As Isabella sipped her juice, a sudden flash from Derek's phone caught her attention. He had just ended the recording, and the light from the kitchen drew her gaze, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Derek?" she called, a note of suspicion in her voice. For a moment, he thought he had been caught. He walked out from behind the kitchen door, his face downcast. Unknown to him, she didn't grasp what had happened. "Did you hear the conversation between Alex and me?" she asked, her tone inquisitive. His mind raced. Should he tell her the truth? What if she reacted badly? What if she threw him out because of it? He desperately wanted to confirm something about her pregnancy but struggled to find the right words. The question had been gnawing at him since he heard the news from the kitchen. He needed to know. "Don't lie to me," she added, sensing his hesitation during the brief silence. "Yes," he nodded. She smiled, expecting him to congratulate her. "What?" Her eyes w
A watchman, forewarned of an imminent attack, would undoubtedly remain vigilant throughout the night, his eyes peeled for any sign of danger. That was exactly how Alex felt that night, wrestling with his thoughts and weighed down by the gravity of the options Isabella had given him. As he lay in bed, his mind churned relentlessly, his heart heavy with the burden of indecision, while Isabella slept soundly beside him, unaware of the turmoil raging within him.He knew if he ended things with Emily as Isabella had insisted, he would shatter Emily's heart—something he had vowed never to do.Emily had transformed him completely in the few months they had known each other, guiding him towards becoming a better man.But the stakes were high. His reputation, already hanging by a thread, would plunge further if he didn’t end things with her.He sighed deeply, the sound barely audible in the quiet room."How do I face her to tell her this?" he whispered into the darkness. Even though he had r
“I should face my fears once and for all," Alex muttered under his breath before stepping out of the car.As he pushed through the glass doors, the secretary at her desk glanced up. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she shot to her feet."Good morning, sir," she stammered, her voice wavering. "I thought you wouldn't come because—fuck!" She clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with horror at her slip.Alex gave her a reassuring nod. "It's alright. I understand. Where are the shareholders?""They've arrived. They've been waiting for you.” She managed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.He strode past her.As he approached the meeting room, he paused for a moment, standing in front of the door. He blew out a long breath, straightening his shirt and smoothing down his hair."Here we go," he muttered to himself, pushing the door open.The room fell silent as he entered, every eye of the shareholders turning to him with outright derision. He could feel his heart pounding, but he
Emily had no idea about the live video Isabella made. As she walked through campus, she could not help but notice the way people were looking at her. Groups of students clustered together, their eyes darting towards her before quickly looking away, as if caught in the act. She could hear snippets of their hushed conversations, phrases like "that's her" and "can you believe it?" cutting through the air like daggers as the weight of their stares bore down on her. The whispers grew louder in her mind, even though they were just soft murmurs around her. She tried to hold her head high and ignore them, but each glance felt like a physical blow, chipping away at her composure."Why is everyone acting like there's something wrong with me today?" she wondered, desperately trying to make sense of it. The unease followed her into the lecture room, where she could still feel stares burning into her back. Despite her best efforts to move on, she found herself constantly checking her phone,
Emily's eyes narrowed in disgust at the sight of Alex."Why are you here?" She snapped."Emily, please, I just want to talk," he replied, stepping closer but stopping when she took a step back. "I...I need to explain.""Explain?" She scoffed, her voice rising. "Explain what, Alex? How you lied to me? How you made a fool of me in front of everyone? How you deceived me? Tell me, which one of these do you want to explain to me?" she demanded.He stepped closer to her. "Please, Em, lower your voice."Her mind flashed back to the moments when he lied about the reason for hiding his identity. It made her heart ache, realising he had taken advantage of her lack of internet savvy and disinterest in the entertainment industry.She chuckled bitterly. "Why? You don't want people to notice you? Afraid of drawing attention to yourself? I can't believe I fell for all your lies. Well, it's not your fault; it's mine for believing you."His shoulders slumped in helplessness as he ran a hand through
When Isabella's father told her to visit him at home, her heart swelled with anticipation. She was certain he wanted to praise her for her recent actions. Excitement bubbled within her as she thought the moment had finally arrived when he would acknowledge her worth and retract the harsh words he had thrown at her during her last visit.As she stepped into the living room, her eyes landed on her stepmother. The woman, with whom she had a notoriously strained relationship, was seated on the sofa. Surprisingly, the sight only bolstered her spirits as she relished the thought of finally proving herself and making her stepmother eat her words after all the disdain."I can see you are the one who made the video about Alex's secret affair with that lady." Her father began"Yes, Dad," she responded, straightening her posture and adjusting herself on the sofa. Her face lit up with a bright smile, fully expecting the praise she felt was her due. But instead of the pride and approval she ex
Although Alex had apologised to Emily, his heart was still heavy with guilt over how things had unfolded with her.Her words echoed in his mind, and he could not shake the feeling that he had not truly made amends. But the damage was already done. As much as it killed him, he knew ending things with her was the only way to avoid further complications. Still, the guilt gnawed at him relentlessly.He shuddered, gripped by shame, as the thought of people whispering cruel names about her because of his cowardice and ego cut him deep.“If only I had stood up against my parents or had been braver and stronger to face down Santiago's threats and attacks instead of folding under the pressure, none of this would have happened.” He berated himself for dragging her into the mess."She didn't deserve any of this," he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. If only he'd been braver and stronger and faced down Santiago's threats instead of folding under the pressure.He knew he needed to
“What?!” Alex whisperedHis breath caught in his throat as he found it hard to process the depraved scene laid out before his disbelieving eyes.There on the rumpled sheets of his marital bed, glistening with sweat, were the naked, intertwined bodies of Isabella and Derek. Derek's muscular frame was hovering over Isabella, his back rippling with each powerful thrust while Isabella's fingers were raking down his slick skin, and her head lolled back in ecstasy. The room was punctuated by Derek's deep grunts and Isabella's breathy whimpers.For a split second, he had been so overcome that his original plan dissipated from his mind as anger burned through his veins, not because of the act itself but because Isabella could stoop so low to sleep with their maid on the bed they shared together, prompting him to burst through the door and confront them in the act. But something stopped him. A flicker of reason amidst the tempest of fury reminded him to pause.“Why should I do that when I c