BRANDYSomeone started shouting.“Brandy, Brandy”.And the chant was taken up across the bar.The single spotlight turned on and an expectant hush fell over the crowd.A woman in a white silk gown stepped into the spotlight.She was tall and everything about her exuded grace and elegance.Even without saying a word, she owned the stage.Brian watched her step up to the microphone, and his heart skipped a beat.Samantha was beautiful and he loved his wife.But this woman had a different type of beauty.Samantha was pretty and polished like a model.This woman's beauty was ethereal. “No wonder he listens every week and doesn't bother her”, Brian thought.“He's probably scared of angering the heavens by hitting on an Angel”.As the music started playing, Brian glanced around the bar.Directly across from the stage, there was a mezzanine level that contained a room with a small window in it.He could see somebody in the room, but he couldn't see who it was.It could quite possibly be Duke.Brian

BRUISED“I don't wanna hear it”.She started to pick up any object within reach and throw it toward Brian. The pillows on the bed, the books on the nightstand and even the alarm clock were all fair game.Brian knew he was in the wrong. He didn't even try to duck. He just let the objects hit him.The pillows did no damage, but he knew that the book spine and the metal alarm clock would leave bruises. Samantha's hand found the lamp. She hoisted it and hurled it across the room.It struck Brian and then hit the wall with the crash, bursting the light bulb and scattering pieces of glass across the floor.Brenda had never been a sound sleeper, and the sound of the lamp crashing against the wall woke her in the next bedroom.She jumped out of bed and hurried out of her room.She knocked on the door of Samantha and Brian's room.“Samantha, honey, what's going on in there?” She called. “Is Brian causing problems? Open the door”.She worried as she waited for a reply.“Ohh dear this could be ba

BEATEN “Ohh, Mr. Seymour, Brian said as he came between them, smiling as he reached out his hand to the other man.Your reputation precedes you”. He stared at him in surprise, wondering where this man had come from. Brian took the other man's hand and shook it violently, and the fat on his body rippled like water. Gritting his teeth, he mumbled something indistinctly.Seeing Brian's interference, Samantha quickly hissed. Brian, stop it.She turned to Clyde to offer an apology, but Brian let go of the other man's hand before she could.As he did so, he pushed the other man away. Clyde stumbled back, tripped over a chair and landed on his rump. He watched a murmured, wincing as he rubbed at his backside. His glasses had fallen off, and he grew up around the floor to find them, even as he groaned in pain. “I'll deal with you when we get home”, Samantha said through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at her husband. Brian had offended Clyde Seymour the moment he entered the room and

THE LETTERThe weight of the matter is that if the deal Samantha has made with him falls apart, she'll take it personally, Jeffery said, concerned.I don't know if she would recover from that. Brian knew that with Samantha's strong personality, she would only become braver the more they fought.But he didn't want Samantha to have to deal with the aftermath if Clyde did try anything. “She'll be OK”, Brian said.“She has me watching out for her”. “That wife of yours doesn't know how lucky she is”, Jeffery said, sighing wistfully.He felt bad for Brian. No matter what he did to shield Samantha from those who would harm her, she would never know it, much less know how to respond.In the following days, Brian busied himself with Sea Cloud Technology matters.On one hand, he had to let Nick believe that Sea Cloud was nibbling away at Saka tosh Tech.On the other hand, he had to turn Sea Cloud into his strategic weapon. The work kept him busy and stressed. He didn't know how Jordan and Liam h

UNKNOWNOriginally he had planned to surprise Samantha with it on her birthday, but now it seemed that he might have to fast-track that idea. After cleaning up the table, he decided it was time to visit their new home and see how the renovations were looking. San Juan Creek was like a shining sword, splitting the new city into two. The villa he had bought was situated on a fine plot of land pie above the riverbank, like a king of the surrounding sending houses.Although it was a fine house among many in the complex, it had been placed commandingly above the other homes to emphasize its noble status.The gardens around the property were finely manicured and grant.As Brian pulled into the driveway, he rolled down his window to observe the busy workers renovating the property and grounds. His. thoughts drifted into daydreams of the time he would present this exquisite home to Samantha.“Well”, he was deep in thought. He heard the sound of a car horn in the drive behind him.The sound w