him this was serious business, and then said ¡°Light, Camera! Action; Alysyn had only started her narration from after she woke up from surgery till that moment.


    When she was done, Reyona subtly asked ¡°Is that all? Is there any other thing you want to add?¡±


    ¡°What, nuuh, there is no¡­yes!¡± Reyona¡¯s heart leapt only for her to hear. ¡°And one more thing, Reyona the reporter is the best, bye!¡±


    Yes, the girl could be a charmer when she put her mind to it.


    It was just not what Reyona was expecting at the moment.


    Reyona had no choice but to say cheerily ¡°And that is a wrap.¡±


    It seemed therapy would be inevitable after all.


    She just had to find a way to first make the girl understand that it was not because anything was wrong with her.


    She had agreed to it for the first time after Reyona had made her understand that it was not meant for crazy people as her mother had made her believe.


    Agreed and cooperated? Yes. Liked it? Reyona was not so sure.


    The girl had more depth than an eight-year-old should.


    For the moment though, Reyona yed the recorded video and marvelled at how well Alysyn handled facing the camera.


    Of course, Junior had to throw in his two-pence by saying that Allysyn looked silly.


    And thetter couldn¡¯t be med when she found another use for her prop-up cushion.


    Launching it at her brother¡¯s head.


    All in all, Reyona knew there was a lot to be thankful for.


    What would be the point in excess worry when things seemed to be progressing fine?


    Though she knew there were still important issues to be addressed, as she watched Junior taunting his sister and thetter trying to cajole him to get closer, she knew she wouldn¡¯t trade moments like this for anything.


    Then Andrea had given her an official clean bill.


    Of course, she was feeling so much better already, but then Maxwell was not ready to rx until he got the official statement from the doctor.


    So when Andrea gave the verdict, she hooted and danced around the house, almost tripping over Junior, who decided to dance along with her.


    Then she celebrated the news by taking Max out on a shopping date.


    She had expected him to grumble and probably offer to give her his card to do all the shopping she could while he was spared.


    Instead, he jumped on the offer as excitedly as she did.


    But then, that might have something to do with the fact that she mentioned that most of the shopping would be for the baby.


    Most of what they got in Sydney was still there and Reyona would like to have others in Kayooma if they didn¡¯t go to Sydney again until she gave birth.


    Her baby¡¯s things can never be too much anyway.


    She also needed to get new clothes because her old ones were beginning to get too small for her.


    Maxwell told her they could easily call the best personal shopper in town and get everything they wanted without leaving thefort of their home.


    She gave him a look and said ¡°Where is the fun in that? This is meant to be a sort of date, anyway. But if you are not interested, I could go get another man out there to have a date with.¡±


    ¡°And I would kill him,¡± he said with a possessive look before gesturing towards the door. ¡°After you, my queen.¡±


    Reyonaughed as she ignored Toria¡¯s grumbling that she had been tossed aside for a shopping partner who probably didn¡¯t know the difference between tulle and silk.


    ¡°Ignore her,¡± Reyona said as she stepped past him.


    Then she leaned slightly towards him as she whispered. ¡°You might even get lucky, you know.¡±


    He was out of the door as fast as possible.


    Who said men hate shopping?


    They just needed the right motivation. She mused.

 Anything But This

    They had the best of times shopping.


    He was fully engaged in every aspect of every choice they made for the baby.


    From the crib, changing table, baby monitor, and nightlight down to the onesies, pajamas, and swaddles, to the bathing, feeding, healthcare, ytime essentials and every other thing they could think of.


    They had so much looking up and selecting many more items than the ones they had ever gotten in Sydney.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell booked the baby needs store she chose for the day and the attendants were at their beck and call.


    When Reyona told him she didn¡¯t think it was really necessary, he told her it was for the best.


    He was still very sensitive about the media exposure they had had to deal with and didn¡¯t want them to wake up to their pictures sshed on a cover page because they did something that was supposed to be uniquely theirs.


    When he exined it, Reyona remembered what had happened thest time they had gone shopping at Kayooma.


    It had been a means for some sleazy papers to make their money while spewing what they were unsure of.


    For a moment, Reyona missed the carefree living they had experienced in Sydney.


    There was something about people not knowing who they were.


    They were able to do things they wanted without any issues.


    They were able to act like any normal couple even in public ces without thinking twice about who could be lurking around with cameras to capture them.


    For a moment, the thought of being in the public eye once again dampened Reyona for a moment.


    But that was it. A moment.


    She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the present.


    The joy of shopping with a man who looked as excited about spending time with her as much as she was.


    He was so into the activity that he even proposed they get two of everything.


    Reyona was so excited by his enthusiastic involvement that she said they should get one for each gender then.


    That way, once they have their baby and have chosen the appropriate items for him or her, then they could donate the others.


    Then they made getting clothes for the baby apetition by having him choose for the girl child while she chose for a boy child.


    ¡°That way, Pat would know who to hate when she ended up with some ugly, mismatched clothes,¡± she teased.


    Then they parted with each of them saying they were going to get the best outfits yet.


    The rule was that nobody was to help them with any selection orbination.


    Apart from bringing out the outfits and setting them aside for them, the attendants and manager of the shop were not supposed to help them with any suggestions or advice.


    Reyona could feel the excitement of the salespeople as well as they were anticipating who was going to get the best outfits yet.


    Or maybe the big smiles on them had to do with the fact that Maxwell had dered that they should bring out the best of their products because his babies deserve the best.


    When he said babies, Reyonaughed because he had been so excited that he was even pluralising his words now.


    Thepetition started, and they were each led to the sections where the clothes were.


    While she was pointing at cute wear on a baby and asking the sales attendant with her about it, Reyona¡¯s eyes went to the street beyond the ss wall.


    She froze as her eyes caught on something.


    ¡°Yes, ma. We have more of it.¡±


    Reyona looked at the man and distractedly asked him to get her the size of a newborn.


    She quickly looked back towards the street again, but there was nothing there.


    She held her head and closed her eyes for a moment as she wondered if she was seeing things.


    For a moment there, she could have sworn she saw a familiar face across the road.


    The attendant hurried back with five varieties of the type of wear she had pointed at.


    Reyona chose one of each and continued with her shopping with a little frown on her face.


    She must have seen it wrong, right?


    Yes, that must be it.


    Then she tiptoed towards the aisle where Maxwell was getting his clothes.


    Just in time to hear him ask ¡°Which of these is the bow again?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you cheat!¡± Reyona called out to him with a chuckle as she hurried towards the section.


    She rounded the edge and saw him holding a bow and a headband in his hands while looking as confused as possible.


    He gave her a sheepish grin as she asked ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    The attendant quickly left his side with a hidden smile.


    He gave her a long-suffering look as he looked down at the dainty pieces in his hand and said ¡°What was I thinking when I agreed to this?¡±


    Reyona hid the smile tickling her lips and said ¡°Don¡¯t try to disguise the fact that you were cheating.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it was an innocent question,¡± he tried to fib.


    ¡°What was in our agreement, Mr. Rohan? No question asked.¡±


    He gave up trying to y tough and came towards her with a mournful look as he said ¡°Save me. At this point, I think our girl might just end up hating me from birth till old age. How does a tiny baby end up needing all these?¡± he asked as he shook the items still in his hands like they were the cause of the pandemic.


    ¡°Max¡­¡±


    ¡°I will do anything you want. Anything but this, please,¡± he said as he kissed her nose and gave her an expectant look.


    Reyona wanted to stand her ground, but then he looked so adorable at the moment.


    She rolled her eyes as she finally sighed and said, ¡°Fine. Anything I want, right?¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± he said urgently.


    Reyona told him what he would do in turn for her help, and he epted eagerly.


    She supposed she should have thought better of a more punishing task.


    Because the task of helping her select her clothes and lingerie seemed to be the best thing she could have asked him to do.


    Especially when he added the factor of helping her try on and remove the clothes.


    It was not too long before she realised just how turned on he was by seeing her pregnant body in the tiniest piece of lingerie that he had chosen.


    ¡°Maxwell, this is¡­hmm.¡± her protest had ended swiftly when he teased aside the g-string covering of the hot red lingerie she had on, and drew her slightly forward with its garter belt while sinking his finger into her throbbing core.


    ¡°Guess we have to test how quiet you can be, Mrs. Rohan,¡± he teased as he eased her on the upholstered bench.


    Then he proceeded to fuck her with his finger.


    With the attendant standing right outside the dressing room.


    Reyona could hardly remember how they got home.


    One thing was for sure though.


    She conveniently forgot all her ns to stay out all day.


    They couldn¡¯t get home fast enough.

 The First Time

    After a thoroughly decadent night, Reyona woke up the next day feeling perfectly lethargic.


    She had somehow ended up close to the edge of the bed with her face turned away from him.


    She smiled drowsily as she remembered that she had slept off wrapped in his arms while they were still trying to catch their breath after the¡­


    Well, she had lost count anyway and her brain was toozy at the moment to start thinking of what she couldn¡¯t probably count on both hands.


    She still couldn¡¯t understand when she had be so insatiable.


    Was it just the hormones or the man?


    If she was honest with herself, most of her anger and frustration with him beforehand had also had to do with the tenuous pull of attraction she had felt for him when she had no business feeling such things.


    The man was just too hot for his own good.


    Or her own good in this case.


    She felt slightly sore down there, yet it was the most delicious type of soreness she could think of.


    When she stretched her hand backwards and felt a bit of a pull in her arms too, she knew they had definitely overdone it this time.


    She smiled at the thoughts of the many antics they had gotten up to until the early hours of that morning.


    The fact that her blood was already quickening from the thought alone made her sigh, and she shook her head inwardly.


    ¡°I me it on you, Pat,¡± she thought, with a smile still on her closed face.


    Then the smile turned to a little frown when she realised that the hand she had been patting on the bed since had not touched that familiar warmth she was used to.


    It was only touching the sheet.


    The sheet devoid of any warmth.


    She raised herself a bit and turned her head only to see that he was not in bed.


    Where had he gone?


    She was a bit disappointed that he left the bed without her though.


    She turned around on the bed and looked at his side of the bed.


    The imprint on the side where hey holding her was barely showing, which meant he had left for a while.


    ¡°Ugh, I would do anything for a coffee right now,¡± she muttered with longing.


    Coffee was some of what she had given up on.


    Though she had not felt much of a typical pregnant woman¡¯s symptoms and the doctor had said coffee intake was fine in as much as she did in moderation, Reyona had chosen to let go of it.


    But at that moment, she wished she could just have some of it around her.


    Even if it was to sniff and remind herself of some of what she would be getting back to once Pat was there.


    As she gingerly stood up from bed, she felt as if her stomach had dropped a bit.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    But then she dispelled the thought as she remembered what her gynaecologist told her.


    For a first pregnancy, belly dropping mostly urred when it was about two to four weeks to delivery.


    Since she was still far from that, Reyona supposed she must have overthought things.


    Maybe it was just because her stomach was getting bigger.


    The stomach that had been as t as possible in her first trimester now seemed to be growing faster now that she was in her second trimester.


    Her eyes caught on the clock, and she gaped in shock. ¡°It is past ten already?¡± she wondered out loud.


    Then to her right, she saw the floral dress Maxwell had picked the day before.


    It was a rose-patterned, light blue chiffon gown that slid onto her body perfectly and fit like a dream.


    The wispy, lightweight material wasfortable against her skin and she loved how it sighed against her skin when she did a pirouette for him in the showroom.


    That was before her clothes-checking took another dimension, of course.


    Reyona¡¯s face bloomed with a blush as she remembered the scandalous act they had engaged in that dressing room while the unwary attendant had stood outside probably wondering what was taking so long.


    ¡°One thing is for certain. I will never look at dressing rooms the same way again,¡± she muttered as her brows furrowed when she saw the matching sandals beside the couch where the clothes were currently syed.


    On a mobile board beside the dress was a selection of teardrop earrings, with a matching Lariat ne and bangles.


    Reyona was already smiling as she saw the smoothie on the table by the bedside.


    Besides the drink was a note that stated ¡°Something refreshing for my queen¡±.


    Her smile bloomed as she saw the doodle infused with two hearts beneath the writing.


    ¡°What has got him in such a mood,¡± she wondered.


    Even as she automatically answered herself with the thought that the night activity definitely contributed to whatever high he was riding on that morning.


    She sipped the smoothie as she went towards the clothing on the couch.


    That was when she realised that he had picked out her underwear as well.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± She mused out loud as she reached for the note beside the dress.


    Another heart-shaped drawing caught her eyes again. This time with four different hearts, unlike the two hearts she had seen in the first note.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to interrupt your beauty sleep. Your knight is waiting for you, mdy.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s smile bloomed.


    Something was definitely up.


    She was tempted to peek out of the room to see whatever he might be cooking, but then she held herself back at thest minute.


    He definitely wanted her to dress up for whatever he had nned.


    So she had to y the part.


    She drank her smoothie while imagining him slipping that dreamy dress over her.


    She would have to make do for now. She thought.


    If she had anything to say about it, he would be slipping it off her soon anyway.


    She quickly finished her smoothie and headed to the bathroom.


    Anticipation built in her as she entered, and sheughed when she saw that he hadid out her toiletries and fresh towels.


    He probably didn¡¯t run the bath because he had no idea when she would wake up.


    Reyona did not feel like using the tub anyway, she would rather share it with himter.


    The shower would have to do for now.


    She smiled more as she moved closer to the vanity top.


    There she saw another note beneath the mirror.


    This one had six hearts on it.


    Is he saying something to her with the variation of the hearts? She wondered as she read the note.


    ¡°Have you seen the most beautiful angel today? You are seeing one in the mirror right now. I love you, Reyona.¡±


    Reyona giggled as she automatically looked into the mirror to see the big grin on her face.


    She quickly took her bath in record time and dressed up as fast as she could.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see what he had nned, just as she couldn¡¯t wait to tell him what she had known for a while now.


    She sat on the couch to put on the low-heeled, strappy sandals.


    The brush of her dress against her stomach as she was standing up almost masked the movement and it took her a second to realise what she just felt.


    Her eyes widened as she ced her hands on her stomach.


    This time she felt the vibration as the baby kicked again.


    ¡°Oh my God, Pat,¡± she eximed with excitement as she quickly hurried out of the room to tell anyone and everyone close enough to hear it.


    Her baby kicked for the first time.


    As she got to thending, her smile dimmed a bit as she felt it.


    The silence.


    The absolute silence.

 Eager To Start

    The house always had a kind of liveliness to it with the amount of staff inside the mansion and around the house.


    Though she had never really paid much attention to it, Reyona realised there was always a subtle sound going on somewhere in the house from someone doing something or going somewhere.


    At the moment, it seemed like she was the only one in the house.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± she wondered.


    ¡°Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°Jane?¡±


    ¡°Toria?¡±


    Maybe she should have checked Toria¡¯s room.


    But knowing her sister, she knew Toria would not be in bed till now unless something was wrong.


    Or if she had gone partying.


    They had met her at home the day before while she was busy working and giving some suppliers hell for dyed delivery.


    When they had their dinner sent to them in bed, Reyona asked if Toria and her mum had sat for dinner, but the maid had said Miss Dexter was still busy with work and Mrs Rochester had eaten with Junior and Jane.


    It looked like Toria had workedtest night, so she wouldn¡¯t have had the time to get wasted at the club to the point of sleeping in till now.


    ¡°Mum?¡± Reyona called as she got to the top of the stairs, and she couldn¡¯t see anyone in the living room either.


    She was reaching for her phone when she realised she had forgotten it in the room in her haste to share her news with them.


    The news that nobody was around to hear!


    She turned around with a huff to go get her phone.


    Maybe she would even remove¡­


    ¡°Hello, beautiful.¡± She heard his voice simultaneously with the sound of footsteps from below.


    Her slight frown dissolved into a beaming smile as she saw the bouquet of red and white Chrysanthemum.


    ¡°Have I ever told you that your smile lights up my world?¡± he said as he slowly came up the stairs.


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± Reyona said in an overwhelmed voice as tears tickled her eyes.


    He was dressed up too!


    He looked handsome in a light blue button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves, khaki chinos, and exotic white sneakers.


    He had a silver watch which matched her silver bracelet.


    The first two buttons on the shirt were undone, and he peeled back thepel, revealing a hint of his tantalising chest that Reyona¡¯s hand immediately itched to touch.


    His eyes glistened with unspoken emotions as he reached her.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t hold back the tearscing her eyes as his hand trembled slightly when he raised it to tuck her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°You beautify my world, Reyona. I am so lucky to have you in my life,¡± he said before he kissed her forehead.


    He leaned back and trailed his finger down her face to her lips as they stared at each other¡¯s eyes mesmerisingly.


    He silently handed the flowers to her.


    Reyona bent her head and drew in the heady scent that had nothing on the most intoxicating scent she had ever known. His scent.


    His scent mingled with the sweet and earthy smell of the flowers. She looked back at him as she asked ¡°I love it. How do you know that I love Chrysanthemum?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways,¡± he said with a sheepish smile.


    Toria.


    In contemtion, she said, ¡°We still have a lot to learn about each other, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I will dly spend the rest of my life learning all I need to learn about you. Knowing everything I learn about you will only make me love you more. I am eager to start, Mrs Rohan.¡±


    She nodded and hugged him. ¡°Thank you for the flowers.¡±, then she whispered in his ears. ¡°I love you.¡±


    She felt his body stilled.


    Then he slowly moved back from her embrace and Reyona was bowled over by the look in his eyes as he looked into her eyes. ¡°You¡­you mean that?¡± he said in a breathy voice.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reyona said with a beaming smile as she ced the bouquet against the newel post and smoothly cinched her hands behind his neck as she moved closer to him.


    When she ced her head against his chest, it felt likeing home.


    She closed her eyes against the rush of emotions as she sighed and said ¡°I should have told you a bit earlier but¡­¡±


    ¡°This is as perfect a time as any other,¡± Maxwell said as he ced his hand at the sides of her face and brought her face closer to his. ¡°You have¡­you don¡¯t know how much it means to hear you say that. I promise to never make you regret trusting me with your heart, Reyona.¡±


    Tears filled her eyes as she nodded slowly.


    How did he get to understand her so well sometimes?


    ¡°Can I hear you say it again? I have been dying to hear it for a long time,¡± he said in a heartfelt tone.


    Reyona smiled and looked straight into his eyes as she said ¡°I love you, Maxwell Rohan. I love you more than I ever believed it is possible to love anyone again. I love you in a way I have never loved any man before. I¡­¡±


    She saw tears slide down the side of his face just before he seized her lips with his.


    They breathlessly kissed each other for a long while before they separated breathlessly.


    Reyona had never realised how liberating it would feel to finally say it out loud.


    As they gave each other a long look, she knew in her mind that it was the right thing to do.


    She just had this conviction she couldn¡¯t exin.


    He shook his head as if he still couldn¡¯t believe his fortune, then heid his hand on her stomach.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got to start a family with such a phenomenal woman like you. How did I get so lucky?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes widened as she remembered what she had been excited about earlier. ¡°She kicked. Pat kicked. Twice!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Maxwell eximed with a proud smile on his face.


    He quickly leaned towards her belly and ced his ear against it. ¡°Hey there. It is me. It is Dad.¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°Hello, Pat?¡± Reyona called expectantly, expecting the baby to kick again.


    Nothing.


    He looked like a kid who had been denied his candy when he raised his head.


    Reyona shrugged slightly as she said, ¡°I guess she will do it when she is ready?¡± Then her eyes brightened again as she said ¡°It was the most incredible feeling ever. I wasing out to tell you¡­where is everyone by the way?¡± she asked suddenly as she looked around with a questioning look.


    His wistful look morphed into a secretive smile as he curved his arm for her to take ¡°Come with me, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reyona smiled fully as she took his arm. Then she looked back at the flowers. ¡°My flowers.¡±


    ¡°Someone will put it in the water for you,¡± he said. ¡°Come along now. We can¡¯t have the celebrant missing her event, you know.¡±


    ¡°What event?¡± she asked curiously as they walked down the stairs.


    He only chuckled and said, ¡°There might not be one if we never showed up.¡±


    Reyona flicked her hair back and got into character as she said ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about being fashionablyte? Who else has the right to bete if not the celebrant?¡±


    Heughed, and she tugged at hispel. ¡°Whatever this is, I love it already. I love the way you look in that.¡±


    Then she saw what she had overlooked when she was on thending.


    A red carpet that led towards the grand foyer.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 After What?

    The carpet led towards the foyer but not to it.


    It took a detour to the left just a few paces away from the foyer.


    Reyona looked up at Maxwell¡¯s grinning face and decided not to ask.


    She was sure he wouldn¡¯t tell her anyway.


    Soon enough, she saw where it led.


    It led straight through the door of the ballroom she had once marvelled at when he first gave her the tour of the house.


    The door was locked though.


    Yet he kept walking towards it.


    She chuckled as she began ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are about to show me your superpower of walking through¡­¡±


    The door suddenly burst open with a chorus of ¡°Surprise!¡±


    Everyone seemed to be in the glorious ballroom!


    In Reyona¡¯s excited shock, the first thing that popped into her mind was that everything¡­. glowed.


    There was no other way to describe the enchanting, magical ambience created in the ballroom with soft, warm lighting thatplemented the chandeliers described.


    Fairy lights are draped across the ceiling and around the tables, adding a sparkling effect.


    Then uplighting in pastel shades of pink, blue, and gold cast a warm, inviting glow throughout the room, highlighting the elegant decor and floral arrangements.


    Reyona¡¯s smile bloomed when she saw the throne-like chair at the further end of the room, which seemed to be the main area.


    From there to the centre of the room, seating arrangements were made so that whoever was sitting at any of the rounded tables could look directly at the person on the throne.


    Reyona grinned as her dad came forward in his spiffy clothes and put out his other arm for her to take.


    Grinning from ear to ear, she let the man she loved and the man who birthed her guide her past the fairy-light-draped tables towards the chair tagged ¡°Mommy Throne¡±.


    Everyone kept pping as they gradually led her towards the throne.


    Wondering if they had decided to throw her an unexpected baby shower, Reyona took in the opulent, high-backed chair upholstered in plush pastel velvet, with an intricately carved frame finished in silver leaf.


    ¡°When had they had the time to do all this?¡± she wondered at how it was adorned with delicate throw pillows and a flowing canopy.


    ¡°Where is your chair?¡± she whispered to Maxwell, and he winked in return.


    Just before they got to the chair, the stunning backdrop behind it twinkled and popped before revealing, ¡°Wee to our reveal, Mommy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona looked at her dad¡¯s pleasant smile and Maxwell¡¯s grin.


    ¡°Okay, someone needs to exin what is going on,¡± she said with a confused look.


    ¡°Calm down, babe. All in a good time,¡± Maxwell whispered to her as he helped her to her ¡°throne¡± after Carlisle let go of her arm.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°There you go, Rey. Always impatient,¡± Toria said with a long-suffering sigh, and everyoneughed.


    Everyone, including the well-dressed staff, was at the gathering.


    Almost immediately, two of the staff came forward with an alreadyden cart that held tters of roast beef and turkey, pasta with toppings, stuffed portobello mushrooms and Mediterranean sd.


    Athena squealed as Reyona looked around at her family and Toria merely winked at her instead of giving anything away.


    Two other staff brought a table before Reyona that was as gilded as the chair she was in, just as two other staff brought along appetisers of mini quiches, bruschetta, and shrimp cocktail.


    Reyona chuckled as she wondered if they intended to feed her so much that she would hardly be able to get off the chair.


    She could almost imagine herself waddling off the chairter after they had made her eat all the tantalising treats that were the choicest pick of the buffet area that was on one side of the room.


    She shook her head with an exasperated sigh when she saw another staff member heading to the desserts of mini pastries, a chocte fountain with fresh fruit, and a selection of baby-themed cupcakes and cookies.


    ¡°Guys,e on. What is this conspiracy? Someone needed to start talking now before I started giving Athena a run for her money with a squealingpetition.


    Athena let out another squeal when she heard her name.


    ¡°See? I bet I can do better than that.¡± Reyona threatened.


    ¡°Alright. Alright. Calm your nerves, feisty. Just sit back, eat, and enjoy the show.¡± Celia said as she switched the hem of her pink and blue maxi gown dramatically before stepping out of their table.


    Then she came forward like a master of ceremony as she said ¡°Everybody, give it up one more time for the celebrant!¡±


    Athena was the first to let out a squeal, which caused another round ofughter while everyone pped.


    ¡°Thank you, princess. You are a natural at this.¡± Celia said, causing more chuckles as the girl gave a two-teethed grin and pped her hands.


    Reyona was distracted by the girl for a moment, which took her mind off what she was thinking.


    ¡°What do they mean by baby reveal? Unless they performed a scan on her when she was asleep, she was sure she had not done any scan. Did they not know that she did not want to know the gender yet?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Of course, Maxwell knew.


    Just as almost everyone in the room at the moment did.


    When a frown wanted to mar her face, she simply smoothed it andughed gaily when Celia attempted to do a fan dance with Athena¡¯s handkerchief.


    Celia wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead as she said ¡°Phew, now that the entertainment is over, we can proceed to the next agenda.¡±


    She pped her hands and the door flung open immediately.


    Regally dressed like a princess, Allysyn zoomed in on a smart wheelchair.


    She had a stunning document on herp as she waltzed in.


    ¡°Hey, you are sitting,¡± Reyona said as she stood immediately.


    ¡°Andrea said I could for a few minutes. I will get off my butt after this.¡± Allysyn answered proudly.


    ¡°After what?¡± Reyona asked.¡±


    ¡°You need to sit down so that I can read it,¡± Allysyn said as she lifted the beautifully bound document.


    ¡°Oh, oh, okay,¡± Reyona said with a smile as she quickly sat down.


    Her hand fluttered towards her face when she felt some wetness.


    Maxwell automatically passed his handkerchief to her.


    Celia gave the floor to Allysyn and thetter opened the document with ir.


    Reyona could see the artistic arrangement and some images on the inside of the document when the girl opened it.


    Then Allysyn started reading it in her clear, sonorous voice.


    ¡°Dear Mommy, we know you wanted our existence to be a surprise to you¡­¡±


    We?


    ¡°¡­. but oops, the doctor let the cat out of the bag.¡± Allysyn continued before she paused dramatically and beamed up at Reyona¡¯s brimming eyes. ¡°Or in this case, should we say, he let the babies out?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s tears were free-falling as she looked at Maxwell. ¡°Babies?¡± she whispered tremulously as she reached for him.

 How Hard?

    Toria returned to Cyprus the day after the event.


    Their parents and Maureen left soon enough as well.


    The excitement of the discovery got Reyona in a frenzy for the next few days as she wanted everything to be perfect for her babies upon their arrival.


    She was d that she still didn¡¯t know their genders yet, but the fact that she had two lives growing inside her was more than she could have ever hoped for.


    For eight years, she had tamped down her needs for a family just because of a man who was not worth it.


    Her thirtieth birthday had been marred by the realisation that she was growing older.


    She was even beginning to think that she might never be able to change the mind of the man she had thought was her lifelong partner.


    She had pushed aside all that she had ever wanted, all for someone she shouldn¡¯t have ever given the time of the day.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She would probably have gone all her life not fulfilling the dreams she had always had as a child.


    To have a family of her own.


    She had always wanted a big family.


    It had been something that had been ingrained at the back of her mind as a single, reserved child who had to tiptoe, so her parents would not know she was hearing them argue.


    Even when they separated and Toria was born, Reyona had mostly had Grams as her closest family.


    As a result, she had always dreamed of a tableden with food while her husband and her many children would be eating the food she had prepared with love.


    After that, she and her husband wouldy curled in each other¡¯s arms as they watched their kids secure in the love of a stable home while they went about their antics.


    The number of children always varied from time to time.


    Yet the least had always been four.


    As Reyona thought of the twins on the way and the two beautiful children who were already her children in her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but beam at the fortune that had been bestowed upon her.


    ¡°Who could have thought?¡±


    As if on cue, she heard his voice from outside the door. ¡°Babe, where are you?¡±


    ¡°In here,¡± she said as she awaited his entrance through the currently opened door.


    ¡°Please, tell me you are not¡­ Reyona,¡± he called urgently when he saw her perched on the lower rung of the stedder trying to reach the upper part of the wall.


    ¡°What?¡± she said innocently when he rushed to her and lifted her off the stool.


    Automatically, the paintbrush in her hand stained his back. ¡°Oops,¡± she said with a grin as he set her down.


    ¡°I told you that I would get those when I get back. You should just do the down part. Or nothing at all. That is what the chair is for¡± he said in an exasperated tone.


    ¡°Hey, I was sitting, but then I thought, what will you tell them when they ask which part of the room you painted? So, I¡­¡± herughter stopped her from continuing as his eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡­ I¡­had to do something.¡± she ended in a muffled tone as he collected the brush from her hand and dumped it in the can.


    Then he carried her again and took her out of the room.


    He didn¡¯t stop until he got to the back porch and set her down in one of the chairs. Then he raised her legs onto the closest chair before he went back towards the door they came out through and pressed the inte buzzer.


    Reyona smiled as she heard him say ¡°Get me some fruit mix, some nourishing drink and everything you know will be good for her and the babies.¡±


    She tried to keep her grin off her face as he turned to her with that grumpy look still on his face.


    She failed woefully.


    All it took was his first statement before she started beaming again. She realised she tended to do that a lot these days.


    Smile for no reason.


    ¡°This is how you should be,¡± he started. ¡°Eat, sleep, rest, and rx while you let me and the staff do the necessary things around here.¡±


    ¡°I would go crazy,¡± she said with an unapologetic shrug. ¡°I would probably start pulling at my hair and I would start howling at night.¡± his small smile made her tilt her head in contemtion. ¡°By the way, I have a business to run too. I can¡¯t always stay in bed.¡±


    He took one of the chairs closer and sat facing her.¡±You have employees. Delegate.¡±


    ¡°I have done that. I still have to do something,¡± she said and smiled as he ced his hand on her protruding belly.


    He had always wanted to feel the babies kick since she had told him, but just as if they were toying with him, her babies had not kicked again since that day.


    She was almost wondering if she had imagined that moment.


    Yet she knew it wasn¡¯t imagined. She had felt them.


    When they asked the doctor if it was normal not to feel anything again after an initial kick, she said it was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Babies mostly get very active in the third trimester.


    It was normal for there to be minimal to no movement in the first and second trimesters.


    Spaced movement was not unheard of either.


    Moreover, pregnancies varied and there were no rigid rules as to how it would be for everyone.


    ¡°What matters is that the babies are doing very well¡± she had said.


    Reyona wished they could kick again though.


    If only so, she could share the feeling with this doting man and capture the expression on his face when it happened.


    To be filed away with the many facets of his expression in her mind¡¯s eyes.


    It seemed she lived for those moments now.


    The thousand different ways he could look at her when they were alone.


    The myriad of ways he could reel her in, no matter the distance between them.


    The way he could make her feel like the most beautiful being that had ever graced the surface of the earth with his touch, words and actions.


    Reyona had never believed that it was possible to love one person in different ways, yet she found herself falling more and more in love with him every single day.


    The more she allowed herself to open up to him, the more she knew more of him.


    He was smiling at the moment, yet she knew it.


    He was worried about something.


    Was this about her climbing the stedder?


    He had wanted to get the Rohan Group decoratingpany to do the design and decoration of the nursery but Reyona had insisted that they needed to make it more personal by working on it themselves.


    He had convinced her with the argument that none of them knew much about decorating, but then he had agreed that they could do the painting while the professionals handled all other things.


    ¡°How hard can it be?¡± had been their motivation as they started the day before.


    They made a mess at first, but they got the hang of things.


    He had insisted on one thing though.


    That she shouldn¡¯t climb the stedder.


    When he stepped out to make a call, she had tried out the stedder to get a rise out of him.


    But then she had stayed at the down part.


    Had she gone too far? She knew he was worried about her but¡­


    ¡°I just need you to be careful, okay?¡± he said as he held her hands gently.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± she asked immediately.


    ¡°I just need you to get all the rest you need, you know. You will need your energy for¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not that,¡± Reyona said impatiently. ¡°I mean, what is wrong? Is this about¡­?¡±


    The staff arrived with the refreshments he asked for.

 Something In Return

    Reyona told the staff to leave the array of refreshments on the table.


    ¡°It is fine. You can go.¡± she almost snapped in her anxiety.


    The kitchen help bowed to them and left.


    ¡°Is this about the call you just received?¡± Reyona asked immediately. ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Officer Guy,¡± Maxwell answered instantly.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Reyona¡¯s heart kicked as she knew who Officer Guy was. And his call could mean anything.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°They were finally able to reverse the funds back to your ount,¡± Maxwell said as she listened to him with rapt attention. ¡°It was a bit tricky to get the source of the dummy ount that the dead guy used. It was an offshore ount and, thankfully, it had not been transferred to the intended ount. After some back and forth with the bank, they were able to reverse it. He called to ask if you had seen it.¡±


    Reyona patted her trouser pocket before she remembered that her phone was in their room.


    ¡°My phone is inside,¡± she said tersely.


    She was d that the money was returned.


    That meant she would be able to pay Sehima¡¯s money earlier than she thought.


    She was happy. What she didn¡¯t understand was why that would make him have that pensive look he was trying to hide from her though.


    That was good news, wasn¡¯t it? Unless¡­


    ¡°What else did he tell you?¡± she asked directly.


    He looked at her, reached for a grape and brought it to her mouth.


    She automatically epted it, crunched it and asked anxiously ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°So, I was thinking of the issue of Allysyn¡¯s rare blood type and how difficult it was to get it.¡± he started.


    ¡°Okay?¡± she prompted.


    Why did she feel like she might not like what he was about to say?


    ¡°So, I thought of what we can do to prevent this from happening again. Of course, I do not think something like that is going to happen again, but we didn¡¯t know this was going to happen either, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Reyona answered automatically.


    ¡°So I asked Guy,¡± he said simply with a shrug.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes widened as she understood what he meant. ¡°You want to have a deal with that criminal?¡±


    Maxwell gave her a resigned look as he said ¡°That criminal is her father. He practically saved her life.¡±


    ¡°He almost killed me!¡± Reyona snapped. ¡°What happened to talking to me first?¡±


    He gave her a look as he said ¡°I haven¡¯t made any decision about this. I was just asking, you know?¡±


    ¡°But you have a n already. Don¡¯t you?¡± Reyona folded her arms as she narrowed her gaze at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I thought we could discuss¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me bullshit, Rohan. You know he wouldn¡¯t just hand over whatever you want to ask without something in return.¡±


    Maxwell sighed ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get angry.¡±


    ¡°Me angry? Pfft, I am nothing of such.¡± Reyona said with a thin smile. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Guy suggested we could tell him we would let go of the case.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Simply forget the fact that I almost died in the fire that he caused. A fire that your damned stepsister asked him to cause. Okay, what else? A free license for him to finish the job the next time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Maxwell said in a low tone.


    ¡°And now he is telling me how to talk,¡± she said as she threw her hands upward in exasperation. ¡°That criminal deserves nothing but to be thrown in the darkest jail for the rest of his life, along with that sick woman!¡±


    ¡°I agree with you,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°Then why are you thinking of this¡­ this¡­ insane idea?!¡±


    ¡°Because it might be needed in the long run. If we take the initiative now, we get the upper hand, and we get to make him indebted to us. Also, it would be official. He wouldn¡¯t dare to go back on any agreement drawn because he would be made known of the fatal consequences of doing so.¡±


    Reyona knew he was right. She knew he was only thinking of the long term.


    Which she should be thinking too, but then the main cause of her agitation was stopping her from thinking about anything else.


    Whatever the n was to be, she was sure it would have something to do with him being around and¡­


    ¡°How did he even know?¡± she contemted loudly.


    Maxwell understood what she meant and said ¡°He figured it out.¡±


    ¡°But how? He couldn¡¯t have possibly known that¡­¡±


    ¡°He knew who I was. bbermouth Susan told him how I am a good-for-nothing shit who had everything yet never thought of her.¡± he nodded at her expression and said ¡°Yes, he used those exact words. Then, in one of her desperate modes, she told him about the kids. He said she pretended not to know what he was talking about when she sobered, but then me calling him for blood donation must have made him figure it out. I guess I can see where the kids get their smartness from in a way.¡±


    ¡°They are nothing like him,¡± Reyona said staunchly.


    ¡°Of course not. Of course not. Anyway, he had already made it clear that day. If what he was thinking was correct, then he wanted nothing to do with any kid. He was going to New York. The money I gave him was more than enough to get him going.¡±


    Reyona sighed as she said ¡°I guess he never did get far after all. He must hate you for that.¡±


    ¡°He knew of me but not enough to know that you are my wife. I am sure he wouldn¡¯t have told me that part of his ¡°favours¡± for her. You can¡¯t imagine how hard it was for me not to pounce on him right there while he casually talked about how he did it.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe someone would out themselves just because of money. He must have thought he was about to leave anyway, and it wouldn¡¯t affect him.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I was consoled by the little surprise I had waiting for him at his ce. I wish I had been there to see the asshole¡¯s face when they picked him up.¡±


    Reyona smiled slightly as she said ¡°He would hate you right now. Why would he believe any deal you want to have with him?¡±


    Maxwell leaned forward and held her hands as he looked into her eyes and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the one handing him the deal.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Me? You want me to make the deal with him?¡±

 Not Worthy

    Reyona had thought she would have to go to the detention centre where Maze was held.


    He was held in Kayooma Federal Detention Center after hisck of cooperation in the first hearing.


    The judge had been pissed off and had him sent there to cool his feet for a week before the next hearing.


    In the meantime, the police were gathering more evidence based on the recording that Maxwell had made.


    The recording in which Maze had denied his own voice.


    Reyona still wondered why Maxwell had thought it would be possible to have someone like that strike a deal with them.


    She was sure the bastard might even prefer going to a long-term jail just to spite them.


    After all, Maxwell had yed him.


    With the new evidence of his gasoline purchase and other incriminating information that Officer Guy had gotten from Susan though, Reyona supposed he might decide to be more reasonable when he realised that his ¡°I-know-nothing, I did-nothing¡± tactic was not going to work.


    Any environmentally aware person would know how much the Kayoomaw frowned upon grievous acts like arson and the like anyway.


    One way or the other, he was not going to be let off easily.


    This was a better way for him.


    Any reasonable person would take the deal they are presenting to him.


    ¡°Though I doubt a bastard like that has any idea of what the word reasonable means,¡± Reyona grumbled as Maxwell helped her put her shoes on.


    She could still bend if she wanted to, but he had insisted on doing things like that for her.


    She wiggled her feet in the low-heeled shoes.


    Did it feel tighter? It seemed it was tighter.


    She had told him the other day that her feet looked swollen, but he had shrugged it off and told her that they looked just the same to him.


    She wouldn¡¯t trust a man to know such things anyway.


    Though he was the most aware man she had known, with his attention to detail, she supposed he was deliberately trying to make her feel better about the changes in her body.


    For example, her sagging stomach.


    He rose and gave her an adoring look that never failed to make her preen inside. ¡°You look so beautiful,¡± he said before he gave her a lingering kiss on her forehead.


    She wrinkled her nose at him and said ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this.¡±


    ¡°I know, babe. I am sorry that I am asking this of you.¡±


    She smiled andid her hand against his cheek. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t agree with it if I didn¡¯t think it was necessary. I want us to get all these behind us, so we can finally focus on ourselves. Just us and our kids.¡±


    ¡°I know, babe. I want nothing more,¡± he said as he cupped her face with one hand, theny the other on her stomach. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Reyona¡¯s eyes widened just as she saw the astonishment on his face too.


    She didn¡¯t need to ask him as she saw the way he looked down at his hand on her stomach.


    ¡°That¡­oh my god!¡± she eximed as she felt it again. The babies kicked! Twice!


    Maxwell bent down to kiss her stomach before whispering, ¡°Hey there. It is Dad.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The kick came again and again. ¡°Oh¡­. oh¡­oh¡­my.¡± Reyona said with excitement in her voice as she held onto his shoulder.


    With his hands still on her stomach, he felt every single vibration.


    He looked up at her with the biggest grin on his face as he said with wonder ¡°I felt it. I felt them, Reyona.¡±


    Then he straightened and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you,¡± he said in a heartfelt tone as he kissed her neck again and again.


    Before she could say anything, the babies kicked again.


    As if reminding their parents that they were the ones doing the work, the kick came again.


    Reyonaughed gaily as overwhelming tears gathered in her eyes.


    It was the most marvelous sensation Reyona had ever had.


    Feeling the movement of the kids they had made with love while being wrapped in the hands of the man who had redefined her definition of love.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered with a surge borne from the depth of her soul. ¡°I love you so much¡±


    **********


    Will he ever stop surprising her? Reyona wondered.


    When they finally left the room, she thought they were heading out.


    But then he told her he wanted to show her something in his office.


    Her mind had gone straight to the gutter as she remembered thest time he had told her that same statement.


    Well, let¡¯s just say she had discovered a newfound affection for Persian rugs and fireces.


    As she tried to take her mind off the delicious reminder of climaxing to the mimic snap and crackle sounds of the smart firece, Reyona tried to keep her mind in the present.


    He wouldn¡¯t suggest that now, would he?


    She doubted it, not when he had told her in the room that they needed to get going so they wouldn¡¯t bete for the meeting.


    ¡°Not that you would mind anyway,¡± her subconsciousness taunted.


    ¡°Oh, shush,¡± she thought with a small smile just before he turned to her and said.


    ¡°After you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    He opened the door and she stepped in.


    Her jaw dropped when she saw the setting.


    The lighted area has been set up with a wide-screen system already. She could see the audio device and the bottles of water and refreshment on the side.


    She was confused for a moment as she asked ¡°What did you want to¡­?¡± she looked back at the perfect setup that any content creator would envy.


    Then she realised it as she looked back at him. ¡°Here? I am meeting him here?¡±


    Maxwell smiled as he guided her to the sleek leather conference chair set far away from the system.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I would let my queen go to a ce like that, did you?¡± he said with a grin. ¡°He is not worthy of you going to meet him face to face. I asked Guy, and he said we could do it online. Arrangements have been made.¡±


    Reyona could see the DSLR camera, beneath theputer too, so she supposed distance wouldn¡¯t be a barrier.


    She smiled as she realised why he had done the setup like that.


    He had been extra wary of her getting close to any form of radiation since he had read in one of his expectant dad¡¯s books that an expectant mother should strive to stay away from any device that could emit such.


    He kissed her as he eased her into the chair and clipped the audio device to the v-neck of her dress.


    ¡°Is that okay? Do you need anything before we start?¡±


    Reyona squeezed his hand as she looked at him with a loving smile and said ¡°No, I have everything I need right here with me.¡±


    His gaze softened, and he kissed her fully on the mouth.


    He leaned back and gave her a prating look as he smoothed her hair back.


    Then he cleared his throat and said ¡°I will call Guy.¡±


    Reyona nodded.


    He stepped sideways and made the call.


    ¡°They are ready,¡± he said as he went towards the system and connected to the other end.


    They must have been waiting for them because immediately it connected, she could see Maze already seated with a nk look on his face.


    That uncanny resemnce jolted her again as always.


    ¡°How could he look so much like Rafe?¡±

 Much More

    Maxwell couldn¡¯t be more proud of how Reyona handled the man who had started out acting as if he didn¡¯t care about anything.


    Oh, he tried to get under Reyona¡¯s skin.


    He even tried to taunt her for being the clueless woman who had allowed her husband¡¯s mistress to get the better of her.


    At first, she had let him think he had the upper hand, as he practically insinuated that they had nothing on him.


    Maxwell trusted Reyona, yet he had been rearing to get in that bastard¡¯s face and tell him what was what.


    But then, with a few strategically worded sentences, she had pulled the rug from beneath the cocky bastard.


    She made him believe their meeting was the best thing to happen to him in his current state.


    Then she added that Susan had all the evidence of the deeds he had done for her with her.


    Evidence that she had handed over to them.


    When Maxwell could see that the Maze¡¯s former confidence was fading already, she idly flicked at her nail and turned to face Officer Guy sitting beside Maze.


    Then she innocently asked, ¡°Officer, what is she in court for again?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Officer Guy, who was not expecting her to question him, paused momentarily before saying ¡°Murder case, among other things.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Reyona responded like she just remembered, and then she turned to Maze. ¡°I am sure if the police dig deeper. I mean really deeper, there would be something in there that could be linked to you, Maze.¡±


    Even Maxwell could see the sheen of sweat on Maze¡¯s forehead from the side monitor he had been viewing from.


    A wry smile creased his face as she continued ¡°But then, I believe you are too slick for that. Ain¡¯t you? How many years do you think one can get for being an essory to murder?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t pin shit on me! That had nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she said simply and gave him a chilling smile that made the hairs on the back of Maxwell¡¯s neck rise.


    Damn, And she was not even facing him with that deadly smile.


    Like one who had made her decision, she nodded her head and said ¡°There is something I have been curious about though.¡±


    Maze forgot his cool facade as he snapped ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you are not rted to Thomas because you look so much like¡­¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does that have to do with anything? I already said it. I don¡¯t know any fucking Rafe! Why are you still talking about that?¡±


    Maxwell smiled as he shook his head slightly.


    Was it any surprise that he admired this woman so much?


    Maze had started out thinking that he was going to ruffle her feathers and leave her with nothing on him.


    But at the end of the day, he was the one sweating and yelling while she sat there calm and collected while acting clueless about most of his antics.


    Of course, she knew that they were not rted.


    The doctor had been quite busy after all.


    After he had confirmed that Junior was also not Thomas¡¯s son, Maxwell asked him to do the DNA test between the two blood samples too.


    He had done it out of curiosity because of Reyona¡¯s certainty that he looked like Thomas¡¯s dead cousin.


    Yet the result hade out negative, there was no hint of any possible rtion between Thomas and Maze.


    As weird as it seemed, Maze had simply had a resemnce to her cousin.


    And of course, Susan had capitalised on that.


    Maxwell had told Reyona about the result, so he knew that her question was purposely asked to disorient Maze further.


    He looked at her as she stared at Maze for a while, while thetter¡¯s chest heaved with heavy breathing after hisst outburst.


    Then she said simply, ¡°You are right. There is nothing else for us to discuss. Thank you for your time, Officer Guy. Too bad we have all wasted our precious time.¡± she turned like she wanted to leave.


    Maze immediately shouted ¡°Wait. Wait! What was the deal? He mentioned there was a deal!¡± he asked with his thumb jerked towards Officer Guy. ¡°There is a deal, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there was, but you are not interested,¡± she said with finality in her tone.


    Maze leaned forward urgently. ¡°Just tell me.¡± A pause. ¡°Please.¡±


    She told him.


    **********


    Later that night


    ¡°You paid Sehima?¡± Reyona stopped in her stride as she saw him quickly disconnect the call he was on.


    She frowned and gave him a look as he came towards her with an innocent smile on his face.


    What was going on? She wondered.


    ¡°Are you done with your call?¡± she asked at length while giving him a keen look.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Just some business talk. Are you done with yours?¡± he asked as he got to her and led her to the couch.


    Reyona remembered why she had entered the room before and said ¡°Yes, I am done. And guess what I discovered?¡± she said in an using tone.


    He simply smiled as he crouched in front of her.


    ¡°What? That you are an amazing woman? That shouldn¡¯t be news. Everybody knows that.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± she called his name in warning. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because you shouldn¡¯t have to pay for the errors of someone I used to call a family,¡± he said solemnly.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t even use it. The money has been sent back to my ount,¡± she argued.


    ¡°Then let it stay there or use it on whatever you want. You deserve much more, Mrs Rohan. I want to give you much more if you will let me.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell,¡± she said speechlessly.


    ¡°Yes, love.¡± he said as he straightened and kissed her forehead before saying, ¡°Hold on, I was about to draw the bath after my¡­business call.¡±


    The call he had acted suspiciously about.


    Reyona was tempted to ask him again what the call was about, but he was already striding towards the bathroom.


    She decided to give up for now.


    He would tell her when he was ready.


    Or she would find out.


    She looked at her phone again and a smile creased her face as she heard his movement in the bathroom.


    What kind of man casually gives fourteen million dors as a gift?

 Her Loss

    Despite the Rohans¡¯ deration that they would decide to let go of the case if the culprit fulfilled their demand, the Kayoomaw still bound Maze anyway.


    Arson wasn¡¯t just a crime against the victim, it was a crime against the state too.


    Reyona and Maxwell demanded that for the next three years, Maze would donate a pint of blood every eight weeks.


    That would be about 7 pints of blood that he would donate in a year.


    Altogether, in the three-year duration, he should have donated about 20 pints of blood.


    Then, apart from that, as long as he lived, he would be on hand for any blood donation that the Rohans would ask of him.


    Withpensation, of course.


    There was also a use that he should pass this knowledge down to his generation.


    For as long as they live, any of his generation with the Rh Null blood type can go to any branch of Saintwell Hospital anywhere in the world to donate blood.


    No questions asked, and they would be generously rewarded too.


    Though Maze had scoffed at that as he told them that he had no intention of having a family, the use had been added.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± Reyona had said, wondering how he could easily forget the existence of the children he had fathered.


    The judge found the request a bit odd but then when the prosecutingwyer exined the reason to him, he granted the demand.


    Maze didn¡¯t bother to getwyers, so a public defender was appointed for him.


    Thewyer didn¡¯t have to do much anyway, because Maze turned cooperative after the meeting with Reyona.


    He pleaded guilty and the court considered that too.


    Kayooma¡¯sw was very heavy on the punishment of life-threatening offenders like arsonists.


    His appointedwyer exined the gravity of what his punishment could be for him.


    Of course, now that the victim had decided to let go of the case, it might be better.


    Still, anything from five years imprisonment to a lifetime imprisonment was probable.


    Maze cooperated as he was advised to.


    Especially now that he was already on the bad side of the judge because of his initial uncooperative attitude.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, after stamping the document which held Reyona and Maze¡¯s signatures, the judge gave his verdict.


    First, Maze must adhere to the conditions of the agreement.


    If he so much as missed any of the appointments in all three years, he would be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.


    ¡°Well, there would hardly be a chance for you to miss your appointment,¡± he added, then paused as everyone waited with bated breath for the main sentence.


    ¡°I hereby sentence you to three years imprisonment,¡± he said with the thump of his gavel.


    Maze had been expecting so much more that a sigh of relief escaped his mouth.


    Then he cursed the day that he first met that bitch called Susan.


    All she had ever brought him was demands and trouble.


    And this was the worst one yet.


    Still, he was relieved that he wouldn¡¯t have to face the full wrath of thew though.


    He could still go to New York after three years.


    After all, they had not confiscated the money that Rohan gave him.


    The judge rounded up the case by saying any attempt to interrupt the donation by not taking care of his health or indulging in any habit that could affect his blood could still earn him a lifelong jail term.


    The prison would take care of his nutrition for that duration too.


    Though he was an offender of the state, he would be doing a service for the state in a way after all.


    By providing what could save the future of the state too ¨C the kids and anyone who benefitted from the donation.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Reyona and Maxwell were just happy that they could secure a future for the kids in a way and others that might ever need such.


    An agreement was reached with Saintwell Hospital, with Andrea being the pioneer of the project, of course.


    They were to handle the blood donations and secure them at Saintwell Blood Bank.


    Andrea was in charge of the project, and she was to pass the knowledge of the project on to anyone who would seed her, no matter how long it was.


    The blood could be given out to others to ensure its durability and efficacy.


    But it should only be given out as a loan until it can be replenished.


    Under no circumstances should a Rohan need the transfusion and no Saintwell hospital would be able to provide it.


    With the connections that Saintwell has with different medical institutions and organisations, Andrea and the board believed that it should be a viable arrangement.


    Then Maxwell also donated twenty million dors to the ongoing research that Saintwell was working on.


    A machine that could preserve blood for a longer duration and higher functioning refrigerated centrifuges to enhance separation.


    The couple were a bit more rxed after the verdict had been given and Maze was shipped to Kayooma Federal Prison.


    Maxwell had already told Steve he wanted nothing to do with hearing about Susan¡¯s case.


    But then, his friend still told him about it anyway.


    And he in turn told Reyona.


    The name retrieval case was the first thing that was dealt with.


    By the time they started hearing about her myriads of offences, she had reverted to her mother¡¯s birth name.


    Susan Novotny was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.


    She had agreed to use the prosthetic arm, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her immediate transfer to jail.


    She would start her term while the stump healed, and then she would get a temporary prosthetic arm until she was used to it.


    Finally, she will be fitted with a permanent one.


    After Steve stopped talking, Maxwell said ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Steve said sarcastically, ¡°How could I have forgotten that?¡±


    Then he chuckled ¡°Admit it, Max. Under all that hard shell of yours, you are an incurable softie. One just needs to see you with that wife of yours to know that.¡± Then he sighed ¡°It is her loss that she lost the right to call you family, Max. You did what you could. Your dad would understand.¡±

 Abduct Me

    Reyona disconnected the conference call with her Sydney team and swivelled her chair around to face the window.


    She reached for the neck massager that Maxwell had gotten for her with one hand.


    She fixed the device on her neck and switched it on.


    Reyona sighed as the pouch-like device vibrated against her neck.


    It was truly soothing, but it had nothing on Maxwell¡¯s soothing warm fingers.


    Boy was he skilled.


    And to think he had only learned how to give a good massage recently.


    ¡°I never had a need to worry about it before,¡± he had said. ¡°Now, there is every reason.¡±


    He had hired a professional massage therapist to teach him.


    Then he tried it out on her every day until he was dered skilled enough.


    After which he added his innovative ways of massaging, of course.


    Ways that Beatrice, the massage therapist could have found scandalous.


    Reyona chuckled as heat filled her body at her thought.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± she half-moaned at the thought of the machine being reced by his fingers.


    She shifted her weight slightly and leaned back again.


    She was getting heavier by the day and the twins seemed to be doing acrobatics most of the time to make up for theirte start.


    Even Maxwell couldn¡¯t pretend that he couldn¡¯t see that her feet were swollen now.


    Not after Junior had pointed at her feet one day and said ¡°Your feet look like Pokemon feet!¡±


    The fact that the animated creature did not necessarily have fat feet did not matter, Reyona had known what he meant.


    And she had dared Maxwell to tell her that she was wrong this time.


    All he had done was rake his hand through his hair, give her a sheepish smile and say ¡°You look so beautiful anyway. Right, Junior?¡± he had added with emphasis.


    ¡°Yes, you are beautiful, Reyona. Very beautiful.¡± Junior had said with exaggeration while grinning up at her.


    The little charmer sure knew how to wiggle his way out of any tricky situation.


    Maxwell was bing an influence on the kids for sure.


    Reyona mused as she smiled at herself with her eyes closed.


    She was almost sure that he would be there anytime soon.


    She had fought her way back toing to the office.


    Yet she was sure that he had sic almost all her employees on her.


    What with Charlotte popping in every few minutes to ask if she needed something?


    Then Samantha casually strolling into her office with the pretence of having one thing or the other to discuss with her.


    Reyona knew what they were all doing.


    They were checking on her to ensure she did not overwork or anything.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She could almost feel the eyes of her employees glued to her body anytime she walked along the floor or just had anything to do downstairs.


    The torrents of ¡°Do you need anything, ma?¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you, ma?¡±


    What can I get for you, ma?¡± was more than overwhelming.


    It was his fault.


    He had found a way to charm himself into the graces of her employees.


    Not just through the ongoing publications and broadcasts about them which are still happening.


    The news was now positive and most of the time had to do with one thing or the other that Reyona and Maxwell had done together.


    They were calling them Kayooma¡¯s most worthy power couple.


    If they were not gushing about that, then they were talking about how much Maxwell doted on his wife.


    Most of them still spected on when and how they had got married.


    Manymented openly about missing such an event.


    After Reyona had told him that she didn¡¯t mind the news and the fact that someone somewhere always finds a way to get their pictures whenever they were out, Maxwell had told her that he didn¡¯t mind either.


    Then he started taking her out more.


    They stopped being so conscious of who could be watching them and just did what they would love to do.


    They go out a lot, especially since she had started feeling cramped recently.


    She had craved going to the ice rink two days ago, and he had immediately taken her there.


    Of course, they had a goodugh when she conveniently remembered that she couldn¡¯t even ice-skate after they got there.


    She had been watching a movie where she saw a couple ice skating.


    And boom, that had seemed like the best thing that could happen to her at that moment.


    When he gaped at her after she pointed out that she had never gone ice skating before in her life, she pointed out that it was his fault in a way.


    It was the movie he made her watch just to get her off her feet that caused it.


    Reyona chuckled under her breath.


    Then she let out a soft moan again.


    Just as she heard a little giggle behind her.


    Shezily opened her eyes and turned her chair around just before Maxwell reached her.


    ¡°Oh, shoot. You ruined the surprise, dummy¡± Allysyn said with a grin as she poked Junior¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I did not,¡± Junior said weakly as he grinned at Reyona.


    Reyona was surprised that he momentarily did not mind being called a dummy by Allysyn.


    Something was up.


    ¡°Hey you,¡± she smiled at Maxwell as he moved closer to her with an intent look on his face.


    Then he bent towards her, ignored her ready lips and whispered in her ear ¡°I hope that moan was because of the thought of me. If this massager is the cause of your ecstasy, Mrs Rohan, then I think I need to return it. Then I will beat the CEO up for indirectly making you moan.¡±


    Reyona giggled as she inhaled his intoxicating scent and her whole body went on alert.


    Damn.


    She threw her arms around his neck and turned her head to gaze into his eyes. ¡°I was just thinking of the producer, you know. A man that could make something this good must be¡­¡±


    He swallowed the rest of the words in his mouth as he captured her lips in a kiss.


    ¡°Yuck!¡± Junior said enthusiastically.


    Maxwell and Reyonaughed in the middle of the kiss before they separated.


    ¡°Hey, go get your own woman, kiddo,¡± Maxwell said with a mock offended look.


    ¡°Eww,¡± Junior said with such emphasis that they allughed again.


    Maxwell gently pulled Reyona up from her seat, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her swollen belly against his body as she rose.


    He bent down to kiss her stomach with a whisper ¡°Hey, kids. Miss me?¡±


    Then he rose to face her while wrapping his arms around her body.


    ¡°We¡¯vee to abduct you, Mrs Rohan.¡±


    ¡°Abduct me?¡± She asked with an incredulous look on her face as she looked at the excited kids before looking back to Maxwell again.


    ¡°For what?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It is a surprise!¡± Junior answered with a p while dancing from foot to foot.


    Another surprise? Reyona thought with a rise of excitement as she looked back at Maxwell and asked.


    ¡°What kind of surprise?¡±


    ¡°It is a surprise, Reyona. You are not supposed to know,¡± Allysyn said with emphasis.


    Reyona raised her brow at Allysyn¡¯s expression before lowering her voice to whisper to Maxwell.


    ¡°I swear I think Toria gave her a mini-me injection before leaving. Must have something to do with all those calls they have been making too.¡±


    ¡°Then I think we need to get moving before she literally drags us out¡±, Maxwell returned in the same conspiratorial whisper.


    Reyonaughed and reached for her bag.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see what they had up their sleeve this time.

 Tight-Lipped Conspirators

    A limo was waiting for them outside.


    ¡°A limo?!¡± Reyona thought in astonishment as she looked at Maxwell, but he was giving nothing away.


    Junior bounced towards the car and even Allysyn hurried after him.


    ¡°What is¡­?¡± Reyona¡¯s question was interrupted as she saw a uniformed driver, fully garbed like a professional chauffeur, down to the brimmed hat, step out and open the door for them.


    Junior bounced in before the man could say jack.


    ¡°Miss,¡± he said to Allysyn as he helped her into the car.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t hold back her grin at how the girl automatically straightened her back and daintily gave him her hand.


    ¡°That is a budding diva right there.¡± She thought to herself with pride.


    ¡°How are you doing today, madam?¡± The chauffeur asked as she got to him.


    ¡°I am doing good,¡± Reyona said with emphasis as she beamed at Maxwell.


    ¡°And you?¡± She asked before Maxwell helped her inside.


    ¡°Fine, ma. Thanks for asking.¡± She heard him say before closing the door behind them.


    The limousine¡¯s interior was so beautiful it could make the eyes water.


    It had upholstered couches, beautiful curtains, and an artistically shaped built-in bar which reflected the glow of the ambient lighting. It was stocked with gleaming ssware and bottles, and the advanced entertainment system promised a journey of unparalleled luxury andfort.


    Junior was already helping himself to the treats on the rose-shaped table close to the couch.


    ¡°What is going on, guys?¡± Reyona asked again, unable to bear the anticipation anymore.


    ¡°In a moment, babe,¡± Maxwell said as he helped her sit and automatically raised her legs to rest on the couch in front of them.


    The limo started and Reyona decided to stuff her mouth with the milkshake he handed her.


    None of them seemed ready to tell her yet anyway, so she might as well stop asking.


    She simply enjoyed the luxurious ride while being in the arms of her doting husband.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Soon enough, the limo was pulling up.


    The door opened almost immediately, and he helped her out of the car.


    ¡°Oh wow. This is biiiiig¡± Junior said with wide eyes as he stared up at the building they were standing in front.


    ¡°Took the words right out of my mouth.¡± Reyona thought.


    The headquarters of the Rohan Group of Companies was a giant, conical-shaped masterpiece that could swallow three of the ReyDexter buildings and still have extra space.


    Made of floor-ceiling ss walls and incredibly carved shingles, it shimmered and stood glorious like the king it was among corporate buildings in Kayooma and the environs.


    He was bringing her to his office?


    Did he want to introduce her to his employees?


    Reyona knew of hispany, yet she had never been there since they got together.


    Was this his way of taking another step towards that ¡°learn more about each other¡± promise?


    ¡°Okay, now that we are here, you can¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said as he urged the kids along and grabbed her hand.


    The security guards bowed to them right before the automatic doors rotated inward.


    The awe on the kid¡¯s face was well-deserved.


    The magnificence of the lobby was nothing to sniff at.


    It was obvious that no expense had been spared in making the building live up to the standard of what it represented.


    And the man pioneering it all.


    It was closing hour, and most had left for the day, yet those who were around automatically recognised Reyona.


    From a respectable distance, they bowed to them in greeting, while weing Reyona to thepany.


    Maxwell soon whisked them all into the elevator and pressed the button for the topmost¡­


    Reyona looked at the button again.


    ¡°No, that is the rooftop,¡± she thought, with increased excitement.


    She simply held on to his arms without asking the one thousand and one questions that wanted to spill off her lips at that moment.


    Junior and Allysyn were whispering God-knows-what between themselves.


    She didn¡¯t bother to try listening to them though.


    Those tight-lipped conspirators.


    She wondered what he had promised them to make them agree not to say anything.


    Especially Junior.


    She rolled her eyes inwardly as she thought of how she was going to know soon anyway.


    She wouldn¡¯t bother tormenting herself by trying to guess.


    Could it be a rooftop dinner?


    Or¡­


    She remembered her promise and chuckled slightly.


    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± he said.


    Right before the elevator opened.


    Reyona¡¯s mouth was wide open as she stared at the magnificent craft in front of her.


    Junior¡¯s squeal as he rushed up to the man standing some distance away from the jet was not enough to jolt her out of her haze of shock.


    She mechanically followed him as he led her out of the elevator towards the approaching man.


    ¡°You are wee, ma¡¯am. I am Stefan. I will be your pilot for this trip.¡± The man said after greeting them.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Reyona asked as she turned to Max.


    ¡°We are travelling?¡± Allysyn asked simultaneously.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Reyona asked automatically.


    ¡°Not this part,¡± Allysyn said with an usatory tone as she looked at Maxwell.


    Yeah, a diva alright.


    Then the adult expression on her face morphed into an excited look as she squealed with her hands iling up and, ¡°I have school tomorrow, but I love this! I have never been on a ne in all of my life! Can we go now?!¡±


    *******


    Reyona had just settled down into her seat when Maxwell asked who would like to see how Stefan and his copilot handled the controls.


    ¡°Me! Me!! Me!!!¡± The kids chorused excitedly.


    Reyona smiled as Maxwell kissed her hand and told her they would be right back.


    She sat back and turned her head towards the window.


    They were leaving Kayooma behind already.


    The man would never stop amazing her.


    Who could have thought she would be stepping out of Kayooma that day?


    As she tried to imagine where he could be taking her, she wondered if they would be back home that day.


    Not that she was much needed at thepany now anyway.


    Samantha had taken over most of her work at this point after all.


    She was thinking of making her managing director of ReyDexter.


    She was capable and Reyona could have the time to focus on her family for now.


    Then there was the thought of further expansion that had been teasing her mind since the Summit Edge¡­.


    The sound of footsteps made Reyona look in the direction of the cockpit.


    Her eyes widened when she saw Junioring forward with a bouquet of tulips in his hand.


    He was dressed in a tuxedo with a boutonniere.


    Like a soldier on his most important mission, he marched to her with a big grin on his face.


    Then he handed her the bouquet.


    Reyona¡¯s eyes glistened as he leaned over, puckered his lips and kissed her cheek before he said, ¡°You are very beautiful, Reyona.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said in a shaky tone as she swiped at her eyes.


    He stepped aside and Allysyn went in.


    Reyona blinked back tears as she saw how radiant Allysyn looked.


    She had on a purple ball gown with the most exquisite pearls entwined in the neckline of the off-shoulder gown.


    She had on a princess tiara set with different coloured stones.


    ¡°You look so beautiful¡± Reyona breathed as the girl came closer to her.


    Allysyn smiled broadly before she whipped out what she held behind her.


    It was a bejewelled tiara set in the semnce of a crown.


    She leaned closer to Reyona with the raised crown in her hands.


    Reyona automatically leaned forward so she could set it on her head.


    ¡°You are the bravest, kindest and most loving queen in the whole world, Reyona,¡± Allysyn said while fixing the crown.


    Then she leaned down and kissed Reyona¡¯s other cheek.


    ¡°You are our queen. Our Amazon.¡± She said with a keen look in her eyes before she stepped back.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Reyona said with tears as she gave up on trying to stem them.


    Then he stepped in.

 The One

    Everything in Reyona constricted, stretched andser-focused on the man stepping towards her in a tuxedo that was a replica of what Junior had on.


    Everything else, including the kids in the background, faded as Reyona couldn¡¯t feel, see or think anything else as he stepped towards her and bent down to hold her hands.


    He gently extracted the bouquet from her hand and set it on the seat beside her.


    Then, with his gaze firmly on hers, he drew her up until she was in his arms.


    His thumbs slowly wiped her tears away before he bent to kiss down the path of the tear stains on her face.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Maxwell¡± she breathed in an overwhelmed tone.


    He slowly turned her around and led her closer to the window.


    The vastness of the beautifulndscape of blue and white-dotted sky was so mesmerizing to Reyona¡¯s eyes.


    Her senses seemed to have sharpened doubly in thest few seconds as she could almost feel thenguorous movement of the shifting clear clouds.


    Or maybe that had to do with the bliss of feeling his warmth around her as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.


    Reyona leaned against him and sighed in satisfaction.


    Why had she never felt like this before in her life?


    ¡°I want you to take in all that beauty and remember how much more of it there is. Man has never been able to capture the whole of the sky, despite how much we have tried. Will you believe me if I tell you that my love for you is much more than the unending sky?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reyona crooned with a smile.


    Suddenly, he had binocrs in front of her face which he tilted downward and Reyona¡¯s mouth opened in awe when she realized that they were directly above the ocean.


    ¡°My love for you is deeper than that ocean and wider than its reach can ever be as well.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell¡± she sighed with overwhelming feelings, then her eyes widened for a moment as she saw two skydivers some distance from the window.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s curious statement was interrupted as Maxwell held her firmly just as the jet seemed to dip a bit.


    She looked back hastily to see that the kids were already in their seats and belted too.


    She looked back at the window and the divers were nowhere to be found.


    They must have passed them, she thought.


    What were they doing out there like some performers?


    Then she realised something else.


    ¡°Wait, are we still moving?¡±


    He had not said anything when her eyes caught something beyond the windows again.


    The divers!


    They were back in sight and this time, they had something else with them.


    They stood suspended in the air as they both held something between themselves.


    Reyona could see the shimmering letters on the banner-like material in their hands.


    Her hand flew to her mouth as she read ¡°REYONA, MAKE ME A FULFILLED MAN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. BUILD A FUTURE WITH ME.¡±


    Her long-gone tears made an instant appearance just as she felt his hands leave her shoulders.


    She turned around to see that he was no longer standing behind her.


    Her breath caught in her throat as she looked downward to see him kneeling with a suede ring box in his hand.


    As he slowly opened the box with his adoring eyes firmly on hers, he said, ¡°Reyona Beatrice Dexter, I know we started unconventionally, but knowing you have been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Your presence in my life makes me realise how iplete I have been before you. I cannot, and I do not want to imagine the rest of my life without you. Give me the chance of fulfilling your dreams. Let me be your knight, my queen.¡± He paused and asked with a rushed breath ¡°Reyona, will you walk with me for the rest of our lives and build a home with me?¡± He said with tears glistening in his eyes.


    Before Reyona could swallow the lump in her throat to answer, they heard Junior whisper to Allysyn, ¡°He is supposed to say, will you marry me? Right? Then we will say¡­¡±


    ¡°Ssshh! Shut up!¡±


    Reyonaughed as Allysyn admonished him with her harsh whisper.


    The tears she had been restraining gushed out with theugh as she said ¡°Of course, I will marry you. I am married to you, silly.¡±


    ¡°I never did a good job of asking the first time. I want to do things right this time. I want the whole world to know that we belong to each other.¡±


    Belong to each other. Has there ever been a sweeter statement?


    She stretched her finger towards him and beamed as he guided the exquisite diamond ring on her finger.


    ¡°Yes, I will marry you, Maxwell.¡± The ring fit snugly on her finger.


    Reyona¡¯s vision blurred as she held his hands to help him up. ¡°I love being married to you. I want to do it for the rest of my life.¡±


    Maxwell kissed her again and again!


    Then he pumped his fist into the air as he hollered ¡°She said yes!¡±


    Reyona turned to see Allysyn remove her hand from Junior¡¯s mouth and they both cheered.


    The sounds of rushing footsteps sounded from the galley.


    At the next second, Toria burst into the cabin with a bottle of champagne in her hands.


    ¡°Oh yes, baby!¡± She said as she high-fived Allysyn. ¡°We did it!¡±


    Reyona was shocked into speechlessness for a moment.


    ¡°Toria? What are you doing here?¡± Reyona asked with a huge smile on her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Cyprus?¡±


    ¡°Helping to n the most recent best day of your life, of course. How else would your ring have fit so perfectly?¡±


    ¡°You guys nned this? How¡­?¡± The calls.


    Reyona remembered the furtive calls that Maxwell had been making. It was¡­


    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± she dissolved in tears as Toria quickly gave Maxwell the champagne and grabbed her in an enveloping hug.


    She patted her back lovingly as Reyona sobbed in joy.


    ¡°Congrattions, Rey. You deserve this, sis. You deserve all the happiness in the world. I love you. I love you so much.¡± She sniffled and buried her face in Reyona¡¯s neck, as they held each other in gratitude and joy at how times had changed.


    Toria couldn¡¯t help but remember the only time that Reyona broke down and cried bitterly because of the heavy betrayal she had been dealt.


    As she remembered how broken her sister had been in that car that day, she held her tightly with relief at the new path she was taking. ¡°He¡¯s got you, Rey. He is the one.¡±


    Reyona¡¯s arms firmed more around her as myriads of emotions rushed to the surface again.


    How had she got lucky? She wondered.


    ¡°Why are they crying? Will Toria still let us taste the¡­¡±


    ¡°Ssshh!¡±


    Toria doubled over with wetughter.

 Just Love Me

    Toria helped Reyona change just in time before the jetnded on the helipad.


    She even helped her remake her makeup and make her hair into a fancy updo, all while saying nothing in return to Reyona¡¯s questions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the fuss is about,¡± Reyona said in a disgruntled tone as Toria said it was time to go show off her brilliant handwork.


    Toria rolled her eyes beforeing to the aisle to make a grand announcement that they should all give it up to the most important person of the day.


    Reyona forgot her mock annoyed expression as she saw Maxwell¡¯s consuming eyes taking her in from the tip of her toes-peeking, half-covered low heels to the top of her coiffed hair.


    She could feel heat chase the trail of his eyes over her body as he took in the snug green, sequined dress that showcased her stomach just enough without being too tight.


    Reyona¡¯s heart sighed as their eyes met and lingered.


    Every time, it felt likeing home.


    Every time, the feeling got stronger.


    He covered the distance between them and bent to take her hands.


    Then he gave her a lingering kiss on the back of her hand while looking into her eyes.


    ¡°I am the luckiest man alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± She said with a saucy smile.


    He drew her closer and said, ¡°Have I told you how beautiful you look today?¡±


    She put her arms around his neck as she said ¡°I think you have, but then I don¡¯t mind hearing it again.¡±


    ¡°You put the most beautiful fairy to shame, Mrs. Rohan. A goddess has nothing on your beauty. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Awwn, I love you too,¡± Reyona said right before they heard the pilot ask them all to buckle up because they would bending soon.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you tucked in.¡± He said.


    ¡°Erm, erm.¡± Toria cleared her throat loudly. ¡°I get no credit at all?¡±


    Maxwell slid right into character as he said ¡°Oh wow, look at how beautiful you make my wife! Only an expert could do this. Toria, you are the best.¡±


    ¡°You bet I am,¡± she said with sass before swaggering towards her seat, after thumping the snickering Allysyn¡¯s forehead with her finger.


    Everyone buckled in and soon enough, they were disembarking.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Reyona asked as a vague memory teased her brain as they entered the limo waiting for them as they came out of the jet.


    ¡°Patience, babe,¡± Maxwell said while sharing a conspiratorial look with Toria.


    Knowing that there was no point in asking what was going on again, Reyona just leaned back and enjoyed the ride.


    Soon enough, they were pulling up in front of a hotel.


    Reyona immediately knew why everything had looked familiar.


    It was¡­ ¡°How did you¡­?¡± The realisation hit her, and she turned to the probable culprit. ¡°Toria?¡± She called in a mix of question and wonder.


    As the bellhop came to collect the suitcase Toria had with her, thetter shrugged and pointed to Maxwell as she said ¡°It was his idea.¡± To Allysyn and Junior, she said, ¡°Come on, kids.¡±


    They followed the bellhop as Reyona turned to Maxwell.


    ¡°I think I am going to ruin my makeup again. How did you even¡­?¡±


    Maxwell stepped towards her as he said, ¡°I understand what a big part she was¡­ is in your life. I know she is not here anymore, but we can at least make her a part of our new beginning this way. I thought you might want to go to her resting ceter.¡±


    Reyona shook her head unconsciously as she said ¡°Of course, I want to.¡± She ced her hands on his face and caressed his face gently. ¡°You are just so full of¡­ What am I going to do with you?¡± shepleted in a voiceden with emotions.


    ¡°Just love me,¡± he said in an earnest tone that never failed to take her by surprise.


    She never would have thought that a man like him could ever be so¡­ open with his emotions.


    He made her want to give so much more. He made her want to give all of herself.


    ¡°Just remember you asked for it.¡± She said with a soulful gaze as sheid her forehead against his. ¡°Don¡¯t regret itter.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± He pledged before they shared a kiss.


    Silently and hand in hand, they both entered Boowag¡¯s most prestigious hotel, Innkeeper¡¯s Crescent.


    Boowag was the small town where Grams came from. Her parents had died when she was young and left her alone with no rtives.


    The townspeople hade together to discuss how they would take care of the orphaned girl so she wouldn¡¯t be taken away by the government.


    They all agreed to give her to a childless woman to take care of.


    Then, to help the woman, it was agreed that Grams¡¯s parent¡¯s home should be sold to cater for the girl.


    Grams was seventeen when the woman also died, and she fended for herself with the help of the townspeople.


    It was soon discovered that the woman had many debts from the disease she was battling before she finally died.


    Grams did not wait for the woman¡¯s house to be confiscated while she was still there.


    She simply carried her small bag with her belongings and left the town one day.


    She stayed in many ces and did many jobs before she finally settled in Kayooma.


    She had never gone back to Boowag since then, yet she made it clear that she wanted her ashes to be spread at the ce where she had found peace most of the time while she was in Boowag.


    The King¡¯s Creek.


    When Reyona told Maxwell the story her Grams had told her many times when she was a child, she had never expected him to use it in this context.


    It meant so much more to her that he cherished her enough to think of things like that.


    Toria was right. He was the one.


    The hostess met them at the entrance and led them into the hotel Reyona and her family had stayed when they came to perform Grams¡¯st rites.


    She heard Junior¡¯s squeal even before they entered the hall which the hostess led them to.


    Nostalgia hit her as she saw her dad carrying the squealing Junior above his head.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was almost like the way they had been together in Boowag that day years ago.


    Only that, back then, they had been there for a sorrowful reason.


    And today?


    Some of the hotel¡¯s staff came in with a roll-up banner that had Reyona and Maxwell¡¯s beaming pictures on it.


    Beneath it was Reyona and Maxwell¡¯s engagement party written in stylish, bold letters.


    Back then they had been somber and heavy-hearted.


    Today, Carlisle was threatening to turn Junior into a ceiling fan while dysughed at their antics.


    Allysyn was pretending not to be interested in horsing around as well.


    Toria was grinning as she said with a mock exasperated tone and eye-rolling, ¡°Boys.¡±


    They all looked gorgeous and handsome in their getups and Reyona couldn¡¯t have asked for a better party than the intimate one Toria had organised.


    She could almost picture Grandms at the head of the table tsk-tsking while swapping gossip with dys.


    What more? She had the most amazing man behind her with his assuring hand on her back like he never wanted to let go.


    dys was the first to notice them as they entered the hall.


    ¡°My baby!¡± She crooned as she came forward.

 Not The Same

    They celebratedte into the evening.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t stopughing all evening as her family got into different shenanigans from time to time.


    Spoilsports that they were, of course, they stopped her from having the best fun too.


    You should rest now.


    ¡®You should sit now¡¯ was not far from the mouth of one of them from time to time.


    Even Junior! Ah!


    She had to watch when her mother offered to teach Junior how to dance like a gentleman so he could have girls swooning over him at the wedding.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Then, of course, they ended up engaged in an impromptu samba that Reyona still couldn¡¯t remember how it started.


    Then Toria, who was not to be outdone, remembered a dance step she learned when she was going through her world traveller phase.


    She reminded Allysyn that any guy would always go crazy over a girl who could dance.


    Even though thetter said she didn¡¯t want any silly boy to go crazy over her, she watched with rapt attention as Toria made her grand entrance.


    ¡°Is that so? Are you crazy about me because of my dance moves?¡± Reyona asked Maxwell in a whisper.


    He turned to her as he whispered back ¡°Babe, I am crazy about you because of a lot of things. Your dance moves and your dance moves are few of them.¡± He said in a suddenly heated voice as he trailed his eyes over her body in a way that she immediately knew what the second dance move meant.


    She blushed furiously as heat spread through her. ¡°Maxwell, my parents are right in front of us!¡± She said in a strangled tone.


    He chuckled low in his throat as Reyona cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.


    Reyona¡¯s chagrined face morphed intoughter when she saw that Toria had finally started her dance after her borate intro.


    It was the most ridiculous dance she had ever seen.


    Toria dissolved intoughter when her father asked if she had by any chance seen someone who had an epileptic episode, and she had mistaken it for a dance.


    ¡°Not nice, dad¡± Toria had said after she controlled her mirth. ¡°I tell you, it is a very wholesome dance. I learnt it in a vige where I found myself somewhere up north. I can¡¯t remember the name of the dance now, but I can remember how the local folks, bless their hearts, took their sweet time to teach me.¡± she doubled over withughter again.


    She inhaled over and over again to stopughing, then stood and dered ¡°So, I am not going to let you discourage me from passing on a fine culture like this.¡±


    Then she insisted on teaching them all.


    Reyona was super d to sit that one out as Toria paired up with Maxwell and had the kids pair up, while her parents did the same.


    Reyona was justughing and eating while she watched the reluctant students try to catch up to their enthusiastic, neck-jiggling tutor.


    Carlisle finally put his feet down when he knocked into Maxwell and Toria the second time, and almost tripped over the kids while taking his ex down with him.


    Weirdly enough, dys was getting into the spirit of the dance, and she willingly chose to continue when Carlisle walked towards Reyona with a dazed look as if he had been traumatised for life.


    The kids didn¡¯t seem to mind much either and Maxwell was stuck with Toria.


    Reyonaughed and blew him a kiss when he threw her a miserable look above Toria¡¯s head.


    Leave it to her sister to turn an engagement party into a dance ss. Yet, Reyona knew she wouldn¡¯t trade that moment for any traditional, properly regted engagement party.


    ¡°You survived. I am so proud of you.¡± Reyona said in a mock sympathetic tone as she patted her dad¡¯s arm while he guzzled his drink like a survivor.


    ¡°Nobody should ever make me do that again,¡± Carlisle said in a heartfelt tone.


    ¡°Ssshh, lower your tone, or she might just slide it in for our daughter-father dance. Yes, I can see her doing that.¡± Reyona said with a slow nod of her head as if picturing it already.


    She looked back to see the horrified look on her Dad¡¯s face, and she burst intoughter.


    Carlisle shook his head, looked at the momentary dance floor, then immediately turned his head away as if he couldn¡¯t even bear to look at the iling limbs and twisting motions.


    ¡°He makes you very happy, doesn¡¯t he?¡± He asked suddenly.


    Reyona was quick to answer with a nod, ¡°He does. I am very happy, Dad¡±


    Carlisle gave her a long look as he nodded while swallowing like he had something in his throat. ¡°I am d. I am so d.¡± He said while patting her hand as he looked away.


    He looked back at her and repeated ¡°I am very d for you, daughter. You know I once asked you that when¡­¡± When she married Thomas. ¡°I asked you that and the answer was not the same. Not the way you just said. Not the same at all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Reyona thought as she wondered what she had said then.


    She had been gullibly happy then, and would have thought she answered in the affirmative.


    It was funny that she couldn¡¯t even remember when he had asked her such a question.


    That was strange. Could it be that even when she had convinced herself back then that she was in love and fully happy, she had somehow given off a different aura?


    ¡°What did¡­?¡±


    Reyona¡¯s phone buzzed with a message notification.


    She pressed it open and saw the message from Maxwell.


    ¡°Babe, save me!¡±


    Carlisle chuckled as he saw it too.


    They both looked up to see Maxwell looking innocent with no phone in view as Toria turned back to him.


    She had been giving some hands-on instructions to dys, who was now dancing with Junior.


    Reyona grinned at him even though he had his face turned away.


    ¡°See? Not the same at all.¡± Carlisle repeated with a smile.


    Maybe he was right.


    In fact, he was right.


    Even though she would still like to know what she had said back then, she needed to go save her man from her tyrant sister for now.


    She might ask himter. Or not. It was no longer important.


    She hefted herself out of the chair and moved towards the dancers.


    ¡°This looks like a lot of fun. I think I will join in too. I would like to try that part where you wiggle all the way down and¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The protest was instant from all angles.

 Can We Have Her?

    Reyona had no intention of having the wedding while she was still pregnant.


    ¡°It is called ¡®walk down the aisle¡¯, not waddle down the aisle¡¯. Thank you.¡±


    That had been her argument and everyone had agreed with her.


    Not after Toria had added that their dad could carry her.


    ¡°Then it will be ¡®float down the aisle''¡± she had said in jest.


    They all came to an agreement that the wedding preparations would start after she had given birth in about two months.


    They spent the night in the hotel, and they all visited The King¡¯s Creek to pay obeisance to Grams before their parents¡¯ and Toria¡¯s departure.


    Maxwell, Reyona and the kids will stay back in Boowag until the jet got back.


    Stefan and his co-pilot were to carry dys and Carlisle to their destinations beforeing back for them.


    It would take dys home first, then make a stopover at Mn to drop Carlisle beforeing back.


    Toria had a standby jet that had brought her to Boowag and Kayooma for the preparation of the surprise and all.


    Of course, Maxwell could have just got another means of transportation for them, but then he suggested they y tourist in thend where her grandma had grown up before they all left.


    Reyona agreed with the splendid idea.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, all they had done back then had been more like dashing in and out.


    They had not even stayed out long afterying Grams to rest.


    They couldn¡¯t get the ferry back that day to the closest city where the airport was, so they had stayed the night mostly wrapped in their grief,panionship and the fulfilment of having achieved Grams¡¯st wish.


    So, Reyona was more than d that they could explore some ces in the town.


    She knew she wouldfort herself with the thought that she was taking the path that Grams had taken literally.


    After reminding them that they would be missing school that day, Allysyn seemed fine with the idea, especially after Maxwell told them they could choose any souvenir they might want to go back with.


    ¡°Anything at all?¡± she asked eagerly.


    ¡°Anything,¡± Maxwell said warily.


    Reyona was more than sure that that statement mighte back to bite him in the ass.


    Toria had to go back to work though.


    dys also needed to get back as early as possible.


    The twins couldn¡¯te because they had exams that day and George, who had stayed with them while dys came to Boowag the day before, also had a business trip to make that day.


    Carlisle also had a prior engagement that wouldn¡¯t allow him to stay an extra day.


    Madeline wasn¡¯t in Mn to handle it for him. She travelled from time to time as a frence researcher for renowned authors.


    So, after they saw off their families, they had a leisurely breakfast before setting out for their tour.


    ********


    ¡°Maxwell!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± He responded in the same tone.


    Then they looked back at the sleeping kids to see if they had woken them up.


    The only one awake was the shimmering-eyed, three-legged furry friend that Allysyn had made.


    The result of Maxwell¡¯s ¡°anything at all¡±


    It was love at first sight when Allysyn saw the battered-looking scrawny dog.


    Not in any of the many stores they had visited on their tour of the town, but at a corner.


    One of the women had just chased the dog out of her store.


    For a moment, Reyona panicked when she looked around and did not see Allysyn with them again, but then Junior quickly pointed at the corner where Allysyn was trying to approach the trembling dog.


    The dog was warilying to meet her when they got to them, and then he darted back into the corner again.


    ¡°Aww, you scared her!¡± Allysyn said in an usatory tone as she looked back at them.


    Then she turned back to the dog and started calling to it in the gentlest voice Reyona had ever seen her use.


    Reyona told the others that they should back away.


    Soon enough, Allysyn had the filthy dog held against her body.


    She came towards them with hopeful eyes as she eagerly said ¡°She is scared. I think they beat her. Can we have her?¡±


    ¡°Allysyn, you can¡¯t just take¡­¡±


    ¡°You said anything.¡± She said with glistening eyes. ¡°You said I can have anything I want as a souvenir. I want her.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have a whole animal as a souvenir, Allysyn. It¡­.¡±


    ¡°I can return that hairpin I got from that store.¡±


    ¡°Allysyn¡± Reyona said firmly, as much as it broke her heart to be a bearer of bad news. ¡°She has an owner. The owner is probably looking for her right now, so set her down and¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone looking for her.¡± Allysyn hurriedly said as she looked around at the busy traders. ¡°See? Nobody cares, you can ask them.¡±


    Prepared that the girl would have to learn that people can¡¯t always get what they want that day, they asked.


    She was right and wrong.


    The dog was not a she. It was a male dog.


    But the dog didn¡¯t have an owner.


    It belonged to a local drunk who had finally done himself in when he fell and broke his neck after a night of his normal drinking bout.


    People only found him in the gutter close to his house the next morning.


    He had locked his dog in.


    Since then, the dog had be a stray that people merely threw scraps of stone they felt like, and shooed away when they got nothing for him.


    The market square had be his new home, yet nobody wanted to im what they termed a useless dog.


    The rest of the day had been spent going to the local police station to make a statement about the dog, then they took a trip to the vet where the dog was treated, bathed and fed.


    Allysyn was right once again. The dog had been beaten.


    Many times too.


    By the time they got to the helipad where Stefan had been waiting for them for more than thirty minutes, it waster than the time they had intended to leave Boowag.


    They had all been understandably tired.


    Junior had fallen asleep in the jet and was carried into the car when they arrived at Kayooma.


    Maxwell dismissed the driver and drove.


    Allysyn had carried the small dog along and had continuously whispered God-knows-what to him where they were at the back beside the sleeping Junior.


    Soon enough, they stopped hearing any sounds from the back and turned back to see that Allysyn had slept off too.


    Curled around the dog, who looked like he was ready to bolt anytime soon.


    When they looked back this time, the dog was still as alert as ever. Not lying down, just standing in the crook of Allysyn¡¯s arm.


    Reyona looked at Maxwell and he shrugged.


    She narrowed her gaze at him.


    She had not forgotten what they were discussing before.


    For now, she tried to calm the wary dog by raising her hand in a little wave at him with a smile.


    That backfired quickly as the dog immediately burrowed deeper into Allysyn¡¯s arms as he let out a keening sound in his throat.


    Reyona quickly turned away as Allysyn held the dog even in her sleep.


    Did the dog think she was going to hit him?


    Pain filled her heart as she wondered how the world could be so cruel that they wouldn¡¯t even spare such a little creature.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She heard Maxwell ask just as they turned into the estate.


    Right. ¡°I would be fine if you tell me who the anonymous man is.¡±


    Maxwell shrugged and said ¡°No idea. Why are you angry? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy that the donation would help the kids get what they need more?¡±


    ¡°I am happy about that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then that is what matters. Don¡¯t sweat it, Reyona¡± he said with a smile as he parked the car and winked at her before stepping out.


    As he went around to open the door for her, she just knew he had something to do with the anonymous donor who had sent the ten million dors that the orphanage manager was so d about.


    But how had he learnt about Patricia Dexter¡¯s Orphanage?

 So Much More

    The soothing sound of the water reminded Reyona of the brook that ran through their homes in Bellevue Hill.


    She feltpletely blissful in the oasis that Maxwell had surprised her with.


    It was exactly a replica of the one in her home in Sydney.


    After their dinner that night, Reyona was still pretending to be miffed at him because he wouldn¡¯t tell her if he really was the one who donated to the orphanage she had opened in her grandmother¡¯s name.


    Then, as if he didn¡¯t notice, he told her to check out something.


    ¡°I am still mad at you,¡± She had said as she folded her arms above her belly and gave him a mutinous look.


    ¡°It is a good thing that you are a versatile woman then. You could be mad at me and stille check this out. You will be d you did. I promise.¡± He said innocently.


    Then, just as Reyona pretended she had not made up her mind yet, he swept her off her feet.


    How can he still carry her so effortlessly? She wondered as she squealed ¡°Maxwell!¡±


    That was the first time the papillon dog made a sound.


    It was a squeaky sound that seemed more like a yip.


    His butterfly-like hairy ears, which had been badly maintained and just newly trimmed, flopped along with his movement as he yipped at Maxwell again.


    But the moment everyone became silent and turned to him, he buried himself against Allysyn¡¯s body again.


    Everyone looked at each other in spection, then Allysyn broke the silence as she asked ¡°Can I take him to our room? I promise I will take care of him¡± she quickly added, as if she was expecting a refusal.


    Maxwell looked at Reyona, and she tilted her head, ¡°I see no reason not to. Just ensure you go to sleep on time or¡­¡±


    ¡°I will. I will.¡± Then she smiled and said ¡°Thank you¡± before bouncing up the stairs with Jane trailing behind them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a tiny dog is about to fight me for my own wife. Is this what I am going to be putting up with?¡± He said in contemtion as he continued carrying her towards the back door. ¡°I should have said no to him¡±, he said in a serious tone.


    Reyonaughed as they stepped out into the cool air. ¡°I am sure you will fall in love with him soon. Then maybe you will be the one fighting Allysyn for his attention.¡±


    ¡°Not if he goes about making those sounds whenever I touch my wife.¡± He said with mock firmness.


    Reyona¡¯s response died in her throat when she saw lighting a few distances from where they were.


    Just close to the maze was the oasis.


    A perfect replica of the one she had in Sydney that one could almost imagine that someone had magically picked the one in Sydney and dropped it right there on the estate.


    ¡°Max¡­why¡­. you¡­¡± she had been so speechless that she found it hard to form a coherent word.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I am d you like it,¡± Maxwell had said as he took her to the lounging chair that made her feel like she was back in Sydney as he set her into it.


    She could only look at him in wonder for a while, then she raised herself to kiss him. ¡°This is so much more. You are so much more.¡± She said before adding, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You are wee,¡± he said simply before sitting with her on the lounge chair.


    They sat together in the beautiful blend of nature and aesthetics as they watched the day darken and the stars blink to life.


    Without saying or doing much, they simply enjoyed the wonder of the universe while basking in the glory of each other¡¯spany.


    Just as it was in Sydney, Reyona had found every excuse to escape there at every opportunity she could get.


    In the past three days, she had started working on the mini garden she had started again.


    Maxwell had the gardener till the soil close to the oasis for her, and she had been busy picking the best flower seeds that she felt might suit the temperament of her twins.


    She and Maxwell had had the best times trying to gauge the characteristics of the twins based on their movements.


    That morning, after they had their breakfast, the kids had left for school.


    Maxwell also had a meeting that morning and other things to do at thepany, so he implored Reyona to have enough rest before he left.


    Reyona did not feel like lying down in bed so she took the book she had just started ¨C thetest novel by her favourite author, Lord of Origins.


    Excited about the journey of the book which had captured her fancy right from the first page, she headed to the oasis with a shawl to cover her legs and a bottle of water.


    She pretended not to notice the creature tiptoeing behind her as she went to the oasis that was fast bing his favourite spot too.


    Skippy, as Allysyn had named him because of his hopping walk, had developed a tentative rtionship with Reyona in the past few days.


    Once Allysyn was out of the house, he would follow Reyona from a distance and curl up some spaces away from wherever she might be.


    Since the oasis had been the most popr choice for the past few days, he would simply curl up beneath the fairy statue.


    The first day, he had simply stood there with his body on alert and his big brown eyes on Reyona.


    Reyona had looked away from him and pretended he was not there.


    It took almost an hour before hey down, still noting close to her.


    He bolted as Reyona was changing her sitting position.


    The second day, he hadid down only after a few minutes of watching and had even rxed enough to sleep.


    Reyona hadid out a treat for him, and he had moved closer enough to nip it before dashing off again.


    She knew he was going toe around on his own time, so she didn¡¯t bother forcing it.


    That morning, she casually set the treat a bit closer to herself and continued reading.


    From the side of her eyes, she could see him tiptoeing towards it.


    He would stop for a moment, wag his fur-covered tail, and peek at Reyona to be sure she was not watching before hopping a couple of steps again.


    ¡°Almost there.¡± Reyona thought in excitement as she fixed her eyes on the book without really reading or turning the pages.


    Skippy hoped forward again and¡­


    ¡°Hey there!¡±

 Shackles Of Loyalty

    Reyona¡¯s head jerked upward as she heard Maxwell¡¯s voice.


    Then she looked sideways when she heard a growling sound.


    Jerking his head from Reyona to Maxwell, Skippy¡¯s pupils had dted so much that they almost covered his entire eyes.


    His growl continued as he looked confused about where he should escape.


    Reyona realised what was going on as she saw Maxwell standing at the entrance, blocking his escape route.


    He felt cornered!


    She realised as the dog backed away while his growl increased in pitch.


    ¡°Maxwell, move,¡± she said urgently, and he automatically stepped aside.


    The dog hopped past him in a sh.


    The dog kept going without stopping at all.


    Maxwell shook his head and went to Reyona. ¡°What was that about?¡± He asked in an incredulous voice.


    ¡°We were building a friendship,¡± Reyona said with a pout.


    ¡°That was friendship?¡± Maxwell asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, we were about to. Then you¡­do you think they do therapy for dogs?¡± She asked in contemtion.


    Maxwell started chuckling, ¡°Ah, ah, therapy for¡­¡± he stopped when he saw her expression. ¡°You are serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am serious. If humans get therapy, maybe there is a way a dog can get it too?¡±


    Even though it was apparent that Maxwell thought the idea ridiculous, he nodded as he said: ¡°I suppose we can ask?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Reyona nodded as she adjusted the shawl on her legs. Then she looked back at him. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±


    He looked above her head as he said, ¡°Nothing. I just missed you and wanted to see you early.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± She said automatically.


    Reyona looked at the time on her phone before looking back at Maxwell.


    ¡°You should still be at your meeting right now.¡±


    Maxwell inclined his head as he said ¡°Yeah, well. It was cancelled.¡±


    *You cancelled it.¡± She stated more than asked as she automatically moved her feet off the settee so he could sit. ¡°Why?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We postponed it. We can do it anytime, like now. Axle is not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You cancelled an acquisition meeting based on whim? Yeah, why not show me the winged horse flying in the sky too while you are at it?¡± She said with a frown.


    He reached for the book on herp, read the title and looked at her. ¡°You have been reading this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°That means you have not been on your phone or watched the news?¡±


    ¡°Maxwell¡± Reyona called his name with a frisson of worry treading her tone.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°It is about Thomas,¡± Maxwell said suddenly.


    When she stared at him with a passive look, he said: ¡°He was found at his mom¡¯s.¡± He held her hand and continued, ¡°He is gone, Reyona. It seemed he had been dead for days. Mary and Cliff were out of town. They found him. It is all over the news, and it is trending online already. My assistant told me about it just before we started the meeting. I thought you might¡­¡± he trailed off when she just kept staring at him without a change of expression or a word.


    She did not know what to feel. Was it normal that she did not know what to feel?


    Reyona wondered before a thought popped into her mind. ¡°Suicide?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°The police have not given a statement yet. People are specting but no official statement yet.¡± He paused then said, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked when he stopped talking.


    ¡°There is something I think you might want to know. I wasn¡¯t sure before¡­¡±


    ¡°So you kept something else from me.¡± She stated simply. ¡°Maxwell, you promised.¡±


    ¡°And I am fulfilling that promise, I swear,¡± he said urgently. When her expression didn¡¯t change, he hurriedly added. ¡°Truly, I didn¡¯t think there was any need to tell you because it didn¡¯t have anything to do with you, not anymore. Nothing to do with us,¡± he said emphatically.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked simply.


    ¡°I gave the doctor the leave to do any rest that Thomas might want to do about paternity and all just so he could stop pestering us back then. He was to do the tests for him and put the expenses on my ount.¡±


    Reyona nodded.


    Maxwell looked at her and continued ¡°Lanoth did one other test. Sperm count test.¡±


    Reyona raised her brow as she said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°It came out zero. He had zero sperm count, Reyona. A non-obstructive azoospermia caused by testicr damage. In his case, he was never going to be able to father a child.¡±


    Reyona could only shake her head as the enormity of what he just said hit her.


    Thomas would never be able to father a child. Which means if what happened had not happened, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to have children as well.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± she breathed beneath her breath as she thought of what that would have meant for her life.


    She knew herself.


    Even if she had found outter, she wouldn¡¯t have left him.


    She would have bound herself with the shackles of loyalty and her ¡°in sickness and in health¡± vow.


    She would have given up on her dream of having a big family.


    She would have stuck by him despite it all.


    And she would probably have lived the rest of her life miserably while pretending that she was fine.


    She still had no idea what she felt about his death, so she was taking her thoughts and feelings as they came.


    ¡°I wish you had told me though. It would have¡­. I don¡¯t know. I needed to know.¡± Shepleted softly as sheid her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said softly as heid his arm around her shoulder, hugged her to himself one-armed and kissed her hair. ¡°I should have.¡±


    She patted his hand in response and said ¡°What are we going to tell the kids? Don¡¯t say we should keep it from them. You already said it is practically everywhere. They mighte across it somewhere. They might connect it. Allysyn will.¡±


    ¡°We can think of what to tell them together. What matters is, we will protect them from any way this might want to affect them. He caused quite a scandal. I think the reporters might want to bring those up again.¡±


    Reyona nodded as she remembered how easily this could turn into a circus again. ¡°We will protect them,¡± She said with determination. ¡°That means they have to be aware. We can¡¯t protect them if they have no idea of what we are protecting them from or why.¡±


    Maxwell nodded. ¡°You are right. He left a note.¡±


    ¡°He what?¡± Reyona asked as she sat straight.


    ¡°They found a note close to the body. They believed it was written by Lanoth.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Reyona said again in shock. ¡°Then it is definitely¡­


    Maxwell shrugged, ¡°We can¡¯t be sure until an official statement has been made.¡±


    Yet Reyona knew. She also knew that he knew. There has always been one main reason why notes have been left with bodies.


    Reyona saw something in Maxwell¡¯s eyes that made her blurt out the thought that came to her mind.


    ¡°You think the note was meant for me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question.

 Bliss Of Ignorance

    Reyona and Maxwell went together to take the kids from school that day.


    Despite their fears that some unrelenting reporters might have decided to call them about what happened or ambush them for an interview about what they felt about Thomas¡¯s death, nothing of such happened.


    The school was also free of any lurking reporters or paparazzi.


    It was either they had decided that Thomas¡¯s death was not as worthy of news as his scandal had been, or they were still jeering up to st the family with all they gotter.


    Whatever it was, they were d as they waited in silence in front of the school for closing time.


    Soon enough, school was over for the day.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Maxwell came out as the students came out en masse.


    Soon enough, they saw Allysyn and Junior.


    Junior was skipping alongside Allysyn while dragging his backpack along and shouting some words at a friend who was going towards another car parked close by.


    He was being his jovial self as he waved hard at the friend and asked him not to forget anything tomorrow.


    But Allysyn¡­


    ¡°Look, Allysyn! It is Max!¡± Junior shouted in excitement.


    The girl raised her downcasted head and looked past Maxwell to Reyona in the car.


    ¡°Oh damn!¡± Reyona thought in anguish as she got out of the car as fast as she could.


    She hurried past Maxwell as Juniorunched himself into Maxwell¡¯s arms.


    Reyona got to Allysyn, and she saw that she was not wrong after all. The girl had a zed look in her eyes.


    The fact that she was holding back her tears as she looked up at Reyona broke her heart.


    She bent down as fast as her belly would allow.


    Just to be certain, she asked ¡°What happened?¡±


    Allysyn¡¯s first tear spilt as she quickly swiped at it while looking beyond Reyona to see if Junior had seen her.


    Thetter was busy chattering to Maxwell.


    Reyona quickly gestured to Maxwell, even without turning to face him, and Maxwell took Junior to the car,


    Allysyn continued in a shaky voice. ¡°I¡­ Amelia brought a phone. I¡­ I saw¡­ I didn¡¯t tell Junior. I¡­¡±


    Reyona turned sideways so she could hug her tightly to her body.


    ¡°I am sorry, Allysyn. I am so sorry that you had to find out like that.¡±


    Allysyn sobbed against her body for a while before moving back. ¡°You will not tell Junior, right?¡± She asked urgently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we should?¡± Reyona asked to get the girl to stop crying while thinking.


    ¡°He is too small.¡± That was all Allysyn said.


    Just as you are. Reyona thought with overwhelming sadness.


    ¡°We will talk about it,¡± Reyona said as she wiped the remnant of the tears on Allysyn¡¯s face. ¡°Would you like to go to the car now?¡±


    Allysyn cleaned her face again, and then she asked hopefully, ¡°Did you bring Skippy?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t run fast enough to catch him,¡± Reyona answered. ¡°I think you are the only one he will ever like.¡± She said mournfully.


    Just as she had hoped, that got a hint of a smile out of Allysyn.


    Reyona swiped at the lone tear that came out of Allysyn¡¯s eyes again and asked ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Allysyn nodded, and they went to the car, hand in hand.


    Junior had requested that they go to an ice cream parlour on their way back home.


    Allysyn had no protest about that, but she said she wanted nothing.


    Junior couldn¡¯t understand how anyone could turn down ice cream.


    He asked if he could have Allysyn¡¯s portion and Maxwell said, ¡°Why not?


    Reyona had no protest about that.


    She was busy thinking of something else.


    Just as they parked in front of the ice cream parlour, Maxwell¡¯s phone buzzed, and he checked the message from Reyona.


    He looked at her with raised brows.


    Reyona shrugged. Why not? Allysyn was right after all.


    There was no point in ruining Junior¡¯s mood by telling him anything now.


    He could learn all he needed to learn at ater age.


    For now, there was no crime in letting him live in the bliss of ignorance.


    Such would not work with Allysyn.


    The girl was much too discerning for her good.


    Reyona felt this might be the right time to let her know the whole truth anyway.


    It might seem a bit cruel to tell her such right there, but then she felt it might help the girl grieve a little bit less.


    Or maybe not.


    She had no assurance that anything was going to make any difference.


    She just knew that she would have wanted to know the whole truth if she were in Allysyn¡¯s shoes.


    If the girl chose to keep on grieving after she understood the circumstances, at least she would be doing so without a wrong identity.


    Maxwell nodded to let her know he was in agreement with whatever she thought was right to do in those circumstances.


    Then he called out to Junior that they should go check out the varieties of ice cream.


    ¡°Maybe we can even check out the games in the next store.¡± He said as he helped Junior down.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Junior hooted as he pumped his fist in the air.


    Reyona turned back to see Allysyn looking at her.


    She immediately realised that what she had intended was easier thought than said.


    How was she supposed to exin to a grieving girl that the father she had always known was not her father and her real father wanted nothing to do with her?


    **********


    They arrived home in near-silence.


    Reyona was seated in the back with her arm around Allysyn while Junior was having the best time of his life riding shotgun.


    Cluelessly, he was going on and on about how he was going to tell his friends at school the next day that he sat at the front while Allysyn sat at the back.


    Amazingly, Allysyn still found enough strength in her to respond to him when he looked back at her and poked his tongue out at her.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom how incredible this little girl was.


    She held Allysyn tighter to herself and kissed the top of her head while trying to hold back her tears.


    It was not fair that one so young should have to deal with such knowledge of how crappy the world could be.


    She had tried to tell Allysyn the current situation in the most cushioned way she could.


    After asking a few questions, the girl had remained quiet since.


    Her tears had stopped but Reyona knew this was far from being over.


    She just hoped they would be able to provide the best avenue she needed to heal right.


    When she looked at Junior chattering away at the front, she hoped his innocence would be protected for a long time.


    For much longer.


    Maxwell¡¯s phone started ringing.

 Behind Us Forever

    The call was from his head of security.


    Reyona listened to his terse response to the person on the call.


    Then, just as he took the turn towards his estate, she felt her phone buzz.


    She frowned as she saw that it was a message from Maxwell.


    ¡°We have a guest,¡± it says.


    She looked at the back of his head as she wondered why he couldn¡¯t just say that directly instead of sending it as a message.


    She was about to ask him who it was when she looked beyond the windscreen and saw the police cruiser.


    Her heart kicked against her rib and she looked downwards to check if the even-breathing Allysyn had slept off or something.


    ¡°Look, Max! The police!¡± Junior shouted excitedly as he pointed at the spot where the police officer was just turning away from the man he was speaking to, the head of security.


    Allysyn¡¯sx body went taut as she jerked upward, looked in the direction that Junior was pointing at, and then back at Reyona.


    She had a mixture of fear, question and uncertainty in her face.


    Reyona shook her head urgently, pulled her closer and whispered ¡°You have nothing to worry about, okay?¡±


    She nodded, though Reyona doubted she believed her.


    Even before Maxwell parked, Reyona had already called Jane toe outside immediately.


    As it was, Jane quickly ushered the kids inside while Maxwell helped Reyona down, and they faced the lone officer as the head of security bowed to them and excused himself.


    ¡°Good day, officer. To what do we owe this pleasure?¡± Maxwell went straight to the point.


    ¡°Good day, sir and ma¡¯am.¡± The officer responded. ¡°I am Officer Shane. I am here because of Mrs Rohan.¡± He said with a respectful nod at Reyona.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it is to our knowledge that you are acquainted with Mr. Lanoth. Is that a valid assumption?¡±


    Acquainted? Unexpected annoyance red in Reyona.


    She was sure they knew or would have already researched their whole history together and here he was trying to give her some crap.


    ¡°He was my ex-husband,¡± she said tersely.


    ¡°Thanks for the rification, ma¡¯am. I am afraid I have bad news, ma¡¯am. Mr. Lanoth was found in his mother¡¯s home by the neighbours and¡­.¡±


    Reyona simply stared at him as he continued talking. She was vaguely aware of Maxwell¡¯s supportive arm around her as the officer talked to her about her ex.


    She was d that Maxwell had not suggested they invite the man in. It would be better if everything ended here.


    Her thumb found her ring finger and momentarily firmed against it as the man eventually got to what Reyona had guessed when she saw the cruiser.


    His reason foring.


    Reyona stared at the dirty, folded note as the officer took it out.


    She knew they would have read it.


    That was why they came to her.


    The paper blurred in her vision for a moment. Then she heard Maxwell¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Reyona¡±


    She refocused and automatically collected the folded paper.


    To the man, when he asked if the deceased had any family they could call to im his body, she answered.


    ¡°No one. They are dead.¡±


    She turned around and went inside as she heard Maxwell bidding the man goodbye.


    She tucked the note in her back pocket where it felt leaden as she went up to check on the kids.


    She met Jane on thending and thetter told her that Allysyn was taking a siesta.


    Junior was already in the kitchen charming the cook.


    Reyona thanked her and went to the kids¡¯ room.


    Allysyn was curled up in bed with Skippy.


    She had her back to the door.


    The rxed dog¡¯s head jerked upward as Reyona entered the room,


    He looked from her to Allysyn as he let out a whimpering noise in his throat.


    He seemed ready to bolt but in the next second, he slowly rxed back against Allysyn.


    Reyona wondered if the girl had said anything to him.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    If she had, Reyona did not hear it.


    In fact, Allysyn did not move at all as shey rigidly on her side with her arm around Skippy.


    ¡°Allysyn¡± Reyona called as she gently sat at the edge of the bed.


    She did not respond even though Reyona knew she was not asleep.


    She gently rubbed her hand on the girl¡¯s hair and sighed softly.


    Then she stood up to leave the girl for now.


    ¡°Is he gone?¡± Allysyn asked suddenly.


    Reyona turned around as fast as she could. With her hands on her belly, she said ¡°Yes, he is gone.¡± Pause. ¡°He came to officially tell us about it. Like I said, it has nothing to do with you. Nobody would bother you with things like that again.¡±


    Allysyn grew silent again.


    Reyona looked at Skippy, who was quietly peeking at her from the crook of Allysyn¡¯s arm.


    The girl probably needed the dog¡¯spany right now rather than thepany of humans who had continuously shown her how unreliable they could be.


    She should leave her alone for now.


    She was almost at the door when she heard ¡°What will happen to us now? Our mom is a criminal, and we don¡¯t have a dad.¡±


    ¡°You have¡­¡± Reyona stopped herself.


    There was no point in reminding the girl that they had a father when the so-called father had already made his stance known.


    So she simply said, ¡°We will always be here for you. For both of you. I want you to believe that.¡±


    *********


    When she came out, Maxwell was waiting for her outside the door.


    Without a word, he held her hand, and they went to his office.


    He eased her into his chair and went to the bar to pour himself a drink.


    He brought bottled water for her as well and poured it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyona said with her gaze on the firece.


    A thought tickled her mind as she stared at the mesmerising me.


    She removed the paper from her pocket andid it on the table.


    Silence reigned between them as she looked back at the fire again.


    Maxwell¡¯s gaze never wavered from the paper as he said ¡°Do you want to know what it says?¡±


    Reyona looked back at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but I think I need to.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the answer,¡± Reyona said with a sigh. ¡°Will you read it to me?¡±


    Maxwell was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to.¡± Pause ¡°But if that is what you want, I can do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reyona said as she gave him a thoughtful look. She nodded to herself as she concluded. ¡°Let¡¯s burn it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Maxwell asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± Reyona answered hesitantly. ¡°Will you do it for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±, Maxwell said, and he picked the paper up.


    He was a few steps away from the firece when he stopped.


    He turned to her and said, ¡°I think you willter regret that you did not know what it said.¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± she answered in an exasperated tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have any regrets about him. I think you should know what it says. Then we can put this behind us forever.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Reyona responded simply.


    Maxwell unfolded it.

 Leopard’s Spots

    Two Months Later


    ¡°Does this mean we will have to call you Mum and Dad now?¡± Allysyn asked in a solemn tone.


    Reyona looked at Maxwell with a smile before responding to Allysyn.


    ¡°It means we are forever your family now. It means we have got you forever. In as much as you do not forget that, what you call us doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Although she knew how beautiful it would be to hear them use those words.


    ¡°I am Thomas Junior Rohan?¡± Junior asked with his head tilted after he pronounced what he had been using his hand to trail in spelling.


    ¡°Do you like being Junior Rohan?¡± Reyona asked with a smile.


    He looked thoughtful for about ten seconds before saying, ¡°I love it.¡± To Maxwell, he said, ¡°Does this mean I get to drive your car now?¡±


    Reyona and Maxwellughed as Allysyn rolled her eyes.


    Reyona sucked in her breath as theughter waned.


    ¡°Well, maybe in the future, if you¡¯ve been very good, of course. But not yet.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Junior said with a pout. Then he brightened in the next second. ¡°I will be good. I will be very goooood! Can I go tell Jane now?¡± He asked excitedly.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Maxwell said before he noticed Reyona¡¯s slight wince.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked her in concern.


    She smiled thinly and just nodded without talking.


    Maxwell held her hand and gently rubbed her side.


    Reyona sighed as the sensation passed again.


    ¡°I would like to tell Toria. We talked about it.¡± Allysyn said slowly.


    ¡°It is fine, baby. Go ahead. We can celebrate thister,¡± she said in a strained voice.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Allysyn asked in a worried tone.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, I am fine,¡± Reyona said with a fuller smile. Then she made a shooing motion as she repeated ¡°Go on now.¡±


    Maxwell reached out to pat the sweat on Reyona¡¯s forehead.


    She was looking a bit peaked, but then she had been looking peaked for days now.


    The day before, Maxwell had driven her to the hospital with the thought that the babies were due.


    Her back pain hade on suddenly and had steadily increased.


    Then the contractions had started. Not so intense and widely paced but they were there.


    It wasn¡¯t until they arrived at the hospital that they realised that it had been falsebour.


    The babies were not ready.


    When Maxwell suggested to Reyona that they could try a C-section to get the baby here, since they were due anyway, she disagreed by saying; ¡°I will wait for my babies to be ready for me just as I am ready for them. Also, no C-section unless it is totally necessary,¡± she had said.


    Yet it had been hard on Maxwell watching her go through so much pain in the past few days, the contractions hit every day, increasing her back pain.


    She was getting more and more fatigued and her stomach had dropped so much now that walking had be a hard task.


    Yet she didn¡¯tin.


    She took the pain and difficulty in her stride while constantly talking about how happy she would be when she saw her babies for the first time.


    Maxwell couldn¡¯t help but be super proud of this amazing woman.


    Even when he had gotten too worried on her behalf, she had found ways to cheer him up.


    Then she told him that they should focus more on the task at hand.


    Getting their babies a worthy identity.


    Allysyn and Junior had always borne the Lanoth name.


    Now that everything hade to light, it was apparent that that identity was faux.


    Maze was definitely out of the question, so Reyona and Maxwell asked the kids what they thought about adopting them.


    Junior had not understood the term and Allysyn had looked hopeful yet unsure.


    It was almost as if she couldn¡¯t believe the possibility of it.


    Despite his vow not to have anything to do with the bitch again, Maxwell got in touch with Susan about it.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    For once, since he had known her, she seemed truly apologetic about the things she had done.


    Maxwell felt the news of her lover¡¯s death might have contributed to that.


    Or maybe it had something to do with the rough, pathetic patch she was in on her journey of sobriety.


    Whichever it was, she said the most agreeable thing Maxwell had ever heard from her when she said that being adopted by them would be the kids¡¯ greatest luck.


    ¡°I can not offer them anything from here. You can do so much more. Thank you, Max¡± she had said before the visitation time was up.


    Then out of the blue, she asked for his forgiveness and that of his magnanimous wife.


    Maxwell was not fooled by her for once. To him, a leopard doesn¡¯t change her spot that easily.


    Her apology was as useless to him as Thomas¡¯s own had been to Reyona.


    What mattered was he could go ahead and do what they wanted without any second thoughts.


    Telling Susan about it had been Reyona¡¯s idea anyway.


    And Guy had also agreed with her reasons.


    As he held his wife in his arms while slowly massaging her temple, Maxwell was happy that they had eventually finalised the adoption papers.


    Thewyers left minutes ago.


    Now all that was left was for the twins to finally make their appearance in his family and his world would get much more perfected.


    A world perfected by the most incredible woman he had ever met.


    He turned his head to kiss her forehead, tasting the salt of the gathering sweat that had dotted her skin again.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reyona crooned slightly at the feel of his lips on her.


    Then she sighed and shifted slightly before saying in a drowsy tone, ¡°I am so d we have finally got that done. I think I would like to lie down now.¡±


    Maxwell immediately got to his feet and helped her up, so he could carry her.


    She gingerly stood and released the breath she had held.


    Maxwell bent to carry her.


    Just as his arm came in contact with the back of her legs, he heard a spurting sound as he felt a warm wetness against his arms.


    ¡°Oh, oh my God.¡± Reyona¡¯s widened eyes met with his astonished ones as he realised what had just happened.


    Her water broke!

 Bringer Of Light

    The past month had been the most heart-filling one for Reyona.


    She watched as Allysyn lolled Sophie¡¯s bass while showing her something in the picture book she had in her hand.


    Meanwhile, Junior jiggled the rattle above Lucas to the delight of the baby and the hopping dog.


    An inexplicable bliss filled her at the thought that these belonged to her.


    These beautiful blessings that had been bestowed upon her when she least expected them were a solid part of her story.


    Reyona leaned back in her chair with a big smile on her face as she reached for her drink.


    ¡°Rey, you are glowing. I mean, you are literally glowing. You should see your face right now. Hold on.¡±


    Toria quickly took a few snaps with her phone before turning the phone around to face Reyona.


    Reyona smiled as she looked at the pictures while sipping her mimosa.


    Although she couldn¡¯t see herself literally glowing as Toria had said, she loved what she saw.


    The woman in the picture looked¡­fulfilled.


    Long gone was the anxious, sad-eyed woman who had pretended to be just fine while she was a wreck inside.


    Reyona loved how she looked, and she loved the reasons behind that look much more.


    She thought back to that hospital ward when she first heard Sophie¡¯s cry, then that of Lucas.


    Holding them for the first time had been the most precious moment of her life.


    Then it waspleted by the enraptured look on the face of the man who had held her hands through the pain-wracked session.


    Her eyes misted over as she watched tears unashamedly streak down his face as he stared at the beautiful creatures they had made together.


    She couldn¡¯t forget the ocean of love she had seen in his eyes as he looked into her eyes above the heads of their babies and told her, ¡°Thank you.¡± before taking her lips in the sweetest kiss ever.


    Reyona still couldn¡¯t believe her next action when she requested that the babies should beid in the crook of her arms.


    And then she prayed for them.


    Reyona still had no idea why she had done that.


    It had just seemed¡­right.


    The Catholic in Celia had approved anyway, and they allughed when she said Reyona would have be her mom¡¯s instant best friend if she had been alive to see her do what she did.


    Then Junior had bounced in after Reyona had been taken care of.


    He peeked into the babies¡¯ faces in their basss and sweetly dered, ¡°They are my babies.¡±


    As he promptlyunched into how he was going to share everything with them, Allysyn, who had not said anything as she stared at the kids for a long time, slowly moved towards Reyona.


    Then she threw her arms around her neck in a warm hug.


    Reyona¡¯s heart swelled even in her remembrance as she remembered those moments again.


    Though Toria hade ready for her Aunt¡¯s duty with her camera in ce to capture the moment, Reyona knew she would never forget those moments for as long as she lived.


    No, not one of them.


    Just as she wouldn¡¯t forget the ecstasy on her parents¡¯ faces when they first set eyes on their grandchildren.


    Toria, Celia, Maxwell and dys stayed with her duringbour.


    Carlisle had stayed at the beginning too, but he had been so anxious and turned green at every sound that Reyona made that the nurses had suggested he should stay in the waiting room with the kids and Jane.


    His emotionden voice when he held Sophie in his arms had been exceptional.


    Then when Reyona told him that she would like to give the girl Grams¡¯ name, Carlisle swallowed hard and blinked again and again before saying in a thick voice, ¡°She will like that. She will like it a lot. You have done well, daughter. Well done.¡±


    Then he had thumped Maxwell on the back.


    He was the one who gave her the name Sophie, so her baby girl was christened Sophie Patricia Rohan.


    Toria had dered that the boy looked like a Lucas, she even had the meaning of the name ready, a bringer of light. She told them the boy¡¯s shimmering hazel eyes made the name fitting.


    Added to the chestnut hair? It was just fate.


    Maxwell liked the name Aidan.


    And that was how they came up with Lucas Aidan Rohan.


    Her parents had stayed the whole month after the christening. They had just left the day before.


    Right before, Toria, who had left abruptlyst week, came back to Kayooma.


    The wedding was to be in two months and Reyona was surprised about her sudden return even though she had told them when she was leaving that they were in the middle of an important project.


    Toria had simply told her that she couldn¡¯t wait to get back to her niece and nephew.


    Reyona was d to have her sister back, but then she felt that something was not right.


    She had asked Toria if all was fine because of the forced way she had been engaging inughter and conversations since she got back.


    Toria had simply told her that she was fine.


    Just that morning, Reyona casually asked ¡°How are things with you and Andreas?¡±


    Toria had simply stopped in the middle of tossing the ball to Skippy.


    That confirmed Reyona¡¯s thoughts.


    She had spoken about Toria¡¯s slightly off behaviour the night before with Maxwell, and he had said she looked fine to him.


    When Reyona insisted that something was not fully right, he simply said, ¡°Could be work problems.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Problem with Andreas?¡± He had said casually while setting up the babies¡¯ basss close to their bed.


    Of course, the kids have their nursery but Reyona couldn¡¯t even imagine her babies being that far from her yet, so it had been the basss since they got home.


    Reyona had snapped her fingers at Maxwell¡¯s statement. ¡°That is it. Isn¡¯t it?¡± She had contemted out loud.


    Maxwell looked at her iprehensibly as he asked, ¡°Err, that is what?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯te with the jet!¡± She said in hushed whispers as Sophie moved in her bed.


    Maxwell looked even more confused at that point.


    Reyona smiled and got in bed with him as she exined ¡°I mean, you must be right. It must have something to do with Andreas. I don¡¯t know why I did not think of that. I mean she didn¡¯te with his jet this time around. That must mean something is up between them, right?¡±


    Maxwell shook his head with a bemused smile as he said. ¡°Or it could mean that she refused the offer and¡­¡±


    Reyona¡¯s gasp stopped him before she said ¡°Do you think they broke up? I thought he was in love with her. And Toria also¡­you saw it too, right? You also said¡­¡±


    Maxwell had stopped her spiralling thought as he covered her mouth with his.


    Though they had not done the deed since she gave birth because Maxwell had insisted he wanted her fully healed first, they had gotten pretty close that night.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reyona couldn¡¯t wait to ask Toria the next morning, which she did on the walk she had asked her to take with her.


    The walk she had deliberately asked for just so she could ask Toria what she thought.


    Yet, all Toria had said after a moment of silence was ¡°Not everything is about him.¡±


    Though her sister had not confirmed anything, her tone had been enough.


    Something was certainly wrong.


    So, as she looked at Toria setting the phone aside now while her children¡¯s voice mingled with the dog¡¯s sound, she decided to try again.


    ¡°What happened with Andreas, Toria?¡± She asked softly as sheid her hand on her sister¡¯s arm.


    She felt Toria stiffen before she deliberately rxed again.


    She turned to Reyona and, with a smile that looked like what Reyona once had on her face, she said, ¡°You won¡¯t let it go, will you?¡±


    Reyona merely smiled.


    Toria nodded, and her smile disappeared as she said ¡°He lied to me, Rey. He looked me in the eye and lied to me.¡± She shook her head as she said in a heartfelt tone, ¡°Now, please let it go. He is not important.¡±


    Reyona nodded.

 The Liar She Missed

    ¡°¡­. I promise to love and cherish you for as long as we live and beyond. I will respect you and always remember that you are my partner before anyone else. I will put you and our family first in my decisions. You are mine in totality just as I am yours. Together we shall grow in loyalty, in abundance, inradeship, in support and eternal love. I will forever be by your side in everything thates our way on this journey of life¡­.¡±


    ¡°I, Maxwell Rohan, take you, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, as mywfully wedded wife today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until I breathe myst.¡±


    ¡°I, Reyona Beatrice Dexter, take you, Maxwell Rohan, as mywfully wedded husband today in the presence of God and man, with the promise to cherish our vow until the day I die.¡±


    As her sister and her husbandpleted the vows they had worked on themselves and slid the rings on each other¡¯s fingers, Toria tried hard to keep her tears at bay as the minister said, ¡°You may kiss the bride.¡±


    As catcalls went up among the guests because of the lingering kiss that the couple gave themselves, Toria gave up on her makeup as her tears spurted out.


    ¡°Aww, you sweetie,¡± she said as she collected the handkerchief that Junior raised to her.


    He grinned proudly as he adjusted his suit.


    He had been the ring bearer and had done beautifully well.


    Just as Allysyn had been the perfect flower girl with her friend, Amelia, while one-year-old, Athena had toddled alongside them with concentration on her face.


    Then she had broken rank when she saw her father standing with the groom.


    She had toddled towards him while shouting ¡°Da da¡± to the guests¡¯ delight.


    Greg and Martin, their twin half-brothers, had attended the wedding as well as their father, George.


    The teenage twins had been ted when Max asked them to be his groom¡¯s men alongside Andrew.


    ¡°He sure knows how to bring family together¡± she mused as she remembered most of the things he had done to ensure that they were involved in all the important moments that had led to this day.


    She knew the twins were not going to forget this day in a hurry.


    Unlike with her, they had never really spent much time with Reyona all of their lives and this was a big way to get them involved in the big day.


    Toria still remembered the pride on dys¡¯ face when Reyona had surprised her by saying she wanted her and Carlisle to walk her down the aisle.


    Gracefully walking towards her man between her parents, Reyona was the most beautiful bride ever in her exquisite gown.


    The way the gown moulded perfectly against Reyona¡¯s body reaffirmed Toria¡¯s earlier deration that it was a perfect choice indeed.


    She had been with Reyona when the world-renowned designer, Flo, had shown Reyona her legions of samples to choose from.


    They had ended up going for a customised one.


    As they each brought up ideas about the most fitting gown, Flo¡¯s assistant was busy at work drawing up what they were talking about.


    By the time they had discarded fourpleted drafts, they finally arrived at this masterpiece.


    The wedding gown was a cream-coloured ball gown with a fitted bodice covered in Swarovski crystals.


    It had an off-the-shoulder neckline made of Chantillyce.


    Then the skirt was made fromyers of silk organza and had a chapel-length train with floral appliques.


    The corset closure with crystal buttons at the back was just perfect.


    The veil was the most whimsy material Toria had ever seen.


    Flo really lived up to her title of being a legendary designer.


    And the wedding lived up to itsbel as the most iconic wedding of the year.


    Toria had never seen most of the faces she saw that day all her life.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how down-to-earth Max seemed most of the time, that she almost forgot how influential he was.


    Everywhere was dazzling, not just with the decorations and artistic lighting at the reception, but with the calibres of people in attendance.


    The couple had not sent out invitations. Yet, they had made it known in their circle that everyone was wee to attend.


    Toria stopped counting people when she lost count twice after counting over four hundred people in attendance.


    To think she had made a jest earlier that they would have a lot of leftoverster if many people did not show up to do away with the massive banquet that the caterers had prepared.


    Toria was really happy to have been blessed with the best sister in the world.


    She was happy about the beautiful second chance she had got in life.


    Reyona deserved the best of everything and Maxwell was one of the many things she deserved.


    And she made sure to include that in her toast, after tossing in some embarrassing information, of course.


    Then it came to the bouquet-tossing moment.


    Toria did not bother to rush forward like mostdies did.


    She sipped her wine in salute to Sehima Hasanova, one of the few specially invited guests.


    She was prepared to go have a conversation with the woman when the bouquet flew past all the expectantdies, hit her on the head andnded right at her feet.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± she said dramatically as everyoneughed and one of thedies snatched up the bouquet with a hoot.


    ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Toria mused as she changed her mind about going to meet Sehima and went to the farthest seat from the excitement.


    She had nothing against the bouquet.


    She had hustled for her share of bouquets just for fun but at the moment, it just held as little appeal as a pulled tooth for her.


    She suddenly felt like lying down.


    Or maybe she could get her recently purchased motorcycle and ride as fast as she could.


    Maybe she would just fall off the edge of the world and get it all done with.


    Her sudden mncholy had nothing to do with the bubbly scene behind her.


    It had everything to do with the turmoil in her heart.


    Distress she had no business feeling.


    Not about a fucking liar.


    She had caught him in his lies.


    Well, it had been shoved down her throat and she had dealt with it.


    She had walked out of the asshole¡¯s life after leaving a teeny tiny surprise for him.


    She had not acknowledged any of his ¡°It is not what you think, I can exin¡± bullshit.


    Then why had she felt like crap these past few weeks?


    Why had she hated his pestering so much when he was doing it, then missed it when he stopped?


    It wasn¡¯t the pestering she missed, she admitted to herself.


    Not as much as she missed him. Damn it.


    How can she miss someone who¡­


    The ss Toria raised to her mouth paused in the air as her eyes met with those of the man standing some distance away from her.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± She wondered, just as she saw him inclining his head at someone to their left.


    Reyona! Now she knew how he had gotten here.


    Reyona winked at Toria and then mouthed, ¡°Talk to him.¡±


    At least that was what Toria supposed she had said before her besotted husband came to meet her that it was time for their dance.


    As her sister followed the man who actually cared about her, Toria drained the wine from her ss.


    Then she turned to face the liar she missed.


    THE END


    Author¡¯s Note


    Dear Reader,


    Thank you so much for following this journey from the beginning to this point.


    I appreciate yourments, votes, review and continuous reading.


    You are my real MVP.


    Reyona¡¯s story hase to an end here as she went on to live happily ever after while navigating the beauty and trials of life with the love of her life.


    But then Toria¡¯s story is just about to begin.


    What do you say to navigating Toria¡¯s new journey as she confronts her rollercoaster feelings for Andreas while dealing with the powerful Kanellis family and forces determined to keep them apart?


    Would you like to see if a headstrong, free-spiriteddy like Toria can fit into the imperious and honourable family while she fights her demons?


    Let me know your thoughts in thement section.


    Thank you for being here.


    Do check out my other books.


    I am Kabirat Aleem.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!