The bitter winter cold, the inner shakiness, and the scars that marred her body from her ex-lover tripled Anna's pains to a hundred degrees. Karma came to bite her in the ass, and it came in the form of Lucas. She wanted to be certain if Aaron was just fabbing to get her out of his hair or if indeed Lucas had become one of his lap dogs eating his leftover crumbs.Standing in the heart of the Churchill security section, she waited for the men to return from their assigned workplace. Her eyes scanned for the person she sought, but he was nowhere in sight, tired of embracing the winter air, she turned to leave. “Anna?” The voice of the man that stole her heart and tore it into shreds called out her name.With a deep sigh and a fully composed demeanor, she faced him head-on. “Lucas. There you are.” There was no need to pretend they met coincidentally, or she mistakenly waltzed into this side of town. “Aaron told you, didn't he?” He inquired about Anna, who sold her soul to the devil aft
Helen had to accept that she had a psycho on the loose living under the same roof as her. Chills, yes, she could feel her toes curl up with fear. “Did you see the way she stared at Ryan?” She asked, fear as crystal clear as the chandelier hung on the ceiling, vivid in her voice.“Anna is harmless, yes she could have a loose knot or two, but she won't harm Ryan.” Aaron's poor attempt to rid her of her fears only worsened it. He sounded uncertain, and that triggered numerous questions from Anna, who only knew bits about the woman who came to mark her territory.“You never told me what happened to her, why she had an injury on her wrist.” Now was the time for Helen to be well-informed about Anna and get the full details about her history and why she was still heavily entangled with her ex. Aaron, ready to evade her questions, continued munching on his meal like he had not just witnessed his ex-wife go ballistic.“Don't you dare do that! As far as I know, she wants you and can stoop so
“Pass the ball, Comrade, over here!.” The game of wits as a lucrative sport had begun, and Lucas had the ball in his possession. There were noises and hand movements in the air urging him to pass the ball, but this game was his for the winning. “Lucas, come on!.” One of the members of his team, frustrated, sighed and walked away from the pitch.The game went on and he scored a goal. “Goal!” He howled, pumping his fist in the air, but his victory was ignored as the rest of the team converged together for their lunch break. “If you keep up with this, you won't even have a place to lay your head at night.” Graciano, the head of sports warned, leaving him to toast to his stale victory.Lucas, parched, headed towards the water section. “I hear that Mr. Pompous once owned a notable company in Kingston.” The blonde whispered out loudly, making sure Lucas heard what he said. “Really?” The other gasped lightly as they both stared at Lucas in mockery. He ignored their jabs, emptied his can, an
"There is a hole inside my green garden and in the hole, there are rats. Thread carefully, my child.” The warning of Grandpa Adolph, issued to her when she destroyed his greens, still plagued Helen like a second skin. Hell, was it quite a scare?She decided to visit him, being the only person she had a proper recollection of, she felt safe in the place she once called home. “Ryan, are you excited?” She asked her toddler, who held onto her with his little fingers. “Yes.” He cooed. “Helen, what a pleasant surprise.” Grandpa Adolph's gray hairs had spread around his hair, tinting it with a shade of white.“Ryan, my boy, come to Grandpa.” He bent to the level his back could permit him, his arms ajar, an invitation for his grandson to come to hug his old man. Ryan wobbled but still made it to his destination as Grandpa Adolph lifted him in the air. “What are you feeding this kid?” He teased, all the while blowing feathery kisses on his face.“Lady Grace, do we have some snacks?” Grandpa A
“Sir, the board meeting is today.” His secretary reminded Aaron, who had a deadline to meet with. “I need a minute, have the hall prepped, I'll be there in five.” He ordered as he continued to type away on his system. Aaron glanced at his secretary and noticed how disheveled she looked.“Are you alright?” He inquired from his secretary, who looked like she lost a few pounds overnight. “I will be, sir.” She replied that her steps were weak, but she did good, I'm concealing it. Aaron never blurred the lines between his work ethic and the personal lives of his workers. He sighed and, with a shrug of his shoulder, typed away.“Sorry for being late, I apologize.” He announced his entrance with his apology. “Ariel.” He beckoned on his secretary to start the briefing, but she remained seated, staring into space. “Ariel!” He called her again, and with a jolt, she quickly stood on her feet and projected the screen towards his direction.Aaron was halfway in his speech when he heard a loud th
“You live here?” Lucas stared at the dreadful, minuscule space with cracked holes. “The streets are still very much available.” She retorted, shutting him and his complaints. Lucas did not need to be told that Anna had changed, he witnessed it. The way she spoke, and her demeanor, exuded it.“What happened to you?” He found himself asking. The once upon a time, naive and penetrable Anna that fell for him at first sight, was nonexistent, gone. “I died.” She replied. “You've got to be joking.” He chuckled at her sense of humor, but her dead stare was all he needed to wipe off the smile on his face. Lucas, grateful that he had a place to rest his head, said no more or tried to engage in a conversation with Helen again as he made himself comfortable in her doll—sized bedroom.“There are some Doritos and Oreos in the cupboard, I suggest you go grocery shopping, it's been a while since I came home” She stared at the strand of cobweb at the doorway and Lucas did the same. He expected her
Anna had done it again. Why did she have to be this gullible after her ordeal with this ass of a man? But if she was being sincere with herself, the sex was good. The mood was set, and the alcohol was in its right proportion. This was a drunken mistake.“Have a good night.” She put on her clothing, making do with her ripped-off undergarments. Unashamed by the scar, she showcased its hideous face. “How dare you?” He spat out at her, retrieving back. He was seething with rage, exactly what she wanted. The smug look he held earlier was left, in its wake, fury.“No, how dare you!.” She retorted. “Out of all the eligible and elitist women in Kingston, you chose me to prey on. All for the money, huh? You came for the money, so removing your unwanted seed should not be a problem.” Anna saw death and had a tug of war with its cold essence. Nothing made her more at a loss for words than what this hag of a man was trying to do.“Oh, before I forget, let's learn to keep our hands to ourselves
Aaron's sex appeal had to be considered the best according to Helen's perspective. His taut muscles, his well-sculpted face and hands that looked like they could outweigh the weight of the world, and let's not forget his wet hair that hung on his face like a second skin. He had her mouth watering for a taste of his lips on hers. Damn, Aaron looked like a nice dose of sex on the beach. “Don't stare too hard, I can tell you for a fact that he wasn't this hot. He just moved with the grandeur.” Anna teased, she caught Helen ogling Aaron, with her mouth slightly wide open. Defending herself from this sweet crime, felt senile. “Food is ready,” Anna announced in her signature sing-song voice, which garnered her a stare-down from Aaron. “What?” She mouthed to him, he had to hide his disdain for her sudden switch in characters until she clicked in again and went rabid on them. “I don't trust her.” He mouthed back. Truth be told, Helen did not trust the charade she displayed, but it was
Weeks passed, and the world seemed to have returned to some semblance of normalcy. Anna was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital, where she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had lost everything. Meanwhile, Henry's whereabouts were still unknown, and the search for him had gone cold.Lucas had been discharged from the hospital, and he was determined to start over.Suarez had returned to his job as a detective, eager to put the past behind him and focus on the future. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the case that had brought so much turmoil into his life. Henry was still out there, somewhere, and Suarez couldn't rest until he was brought to justice. Meanwhile, Danny and Soli had moved far away from the city, hoping to put the past behind them. Aaron watched as Helen played around with their son, a wide grin spreading across their faces. The little boy's laughter filled the room, and everyone in attendance seemed to be genuinely happy. But de
Ariel stood by the desk, watching Lucas with an air of suspicion. He seemed to be acting strange and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. “Mr Churchill left a while ago," she said, her voice carefully neutral. Lucas’s brow furrowed and his lips pursed in thought. He seemed anxious, almost twitchy, and it set her on edge. “Is there anything you'd like me to tell him when he returns?" Lucas paused, his expression unreadable. “No, there's nothing," he said, his voice tight. “Thanks” Ariel nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. She watched Lucas leave her desk, there was something up with the way he asked for Aaron’s presence Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, so she made a straight dial towards Aaron. Helen could feel the warmth of Aaron's body as he wrapped his arms around her. She let herself relax into his embrace, feeling safe and protected. “Are you hurt anywhere?" Aaron asked, his voice gentle but urgent. Helen shook h
Anna had majestically returned to Aaron’s mansion like nothing happened, without being discharged from the hospital. Light makeup and a nice dress fixed her physical state but definitely could not take away the misery she was feeling in her heart or make the earlier scenery disappear from her memories. Julian’s brother, Danny had abducted her while doing some grocery shopping, she tried fighting off the young man all by herself but ended up losing her child before Lucas could come to her rescue. Lucas had overheard Henry encouraging Danny on the phone to take his revenge on the real killer of his brother Anna and with a flash the young man went after her. The thought of prison terrified Anna, she would be at the mercy of the system. She knew that she couldn't bear the thought.But there was another even greater fear. Aaron would find out the truth about the miscarriage. He would discover that she had lied to him, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.Her mind raced, try
"The press conference has been getting a lot of positive feedback, sir," Ariel said, looking at the numbers on her screen. “Views are well into the millions, and the comments have been overwhelmingly positive." Aaron looked up from his laptop, a slight smile playing on his lips. “That's great to hear," he said, his voice warm with approval. "You did a fantastic job putting that together." Ariel blushed at the praise, feeling a rush of pride. "Thank you, sir," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "I'm glad to be of service."As Aaron looked at Ariel, his eyes caught on a small bump in her stomach. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. And it reminded him of Helen when she was pregnant with their son. He remembered the joy he had felt, the anticipation of becoming a father, and then the thought of having another baby with his ex-wife. He pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on the past. But they lingered, just beneath the surface.Ariel cleared her throat, breaking t
As Anna sipped her wine, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She was surrounded by opulence and luxury, but she knew that the man she was with was evil. Henry studied her, his eyes narrowing.“You only ever visit when you need my help," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you want from me this time?"Anna's fingers curled around the stem of her wine glass, and she took a deep breath. Anna smirked at Henry's words, allowing him to bask in his pride. He dared to imply that she was weak, without even saying it outright. But Anna knew better. She was a woman who had been through hell and back, and she wasn't about to let an old man like Henry tell her what she was or wasn't."It would be the other way around, Mr. Neville," she purred, a faux smile on her lips. Henry's eyebrows shot up in confusion. He wasn't sure what Anna was getting at.“You're the one who needs my help," she said, her voice cold and confident. Henry couldn't help but laugh. "You've got to be kidding
News reports of Dragon's image flashed across the screen, the word "WANTED" in bold letters underneath. A reward of a billion naira was offered to anyone who could provide information that would lead to his capture. Grandpa Adolph shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "That's an awful lot of money to put on a murderer's head," he said, his voice heavy with worry. "What if someone gets hurt in the process?""I know it's a lot of money," Aaron replied, his brow furrowed. "But we have to do everything we can to bring him to justice and also whoever is instructing to kill. He's a dangerous man, and we can't let him get away with what he's done. I know it's risky, but it's the only way we can make sure he's caught and punished for his crimes."Grandpa Adolph sighed, knowing that Aaron was right. But he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was settling over him. He knew that this was only the beginning and that things were about to get much worse. “I hope you know what you
“Sit down, boy” Henry barked, his voice filled with irritation. Lucas was pacing the room, his hands running through his hair, his face pale and drawn. He looked like he was about to have a panic attack. “I can't," Lucas said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can't calm down!" Lucas exclaimed, his frustration spilling over. "Your lackey killed someone! The plan was to beat him up, not to shoot him !" He glared at Dragon, who stood sheepishly next to Henry.Henry's face hardened, his eyes blazing with anger. "So, are you guilty?" he demanded, his voice cold and unforgiving.Lucas looked down at the floor, unable to meet Henry's gaze. The truth was, he was guilty. He had been a part of this, even if he hadn't intended for things to go this far. But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. "The inspector deserved what he got," Henry sneered, his words dripping with hatred. "If he dies, it's a win for us. He won't be able to tell anyone what he knows." Dragon nodded ea
It was late at night, and Suarez was still hard at work, even though he'd rather be home in bed. But the pile of unsolved cases on his desk was a constant reminder of the work that still needed to be done.Just then, there was a knock on his door. “Come in," he said, not looking up from his work.It was Ritz, his partner. "I'm heading out," he said. "Are you coming?""I'll be right behind you," Suarez replied, still focused on the task at hand."Don't work too hard," Ritz called out as he left the office. But Suarez knew he wouldn't be able to follow that advice. He was too determined to solve these cases, even if it meant sacrificing his time.As he continued to work, Suarez couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. These cases were tough, and he was starting to feel like he was getting nowhere. But he wasn't going to give up - not now, not ever. He was determined to solve these crimes and bring justice to the victims.Just then, something caught his eye. A small detail that he h
Roger, one of Henry's men, ushered Aaron into the mansion. The sound of splashing water filled the air, as Henry swam in the pool. The old man Neville has been having a good time since he came out of jail. “Mr. Churchill, it's nice to see you again," Henry called out, his voice carrying over the water. “Care to join me for a swim?" Aaron felt his temper rising. He wasn't here to socialize with the enemy. He was here for answers. “I’m not here for a swim, Mr. Neville," he said, his voice tight with anger. "I'm here to ask you about Dragon." Henry's expression turned serious suddenly, worried, and anxious in a rush but decided not to show the fullness of his anxiety, and he got out of the pool, dripping water onto the marble floor. A maid brought Henry a towel, which he used to dry off his dripping hair and body. His boxers were soaked through, revealing the outline of his genitals beneath the thin fabric. Aaron averted his gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable.Henry seemed obliviou