“Mrs. Salvatore, we will meet again.” Mr. Lucas, Aaron's boss, happy to see Anna, helped himself to sit opposite her. Anna welcomed his company, her thoughts overwhelmed by the bills she had to pay.Yeah, she thrived well as the breadwinner of the family, but for how long. Left for her, she wanted to file a divorce from Aaron, but her father's dying wishes haunted her.“Mr. Lucas, come join me.” She offered, but he declined politely, in a gentlemanly manner. Anna, mesmerized by his aura and appearance, envisioned a life with him in it. She wished she could scream to hell and elope with him into the sunset. “You look disturbed, care to share?”He asked, concern eminent in his voice. His display of concern shook her and garnered a light blush from Anna, who welcomed his advances.“On days like this, I wish I could be single again, you know.” She blurted out. Lucas stared at her with an intensity that melted her and troubled her. Lost in his eyes, the urge to throw the table that stood a
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