ã€ŠHer Substitute Groomã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Janice POV

    Seeing how pretty I looked while staring at my reflection in the mirror as I added make-up to my face, I couldn¡¯t help the smile thatced up my lips. Being pretty is something to be proud of, especially having a sexy goddess body as me. I¡¯m not bragging, but I didn¡¯t really need anyone to tell me that I¡¯m one he sexy youngdy. 5¡¯8 tall, slim with round butt and full chest, long ck curly hair, long natural eyshes, thick eyebrows, sharp jawline, pointed nose, sexy brown eyes, sexy lips that men drools over, and a sweet contagious smile topliment my look. This has been one of the reasons my client wouldn¡¯t stop going crazy about me.

    Again, I was getting ready to meet one of my clients, a new one at that. Unlike every other random clients I have, this one was like a big fish for me. We met at the clubst night and scheduled to meet today at his penthouse. I didn¡¯t get to see his face very well yesterday since it was in the night, but I could tell from the way he was dressed and from the expensive cologne that he was really wealthy, and trust me, I won¡¯t take chances as this was a big opportunity for me.

    Once I was done getting dressed, I checked myself in the mirror one more time before I finally left the room and headed out to the roadside where I waited for about three to five minutes before I was able to get a cab that took me to my destination.

    ¡°You can stop here now,¡± I said to the cabby just before we got to the penthouse I was going to, and he pulled over at the side of the road.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to him before he drove off, and I sighed briefly. I took my time to check myself out before I headed to the penthouse, showed the guards what my client asked me to show them, and was led into the house.

    My mouth dropped open as soon as I walked on, and trust me, it felt like I wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore. It was literally my first time being in a house like this, and I couldn¡¯t help, but drool.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± The guard that led me inside a moment ago said to me after he put a call through to someone, and I nodded my head.

    We took the elevator to the fifth floor where we got off and I was led to a room. Since I was always confident, I didn¡¯t feel so nervous.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± The man said to me once the door rolled open, and I smiled at him before I walked into therge room, and the door closed behind me.

    My mouth dropped open when I walked inside the room, because it looked like another on its own. It was thrice asrge as my room. The bed looked soft, the room was painted in golden color, the curtains were also golden and they looked extremely expensive. There were two sofas in the room, and a king-sized bed toplement it.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± I mumbled as I looked around since I didn¡¯t see the person I was supposed to meet, and just then, the bathroom door opened and he walked inside. My heart stopped beating for seconds as I watched the most handsome man my eyes has ever seen in my twenty-five years of existence. Although I¡¯ve seen him a couple of times on TV, but it was my first time seeing him in person. He was perfectly built with sexy abs, a broad chest, a chiseled face, a sharp jawline, long eyshes, thick eyebrows, sexy lips, thick eyebrows, raven hair that was curled on his head, and when he raised his gaze to look at me, my heart dropped at the sparkles in his eyes.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? I¡¯m ugly, yeah?¡± He scoffed as he walked past me, pulling me back to reality, and I scoffed silently. I mean, how the heck could he even ask me that? Ugly? Hell nah!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just got lost,¡± I apologized to him as I turned to find him sitting on the bed.

    ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s get down to business. I don¡¯t have much time to waste,¡± He uttered with a smirk on his lips as he stared at me.

    ¡°By the way, you look sexy,¡± He winked at me, and my heart almost stopped working.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself to you. You may need the name to moanter,¡± He winked at me as he stood up to his feet and covered the distance between us.

    ¡°My name is Connor Hughes¡­ Connor is moanable, yeah?¡± He bit my earlobe as he whispered in my ear, and my abdomen twitched as I felt adrenaline pumping hard in my body. Mr. Connor Hughes is the popr CEO of Connor Empire, apany that majors in modeling. We met at the clubst night, exchanged numbers after we had a drink together, and scheduled to meet up today, and here we are now.

    ¡°I like confident women, you know what I mean, right?¡± He winked at me as he tucked the strand of hair on my forehead, behind my ear.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way to the bathroom. Don¡¯t keep me waiting and make it snappy,¡± He winked at me once again before he went to sit on the bed, and I nodded before I headed into the bathroom.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus, Janice. You know why you are here, right? You are here for something important, so don¡¯t lose focus,¡± I pped my cheeks lightly as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, reminding myself what I came here for.

    After I showered, I walked back into the room in a white robe.

    ¡°So, are you ready now?¡± He was growing impatient as he stood up to his feet, and trust me, I wasn¡¯t surprised. All the clients I ever had were never themselves each time I was around them, and I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be an exception.

    ¡°I need to take my pill to avoid getting pregnantter. This is what I do always before sex,¡± I said to him, and he slowly nodded his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± He shrugged, and I nodded my head before I reached for the pill in my bag and threw it inside my mouth, gulping down some water afterward.

    ¡°Come here¡­ I will make you feel good,¡± I smiled at him as I ran my fingers down his chest, one of the sensitive body parts of men, and he reacted to it.

    He didn¡¯t fail to explore my body, kissing me roughly as if his life depended on it.

    The kiss was slowly growing intense when he suddenly pulled away from me and held his head as he winced in pain.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I gasped as I sat up on the bed.

    ¡°My head¡­ I¡¯m feeling dizzy,¡± He pped his forehead lightly, probably to keep himself awake, but I guess it didn¡¯t work as he ended up falling t on the bed and dozed off.

    ¡°Wow! That worked pretty fast,¡± I chuckled excitedly before I stood up from the bed and quickly got dressed. I searched the room for his valuables, and I was able to get a few jewelries, and some money from his cab.

    ¡°Shit! Where is this thing?¡± I mumbled frustratingly as I searched for his phone hurriedly. Getting caught here was as good as going to jail, and that was thest thing I wanted.

    ¡°Damnit!¡± I cursed under my breath when I couldn¡¯t find his phone, running my fingers through my hair. Just then, I heard the sound of a phone buzzing, and I managed to locate it.

    ¡®Mom¡¯ was disyed on the screen, and I nced at him sleeping peacefully. Wait! Is that a peaceful sleep? I think I¡¯m crazy. I watched as the call rang and ended. I tried to unlock the phone, but it needed a face ID.

    ¡°This is crazy. I don¡¯t want to get caught, please,¡± I whined frustratingly as I hurried over to the bed and turned his face up. Although it took a few minutes, I was able to unlock the phone with his face. Went through his chats, and once I was able to find his chats with his assistant, I texted him or her.

    ¡®I¡¯m done here, Lucas. Escort her outside¡¯ I sent the message to the Lucas guy before I dropped the phone and grabbed my bag, leaving the room afterward.

    ¡°Hi!¡± I smiled at the young man nervously as soon as I stepped out of the room since he was waiting for me there, but he peeped inside instead.

    ¡°Where is Mr. Connor?¡± He asked as he stared at me suspiciously.

    ¡°He is in the bathroom,¡± I replied to him, trying hard not to stutter, and he slowly nodded his head even though he didn¡¯t look entirely convinced.

    ¡°Alright. This way,¡± He finally led me away, following the same route we took here before, and soon, I was out of the penthouse.

    ¡°That was close,¡± I released the breath I¡¯d been holding unknowingly, before I picked race, running as fast as my legs could carry me, and soon, I was out of the street.

    My name is Janice Ramos, twenty-five years old youngdy trying to make ends meet. A jobless youngdy that has yet been rejected everywhere I have been to in a bid to find a job, a joblessdy who now depended on men to provide for her poor family. That is who I am.

    I finally stopped to catch my breath but then, I saw a truck driving in a full speed toward a woman in herte fifties at the other end of the road, making a call in front of her car. My eyes slowly narrowed in shock, and without thinking twice, I crossed to the other side since there were no vehicles around. Everything happened so fast that I didn¡¯t know how I ended up saving the woman as we fell roughly to the ground, and the truck collided with her car, smashing everything into pieces¡­

 Chapter 2

    Connor Hughes POV

    ¡°Get on your knees, bit*ch! That¡¯s what I¡¯m paying you for,¡± I snapped at the woman I had picked up from the club earlier to satisfy me on the bed¡­

    ¡­C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Turn around,¡± I said to her as I walked over to my nightstand and pulled out the drawer. I got a pack of co*ndo*ms from there, tore one out of it, and threw it at her.

    ¡°Do your job,¡± I said to her after I threw the rest on the nightstand.

    I am paying her for it, so it¡¯s her job to pleasure me and not the other way around.

    Guess what? It felt so fucking good.

    My heart hammered against my chest like it was going to explode¡­

    ¡­

    I pulled out the drawer of my nightstand and brought out a parcel of money.

    ¡°Take this and get out of my room,¡± I threw it at her then stood up and started to walk toward the bathroom.

    ¡°Are you going to pay me off just like that?¡± She asked, and I was forced to stop.

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯ste and I can¡¯t go out at this time,¡± She stated as she stood from the ground and dared to sit on my bed.

    ¡°Get your a*ss off my bed, now!¡± I snapped at her, and she flinched fearfully.

    ¡°You won¡¯t want me to repeat myself. Get your ass off my bed,¡± I snarled at her, and she quickly stood up this time.

    ¡°Sorry, but this is not a hotel where you can pass the night. I don¡¯t want to see you here when I get back,¡± and with that, I pulled the bathroom door open then walked inside and mmed the door behind me.

    Standing under the shower, I scoffed as the memories of what happened earlier today shed through my head.

    ¡°Wow! She must really be smart,¡± I had to admit it because that bitch yed a smart one on me. What the fuck came over me that made me gentle with her? It was the first time I was going to be like that toward my flings, and I was regretting it already. I shouldn¡¯t have ever done that.

    ¡°Ugh! My favorite watch,¡± I cursed angrily and ran my fingers through my wet hair.

    ¡°Wait till I get my hands on you,¡± I muttered and finally turned off the shower, then grabbed my towel from the rack and tied it around my waist. I walked back into my room and was impressed by the work of my maid. She already changed the bedspread.

    Sitting on the bed, I pulled out the drawer of my nightstand, and there was the pack of cigarettes lying there. I grabbed it took out a stick and lit it. I only smoke once in a while especially when I¡¯m disturbed or angry, but right now, I had no idea about what I was feeling. Whether I was angry or disturbed. I really could not tell.

    I reached for my phone and dialed my bodyguard¡¯s number, Lucas.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡±

    ¡°Come inside,¡± I disconnected the call immediately then tossed the phone on the bed, and resumed smoking.

    The doorbell rang minutester and I ushered whoever was at the door, in. It was Lucas.

    ¡°Greetings, boss,¡±

    ¡°Have you been able to find anything about the girl?¡± I asked him instead, ignoring his greetings because what the fuck was I supposed to do with it?

    ¡°Not yet, boss. I couldn¡¯t track the number you asked me to track. It seemed like it was disconnected immediately,¡± He exined to me, and I scoffed as I puffed smoke out of my mouth and nose. She is really smart and good at the games she ys. Not that I was expecting less, anyway.

    ¡°You can go,¡± I said to him, and he bowed slightly before he left my room, and I sighed. I felt enraged that a girl outsmarted me and made a fool of me. What the heck was I thinking?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you,¡± I stated because I was very sure of that even though I had no idea when, where, and how I was going to get her, but I was sure I would¡­

 Chapter 3

    Janice POV

    One week after the incident and still counting. I was expecting Mr. Connor to send the cops after me, but I guess I was lucky since there hasn¡¯t been anything like that.

    The sound of my ringing phone echoed in the room, and I couldn¡¯t help the smile thatced up my lips when I saw the caller. It was the woman I saved from getting hit by a truck one week ago. After the incident that day, she gave me her card and asked me to call her, which I did, and guess what? She invited me to her house and she is super wealthy. Her house looked like another on its own, and trust me, the image was still living rent-free in my head even after five days of being there. I wished to be there even if it was only once.

    ¡°Hey, Janice,¡± Her gentle voice sounded through the phone, and I smiled as I sat up on the bed.

    ¡°Hi, ma¡¯am. How have you been? Are your bruises gone now?¡± I asked her with concern. Well, I may be a bad person, but I¡¯m still nice, and I knew that.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, dear. They are gone now. Are you free to have lunch with us today? The thing is, my husband came back yesterday, and he wants to meet the person that saved me from getting hit by a truck. It¡¯ll be an honor if you cane over to have lunch with us,¡± She asked politely, and damn! I wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity for anything in the whole world. Who knows, maybe this would be my way of finally getting out of poverty and getting rid of this messed up life I was living.

    ¡°I can send my driver toe pick you up. All you have to do is tell me yes,¡± She was sounding convincing when I was already convinced from the moment she asked me that, because why not?

    ¡°Alright, ma¡¯am. I will send you my address,¡± I replied to her, and she thanked me before she ended the call.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too excited, Janice. It¡¯s just a lunch,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, but I couldn¡¯t still help the excitement that filled my heart from within, knowing I was going to be eating with wealthy people. At least, that would be enough tost me for a lifetime.

    How time flies? It was finally time for me to go there, and the driver was sent to pick me up. I have never imagined I would ever step foot into a private car since I have never done it all my life, let alone thetest SUV car.

    The drive to the mansion took about an hour, and I was led into the house when I arrived. I only got to see the woman thest time I was here, and she mentioned that none of her children was around, not even her husband.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    The house was still the same way it was thest time I was here. Large living room, big chandelier light hanging on the ceiling, expensive looking red couches, the walls were painted white color, the curtains looked expensive, and the center table was translucent and looked expensive. The house itself looks like those I¡¯ve seen in the movies that were usually owned by billionaires. As much as I wanted to admire the house, I tried topose myself.

    Soon, the woman came to join me along with her husband.

    ¡°Honey, she is the youngdy that saved me,¡± She introduced me to the man in histe fifties.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, and I¡¯m grateful for saving my wife,¡± He extended his hand for a handshake, which I quickly took, feeling ted. His hands were so soft like that of a newborn baby. His skin screamed nothing, but wealth, and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how much the cream he uses would cost. Five million dors? Ten million dors? I asked myself, but quickly dismissed the thoughts.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir. It¡¯s nice to meet you too,¡± I replied to him as I smiled nervously.

    ¡°Mommy, is she here yet?¡± I heard a masculine voice as thick footsteps descended the staircase, and my mouth dropped open in shock at the sight that weed me. When I saw Connor days back, I thought he was the most handsome man on earth, but seeing this young man that was perfectly built, I was starting to have second thoughts about what I said back there.

    ¡°Oh, hi! It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Carl,¡± He finally stood in front of me, and his smile was even perfect and contagious as he revealed his set of perfect dentitions. Now that I got to finally see what he looked like, he had a pair of charming brown eyes just like his mom, a pointed nose, smooth skin, thick eyebrows, sexy lips, and finally brown shady hair that was curled on his head with some strands on his forehead. He was literally the definition of perfection.

    ¡°Oh, hi! I¡¯m Janice,¡± I finally managed to pull out of my dreand, taking his hand that was extended for a handshake.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s here?¡± Came another voice, and I snapped my head in the direction to see the young man that just walked in. He looked like he was the same age as me, and trust me, I was starting to hyperventte because of how good-looking they all were. Does this run in their family?

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Chase,¡± He introduced himself to me once he was standing in front of me, and I slowly nodded my head as I took his hand that he extended for a handshake.

    ¡°You are pretty, I must confess,¡± He winked at me as he smiled creepily, making me more nervous.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I nodded my head as I watched him walk over to the dining room.

    ¡°Wow! Nobody called me that Miss Janice is here,¡± A girl of about eighteen years old said as she walked into the living room. With the striking resemnce between him and this woman, I didn¡¯t need to be told that she would be her daughter. She also looked extremely beautiful with her brown eyes, smooth and light skin, long brown hair that has some strands on her forehead, pointed nose, sharp jawline, small pink lips, thick eyebrows, and finally long natural eyshes. They were making me feel insecure about my look, I was suddenly starting to feel like I¡¯m an ugly bitch.

    ¡°Stay calm, Janice. You are being crazy right now,¡± I said to myself as I tried to stay calm, and I couldn¡¯t be happier that it worked.

    ¡°So, tell me about yourself,¡± The Carl guy broke the awkward silence as we ate in the dining room minutester, and I almost choked on my food, but I was able to control it.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked my eyes rapidly as I raised my gaze to look at him, and he was staring at me. I looked around, and they were all looking at me weirdly, probably waiting for me to spill the beans, and for some seconds, I was starting to regreting here in the first ce.

    ¡°Me? Well, nothing to know about me. I¡¯m just a random girl,¡± I know my answer was a little bit dumb, but there was really nothing interesting to know about me. What would I possibly tell him? I¡¯m someone from a poor family struggling to make ends meet and depending on duping men for survival? Will that even make any sense? So it was better to just shut it since I wasn¡¯t living a proud life anyway.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Ok. Well, I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know you more. Who knows, we could get acquainted with each other, and see what the future has in store for us. You are a pretty youngdy, and I think I like you,¡± His gut and straightforwardness were daring and also nice. I mean, I like straightforward people. Still, I almost choked on my food. Is this like him confessing his feelings to me? That¡¯s crazy. I mean, we were meeting for the first time, right? Well, it would be a jackpot for me if he really likes me. I mean, being with a real wealthy man has always been my dream, anyway.

    Regardless, I just smiled at him weirdly.

    ¡°Oh, son¡­ You¡¯re home?¡± The woman suddenly said, and I trailed her gaze to see the shock of my life. The man standing over there was the same man I met at the penthouse, Connor Hughes. Yes, the one I drugged and stole money from. My heart sank into my stomach and I swallowed nothing as I turned my face away. I could feel my heart beating rapidly against my chest, my body suddenly got so hot that I could literally feel it burning.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I asked myself, trying to get the pieces together, and now, everything was making sense to me although it was already toote. I could still recall the woman introducing herself to me earlier as Mrs. Hughes, but I was so clueless that I didn¡¯t think about it. Damn! I think I¡¯m doomed.

    ¡°Are you noting to join us?¡± I heard Mrs. Hughes ask him, and I prayed he said no and leave.

    ¡°No, Mom. I¡¯m a bit tired, so I need to rest¡­¡±

    ¡°At least, meet thedy I was telling you about. The one that saved my life,¡± At this point, I felt like disappearing into the air.

    ¡°Oh, hi!¡± I heard him say simply, and I sighed briefly, thinking he would leave afterward.

    ¡°Come on, Connor. Come and say hi to her. She is lovely,¡± I almost jumped out of my skin when his mom said that.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Connor,¡± His dad chipped in, and oh hell! I knew that I¡¯m done for.

    ¡°Janice dear, say hi to Connor, our first son,¡± She finally introduced us, and silence assumed the atmosphere for seconds.

    ¡°Janice? That name¡­ Janice¡­ Hey, can I see your face?¡± I heard him say, and I shut my eyes tightly as the realization dawned on me that I was caught already.

    Left with no choice now, I stood up and took a deep breath, turning to face him afterward, and the expression on his face as soon as he saw my face showed that he already caught me.

    ¡°You?¡± His eyes narrowed as he pointed his index finger at me, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°What a small world. I finally caught you,¡± He scoffed as he pointed his finger at me.

    ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± They all asked at the same time, and I cleared my throat. Getting caught has never been in my dictionary, so I needed toe up with something to save myself from this humiliation.

    ¡°Of course, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Have we met before?¡± I asked him, and he raised his eyebrows as he stared at me in shock.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what do you mean by that? You are not just a thief but a liar too?¡± He scoffed as he walked over to the dining room now.

    ¡°Excuse you? Me? Thief? Liar? What are you talking about?¡± I pulled a puzzled look. My heart was hammering against my chest, and my body was slightly shaking, but still, I needed to defend myself. Looking like a bad person in front of these people was thest thing I wanted.

    ¡°You really are a crazy bitch, you know? You dare to deny knowing me after you stole my jewelries and money?¡± He snapped at me this time, and I flinched because he was looking all scary now.

    ¡°What are you saying, Connor?¡± His Mom snapped at him.

    ¡°Stay out of this, Mom! Everyone, stay out of this! She knows what I¡¯m talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°This is crazy and embarrassing¡­¡± I scoffed as a drop of tears slid down my cheek.

    ¡°Just because you are wealthy doesn¡¯t give you the right to talk to me in that manner and use me of what I know nothing about when we¡¯ve not even met each other before!¡± I yelled at him this time as more tears streamed down my cheeks.

    ¡°Are you crying?¡± He scoffed as he blinked his eyes unbelievably.

    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m out of here,¡± I wiped my tears then grabbed my purse from the table before I stormed out of the dining room, ignoring them as they kept calling me.

    ¡°That was close,¡± I released a deep breath once I was out of the gate¡­

 Chapter 4

    Connor Hughes

    ¡®Excuse me, do I know you?¡¯ I scoffed angrily and slumped on the bed as her words echoed in my head once again. Making me look like a fool out there was the height of it all. After she stole from me, she think she could get away with it by just pretending not to know who I am?

    ¡°Ugh!¡± I groaned as I sank my fingers into my hair, trying to cool off, but it only got worse.

    The door suddenly burst open, and I sprang up to my feet to see Mom inside.

    ¡°What the hell was that, Connor? What hase over you?¡± She snapped at me angrily as she red at me, and I huffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡± I asked even though I knew what she was on about.

    ¡°What am I saying? How could you embarrass my guest like that? The whole family owes that youngdy everything for saving my life. I would¡¯ve been gone by now if not for her¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what the hell was that? using her of stealing something from you. Where the hell could you two have met?¡± She snapped at me once again, and I groaned as I ran my fingers through my hair frustratingly.

    ¡°Mom! Do you think I¡¯m lying? That girl¡­ We met at the club about ten days ago, we exchanged numbers, scheduled a day to meet, and she fucking drugged me and made away with my money and jewelries¡­¡±

    ¡°Just shut it, Connor! What the hell is wrong with you? What if she wasn¡¯t the one? She wouldn¡¯t have been so confident telling you she didn¡¯t know you if she has met you before. Just stop this!¡± Again, she snapped at me, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Mom, she was just pretending¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem like there was something I could say to convince her, because she seemed to have been brainwashed by that bitch. What the hell was I even expecting from a thief and a prostitute? She would definitely be a pro at lying, so I shouldn¡¯t have expected less.

    ¡°Show me proof that she did it. Just show me the proof that she did that to you!¡± She demanded, and I sighed briefly since I didn¡¯t have any proof with me. Showing her the phone number was pointless since she has deactivated it. I tried to reach her that day, but her line was said to have not been allocated. The money wasn¡¯t much, but showing up here and acting all innocent was already driving me nuts that the thought of it made me want to strangle her.

    ¡°Just forget it, Mom,¡± I mumbled as I sat on the bed, and she scoffed.

    ¡°I am going to call her, and you are going to apologize to her for being like that, ok?¡± She said, and I was forced to raise my gaze to look at her.

    ¡°Mom, are you kidding me? I should apologize to that girl?¡± I scoffed because there was no way I was ever going to do that.

    ¡°Yes, you need to apologize to her,¡± She repeated as she took her phone and started scrolling through it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to her, Mom. Why the fuck should I do that?¡± I didn¡¯t want to raise my voice at her, so I was still calm, but who said my stubborn mom would budge? This is how she has always been. Whenever she was determined to do something, the only person that could always change her mind is Dad, and I guess it should be because of the respect she had for him as her husband.

    ¡°Hey, dear¡­ I¡¯m sorry about what happened. My son was just being a jerk. I will give the phone so he can apologize to you now,¡± I watched as she said on the phone before she handed it to me, and I took it from her hesitantly.

    ¡°Apologize, now!¡± She whispered as she held her neck which meant that she was going to strangle me if I didn¡¯t do what she wanted me to.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± I forced those words out of my mouth, and I heard her scoff.

    ¡°You are wee,¡± I could imagine the look on her face with the reply she gave me, and it only made me boil in rage.

    ¡°I will talk to youter, dear,¡± She said on the phone before she ended the call.

    ¡°You should be grateful to the person that saved your mom¡¯s life. Don¡¯t be a jerk,¡± She said to me before she finally left my room, and I released a deep sigh.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    My name is Connor Hughes, thirty-five years old first live-in son of the popr multi-billionaire in LA, Mr. Derek Hughes. Being the first son of the family, you can imagine the burden on me, right? I¡¯m a depressed man hiding under the cover of being a billionaire. I am broken inside, and trying to heal from the pain of years ago that has turned me into a bitter man up until now.

    Yeah, I own a modelingpany that is doing well, and I have billions as-worth, but then, I wasn¡¯t allowed to live alone because my overprotective mom was worried about me getting hurt or doing something crazy to myself after the shit that happened to me years ago.

    Aside from my family, nobody else knew that this young man here was always depressed. I didn¡¯t want people to feel that I was being pathetic, and the only way I could avoid that was to keep the pain to myself and act like everything was fine.

    Pushing all my thoughts away, I stood up from the bed and stormed into the bathroom where I had a short bath, walked back into the room, and got dressed before I left the house, heading to the club since it was Thursday night.

    Arriving at the club about thirty minutester, I headed straight to the VIP club where I always stay whenever I came to the bar, drinking and smoking my life away while trying to clear my head of the mess that happened earlier.

    ¡°Hi, handsome. Can I sit with you?¡± I raised my gaze to find red haired sexy youngdy grinning at me from ear to ear.

    ¡°Should we get a room instead, huh?¡± I asked her as I stood up to my feet, and gulped down the content of the cup before I dropped it on the table, turning to face her.

    ¡°Wow! I like straightforward men, and of course, we can get a room,¡± She smiled at me seductively, but I wasn¡¯t interested in all that now. The only thing I wanted was toy a b*it*ch here and maybe I would feel better after that, who knows?

    Walking into the VIP room that was always reserved for prestigious people like myself, she pushed me lightly and I crashed against the wall,ing at me with full force afterward as she imed my lips while kissing roughly as if she was going to lose her mind anytime soon. Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting less. I mean, any woman would go crazy whenever they see me.

    ¡°Sorry, I always like taking charge instead,¡± I smirked at her as I led her to the bed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have all the time in the world. Let¡¯s get down to business,¡± I muttered as I unbuckled my bet.

    ¡­

    She stood up afterward, trying to kiss me.

    ¡°Oops! Sorry, but I don¡¯t involve in kissing¡­¡± I said to her.

    ¡°That reminds me¡­ My name is Connor¡­ You might need itter in case you want to moan my name,¡± That¡¯s what I always say to the numerous girls I¡¯ve slept with in the past. I mean, if they were going to have fun, they should at least know my name. I just felt like my name is sexy and moanable. So, saying that was just like my signature.

    ¡­

    ¡®Excuse me, do I know you?¡¯ I thought I was able to get those annoying words off my head, but remembering how she made me look like a fool in the presence of my parents and my siblings, the thought of apologizing to her afterward. Just everything was driving me nuts that I thought I was going to lose my mind. I¡¯m going to make her pay for what she did. She won¡¯t go scot-free¡­

 Chapter 5

    Janice POVThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I got dressed for the date I¡¯m having with Carl tonight. After the incident that day, me and Carl have kept in touch, and we¡¯ve hung out for some time. I was able to take care of Connor, and I know if I continue to deny knowing him, everything will be cool.

    My phone beeped, and I checked to see that it was a text from Carl.

    ¡®I¡¯m waiting for you outside¡¯ After reading his message, I checked myself out in the mirror one more time to be sure I was good to go, leaving my apartment afterward. I live in a one-room t apartment since I lived alone.

    I soon got outside where I met his car parked at the front of my house, and I got in.

    ¡°Did I keep you waiting?¡± I asked him as I fastened my seatbelt, but he shook his head as he smiled at me.

    ¡°Not really. You look gorgeous,¡± Heplimented me, and I smiled at him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied to him before the drive started. The drive to the fancy restaurant was peaceful and silent, and we soon arrived. Since the reservation has already been done before we came, we just went to sit at the spot that was reserved for us. The table was filled with varieties of food, and they all looked so expensive and delicious that I found myself salivating at the sight of them. You wouldn¡¯t me me, right? Where would I have money to afford such? So, it was my first time eating such food.

    We ate silently, and I tried to caution myself while eating. We were soon done with eating, and we started chatting.

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for some time now, Janice. Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, since I¡¯m always straightforward¡­¡± He paused and took a deep breath before he took my hand, and I raised my eyebrows, wondering what he was on about.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get married,¡± He said after a long silence, and my eyes slowly narrowed in shock.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked my eyes rapidly, and he sighed.

    ¡°I know this is so sudden, and it doesn¡¯t make sense, but it¡¯s what I want. Can you give us a chance, please?¡± This was like a dreame true for me as it has always been what I ever wanted. Getting married into a real wealthy family has always been my dream, regardless of how I feel about the man. You can call me a gold digger, I wouldn¡¯t mind. Besides, that is who I have always been. What would you call someone that loves money so much more than herself, and would even do the unthinkable because of money? I am a gold digger.

    ¡°Can you give us a chance, please?¡± He asked for the second time as he squeezed my hands gently, but I was far gone. Thought of how I would finally get to live the luxurious life I¡¯ve always dreamt of, how I would buy expensive things and live in a beautiful mansion. I couldn¡¯t help the excitement that filled my heart, but showing him that I¡¯d been waiting for this, was thest thing on my mind.

    ¡°What about Connor?¡± My subconscious mind asked me, and I scoffed silently as I rolled my eyes mentally. It¡¯s going to be difficult, especially going to live under the same roof with him as his brother¡¯s wife, but that family seemed to like me, so I would be favored. All I had to doter is keep denying knowing him no matter the amount of pressure he puts on me.

    ¡°I will give you some time to think about it,¡± He said when I didn¡¯t reply to him, and I slowly nodded my head. I wanted to tell him right away that I would marry him, but that would only make me look stupid.

    The date was finally over, and he went to drop me off at home.

    ¡°I will be expecting to hear from you,¡± He said to me before he finally hopped inside his car and drove off after I nodded my head.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold in my excitement anymore, so I jumped out and did some dancing before I finally headed to my apartment, throwing myself on the bed tiredly as soon as I walked in.

    ¡°I¡¯m so excited. This is a dreame true for me,¡± I giggled excitedly one more time before I finally stood up and stripped out of my clothes, heading to the bathroom to have a long and rxing bath.

    As I walked back into my room minutester, I met my phone screen light on, and I picked it up, unlocking it. A message from Mrs. Hughes popped on the screen, and I was a bit nervous as I opened it, but my face however beamed at the sight that weed me.

    ¡®Hey, dear. I was going to meet you earlier to talk to you, but he said he wanted to do it instead so it won¡¯t look awkward. I would be d to have you in my family, and I hope you would give him a positive reply. You cane over to the mansion tomorrow to have lunch with us¡¯ I felt on top of the world as I read the message over and over again, and I didn¡¯t need to be told that my prayers for years has just been answered. I just won a jackpot.

    ¡®I¡¯ve thought about it, ma¡¯am. I will marry him¡¯ This is way too fast, but I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. What if he changed his mind? I would be the one at a loss, you know?

    As if she has been waiting for my message, her message popped on my phone almost immediately, expressing her gratitude as if I was doing them a favor once again. Well, it didn¡¯t matter if I was or not, but what mattered is that my dream has finallye true.

    My phone beeped, and a message from my little brother popped on the screen.

    ¡®Sis, we haven¡¯t heard from you in a while. I¡¯m missing you here. Mom asked to tell you that our house rent is due, and thendlord is threatening to throw us out. Also, the principal talked about our school fees when I went to school earlier today, and he threatened that I won¡¯t write exams if I don¡¯t bring it within three days¡¯ This is the message I get often, which always left me asking myself when all these shits will be over. I have a family out there that depends on me for a living, I provide for them.

    I sighed briefly and went ahead to send them thest money in my ount which was about twenty thousand dors, even though it won¡¯t be enough to pay their rent for a whole year and still pay for Jack¡¯s school fees.

    ¡®That is all I have for now. I will try to send more when I raise some money. Take care of Mom and Dad, and be a good boy¡¯ I sent him the message before I tossed my phone on the bed and sank my fingers into my hair. It has always been my dream to have my family around me when I¡¯m getting married, but I didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea in this case. I wasn¡¯t going to marry Carl because I love him, but because of his money, and I n to get out of there and disappear forever as soon as I get as much money as I want from them. That is the n, and I just hope it turns out wellter¡­

 Chapter 6

    Two weekster

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°What do you mean, Mom? How could you even ask me to do that?¡± I scoffed angrily, and she sighed.

    ¡°Connor, please you need to do this for my sake. We can¡¯t just stand her there and show up for the wedding. It won¡¯t make any sense, please,¡± She pleaded with me, trying to sound as convincing as she could, but that was thest thing I would do. How the heck could she ask me to stand in as that bitch¡¯s groom because Carl ran away? Well, today was supposed to be Carl and Janice¡¯s wedding, but the jerk was nowhere to be found now, and they said that he wrote a letter that he was no longer interested in the wedding.

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have started this in the first ce if he wasn¡¯t interested in marrying her, and besides¡­ I¡¯m not your only son, am I? You can ask Chase to stand in as the groom, mom. I¡¯m not interested in that,¡± I stood my ground as I sat on the bed, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t give up no matter how much I tried to make him do it.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take you anything to do this, Connor. Our family¡¯s reputation is at stake here, so you need to save us from this. Your dad is losing it, and he is really so mad right now. Can you please do this for us, please,¡± She pleaded once again, and I groaned as I sank my fingers into my hair and grabbed a handful of it frustratingly.

    ¡°Ugh! Mom! You are driving me crazy,¡± I mumbled as I ran my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°Connor, please¡­ My son¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s ok, I will do it,¡± I didn¡¯t have any choice, so I ended up agreeing to do what she wants. Besides, she always get whatever she wanted. Having a persistent mom is sometimes sweet, but trust me, my mom¡¯s persistence was nothing close to sweetness. She always had her way of making us do whatever she wanted by just pulling the innocent face and acting like she would break down in tears anytime soon.

    ¡°Really? Thank you so much, son. I love you,¡± She squeaked excitedly, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°I will go ask the maid to bring you the dress for the wedding. Make sure you look cute as always,¡± She winked at me before she finally left my room, and I released a deep breath. I didn¡¯t imagine that a day like this would evere. For someone who has made up his mind to stay single and fuck bitches forever, this was sudden and weird, but I didn¡¯t seem to have any choice at this point. I wasn¡¯t nning to attend the wedding, but now the table has turned around, and I would be the groom. How crazy and weird?

    Pushing all the thoughts to the back of my mind, I stood up from bed and dragged myself to the bathroom, had a quick bath, and came back to the room where I met a set of suits on my bed. It has a flower on it, and a pair of white gloves too. A new pair of ck shoes were beside the bed, and I rolled my eyes angrily.

    It took me about thirty minutes before I was done getting ready for the damn wedding, and once I was done, I headed downstairs to join my family. They looked so excited, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Look at you, brother. You look so cute. If you were another person, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to get married to you right away. Oh, my days! My chest. Did my heart just flutter?¡± ire whined as she held her chest, and I couldn¡¯t help but crack. She always had her way of making me smile, and trust me, I love her so much. She and Chase are my favorite siblings, and Carl? Well, we haven¡¯t been on good terms for years now, and trust me, you wouldn¡¯t want to know what transpired between us, because you would be disgusted.

    ¡°Should we take a picture together?¡± Chase asked, but I rolled my eyes and walked past him. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to take a picture now, because I was still angry.

    The drive to the vi where the wedding was supposed to hold didn¡¯t take much time before I arrived, and since my family was driving behind me, they arrived soon too.

    The vi was filled with many prestigious people. I guess Mom must¡¯ve taken her time to invite them to her so-called son¡¯s wedding.

    The wedding soon started, and soon, I was standing in front of the altar, while waiting for my supposed bride to show up. The imagination of the look on her face when she realized she would be getting married to me, shed through my mind, and I couldn¡¯t help the smirk thatced up my lips. Just as this was disgusting for me to marry her, it was also a bit in my favor knowing that I would have all the opportunity in the world to make her pay for what she has done to me. I would make sure that this wedding will be a pit of hell for her.

    She soon showed up minutester, dressed beautifully in a wedding gown. Her hair was styled, and although she was still far from me, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how elegant and beautiful she looked. I wouldn¡¯t lie, Janice was one he beautiful youngdy, but that didn¡¯t mean I like her, anyway.

    The crowd apuded her as she counted her step down the aisle and toward me, but she stopped on her track and her face dropped when she saw me standing at the alter.

    I smirked as I walked down her, and extended my hand to take her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m your new groom, Janice. Give me your hand, and don¡¯t do something stupid,¡± I whispered to her while grinning from ear to ear, and I bet she was terrified with the look on her face. Well, she should be terrified, because the future has something terrible in store for her, or should I just say I have something terrible in store for her? Well, either way, she needed to really be terrified.

    Her hand trembled as she gently ced it on mine, and I kissed the back of it, earning loud apuse from the crowd, before I lead her to the altar.

    ¡°We will begin now since the bride is here,¡± The bishop said as we were both standing in from of the alter now, facing each other. I could only describe the look on her face to be that of shock, confusion, and fear, and I enjoyed every bit of fear in her. Seeing that look on her face, somehow made me satisfied.

    The wedding soon started. We exchanged the wedding vow and the rings.

    ¡°By the power vested on me, I pronounce you two husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,¡± The bishop uttered, and I took a step closer to her since she didn¡¯t look like she was interested in kissing me.

    ¡°I forgot to tell you this. You look gorgeous, wife,¡± I whispered and smirked at her. I pulled her close to myself gently and imed her lips. Her lips were so sweet thest time we kissed back at my penthouse, and her breath smelt really nice, so why the fuck would I not kiss her? Besides, we were married now¡­Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 7

    Janice POV

    My heart pounded hard against my chest as I sat on the edge of the bed while listening to the sound of the running shower. Many thoughts ran through my mind, and I couldn¡¯t help but shake nervously. My life took another turn for the worse in a space of seconds.

    ¡°Ugh! What do I do? I can¡¯t stay here. He is going to kill me if I stay here as his wife,¡± I mumbled as I ruffled my hair crazily as I sprang up and paced restlessly in the room, thinking of any possible solution, but I couldn¡¯t think straight ore up with anything as my head was nk.

    I hurried over to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked from inside and the key was not even inside.

    ¡°Damnit!¡± I cursed under my breath as my heart sank into my stomach. The shower finally stopped running, and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that he would be out soon, and that only made me more terrified.

    As expected, the bathroom door finally opened, but I turned my back to him sharply when I spotted him walk into the room with just his brief on, and he had a big bulge down there. My breath hitched for seconds.

    ¡°What are you doing? Are you ying innocent now?¡± I heard him scoff, and I took a deep breath, turning to face him. I went on my knees.

    ¡°Forgive me, Sir. I won¡¯t ever do such a thing again. I promise to change if you let me off just this once, please. We can¡¯t do this,¡± This may be fruitless, but still, I needed to try my luck with him.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? I thought you said you don¡¯t know me. Did you do something wrong to someone you have never met before? What are you apologizing for?¡± He mocked me as he went to sit on the bed.

    ¡°Please¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I will tender another apology in front of your family if you want. Please give me another chance,¡± Again, I pleaded with him, hoping it works out, but deep inside me, I was very sure he won¡¯t listen to my plea, but still, trying my luck wouldn¡¯t harm, right?

    ¡°What makes you think that I will do what you want? After making me look like a fool, you dare to say those trash to me. Do you want to die?¡± He yelled at me, and I flinched fearfully. All this time, I couldn¡¯t even raise my gaze to look at him. I may pee on my body if I dared to look him in the eyes.

    ¡°¡®Who are you, please? Have we met before?¡¯ What did you say again? ¡®The fact that you are wealthy doesn¡¯t mean you can treat me the way you like, using me of stealing from you¡¯. Ugh! Thinking about it is making me so mad,¡± He huffed as he threw his head back, and I sighed.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever do that again¡­¡±

    ¡°How many men have fallen victim? How many men have you duped? You are only twenty-five for fuck¡¯s sake, who knows how long you¡¯ve been like this? This is unbelievable,¡± He bit his bottom lip since I was looking at him now.

    ¡°You are so annoying, and I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson. You messed with the wrong guy, and you are going to taste the consequence of it¡­¡± He paused and stood up.

    ¡°Stand up,¡± He uttered, and I quickly stood up to my feet.

    ¡°Go inside the bathroom and shower. Come join me on the bed after, and don¡¯t you dare keep me waiting. If you aren¡¯t shaved down there, make sure you do it. Your pubic hair is going to get me injured if you don¡¯t shave,¡± He uttered sarcastically as if those words meant nothing, and I gasped sharply as I quickly covered myself with my hands foolishly.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I itched my ears to be sure I heard him right, but he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I told you not to keep me waiting for long, wife. You wouldn¡¯t want to see the ugly side of me¡­¡± He paused and covered the distance between us, then tucked the strands of hair on my forehead behind my ear, and I gulped down the lump that formed in my throat.

    ¡°We have a long night ahead of us. If you want to sleep early, you should be fast abouting back,¡± He winked at me, and my jaw dropped.

    ¡°No¡­ You¡­ you can¡¯t do that. We¡­ we¡­¡±

    ¡°We are married, so why can¡¯t I have sex with my wife, huh?¡± He raised his eyebrows as he searched my eyes for an answer, Buti quickly stepped away from him.

    ¡°Make sure you shave your armpits too if you have hair there. Spray some nice perfumes, and smell nice for your husband,¡± He winked at me before he went to sit on the bed.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I give you ten seconds to go into the bathroom,¡± He further uttered when it didn¡¯t seem like I was going to leave the room anytime soon, and this time, I was finally forced to go into the bathroom.

    As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, tears brimmed in my eyes, and they came falling freely down my cheeks afterward. It has been a while since Ist did this, but it seemed like it was the only way to let out my pain this time. I had nobody to talk to, so maybe crying my eyes out would make me feel better, even though I knew deep inside me that it won¡¯t.

    ¡°Can I be given one more chance, please? Just one more chance, and I promise not to ever do this again. I will lead a decent life after,¡± I whispered as more tears found their way down my cheeks, but I guess it was already toote to be given another chance. I knew I was doomed now.

    Who would¡¯ve ever thought my life would end up like this,ing to LA? I thought I would live a better life here, I thought the pain from my past would go away, but here I was today, yet in another trouble that mayst me for a lifetime.

    Living in Marnd with my parents and my kid bro, life became hard for us after Dad was met with an ident that had him confined to a wheelchair, and my mom, who was only a petty trader then, spent everything she had, and we even had to take loans from people so my Dad would be fine. I was in my finals then in high school, and since we couldn¡¯t afford my tuition fee, I had to drop out, and that was the end of me being a student, up until now.

    The responsibility of the family shifted on me when my mom couldn¡¯t provide for us, and at sixteen, I had to take on many jobs, but it was never helpful. Two yearster, I thought my life and that of my family would change forever after my mom¡¯s friend took me to LA to stay with her, with the promise of sending me to school and getting me a part-time job so I could support my family, but I was deceived. I got to LA, and became her house-help instead. She never gave me a dime, and two yearster, I finally had the courage to move out of the house, slept in the street for three months straight before I started this horrible business that ended me up here.

    ¡°Are you out going to stay there forever?¡± My heart skipped when I heard his voice from the room, and I took a deep breath. I guess this is the fate I would eventually have to embrace. Not that it was something I could change, anyway.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, Janice. You have to think about the life you would¡¯ve lived if you had married Carl. You can still make it happen. Don¡¯t be too sad,¡± I assured myself and sighed deeply as I threw my head back.

    After I had bathed, I wore the white robe I found in the bathroom, then took a deep breath before I walked back into the room where I met him sitting on the bed. He stood up as soon as I walked inside.

    ¡°So, are you ready?¡± He asked, his lips wereced with a mischievous smirk, but I only stared at him.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you are really cute. I didn¡¯t get to see you well before you drugged me that day. You look sexy, and you know what I like most about you? You are a good kisser, and I love women that are good at kissing,¡± He finally covered the distance between us.

    ¡°You smell nice, and it makes me want to explore your body,¡± He winked at me and bit his bottom lip, leaning forward and iming my lips, but I only stood like a statue while he did the kissing alone.

    ¡°Make it fun, and reciprocate the kiss. Don¡¯t make our first night boring,¡± He hushed against my lips as he pulled me close to his body now, his hands were wrapped around my waist, rubbing it gently until he got to my ass, and smacked them.

    ¡°You have a pretty nice ass down there,¡± Hemended as he trailed kisses down my cheeks to my neck, and when he got to the sensitive spot in my neck, he grazed it with his teeth, and this time, I was forced to react, since it was always my weak point.

    ¡°Yeah! Now, I got you,¡± He pulled away from me and chuckled softly.

    ¡°I just wanted to discover your weak point, and I guess I got one already. Let¡¯s go to sleep. I¡¯m tired, and I guess you should be too,¡± He winked at me once again before he stepped away from me, and I sighed angrily. Why the fuck did I react to that? I was so mad at myself for being such a fool, but then, it wasn¡¯t my fault¡­

 Chapter 8

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Carl snapped angrily as he sent a punch hard to my face as soon as I walked into the living room, and I scoffed unbelievably as I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°How dare you bastard! How dare you!¡± Be roared again as he grabbed me by the cor of my shirt and punched me hard in the face for the second time, but I only smirked at him.

    ¡°How does it feel, brother? Did you enjoy it, huh?¡± I smirked at him after I yanked his hands off my cor, adjusting my clothes.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± He snapped again as he grabbed my cor again, but this time, I retaliated and punched him hard in the face, sending him staggering back.

    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± Mom shrieked as she finally showed up with the kids, since Dad traveled immediately after the wedding yesterday. Mom gasped sharply and stopped on her track when she found Carl standing with me.

    ¡°Carl! Where the hell were you? How dare you run away from your wedding? You were the one that asked her to be your wife, how could you have stood her up and ran away?¡± Mom snapped at him angrily, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your son,¡± Mom turned to me after she heard that from him, giving me a look that asked for an exnation, but I only scoffed and turned my face away.

    ¡°Can someone tell me what the hell is happening, huh?¡± Mom yelled as she was getting frustrated.

    ¡°Can you speak up, Connor? What the hell is Carl saying?¡± ire yelled at me.

    ¡°You should speak up, brother. What if he talking about?¡± Chase asked too, everyone getting curious.

    ¡°Well, if he is not going to talk, then I guess I would have to say it myself. This bastard here had me abducted yesterday for some reason best known to him,¡± Carl finally exined, and everyone gasped.

    ¡°Connor!¡± Mom gasped again, and I sighed briefly. Yes, you heard that right. Carl and I haven¡¯t been on good terms for the past few years, but I have been keeping up with him because of my parents and my siblings. Everything was nned by me. I had him abducted and made a fake note saying he never liked Janice, because I wanted to take my revenge. You would ask, what the hell happened between us in the past that would make me do that to my brother, yeah? Well, you would know he really deserved what I did to him after you find out about what he did to me.

    ¡°Did¡­ did you really do it, Connor? Tell me Carl is joking,¡± Mom turned to me and stuttered as she covered her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°Why should I deny it? I did it, and I will do it, over and over again!¡± Those were the only words Mom needed to send a hot p across my cheek.

    ¡°How dare you do that to your brother? Have you lost your mind?¡± She yelled at me as tears brimmed in her eyes. The pain in her eyes was evidence of the one she must be feeling inside, as much as it hurts to see her like that, I still didn¡¯t regret what I did, and I will do it over and over again.

    ¡°Why? He can hurt me but I can¡¯t do the same to him?¡± I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I tucked my hands inside my pockets.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Connor!¡±

    ¡°What? Do you know the pain he made pass through? Do you know what I had to endure seeing the one that betrayed me every day? Do you know how hard I tried to endure this all those years and eating with the bastard that doesn¡¯t even deserve to be called my brother¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to forget everything! I told you to let go of the past and live happily with¡­¡±

    ¡°You are saying that as if it¡¯s easy to do! Have you ever been betrayed by the person you trusted the most? If you have ever been treated like that, then you would understand the pain I¡¯ve been passing through!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice at Mom this time because I was already losing it.

    ¡°Still, he is your brother¡­¡±

    ¡°And that is the only reason why I didn¡¯t kill him that day. If he weren¡¯t my brother and it were to be someone else, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to kill him and go to jail! That is why he is still alive because he is my brother!¡± I reminded my mom, and she huffed as the tears in her eyes finally found their way down her cheeks. I wished I couldfort her, but I was hurt, myself. My heart was broken into pieces, and my blood was boiling in rage as the thirst for vengeance wouldn¡¯t stop trying to take control of me, but then, I had to suppress it.

    ¡°How could you do this to me, Connor? I told you it was my mistake¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have ever done that to you, how could you still do this to me? Was holding grudges against me not enough? Why the hell would you go to this length to make me miserable?¡± I watched as tears streamed down Carl¡¯s eyes, and seeing him like this made me so satisfied. I remembered asking him the same question. I asked him why he had to do this to me, I asked why it had to be him of all people, I was broken, I cried and thought of ending things forever, but I had to keep staying alive.

    ¡°Why? You know why, Carl. Do you really think that I will fold my arms and watch you get married and live happily ever after when I can¡¯t even find happiness? Do you think I will be so foolish to do that? If I am going to stay miserable, then I won¡¯t be alone in this, Carl. You caused this after all, so you should take responsibility,¡± I smirked at him before I turned to leave.

    ¡°You would have to let her go, Connor. Janice¡­ You can¡¯t marry her. Carl liked her first, asked to marry her first, and she agreed to marry him first. You have to let her go. She needs to marry Carl, and not you, Connor,¡± Mom finally said while looking away, and I scoffed.

    ¡°And what makes you think that I will let her go, Mom? What makes you think that I will give her up for Carl?¡± I scoffed unbelievably, and she finally rose to her feet since she was sitting on the couch all this while

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t even like her! This marriage was built on revenge. Look at me, son¡­¡± She paused and came to stand in front of me, holding my cheeks in her palms as she stared into my eyes.

    ¡°Please, do this for me. I will forever be grateful. I know you are hurt, but you can¡¯t do this, ok? Just let her go,¡± She pleaded with me, but I sighed and gently removed her hands from my cheeks.

    ¡°Yes, he saw her first, asked her out first, and she agreed to be with him first. I don¡¯t like her, but I¡¯m going to keep her with me. I¡¯m sorry, Mom, but I would have to disobey you this time. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied to her before I finally turned to go upstairs, but I paused when I found Janice on the staircase.

    She was staring at me. I ignored her and headed to my room¡­

 Chapter 9

    Janice POV

    I scoffed for the fifth time as I stood in the garden with my hands on my waist. The view here was supposed to be called beautiful, but I couldn¡¯t even think of that because of the shit going on in my head.

    ¡°Ugh! That guy is a real bastard. So this wasn¡¯t because of me, but his brother? How could he get me involved, huh?¡± I mumbled and scoffed because all this doesn¡¯t make any sense to me.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    The sound of the footsteps behind me pulled my attention, and I turned to find the youngest brother. I mean, Chase. We have only talked a few times since I¡¯ve beening here even before I moved in yesterday.

    ¡°Hi, sister-inw,¡± He smiled at me. I¡¯ve noticed how different he was from every other person in the family. Unlike Connor, he smiled a lot, much more than Carl does too.

    ¡°Oh, good evening,¡± I greeted him as he came to stand beside me, and he nodded his head.

    An awkward silence assumed the atmosphere as we both stared into space. I was nervous and curious about why he was here.

    ¡°He must¡¯vee to get fresh air here and met me identally,¡± I said to myself and sighed briefly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to hear that. My two brothers can get crazy when they are angry about something, especially Connor. You shouldn¡¯t have to get dragged into this mess,¡± He apologized to me, and I nodded my head. The only question I¡¯ve been asking myself since morning after the incident was what transpired between the two brothers that would make one go to that length to get his revenge, but asking Connor or Carl was thest thing on my mind. Not when they still have a lot on the ground to solve.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded my head, and he sighed.

    ¡°While this is going on, you should try to stay out of it. Don¡¯t get too curious and end up asking Connor anything. He can be very crazy. He is my brother, and I know him very well,¡± His words were already getting me so scared that I felt my heart skip. Is there anything Connor would do to me if I don¡¯t do as he said? I asked myself, but as they said, curiosity kills the cat, so I should learn to mind my business while being here.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I just run away?¡± I thought to myself.

    ¡°Connor is going to find you wherever you go, so don¡¯t ever let running away from here cross your mind. When he sets his mind on something, he never changes it,¡± I gasped sharply. Did he read my thoughts? Maybe it was just a coincidence.

    ¡°Hmm. Thank you,¡± I nodded my head.

    ¡°Hmm. If you need someone to talk to, you can alwayse to me. I will be your friend if you don¡¯t mind. It doesn¡¯t matter which of my brother¡¯s you married, but what matters is that you are my brother¡¯s wife. If you want to know anything about Connor, I will tell you about it,¡± He seemed to like Connor a lot as everything he said turned out to be in his favor.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I forced a smile at him.

    ¡°I will leave you now,¡± He uttered, leaving me in the garden after.

    ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m going to lose my mind,¡± I muttered, ruffling my hair crazily.

    I rested for a few more minutes in the garden before I finally decided to leave, but I stopped on my track when I turned around and found Connor standing with his hands tucked inside his pockets.

    ¡°Why are you here alone? Thinking of how miserable your life has be, huh?¡± He scoffed, walking elegantly up to me. He was wearing a white singlet and white shorts that stopped on his knees. His hair was rough, yet looked cute on him.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat. You shoulde to the dining room with me,¡± He said, holding out his hand to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I replied to him, and he scoffed, tucking his hands inside his pockets.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asked me as if he didn¡¯t understand the atmosphere.

    ¡°Let me go, Connor. I don¡¯t want to be with you. I will leave to a faraway ce where you will never have to see me. I won¡¯t marry Carl either. So, just let me go, please,¡± I pleaded with him, but he stared back at me nkly for the next fifteen seconds before he scoffed and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Why should I let you go? We are married now, and we took a vow before the priest. We said we were going to be together till death do us apart. We¡¯ve only been married for two days, and now you want to leave? Why?¡± He asked, acting clueless.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you and your brother, and trust me, I¡¯m not interested in whatever happened. You shouldn¡¯t drag me into your revenge or whatever. Just let me go, ok?¡± I wasn¡¯t sounding convincing, and I know that. At first, I thought this was entirely about me, I thought he was doing this because of what happened back at the penthouse.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you go. We are married, and we are going to stay together until I want you to leave,¡± He said to me tly as his eyes pierced into mine, and my jaw dropped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running away from here, because I will find you wherever you go, and you wouldn¡¯t want to see the other side of Connor Hughes when you get back here again,¡± His voice was cold, domineering, and full of dark aura, and I felt my heart skip for seconds.

    ¡°You look terrified. Come on, I¡¯m not that scary. Come on, let¡¯s go eat dinner together. Everyone is waiting for us in the dining room,¡± The way he switched his mood made me doubt if he was the same man that almost made my heart jump out of my chest just now. I¡¯m doomed for real this time.

    He held my hand and led me to the living room where we met everyone, including Carl. Carl stared at our hands, and I could see the rage in his eyes, so I tried to remove my hand from Connor¡¯s, but his grip on me grew tighter and I could tell my hand would be red by now even though I hadn¡¯t checked it yet.

    ¡°What¡¯s here for dinner?¡± The way he smiled brightly as he pulled out a chair for me as if nothing happened here today.

    ¡°You should be careful, wife. Don¡¯t hurt yourself,¡± He uttered gently like a gentleman he was not and would never be. He sat on the chair beside me.

    ¡°I will serve your food,¡± He uttered, standing up to his feet. He served my food, but all this time, my eyes were moving around and checking everyone¡¯s expression. His mom looked sad, Chase was just there, the expression on his face didn¡¯t show sadness or excitement. When our eyes met, he smiled at me, revealing his perfect dentition. My eyes met with ire¡¯s, and she sighed as she diverted her gaze to Connor who was still busy serving me food. And finally, I looked at Carl, and he looked so enraged. Even though I was going to marry him because of his money, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him because he seemed to really like me.

    We began eating after he was done serving us.

    ¡°Mom, I was thinking of going on a honeymoon with my wife. What do you think?¡± He began as he held my hand, but I was quick to yank his hand off me.

    ¡°Do you have any suggestion, Chase? What about you, ire? I would¡¯ve asked you, Carl, but we are not that close,¡± He smirked, and Carl mmed his hands on the table as he rose to his feet.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind, huh? How dare you!¡± Carl yelled, emptying a ss of water on Connor¡¯s face, and I gasped sharply as I covered my mouth.

    ¡°Hey! Do you want to die?¡± Connor yelled as he stood up and ran his fingers across his hair.

    ¡°Can you two stop this, please?¡± Mrs. Hughes mmed her hands on the desk, rising to her feet.

    ¡°You stay out of this, Mom. Don¡¯t get yourself involved, Mom,¡± Carl said to their mom, turning to face me afterward.

    ¡°Hey, Janice. You would have to end this here and now, ok? Now, you choose between us. Who do you want to be with? Me, or him?¡± He asked me, and my jaw dropped.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to stay out of this, Mom,¡± Again, he shut his mom up, and silence assumed the atmosphere.

    ¡°What makes you think you can talk to my wife like that? How dare you ask my wife to choose between me and you? Are you out of your mind?¡± Connor snapped.

    ¡°Choose between us, Janice,¡± Carl insisted¡­

 Chapter 10

    Janice POV

    ¡®Don¡¯t think of running away, for I will find you wherever you go¡¯ Those words kept driving me nuts that I couldn¡¯t even think of running away. Connor looked like he would be someone dangerous, and I didn¡¯t want him to do something nasty to me if he found out I ran away and managed to get his hands on me.

    Sitting on the bed in Connor¡¯s room and trying to think of a way out of this mess I was in, the sound of the knock on the door disrupted my thoughts, and I went to get the door, but I froze on the spot when I pulled it open and found Carl standing there.

    ¡°Ca¡­ Carl?¡± I called surprisingly, but he held my hand and dragged me out of the room.

    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I asked as he dragged me down the hallway, but he didn¡¯t even bother to answer me until we got to the garden.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± He paused and caught his breath, running his fingers through his hair.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to choose between us? We were going to get married before he ruined everything for us. If you are scared of him, don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m going to protect you from him,¡± He uttered as he held my hands and caressed them gently, but I sighed frustratingly.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°I love you, Janice. I really do, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you as your husband. Please let¡¯s do something about this,¡± He uttered as he held my cheeks in his palm, his eyes piercing into mine, and I gulped down the lump that formed in my throat.

    ¡°Get a grip on yourself, Carl. I don¡¯t want to get caught up in the mess between you and your brother¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened between you two, and trust me, I don¡¯t want to know, but getting caught between you two is thest thing I want. Even if I manage to get out of this mess, I¡¯m leaving forever,¡± I have always been a straightforward kind of person, so hiding things from him wasn¡¯t something I thought would be fine.

    Hurt and disappointmentced up his face.

    ¡°Are you saying we can¡¯t be together?¡± He asked me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Yes, she is saying she won¡¯t be with you even if she manages to leave me, not that it¡¯ll ever happen, anyway,¡± I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Connor¡¯s voice behind me, and I turned swiftly to find him walking up to us. He got to where I was standing, then held my hand and pulled me away from Carl, shoving me behind him.

    ¡°What are you telling my wife, brother?¡± I could feel the sarcasm in his voice, and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that he was here to get on Carl¡¯s nerves again.

    Carl scoffed as he threw his gaze away.

    ¡°You really want to keep doing this, huh? Are you going to continue this?¡± Carl yelled at him, and I flinched fearfully. He was looking so enraged that he could kill with the look in his eyes.

    ¡°You two, stop fighting, ok?¡± I stepped in between them, but Connor scoffed.

    ¡°What should I do when he is frustrating me? Do I have any choice? He keeps bugging my woman, so why should I not fight with him, hmm?¡± He whined as he suddenly hugged me from behind, and my eyes narrowed as I froze on the spot.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I stuttered, trying to free myself from his grasp.

    ¡°You won¡¯t ever leave me for him, right? We are married now, and we vowed to be together forever,¡± He whined as he hugged me tightly, and my jaw dropped. He was being intentionally petty to get Carl angry, and it worked since Carl eventually left the garden angrily.

    He quickly let go of me once it was only the two of us in the garden.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see the ugly side of me, don¡¯t you ever go anywhere close to him. You wouldn¡¯t want to get on my bad side, right?¡± He uttered coldly, his eyes boring into mine like he was going to see through me. There was this dark aura surrounding him that got me terrified, and for seconds, I wanted to disappear from this godforsaken ce, but I wasn¡¯t going to let him intimidate me.

    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do? Who are you to tell me who to go close to?¡± I snapped at him, and he smirked at me, leaning forward afterward.

    ¡°If you are curious to know what I will do to you, then try that again. Trust me, you will spend the rest of your life hating yourself for disobeying Connor Hughes. You will see the psychopathic side of me,¡± He winked at me, picking his words one after the other maybe to tell me how much he meant them, and I could see the seriousness in his eyes as they bore into mine.

    I stared back at him, unable to utter a word anymore. Who would¡¯ve ever thought that the crazy Janice would one day be caught up in a situation I would be left handicapped? Who would¡¯ve ever thought that the smart Janice that would always have a way out of the mess was not favored this time?

    ¡°You are mine now, and mine alone,¡± His domineering voice pierced through my ears, and he somehow sounded possessive and dominant now.

    ¡°I am not yours, Connor. I will never be!¡± I managed to snap at him, but he scoffed.

    ¡°Meet me in the room and let¡¯s shower together. We have a long night to go,¡± He winked at me and bit his bottom lip before he turned and walked out of the garden, and I gasped sharply, covering my body with my hands.

    I was going to stay in the garden forever, but I eventually left hesitantly. My heart hammered against my chest as I headed back to the room, scared of what he would do to me behind the walls of his room, and recalling that the room was soundproofed made me more scared.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I heard ire¡¯s voice, and I stopped on my track, turning to face her afterward.

    ¡°Hi!¡± I replied to her, and she nodded her head.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± She asked me, and I quickly nodded my head.

    ¡°Alright. Good night,¡± She smiled at me, heading to her room afterward.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Can I spend the night with you, please?¡± I spilled those words before I could hold them back, and she stopped to look at me.

    ¡°Sure,¡± She nodded her head after staring at me for the next few seconds.

    Her room was almost asrge as Connor¡¯s, and pretty too.

    ¡°Wee to my room. The bathroom is over there. Make yourselffortable,¡± She said to me as she sat on the bed, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I finally walked into the bathroom where I took my time to bathe, and wore the white robe I found in her bathroom before I walked back into the room.

    ¡°So, why do you want to pass the night here? Is Connor giving you a hard time?¡± She asked out of the blue, and my eyes narrowed. I wasn¡¯t expecting that question, but I was also foolish not to think she would ask me that¡­

 Chapter 11

    Janice POV

    ¡°Who told you to go spend the night with my sister?¡± Connor yelled at me angrily as soon as he dragged me into his room and mmed the door behind us. I was still finding what to say to ire when he barged in and dragged me out of there.

    ¡°Do I need anybody¡¯s permission to do what I want?¡± I asked him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°You really want to die, yeah? This is my damn house, my damn family, and everything here belongs to me. You can¡¯t act on your own without my orders. How dare you?¡± He snapped at me, looking like he was going to pounce on me, but raising his hand on me would definitely be thest thing he would want to do. If he dared to hit me, he will surely see the crazy side of Janice.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t tolerate me, then fucking let me go! You can¡¯t keep controlling me simply because it¡¯s your house. I want to leave your damn house for you, so fucking let me go!¡± I was already losing it, so I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    I thought he was going to yell at me again, but what he did next made me freeze on the spot. He held my waist and pulled me close to himself, and my jaw dropped.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± He hushed, his eyes piercing into mine. I opened my mouth to talk, but my heart did the talking instead as it hammered hard against my chest like it was going to force its way out.

    ¡°We are married, Janice¡­ And until I say this marriage is over¡­¡± He paused and leaned forward while still holding me in his arms.

    ¡°You are stuck with me forever,¡± He whispered in my ear and bit my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine, and I felt my abdomen twitching.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I stuttered nervously as I finally managed to get away from him, stepping away from him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Go shower ande and join me in bed. We have a really long night to go,¡± He winked at me and bit his bottom lip seductively before he sat on the edge of the bed, and my heart skipped a beat.

    I turned and walked into the bathroom wordlessly, stripped out of my clothes, and had a long and rxing bath, making sure to take extra time in the bathroom, scared of going into the room to meet him. Since I couldn¡¯t stay in the bathroom forever, I finally wore my robe and took a deep breath, pulling the door open and walking into the room to find him already half-naked.

    ¡°Pervert!¡± I cursed under my breath as I counted my steps inside, my legs shaking slightly although they were not so obvious.

    ¡°I heard that,¡± I heard him mumble as I headed to the closet, and I sighed briefly. Since I didn¡¯t have anything to pick from the closet, I ended up closing it back, and just when I turned to leave, I almost jumped out of my skin as I collided with Connor¡¯s hard chest.

    ¡°Should we have fun tonight?¡± He hushed as his hand slid into my robe and crawled up my bare thigh, leaving me breathless.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I tried not to moan, but it wasn¡¯t possible, at least not when his warm hand was caressing my thigh and going up to the forbidden ce it shouldn¡¯t go. Pulling myself together, I stepped away from him, but I could only take one step before I felt my back pressed hard against the closet.

    ¡°Rx¡­ I¡¯m not going to eat you up,¡± He teased me, and I gulped down the lump that formed in my throat. I tried to resist his touch, but I couldn¡¯t deny the burning desire that was eating me up, I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that my body was reacting to his every touch and I foolishly wanted more than this.

    ¡°You are already wet down there,¡± He hushed, burying his face in my neck and nibbling on the nape of my neck as his finger grazed my pussy which was already unconsciously wet.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed silently, shutting my eyes and throwing my head back when his finger rubbed against my pussy gently.

    He bit on my neck and pushed two fingers inside me at once, and I gasped sharply. My wall contracted around his fingers.

    ¡°Moan for me, wife,¡± He hushed as he trailed kisses to my face, and I foolishly let out a soft moan, biting my lip to prevent myself from screaming as his fingers were now moving slowly inside me, making sure to touch my walls, driving me wild.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He hushed as he imed my lips, grabbing my boob with his other hand while still having the other one down there.

    ¡°Your boob is soft,¡± Hemended as he fondled it, kissing me and fingering me at the same time. My legs grew so weak that they couldn¡¯t hold me up anymore, and I staggered, but he was quick to hold me, pulling out of me quickly.

    ¡°I just wanted to check something. I thought you would be so wide down there, but you are pretty tight. Are you still a virgin?¡± He asked me as he stood about two steps away from me now, cleaning his hand with a towel, but I red hard at him.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I scoffed angrily.

    ¡°What? I told you I just wanted to check something¡­¡±

    ¡°Why would you stop when you were already driving me¡­¡± I stopped and gasped sharply as the rea

    lization dawned on me what the hell I just spilled¡­C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 12

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°What did you say?¡± I pulled away from her and asked, arching my eyebrows, but she rolled her eyes and pushed me off.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± She muttered, heading to the bed, and I smirked. I watched as shey on the bed and pulled the duvet to cover herself, facing the other side of the bed.

    Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stared into space. Thinking about Carl made me scoff, the thought of him was driving me nuts that I wanted to strangle him to death instantly. I wanted to make his life miserable like he did mine years ago, I wanted to make him feel the pain I felt. Yes, what I did was extreme, but I would do more if I had to.

    Pushing all my thoughts away, Iy on the bed and pulled the duvet to cover myself.

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been asleep, but the sound of my ringing phone pulled me out of my deep slumber, and I reached outzily for it, answering the call without bothering to check who the caller was.

    ¡°Hey, man. Still sleeping?¡± That was Khan¡¯s voice, my best friend and secretary.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I groaned tiredly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are still sleeping, Man? It¡¯s 7am for fuck¡¯s sake, and you need to be at the office by 8am for the meeting,¡± I snapped my eyes open and quickly jumped off the bed, realizing that I had an appointment at thepany this morning.

    ¡°Are you my secretary? How could you speak to me with such disrespect?¡± I rolled my eyes, and I heard him scoff.

    ¡°If you have enough time to argue, you should fucking go get ready for work. Don¡¯t keep me waiting for you here. I can¡¯t clean up your mess again this time,¡± He banged the call on me after he yelled those annoying words, and I shook my head.

    ¡°Am I still the boss or what? Can you imagine the way he was talking to me? Does he want to die?¡± I scoffed and rolled my eyes, tossing my phone on the dressing table, and turning to find Janice sleeping on the bed. She had her hair scattered all over her face, she had dark circles beneath her eyes and I was left wondering if she didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night. Well, that¡¯s her business to deal with, not mine.

    Bathing and getting ready for work took me about thirty minutes, and by the time I left my room, it was already 7:45am. I wasn¡¯t nning to have breakfast before I leave for work.

    Walking briskly out of my room after I was done getting dressed, I stopped on my track as I was weed by Carl.

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± He said to me icily, his eyes boring into mine once he was standing in front of me.

    ¡°I have nothing to talk about with you,¡± And with those words said to him, I wanted to walk past him, but he held my hand and pulled me back, mming me hard against the wall.

    ¡°I said we need to talk, Connor. Do you think you have the right to say that shit to me?¡± He yelled at me, grabbing the cor of my shirt.

    ¡°And do you think you have the right to talk to me? Get your hands off me this minute, Carl. I promise you won¡¯t like to see the ugly side of me,¡± I said to him sternly, smirking at him.

    ¡°What fucking and disgusting side of you can you show me more than the one you¡¯ve shown already?¡± He scoffed, pulling away from me and tucking his hands inside his pockets.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that now, Carl. If you are frustrated and depressed, deal with it alone and stop being a crying babying to whine at me all the time. I¡¯m not that of a good brother that willfort you,¡± I patted his shoulders, trying to leave, but he pulled me back and punched me so hard in the face that I staggered back and crashed against the wall. He didn¡¯t give me time to recover from the punch before he aimed at me again, but I was fast to dodge it this time, and he ended up hitting the wall hard.

    ¡°Not this morning, Carl. I have an appointment,¡± I shook my head, but he scoffed.

    ¡°And you think I will listen to that? You want to fight me? Then quit being a coward and do it. If you are angry at me, let¡¯s fight it out than being a coward and pulling this shitty stunt!¡± He yelled at me, enraged, and I sighed deeply. I checked my wristwatch, and seven minutes were already spent, which only meant that I was alreadyte.

    ¡°You want to fight me, huh?¡± I twisted my neck and threw my briefcase on the floor. I was being petty right now, but if he wanted to fight me, who the heck was I not to give him what he wanted?

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be merciful, Carl. Don¡¯t beg me to have mercy on youter,¡± I warned him before I aimed at his eyes, punching him hard on it and he fell instantly on the floor, screaming his lungs out. I intended to burst his eyeballs. Maybe taking one of his eyes will finally relieve my anger, and I hope I seeded in doing that.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for getting on my nerves,¡± I rolled my eyes at him, picking up my briefcase afterward.

    ¡°What¡¯s going¡­¡± Mom rushed out of her room, but she gasped when she saw the ugly situation. Carl was already on the ground, groaning in pain and covering his eyes that was now bleeding.

    ¡°What did you do to your brother?¡± Mom whimpered as she hurried over to Carl.

    ¡°You should take him to the hospital if you don¡¯t want your son to end up losing his sight,¡± And with that, I strode down the hallway and headed to the parking lot, driving out of the house after.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ugh! So annoying,¡± I rolled my eyes and adjusted my tie as I drove down the driveway minutester. As the image of Carl popped up in my head, I couldn¡¯t help the satisfying smile thatced up my lips. I wish he doesn¡¯t end uping back from the hospital perfectly fine.

    Arriving at thepany minutester, I parked at the garage and just when I alighted from the car, Khan came running up to me. He was in histe twenties, but we¡¯ve been best friends for so long that I can remember. Khan and I are examples of birds of the same feathers flock together. He was my replica in everything. Crazy, and a chronic yboy.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve punched you hard if we weren¡¯t in thepany. You should thank your luck for that,¡± He snapped at me as he snatched my briefcase, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Is that how you should say good morning to your boss, Khan? Do you want to get sacked?¡± I red hard at him, and he scoffed as he rolled his pair of brown eyes. He was about 5¡¯8, unlike me that was 6¡¯0. He visits the gym often which was where he got his body built. If I was a woman, I wouldn¡¯t mind doing anything to have him on my bed. He was everything sexy. I mean for someone who was blessed with perfect height, long eyshes like that of a woman, thick eyebrows, a chiseled face, a pointed nose, a mole on his cheek, dark shady brown hair, and glowing skin. Well, just like myself, he was using his cuteness as an advantage to lure women. We always have them throwing themselves at us, and we didn¡¯t have any choice but to give them what they wanted.

    ¡°The clients are waiting,¡± He uttered, walking ahead of me. We headed to the elevator which took us to the fourth floor where our office and the meeting hall were situated. I wasn¡¯t shocked to have found everyone present, so I just apologized and the meeting started immediately.

    The meetingsted for about an hour before we finally rounded up, and we headed to my office afterward.

    ¡°Submit my schedule for the month to my desk,¡± I said to him as we got to his office, heading to mine afterward.

    Barely thirty minutes I walked into my office, I heard noises from outside and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the heck was happening out there. The door suddenly burst open and Janice barged in. I raised my eyebrows as I stared at him.

    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± I asked myself as I stared at him.

    ¡°How dare you, bastard!¡± She snapped at me, and I arched my eyebrows¡­

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Where the hell is that bastard?¡± I quickly recognized the voice to be Janice¡¯s as she barged into my office, and I raised my eyebrows in shock.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Janice?¡± I asked her even though it was obvious why she was in my office looking so angry as if she was going to devour me soon. I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that she was here because of Carl. There was a slim chance of her being here for something else.

    ¡°What the hell was that? How could you do that to your own brother? Were you trying to kill him, huh?¡± She yelled at the top of her voice not caring she was in my office.

    ¡°Hey! You are in my office, so you have to¡­¡±

    ¡°Screw you and your damn office, jerk! I don¡¯t care what the fuck is between you and your brother, but doing that to him makes you nothing but a beast. You are nothing, but a monster!¡± She yelled at me with pure disgust written on her face, and I slowly clenched my fists angrily, ring hard into space. I wanted to stay calm and not react no matter what she was going to say to me, but I couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Get out of my office, Janice. Get out, this minute,¡± I snapped at her, mming my hands on the desk, but she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°And you think I will leave just because you are asking me to? Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? You think you can go around doing shit and expect nobody to talk? How could you do something so inhumane to your brother? How could¡­¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Who the hell are you to judge me? The fact that you now bear the name Mrs. Hughes doesn¡¯t give you the right to talk shit at me¡­¡±

    ¡°Cut that crap, Connor! You think I¡¯m happy bearing that name? No, I¡¯m not. With you in that family, then it is the most disgusting name anyone would ever want to bear!¡± That was the height of it all, and when I couldn¡¯t control my anger anymore, I ended up pping her.

    ¡°You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Connor. No man ps me. No man has ever done that before, and I won¡¯t allow you to do that,¡± she spat at me before she sent two hot ps across my cheeks, and my eyes slowly narrowed in shock. It was the first time a woman was going to p me, and it felt so unreal. For the next few seconds, I stood frozen on the spot while trying toprehend the heck just happened. I tried to convince myself that it was just my illusion, but it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t. Janice really pped me. She fucking pped me.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡±

    ¡°You are so disgusting!¡± She spat at me one more time before she turned and stormed out of my office, mming the door hard behind her, and my jaw dropped as I stared at the closed door.

    I was still trying to pull out of a trance when the door opened and Khan walked in.

    ¡°What happened? Did you have a fight with your wife?¡± He asked me with curiosity written all over his face, but I ignored him and stormed out of the office.

    I walked my way briskly to the elevator, but by the time I arrived there, I saw her heading to the exit door downstairs, so I quickly got into the elevator. I have so much to tell her, I needed to make her know that she can¡¯t talk to me like that. Even though this was nothing but a fake marriage, I still deserve some respect from her.

    By the time I got downstairs, she was already outside the gate and was about to hop inside the car she came in with. I guess she borrowed Chase¡¯s car.

    ¡°Janice¡­ Janice¡­¡± I called after as I finally caught up with her.

    ¡°What do you want? You want to hit me in the eyes like you did to your brother?¡± She snapped at me at the top of her voice, and the employees passing by threw nces at us.

    ¡°You can¡¯te to my workce to do this shit. I am your husband, and I deserve some respect from you¡­¡±

    ¡°Coming from someone that doesn¡¯t even know what respect means. If you know what that means, you wouldn¡¯t have hurt your mom so badly by doing that to your brother,¡± Those words struck my heart like a thunderstorm, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°Do you know the pain you have caused the poor woman? I understand you must¡¯ve had your reason for being mad at Carl, but doing that to him was extreme. Doing that to him wasn¡¯t going to hurt him alone but your mom too. If you respect and value her happiness, then you would¡¯ve had a second thought about what you did¡­¡± She paused and sighed briefly, pulling the car door open.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t talk to me about respect. Ever again,¡± and with that, she hopped inside the car and drove off, leaving me standing on the spot and staring at the car until it was out of my sight. Now that I thought of what she said, I could help but regret my action which shouldn¡¯t have ever happened. I shouldn¡¯t have given in to my anger, I should¡¯ve controlled it even if he was trying to bring out the demon in me.

    The sound of my ringing phone pulled my attention, and seeing that the call was from Dad, my heart dropped. He must¡¯ve heard about what I did and who knows, maybe he was extremely disappointed in me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer his call, so I just ignored it and held on tightly to my phone.

    Barely two minutes after the call ended, a message popped on the screen of my phone.

    ¡®Come to the hospital right away. I¡¯m waiting for you¡¯ I sighed when I read the text, contemting whether to go there or not. I wasn¡¯t scared of being scolded by them, but the imagination of the look of disappointment that would be on Mom¡¯s face was scaring the guts out of me. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.

    My phone beeped once again, and this time, it was a text from Chase.

    ¡®Dad is extremely angry, bro. You should go to the penthouse and chill. Stay away from home for now until he calms down. As for Carl, he is in critical condition and is currently in the operating room. The doctors aren¡¯t saying anything about him yet. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen¡¯ My heart dropped and tears brimmed in my eyes when I read the messages. I wasn¡¯t feeling bad because of Carl, but because of Mom, Dad, and my siblings. How will they look at me henceforth?

    As much as I wanted to stay back for a while, that would only make me look like a coward and would probably get Dad angrier, so I headed back to my office where I picked up my car keys and stormed outside.

    ¡°Where are you headed? We still have a lot to cover today,¡± Khan asked me as he rose to his feet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me. I have something to attend to, so I may note back to the office today. Make sure you switch off the desktop before you leave,¡± I said to him hurriedly, storming out of the office afterward.

    The drive to the hospital took pretty much time before I arrived, and as I stood in front of the hospital, I felt my heart hammering hard against my chest. Should I turn back from here?

 Chapter 14

    Connor Hughes

    Dad stopped pacing and slowly turned to face me when I got to the lobby. Mom, Dad, Chase, ire, and Janice were all together when I got there. Seeing the disappointed look on Mom¡¯s face made me feel bad.

    ¡°Why did you do it, Connor? Why did you do that to your brother?¡± Dad yelled at me, enraged. He didn¡¯t care that we were in a public ce where many people were present. He didn¡¯t care that his anger may end up getting our reputation messed up, but I guess this was all my fault. Only if I had controlled this emotion I called anger, then maybe this would¡¯ve been avoided.

    ¡°You don¡¯t keep mute on me when I¡¯m talking, Connor. Why the hell did you do that?¡± Although Dad was a temperamental man, I have never seen him so angry before, and I understood that it was entirely my fault.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you going to say? You are sorry? Will your sorry turn back what you have done? What the heck hase over you? How could you do that to your brother?¡± Even though Carl has hurt me beyond forgiveness before, they felt what I did was extreme. I didn¡¯t feel pity for him, I didn¡¯t regret what I did. I mean, I kind of regret it, but it wasn¡¯t because of him. I only regretted doing that seeing how it has hurt my family, I only regret thinking about myself alone and not also about what my family will feel if I did that. That was my only regret. If my family wasn¡¯t involved, I would destroy his eyes over and over again if it was the only thing I could do to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± I mumbled, turning my face away, but Mom scurried up to me and sent two hot ps across my cheeks angrily. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at me with pure disgust written on her face.

    ¡°Am I the one that gave birth to this monster?¡± Those words hurt my heart, and I slowly clenched my fingers tightly, staring back at her. She looked at me with resentment.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me that, you monster!¡± She yelled at me as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t mean to tell me that, but I pushed her beyond tolerance. I convinced myself.

    ¡°What the hell did he do that you could never forgive him? I have pleaded with you on his behalf, I did everything just so you could forgive him and leave everything behind in the past, and this was all you could do?¡± She yelled at the top of her voice again, and I swallowed hard.

    ¡°Mom¡­ It might just be a mistake. You didn¡¯t have to call him a monster,¡± Chase chipped in as he came to stand in front of me.

    ¡°Stay out of this, Chase. Get the hell away from my sight!¡± She growled with more tears streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°Stay out of this, Chase¡­¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°How can I stay out of it when she is being harsh on you?¡± He looked at me sadly, and I huffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m being harsh? Are you for real, Chase? Are you not aware of what he did?¡± Mom snapped at Chase, and this time, ire chipped in.

    ¡°Even so, Mommy. Connor is not a monster, so you should stop referring to him as one. I believe he did that because he was angry, and who knows, maybe Carl started it in the first ce,¡± ire defended me, mumbling thest part of it, and Dad red hard at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me like that, Dad. We all know how troublesome Carl can be. Maybe he was the one that¡­¡±

    ¡°Just shut your mouth! You all are so unbelievable!¡± Mom snapped before she walked away, and Dad followed her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say that, guys. Mom and Dad are still angry,¡± I said to Chase and Carl, and they sighed.

    ncing over at Janice, I found her sitting on the bench and burying her face between her palm, and I sighed.

    ¡°I know Carl can be one hell of an annoying bastard, but you should¡¯ve controlled it, you know? Even if you had to punch him, it shouldn¡¯t have been his eyes. You should¡¯ve aimed at his nose instead. Having a broken nose wouldn¡¯t have harmed him,¡± Chase uttered and sighed. After what happened between me and Carl in the past, Chase and ire¡¯s rtionship with him slowly faded, because they hated him as much as I did. If you know what he did to me, then trust me, you would hate him too.

    ¡°Yes, you shouldn¡¯t have hit his eyes. Maybe kicking his groin lightly would¡¯ve done the job,¡± ire suggested, and I scoffed.

    ¡°You are worse than Connor, you know? That is as good as killing him. How could you suggest he kicked his groin?¡± Chase huffed and shook his head. My family was filled with weirdos, and they are the perfect example of it.

    ¡°Sister-inw is angry too. You should go talk to her. Who knows, maybe she can talk to Dad on your behalf since he likes her,¡± Chase suggested, and ncing over at Janice, I found her still in the same position. She seemed to be crying, and not that I was expecting less reaction from her before, anyway. I mean, they were going to get married before I sabotaged everything, so there must¡¯ve been little attraction between them, who knows? Not that I cared about how she felt about the situation, anyway. Why the fuck should I give a damn about her?

    ¡°I will handle it myself,¡± I replied to Chase tly.

    ¡°But¡­¡± He was going to object when the doctor came out of the ER where they have been operating on Carl, disrupting us.

    Mom and Dad whom I wasn¡¯t aware were still around, showed up looking all worried. At this point, I prayed silently that the doctor doesn¡¯t end up saying he lost his sight. I wasn¡¯t praying because of him, but because of my parents that would live with the nightmare of their son going blind.

    ¡°How is he, doc? Will he be fine? Is he ok now?¡± Mom asked desperately, searching the doctor¡¯s face as if the answer to her question was written on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam¡­ But there is a slim chance of him ever getting to see with that eyes ever again. The surgery went well, but his eyes were already destroyed, so he won¡¯t be able to see again,¡± Mom staggered back and her jaw dropped when she heard that. Everywhere went silent for seconds, and I guess she was trying to process what the doctor just said.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what did you say? You should do something, doc. You can¡¯t just let my son go blind like that and not do anything. You need to do something,¡± she pleaded with the doctor, her body quivering, and Dad? He was just standing there like a log of wood, staring at me with resentment in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we tried our best,¡± The doctor said before he finally left, and Mom broke down. I stood frozen on the spot, it felt like I should just disappear from here, I felt like a disappointment, and that¡¯s what I really was, anyway. Hurting my mom was something I never intended to do, making dad miserable was thest thing I would ever do, but with just one action of mine that was triggered by my emotions, I did the two things I never wanted to do in my entire life.

    ¡°Are you happy now, Connor? The doctor said Carl won¡¯t ever see again with his eyes¡­ He is going to go blind because of you¡­ Are you happy now?¡± Mom yelled at me as she grabbed my cor and shook me, a pool of tears streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°How does it feel now? You have finally done what you have always wanted to do. How does it feel to know that he lost his sight now?¡± She yelled again.

    ¡°It feels good. I would¡¯ve killed him if he was not my brother,¡± those were the replies I wanted to give her, but hurting her more than this was thest thing I could think of.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered, removing her hands from my shirt. I wanted to stay back andfort her, I wanted to tell her how sorry I felt, but it was pointless, so I just turned and walked out of the hospital, not sparing anyone another nce¡­

 Chapter 15

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why would you even do something like that?¡± Khan shrieked when he heard what happened, but I only rolled my eyes at him sarcastically, sinking into the couch. Spending the whole day frustrated wasn¡¯t for me, so I called him a few minutes ago and asked him to meet me at the club where we usually have a nice time together. I¡¯m d he showed up for me as always.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault, Khan. Come to think of it, he started the fight. Why would hee to confront me?¡± I scoffed, trying to prove my innocence to him, but it seemed like no matter what I tell him or how I presented it, he would still end up ming me for what happened, and it was really annoying.

    ¡°Even if he started it, you shouldn¡¯t have done that. You fucking destroyed his eyes, and because of what you did, the doctor said he won¡¯t be able to see ever again. Are you happy to see your brother like that?¡± He insisted, and I rolled my eyes. Who cares if he loses his sight?

    ¡°If he was not my brother, he would¡¯ve been dead a long time ago. That is how I feel. I¡¯ve only been merciful and soft toward him because he is my brother. I hate him so much that I won¡¯t think twice about killing him if I had the chance to¡­¡±

    ¡°You are going crazy, man. You are really losing your mind, and it¡¯s bothering me. I know this dude hurt you, but that is all in the past now. He is still your brother, no matter what happens. Just because you hate her shouldn¡¯t justify what you did. What you did was wrong, and¡­¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So what? What if I did that to him? Why is everyone turning against me as if I¡¯m the bad guy here? Did you all think about what he did and how he ruined my life? Have you ever stopped to think about how miserable my life has be because of that bastard?¡± I yelled at him, mming my hands on the center table, and he flinched.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°You all talk to me as if I¡¯m the bad person here. Have you ever thought about the pain I went through because of that bastard? Because of him, I have to live the rest of my life miserably. Do you still think he didn¡¯t deserve what I did to him?¡± I couldn¡¯t control the anger that was trying to consume me no matter how hard I tried to. Just the memories of the past that has left me in pain for years were triggering everything, and the more I thought about it, the more my thirst for vengeance kept growing. It hurts no matter how much I tried to get it off my head. It has been living in my head for years, that horrible moment has been living rent-free in my head, and it didn¡¯t seem like it was ever going to leave.

    ¡°Come on, Connor. Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m not saying you are a bad person, what I mean is that¡­¡±

    ¡°I ept that I¡¯m a monster, but what about him? You all go ahead and ask me always how could I have done that to my brother¡­ Did you ask him why he did that horrible thing to me? You were aware of everything that happened, did you ask him the same question? Why he had to do that to his brother that did nothing all his life but love him?¡± Tears streamed down my cheeks as I roared uncontrobly. If we were not in the VIP section and if the music outside was not loud, I¡¯m sure people would¡¯ve gathered around by now to know what was happening, but I could only care less. You can call me crazy, but I am always a psychopath whenever I¡¯m angry. My emotions always get the best of me, and I never made any effort to control it.

    ¡°Why are youshing out at me? Come on, man,¡± He scoffed, trying to calm me down.

    ¡°I told you to let go of this already. If you are holding on to that horrible memory, you will be the one that will get hurt, and nobody else. You already had your revenge by doing that on his wedding day¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough. Even if he has to pay for his life, it won¡¯t still be enough to make up for the pain he caused me. I would do that over and over again if I have to¡­¡±

    ¡°That is not what matters, Connor. Have you ever asked yourself if this is what you really want? Does doing this make you happy or make you feel more miserable? Are you going to turn a monster just because your brother hurt you? What hase over you?¡± Khan yelled at me, mming his hands on the table, and I bit my bottom lip. The tears I¡¯ve been fighting back finally found their way down my cheeks, as I stared into space. Is this what I really want? Will this take the horrible memories away? It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve been so foolish to not think about this. I¡¯ve asked myself over and over again, but what really makes me happy? There was absolutely nothing that does it, so I just wanted to do this. Who knows, maybe my anger will subside if I do.

    ¡°I am your best friend, Connor. We have been together for years, we have been through thick and thin together, and if you are doing something wrong which I failed to tell you, nobody else will. It¡¯s high time you let go of everything and move on. You are going to keep hurting yourself if you continue like this,¡± He pleaded with me, but that was thest thing I would ever do. Listening to him and allowing Carl to have a peaceful life after what he did to me was thest thing I would ever do. If making his life miserable was thest thing I would do before I die, I will dlyy my life down for it.

    ¡°I¡¯m never going to stop, Khan. There is nothing you will tell me that will make me change my mind. I¡¯m never going to stop, not until I destroy him,¡± I shook my head, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about other people while thinking about yourself? Have you ever asked yourself how your parents will feel about this?¡± I guess he realized being nice to me won¡¯t do the magic, so he yelled and mmed his hands on the desk, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They are going to hate me after this, so what¡¯s the point of thinking about them? I have chosen to be a viin because of Carl, and I will be that until the very end. I won¡¯t ever stop, Khan. Not until I see Carl¡¯s life ruined,¡± I stated, and he stared back at me unbelievably with his jaw dropped. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I turned out like this, but his. He turned me into the monster I am today, and he would continue to be tormented by this monster until the very end¡­

 Chapter 16

    Janice POV

    Coming homete from the hospital, I thought I would meet Connor at home, but it has been hours since I came back and he didn¡¯t seem like he was going toe back home anytime soon.

    I didn¡¯t want to call him, but worried that something must¡¯ve happened to him, I picked up my phone and dialed his number, but it rang and he didn¡¯t answer his phone.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± I mumbled, dialing the number again, and this time, someone answered the phone from the other end. I wanted to ask why he was not back yet, but the voice I heard made me freeze on the spot.

    ¡°You¡¯re done bathing already?¡± Came a feminine voice from the background, and my eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t have all the time in the world, so let¡¯s get to business,¡± He sounded seductive, and I scoffed unbelievably. I thought he was in danger, but damnit! This bastard got his brother into a mess and now he was out there with another woman? This is so unbelievable.

    I ended the call and tossed my phone on the bed, sitting on the chair and burying my face between my palms. I never imagined my life would be caught up in this mess one day, I never imagined that what usually happens in movies and books would happen to me one day, but look at me now. Stuck with a psychopath and no way of escape for me. Maybe I was destined to live my life like this.

    Pushing all my thoughts away, I stood up and dragged myself into the bathroom, had a long and rxing bath, and came back into the room minutester, I did my usual evening routine before I finally went to bed to rest. I¡¯ve had a long day at the hospital and sleeping was the only thing on my mind right now.

    I had no idea when I fell asleep, but the sound of the footsteps in my room pulled me out of my deep slumber, and I snapped my eyes open. I saw a figure standing in front of the mirror, and when my vision became clear after I sat on the bed, it dawned on me that it was Connor. I guess he came home while I was still asleep.

    ¡°You are awake, wife?¡± How could he still smile at me after what he did?

    ¡°Are you really shameless?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my question because I was curious to know, and he smirked at me, shrugging.

    ¡°Maybe I am. Who knows,¡± Hearing his reply made me want to strangle him to death, but I wouldn¡¯t want to go to jail because of this bastard. Well, I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be able to hold that in, anyway.

    ¡°I see. Why didn¡¯t youe to see Carl at the hospital yesterday?¡± I asked him even though I knew it was the wrong question to ask, and as expected, he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that to him so I could go see him at the hospital,¡± he replied to me sarcastically, and I sighed, sinking my fingers into my hair and slowly ruffling it frustratingly.

    ¡°Are you really a monster, Connor?¡± His face darkened at the end of my question, and I guess he was touched by that, which was exactly what I wanted. For the next few seconds, he stood staring into space with anger written on his face, his fingers clenched beside him as if he was going to hit me. Well, that will be the biggest mistake of his life because I won¡¯t let it slide, anyway.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± my jaw dropped when he turned to face me with a smile lingering on his face, and my eyes narrowed in shock. He was clearly angry just now, so howe he was smiling at me? I asked myself, forgetting that this man was a psychopath that¡¯ll always be ready to drive me crazy.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe you really are,¡± I nodded my head, leaving the bed to go to the bathroom because his presence was irritating me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go see Carl at the hospital again,¡± I stopped on my track with my hand on the bathroom doorknob when I heard his voice.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± I turned to face him, and he shrugged.

    ¡°You heard me. I don¡¯t want you to¡­¡±

    ¡°And who the hell are you to tell me that?¡± I yelled at him, and he scoffed, turning to face me, his faceced with a smirk.

    ¡°Your husband, of course. You should always obey your husband, so is our own an exception?¡± He squinted his eyebrows, and I scoffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Get this straight today, Connor. I am not your wife, but someone you are keeping hostage. I never agreed to marry you, so you have no right over me as my husband,¡± I made it clear to him, pointing my index finger at him while he stared at me with his hands tucked inside his pockets. Am I acting in a drama? I asked myself because of the funny way he was looking at me.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I dare you to go there, Janice. You wouldn¡¯t want to see the other side of me, trust me,¡± He uttered, walking out of the room with his briefcase afterward. He was really heartless.

    It felt like I was in bondage being in this house. If only I wasn¡¯t blinded by my greediness, maybe this would¡¯ve been avoided, but then, I really needed to do this.

    I finally walked into the bathroom and did my morning routine, leaving for the hospital after I was done. Everyone was already in the hospital, so it won¡¯t be nice of me to stay back at home just because Connor asked me to, right?

    It took me a few minutes before I was able to haul down a cab, and just when I was about to hop inside, someone held the door and pulled me back.

    ¡°Sorry, Mr. You can go,¡± I scoffed, realizing that it was Connor. Is he stalking me?

    ¡°If you are not going anywhere, you should stop wasting my time,¡± The cabby was extremely angry, so Connor gave him some money and he finally drove away.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I yanked his hand away, and he scoffed, tucking his hands inside his pockets, something he loves doing.

    ¡°I should be asking you that. What the hell do you think you are doing? I told you not to go to the hospital. How dare you disobey me?¡± He raised his voice, his eyes bing scary as he red hard at me. It felt like he was going to hit me with the look in his eyes.

    ¡°I told you that you have no right to order me around, Connor. You are not my husband, so fucking stop acting like a psychopath!¡± I yelled at him, holding my head frustratingly while shutting my eyes. It felt like I was losing my mind, he was driving me nuts with just being around me, and as if that was not enough, nagging me now.

    ¡°Ugh! You are really difficult, aren¡¯t you?¡± He huffed, scratching the back of his neck while having his right hand in his pocket.

    ¡°Don¡¯t show up in front of me again¡­¡± I turned to leave, but something crossed my mind, and I stopped.

    ¡°And also, if you are not going toe home sometime, you should inform me beforehand,¡± I stated before I turned and started walking down the road, but he held my hand and pulled me back, dragging me to God knows where.

    ¡°Where the hell are you taking me?¡± I whimpered, trying to free myself from his grasp.

    ¡°Get inside the car,¡± hemanded once we were standing close to his car, and I scoffed.

    ¡°No,¡± I replied to him tly, throwing my gaze away.

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself, Janice. Get inside the car, now!¡± Although his voice was intimidating, I wasn¡¯t going to fall for that.

    ¡°I need to go to the hospital, Connor. Stop getting in my way and let me be,¡± I snapped at him and finally walked away. I was expecting him to stop me again, but when I walked for three minutes and it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to, I looked back and found out that his car was gone.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± I mumbled, looking around to see if I would spot his car anywhere, but it wasn¡¯t there. I knew at that moment that he was up to something.

    Regardless, I hauled down a cab and boarded it to the hospital¡­

 Chapter 17

    Connor Hughes

    After getting my mood ruined by Janice, I couldn¡¯t afford to go to the office, so I drove to the penthouse.

    ¡°Wee, boss,¡± Lucas, my personal assistant here in the penthouse weed me as he bowed, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°Get me someone to warm my bed. I¡¯m bored,¡± I said to him while still walking briskly to my bedroom.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± he replied to me. I finally took the elevator to the floor where my master bedroom is located, and I threw myself on the bed as soon as I walked inside.

    My phone rang with Khan¡¯s name disyed on the screen, but I rolled my eyes and ignored the call. He called me about three times and when I didn¡¯t answer any of his calls, he texted me.

    ¡®Hey, dork! Why the hell are you ignoring my calls? Aren¡¯t youing to the office today?¡¯ I read his message and scoffed, tossing my phone on the bed. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to text him back. At least not now.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    As the thought of Janice crossed my mind, I scoffed.

    ¡°Ugh! That annoying bit..¡± I paused and sighed deeply, knowing I didn¡¯t want to call her a bitch. How could she disobey me? It wouldn¡¯t have hurt this much if it were to be someone else she was going to meet, but Carl? Just the thought of it was driving me nuts.

    I dragged myself sluggishly into the bathroom after I stripped out of my suit, and had a long and rxing warm bath. I was going to do some pretty tedious work soon, so I should have a warm bath, yeah? Walking back into the room about twenty minutester, I paused when I saw a youngdy sitting on the sofa in my room. She was hot and sexy, and although she was sitting and I haven¡¯t seen what she looked like, I could already picture her curvy shape.

    ¡°Hi! I¡¯ve been waiting for so long,¡± She smiled at me, revealing her perfect dentition. When she stood up, I finally confirmed that she was indeed endowed with beauty and a sexy body.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I tried toport myself even though my dick was already reacting at the sight of her. I went to sit on the edge of the bed, and poured myself some red wine.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your name,¡± I cut her off. We were just going to do this once, so there was really no need to know her name.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she slowly nodded her head. I guess she was embarrassed by the way I shut her up.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ My name is Connor. You would need itter when I take you to cloud nine,¡± I winked at her, licking my lip seductively after I emptied the ss of wine down my throat.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± she smiled at me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way to the bathroom. You need to shower first,¡± I said to her, gesturing toward the bathroom for her, and she quickly nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright. I will be back,¡± She winked at me before she left for the bathroom, and I took a deep breath, throwing my head back. Maybe doing this will clear my head, but Janice¡¯s annoying image kept popping in my head and I just wanted to pin her to the bed and torture her for disobeying me, but I just didn¡¯t want to do that. At least not yet. I didn¡¯t want to take her just yet.

    The youngdy came back with just a towel wrapped around her chest, and it barely covered her butt, revealing her long straight legs. She looked sexy even with no clothes on, but trust me, Janice was sexier. I didn¡¯t mean topare them, but saying the truth won¡¯t hurt, right?

    I watched as she catwalked to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning in for a kiss, but I turned my gaze away.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t do kisses. My lips are for my wife alone,¡± I winked at her, and she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°You are married?¡± She asked, and I raised my eyebrows before I nodded my head.

    ¡°Yes, I am. Do I look single?¡± I asked her, and she slowly nodded her head. I didn¡¯t mean to talk, but this felt good.

    ¡°Why are you cheating on your wife?¡± She asked me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Everyone does it¡­ There is nothing wrong with it,¡± I shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear and staring into her eyes. Her hazel eyes were charming and sexy, but that didn¡¯t mean that I would get lost in them.

    ¡°She will be hurt if she finds out about this¡­¡±

    ¡°You are such a considerate girl, you know? I¡¯ve never seen a call girl being so considerate. You are really nice, and I must give you that,¡± I hushed, tucking her on the bed and getting on top of her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin your marriage¡­ I¡¯ve never slept with a married man before, and I don¡¯t n to ever do,¡± She bit her bottom lip, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Well, you are about to, and after today, you maye looking for me to do this again, but sadly, I won¡¯t be avable then. If you are not my wife, I don¡¯t sleep with one woman more than a time. Do your job and stop thinking about unnecessary things,¡± I hushed, burying my face in her neck and teasing the nape of her neck, and she gasped sharply. She smelt really nice but not as sweet as Janice smells.

    ¡°Fuck! Why am I thinking about her?¡± I cursed silently, trailing kisses down her neck until I got to her chest, and I ripped the towel off, leaving her naked under me.

    Just a little forey was all I needed before she was wet down there and I prated her, not after wearing a condom.

    The sex was intense at first, not until I allowed the demon in me to take over, and I pounded her so hard that she literally started screaming and begging for me to stop, but I was so into it that I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    ¡®I love you, Carl¡¯ I didn¡¯t know why those words kept popping into my head, I didn¡¯t know why I was imagining Carl and Janice being in each other¡¯s arms behind my back, but the thought was driving me nuts. I shouldn¡¯t have let her off just like that, I should¡¯ve forced her back and not allowed her to go see him.

    ¡°Please¡­ please Conn¡­ or,¡± The bitch begged me as I hit her from the back, but her voice was so faint as my mind was clouded with many thoughts.

    I finally pulled out her, and cursed under my breath, running my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°Get out!¡± I barked at the girl, and she flinched. She tried to wear her clothes, but I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of my room, throwing her outside and mming the door behind me.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed angrily, grabbing the flower vase on the center table and throwing it across the room. My blood was boiling in rage, I could feel my throat burning in anger, my heart was pounding hard intensely, the thought of them having a nice time now was driving me nuts that I couldn¡¯t even think straight. I looked down at my dick and found it still standing aggressively even after that much sex, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Ugh! This is crazy,¡± I growled, running my fingers through my hair.

    Slumping on my bed, I reached for my phone and dialed Lucas¡¯ number.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± His voice sounded from the other end, and I sighed.

    ¡°Send a bitch to my room. I give you five minutes to do that,¡± I barked on the phone and ended the call immediately, throwing my phone on the bed carelessly. Reaching for the bottle of red wine on the center table, I poured two sses and gulped down them in two gulps. My eyes were bing heavy, my head felt like it was spinning, and my stomach hurts, but I still poured myself another one and drank everything.

    ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m not drunk¡­ No, I¡¯m not,¡± I shook my head, trying to keep my eyes open but they kept forcing themselves closed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk, ok? I can still hold it,¡± I said to myself as I reached for the bottle again, and just when I was about to pour it, the bottle slipped from my hand and crashed against the floor, breaking into pieces and I felt s sharp pain in my leg.

    ¡°Lucas! Lucas!¡± I yelled out, hoping he¡¯d hear me, but my room was soundproofed so it was going to be hard for him to.

    Slowly, my vision became blurry and that was all I remembered¡­

 Chapter 18

    Janice POV

    Seeing Carl in such a condition made me feel guilty. It was all my fault. Although the brothers have had their differences for some time now, but they wouldn¡¯t have had any reason to fight if I didn¡¯te into the picture.

    ¡°The doctor said I won¡¯t be able to see with my eyes again,¡± Carl¡¯s voice wasced with pain as he stared into space with his other eye, while the other one was wrapped up with a bandage.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t life unfair?¡± He scoffed and threw his head back as more tears streamed down his cheek.

    ¡°The doctor said you shouldn¡¯t use the eyes to cry as it¡¯ll affect your sight. Can you stop crying, please?¡± I tried tofort him, but it was in vain as he only cried more. He looked pained, and I understood him. I mean, I would be broken too if I found out that I won¡¯t be able to ever use my eyes again. It¡¯s crazy, annoying, and unbearable at the same time.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point? One is already gone, so isn¡¯t it better the two are gone?¡± He scoffed and bit his bottom lip, and I swallowed nothing. What transpired between these crazy brothers that they would go to any length to kill each other? What the heck happened in the past that Connor couldn¡¯t forgive him? Those are the questions I¡¯ve been asking myself for the past few days and nothing has sincee true for me. I couldn¡¯t ce the exact reason why this would happen between the two brothers.

    An awkward silence assumed the atmosphere and Carl was just staring into space. He had a look on his face that I could describe as a look of pain and a thirst for vengeance.

    I leaned forward and slowly wiped the tears from his eyes, but he held my hand and stared into my eyes with his one eye.

    ¡°Will you stay with me forever, Janice?¡± My heart froze in my chest when he asked me the question, and I was still trying to pull out of the shock when he spoke up again, ¡°Divorce Connor, and let¡¯s get married. We can go to a faraway ce where he will never find us. You love me, right? Then let¡¯s elope,¡± He held my cheek in his trembling palm, and I sighed briefly. How the heck was I going to exin to him that I had no feelings for either of him and his brother? How do I tell him that I came here for a purpose and now stuck in this family?

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t say no, right? Please don¡¯t,¡± he shook his head pleadingly, but eloping with him was thest thing I would think of. If I ever had the chance to leave this ce, then I would go far away from the crazy family and never show my face. Who said that I would agree to get stuck with them again?

    I was still trying to think of what to say to him when my phone¡¯s ringtone disrupted us, and I couldn¡¯t be any happier.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Excuse me¡­ I will take this outside,¡± I smiled at him, reaching for my phone that was in my pocket while standing up.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± He nodded before I stepped out of the ward and released the breath I¡¯d been holding unknowingly. I rolled my eyes and scoffed when I checked the caller and saw that it was Connor. Here I was, thinking he was scheming something earlier. I thought I would find him here by the time I arrived at the hospital, but I guess I was mistaken. He wasn¡¯t so petty to havee here to cause trouble.

    ¡°What do you want now?¡± I asked as soon as I answered the call, but the voice I heard from the other end made me raise my eyebrows.

    ¡°Am I speaking with Mrs. Connor Hughes?¡± That surname added to my name was really annoying, but that didn¡¯t matter right now.

    ¡°Yes, I am. How may I help you?¡± I asked whoever was on the phone.

    ¡°This is Lucas, Mr. Connor¡¯s personal assistant. Can youe over to the penthouse? Your husband copsed and is currently being attended to. You shoulde to stay with him,¡± I scoffed unbelievably. Is that his way of getting me to go over to the penthouse? It¡¯s not going to work. At least not on me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busy and can¡¯te to the¡­¡±

    ¡°His pulse and heartbeat are dropping. We need to perform CPR on him,¡± I paused when I heard a feminine voice in the background, and I knew that he was serious. Did something bad happen to him?

    ¡°Is it that bad? Will he be fine?¡± I heard Lucas talking to someone in the background, and my heart dropped for some seconds.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hello¡­ Hello¡­ Lucas¡­¡± I called him but got no answer and the call finally dropped.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed under my breath and quickly dialed the number again but got no reply, and I got worried. What happened to him? Is it that serious? I asked myself even if I couldn¡¯t provide answers to the questions.

    I headed back into the ward and picked up my handbag from where I left it earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl. I need to step out for a few minutes. I will be back,¡± I said to him hurriedly.

    ¡°Is everything alright? Did something happen?¡± He asked me worriedly, but I shook my head and stormed out of the ward.

    ¡°Ugh! This is crazy. Where the hell did he go to? Did he get into an ident?¡± I mumbled as I walked briskly down the hallway, and as soon as I exited the hospital, I saw Chase and ire hurrying to the parking lot.

    ¡°Did you hear already? We just got a call that Connor copsed. You shoulde with us,¡± ire uttered hurriedly as she pulled the car door open, ready to hop in.

    ¡°Are you two leaving?¡± I asked them, and they nced at each other before they nodded.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡± ire asked while raising her eyebrows questioningly.

    ¡°What about Carl? He is going to be left in the hospital all by himself. Are you going to leave him here?¡± I asked them, and ire scoffed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive yet, so Chase has to drive me there. And besides, he is not a baby, and will be fine by himself,¡± ire replied to me sarcastically then pulled the car door open and hopped inside.

    ¡°Are you noting in? Chase asked me, holding out the door to the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°You guys go ahead. I will stay with Carl and go check on himter when someone is here to look after Carl,¡± I replied to him, and he hopped inside the car and drove off.

    I thought it was crazy and weird how Connor and Carl hate each other so much, but the craziest shit was the fact that his other siblings didn¡¯t even give a damn about him. Carl was literally casted away from the family, and the only people that seemed to care about him were his parents. His siblings seemed to hate him so much, and the more I thought about it, the crazier it always get.

    I went back to the ward and found Carl crying again, but he stopped when he noticed my presence.

    ¡°I was scared¡­ I thought everyone abandoned me,¡± He hugged me when I went to stand beside the bed, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist, and his head resting on my lower abdomen as he cried like a baby.

    ¡°Why does everyone hate me? I said I was sorry¡­ I asked for forgiveness, why couldn¡¯t they forgive me?¡± Even if hemitted murder, he didn¡¯t deserve the treatment he was being given by his own family, and I doubted it was murder. Being treated as a piece of trash by other people hurts so bad, but getting that treatment from one¡¯s family always hits differently and hurts differently too.

    ¡°Shhhh! Don¡¯t cry. Everything is going to be fine,¡± I assured him, patting his back slowly even though I knew that things may never get better. I mean, he already lost his sight, and as far as I know, this war would never end between the brothers. I just didn¡¯t want to get involved in that shit¡­

 Chapter 19

    Connor Hughes

    My head hurts as I tried to open my eyes, so I closed them back and groaned tiredly, rubbing my hand on my forehead. Forcing my eyes opened this time, I saw two figures towering over me, and I almost had a panic attack until I realized that the people were Chase and ire.

    ¡°Hey! You startled me!¡± I snapped at them, but winced painfully when I felt a sharp pain in my head.

    ¡°Uhg! You are so annoying, you know? I thought you were going to die. How could you get yourself so drunk?¡± ire snapped at me angrily, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Hey! Do you want to die? I am your elder brother!¡± I red hard at her, but she huffed angrily.

    ¡°You are still talking about being an elder brother in this condition? What if you died after taking that much alcohol? Mom and Dad won¡¯t ever forgive you, and I won¡¯t allow you to be buried!¡± Chase chipped in, ring hard at me, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Why are you two scolding me? I¡¯m the sick one here. Is this fair?¡± I rolled my eyes, sitting up on the bed this time.

    ¡°Ugh! Just what have I done to deserve such a horrible person as a brother? Are you kidding me?¡± ire shook her head and touched her forehead, obviously frustrated.

    I was about to reply to him when the door opened and a youngdy walked inside. She was wearing a white coat which meant that she was probably the doctor or nurse taking care of me. She was in herte twenties, and trust me, she had a pretty nice body that I fucking wanted to get down on her on the spot.

    ¡°Stop being stupid, Connor. You are fucking sick,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, but that didn¡¯t matter, anyway.

    ¡°Hi! My name is Silver. I will be taking care of you henceforth until you are perfectly fine,¡± she said to me, and her voice was even more sexy. She was endowed with beauty. Long blonde hair, long natural eyshes, curvy body, but Janice beats her to it. I didn¡¯t mean to mention Janice, but I couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I managed to reply to her after Chase nudged my arm.

    ¡°How are you feeling now? Are you feeling pain anywhere?¡± She asked me as she leaned forward and held my hand gently, checking my pulse.

    ¡°I¡¯m much better,¡± I replied to her, and she nodded her head as she straightened her back.

    ¡°You should rest and stop taking alcohol for now,¡± she advised me, and after spending another five minutes checking me out, she finally left.

    ¡°What the hell was that look? You were swooning over her. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking,¡± ire red hard at me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t swooning, and even if I was, she is sexy, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Why are you so annoying? Are you thinking of sleeping with your doctor again? That is gross,¡± ire grimaced, and I shrugged.

    ¡°What is wrong with it? She is hot, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have her on my bed,¡± I winked at her, knowing it was what she hated the most.

    ¡°You still remember that I¡¯m a high schooler and you shouldn¡¯t be saying this in my presence, yeah?¡± She snapped at me, grabbing the pillow and throwing it at me, but I scoffed.

    ¡°Spare me that, ire. You are more than eighteen now, and don¡¯t even think that I don¡¯t know your boyfriend. I¡¯ve just been quiet over it,¡± I winked at her, and Chase¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°For real? ire, you have a boyfriend?¡± He gasped, turning to face ire whose face has turned red from embarrassment.

    ¡°Ugh! You both are annoying. You are worse than Connor,¡± She grabbed Chase¡¯s hair and pulled it aggressively.

    ¡°Hey! Are you going to kill your brother? You better stop that,¡± I scolded her, knowing, but she scoffed.

    Something crossed my mind, and I raised my eyebrows. I remember Janice going to the hospital earlier. Is she still there? Did she not hear that I was sick?

    ¡°Janice¡­ Where is she?¡± I asked them, and ire scoffed.

    ¡°She was going toe over here when she saw us leaving, so she decided to stay back with Carl since there was nobody at the hospital. She said she woulde over as soon as there is someone there to watch over him,¡± I scoffed at the horrible reply Chase gave me.

    ¡°Is that some joke or what? She is now choosing someone else over her husband?¡± I huffed angrily and bit my bottom lip.

    I shut my eyes and buried my face between my palms when my head came hurting again that I could barely keep my eyes open.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath, throwing my head back, but I quickly grabbed it when it felt like it was going to fall off my neck. Why would she stay with him when I¡¯m sick? I¡¯m her husband for fuck¡¯s sake, so why would she choose him over me?N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°The doctor said you should rest. It¡¯s almostte, and it¡¯s not that she cane here, anyway. We will stay with you tonight, and she cane over tomo¡­¡±

    ¡°Get my phone,¡± I cut Chase off, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked his eyes.

    ¡°Get my phone, Chase,¡± I said to him again, and he slowly nodded his head before he left to get the phone from Lucas. I guess he was with the phone.

    ¡°Here,¡± he handed it to me as soon as he came back, and I took it. I scrolled through the phone and dialed her number once I spotted it.

    ¡°Luca¡­¡±

    ¡°I need you toe to the penthouse right away. Like right now!¡± I cut her off as soon as she answered the call, and ended the call, tossing my phone on the bed.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± I raised my gaze to find ire smirking at me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Jealous? Who? Me? Of who? Janice or Carl? Are you kidding me?¡± I scoffed unbelievably, and she sighed

    ¡°Seeing the way you are acting so possessive, I couldn¡¯t help but think that,¡± she shrugged, and I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. You heard when the doctor said that I needed to rest. You should leave me alone to rest,¡± I said,ying on the bed and pulling the duvet to cover myself.

    ¡°Sorry, but I will stay here until Janicees around,¡± ire insisted, so I sighed frustratingly.

    An hour passed before Janice finally arrived, and she barged into my room as soon as she arrived, but she stopped when she saw ire and Chase in the room.

    ¡°We will leave you two to talk,¡± Chase said, then left the room with ire, leaving us alone.

    ¡°Is it nice spending time with him?¡± I asked her¡­

 Chapter 20

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°Did you call me here to nag me? I thought you were sick?¡± She scoffed, dropping her handbag on the center table.

    ¡°Why did you choose him over me? You heard I was sick and still decided to stay with him. Why?¡± I was enraged for no good reason. The thought of Carl feelingforted at the time she was with him was annoying the hell out of me. I wanted Carl to feel so lonely that he would be driven to the point ofmitting suicide, I didn¡¯t want him to ever feelforted for a second, but Janice was ruining everything for me and it was really annoying.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t expecting me to have left him in the hospital alone when you had your other siblingsing over to stay with you, right? That¡¯s crazy and wickedness,¡± she shrugged, and I scoffed angrily. I watched as she walked over to me and sat on the edge of the bed.

    ¡°How are you feeling now? Are you ok now?¡± The way she maintained a nk expression as if this wasn¡¯t a big deal was one shit I couldn¡¯t deal with. It was making me boil.

    ¡°Seriously? You are seriously doing this, Janice?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my anger anymore, so I yelled at her, yanking her hand off me when she tried to touch me, and she scoffed.

    ¡°I was just trying to be nice to you. Not that I have any reason to, anyway,¡± she rolled her eyes and stood up.

    ¡°Even if my siblings were here, you could¡¯ve still¡­¡±

    ¡°I could¡¯ve stille over? Do you have a conscience at all? This is unfair, Connor! This is not fucking fair! I don¡¯t know what transpired between you two in the past, and so far as I gathered, he already asked for forgiveness, how could you still be treating him like this?¡± She yelled at me, and I knotted my eyebrows in shock.

    ¡°None of you cared about him. You fucking did that to him for fuck¡¯s sake. No matter what he did to you, I think you should be merciful and at least put yourself in his shoes. He is dying inside. You all literally cast him out of the family as if he was an outsider! Have you ever imagined the pain he has been through?¡± She was almost in tears, but that didn¡¯t move me an inch. Even if I saw Carl at the brink of death, if I saw him at gunpoint, I wouldn¡¯t ever pity him let alone save his life. That was thest thing I would do.

    ¡°All you do is think about yourself. Everyone makes mistakes in life, and he already realized his, so why are you still being like this?¡± She yelled again. I wanted to be quiet even though her words were piercing through my heart like a dagger, but it was getting to me. ¡®Forgiveness¡¯ is the one word I always hated when it came to Carl. That was thest thing I would do for him. Forgiving him for what he has done was thest thing I would do.

    ¡°Just shut it, Janice. Fucking shut it!¡± I yelled at her and scoffed.

    ¡°What do you know? How dare you judge me when you don¡¯t even know what happened? How dare you talk down on me when you don¡¯t even know what he did to me?¡± I snapped at her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Does it look like I care about what happened between you two? Do I look like I give a damn about whatever shit transpired between you two? All I¡¯m saying is that the way you are treating Carl is not fair,¡± she insisted, and I scoffed, biting my lip. It hurts whenever someone judged me without knowing what that bastard did to me. It hurts, and I can¡¯t take it. Not from anyone.

    ¡°You are no different from him, Connor, and that is the reality. If you are different from him, you would¡¯ve forgiven him already. It¡¯s crazy how you treat him, but you know what¡¯s crazier? Watching your siblings treat him the same way and not saying anything about it. You are not worthy of being an elder brother, and if I had you as one, I would curse you every single day,¡± She further said and turned to leave.

    ¡°Are you going to him again?¡± I asked her, and she stopped. I watched as she slowly clenched her fingers tightly beside her.

    ¡°Are you going back to him because you miss him so much and can¡¯t stay back here? I¡¯m sick, do you realize that?¡± I asked her, and she took a deep breath, throwing her head back. I hated being like this around anyone, the least her, but I was vulnerable at this point and couldn¡¯t even think straight. Tears brimmed in my eyes and found their way down my cheek. If only people would not see me as a bad person for getting my revenge, then that would¡¯ve been fine with me. No matter how much I tried to be strong, no matter how I told myself that it was fine whenever someone was criticizing me without having an idea of what happened, I always ended up failing woefully.

    ¡°Huh? Are you crying?¡± Her eyes narrowed when she turned to face me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Who said I was crying?¡± I rolled my eyes, quickly wiping my tears away.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± She huffed and finally left my room. Is she going to him? I asked myself, but sighed andy on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

    After I got enough rest, I headed into the bathroom and had a long and rxing bath. I felt a bit more relieved than earlier. Walking back into the room with just a towel hanging around my waist, I stopped when I found Janice in the room, serving food on the center table. Here I was, thinking she left, but she was still here. Wow! I had no idea.

    ¡°I made you dinner. You should eat and sleep early today. I kept some in the refrigerator. You can ask your sister to warm it for you tomorrow for breakfast,¡± she said while picking up her handbag and fixing her wristwatch around her wrist.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked her, ignoring everything she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the hospital. Carl is alone there, and since your parents are not around, he is going to be left by himself,¡± she replied to me casually, then tucked her hair behind her ear.

    ¡°I wille to check on you tomorrow,¡± she uttered, heading to the door after.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± I didn¡¯t know when those words slipped out of my lips, but I really meant to say them. She could go anywhere, but having her going to stay with Carl was a bad idea. Something I would never allow.

    ¡°Why?¡± She raised her eyebrows as if she had no idea why I was doing this.

    ¡°Do I need to have a reason? I am your husband, so¡­¡± She pulled the door open and stepped out before I could finish, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Hey, are you really leaving?¡± I went after her, and pulled her back just when she was about to take the elevator, but she scoffed.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I told you I need to go stay with Carl at the hospital. Your brother and sister and even your bodyguards are here with you, and it¡¯ll be unfair if he is left to stay there alone. Your parents are not around, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Just stay here with me. I¡¯m scared of sleeping alone,¡± I didn¡¯t know when I turned into a whining person, but then, I couldn¡¯t afford her going to stay with him. It¡¯s creepy and annoying to even think of.

    ¡°Chase will sleep in the room with you, so let go of my hand,¡± she yanked my hand off and turned to leave, but I held her and dragged her into my room, mming the door hard behind us and locking it after.

    ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing?¡± She yelled at me when she tried to open the door and it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°The doctor said that I need someone to stay with me, so you should take care of me. Besides, we are married, so aren¡¯t you supposed to take care of your sick husband?¡± I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms on my chest, but she ran her fingers through her hair, obviously frustrated.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°I need a head massage. I¡¯m also finding it difficult to sleep, so you should put me to sleep,¡± I cut her off, going to sit on the bed.

    ¡°Ugh! It hurts,¡± I whined, rubbing my fingers gently on my forehead, and I heard her scoff¡­

 Chapter 21

    Connor Hughes

    A smile formed on my lips when I woke up in the morning and found Janice sleeping peacefully beside me on the bed, resting her head on my chest, and her leg on my body. She looked extremely cute while sleeping, and having her hair scattered on her face was even cuter.

    So, this is how she would¡¯ve slept in Carl¡¯s arms? When I thought of that, I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I wouldn¡¯t ever allow her to go anywhere close to that bastard for any reason. She is my wife, and I should keep her by my side even if I don¡¯t love her, right?

    ¡®Are you crying?¡¯ Her question rang in my head, and I cringed as fuck. It¡¯s annoying that I couldn¡¯t control my emotionst night and ended up crying in front of her. Although I quickly defended myself, I knew she wouldn¡¯t be so foolish to have believed that I wasn¡¯t crying, yeah?

    ¡°What will she think of me now?¡± I mumbled, staring at her face, but does it matter what she will think of me? I could just pretend I never cried, yeah?

    I was going to touch her face when she slowly opened her eyes, so I quickly took my hand off, and when she opened her eyes and found me staring at her coldly, she flinched.

    ¡°Whoa¡­ whoa! What the heck was that? You startled me,¡± She gasped as she jumped off the bed sleepily, almost falling to the floor.

    ¡°What are you doing on my bed? Do you know how much this costs?¡± I snapped at her, and she huffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Are you serious? Have you forgotten you were the one that asked me to sleep here with you? And the fuck! How much is your bed that I can¡¯t sleep on it?¡± She rolled her eyes at me, standing up to her feet.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to sleep in my room, and even if I did, you could¡¯ve slept on the floor, yeah? Nobody has ever shared this bed with me, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Just cut the crap and stop making a fuss. Ugh! I should¡¯ve gone to sleep in the hospital yesterday¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Are you choosing someone else over your husband? Are you regretting sleeping here with your husband?¡± I gasped, and she ran her fingers through her hair, obviously frustrated.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you freaking kidding me, man? I don¡¯t know what to do with you. Should I just kill you maybe strangling you won¡¯t be a bad idea, yeah?¡± She held her neck like she wanted to strangle herself, and I foolishly found everything she does cute.

    ¡°And why the heck are you staring at me like that? It¡¯s annoying,¡± she turned her face away, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Are you going to stand there and not help me up? I¡¯m not strong yet, man,¡± I said to her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t carry you. I will go get your brother toe help you up,¡± She replied to me and turned to leave, but I held her hand and pulled her back to the bed. She fell on my body.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± She stuttered, her eyes narrowed. I felt her heart beating fast and hammering against her chest, and she swallowed whatever was in her throat. She looked shocked.

    ¡°Help me up,¡± I said, and she quickly stood up and adjusted her cloth.

    ¡°Help yourself up,¡± she said hurriedly, scurrying into the bathroom and mming the door hard behind her afterward, and I chuckled softly.

    I sat up on the bed and reached out for my phone, but cringed when I saw the number of missed calls I got from Khan, but when I unlocked it, my jaw dropped at the message he sent to me. The way he talks to me sometimes always had me asking myself if I¡¯m the boss or his employee. I guess that is what I got for making my best friend my secretary in thepany. He would definitely kill me one day.

    ¡®Am I your boss or you are? You are going to get your ass fired soon, trust me. Anyway, I¡¯m not feeling fine and I¡¯m at the penthouse. Don¡¯t bother toe over, I don¡¯t want to see you¡¯ I sent the text to him, and as if he has been waiting for me to text him, his reply popped in immediately.

    ¡®I¡¯m on my way there. I dare you to tell me that when Ie over¡¯ I rolled my eyes after I read his text, throwing my phone beside me on the bed.

    The doorbell rang, and I went to check who was at the door. I opened the door to find that it was one of the maids there.

    ¡°Good morning, Sir. I came to tell you that breakfast is ready,¡± She said to me as she bowed her head, and I nodded.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there,¡± And with that, I closed the door and went back to sit on the bed.

    I had no idea what was taking her so long in the bathroom, but she eventually came out wearing a white robe and a white towel wrapped around her hair. The smell of my shampoo caught my attention, and I gasped at the thought of her using my shampoo.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking tell me you used my shampoo,¡± My eyes narrowed, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? What were you expecting me to use? I didn¡¯t bring mine here, so I obviously used yours,¡± she shrugged, and I shrieked.

    ¡°Are you fucking with me, huh? Do you know how much that costs?¡± I cringed, but she scoffed and shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a shampoo, so stop fucking making a fuss about it, because it¡¯s annoying the hell out of me,¡± She rolled her eyes at me, going to the dressing room.

    ¡°Is that my robe you are wearing too?¡± I asked, going after her into the dressing room.

    ¡°Just stop nagging and leave me the hell alone, Connor. I don¡¯t have a dress here, so what were you expecting me to wear? Walk back into the room naked?¡± She scoffed, turning to look at me with that unbelievable expression on her face.

    ¡°That¡­ that would¡¯ve been better. It¡¯s even better if you walk back here naked. And you could¡¯ve waited to go back to the mansion and use your shampoo, right? Why would you use mine?¡± I whined, and she was forced to push me out and mmed the door hard on my face.

    ¡°You are so petty and annoying, asshole,¡± she yelled from the dressing room, and I scoffed. Why the hell would she use my shampoo?

    I was going to say something when my phone beeped and I went to check to see a message from Mom on the screen.

    ¡®Go to the hospital and say hi to your brother¡¯ Even though she wasn¡¯t here with me, I could sense the anger and disgust in the text. She and Dad had to travel urgently after the incident.

    Although I didn¡¯t want to see that bastard, I knew I had to now that Mom wanted me to. I tossed my phone on the bed and went to the bathroom to have my bath and get ready to have breakfast with my siblings and wife downstairs¡­

 Chapter 22

    Connor Hughes

    Khan arrived just when we were having breakfast, and we all started eating together. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way he was stealing nces at ire while we were eating, and I scoffed silently. He better not think of anything stupid, because I will break his limb before he thought of it. I wouldn¡¯t someone as bad as myself to lust over my sister like that. She can¡¯t be one of his victims like other girls too.

    ¡°How have you been, Mrs. Connor? We couldn¡¯t say hi to each other thest time you came over to thepany. It¡¯s nice to meet you again,¡± He smiled at Janice, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s nice to meet you too,¡± she replied to him, and he nodded his head.

    Silence assumed the atmosphere afterward, and trust me, he was still stealing nces at my sister, and it was already getting me pissed that I felt like screaming at him, but had to fight it back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the hospital after breakfast. Carl is alone over there,¡± Janice broke the silence, and I stopped eating. Did she have to ruin my breakfast?

    ¡°I¡¯m sick too. You should stay with your husband,¡± I replied to her, not sparing her a nce, and I bet she scoffed.

    ¡°You are not alone here, man. You have your siblings, and your friend is even here with you. Carl is all by himself there. It¡¯s not¡­¡±

    ¡°My friend is here, and that is the damn reason we shouldn¡¯t be talking about this!¡± I mmed my hands on the table as I rose to my sleep. I wasn¡¯t pissed because of Khan being here but because she told me she was going to the hospital. Is she so clueless? I don¡¯t fucking want her around that bastard, what¡¯s so hard to understand?

    ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s crazy,¡± I was expecting her to frown and feel hurt, but staring at me as if I was going crazy really made me lose it and I felt like smacking her head. She¡¯s so annoyed.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Why are you yelling at me?¡± She scoffed and shrugged.

    ¡°Meet me in the room,¡± I said to her, leaving the dining room to my room, and once I stepped inside, I mmed the door hard behind me, running my fingers through my hair. I grunted frustratingly, the urge to kill that bastard spurred through me. Maybe if he dies, then she won¡¯t think of going to the hospital again.

    I was still pacing in the room when the door opened and I stopped to see her inside the room.

    ¡°You asked toe see you,¡± she stared at me cluelessly and innocently and I doubt if she was the same girl out there that made me look stupid.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go to the hospital,¡± I said to her bluntly.

    ¡°Why?¡± She shrugged, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

    ¡°Are you so clueless or do you just want to drive me crazy? I don¡¯t fucking want to see you around him. Is that too hard to understand?¡± I yelled at her, and she sighed, sinking into the bed, obviously frustrated.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked me the dumb question that made me almost strangle her because what the fuck was this frustration about?

    ¡°You are worried he would be alone, yeah? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to send ire there. He won¡¯t be alone,¡± I had no idea why I was suddenly being like this, even though I knew this was crazy of me, I still couldn¡¯t help it. I don¡¯t even have feelings for her, so why the fuck was I getting worked up about whatever she chose to do and whoever she chose to spend time with? I¡¯m seriously going crazy.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± She scoffed.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You are staying¡­¡± I paused and held my head, staggering back as I suddenly felt dizzy.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± She quickly stood up to hold me, but I already crash hard on the floor with a loud thud before she could get to me, and that was all I remembered happening.

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been out, but the blurred figure hovering over me weed me as soon as I opened my eyes slightly, so I closed them back, preparing myself to get used to the brightness of wherever the hell I was, and when my vision finally became clear, I realized that I was in my room, and on my bed.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I quickly recognized the voice to be Janice¡¯s, so I forced myself to look in her direction.

    ¡°What happened to me?¡± I asked, touching my forehead. I still felt a bit dizzy, but not as bad as it was earlier. My eyes felt heavy, my head bangs hard, and my breath was slow. I haven¡¯t still recovered fully from the alcohol effect from yesterday, and I was already acting strong. I think I may be down for some timeter.

    ¡°The doctor said she told you to rest, man. Why are you stressing yourself?¡± Hearing Khan¡¯s voice made me realize that he was in the room too, and I forced myself to look in his direction. He was sitting with ire who was ring hard at me. What the hell is he doing with my sister?

    ¡°ire¡­ Come over here,¡± I ignored him and called my sister instead.

    ¡°When are you going to learn, huh? You are going to hurt yourself. The doctor clearly told you to rest yesterday, but you kept forcing yourself to think you are strong. Mom and Dad would be sad if something happens to you too,¡± She nagged me as she came to sit beside me on the bed, but I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°You should go to the hospital and stay with Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Who said I want to go there?¡± She scoffed, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s a request. Please, go stay with him. I will send someone to stay with himter, I promise,¡± I stroked her hair, and she rolled her eyes at me, angry.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t drive. How do you expect me to get there?¡± She asked me.

    ¡°I should go with Chase. I can¡¯t stand being there alone. It¡¯ll be boring,¡± she pouted her lips, and I nced at Khan to find him drooling over her as if his life depended on it, and that alone made me want to desperately send her away because why the freaking hell would he stare at my sister like that?

    ¡°Just take a cab there. Chase needs to stay with me and help me out with some things here,¡± I said to her, and she hesitated before she finally left, and trust me, Khan stared at her until she was out of the room, and when he returned his gaze and our eyes met, I frowned at him. I guess he knew what that deadly re meant because he shrugged and rolled his eyes at me.

    ¡°Janice, can you step out for some minutes? I need to speak with my friend,¡± I said to Janice, and she nodded her head before she left the room.

    ¡°What the hell was that, man?¡± I asked him once it was only us in the room. I managed to sit up on the bed.

    ¡°What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?¡± He asked cluelessly, or maybe he was just acting clueless when he knew deep inside him what the hell I was talking about.

    ¡°Don¡¯t freaking ask me that question, man. What the hell was that? Why were you staring at my sister like that?¡± I asked him again, raising my voice a bit high this time because I really meant business. Although he was my best friend, and the closest to me, that doesn¡¯t mean that I want him for my sister.

    ¡°Hey, man. Why are you being like that? I didn¡¯t do anything to your sister, I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°Admiring her, I guess?¡± I scoffed, and he dared to nod his head. I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, so I grabbed my pillow and threw it at him, but he dodged it.

    ¡°Hey, man. What is wrong with you? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± he tried to defend himself, so I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and threw it at him. I was expecting the bastard to catch the phone, but he fucking let my phone crash on the wall.

    ¡°Hey! Why didn¡¯t you catch it?¡± I snapped at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°You threw that yourself, so why should I?¡± He smirked at me, and I grunted angrily at him.

    ¡°You are really crazy. Do you want to die?¡± I yelled at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t want to. You are the crazy one here. Why would you tell me not to admire your sister? And why would you throw that in the first ce?¡± He rolled his eyes at me, and if not for that he is my best friend, I would¡¯ve killed him by strangling life out of him, but I couldn¡¯t.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Your sry this month would be used to fix the phone, and I¡¯m not bbing now. I really mean it,¡± I said to him sternly, pointing my finger at him.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare, Connor. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to die,¡± he smirked at me.

    ¡°Whatever! Just fucking stay away from my sister. The next time I see you do that, I promise, I¡¯m going to fucking pluck out your eyes and feed it to you. That is not an empty threat. I¡¯m sure you know wh

    at I¡¯m capable of doing, yeah?¡± I warned him¡­

 Chapter 23

    Next day

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°Ugh! So annoying,¡± I groaned angrily after I pulled over at the parking lot of the hospital. Being here didn¡¯t feel good, but what could I do when Mom insisted that Ie check on that bastard that was supposed to be my brother? It¡¯s annoying, but since the order came from Mom, I couldn¡¯t have said no, right?

    I stopped in front of the ward and I saw himying on the bed and staring into space. His eye was still stered, and he could only see with one. Seeing him like that gave me this satisfactory crazy feeling.

    Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked inside.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked me, not sparing a nce.

    ¡°Wow! Your eye is still sharp. Had no idea you knew that I¡¯m the one. I came to say hi,¡± I replied to him sarcastically, sitting on the chair in the ward.

    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± I asked him casually, even though I didn¡¯t want to. I was just being nice because of Mom, and nothing else.

    ¡°Get out of here, this minute, Connor. I don¡¯t want to see you,¡± he said between gritted teeth, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here because I want to, Carl. Mom asked me toe here¡­¡±

    ¡°You could also tell her that you didn¡¯t want toe, or that I don¡¯t want you around, right?¡± He finally tilted his head to look at me, his eyes piercing at me with pain and anger written on it, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m thest person that would want to be here¡­¡±

    ¡°Just get the fuck out of here, bastard!¡± He spat on my face, and I close my eyes. Slowly, I clenched my fingers into a tight ball, I could feel my blood boiling in rage, my throat burning in anger, but I tried to hold it in. I might end up taking his remaining eye if I don¡¯t control it.

    ¡°Ugh! You are so stubborn and annoying, Carl. Can¡¯t you be a good boy?¡± I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. Good thing I had a handkerchief with me, so I wiped the spit from my face and sighed. It was pretty disgusting to have him do that to me, but fighting him here was thest thing on my mind right now. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him again because of our parents.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough? You took away the woman I love, and as if that was not enough, you took away my eye. What do you want now?¡± He yelled at me, tears trickled down his eye down his cheek, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Your life¡­¡± I leaned forward and smirked at him, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked his eyes rapidly, and pulled back.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s what I would say and would take away from you if I could. You should be grateful that you¡¯re still alive. That¡¯s not because I can¡¯t kill you, anyway. I¡¯m only keeping you alive because of Mom and Dad,¡± I shrugged and reclined on the chair.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how much I hate you¡­ You are the bane of my existence, Carl. The more I see you, the more I want to kill you,¡± I couldn¡¯t be any happier that I could finally air out my mind to him.

    ¡°I am your brother, Connor¡­ I have been begging you for years to forgive me. Why can¡¯t you forgive me for the mistake?¡± He yelled at me, obviously frustrated.

    ¡°Why should I forgive you because you are asking me to? And what if you have been begging for years? I also want to forgive you, Carl¡­ I desperately want to forget everything that happened in the past, but seeing you every fucking day keeps reminding me of that horrible moment, and I can¡¯t help but want to kill you!¡± I yelled at him this time, and he huffed, throwing his head back on the bed as more tears streamed down his cheek.

    ¡°You have every chance to kill me¡­ Why didn¡¯t you?¡± He scoffed, staring up at the ceiling.

    Why didn¡¯t I? You know the answer to that, Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°You would say because of Mom, but deep inside you, that¡¯s not the reason, and we both know it. We both know that you are a coward that can¡¯t even take your revenge because you are scared of your conscience judging you for the rest of your life,¡± He uttered, then giggled as more tears streamed down his cheek, and I slowly gritted my teeth angrily.

    ¡°You are only lying to yourself that it¡¯s because of Mom, but you know it¡¯s not. You can¡¯t kill me, Connor. You can¡¯t ever do it,¡± His eyes preyed on me this time, the corner of his lips twitched up into a smirk. I wanted to punch his remaining eye and render him blind for the rest of his life, but I wouldn¡¯t dare do that now.

    ¡°You are right, Carl. I¡¯m scared you would die an easy death¡­ I want you to suffer so much that you¡¯d beg me, not for mercy, but for your death. Why should I kill you, when I can make you feel dead while still breathing?¡± I grinned from ear to ear, staring into his eyes and picking my words one after the other, and the look on his face showed that he panicked for a moment even though it didn¡¯tst for two seconds.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s the kind of expression I want,¡± I straightened my back then stood up and sighed briefly. I tucked my hands in my pockets and towered over him.

    ¡°You made me a viin, and I will show you how dangerous a desperate viin like myself can do. Well, that is until youe out of here. I¡¯m rooting for you, and looking forward to having you out there. Wishing you a quick recovery, my sweet brother,¡± I winked at him, then straightened my back and adjusted my suit, stepping out of the ward after¡­

 Chapter 24

    Connor Hughes

    It has been five days since I went to the hospital. Janice has been there every now and then, and it¡¯s really annoying to know that she cares so much about him. Don¡¯t misunderstand me, I don¡¯t have feelings for her, I don¡¯t just want to see her around him. It¡¯s annoying me.

    After giving it a thought, I decided to do something that would keep her around me always, and I resorted to making her my PA. Being with me always and going on trips with me, isn¡¯t that what a P. A does? Well, that way, she would be at my reach anytime I need her.

    She is temporarily staying at the penthouse with me, but trust me, I won¡¯t ever allow her to go back to that mansion ever again. She could only go there when I¡¯m at the mansion.

    The shower running in the bathroom stopped, and she soon stepped into the room with a white towel wrapped around her chest, revealing her long straight legs. She had the sexiest body that always drove me wild whenever I set eyes on her, but I¡¯ve been trying to hold back for no reason, I think.

    I watched as she sat in front of the mirror, doing her usual routine of applying skin care to her skin, and trust me, seeing her like that made me horny. I tried to hold it, but my dick was already standing aggressively and ready to devour her. With the image of her legs trembling in the air, her moans sounding like music to my ears, her fingers scratching my back and making marks on them while I dig into her. All those thoughts were messing with my head as I stared at her, and all efforts to get them proved abortive. I¡¯ve been tolerant enough, and I didn¡¯t think it was going to work this time.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± I guess she caught me drooling at her, and I couldn¡¯t deny that I really was doing that before she caught me.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You are my wife¡­ Can¡¯t I stare at you, hmm?¡± I rolled my eyes at her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s annoying when you call me that, yeah?¡± She tilted her head to look at me, and smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s even more annoying to stay under the same roof and in the same roof with you. At times, I just feel like strangling you to death,¡± She scoffed and turned her face away, and I foolishly smiled for no reason. I found her strangely cute when threatening me.

    ¡°Have you imagined how that voice would sound moaning my name while I fuck you so hard and make your legs tremble?¡± I winked at her, and she gasped.

    ¡°The fuck! Are you shameless?¡± She stuttered, turning her face away, but I bet her cheeks were burning red from embarrassment.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m shameless. Do you have a problem with that, huh?¡± I finally stood up and went to stand behind her. I packed her hair to one side of her neck, revealing her bare neck and shoulder.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± She stuttered when I ced my hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently.

    ¡°ying with you, of course,¡± I leaned low and ced a soft kiss on her shoulder. Her body became hot under my palm, I could feel her intense stare in the mirror, the look of desire in her eyes which permitted me to go ahead that she was enjoying this. I kissed her up to her neck and teased the nape of her neck, and I bet she moaned softly.

    ¡°Did you just moan?¡± I pulled away from her, and that was all it took for her to stand up and push me away, turning her face away.

    ¡°Who said I moaned? You can¡¯t touch me like that without my permission,¡± Her voice quivered slightly, but it was written in her eyes that she wanted this as much as I do, I could read on her face that she was enjoying this and wanted more, as much as I do.

    ¡°Why should I? You are my wife,¡± I pulled her close, her body crashing against mine. I could feel her heart pumping hard against her chest, and I smirked, tucking the strand of hair on her forehead behind her ear.

    I leaned forward and kissed her all over the face down to her neck, kissing and nibbling the nape of her neck. I guess she could only resist it for some seconds before she sank her fingers into my hair, pulling me close. Just like that, we were soon on the bed with me on top of her, kissing her hungrily and making out with her.

    ¡°St¡­ op, Conn¡­ or,¡± she shuddered when she felt my hand crawling up her thigh, but I was already taken away that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to stop or control myself anymore. The only thing I could think of at the moment was to have sex with her and get done with this.

    ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± I hushed against her neck, teasing the nape of her neck, and when she didn¡¯t say anything, I took that as a no. She really wanted this too. Her pussy was extremely tight when I tried to push my finger inside her, and she yelped in pain. The fuck! What is going on?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I pulled away from her, staring into her eyes questioningly, and her cheeks went red.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not done this before?¡± Even if the question sounded ridiculous, I still had to ask her because it was the only way this could happen. Why would I even think she was a virgin at her age, and even if that was supposed to be possible, she was a call girl before I met her for fuck¡¯s sake, so she should¡¯ve slept with one or a few of her clients, yeah?

    She slowly nodded her head which had me confused for a moment, not until she pushed me off and quickly stood up from the bed, holding the towel tightly around her chest, hiding her face with embarrassment, and my mouth was left hanging open. If she had told me that herself without confirming it, trust me, I wouldn¡¯t have ever believed it. How was I supposed to believe that a twenty-five years old call girl would be a virgin? That would¡¯ve been the most impossible thing that could ever happen in the whole world.

    She turned and dashed into the bathroom, mmed the door behind her, and locked it.

    In all my life, I¡¯ve never done a virgin before. It was always stressful for me to take a virgin to bed, but now that I found my wife being one, I couldn¡¯t help the curiosity taking over me. I really wanted to know how they would taste on the bed at this point, but I didn¡¯t think today would be the day for it. I was already in shock that I didn¡¯t think I would be able to do anything with her, and she looked embarrassed too.

    Now that I thought about it, I guess this would be a good reason I should protect her from Carl henceforth¡­

 Chapter 25

    Janice POV

    I scoffed for the second time, recalling what happened yesterday night. How could I have been so silly to the point of almost having sex with him? If he had not stopped, then that¡¯s how I would¡¯ve given up my virginity to a jerk?

    ¡°You are such a pathetic idiot, Janice,¡± I cursed at myself, running my fingers through my hair. My phone beeped, and my heart dropped when I checked to see that it was a text from my little brother. Again, he needed money for his tuition fees, and here I was, stranded with no hope of ever getting a means of ie. I guess it was high time I started looking for a job to survive.

    ¡®I¡¯ll send you some money soon. Please give me some time¡¯ I replied to his text, then tossed my phone on the nightstand and sank my fingers into my hair. Coming to this family was the worse decision I¡¯ve ever made, and I couldn¡¯t help but regret evering here. Maybe I should¡¯ve just continued working as a call girl and never threw this bait. I was married to my nightmare, and despite being one of the wealthiest men in the country, I couldn¡¯t even live thefortable life I so dreamt of.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to lose my mind if I keep thinking about this,¡± I mumbled, pushing my thoughts away. The sound of the watering from the bathroom made me roll my eyes, knowing that this bastard was still in there. I know I had nothing to do and also nowhere to go, but can he juste outside so I can bathe?

    It was as if he heard my thoughts, because the door opened at that time, and he came out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp with water dripping down his body, making him annoyingly and awfully cute. I hate to admit it, but he was everything cute.

    ¡°You are going to get horny if you keep staring at me like that,¡± His voice pulled me back to reality, and that was when the realization dawned on me that I¡¯d been staring at him all along, so I quickly averted my gaze and rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Who said that I was staring at you?¡± I mumbled and heard him scoff.

    I watched as he sat in front of the mirror, and I couldn¡¯t seem to get off what happened yesterday off my head. He was very much good at pretending, but I wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Do you want anything?¡± He asked me, and I bit my bottom lip. Should I ask him for money since he was asking what I wanted from him? I asked myself but quickly dismissed the thoughts because it was very stupid of me to even think about it.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m sending ire with youter to take you shopping for some new clothes. My wife can¡¯t be looking old-fashioned like that¡­¡±

    ¡°What! Me? Old-fashioned? Are you kidding me? Who said that I¡¯m old-fashioned?¡± I huffed angrily, but he rolled his eyes instead.

    ¡°Wait! Your wife? I told you to stop calling me that, man. It¡¯s making me feel ufortable,¡± I snapped at him, but he scoffed instead. Well, for a moment, I wanted to tell him to give me the money he was going to use to get me clothes. I mean, I still have new clothes and I didn¡¯t think I would need new ones again, so I needed the money more.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be seen together often henceforth, so you need to dress well if you should be seen with me,¡± He uttered sarcastically, and I could swear I had no idea what he meant by that.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to hire you as my personal assistant. You will being to the office with me starting from Monday. Love it, yeah?¡± He tilted his head to look at me, smirking, and I rolled my eyes. Deep inside me, I was so excited that I wanted to scream out loud, but knowing the kind of annoying jerk he is, I didn¡¯t want to give him the impression of me being excited, so I just rolled my eyes.

    ¡°And who said you can make me your personal assistant without my consent?¡± I asked him, praying silently he didn¡¯t end up changing his mind. It was the first time I was going to work for anyone, so I was excited.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve asked you if I needed your consent, and you should be thankful to your stars that I am choosing to employ you. Don¡¯t make me change my mind, and do whatever I ask you to do,¡± he sounded sarcastic, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Are you expecting me to say thank you? Well, that¡¯s in your dream, Connor. I don¡¯t need your help, and¡­¡±

    ¡°You know you can actually stop raising your voice, yeah? I bet you wouldn¡¯t want to use that voice to scream my name this early, yeah?¡± He looked at me and licked his bottom lip seductively, winking at me. My heart fluttered, and I felt my abdomen twitched. I felt a hard sting in my pussy, and I knew exactly what it meant. He was fucking turning me on without even trying. Is he doing it intentionally? I asked myself, but does it matter?

    ¡°You are crazy,¡± I mumbled, standing up from the bed. I was heading to the bathroom when he held my hand and pulled me back, sitting me on his thighs.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I stuttered, raising my eyebrows in shock, and he shrugged.

    ¡°ying with my wife,¡± He replied to me with a sense of sarcasm in his voice, and before I could say anything else, he gently grope one of my boobs that were standing firmly underneath my nightie, and my breath hitched.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He whispered, his eyes piercing into mine. While his right hand was caressing my boob, I could feel the other one crawling up my bare back underneath my dress, and I ended up pping my thighs together when I felt a burning sensation between them. I jumped off his thighs, and I heard him snicker.

    ¡°What? Are you scared I might do something to you, hmm?¡± He asked, and chuckled, looking at my reflection in the mirror, but I ignored him and dashed into the bathroom, mming the door hard behind me.

    Standing in front of the mirror, I cursed under my breath when I saw the blush that was still on my face.

    ¡°Ugh! That jerk!¡± I cursed, running my fingers through my hair. I couldn¡¯t deny this burning desire that was consuming me, this wants that was taking over me. It was obvious that I so much wanted him, but he was only out to y with me. Just when the fuck is he going to do what I want? I asked myself, but reminding myself that I didn¡¯t want this to happen, I sighed and crashed against the wall.

    I stripped out of my nightie, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My nipples were hard, and when I touched them, I couldn¡¯t help but moan for a moment. And when I stripped out of my pant, I felt embarrassed seeing the liquid-sticky substance in it. Did I fucking release with what he did to me back there? It¡¯s not possible, right? I asked myself, and sighed briefly.

    I intentionally spent much time in the bathroom, thinking he would be gone to the office by the time I walk back into the room, but I was stunned when I went inside and found him rxed on the bed like he wasn¡¯t going anywhere today.

    ¡°I thought you were going to the office,¡± I spoke up out of curiosity, and he took his gaze from his phone to look at me.

    ¡°We are resuming work together on Monday, so we will be spending time together for the rest of the week. The doctor asked me to rest, so I need to stay back to gain back strength,¡± He exined to me, not looking from his phone all the time he was talking to me. Wow! I guess I was going to be frustrated for some time. To start with, he won¡¯t ever allow me to go back to the mansion as long as he was here, and it¡¯s another frustration for me.

    ¡°Do you like the idea?¡± I rolled my eyes after hearing his dumb question.

    ¡°I would rather be happy over a family¡¯s death,¡± I smirked at him, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Do you want to die? How dare you!¡± He retorted, and I shook my head.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to the hospitalter,¡± I uttered as I sat in front of the mirror, and I could feel the tension that followed myst words. I didn¡¯t want to look at him because there was no reason to, but the chilled atmosphere made me curious, so I looked at him and found him ring hard at me. Did I say something wrong?

 Chapter 26

    ire POV

    Staying at the hospital with Carl was really boring, especially when I didn¡¯t want to see his face or even have anything to do with him. You would ask, isn¡¯t he my brother? Of course, he is¡­ Wait, he was my brother, until the moment he betrayed Connor, and I guess the rest is history.

    I didn¡¯t like how disorganized our family was, but then, I guess things were meant to be like this, anyway. It was all Carl¡¯s fault, and he should take the cross for it.

    I stopped in front of the ward and looked at him through the transparent door, and as usual, he was staring into space. He looked like a depressed person, but not that I care, anyway.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Taking a deep breath, I held the doorknob and twisted it, pushing it open and walking in afterward. He tilted his head to look at me as soon as I walked inside.

    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± I hate to ask him, but I didn¡¯t want to seem heartless. Not that I cared about whatever happened to him, anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Did Mom call you?¡± He asked me, and I rolled my eyes as I sat on the chair beside the bed.

    ¡°Yes. She called me earlier,¡± I replied to him, and he slowly nodded his head.

    ¡°What about Chase?¡± He asked me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be asking that knowing where he would be now, right?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my displease for being here, so I spoke up, and he sighed deeply.

    Silence assumed the atmosphere, and I wondered what he was thinking about. At times, I missed the old days when we were still the closest siblings. I missed those days when I have all my brothers by my side, protecting me. Connor was the brother anyone would ask for, he could literallyy down his life to protect us, and Carl? Although he was stubborn, he used to be the closest to Connor. They were so close that Chase was sometimes jealous of them, and all of a sudden, he messed everything up. He ruined the rtionship we have built for years, and our family has been a mess since then. As much as I hated him for what he did, what made me hate him the most was how he ruined the bond we built between us siblings, and how he has made Connor miserable until now.

    ¡°What should I do, ire? What should I do to earn your love back?¡± He asked, staring into space, but I remained silent.

    ¡°You know, whenever I look back in time, and think about the life we¡¯ve lived as siblings, I couldn¡¯t help but miss those days, yeah?¡± He scoffed, and a drop of tears slid down the corner of his cheek.

    ¡°I missed us¡­ I missed the Hughes¡­ I missed everyone,¡± He whispered, more tears streaming down his remaining eye.

    ¡°If you know that I don¡¯t care about those tears, then you would stop acting pathetic and focus on getting better,¡± I replied to him coldly, even though I know I was being mean. I shouldn¡¯t be treating him like this, but whenever I thought of what Connor went through because of him, I just couldn¡¯t help but hate him the more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here¡­ I don¡¯t want to see your disgusting and pathetic face, and I don¡¯t want to remember that I have a brother like you existing¡­ But what about Mom and Dad? They are going to be hurt, and that is why everyone is still treating you like a king!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore, so I yelled at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Treated like a king? Is this what being treated like a king means?¡± He scoffed and sighed briefly.

    ¡°Yes. If it weren¡¯t for our parents, maybe you wouldn¡¯t be breathing until now. You are a very despicable person¡­ The worst person I hate the most. I can¡¯t stand your presence, so know your ce and stop thinking that I¡¯m your sister¡­¡±

    ¡°ire!¡±

    ¡°You ruined the bond we had the moment you did that despicable thing, and for that, I won¡¯t ever forgive you. Nobody will ever forgive you,¡± I slowly shake my head, and disappointmentced up his face. He stared at me with pain written all over his face, but who cares about that? I didn¡¯t give a damn about how he felt.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He asked after a long silence.

    ¡°Disappear, Carl. Go to a faraway ce where I won¡¯t ever have to see your face again. Maybe then, I would be satisfied, we all will be satisfied,¡± I replied to him, and he huffed, turning his face away.

    I guess he wanted to say something, but the nurse that just came in, disrupted him.

    ¡°The doctor asked to see you, Miss,¡± She said to me, and I red at him before leaving to see the doctor.

    After I left the doctor¡¯s office, I went to the rooftop to get some fresh air. The view here was cool and beautiful, so I decided to have a feel of it, and who knows, maybe it would help clear my head.

    ¡°Ugh! Why did Connor send me here of all people?¡± I groaned angrily and sighed.

    My phone beeped, and I sighed before I checked to see that it was a text from Carl.

    ¡°What does he want now?¡± I mumbled, unlocking my phone, but I froze when I checked the text.

    ¡®I miss the days we were still loving siblings, the days we always got each other¡¯s back and would always stick together, no matter what happens. You were my favorite, even though you have always preferred Connor to me. It always felt good whenever I got the chance to protect you, and I could still remember how it would always make me feel bad whenever I couldn¡¯t protect you. I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you and breaking the bond between us. I thought I could hold out for long¡­ I thought we would eventually pull through this, but even after many years, it didn¡¯t seem like this was ever going to end. Let¡¯s end this once and for all, ire. It breaks me to know that you don¡¯t want to see me, but I¡¯ll be more d to do it if it¡¯s the only thing that would make you happy. Just as you said, I will leave and nevere back. Stay safe, and remember that I love you, and I always will¡¯ My eyes narrowed after I read the text, and without wasting another second on the rooftop, I turned and dashed into the hospital, heading to his ward.

    My heart dropped when I got closer and found the door ajar, but I finally lost it when I pushed the door open and found the bed empty. He left. He really left. At that moment, I froze on the spot when I realized the great damage my words has caused. I shouldn¡¯t have said those words, I guess.

    I dashed out of the ward and headed to the doctor¡¯s office, and after I alerted him, he told the nurses to look for him in the hospital.

    ¡°Where are you, Carl?¡± I mumbled, my eyes glistening with tears. I tried to reach his phone, but he didn¡¯t answer my call, and it only drove me crazy. I thought calling Connor won¡¯t help, so I boarded a taxi to go look for him.

    ¡°Miss, where did you say you are going?¡± Again, the cabby asked me for the second time as he sped on the driveway, but I couldn¡¯t provide an answer, because even I had no idea where I was going.

    ¡°You shoulde down if you don¡¯t know where you are going,¡± The driver pulled over at the side of the road, and I suddenly was able to track his location. He was driving toward Lake Hollywood reservoir.

    ¡°Lake Hollywood. Please hurry,¡± I said to the cabby, and he sighed, starting the car again.

    ¡®You need to meet me at Lake Hollywood right now. Something urgent happened¡¯ I texted Chase, and proceeded to check his location again, and he was still driving. Five minutester, he stopped moving, and this time, he was already at theke. My heart dropped for a moment.

    ¡°Can you please hurry up?¡± I said to the cabby, and he increased the speed.

    We finally got to theke after about ten minutes of driving, and I found his car parked in the garage.

    ¡°Carl¡­ Carl¡­ Where are you?¡± I yelled out, looking for him, but there was no sign of him anywhere, just his empty car that was parked.

    ¡°Where the hell are you, Carl?¡± I yelled again but got no answer.

    ¡°Car¡­¡± My voice trailed off when I finally got to the side of theke and found his phoneying on the ground, and my eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Carl¡­ Carl¡­ Where are you?¡± I shrieked. I didn¡¯t want to believe that it was what I was thinking. Well, that was until I saw the ripple in the water. Did he jump into the water? Is he nning tomit suicide by drowning himself?

 Chapter 27

    Connor POV

    ¡®What should I do, Connor? Carl¡­ Hollywood Lake¡¯ I drove recklessly on the road as ire¡¯s voice kept ringing in my head. Many thoughts came conflicting in my mind, asking myself if something happened to her there. Did Carl do something bad to her? I asked myself, but even though he has hurt me, I know ire would be thest person he would ever think of harming. Yes, that is how much he loves her.

    The drive to theke took pretty much time before I arrived, and I felt relieved when I saw ire running toward me. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked frightened that for a moment, I asked myself what the hell was happening.

    ¡°What happened, ire?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Carl¡­ I think he jumped inside theke. He¡­ he¡­ he is in theke,¡± her voice quivered, and her hand trembled as she pointed it toward theke, and I sighed.

    ¡°Calm down, ire¡­¡±

    ¡°How can you tell me to calm down? You need to call people toe and rescue him. Please, we can¡¯t do this. Can you call people, please?¡± She cried, holding my hand. She looked so frightened like she has never been before, so I was left with the only option of calling the nearest police station.

    ¡°What did they say? Are theying to rescue him?¡± She asked, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°Calm down, ire. He¡¯s going to be rescued if he¡¯s really in there,¡± I assured her. For a moment, I felt a sting in my heart and a part of me wanted him to be rescued. I thought having him dead will take my anger toward him away, but at this point, I was praying and hoping nothing happened to him. I just wished nothing happened to him.

    ¡°Why are they taking so long? You need to go in there and save him, Connor. You need to do it, please,¡± tears streamed down her cheeks as she held my hands, pleading with me, and without thinking twice, I gave him my phone and rushed toward theke. I never imagined that I¡¯d be in this situation where I would be risking my life to save that bastard¡¯s, but I didn¡¯t even regret doing it.

    I dived into theke since I was very familiar with swimming. I searched every nook and cranny of theke, hoping to find him, but there was no sign of him anywhere. I was already running out of Oxygen after being under the water for so long, so I swam to the surface to catch my breath, and I realized that the cops and some swimmers were already heading toward theke toe search for him. Together, we did the searching, and unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any sign of him. As much as I wanted to say that he might not havee here, my mind changed immediately when the cops showed me a pair of shoes I knew to belong to Carl which was found at theke bank along with other things like his phone and the ster that was used to cover his eyes. My eyes dropped at the sight of it, and I knew that the unimaginable has happened. Something that she never has happened.

    By the time I got out of theke, Chase, Khan, and Janice were already waiting outside, waiting in anticipation for us to say that we found him, but sadly, none of that was going to happen.

    ¡°Where is he? Where is Carl?¡± ire asked desperately as she hurried up to me, and I sighed, dropping on the ground, the things the police gave to me earlier. Her face dropped as she stared at those things on the ground.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what does this mean, Connor? It¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, right?¡± She raised her gaze to look at me with that look on her face that told me clearly that she didn¡¯t want to hear the negative truth, but my reply soon threw her off and she staggered back.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what did you say? What do you mean you can¡¯t find him?¡± She blinked her eyes rapidly, ncing at theke and back at me.

    ¡°You need to calm down, ire¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking tell me to calm down! Our brother is missing¡­ Carl is missing and don¡¯t even know where the fuck he is. Are you still telling me to calm down?¡± She yelled at Chase, and he stepped away from her.

    ¡°ire¡­¡±

    ¡°You need to find him, please. He must be there in theke. He is fucking there¡­ He needs to be saved, ok?¡± She held my shoulders, looking into my eyes with a pleading expression on her face.

    ¡°Please¡­ You need to save him,¡± again, she pleaded with me, and I sighed briefly.

    She was still crying when the cops and the swimmers came to join us with a gloomy expression on.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. But we couldn¡¯t find him. Theke is deep and we couldn¡¯t search for the depth of it. It¡¯s dangerous going to the depth, and nobody can make it there even with oxygen¡­¡±

    ¡°Just do your job¡­ Fucking do your job! My brother is there¡­ He needs to be saved. He is in the depth of the water,¡± she broke down in tears, falling to her knees.

    ¡°Please save him¡­ Please,¡± she pleaded with them, but there was nothing they could do, so they left.

    ¡°ire, you need to pull yourself together, please,¡± I tried to help her up, but she yanked my hand off and stared at theke. She looked like a hopeless girl that has just lost everything. I thought we all hated Carl, but turned out the thought of him dying was terrifying. Is he really gone? Is Carl really gone for real? I asked myself, and the thought of it was creepy and terrifying. I realized that I didn¡¯t want him dead, I just wanted him here with me so we could argue things out and keep hating each other. I thought it¡¯d be satisfying for him to die, but I was mistaken.

    ¡°It was my fault¡­ I told him to disappear,¡± ire cried out, and my heart sank. She shouldn¡¯t have said those words to him knowing he would take his life at the mention of it as long as it¡¯s from ire. He wouldy down his life to protect ire, and one thing he couldn¡¯t stand all these years was having her hating him. He has always been fine to be hated by me and Chase, he never tried to make up with us when we didn¡¯t give him the chance to, but he kept trying to get close to ire. That is how much he has always loved her.

    ¡°I killed Carl¡­ I pushed him tomit suicide,¡± her lips quivered, and her hands trembled as she stared at them.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, right? Carl is going toe back, right?¡± She raised her gaze and asked me, but I threw my gaze away¡­

 Chapter 28

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°This is what you¡¯ve always wanted, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve always wanted him dead, and now that you finally got what you want, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re happy, right?¡± Mom snapped at me with resentment, pain written all over her. She had veins popping out at the side of her head, a pool of tears streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I paused and bit my lip because I didn¡¯t have anything to say to her. There was obviously nothing I could say to her at this point than to just keep my mouth shut and watch her. She just lost her son and is still in pain, so it¡¯ll be better if I just kept my mouth shut and watch her curse at me.

    ¡°You all are happy now, aren¡¯t you? This is what you all have always wanted. I pleaded with you to forgive him¡­ There was nothing I haven¡¯t done just so you could reconcile, but this is what you¡¯ve always wanted. For him to disappear,¡± Mom broke down in tears, sinking into the couch and burying her face between her palms. She flew back here immediately after she heard the news, and as we speak, Dad is also on his way back here. He should be here in three or four hours. It¡¯ll be over for every one of us then.

    I nced at ire who was just sitting there like a log of wood. If guilty was a person, then it would definitely be her. Chase was just sitting there looking sad too. Janice wasn¡¯t an exception, anyway.

    Mom¡¯s phone started to ring, and she excused herself to go answer the phone.

    ¡°What should I do, Connor? Should I tell Mom that it was my fault?¡± ire rose to her feet and asked me, but there was no way I was ever going to allow her to take the whole me on her. Mom already believed that it was my fault hemitted suicide, so we should leave it like that, right?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to her. I¡¯m going to take care of it,¡± I shook my head, but she scoffed.

    ¡°You are going to take the me for me and have Mom and Dad hate you forever?¡± She raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± I smiled at her, and she embraced me, crying on my chest like her life depended on it.

    How time flies? It was already over four hours, and Dad¡¯s driver has just driven him in. I watched through the window as the man walked toward the entrance door, so I braced myself for the hell that is about to let loose on me. I needed no one to tell me that this was going to be tough, but fuck it! I would face anything. I already deleted the text from his phone and had ire delete hers too.

    The waiting was soon over as the entrance door opened, and my heart froze for a moment as I waited for what was going to happen.

    I was the only one in the living room. Chase and others were upstairs.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say when he walked inside, so I just threw my face away, my heart beating rapidly against my chest. This was going to paint me as a murderer for the rest of my life, but I was ready to take the risk for my sister. I would be able to take the pain of being hated by my parents, but it¡¯s going to hurt me to see her rtionship with our parents fall apart.

    ¡°How could you, Connor? How could you have done this?¡± The pain was evident in his voice, and raising my gaze to look at him, all I see was rage, his eyes were glistening with tears, and they soon found their way down his cheeks. It was the first time I was seeing him crying ever since I was born.

    ¡°Dad¡­ I¡­¡± I paused because there was nothing I could say. I couldn¡¯t even make up something to say, I couldn¡¯t construct a single soothing sentence that could defend myself. Not that he was ever going to believe me, anyway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe that this is the same little boy I gave birth to. How did you be this monstrous to the point of pushing your own brother intomitting suicide? Didn¡¯t you think about us at least?¡± He yelled at the top of his voice, and I lowered my gaze. I guess Mom and the others must¡¯ve heard what was happening here, because, at that moment, I heard footsteps descending the staircase really fast.

    ¡°Honey¡­¡± I heard Mom call him, going to stand beside him.

    Tears brimmed in my eyes and found their way down my cheeks. Slowly, I clenched my fingers tightly beside me and tried to hold in the pain even though it was hurting like hell. It felt like a lump of hot red coal was ced on my heart because it kept burning. I hated being called a monster, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always hated the most.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± I paused, then fell to my knees.

    ¡°Forgive me¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I pleaded with them, hoping they¡¯d forgive me, but deep inside me, I knew that I was deceiving myself. This was something beyond forgiveness.

    ¡°Today¡­ I cut ties with you, Connor. You shall never have anything to do with this family. You are going to take whatever belongs to you here and get the hell out of my house. You have been banned froming to this house or bearing the family¡¯s surname¡­¡± My heart dropped when I heard that, but I was expecting it, anyway.

    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Stay the hell out of it!¡± He scolded Chase that tried to defend me, and he stepped away.

    ¡°Henceforth, mypany shall stop partnering with yours, so we won¡¯t ever have anything to do with each other. I¡¯m going to sue you if you ever bear the surname. You are no longer my son,¡± Following hisst word, a drop of tears slid down my cheek again, but I quickly wiped it off because there was no point crying my eyes out.

    ¡°Honey¡­ You can¡¯t do¡­¡±

    ¡°That is my final decision, and anybody that is not fine with it is free to go with him,¡± he cuts Mom off.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with him¡­ I¡¯m going with Connor,¡± I snapped my head up when I heard Chase¡¯s voice, and my eyes slowly narrowed in shock.

    ¡°Chase¡­ You can¡¯te with¡­¡±

    ¡°You are my brother, and anywhere you go, I¡¯ming with you. If he¡¯s sending you out of here, then I¡¯ming with you,¡± he cuts me off, and my jaw dropped.

    ¡°Fine then. If you should step out of that door, then it¡¯ll be thest time you¡¯ll be allowed here, and let this be thest day you¡¯ll bear the family¡¯s surname too,¡± I didn¡¯t know Dad could be this mean, but I couldn¡¯t me him. This was practically all my fault. Who knows, maybe if I hadn¡¯t started this in the first ce, or if I had just forgiven him then, maybe this would¡¯ve been avoided.

    He finally walked away, and Mom followed him, probably to go talk to him to change his mind, but that was thest thing he would ever do. Once Dad sets his mind on something, it¡¯s always hard for him to change it.

    I finally stood up to my feet and turned to face ire who was standing with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡± She broke down in tears, but I pulled her into my arms instead, stroking her hair.

    ¡°Shhhh! Don¡¯t cry. Everything is going to be fine,¡± I assured her, even though deep inside me I knew that this may be thest time I woulde here, which only meant that everything may never be fine.

    I soon pack up my things and left with Chase and Janice, saying goodbyes to the family of Hughes and even the surname¡­

 Chapter 29

    Three dayster

    Janice POV

    This would¡¯ve been my chance to leave Connor forever as I¡¯ve always dreamt, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. He is at his lowest now, and leaving him is going to be bad, so I¡¯ve decided to stick around him at least until he is back on his feet again before I make my decision.

    It was still hard to believe that Carl was dead, but the most unbelievable part was how Connor has been down and full of guilt from that day. If you ask me, then I would say that Connor would do anything to get rid of his brother, Carl, but after his demise, it urred to me that he never wanted that. Maybe he thought Carl¡¯s death was all he needed to heal, but now it didn¡¯t seem like it was what he wanted. Being cast away from the family was also a nightmare he has been battling for a few days now.

    Thest few days have just been Connor and Chase acting boring at home. The two brothers have been depressed, if you ask me.

    The day was normal like every other day that have passed, and I was getting ready to go to bed.

    The bathroom door opened and Connor walked inside. He was dded in a white robe. He dragged his feet toward the bed and sank into it even though his body was wet.

    Silence assumed the atmosphere, and I was forced to look at him. He was staring at me with an unreasonable expression on his face which had me asking myself what the heck was going on with him.

    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a monster?¡± He cuts me off before I could finish my statement, and my jaw dropped at the question. At a point, I thought he was a monster. What did his brother do so bad to him that would make him treat him like that? I was wondering about that and concluded he was heartless, but I think all that has changed now. The fact that he was always saying back then that he would kill Carl didn¡¯t turn out that he meant all that.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, don¡¯t you think so?¡± He scoffed. The pain was written all over him even though he was doing everything possible to hide it from me.

    ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve just forgiven her. Maybe this would¡¯ve been avoided if I wasn¡¯t so mad at him for years. Do you think I¡¯m a monster?¡± He asked me for the second time, but I could only open my mouth without any wordsing out because I couldn¡¯t make up what to say to him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer me, anyway¡­¡± He paused, then took a deep breath and shrugged.

    ¡°Two months¡­ Just two months is what I need with you, and let¡¯s get a divorce after then¡­¡± My eyes dted in shock.

    ¡°I know this is selfish of me to ask. I¡¯m not asking for myself, but I need someone here with Chase. He is just acting strong, he is not fine. I just need you to help me keep himpany for some time, and when he gets used to being alone, you can leave then¡­¡± He paused, then stood up.

    ¡°I already talked to mywyer, and he is currently working on preparing the divorce papers. We are going to sign it as soon as two months have passed,¡± He said to me, and I slowly nodded my head.

    ¡°In the meantime, I will try to stay away from you. You were never mine in the first ce, so it¡¯ll be unfair for me to go close to you,¡± he further said, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°You can go to bed without me. I¡¯m passing the night in Chase¡¯s room,¡± he uttered, then picked up his phone from the nightstand, walking out of the room afterward.

    This was going to be tough for me to take, but I would try as much as I could to be here for them until we get a divorce.

    After I was done getting ready for bed, I picked up my phone and set to distract myself with some books on reading apps. After scrolling through the app for some minutes, I finally found the one that piqued my interest, so I began to read.

    Reading was really helpful because I soon fell asleep, and before I knew it, morning was already here.

    After my usual morning routine, I headed out of the room and to the dining room where the maids were already setting breakfast.

    ¡°Good morning, Mistress,¡± The three maids greeted me with respect, and I slowly nodded my head. Connor has a total of fifteen maids in his penthouse, although I had no idea why he had them in such huge numbers.

    ¡°Where is Connor?¡± I asked one of the maids.

    ¡°Master went out early. He said to tell you to have breakfast alone. He may note back anytime soon,¡± she replied to me, and I nodded.

    ¡°Did he leave with Chase?¡± I asked, and just then, thick footsteps sounded behind me and the maids bowed. I turned to find Chase walking in. He was dded in ck long trousers and a purple shirt, and his hands were tucked inside his pockets. He seemed like he was heading out.

    ¡°Good morning, sister-inw,¡± he smiled at me. A forced smile.

    ¡°Good morning. I was just asking of you. Are you going out?¡± I asked him, and he nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes. I need to go somewhere,¡± he replied to me, and I had to nce at the table that was already set.

    ¡°Are you not going to have breakfast before you leave? They¡¯ve set it,¡± I pointed to the dining room.

    ¡°I will eat something on my way out. I will be back,¡± he patted my shoulders and sauntered toward the door, while I stood with my mouth hanging open in awe. Is the food meant for only me? I asked myself even though it looked impossible for me to finish the food on the dining table.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°The food is ready, mistress,¡± The woman in herte forties whom I assumed to be the headmaid said to me, and I scoffed silently.

    ¡°Just call me Janice, please,¡± I shed her a smile and headed to the dining room. That name sounded weird and made me feel old. I mean, why the hell would she call me that?

    My phone beeped barely five minutes into eating, and I stopped to check the message that just popped on the screen. It was a text from my brother.

    ¡®Sis, I hope you have not forgotten about the bnce of our rent. It¡¯s going to be the end of next month. Also, my tuition fee is due. Hoping to hear from you soon¡¯ I sighed after reading through the text. Messages like this always had me frustrated. Well, I guess I would have to talk to Connor to employ me real quick so I cant ake care of the choking bills¡­

 Chapter 30

    Connor POV

    I pulled my car over at the side of the road and headed to theke. Even though a part of me kept telling me that it was pointlessing here, I was hoping and praying that maybe, just maybe, a miracle will happen and I¡¯ll find him.

    Again, I dived into theke after I changed into a swim tank. Even if he was dead, I at least needed to get his corpse and give him a proper burial. I swam to the edge of theke, searching for him but there was no sign of him anywhere. I couldn¡¯t go deeper into the water, so I couldn¡¯t go to the depth of the water.

    ¡°You need to find him, Connor. You can¡¯t give up,¡± just on the verge of giving up, I heard that voice sounding in my head, so I swam deeper inside theke. My chest started to contract, making my heartbeat slow down. I was running out of oxygen as a result of holding my breath for too long under the water and I knew I needed to get out of here, but with the hope of finding him eventually, I kept swimming deeper inside.

    ¡°You will find him. You just need to swim deeper,¡± came the voice again, but just then, I felt myself going deeper into the water, and I couldn¡¯t even swim back to the surface. I was drowning, and I couldn¡¯t move a finger let alone help myself out. Slowly, my heartbeat dropped until I couldn¡¯t feel it anymore, and that was all I remembered.

    *****

    Four dayster

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been unconscious, but the sound of a faint beeping machine sounded in my ears as I tried to force my eyes open. My vision was blurred and my head hurts.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake. Call the doctor,¡± I heard a familiar masculine voice, but I couldn¡¯t tell immediately who the voice belonged to, or where the hell I was at the moment.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I wanted to ask the question so I could be cleared, but even my voice failed me because I could only open my mouth with no wordsing out of them.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to say something. Where is the doctor?¡± A feminine voice said with worries resounding in the familiar voice, but again, I couldn¡¯t tell who the voice belonged to.

    Thick footsteps echoed in my head and it made bang even more.

    ¡°Make way, please,¡± Another masculine voice came on, but this one didn¡¯t sound familiar. It felt like it was the first time I was going to hear that voice. I was still trying to figure out what was going on when I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and that was all I remembered.

    *****

    I forced my eyes open, feeling a bit better this time. The white ceiling weed me, and it urred to me that it wasn¡¯t the ceiling of my room at the penthouse.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I groaned tiredly, looking around the room, and now I realized that I was in a hospital room. I was alone.

    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± I groaned as I managed to sit up on the bed, resting my back on the wall and staring into space while trying to recall what happened, but my memory was vague so I gave up trying.

    I heard the door open, and I tilted my head to find out that it was Mom. My heart dropped.

    ¡°Mo¡­ m¡­¡± My voice was so low that I could barely hear myself speak. She looked like she was in extreme pain, and it broke my heart, to know that it was my fault that she was in this condition.

    ¡°Connor¡­ Are you ok? Do you need me to call the doctor?¡± I blinked my eyes and saw that it was Janice and not my Mom. Was I hallucinating? I asked myself, even though I was obviously hallucinating.

    ¡°Did Mome here?¡± I asked Janice who was now hovering over me with a worried expression on her face, as she examined me.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t,¡± she replied to me, and I slowly nodded my head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for four straight days and I was so worried about you. How are you feeling now? Are you feeling pain anywhere?¡± She sounded so worried.

    ¡°Fo¡­ four days?¡± I shrieked, and she sighed, sitting on the chair beside the bed.

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been unconscious since then,¡± She replied to me.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what happened to me? Did I get involved in an ident?¡± I asked her because I could barely remember what happened to me that made me end up in the hospital. It¡¯s obvious I wasn¡¯t involved in an ident. If it was an ident, then I should¡¯ve had at least a few bruises, right?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t remember? Chase said you were drowning,¡± she exined to me, and I creased my eyebrows, still trying hard to remember what happened. I didn¡¯t remember going to theke, so how¡­ I stopped when everything came ying back in my head like it was just happening. I could remember vividly how I was drowning in theke helplessly.

    ¡°Do you remember now?¡± She asked me, and I slowly nodded my head.

    ¡°Where is Chase?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°He is with the doctor. He should be here soon,¡± she replied to me, and I slowly nodded my head.

    ¡°Did you tell Mom about my health? What about Dad, is he aware of it?¡± I asked her, and she bit her bottom lip, which I knew what it meant. She must¡¯ve told them, or Chase must¡¯ve done that but they didn¡¯t give a damn about whatever happens to me. It wasn¡¯t their fault, anyway. It was all my fault.

    The familiar ringtone of my phone disrupted my thoughts, and she got the phone for me. A strange number was disyed on the screen, so I hesitated for a while before I answered the call.

    ¡°This is Connor. Who am I on to?¡± I asked as soon as I answered the call.

    ¡°Connor, is that you?¡± I quickly recognized the voice to be ire¡¯s, and my heart skipped.

    ¡°Are you ok now? I heard you almost died. Why did you do that? You know I¡¯m not there to take care of you, how could you be so careless?¡± It was obvious in her voice that she was trying not to cry, and the way she whispered made it known that she was calling me secretly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. How are you?¡± I asked her, and I heard her sniff.

    ¡°It¡¯s hell in here. Dad doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s traveling anytime soon, and it¡¯s really making me feel suffocated. I want to leave here. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore,¡± I could tell from the sound of her voice that she was crying, and it broke my heart that I couldn¡¯t do anything to protect her.

    ¡°You need to stay there, ire. You can¡¯te here. You are going to get yourself into a mess if youe over,¡± I replied to her.

    ¡°Dad took my phone so I won¡¯t be able to contact you. He has restricted my movement and now sends bodyguards with me wherever I go. I managed to get a new phone yesterday so I can call you. Are you really fine?¡± She sounded worried, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine. You should be careful over there. I¡¯m going to try to see you soon,¡± I assured her.

    ¡°Do you promise?¡± She asked me, and I smiled.

    ¡°Hmm. I promise,¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Alright. I got to go now. I think Dad is heading to my room. I will call you when I have the chance. Bye. Take care of yourself. I love you,¡± she whispered, and the call disconnected even before I could reply to her, and I sighed¡­

 Chapter 31

    ire POV

    ¡°Honey, can you please stop being like this? We can¡¯t lose three children, please,¡± I watched Mom through the hole in their door as she knelt in front of Dad, pleading with him like her life depended on it, but even though Dad hasn¡¯t said a thing, I knew what was on his mind.

    ¡°If you want to go with them, then do it and stop troubling me. I don¡¯t want to get mad at you,¡± As expected, he scolded Mom, and I sighed briefly. Dad although was the sweetest man any woman would want to be married to and a man any kids would want as a Dad, he was also a tough man that would never change his mind whenever it was already set on something, and that is the only thing I hated about him.

    ¡°Honey, please,¡± Mom pleaded again, but he wasn¡¯t ready to listen to her. I forgot I was peeping, but the door jerked open all of a sudden, sending me rolling on the ground and I winced painfully while rubbing my hand on my forehead. The two long straight legs standing in front of me made my heart skip a beat, and I panicked when I realized that Dad already caught me eavesdropping on their conversation.

    Slowly, I raised my gaze to look at him, and he was staring down at me with an unreadable expression on his face that sent cold shivers down my spine. I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked my eyes twice.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Dad¡­¡± I managed to stand up to my feet, but I was stunned as he walked away without sparing me another nce. I breathed out and pushed the door open, walking in to find Mom sitting on the edge of the bed and burying her face between her palms. I understood her pain, and it hurts that nobody could do anything about it.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to be left alone,¡± Even she didn¡¯t want to talk to me. For a sec, I asked myself if she already knew what happened and was just trying to act like everything was fine. Did she find out that I was the cause of Carl¡¯s death? I asked myself, but quickly dismissed the thoughts even though it was disturbing.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Slowly, I nodded my head and left her room as she had demanded, heading to mine.

    I threw myself on the bed when I got into my room, staring at the ceiling as many thoughts came running through my mind, waves of guilt spurred through me, and tears brimmed in my eyes. I didn¡¯t think that I would ever be able to get over this feeling. I would live the rest of my life wallowing in this guilt of being the cause of my brother¡¯s death even though I didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    ¡®Connor¡¯ His name yed in my head, so I quickly went to where I hid the phone and brought it out. I switched the phone on and dialed his number afterward. It has been one week since west talked on the phone, and I had no idea if he has recovered from the sickness now. The call rang for some seconds, and just when he answered the call, the door opened and my jaw dropped because Dad walked inside.

    His eyes darted to the phone I was holding to my ear, and his eyes darkened.

    ¡°Hey, ire. Hello? Are you there?¡± Connor¡¯s voice sounded from the other end, but my heart was already frozen as I stared back at Dad. The world seemed to be frozen for a moment, and this feeling of being alone with him in the world was terrifying. It felt like a bucket of chilled water has just been poured on my body, rendering it numb because I couldn¡¯t even move an inch.

    ¡°ire? Are you there? Are you ok? Did something happen?¡± Connor¡¯s voice sounded worried this time, and before I could form words to say to him, Dad walked up to me and snatched the phone from me.

    ¡°I made myself clear to everyone to stop calling to stop contacting him. How dare you!¡± I flinched, my soul left my body for a second and came back again. I stepped away from him, scared of what he might do to me because he looked like he¡¯d hurt me anytime soon.

    ¡°Da¡­ dad¡­¡± I stuttered, but the scary expression on his face didn¡¯t make me confident enough to say something.

    ¡°You went to get another phone to contact him. Wow! This is crazy¡­¡± He looked so enraged that I was scared he¡¯d beat me up, and that was a nightmare I would never want toe true.

    ¡°For how long? For how long have you been in touch with him? For how long have you been speaking with him?¡± He asked, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, my teeth finding their way to my bottom lip and biting into it.

    ¡°Da¡­ dad¡­¡± I stuttered and paused again, leaving my lips parted.

    ¡°Tell me¡­ Do you want to go with him? Do you want to go with your brothers?¡± His scary eyes pierced into mine, they were so intimidating that my heartbeat stopped for a moment before it came pounding hard against my chest.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You can go with him if that¡¯s what you want. Why don¡¯t you go to him? It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t have a child anymore. Do you want to go with him?¡± He yelled at the top of his voice this time, and just then, the door burst open and the least expected person barged inside. It was Connor.

    ¡°Co¡­ Connor?¡± I stuttered, blinking my eyes to be sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming, but the excitement that filled my heart when I realized that it was reality, was priceless. It felt like I was being faced with my doom and my savior showed up at thest minute. I knew his being here was going to be disastrous, but still, I was excited that he came through for me.

    He grabbed my hand and shoved me behind him, standing in front of me and shielding me from our Dad who was now looking like an angry lion that was ready to devour its prey.

    ¡°What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to show your face to me ever again!¡± Dad roared at him, and I flinched fearfully. It was about to get messy, and I was scared to the bone as the imagination of what might happen dawned on me¡­

 Chapter 32

    Connor POV

    ¡°You can¡¯t be treating ire like this. You asked me to leave, and I did. You can¡¯t treat her like she¡¯s not a human just because of the mistake I made. It¡¯s not fair,¡± I said to Dad, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Who are you to tell me what is wrong and what is right? What do you? It was all your fault, and you still dare to show your face to me and tell me that trash?¡± He fired at me, and I bit my lip.

    ¡°Do you think you have the right to tell me that when you already ruined this family? You are nothing, but a disgrace. A disgrace I regret giving birth to,¡± His words pierced through my heart, but I tried to fight back the pain, reminding myself that I deserved all he was saying to me, so I shouldn¡¯t think of getting hurt by his words.

    I slowly went on my knees, and I heard ire gasp behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to forgive me. All I¡¯m asking is for you to leave ire out of this, please. You can¡¯t hurt her because of this,¡± I pleaded with him, but he scoffed instead.

    ¡°Leave my house when you are done, and you are free to take her with you if she wants toe with you,¡± He said to me before he turned and dashed out of the room, mming the door hard behind him in a way that made shut my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being here, Connor. You should take me with you, please. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore,¡± She cried to me once I was standing on my feet.

    ¡°You can¡¯te with me, ire. You need to stay back here. Mom is going to lose her mind if you leave too,¡± I cupped her cheeks in my palms, staring into her eyes as I whispered to her for no reason.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here,¡± She shook her head, insisting, and I sighed.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Dad is going to cut ties with you too if you shoulde with me, and that is thest thing I want¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore. I feel like dying. I don¡¯t want to stay here,¡± seeing her in tears hurt me and I desperately wanted her to leave this hell she was in, but that would be the biggest mistake of my life if I tried it with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to fix everything so we can go back to the way we used to be, ok?¡± I assured her even though I knew that things would never go back to being the way they used to be.

    She slowly nodded her head, and I pulled her in for a warm embrace.

    ¡°Don¡¯t contact me for now, ok? Let¡¯s keep our distance for now. I¡¯m going to fix this, I promise,¡± It hurts this way, but it was the best I could do.

    I finally left her room, and descending the staircase minutester, I stopped on thest stairs when I saw Mom in the living room. She was standing on her feet and staring at me from there, and from the look of things, it seemed like she was waiting for me before now. My heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°Are you happy this is happening?¡± I was going to just walk past her and leave because I didn¡¯t know what to say to her, but her words brought me to an abrupt halt, and I slowly clenched my fingers beside me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted him dead. How does it feel now that he is gone?¡± I heard her speak, pain was evident in her voice, but I didn¡¯t dare to turn my face to look at her, for fear of being consumed by this nervousness and guilt that was eating me up.

    ¡°It was all your fault that hemitted suicide. You could¡¯ve forgiven him, and who knows, maybe this would¡¯ve been avoided. He wouldn¡¯t havemitted suicide if you had just forgiven him. Our family wouldn¡¯t have been ruined if you had let go of the past¡­¡± She paused and sniffled.

    ¡°Your Dad has disowned you and your brother, your sister is now living like a prisoner in her father¡¯s house¡­ The same house she used to live in as a princess in. Your Mom is now left heartbroken, thinking of the death of her son and how the lives of her children are going to end, not to talk of your Dad that is going through a hard time because he is trying to be strong without you¡­ Because he is trying to stick by his decision. Are you happy now?¡± I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My heart was broken into shreds of pieces, and it felt like each piece was being stomped on. I didn¡¯t n for this to happen, I never wanted this.

    ¡®Is this what you want? Are you sure this is what you want? You should let go of the past. This guy is your brother¡¯ Now, I regret not listening to those words from my friend. Now, I regret not listening to everyone that has tried to talk me out of it.

    Without sparing her another nce, I advanced toward the door and stepped out of the house, heading to the parking lot where my car was parked. I drove out of the house at once.

    I pulled over at the side of the road barely ten minutes into driving when my vision became blurry from the tears that won¡¯t stop streaming down my cheeks. While the guilt of being the cause of his death was stomping my heart and consuming me, the guilt of seeing my family splitting because I made the mistake of never forgiving him was killing me slowly.

    ¡°You are a monster, Connor. You killed your brother,¡± I cursed under my breath, hitting my hand on the steering wheel and venting out all my pain, but it was still there. It was something living in my heart, so how would I vent it out?

    ¡°This is all your fault, Connor. You ruined everything. You ruined your family,¡± It felt like a voice was suddenly speaking in my head, so I clutched my ears tightly and shut my eyes, trying to escape this frightening reality that was terrifying me.

    ¡°You are a murderer, Connor. You are nothing, but a monster. You deserve to die. Die! Just die!¡± Again, the faint voice which I knew only existed in my illusion spoke in my head, but sounded so real and frightening. It felt like I was losing my mind.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t kill Carl. I¡¯m not a murderer,¡± I shook my head, fighting the voice that didn¡¯t even exist in the first ce. Slowly, I sank my fingers into my hair, grabbing handfuls of it and slowly pulling it, yet aggressively. My scalp was supposed to be burning from the pain, but the pain in my heart was so much that I couldn¡¯t feel any other physical pain.

    The knock on the car window pulled me back to reality, and I snapped my head to find a young man leaning forward, his eyes dangling in their sockets. It seemed he was trying by all means to see who was inside the car, but the ss was tinted. I wined down the ss, but he flinched when he saw me.

    ¡°H¡­ hi,¡± He stuttered, his eyes scanning me. I knew I was already a mess, and probably looking like a mentally deranged person now, but can he just fucking go straight to the point and tell me why he was disturbing me?

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked him since he didn¡¯t seem ready to tell me why he was bothering me.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ You are parked on the road. Can you move your car, please?¡± He asked politely, and I had to look back to check. I thought I was at the roadside, but turned out that I was mistaken. Gosh! I¡¯m losing it¡­

 Chapter 33

    Janice POV

    Two weekster

    Everything was almost back to the way they used to be, but the only thing that remained unchanged was the fact that Connor couldn¡¯t still get over his family cutting him and his brother offpletely. Although he has been trying to act like everything was fine with him, it was unfortunately obvious that he wasn¡¯t fine.

    Chase started working in hispany as a part-time model and they have since been going to thepany together. What about me? Well, I¡¯ve started working as his assistant, and so far, it has been exhausting, but thinking about the pay I would get at the end of the month has been my only motivation, so I was going to keep pushing harder no matter how difficult it seemed to be. I mean, working and earning fifteen thousand dors a month was fair enough, right? Well, Connor Empire is the onlypany I know that pays their workers such high sries. Otherpanies range from six to ten thousand dors monthly. I should count myself lucky for being able to work with them.

    Just like every other day, I got ready for work and left home with Connor as usual. Chase already left for thepany earlier.

    ¡°What¡¯s my schedule today?¡± Connor asked me as the driver drove us to thepany. We were sitting together in the backseat.

    ¡°Lunch with Mr. Wright by noon, an appointment with Mr. Knight from Knight¡¯s Empire, and a meeting with Rosey Lee from Rosey¡¯s foundation,¡± I read out his schedule, and heard him sigh.

    ¡°Cancel everything. We have an appointment in Texas tomorrow morning, so we will be leaving tonight after the shooting at thepany,¡± He replied to me sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Alright,¡± We soon arrived at thepany, and as usual, I went to open the door for him. Well, you won¡¯t me me for acting like his bodyguard, right? We all know I love money, and since we agreed he would pay me extra, then anything for it.

    ¡°Get me coffee from the cafe shop next street,¡± He said as we walked toward the elevator.

    ¡°But Sir¡­¡± He paused and turned to face me.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± He turned and asked me, but I quickly shook my head, realizing that I shouldn¡¯t beining because I was doing my job.

    ¡°No, Sir. I will go get it for you,¡± I bowed, and he walked inside the elevator wordlessly. I watched the elevator roll close, and I sighed. He has be extra grumpy after the death of his brother, and no matter how I tried to look at it, it still didn¡¯t feel right.

    ¡°Ugh! A new day to get frustrated,¡± I mumbled under my breath and turned to go carry out the errands.

    I took a cab to the cafe shop and got the coffee.

    ¡°Thanks for your patronage,¡± The waiter said to me and I smiled at her before I left, and just before I stepped out of the cafe, I collided with someone and the coffee spilled all over my body.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath, cleaning the mess from my white short gown that was already stained.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, miss. I¡¯m so sor¡­¡± I quickly recognized the voice and when I raised my gaze, I confirmed it. The person I had just collided with is ire. Connor¡¯s sister.

    ¡°Janice?¡± She called me in shock¡­This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    *****

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we would run into each other here. It¡¯s nice to see you. It has been a while,¡± she said to me as we sat across from each other minutes after I cleaned my dress.

    ¡°Hmm. It has been a while,¡± I nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°How have you been? How is Chase and Connor?¡± She asked me, her eyesced with sadness. I knew she wasn¡¯t happy being there, but there was nothing anyone could do about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, and they are fine. How about Mom and Dad? Are they good too? What about you?¡± I asked her curiously, and she nodded her head.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been good. Uhm¡­ I need to go. Please don¡¯t tell Connor that we bumped into each other here. I hope we run into each other some other time again,¡± She said then stood up and left hurriedly.

    ¡°That was¡­¡± I paused and breathed out, shaking my head unbelievably. I finally took a cab back to thepany and took the elevator to the fourth floor where his office is located.

    I pushed the door open and was stunned when I didn¡¯t find Khan there. He was always the first to get to thepany before any other person, so where the heck was he? I asked myself, but it wasn¡¯t something to make a fuss about, so I proceeded to the door to Connor¡¯s office.

    I wanted to push it open, but strangely, it was locked from the inside.

    ¡°Why did he lock himself inside?¡± I mumbled and twisted the knob again but still got no response. Shortly, I heard strange noises from the office which I could swear on my life that it was a woman¡¯s voice. A moan, rather.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I mumbled while trying to figure out what could be going on behind the closed door. I ced my ear close to the door, and yes, the noises were audible enough for me to hear now. I heard moans and groans from there, and the sound of a desk creaking following suit. My jaw dropped unbelievably as the realization dawned on me what the fuck was going on behind the closed door.

    ¡°Is he kidding me?¡± I mumbled and scoffed because this was crazy and ridiculous. I didn¡¯t have any reason to be angry knowing we were going to divorce anyway and knowing that we never loved each other, but still, I didn¡¯t understand this heart-throbing pain in my chest. Slowly, I clenched my fingers tightly around the coffee I was holding, spilling it on myself. I felt enraged, unable to hold back my anger, so I banged on the door hard that if I was strong enough, it would havee off the frame. Another five minutes passed before the door finally opened, and there was the bastard that sent me to go get him coffee.

    ¡°You are back?¡± He raised his eyebrows, but I emptied the coffee on his face and threw the cup on his body before I pushed him off the way, forcing my way into his office, and there was the bitch he was fucking. I stopped and huffed unbelievably, slowly clenching my fingers beside me. I didn¡¯t know why I was so angry or how I was supposed to react to this, so I just turned and red hard at Connor, storming out of his office and mming the door hard behind me¡­

 Chapter 34

    Connor POV

    ¡°What is wrong with her?¡± I mumbled, staring at the closed door while trying to figure out why she acted like that. Thest time I checked, we were married not because we love each other, and also, we weren¡¯t going to be together for long, so what does she care what I do with my life?

    ¡°Come on, baby. Let¡¯s start from where we stopped,¡± The bitch I was fucking a moment ago said to me, and I turned to see her sitting on my desk and spreading her legs, revealing her dripping wet pink pussy.

    I scoffed as I walked over to the desk, pulled out the drawer, and took out one parcel of money, throwing it at her.

    ¡°Get dressed and leave. Your service is no longer needed,¡± I said to her, sitting on my chair.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You have thirty seconds to get the hell out of my office if you don¡¯t want to be thrown out by the security,¡± I said to her dismissively, and that was all she needed to quickly get dressed and saunter out of my office. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want to risk staying back when I already told her to leave. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to call security to throw her out.

    ¡°What was that for? Why would she mess up my dress?¡± I mumbled, ring disgustingly at my messed-up white suit.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Ugh! Janice is so¡­¡± I paused and sighed briefly. I ordered a new cloth online, and just when I finished the order, Khan walked inside.

    ¡°Hey, man! What happened here?¡± He asked after he looked around the floor that was littered with coffee.

    ¡°Get the cleaner toe to clean the mess up,¡± I said to him instead, ignoring his question. I didn¡¯t want his dramatic behaviorter.

    ¡°Yo! Look at your cloth. What happened?¡± He shrieked when he noticed the stain on my dress.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I already took care of it. Just get someone toe clean this ce up and stop asking annoying questions,¡± I rolled my eyes at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± He rolled his eyes and turned to leave, but he stopped and turned to face me again.

    ¡°Where is your wife?¡± He asked, raising one of his eyebrows, and I scoffed.

    ¡°You could just call her name or better still call her my assistant instead of ¡®your wife¡¯, right?¡± I rolled my eyes at him.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± He asked as if myint was nothing.

    ¡°I sent her on an errand,¡± I lied to him, and he nodded his head before he finally walked out of my office, and I sighed.

    ¡°Wait! Why was she like that? Did I do something wrong?¡± Again, I asked myself, trying to figure out what could¡¯ve made her act like that, but I eventually gave up when I couldn¡¯te up with anything.

    The cleaner finally came to clean my office, and soon after she left, Janice walked in. She was maintaining a straight expression, and I sighed.

    ¡°What was that for, Janice?¡± I asked her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Why would you pour coffee on my face? Did I do something wrong?¡± I asked her cluelessly, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Do you do that often? I mean, sleeping with a woman in your office. Do you do that often?¡± She asked me, and I sighed, reclining on the chair. The thing is, it¡¯s something I love doing, and for someone who loves sex, I have done it a couple of times even with my past secretaries that I ended up sacking for one reason or the other.

    ¡°Yes. I do it often. Is there anything wrong with it? I mean, this is mypany and I can do anything I want, right?¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°You must really be shameless, aren¡¯t you? Why would anyone in their right sense do something like that?¡± She ranted, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Are you by chance jealous?¡± I leaned forward and asked her, and I could swear that her cheeks heat up for a moment before she huffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Jealous? Of who? You? You must really be thinking highly of yourself. Why the fuck would I be jealous of you?¡± She huffed, but I could swear that she was nervous.

    ¡°Since you are not, then it¡¯s not a problem. You are my assistant here, so let¡¯s keep our rtionship within that. I don¡¯t want this to happen next time. You wouldn¡¯t want to get sacked, right?¡± I said to her coldly, and she bit her bottom lip.

    ¡°This is my personal life, this is who I am¡­ And you shouldn¡¯t get yourself involved. I don¡¯t like it when others meddle in my affairs,¡± I further uttered, and she slowly nodded her head.

    ¡°Great. Now go get my lunch for me. Don¡¯t stay out there too long. And you know where I like getting food from. I will transfer the money to your ount,¡± I said to her while working on the desktop, and she nodded her head. I heard her footsteps followed by the sound of the door opening and closing, and once I was sure she was out of the office, I sighed and reclined on the chair.

    ¡°Why was she like that? She wasn¡¯t jealous, was she?¡± I asked myself, but quickly dismissed the thoughts because there was no way she would be like that. We don¡¯t even have feelings for each other, so what reason would she have to get jealous?

    Pushing all the thoughts away, I resumed my work.

    Fifteen minutes passed before Janice returned with my food, and she served it on the table in my office.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get yourself something to eat?¡± I asked her, ncing at her since she was sitting on the sofa, but she shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± She replied to me bluntly, and I nodded.

    ¡°We are leaving for Texas in a few hours,¡± I broke the silence, and she nodded her head.

    ¡°Am I going home to get clothes?¡± She asked.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be no need for that. We¡¯ll get you some clothes when we get there. We are leaving from here,¡± I replied to her.

    ¡°What about Chase?¡± She asked with concern.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine on his own,¡± I replied to her, and again, she just nodded. I felt her gaze on me while eating, but when I raised my gaze to look at her, she looked away immediately and I wonder why she was staring at me. Is she mad at me because of what I said to her? I asked myself, but what do I care how she felt about it? I only told her what I didn¡¯t want her to do, so there should¡¯ve been no reason to feel guilty about it, right?

    ¡°Ja¡­¡± I paused when I looked up and didn¡¯t find her where she was seated before.

    ¡°Where did she go?¡± I mumbled, and just when I was about to go back to eating, I saw her on the balcony. She was staring up at the sky, the gentle breeze was moving her hair slowly, and trust me, I would always admit that she was really sexy.

    I scoffed, recalling how we met and how we have been living so far. After the incident that day, I thought we would never see again, I didn¡¯t want to cross paths with the woman that yed smart on me, and I was going to let go of everything like it never happened, but somehow, fate brought us back together¡­

 Chapter 35

    Janice POV

    The sting I felt in my heart when he told me to stop meddling in his affair was a feeling I couldn¡¯t push out of my head. It felt strange, very strange that I couldn¡¯t fathom what the hell was happening or wrong with me. We weren¡¯t in love, so why would I care what he choose to do with his life?

    ¡°When everything is over, you should get a life for yourself, Janice,¡± I whispered, tucking the strands of hair on my face to my ear, leaning over the rail afterward. I was looking forward to getting a divorce and staying away from this freak forever, but I didn¡¯t want anything more than to keep working here even after the divorce. No otherpany pays more than this, and you know how much money means to me.

    ¡®Carl¡¯ A part of my heart stung as that name yed in my head, and I asked myself again what the heck happened between him and Connor that he could never forgive. I was still living in the dark and really wanted to know what transpired between them, but I didn¡¯t also want to meddle.

    My phone beeped, disrupting my thoughts, and I checked to see that the text was from Connor.

    ¡®My flight was shifted forward. We need to be in the airport in an hour¡¯ I read through the text, and quickly hurried into the office where I found him getting ready to leave.

    ¡°You should get your things ready. We need to be at the airport in an hour,¡± He said to me as he packed some files and shoved them in his drawer, locking it.

    ¡°I have nothing to take,¡± I replied to him since I onlye to the office every day with just my phone.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go then,¡± He uttered, walking briskly toward the door and I followed suit. We soon got to the parking lot where his driver was already waiting for us, and as soon as we hopped inside, the drive to the airport began.

    The atmosphere felt awkward, and he was staring out the window all through the journey. He looked like he had so many things going on in his mind, and I had to ask myself what he was thinking about.

    The long drive to the airport was finally over, and we finally got there. It was literally my first time traveling by air, and I couldn¡¯t help the excitement that filled my heart. I have always dreamt of boarding a ne, so this was just like a dreame true for me.

    We waited another twenty minutes before our flight started, and soon, we were on our way to Texas.

    ¡°We are taking off in ten minutes. Switch your phone to airne mode, and fasten your seatbelts,¡± The stewardess instructed, and we did as she said. In a few minutes, the ne took off.

    Flying so high in the air felt so good and I was grateful for this journey. I nced at Connor to see if he was having the same feeling as me, but he was just resting on his seat, his head on the headrest and his eyes closed while having his earpiece plugging into his ears.

    ¡°Wow! He¡¯s not even going to say anything to me?¡± I mumbled and scoffed. If only we were used to talking, I guess talking about the feeling together would¡¯ve been nice. Don¡¯t you think so?

    Barely thirty minutes into the ride, I felt my eyes heavy, but I tried to keep myself awake. It didn¡¯t work, so I gave in and dozed off.

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been asleep, but I suddenly jerked awake and found myself resting my head on his shoulder. Slowly, I raised my head and found his eyes closed as he rested his head on the headrest. For a sec, I asked myself if he was sleeping or just resting, but I couldn¡¯t answer the question, so I just pulled back and stared at him. He looked like a regr gentleman while sleeping.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Do you think I¡¯m so cute and you can¡¯t take your eyes off me?¡± I gasped as the realization dawned on me that he wasn¡¯t sleeping.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You could actually stare at me all you want when we get to Texas. We can do that in the room. I bet those eyes will glimmer with excitement staring at me while I fuck you and take you to cloud nine and back,¡± He winked at me, not minding that we weren¡¯t alone in the ne, because that moment, the person sitting in front of us turned to look at us, and I felt so embarrassed.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± I cursed under my breath and quickly turned my face away.

    ¡°What? Why are you staring at us? You haven¡¯t seen couples before?¡± I nced to see he was talking to the young man that looked back at us earlier, so he quickly turned his face away.

    My heart fluttered and I blushed when I recalled what he said. His flirting game was sure perfect, and trust me, I had a sharp feeling down there, if you know what I mean.

    ¡°Goodness! What the fuck are you thinking about?¡± My subconscious mind screamed at me, and I chuckled silently.

    We arrived in Texas in exactly three hours, and by the time we got there, a car was already waiting for us, so we hopped inside and the drive to wherever we were going to, began.

    It was my first time being here, and I admit that the ce was a beautiful sight to behold. The street lights, the surroundings and everything screamed beauty and perfection.

    The driver drove into a magnificent mansion, and from the look of things, the house didn¡¯t look like a hotel.

    ¡°Is this his house?¡± I asked myself, but quickly dismissed the silly question because there was no way he would own this type of house.

    I stepped out of the car when he hopped outside, and I trailed behind him as he walked toward the entrance door.

    Stepping into the house, I was stunned at the number of maids queued in the living room. They were about fifteen.

    ¡°Wee, master,¡± My eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when they all bowed to him, and now I realized he really is the owner of the house.

    ¡°Make something for us to eat. We are hungry. Prepare our bathing water too,¡± He instructed them before he walked away, and I blinked my eyes rapidly. Am I supposed to follow him?

 Chapter 36

    Janice POV

    Being in Texas feels so great and I wished I could take a walk around and feed my eyes with things here. But sadly, we came here for work purposes, and there¡¯s no way Connor would allow me to tour the city like that.

    I stood on the balcony of our room and fed my eyes with the beautiful view from here. From up here I could see the outline of the house, the outdoor swimming pool, the beautiful garden downstairs, and everything. The house looked like one of those I¡¯ve seen in movies.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I heard Connor¡¯s voice, so I turned to look at him. My heart skipped when I saw him walking into the balcony, shirtless. I swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said almost in a whisper, turning my face away afterward. He came to stand beside me, leaning over the rail and staring at the sky. It was a beautiful and cozy evening, but the house wasn¡¯t too dark because of the light.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± He nodded his head. Again, I looked at him. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, and I wondered what it was that he was thinking about.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± He suddenly turned to face me, his eyes piercing into mine and my breath hitched.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh? I wasn¡¯t¡­ Who said¡­ I was?¡± I scoffed nervously, turning my face away, and he nodded his head.

    ¡°I thought you were. You should go to bed now. It¡¯s cold out here, and we are going to have a long day tomorrow,¡± He said to me, then turned to leave.

    ¡°While we are still together¡­ Can you stop sleeping with other women?¡± I asked out of the blue moon, and he stopped on his track. For the next fifteen seconds, he remained like that, and when he finally turned to face me, I turned my face away. I know asking this was ridiculous, but even though I feel nothing for him, the thought of him having anything with another woman was driving me nuts. I might end up losing my mind if he does that again.

    I felt his gaze all over me, and I felt ufortable. My heart pounded hard against my chest, and I clenched my fingers while anticipating his reply. I didn¡¯t regret asking him that because it¡¯s really what I wanted.

    ¡°Why? Were you jealous?¡± He asked me the annoying question that made me raise my gaze to re hard at him.

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. Why would I be jealous?¡± I could swear that my heart skipped when I said that. I didn¡¯t know what this feeling was, anyway.

    ¡°Why do you want me to stay away from other women, then? It¡¯s not like you are going to give it to me, are you?¡± He leaned forward, our face was so close that I felt his breath fanning my face, and I bit my bottom lip.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You might get me horny,¡± He scoffed as he knocked my forehead lightly with a finger, then pulled away and straightened his back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop. I love sex and can¡¯t do without it,¡± He shook his head, and I lowered my gaze disappointedly.

    ¡°If that is all, see you tomorrow. Good night,¡± He whispered, turning to leave again.

    ¡°I will do it!¡± Those words escaped my lips before I could fight them back, and I heard his footsteps stop abruptly. An awkward silence crept into the atmosphere, and I wondered what he was thinking. I raised my head and found him staring at me with a nk expression on his face.

    ¡°We can¡­ uhm¡­ have sex in the meantime we will be spending together,¡± I further said, and he scoffed. I had no idea why the fuck I was doing this without even thinking twice, but whatever the reason was, I knew that I wasn¡¯t in my right state of mind right now.

    ¡°No,¡± He shrugged, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh?¡± I blinked my eyes rapidly, and he sighed.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to turn you into an addict once we start. I don¡¯t want to do that,¡± He smirked at me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Who said you will¡­¡±

    ¡°If I taste you once, we will do it like every damn time and you are going to get addicted¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I cut him off, being persistent, and he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Good night, Janice,¡± He winked at me, and my heart fluttered. I watched as he turned and walked back into the room, and I bit my bottom lip. Did I just get rejected?

    ¡°Ugh! He is so annoying,¡± I cursed under my breath disappointedly.

    Pushing all the thoughts to the back of my mind, I walked into the room and found it empty.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± I mumbled, and as if he read my thoughts from wherever he was, my phone beeped at that time and a text from him popped on the screen.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see tomorrow. I have something to deal with, so I¡¯ll be passing the night in the guest room¡¯ I scoffed after reading through the text. How could he leave me to sleep alone in thisrge room?

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± I muttered after I threw my phone on the bed. Dragging myself into the bathroom, I had a long and rxing bath,ing back to sleep in the room afterward.

    It felt like I slept for just an hour, but when I woke up in the morning and checked the time, I realized that I slept for about eight hours. I checked the time and realized that it was past 8am.

    ¡°How did I sleep for so long?¡± I mumbled and stretched my body.

    ¡®You are going to get addicted¡¯ His words reyed in my head, and I scoffed unbelievably. It¡¯s crazy how I suddenly desperately want to have sex with him, and even though I wanted to give up, I wanted to still give it a try to see if he was right. Will I really get addicted?

    The sound of the knock on the door pulled my attention, and I groaned tiredly.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Mr. Connor asked to inform you that breakfast is ready. You shoulde down and eat,¡± I presumed that should be one of the maids, so I told her that I would join them soon. Hearing her receding footsteps, I presumed she must¡¯ve gone back.

    ¡°If you are so desperate, why don¡¯t you seduce him?¡± My subconscious asked me as I stood up from the bed, and I stopped to give that a thought. Should I seduce him? How about flirting with him? Will he have sex with me then? I just needed to prove to him that he is wrong. I won¡¯t get addicted to shit¡­

 Chapter 37

    Janice POV

    I checked myself out in the reflection one more time and tucked my hair behind my ear before walking out of the room, and heading downstairs. The short blue gown fitted me perfectly as if it was tailored for me, and packing my hair up in a ponytail and leaving some strands was a breathtaking style I loved when I saw it.

    I spot him sitting in the dining room as I descended the staircase.

    ¡°Good morning. Did you sleep well?¡± I asked him as I pulled out the chair and sat down.

    ¡°Hmm. Morning,¡± He replied to me as he raised his gaze to look at me, smiling at me.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He asked, and I scoffed.

    ¡°What if I say no, hmm?¡± I rolled my eyes, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Why? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I think you should ask yourself. How could I have slept well when you left me to sleep in there all by myself?¡± I rolled my eyes at him, and he slowly nodded.

    ¡°The meeting has been postponed till tomorrow. Do you have anything in mind you want to do? Just take this as your temporary husband¡¯s favor,¡± He leaned forward and winked at me, and my heart fluttered.

    ¡°Look at you. You are all flushed,¡± He chuckled softly, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Stop teasing me,¡± I warned him, and he shrugged.

    ¡°I love teasing people. Anyway, what do you want to do? How about going out together and having fun? We could go to the park, beach, restaurant, or just take a walk. What do you think?¡± He asked, and I nodded my head while smiling brightly. I have wanted nothing more than to your Texas, and this should be an opportunity for me.

    ¡°Should we rather go clubbing?¡± He asked and a smirkced up his lips.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to,¡± I replied to him, and he shook his head.

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go together when we¡¯re done having breakfast,¡± He said and resumed eating. I sneaked nces at him. I asked myself why the fuck I was feeling weird around him, why my heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding, and why I desperately wanted to sleep with him, but fuck! I couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    ¡°Are you going to strip me naked with your eyes? Your stare is making my dick hard down there. You wouldn¡¯t want to end up on my bed, trust me,¡± He winked at me seductively, and my abdomen twitched.

    ¡°Do you want us to give it a try?¡± I asked him, leaning forward and biting my bottom lip. Maybe it¡¯s an opportunity for me to start my journey of seducing him.

    ¡°No,¡± However, his reply sent waves of disappointment through my body, and I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to have sex with you, Janice. Don¡¯t try your luck,¡± He winked at me before he stood up and walked away. I watched as he walked toward the staircase and soon started climbing it.

    ¡°Get yourself ready when you are done. I¡¯ll be in the room,¡± He yelled before he was out of my sight.

    ¡°That annoying jerk,¡± I cursed under my breath and took a deep breath. I was finally done eating, so I headed to the room to get dressed for the tour. I almost jumped out of my skin when I pushed the door open and found him sitting on the bed.

    ¡°You startled me,¡± I stated, and he shrugged.

    ¡°Ugh! Look what you¡¯ve done, Janice?¡± He groaned and threw back his head, and my face dted in confusion.

    ¡°Wha¡­¡± My voice trailed off when he stood up and I noticed the bulge in his trouser. His dick was standing aggressively like it was looking for who to devour, and I found myself biting my lip while having my imagination going wild. Am I being like this because I¡¯ve not been with any man before? Am I being like this because I desperately want to know what it feels like to have sex? I asked myself, but I guess it¡¯s thetter.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got me horny. What should we do?¡± He asked, throwing his head back once again, and when he looked at me, I scoffed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. We are going to have to postpone our tour. I need to sort this out,¡± He winked at me.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked curiously, but he only patted my back and walked out of the room, leaving me to debate what he was up to.

    ¡°Phew! I guess there¡¯s no tour for us again today,¡± I shook my head and slumped on the bed disappointedly.

    Since there was nothing for me to do, I just picked up my phone and started scrolling through it.

    After scrolling through my phone for about an hour, I was about to toss it on the bed and go to the balcony when a text popped on the screen. It was from Chase.

    ¡®Hey, sister-inw. How¡¯re you doing? I tried to call Connor, but he¡¯s not answering his phone. Can you tell him to call me right away, please? It¡¯s urgent¡¯ I read through the text.

    ¡°Where the hell did he keep his phone?¡± I mumbled and search my phone for his number and call him, feeling toozy to leave thefort of my room.

    ¡°Huh? Why is he not answering?¡± I mumbled after I tried to call him and he didn¡¯t answer.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ugh! This is frustrating. I didn¡¯t want to leave my room,¡± I mumbled frustratingly, dragging myself from the bed tiredly. I slipped my feet into my Crocs shoes, dragging my feet sluggishly out of the room afterward.

    Walking down the hallway and heading to his room, I could swear I heard faint voicesing from one of the rooms, but when I got close, I realized that it wasing from the room Connor was supposed to be in.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I muttered, then pushed the door open, but my jaw dropped at the sight that weed me. Again, I just fucking walked in on Connor sleeping with a youngdy and their moans were so loud.

    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed his breath and quickly pulled away from her, sitting on the bed and running his fingers through his hair.

    ¡°Janice, what are you doing?¡± He asked while burying his face between his palms, and I couldn¡¯t help the scoff that tore through my throat as I stared at him. I didn¡¯t know how to react. Whether to scream at him and tell him how my heart felt like it was being stomped on, or burst into tears which may make me look like a freak.

    ¡°Get dressed and leave,¡± He said to the bitch he was fucking after he threw a parcel of money to her, and I watched as she shamelessly wore her dress.

    ¡°You did a great job. I enjoyed myself. Hoping to have another one with you again,¡± I watched as she blew him a kiss and walked to the door. She red at me before she finally strode out of the room, and I scoffed unbelievably. My heart pounded hard in rage, my throat felt hot as if I had a lump of hot coal in my throat, my blood felt so hot and I could swear that it has gotten to its boiling point, that is if blood ever boils though. My eyes glistened with tears, but I fought them back and scoffed, turning my face away.

    ¡°Why did you barge in like that?¡± He asked as he stood up to his feet after he wore his robe as if nothing happened. I felt so angry that I wanted to pounce on him, but I held myself back.

    ¡®We are married now and we gave our vows, and as far as I¡¯m concerned, you are not leaving this marriage until I say so¡¯ I scoffed when those words he said to me before reyed in my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is cheating on your wife?¡± I asked him, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Cheating?¡±

    ¡°We are married. We exchanges vows and promised each other for better or worse. You said it yourself. Don¡¯t you see this as cheating?¡± I yelled at the top of my voice this time because I was already losing it.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡±

    ¡°This is going to be thest time, Connor. It¡¯s an order. For as long as we are together, you mustn¡¯t get involved with another woman. If this repeats itself ever again, trust me, you would be terrified to see the other side of me,¡± I threatened him before I stormed out of the room, mming the door behind me¡­

 Chapter 38

    Connor POV

    Three dayster

    I thought we were going to spend just three days here, but it has been four good days and there was no hope of us leaving anytime soon. The appointment I came for kept getting postponed. Janice has been ignoring me for thest three days, and I guess it¡¯s because of what happened a few days ago.

    I had no idea why she was suddenly being like that, why she wanted us to start having sex, but one thing I was sure of is that I won¡¯t agree to do that with her for her sake. She would end up hating giving this a chance and she may end up hating me for the rest of her life if she gets infected. You wouldn¡¯t want to know the infection I¡¯m talking about, trust me.

    It was a beautiful sunny morning, and watching the beautiful blooming flowers in the garden felt so good and rxing.

    I checked my phone and saw the number ire used to call me the other day, the urge to call her and hear her voice, but I felt keeping my distance from her and the family was the best thing to do for now if I should protect her. I missed all of them and just hope that one day everything will go back to the way they used to be.

    Pushing all the thoughts to the back of my mind, I turned to go back into the house and maybe get some rest, but I stopped when I saw Janice walk past the garden while holding her phone to her ear and smiling like she was talking to someone important.

    ¡°Who is she talking to?¡± I mumbled, then shrugged and left the garden. I was going to mind my business and just go to my room, but I got curious and decided to go check on her. I soon arrived at the outdoor pool and found her standing while still on the phone.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t be silly, baby boy,¡± I heard her say to whoever she was on the phone with, and my eyes narrowed in shock. The fuck!

    ¡°Alright, darling. Let¡¯s talkter. I love you too darling,¡± I felt a sting in my heart when she said that, and for some reason I couldn¡¯t exin, I felt enraged.

    She turned to leave, but stopped when she saw me standing.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity, so I asked her.

    ¡°Who?¡± She gave me a clueless look, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I heard you telling someone on the phone that you love him. Who was that?¡± I asked again, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± She rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving me standing like a fool. Maybe I was really a fool for getting overly curious.

    ¡°Ugh! What the fuck!¡± I cursed under my breath as I watched her until she was out of my sight.

    The rest of my day was boring and I was left debating who she was talking to over the phone.

    It was finally time to sleep, so I went to my room to sleep.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked me when I walked inside the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ming to sleep,¡± I shrugged, and she scoffed.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept in the same room with me since we got here. What¡¯s with the sudden change of mind?¡± She asked, and I shrugged.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I sleep in the same room with you?¡± I rolled my eyes at her, slumping on the bed.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± She rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom, mming the door behind her.

    For a moment, I thought of going to sleep in the other room for fear of doing what I didn¡¯t wantter. I¡¯ve been fighting back the urge to take her all this while. I desperately wanted to have her, I wanted to give her what she wants, but then, she might end up regretting it if I did. It¡¯s hard trying to resist her, but what can I do?

    The bathroom door opened about thirty minutester and she walked into the room. She was dded in a white robe and a white towel was wrapped around her wet hair. I watched as she sat in front of the mirror and started with her usual routine of adding oil to her skin. My imagination was going wild as I stared at her, imagining how it¡¯ll feel like to have her on my bed. It¡¯ll feel good, trust me.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± I called and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, and she tilted her head to look at me.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, and I bit my bottom lip. My blood flowed so fast and felt like it all went down to my waist, because at this point, my dick went standing aggressively like it would devour someone anytime soon. It was hard to control myself at this point, and I feared I might end up doing what I¡¯d been fighting myself not to do.

    ¡°What is it, Connor?¡± The way she called my name, I imagined what it would sound like moaning that name while I pin her to the bed and fuck her hard.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ see another woman again. Let¡¯s do it,¡± My words came out sounding dumb, but I didn¡¯t care as I stood up and pulled her from the chair.

    ¡°Hey¡­ hey¡­ Sto¡­ stop¡­¡± She tried to stop me, but I swept her off her feet and lowered her gently on the bed. My heart beats rapidly against my chest as anticipation spurred through me, but all those soon went down the drain when she suddenly said, ¡°You need to stop, Connor. I¡¯m on my period,¡±. It felt like the world froze along with my heart at that moment. What the fuck!

 Chapter 39

    Janice POV

    I desperately wanted him to have me, but too bad that when he finally decided to, I was on my period. Last night felt like a long night, but thankfully it was morning now and a new day to do nothing.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen when I tried to stand up from the bed, so Iy down hoping for it to relieve me first, but it only got worse.

    ¡°Ugh! Not again, please,¡± I whined, clutching my abdomen and squeezing my face painfully. Cramps is one of the sickness I hate the most, and something that affects me often on my period days. It¡¯s driving me nuts.

    I tried to leave the bed again, but I couldn¡¯t move a finger, so I just remained there. It felt like my abdomen was being cut with a sharp knife, and the pain only got worsened with each second that clicked.

    The door opened and Connor who had gone outside earlier for a morning workout, walked inside. I heard his footsteps stopped.

    ¡°Are you ok? Why are you still in bed? It¡¯s unlike you,¡± He asked, but I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes to look at him.

    ¡°Janice¡­ Are you hearing me?¡± I heard his voice again, and when I didn¡¯t reply to him, I heard his footsteps and soon felt him towering over me.

    ¡°Are you sleeping, Janice? Why are you not saying anything?¡± His voice came out in a whisper, and this time, I managed to open my eyes.

    ¡°It hurts,¡± I whispered, finally managing to turn, but it stung again, and I winced, grabbing my abdomen.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling pain? Where is it?¡± He asked worriedly, sitting beside me on the bed and examining me.

    ¡°It hurts,¡± I cried, holding my abdomen.

    ¡°Shit! Should I take you to the hospital? You are scaring me. Can you talk to me, please?¡± He shrieked and touched my forehead.

    ¡°Hot tea and medicines,¡± I whispered, and he jerked up to his feet.

    ¡°What type of drug should I get? What else should I get for you?¡± He asked, his voiceced with worries. He made my heart flutter, but it wasn¡¯t also the right time to think about that.

    ¡°Just go,¡± I snapped at him as I managed to sit on the bed, and he stormed out of the room, mming the door behind him.

    I waited impatiently for him, and strangely the pain kept getting worse.

    Twenty-five minutes felt like twenty-four hours to me, but he came back with the medicines and the tea regardless.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to the hospital? Does it still hurt?¡± He asked after I drank the tea and took the medicines as prescribed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not relieving you, I can take you to the hospital,¡± He further said, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after I get some sleep,¡± I replied to him, and he slowly nodded his head.

    ¡°Is there anything else you want me to do for you? Should I give it a massage?¡± He asked, and I nodded my head. He tucked me into the bed passionately and began massaging me. His warm hand caressed my abdomen, and the pain went away earlier than I thought, and just like that, I fell asleep.

    I woke up a few hourster, feeling strong and all better now. I smiled excitedly. Cramps can be crazy to deal with, and I was grateful that I wasn¡¯t alone to deal with that shit this month.

    Dragging myself from the bed, I walked sluggishly into the bathroom and stripped out of my robe, but I gasped when I saw the stain on it.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath as I threw the robe on the bathtub and quickly picked a towel. I didn¡¯t want the maids to get the bedspread before me, so I dashed into the bathroom to get it, but I stopped when I met Connor in the room with the bedspread in his hand.

    ¡°Hey! How¡¯re you feeling now?¡± He asked me with that sweet smile on his face

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine. Give me that. I will wash it,¡± I said to him, trying to take the bedspread from him.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to make me look like a bad guy if I give it to you. I¡¯m sure you would be cursing me silently if I let you have it,¡± He smirked at me.

    ¡°No. You can¡¯t give that to the maid to wash¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Because of the bloodstains? Do you think they are going to think that we had our first sex?¡± He leaned forward and flirted with me, and my abdomen twitched, leading to heavy flow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, anyway. I will wash it myself if you are feeling insecure. You should go wash yourself ande downstairs for lunch. I made a special meal for you,¡± He winked at me, then turned and walked out of the room. I sighed and walked back into the bathroom.

    I took my time to wash myself, and after I was done, I walked back into the room and got dressed, leaving for the dining room afterward.

    The aromaing from the dining room as I descended the staircase minutester smelt different from the kind of food the maids would make. At first, when he told me he made a special meal, I was thinking he was just teasing me. I mean, you weren¡¯t expecting me to believe he actually cooked, right? Well, the aroma I was perceiving now was giving me another impression and making me have a second thought about my decision that he couldn¡¯t have made the food.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon,¡± I said to myself and made my way to the dining. Strangely, none of the maids were around and it only had me curious.

    ¡°The maids. Where did they all go to?¡± I asked him, and he looked around as if he was just noticing it now.

    ¡°I thought we were going to have sex yesterday, so I asked them to go to the third floor of the building. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to bear your screams,¡± He winked at me, and my heart fluttered. How the fuck was he so good at his flirting game? I wasn¡¯t expecting less from a yboy, anyway.

    ¡°Too bad your period spoilt it for me, but not to worry, I¡¯m going to make it upter,¡± He bit his bottom lip, and I rolled my eyes.

    He served me the food and I started digging in.

    ¡°Did you really make it?¡± I asked him after I tasted the food and saw how delicious it tasted.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t make it? I¡¯m good at many things, Janice. I¡¯m not only good in bed, but I¡¯m also good in the kitchen too. My Mom brought us up like that,¡± The way he smiled flirtatiously made him effortlessly cute and I couldn¡¯t help but stare at him. Gosh!

    ¡°When are we leaving Texas?¡± I asked, changing the topic because I was going to get freaking horny if he should continue like that, and it was only safe for me to avoid the discussion. I prayed we don¡¯t leave soon because I really love it here.

    ¡°Like in two weeks,¡± He replied to me, and I nodded my head. That¡¯s fair enough though.

    ¡°Four days for your period, and the remaining ten days for marathon sex,¡± He winked at me, and my heart fluttered again. Is he this shameless to talk about sex often?

 Chapter 40

    Connor POV

    ¡°Where are you going to?¡± Janice asked as she followed me downstairs.

    ¡°Just stepping out a bit. I¡¯ll be backte, so don¡¯t wait up for me,¡± I replied to her after I checked my wristwatch, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? It¡¯s past 7pm, where the hell are you going at this time of the night?¡± She shrieked like a possessive wife, and I felt like I was going to lose my mind if she would continue like this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you,¡± I said to her and headed toward the door, leaving the house even as she kept yelling after me.

    I drove off and headed straight to the clubhouse. It has been a while since Ist went clubbing, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try it out today, yeah?

    I soon got to the clubhouse and parked at the garage, and the smell of alcohol and the horrible smell of cigarettes weed me as soon as I walked inside the thick dark crowded club with dim light. I could barely see anyone, and the ear-piercing buzzing music was soothing and at the same time disturbing. I walked toward the counter and knocked on it, getting Maxwell¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Yo! Look who we have here. It has been ages, man,¡± Max yelled for me to hear him. Although we were never too close, Max was the only friend I had here back when I used to visit Texas often, and we often hung out together a few times then. He owns the clubhouse. It¡¯s one of the many clubs he owns.

    ¡°Yeah, it has been long. A ss of red wine, please,¡± I said to him, and he chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna get yourself high tonight, yeah? Do you need a touch of aphrodisiac in it? You know, we¡¯ve got bitches to keep you busy through the night,¡± He winked at me, and I scoffed. Well, that¡¯s not bad, yeah?

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll love that,¡± I replied to him.

    ¡°I got you,¡± He left to go serve my drink, and I turned to look at the crowd vibing to the music. Some people were dancing alone, some were in pairs, and some were already drunk. Seeing the waydies here were dressed irresponsibly made me shake my head. I bet no woman woulde here in a bid to find a husband for herself. Well, I don¡¯t know for other men, but if I was ever going to get married, I won¡¯t want to getmitted with any of the bitches here. That can never be me. They are always good to warm my bed.

    ¡°Here, man,¡± Max called my attention, and I turned to him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled and took the wine ss from him. I took a sip.

    ¡°Have you got your eyes on any of the bitches around or how about I get you someone to keep you warm? Bills on me tonight. You know, anything for my man,¡± Max said, and I shrugged.

    ¡°That¡¯s not bad,¡± I replied to him, and he clicked his tongue, pointing two fingers at me.

    ¡°I trust you, man,¡± He uttered and went to attend to another customer that just walked up to the counter.

    I was drinking when I felt a hand rubbing me gently from behind, so I turned to find a slim tall youngdy smiling at me like she¡¯d just won a lottery.

    ¡°Hey, handsome,¡± she winked at me and bit her bottom lip, and I scoffed. Is that her way of seducing me? Wow! Nice try, but that didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Hi, beautiful. You look sexy, I must confess. Do you need help with anything?¡± Yeah, I¡¯m a flirt, and I know it. I flirt with women at the slightest given opportunity, and guess what? They never failed to fall for it, so I always got the upper hand.

    ¡°Yes, I think I do. Should we go inside the room so you can show me what you¡¯ve got?¡± She winked at me again in a seductive manner, and I finally felt it down there. It wasn¡¯t her seduction working on me but the shit Max gave to me. Well, turned out that it wasn¡¯t that bad.

    ¡°Your wish is mymand,¡± I emptied the content of the ss down my throat in one shot and stood up.

    ¡°Hey, man. Found one already?¡± Max turned to ask me, and I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, I have,¡± I replied to him.

    ¡°Here. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s one in the room,¡± He chuckled as he threw a pack of condoms to me, and I caught in the air.

    ¡°Thanks, man. I¡¯m going to make up for this favor,¡± I said to him before I walked away with the bitch, heading to the room.

    ****

    Just like every other bitches I¡¯ve slept with in the past, this one was no different although she was a bit better. I know Janice told me not to have anything with any woman again, but I couldn¡¯t hold it in. She won¡¯t understand, but I can¡¯t hold it in for long.

    I checked the time and sighed as the realization dawned on me that it was past 11pm. Fuck! Did we have sex for two hours straight? Damnit!

    ¡°That was sweet. Should we meet here often?¡± Thedy asked me as she sat up on the bed, biting her bottom lip and winking at me.

    I looked at her and scoffed, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t fuck one hole twice. Here is your pay,¡± I took out a few dors from my wallet and threw it on the bed.

    I adjusted my dress and walked out of the room after I picked up my car keys from the nightstand.

    ¡°Are you done, man?¡± Max asked me when I returned to the counter.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m heading back home. See ya around. Let me know when you¡¯re free so we can spend some time togetherter,¡± I said to him, but he checked his wristwatch and his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s past 11pm, man. Are you sure you want to go home? You can spend the night here and go back tomorrow,¡± He offered, but I shook my head.

    ¡°No, I need to go back today. Good night. See ya around,¡± And with that, I made my way to the exit door and left the clubhouse.

    The drive back home took pretty much time after being stuck in a traffic jam for nearly twenty minutes. I thought the road would be free, but even though it waste, it still felt like morning. The street light made everywhere seemed like it was afternoon, and the traffic jam made it even worse.

    Driving into thepound after a long drive, I pulled over at the parking lot and headed toward the entrance door. I thought I would just head to the guest room and shower before going to bed, but I almost jumped out of my skin when I walked inside the house and found Janice in the living room. She was sleeping ufortably on the couch. Wait a minute! Did she stay upte to wait for me? I asked myself and scoffed when it dawned on me that it was really the case¡­Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 41

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°The fuck! What is she doing here?¡± I mumbled and scoffed unbelievably. I told her before I left that she shouldn¡¯t wait up for me, so howe she¡¯s still here?

    ¡°Is she crazy or what?¡± Again, I mumbled and shook my head before I went to wake her up.

    ¡°Where are youing from?¡± Her voice was filled with rage as soon as she was sober, and I had to ask myself if she wasn¡¯t the same person who was sleeping deeply here just now.

    ¡°I went out. Why are you here? I told you I was going toe back homete. Why did you wait up for me?¡± I was a bit mad at her for being this stupid.

    ¡°Where the hell did you go to and didn¡¯t even think that it was time for you toe back home?¡± She snapped at me, her eyes filled with rage, and I flinched.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s up with that¡­¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You went to hang out with your numerous flings, yeah?¡± She scoffed and bit her bottom lip. Every action 9f hers confuses me so much and always leaves me asking myself several questions.

    ¡°Janice¡­ I¡¯m tired. Can you go to bed so I can go get some rest?¡± I tried to sound as calm as I could, but she scoffed.

    ¡°I asked where the hell you areing from, you jerk! How could you? I told you to stop seeing those women. I told you that for as long as we are married, you are not allowed to spend time with any other woman. How could you?¡± Her voice was insanely loud this time, not giving a damn about the maids that may probably be asleep by now. The living room is not soundproofed for goodness sake.

    ¡°What is wrong with you, Janice? I thought I made it clear to you that I can¡¯t stop this¡­ I won¡¯t stop doing it. It¡¯s not that we are married for love or something. We don¡¯t have feelings for each other¡­ I don¡¯t know for you, but I don¡¯t feel anything for you¡­¡±

    ¡°You are thest man I would allow myself to fall in love with. The most horrible bastard I would never trust my heart with¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why the fuck are you being like this? I told you to leave me the hell alone. I won¡¯t sleep with you¡­ I won¡¯t do it, so why can¡¯t I do it with another woman?¡± I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I ended up yelling at her, expecting her to at least flinch, but she just stared back at me with a nk expression on her face.

    ¡°Because we are married. Even if we don¡¯t have feelings for each other, what about respect? Imagine going out there and introducing me as your wife to one of your flings. What do you think she will¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s never going to be a scenario like that, so quit being annoying and clingy. You are starting to get on my nerves, so you better stop,¡± I didn¡¯t mean to be harsh on her, but she was pushing me so hard that I couldn¡¯t hold back my anger.

    ¡°Is it sex you want? I will give it to you¡­ I¡¯m on my period now¡­ I will give it to you after I finish it,¡± She held my hand and uttered, her lips trembled, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Janice¡­ Quit this annoying¡­¡±

    ¡°You want it now? My period won¡¯t stop us from doing it. We can do it now,¡± I would¡¯ve concluded that she was just messing with me, but seeing the seriousness and desperation in her eyes made me realize that she meant business.

    ¡°You are crazy, Janice,¡± I stepped away from her and shook my head slowly. I watched as her eyes glistened with tears, and before I coulde up with anything to say to her, she turned and walked away, leaving me even more confused.

    ¡°What is wrong with her?¡± I mumbled confusingly, trying to think about the possible reason behind her action, but no matter how much I thought about it, nothing seemed to being through for me.

    ¡°Maybe she lost her mind for a moment. She will surelye around tomorrow,¡± I mumbled and ruffled my hair before I headed to my room.

    My legs felt stiffened, so I dragged them up the stairs and headed to my room. I slumped on the bed tiredly as soon as I walked inside my room.

    ¡°Why was she like that? It¡¯s not that we are in love or something,¡± I sat up on the bed and sank my fingers into my hair. It felt like I was losing my mind. No, thinking about what happened earlier and the act she put up there. The thought of it was driving me crazy.

    ¡°Janice is crazy. Maybe she was just doing that to relieve stress,¡± I muttered, but deep inside me, I knew that conclusion didn¡¯t make any sense.

    The sound of my ringing phone pulled my attention, so I sat up on the bed.

    ¡°Shit! I didn¡¯t take my phone along earlier?¡± I mumbled and reached for the phone that was lying on the nightstand, but the call already ended by the time I took it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡­¡± I paused when I unlocked the phone and was met with fifteen missed calls from ire. My heart dropped for a moment.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed silently and dialed her number, but it rang and she didn¡¯t answer the call.

    ¡°What happened to her? How could I forget my phone at home?¡± My heart pounded hard against my chest, and many thoughts ran through my mind as I dialed her number again, but it didn¡¯t go through. Did something happen to her? What if she got into an ident? Those awful thoughts clouded my mind, but I quickly dismissed them, telling myself that it wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Who should I call?¡± I mumbled, scrolling through my phone. I would¡¯ve called Chase, but he hasn¡¯t been in contact with ire and the family since Dad sent us away, so there was no point in doing that.

    ¡°Khan!¡± I mumbled and quickly searched his number and dialed it.

    ¡°Do you not have a clock over there? It¡¯ste for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± He groaned over the phone when he answered the call. I guess he was sleeping before I called him.

    ¡°Khan, I need your help, please. I went out and left my phone at home so I missed ire¡¯s calls. I can¡¯t reach anyone over there. Can you help me check on her and tell me if she¡¯s fine?¡± I asked him worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s midnight, dude?¡± He groaned.

    ¡°Please, do this for me. You are the only one I can reach,¡± I pleaded with him.

    ¡°Alright. I will do that,¡± He mumbled and the call disconnected immediately. I just pray nothing happened to her¡­

 Chapter 42

    ire POV

    Sitting outside in the middle of the night with the cold piercing through my bones, birds chirping and making terrifying noise, I couldn¡¯t help the tears that streamed down my cheeks. It felt like thest days of my life, or maybe I was already dead and alone in my grave. I know they said the grave is more terrifying, but at the moment, I didn¡¯t think there would be anything more terrifying than staying alone at home in the whole dark house without a single light.

    My phone beeped, and I checked to see that it was a warning that it was going to power off. At that moment, the only light that had been helping me went off immediately as my phone switched off, leaving me in thick darkness. I couldn¡¯t even get a glimpse of my surroundings.

    Yesterday, my parents left in the morning on a business trip, leaving me alone here. Well, they asked me to move in with my Mom¡¯s friend, but I refused so they were left with no choice but to leave me behind. Maybe they thought well, she¡¯s a big girl and will be fine all by herself. Who said that I¡¯ll be fine?

    My body trembled as I hugged my legs to my chest while sitting in front of the door, waiting for my doom. I thought being alone in the darkness inside the room was terrifying, but being outside here was even scarier.

    ¡°You are going to be fine, ire. Don¡¯t think about any negative thing,¡± I assured myself even though I knew that things would never be fine. Why the fuck does this have to happen to me by this time of the night? Why does it have to be now that I don¡¯t even have my family around me? More tears streamed down my cheeks, but knowing that I was left all alone here, I could only wait for my doom toe soon.

    I called Connor earlier, but I guess he was asleep and didn¡¯t hear his phone ring, or maybe he went out and left his phone at home. I know Connor would never ignore my calls. You would ask, why didn¡¯t I call Chase, yeah? Well, I would¡¯ve called him if I had his number. Dad took my phone, and I could only get Connor¡¯s contact because I had it saved in my memory.

    The faint sound of a car shed through my ears, and fear gripped me. I stood up immediately and stood on the stairs. My heart was hammering so hard that I could literally hear the sound of it. I narrowed my eyes just so I could see, but for someone with nyctalopia, I knew that I was just deceiving myself. I couldn¡¯t see any single thing, and it was even more terrifying and frustrating.

    The sound of the car got closer and closer until the shlight of the car reflected directly on my face and it dawned on me that the car wasing to our house. For a moment, my heart stopped beating, and my fear increased even more as lots of negative thoughts clouded my mind. Is the person here to rob me? What if I get raped by whoever was in the car? What if I ended up losing my life? With all these thoughts going on in my mind, I quickly turned and managed to find the doorknob, then twisting it open, I pushed the door open and stormed inside the dark house, mming the door behind me and locking it.

    ¡°What should I do? Where should I run to? I can¡¯t see anything¡­¡± I cried, looking around the living room to see where to run to, but everywhere felt like a shallow grave filled with darkness and fear. I¡¯ve not been to the grave before, but it was the only thing I couldpare this to since I¡¯ve heard a lot about it.

    ¡°You can¡¯t die just like that¡­ You can¡¯t give up now,¡± I slowly shook my head, my cheeks wet from the tears that won¡¯t stop falling uncontrobly down my cheeks. I started to drag my feet on the ground while stretching my hand and finding my way to the stairs, but that didn¡¯tst long until I tripped over the center table and fell roughly on the ground, just then, the doorbell rang, and my heart dropped.

    I drew back on the floor until my back was pressing hard against the couch, my heartbeat seemed to increase more than it was earlier, my whole body trembled, my palms sweaty, and beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

    ¡°Is this the end of me? I don¡¯t want to die, please. Please give me another chance, my creator,¡± I merged my hands and prayed silently, hoping whoever was at the door would leave immediately, but that was a dream that would nevere true for me because, at the time I was praying, the doorbell rang again.

    ¡°Open the door, ire. It¡¯s me, Khan. Your brother¡¯s friend,¡± I quickly recognized the masculine voice to be Connor¡¯s best friend, and I felt relieved instantly. I managed to stand up to my feet and found my way toward the door, but just when I was about to open the door, something spoke to me.

    ¡°What if he is just pretending to be Khan? What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± A voice spoke in my head, and I slowly let go of the doorknob, taking a step away from the door.

    ¡°Are you there, ire?¡± His voice sounded from outside again, but this time, it was calm.

    ¡°ire¡­¡± He knocked on the door this time when I didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have spare keys with me, can you please open the door? Your brother asked me toe over and help you,¡± He said again, and I swallowed hard.

    ¡°Th¡­ that¡¯s not true. You are not Khan!¡± I finally found my voice and yelled for him to hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m Khan¡­ I¡¯m your brother¡¯s friend. Connor was worried about you so he had to call me toe over here. Can you open the door, please?¡± He spoke again, and I scoffed.

    ¡°If Connor was going to call someone, it should¡¯ve been Chase. Why would he call you?¡± I asked him, and I heard him scoff.

    ¡°You can ask your brother then when you reach him. Can you open the door, please? It¡¯s cold out here,¡± He spoke again, and just this once, I decided to let go of my trust issues and open up for him. My hand trembled as I reached for the knob. I held my breath and slowly opened the door, revealing someone. I couldn¡¯t see him clearly because there was no light. For a second, I asked myself what the fuck I just did. I concluded that the person standing in front of me was not Khan but someone else impersonating him. Am I really destined to die this night? I took a step back.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, dipping his hand inside his pocket.

    ¡°Pl¡­ please don¡¯t kill me. Please don¡¯t harm me,¡± I pleaded with him and took a step back, but he scoffed.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I harm you?¡± He finally switched on his phone torchlight and shone it on his face, and I finally felt relieved after I confirmed that it was really him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t see you,¡± I muttered, and he sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. What the hell happened?¡± He asked me after he walked inside the living room.

    ¡°Why is everywhere dark?¡± He asked, turning to face me. I already closed the door and walked inside the living room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. The light suddenly went off,¡± I replied to him.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± He asked again.

    ¡°Mom and Dad traveled yesterday, so I had to stay back here alone,¡± I replied to him, and he sighed.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just go lodge at a hotel. Why stay here all alone?¡± He shook his head, and I sighed.

    ¡°Are you here to scold me or help me?¡± I rolled my eyes at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°You should speak to your brother first. I will go check on the light and see what the problem is,¡± He uttered then handed me his phone after he dialed Connor¡¯s number and walked away to check on the light.

    I was still speaking with Connor when Khan came back and sighed.

    ¡°Give the phone to Khan,¡± Connor said, and I gave him the phone.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± Khan uttered.

    ¡°Yo! What¡¯s that? Are you for real? Whatever!¡± He scoffed.

    ¡°Alright,¡± He finally ended the call and turned to me.

    ¡°I think you would need to call the electrician tomorrow toe check it for you. Do you have some money with you to lodge at the hotel?¡± He asked me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve done that for you, but I didn¡¯t bring my card with me, and I don¡¯t have cash on me. I will refund youter,¡± He uttered, and I sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money on me. My card expired, so I would be going to the bank on Monday to get it,¡± I mumbled, and he sighed.

    ¡°What do you want us to do then? I can¡¯t bring you to my house, and I can¡¯t pass the night here with you,¡± He shrugged, and I sighed.

    ¡°Just take me to your house,¡± I said to him after a long silence, and he looked at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s just for the night. My parents will be back tomorrow, and the light will be fixed tomorrow, so it¡¯s fine to crash at your house for a few hours,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Your brother is going to skin me alive if he finds out that you passed the night at my house,¡± He stated, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Stop being dramatic. You¡¯re not my style, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± I said to him, and his eyes narrowed¡­

 Chapter 43

    Khan POV

    ¡®You are not my style¡¯ Those words won¡¯t stop reying in my head and I couldn¡¯t help the scoff that would always tear through my throat each time I recalled it.

    I nced at her through the rearview mirror, and she was staring out of the car while resting her head on the headrest.

    ¡°Hey! Are you hungry? Should I get you something to eat on our way?¡± I broke the silence, but she ignored me.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± She replied to me tly without even sparing me a nce, and I shook my head unbelievably. Here I was, crushing on this little girl little did I know that she was this rude.

    We finally arrived at my apartment, and I pulled over at the parking lot. Aside from working as Connor¡¯s secretary, I also managed one of the most popr restaurants in town, so I can only say that I¡¯m well-to-do. I just enjoy working under someone, that¡¯s why I had to work as my best friend¡¯s secretary.

    She walked ahead of me as soon as she stepped out of the car, and I scoffed.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time being here. How can you be sofortable?¡± I shook my head and trailed behind her, but she ignored me and didn¡¯t even spare me a nce.

    ¡°I¡¯mfortable anywhere I go. Come and show me to my room. I don¡¯t have all the time in the world. I¡¯m sleepy already,¡± She spoke to me rudely again, and I scoffed unbelievably. When Connor referred to her as the crazy girl in the Hughes family, I didn¡¯t want to believe him and thought maybe it was just sibling stuff, but she just changed my mind. Well, I still like her, anyway.

    ¡°Your house is beautiful¡­ A bit beautiful, actually,¡± She stated when we got into the living room, so I scoffed.

    ¡°Here¡­¡± I threw the keys at her and she caught it.

    ¡°Go through that door. The first room on the left is where you will be sleeping. Everything you need is there. Good night,¡± I said to her and started to walk away.

    ¡°Connor never told me his friend is this rude. Are you going to leave me to do this by myself? It¡¯s my first time here,¡± I stopped and scoffed.

    ¡°You are the one being rude here. I came all the way to your house in the middle of the night to help you, and you couldn¡¯t even thank me for that¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you toe save me. It was my brother that did, and you could¡¯ve just told him you couldn¡¯te. Not that I will die by just sleeping alone in the dark, anyway,¡± She rolled her eyes at me, and I huffed unbelievably.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, do you have a phone charger in the room? My phone battery is t and I need to get it charged,¡± She asked me sarcastically, but I couldn¡¯t even say a word as I only stared at her. It was worth getting mad at her, but instead, I found her cute. I normally don¡¯t like rude and spoilt brats, but this girl has captured my heart and I couldn¡¯t even get mad at her.

    ¡°You will find it there,¡± I guess it was the reply she needed because she didn¡¯t spend another second in the living room after I replied to her.

    ¡°She¡¯s cute,¡± I scoffed and slumped on the couch, rubbing my fingers gently on my forehead.

    My phone started to ring, and I checked to see that it was from Connor.

    ¡°Hey! Look what you did. I can¡¯t sleep now,¡± I whined as soon as I answered the call, hoping he¡¯d at least appreciate me for what I did for his sister, but hell nah!

    ¡°Where is she now? Is she safe?¡± He asked worriedly, and I rolled my eyes. The way he loves, cares, and protects his sister makes me jealous, and wish I had one myself, but since I was an only child, what could I do?

    ¡°Hmm. She¡¯s safe. I didn¡¯t have money on me then to lodge her at the hotel, so I had to bring her to sleep here¡­¡±

    ¡°Bring her to sleep where? In your house?¡± He shrieked, and I rolled my eyes. I was expecting that, anyway.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with the drama? You can¡¯t even thank me for going out at midnight to help your sister, what the fuck are you saying?¡± I snapped at him angrily, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you dare touch my sister, ok? I know you too well¡­ More than anyone ever knows you, so don¡¯t fucking do anything to my sister. I¡¯m going to kill you if you do¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to throw her out then? Dude! Are you being serious right now? Ugh! I shouldn¡¯t have helped you,¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your regrets. Don¡¯t try shit with my sister. I¡¯m warning you,¡± He snapped at me and the call finally disconnected.

    ¡°Is he for real?¡± I mumbled angrily and scoffed. He woke me up from sleep, made me risk my life, and drove through the thick darkness to go rescue his sister, and all he could do was say trash to me?

    ¡°Connor is crazy. He is fucking crazy,¡± I spat angrily and stood up, dragging myself to my room.

    I heard someone whimpering as I walked down the hallway minutester, so I stopped and wondered where the sound wasing from.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± For a second, I forgot I was not alone in the house like every other day, and as the realization dawned on me that ire was in the house with me, I became worried about her.

    I was going to open the door to check on her, but I stopped when I recalled what my annoying friend said earlier.

    ¡°She can cry all she wants. That¡¯s her business. Not that she¡¯s going to die, anyway,¡± I mumbled and was going to leave, but a part of me grew even more worried about her, and many thoughts came parading my mind. What if something happened to her back there before we left earlier? What if she¡¯s having a nightmare? I asked myself, but in the end, I pushed the door open and walked inside only to find her sitting on the wall beside the door and burying her face between her knees which were hugged to her chest tightly. She was crying.

    ¡°ire? Are you ok?¡± I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and squatted down to her level.

    ¡°ire?¡± I called softly as I reached for her hair hesitantly and tucked it away from her knees.

    ¡°Are you ok? Why are you crying?¡± I whispered, and she finally raised her face to look at me, and as her charming eyes pierced into mine, my heart stopped beating for a moment. It was the first time I was going to see her face so closely, and I could only say that she was the prettiest girl I¡¯ve ever set eyes on. Everything about her was charming, from her pair of Caribbean blue eyes, long eyshes, thick eyebrows, sexy lips, and her skin tone. Everything was screaming nothing, but perfection, and when I stared at her lips for a moment, I felt my heart thumping so hard against my chest as the thought of what they would taste like clouded my mind.

    ¡°She is your guest, Khan. She is your best friend¡¯s sister, and Connor will kill you if you do anything stupid to her,¡± My subconscious mind screamed at me, and I was forced to get rid of the crazy thoughts.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I finally found my voice, but what she did next left me frozen on the spot. She threw herself into my arms and hugged me so tightly that I forgot I was a living thing because I literally stopped breathing. She whimpered.

    ¡°Stay with me, please. I¡¯m scared,¡± She whimpered, and I sighed. Now, this is going to be another long night of staying up¡­

 Chapter 44

    Janice POV

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and finally sat up on the bed after tossing endlessly. It felt like I was going to lose my mind, or who knows, maybe I must¡¯ve lost it already. Why the fuck was I acting like that if I wasn¡¯t crazy for a moment? Thinking about all the shits I said to him back there, I could only conclude that maybe I was high on something. I couldn¡¯t have said those words in my right frame of mind, right?

    ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of a cheap and crazy girl. Janice is worth everything,¡± I reminded myself even though I acted like a maniac around him earlier.

    ¡®I told you I won¡¯t ever sleep with you¡¯ I scoffed unbelievably as those words reyed in my head. No matter the angle I looked at it from, I wouldn¡¯t stop seeing it as an insult. Does he think that I¡¯m one ugly bitch he can¡¯t afford to go to bed with?

    ¡°Ugh! Forget it. If he said that he can¡¯t sleep with you, maybe you are too good for him. What am I saying? You are too fucking good for him, and not maybe,¡± I tried to give myself some hope, and it eventually worked.

    ¡°Why did I even wait up for him? I should¡¯ve locked him outside. He wouldn¡¯t have had the gut to speak to me in that manner,¡± I mumbled as I left the bed and dragged myself into the bathroom to have a brief bath ande to get some sleep. I didn¡¯t know how I stayed up until 2am. Well, all thanks to that jerk.

    The cold shower helped me clear my head a little, so I went to bed as soon as I got back into the room.

    ¡°Ugh! Why can¡¯t I sleep?¡± I ran my fingers through my hair angrily after trying to sleep for ten minutes and still couldn¡¯t get the act together. The image of him sleeping with another woman kept popping in my head, and at this point, I knew that I already lost it. Not that I¡¯m in love with him or something, so why the fuck was I getting so worked up about it?

    I barely closed my eyes and then boom! It was morning already, and guess what? I could only get five hours of sleep instead of nine or ten. All thanks to someone.

    Even though I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, I felt a bit refreshed, so I stood up from the bed and dragged myself sluggishly into the bathroom. As usual, I changed into my fitness dress and left my room for the indoor gym center in the house.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    I heard some creaking sounds as I approached the gym, and I needed no one to tell me that Connor would be there by now.

    ¡°Annoying jerk!¡± I mumbled and pushed the door open only to find him on the treadmill running as fast as he could like someone was chasing him.

    ¡°Overdoing things,¡± I huffed and went to warm up on the treadmill beside him. I fixed the headset on my head and yed a cool music to keep me cool. I set the treadmill to move slowly, but not too slow anyway.

    ¡°You¡¯re here? Good morning,¡± I heard his voice beside me, but I nced at him and scoffed. Of course, I wanted him to know that I heard him but just ignored him.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He asked me, and I was forced to stop the treadmill from moving, turning to face him. He was already standing on the bare floor, his body dripping wet. It turned out that it must¡¯ve been long since he came in here.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, all thanks to you,¡± I wanted to snap at him, but I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question, Janice. Are you going to ignore me?¡± I heard him scoff as I walked over to the cycling and sat on it, but I still didn¡¯t say anything, so I guess he got frustrated because he walked over to me and held my hand.

    ¡°Are you seriously on about the silent treatment again?¡± He whined frustratingly, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Let me go,¡± I finally spat and yanked his hand off.

    ¡°Come on, Janice. You can¡¯t be like this, ok? We are living here alone¡­ I mean, you are kind of the closest person to me here, so you can¡¯t be like this,¡± He pouted his lips, and I scoffed.

    ¡°You disgust me,¡± I said to his face, and he raised his eyebrows and smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that so many times, so it¡¯s nothing. So, are you going to speak to me now?¡± He winked at me, and I huffed.

    ¡°Stop talking to me! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± I yelled at the top of my voice, but he rolled his eyes and sighed.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯m sorry about what happened yesterday. I would¡¯vee home earlier if I knew you were going to wait up for me. Are we cool now?¡± He leaned forward and cupped my cheek in his palm, his charming eyes piercing into mine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, okay?¡± His voice came out almost in a hush, and as his eyes went down to my lips, I bit my lip to suppress the urge to make a funny sound. Is he messing with me now?

    ¡°Janice¡­ Don¡¯t be mad at me, ok? I¡¯m going to make it up to you¡­ I promise,¡± He finally straightened his back and removed his hand from my cheek, but his eyes won¡¯t leave mine. I tried to speak, but my tongue felt tied and my heart beat rapidly against my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat nervously. My heart was beating so loud and hard as if it was trying to force its way out of me, and as my eyes darted to his lips, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how great it would feel to have a taste of those lips.

    ¡°Pull yourself together, Janice. He is a jerk,¡± I reminded myself and was finally able to turn my face away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for any inconvenience I¡¯ve caused you with my recklessness. I¡¯m going to make it up to you, but not with sex though. Like I said, I won¡¯t ever sleep with you¡­¡± He stated with a serious expression on, and I bit my lip. I felt a sting in my heart, strangely sad about his decision not to sleep with me. Other people would be happy, right? But why was I so sad about this?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to call mywyer to prepare the divorce papers. We will push through with the divorce as soon as we get back to LA,¡± He further said and finally walked away like it was nothing¡­

 Chapter 45

    Connor POV

    ¡°When are you leaving his house?¡± I asked ire on the phone and heard her sigh.

    ¡°Dad called me earlier and told me that they won¡¯t be back until a few weeks. They were asking me to go stay at Mom¡¯s friend¡¯s house, but that is thest thing I would ever do,¡± she sighed again, and I felt bad for her.

    ¡°Do you want to go to the penthouse and stay with Chase?¡± I asked her. Allowing her to stay with Khan was thest thing I would do.

    ¡°Dad is going to be mad at me if he finds out about it,¡± She whined, and I got that she was scared.

    ¡°What are you going to do then? I can¡¯t allow you to stay with Khan. I don¡¯t trust him,¡± I said to her point nk, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Don¡¯t even think of it, Connor. I¡¯m not nning to have a boyfriend now, and even if I¡¯m ever going to, that¡¯s definitely not your friend. He is not my style,¡± I almost burst intoughter when she said that. It was the first time I heard a girl say that Khan was not her style. Ladies go crazy for him, and it¡¯s really surprising to hear that from her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sending you money to go lodge at a hotelter. Don¡¯t stay with him, regardless. I don¡¯t trust him¡­¡±

    ¡°Why waste money when there¡¯s a ce to stay here? I told you he¡¯s not my style. Even if you don¡¯t trust him, you should at least trust me. I can¡¯t stay in the hotel room alone for the next few weeks, so it¡¯s risky¡­¡± She paused and sighed.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°I¡¯m staying here with him until Mom and Dade back, and I promise you that nothing will happen. He is really not my style,¡± She stated and the call disconnected before I could say another thing.

    ¡°This girl,¡± I mumbled and slumped on the bed.

    ¡®My sister has decided to stay with you until my parentse back from their trip. Don¡¯t try shit with her if you don¡¯t want to lose your life. Trust me, I¡¯m really going to to kill you if you try anything stupid with her. You know how much I love her, right? Anyway, thanks for yesterday¡¯ I typed the message in my phone and sent it to him. I threw my phone on the bed and dragged myself to the bathroom to bathe since I just got back from the gym.

    Standing under the show, Janice¡¯s image popped in my head. The pain in her eyes earlier, the anger, the desires. Just her whole expression back there was imprinted in my head and wouldn¡¯t leave no matter how much I tried to push it off, and it only left me asking myself why she was being like that.

    ¡°Maybe she was just messing with you,¡± I concluded and finally turned the shower off when I was done bathing. I grabbed a white towel from the towel rack and wrapped it around my waist, then took another one I was going to needter in the room to dry my hair.

    I dragged myself back into the room, but I stopped in my tracks when I found Janice inside my room, sitting on my bed. I almost jumped out of my skin as I wasn¡¯t expecting her here.

    ¡°Ja¡­ Janice?¡± I called to be sure that I wasn¡¯t hallucinating, and when she red hard at me, I knew that she was really here.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Where is my headset? I can¡¯t find it in my room,¡± She asked me, and I blinked my eyes confusingly. When did I ever see or use her headset?

    ¡°Yo¡­ your headset? I don¡¯t have it. And besides, you barelye to this room, and I don¡¯t use a headset, so¡­¡± I was still speaking to her, but she advanced toward the door and stormed out of my room, mming the door so hard that I almost flinched.

    ¡°Does she want to break the door?¡± I huffed and shook my head.

    It took me just thirty minutes to cream my body and get dressed, and since I had nowhere to go, I left my room for the living room. Maybe I could just watch a movie or two today. I¡¯m not a big fan of movie, but giving it a try today won¡¯t harm, right?

    Descending the staircase minutester, I stopped when I perceived the aromaing from the kitchen, and checking the time, I realized that it was past breakfast time although I¡¯ve not eaten yet.

    ¡°Who would be cooking there?¡± I mumbled. Curious, I ambled toward the kitchen and pushed the door ajar, but my heart skipped at the sight that weed me. Janice was standing there with her back facing me, dded in the sexiest dress I¡¯d never seen her in. Bum shorts and a baggy polo that barely covered the shorts she was wearing, revealing her straight and sexy legs. What the fuck! Is she trying to seduce me?

    She turned and caught me staring at her. I was expecting her to say something, but she just turned and continued what she was doing as if I was not even here.

    ¡°Ja¡­ Janice? What are you doing?¡± I asked her, but she didn¡¯t even spare me a nce. If we hadn¡¯t seen each other today, and if I wasn¡¯t sure, I would¡¯ve concluded that I turned into a ghost she couldn¡¯t see, but I was sure of it.

    ¡°Janice¡­ Are you still mad at me? I already said I was sorry,¡± I whined, going to stand beside her, but she didn¡¯t even look at me for once.

    ¡°Come on, Janice. Stop being like this. I told you I was going to make it up to you. I know what I did was wrong, so can you forgive me already?¡± I pouted my lips. I had no idea why I was suddenly acting like a kid trying to get his Mom to forgive him, but I was still doing it, anyway.

    ¡°Can you please?¡± I held her arm, but she yanked my hand off.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for that,¡± She just said tly then took the noodles she served on the te, and walked out of the kitchen.

    ¡°Is she going to be like this?¡± I scoffed unbelievably and followed her. It felt like I wasn¡¯t in my right sense at that moment. The Connor I¡¯ve been would never do that for any woman, so what was I doing now? I asked myself, but again, it felt like something kept opposing my thoughts, telling me that it was fine to be like that, besides I hurt her by keeping her awake.

    ¡°Should we go for a drive or go out to eat? We could go to the beach to have fun, you know? Anything to make you forgive me,¡± I tried to convince her as I sat in front of her in the dining room, but she kept eating and didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°Can you talk to me, Janice?¡± I held her hand, but she retracted it immediately, and I sighed. I sat aimlessly in front of her and watched her eat the noodles until there was nothing left on her te.

    ¡°I will take the te to the kitchen for you,¡± I quickly stood up and snatched the te from her when she stood to go to the kitchen, and she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Suit yourself then,¡± She rolled her eyes at me and walked away.

    ¡°Ugh! Have I lost my mind or what? Why am I even doing this for her?¡± I scoffed unbelievably and dropped the te on the dining table, running my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°Wait! Why is she like that? Is she in love with me?¡± I asked myself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. She won¡¯t ignore you like that if she has feelings for you. She would¡¯ve at least spoken to you,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, and I sighed. What the fuck will I do to make her forgive me? I asked myself.

    ¡°The question is, why are you being like this, Connor? Why are you so desperate to get her to forgive you? Why are you being so soft with thisdy? Have you fallen for her?¡± My subconscious mind asked me, but I quickly cursed those thoughts. Falling in love? I won¡¯t ever do that. Not with any woman again, and not with everything that has happened to me in the past¡­

 Chapter 46

    Janice POV

    It was supposed to be a beautiful evening, but it was trouble for me. It felt like I was trapped in my own thoughts. Standing here on the balcony and staring up at the beautiful stars in the sky, I couldn¡¯t gather my thoughts together no matter how much I tried to. They always went in a direction that never had a destination, and it was driving me nuts already.

    ¡°You must be in love with her. That must be the case,¡± I almost screamed my mind out when my subconscious mind came up with that crappy thoughts. I mean, how could I be in love with him? Even if he was thest man on earth, I wouldn¡¯t still be in love with him, right? Come to think of it, he¡¯s a flirt. A freaking big-time yboy, so how would I trust someone like that with my heart and not know that he would end up not only breaking it, but smashing and stomping on it?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°I must¡¯ve gone crazy for a moment, because why the heck was I like that around him? Why did I get so angry? Why did I wait up for him?¡± I asked aloud as if someone was around to answer the question.

    The freezing cold pierced through my bones and almost made them numb, so I was eventually left with the only choice of going inside the room. I threw myself on the bed and released a deep sigh as soon as I got inside my room.

    Slowly, I started to get lost in my thoughts and I was starting to space out until the door suddenly opened and I jerked up to a sitting position. My eyes narrowed when I saw Connor standing with just a white towel wrapped around his waist. He was looking so sexy and hot that he literally made me feel so hot. His hair was damp with water dripping from it, and I presumed he must¡¯ve just left the bathroom after a hot shower.

    ¡°Co¡­ Connor¡­¡± My voice came out so low as I managed to stand up to my feet. With every slow step he took toward me, I felt so hot and burning with desires. The thought of having those lips kissing me, his hands sliding around my waist and pulling close, and when my eyes darted to the bulge in the towel, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how good it would feel to have that huge dick buried inside me.

    He finally covered the distance between us, and before I could react, he pulled me close and I crashed into his chest. My heart pounded hard against my chest as our bodies collided, and it felt like my body was set on fire.

    ¡°You said you wanted me to sleep with you, hmm?¡± His voice was husky as he tucked the strands of hair on my forehead behind my ear, his cute and charming eyes piercing into mine like he was seeing through my soul. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds, and when it finally started to beat again, it was so loud that I could swear he heard the sound of it.

    ¡°I changed my mind. Let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s going to be fun, don¡¯t you think?¡± He hushed as he leaned forward and nuzzled his face in my neck, teasing the nape of my neck, and I shuddered in his arms. At that moment, I didn¡¯t want anything more than for him to take me to bed and make me scream his name all through the night. I didn¡¯t want anything more than to make feel on top of the world and give me the feelings I¡¯ve never had before.

    The long wait was finally over when he pulled away and swept me off my feet, lowering me slowly onto the bed, and just then, a knock sounded on my door, pulling me back to reality, and that was when the realization dawned on me that I¡¯d been imagining that shit.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed under my breath and quickly sat up on the bed, running my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°What is wrong with you, Janice? What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± I muttered frustratingly and shut my eyes.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Connor asked you toe downstairs for dinner,¡± That was one of the maids¡¯ voice.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there,¡± Thick footsteps filled the hallway after I replied to the maid, and I assumed that she must¡¯ve gone to deliver my message to him.

    ¡°What was that? Ugh! I think I¡¯ve really lost it,¡± I mumbled frustratingly.

    With all the strength left in me, I dragged myself from the bed and went into the bathroom to have a long and rxing bath, and after I was done, I walked back into the room and put on my robe, leaving for the dining room to have dinner afterward.

    I spotted him sitting in the dining room as I descended the staircase minutester, and my heart skipped. With what happened back in my room moments ago, I didn¡¯t think I would feelfortable being around him.

    ¡°Just ignore him like you¡¯ve done all day and everything will be fine,¡± I said to myself and frowned my face, heading to join him in the dining room.

    ¡°I thought you were not going toe for dinner. Good evening,¡± He smiled at me as I pulled out the chair and sat on it, but I just hummed and tucked my hair behind my ear.

    ¡°Are you still mad at me, Janice?¡± He leaned forward and asked, but I just rolled my eyes and ignored him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should call you a witch for being so unforgiving,¡± I heard him mumbled, but I ignored him and began eating.

    I picked on my food slowly, not failing to steal nces at him at every given opportunity. Why did I have such a wild imagination earlier? Am I so desperate to sleep with him? I asked myself, but shook off the thought and continued to eat.

    ¡°Should we go for a drive tomorrow? It¡¯s going to be fun,¡± He leaned forward and asked, his voice so low as if he didn¡¯t want someone else to hear what he said, and I would be the worst liar of the century if I said that my heart didn¡¯t flutter by his action.

    That sounded so interesting, and I wanted to give it a try at least just once, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be friendly with him, so I just rolled my eyes at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± I replied to him tly, then gulped down a ss of water and stood up.

    ¡°Where are you going? Are you full already?¡± He stood up and asked me, but I ignored him and headed to the staircase.

    *****

    I slumped on my bed and switched on my phone¡¯s inte connection.

    ¡®How to know if I¡¯m in love with a man¡¯

    ¡®Why is my heart beating fast when I¡¯m around a man?¡¯

    ¡®Why am I angry at the thought of a man being with another woman?¡¯

    ¡®Why do I desperately want to have sex with a man?¡¯ I kept searching through the inte, and the answers it kept giving me weren¡¯t satisfying enough. I mean, how could it just conclude that I was in love with him? I can¡¯t possibly be in love with someone like Connor. Never!

    ¡°Google must be wrong,¡± I concluded and tossed my phone on the bed, but that still didn¡¯t change the fact that I was the one denying what Google said. It has never lied before. At least not to me, but at this point and in this case, I felt like it was lying to me. It could just be because¡­ I stopped and sighed when I couldn¡¯t think of any other thing.

    My phone beeped and I reached for itzily. I gasped sharply and my eyes narrowed when I unlocked the phone and saw an alert of a hundred and fifty thousand dors.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what is this? It¡¯s not yet payday¡­¡± I mumbled confusingly, but wait! Even if it was payday already, my sry is not up to this even if the money was divided into five, so who sent me such a huge amount of money? I asked myself, and as if whoever sent the money read my confusion, a message popped on the screen of my phone and it was from Connor.

    ¡®That¡¯s your allowance for the month. I¡¯m sorry again for what happened¡¯ I read the message, and a smileced up my lips. It was my first time getting an allowance from him, and getting such a huge money I never expected? Wow! It was the best feeling ever.

    ¡°We will think about thister. Let¡¯s rejoice for the money for now,¡± I stood up excitedly and danced. As you know, I love money, and I¡¯m proud of it anytime, any day¡­

 Chapter 47

    ire POV

    Being here felt even morefortable than in my house, and I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I love it here. Khan has been nothing but nice to me, and he is not a jerk after all.

    ¡®I don¡¯t trust Khan enough to let you stay with him¡¯ I scoffed when Connor¡¯s words reyed in my head. Now that I thought of it, why do guys never allow their friends to get close to their sisters? I¡¯ve seen how protective guys are of their sisters toward their friends.

    ¡°That¡¯s his problem to deal with. He is not my style,¡± I shrugged. It was a beautiful evening, and I was getting ready to go downstairs for dinner since his house help came to call me a moment ago. I thought he lived here alone, it was this morning I realized that he actually has a maid. Someone the same age as me.

    After I changed into my robe since I would be sleeping soon, I left my room and headed downstairs.

    The aromaing from the kitchen weed me as I descended the staircase minutester, and just the scent was making my stomach make an annoying noise and my mouth salivated. I spotted him eating in the dining room. He was wearing a white singlet, but I had no idea the kind of trousers he was wearing since he was seated.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± He asked when I pulled out the chair and sat on it.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± I said to him, and he slowly nodded. I was just seeing him for the second time since morning since he went to the office earlier.

    ¡°Hmm. Evening,¡± he replied to me.

    I began eating.

    I kept peeking nces at him as many thoughts ran through my mind. I know the kind of person my brother is. I know how popr he is with women, but the question is why would he ask me to stay away from his friend? Not that he¡¯s my style, anyway, but I was still curious.

    ¡°Stop staring at me like that and spill the beans if you have anything to say. You are going to make me choke with your gaze,¡± He said to me coldly, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Are you always this rude?¡± I huffed, and he raised his gaze to look at me.

    ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t speak to me like that. We are not age mates, and aside from that, you are in my house, so I deserve some respect from you. If you are not going to give me that, then get ready to be thrown out of my house,¡± He snapped at me, and I flinched fearfully.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh?¡± I felt a sting in my heart. I always hate it when someone scolds me, that¡¯s why Connor nor any of my brothers ever does it, so how dare he?

    ¡°If you want to throw me out, just do it. You don¡¯t have to yell at me like that, do you?¡± I stood up and mmed my hands on the desk angrily, and he scoffed.

    ¡°ire¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave your house first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you for your help,¡± A drop of tears slid down my cheek as I said to him.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal,¡± I red hard at him and left the dining room.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Hey! ire! What is wrong with you?¡± He started to follow me, but I didn¡¯t stop to look at him until I got to the front of my supposed room and he finally caught up with me. He held my hand, bringing me to a halt.

    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I turned to face him. By now, I could no longer control my tears as they came streaming down my cheeks freely.

    ¡°Hey! Are you for real? I was just joking with you. Why take it to heart?¡± He scoffed unbelievably, but I threw my gaze away and wiped my tears with the back of my palm.

    ¡°Ugh! Do I have to keep up with this? Until when, please? Somebody help me!¡± Although he mumbled those words, I heard him clearly, so I scoffed.

    ¡°Come on, ok?¡± He held my hand and hushed, and I could swear that I felt my heart flutter.

    ¡°Let go of me. Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I yanked his hand off and took a step away from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ok? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. Of course, I¡¯m not going to throw you out. You can stay here for as long as you want, ok?¡± His eyes pierced into mine, his lips moving slowly as he spoke, and his Adam¡¯s apple moving slightly up and down. Forgive me, but why do I find everything so sexy? It was the first time I saw him so closely, and I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he was one he cute dude. With his pair of brown eyes piercing into mine, his sexy lips moving, thick eyebrows that he raised as he spoke, his messy brown hair yet looked cute on him, and the strong aura surrounding him, for a moment, I wanted to admit that this man was cuter than Connor, but that was thest thing I would ever admit. I didn¡¯t fail to notice the way my heart was thumping heavily against my chest, so I asked myself, ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯.

    ¡°ire¡­ ire¡­¡± I was so lost staring at him that I didn¡¯t know when I spaced out until I felt his hand on my cheek, his deep baritone voice whispering my name and bringing me back to reality. His charming eyes weed me back.

    ¡°Are you ok? I said I¡¯m sorry,¡± His voice was seductive. Maybe he intentionally sounded seductive, or maybe I was the one who came up with that conclusion. He was standing so close to me. So close that our faces were just inches apart, I could literally feel his breath on my face. My body felt so hot, and my imagination ran wild when my eyes darted to his lips. I mean, it would feel great to have a taste of his lips, yeah? With that thought, I slowly leaned forward without thinking straight or about what my brother said earlier, ready to steal a kiss from him, but he quickly pulled away from me and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± He asked, his voice was void of emotions as he stared at me, and my soul left my body for a while, not because I was scared of him, but because of embarrassment. What the fuck was I even thinking?

    ¡°No¡­ nothing. Good night,¡± I stuttered, and with my hand trembling, I quickly opened my door and dashed into my room, mming the door hard behind me and crashing against it. I released the breath I¡¯d been holding unknowingly.

    ¡°Shit! Why would you do something like that?¡± I whined as I threw myself on the bed. I must¡¯ve lost my mind for a moment, because what the fuck was that?

    ¡°Wh¡­ what is this? Wh¡­ why are you beating this fast?¡± I sat up and held my chest, trying to stop my heart that won¡¯t stop beating fast like it was running a marathon.

    ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± I mumbled¡­

 Chapter 48

    Connor Hughes POV

    It was supposed to be a beautiful morning, but I woke up this morning feeling distressed. It felt as though the world was going to end. I didn¡¯t know why I was feeling that way, but one thing I knew was the fact that I missed my family so much, especially Mom. I¡¯ve spent all the years of my life living with them, being loved by my parents, and before now, I wouldn¡¯t ever leave the house even after marriage. Not that I was nning to ever get married, anyway. I mean, the first one didn¡¯t work out well for me and ended miserably, so why should I get into another one? Trust me, you wouldn¡¯t want to know what happened to my first marriage. You would be disgusted, so it¡¯s not something to talk about. I don¡¯t really want to think about it again.

    The fresh air on the balcony blew gently on my face. The air was refreshing, but I was trapped in my own thoughts so I wasn¡¯t really feeling it.

    ¡°Should I call Mom? I missed her so much,¡± I mumbled as I took out my phone and searched through it, but I changed my mind immediately. ire told me Mom traveled with Dad, so I didn¡¯t want Dad to think Mom was talking to me secretly and end up getting mad at her. She was already through a lot for what I did.

    ¡°Forget it. She¡¯s fine¡­ She doesn¡¯t need you to care for her,¡± I reminded myself of the bitter truth, but that was too hard to ept.

    Pushing all the thoughts to the back of my mind, I leaned over the rail and stared into space, many thoughts running through my mind, but none of it have direction.

    My thoughts finally reached a destination as theynded on Janice, and the thought of her made my heart skip a beat. I¡¯ve been trying to understand why she was being like that. Why did she want me to stay away from other women, but being in love with me was thest thing I could think of. I could swear on my life that Janice hates me with everything in her, down to her white blood cell.

    ¡°Maybe I need help,¡± I mumbled and reached for my phone. Calling Khan was what shouldn¡¯t have crossed my mind knowing how annoying he could be, but I didn¡¯t have a choice at this point, so I was just going to ask if he had any idea about this. I waited patiently for him to answer the call after I dialed the number, and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally answered the god-damned phone.

    ¡°Are you calling to warn me again?¡± His voice sounded through the phone, so I rolled my eyes and straightened my back.

    ¡°I got my eyes on you, so I¡¯m still going to say the same thing although it¡¯s not the reason I called you. Don¡¯t mess with my sister if you don¡¯t want to see the ugly side of Connor,¡± I warned him, and heard him scoff.

    ¡°Whatever! Why did you call me? I don¡¯t have all the time in the world to spare for you,¡± He asked, but I didn¡¯t know the right words to say to him. I didn¡¯t know where to start or how to go about it, so I just sighed and sank my fingers into my hair.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ It¡¯s about Janice. She¡¯s been acting weirdtely, so I was wondering if you could help me figure out something,¡± I forced those words out of me, and I heard him scoff.

    ¡°What did you do? Did you have sex with her?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I regretted answering that silly question immediately. I mean, why would he even ask me that?

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem then?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been getting mad at me over having affairs with other women. You know how I am. I can¡¯t stay without it, and not that I¡¯m nning to do it with her. But she doesn¡¯t want me to. I don¡¯t know how to exin it, but it¡¯s really driving me nuts,¡± Iined.

    ¡°That¡¯s why there is Google. Fucking ask Google and stop disturbing my peace. If you have nothing else to talk about, I will hang up,¡±

    ¡°Come on, can you help me, please? I knew Google existed before I came to you,¡± I rolled my eyes angrily.

    ¡°Ugh! You are so annoying. Alright then, so, tell me. Did she say anything to you? Like did she¡­¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, she did. She was willing to sleep with me if that¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll stop with other women. I don¡¯t think it makes sense because¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you this clueless or are you just being stupid, man? Can¡¯t you see the handwriting? She¡¯s fucking in love with you. Is it until she spells it out to you?¡± His voice was insanely loud like he was annoyed, but that wasn¡¯t my business.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what? Love? Are you kidding me?¡± I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that my heart skipped when he said that.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I asked her, but she told me that I was thest man she would ever allow herself to fall in love with,¡± I stated foolishly even though I knew that I was just being stupid at that moment.

    ¡°And you fucking believed her? Ugh! I thought you were smart. Anyway, I don¡¯t have all the time in the world to spare. You called to know what¡¯s wrong, and I already told you. I have work to do. Bye,¡± His voice sounded through the phone, and although I wanted to ask him more questions, I felt tongue-tied. The call disconnected, and my mouth dropped open in shock.

    ¡°Lo¡­ love? How is that possible?¡± It almost felt like I was a teenager learning about love for the first time. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds and when it began to beat again, it thumped hard against my chest, and I was forced to touch my chest.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be. She can¡¯t be in love with me,¡± I shook my head, but there was only one question lingering on my mind. If she didn¡¯t have feelings for me, why has she been like that all this while?

 Chapter 49

    Connor Hughes

    ¡®She¡¯s in love with you¡¯ are the words that have been living rent-free in my head even after so many days and after so much effort to get it off. It felt like it was imprinted there to be there till eternity.

    It was a boring morning as usual and I just had my bath and came back into the room to get dressed and leave the house since I had a business meeting in about two hours.

    ¡°Am I losing my mind?¡± I faced my reflection in the mirror and asked as if it could answer me.

    ¡°Is she really in love with me?¡± I asked my reflection for the second time, expecting a miracle to happen and get an answer to my question, but in the end, I only looked like a psycho that has lost it.

    ¡°Ugh! Forget it,¡± I mumbled and headed to the closet where I grabbed my clothes from, and in a few minutes, I was all dressed and looking hot as always.

    Just when I was about to leave my room, my phone beeped, so I checked to see that it was a text from my client. The one I was supposed to have a meeting with in two hours.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Connor. Something came up, so we would have to postpone our meeting until next week. I¡¯m very sorry, I had to travel to Italy for an urgent visit¡¯ I didn¡¯t wait to read the rest of the text before I threw my phone on the bed and groaned angrily.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath and headed to the balcony to get fresh air. I guess I won¡¯t be going out today.

    The fresh air outside weed me warmly as I leaned over the rail, staring into space.

    ¡°Everything sucks,¡± I cursed under my breath frustratingly. Guess who is still getting the silent treatment from Janice? Well, that is me.

    ¡°Why am I even bothered about her? Why should I care if she doesn¡¯t talk to me or not? She¡¯s just like a housemate to me, so why should I care?¡± I straightened my back and shrugged, but deep inside me, I was a bit troubled about the silent treatment she was giving me.

    ¡°Why is she even mad at me? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and besides, I already said sorry. I told her that I wouldn¡¯t do it again even if I¡¯m not sure yet. She is being so mean to me, and it¡¯s not fair,¡± I stated seriously as if I was confronting her, but when I realized that I was starting to act like someone that has lost his mind, I quicklyported myself and leaned over the rail again.

    ¡°Should I go apologize to her again?¡± I asked myself, and just then, I spotted her leaving the house.

    ¡°Where is she going?¡± I mumbled as I watched her head toward the gate.

    ¡°Is she going out? But she¡¯s not dressed like someone going out,¡± I mumbled as I tried to get a glimpse of her but the tree in thepound obstructed my view.

    ¡°Ugh! That damn tree,¡± I cursed and without giving it a second thought, I dashed back into my room and stormed out of it, walking briskly down the hallway as fast as my legs could carry me.

    ¡°Wait! What the fuck are you doing?¡± I stopped and asked myself when I got to the living room.

    ¡°Why are you following her?¡± I asked myself again as I found myself going toward the window, and with all the self-restraint, I still ended up pulling the curtain to one side, revealing her. I could swear that I heard my bone crack when I clenched my fingers after I saw her talking and smiling with someone outside the gate. It was a man.

    ¡°Who the fuck is that?¡± I mumbled as I clenched my fingers tightly, waves of anger sparked through me. My throat burned angrily down to my lungs, and my blood felt like it was set on fire.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what am I doing?¡± I mumbled when I got a hold of myself, but the image of her smiling with that man kept popping into my head, and when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I advanced toward the door and pulled it open, storming out of the house.

    ¡°Hey! Who are you?¡± I asked angrily when I got to where they were, not after I pulled Janice behind me and shielded her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She whispered as she came to stand beside me.

    ¡°I asked you a question. Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house?¡± I tried to hold back my anger, I tried not to make it obvious, but recalling the way they were smiling at each other minutes ago made me so furious that I was only forcing myself not to pounce on him and teach him a lesson he would live to never forget in his lifetime.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°He is a stylist. I have a concert to attend tonight, so I needed his help to look beautiful,¡± Janice¡¯s reply shocked me to the bone marrow, so I looked at him to be sure I heard her correctly.

    ¡°Concert? Stylist?¡± I asked and turned to look at the man who looked like he was in histe twenties. From his appearance, he looked like he would be the same age as Chase. He had blonde hair, and long eyshes which I mistook to be artificial at first but realizedter that it wasn¡¯t. Thick eyebrows, a pointed nose, and cat-like eyes which I was sure he must be wearing lenses. Wait! He was fucking wearing lipgloss. Pink fucking lipgloss at that. Now that I took my time to check him out, he looked feminine and I was even more disgusted when I saw his painted nails.

    ¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± He held out his ugly hand for me to shake, but I guess my re scared him because he immediately took his hand away and smiled at me.

    ¡°Hey! Are you gay?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold myself back, so I asked him.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh? Gay? That¡¯s so annoying¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Connor? You can¡¯t talk to my guest like that¡­¡± Janice scolded me, then turned to the feminine man and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Mr. Nick. Don¡¯t mind him,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± He paused then turned to me and smiled.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m straight. I am very straight. I will see youter, Ms. Janice,¡± He said to me, then turned to Janice and winked at her, and at that moment, it was only by the grace of the Creator that I didn¡¯t punch his face and remove that eye he winked at her with. How could he still do that in my presence?

    ¡°Thank you. I will be expecting you by 4:30pm. Don¡¯t keep me waiting,¡± She said to him before he finally left in his car, and I scoffed.

    Janice turned and walked in through the gate like nothing happened.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I followed her inside and snapped at her, causing her to halt. She then turned to face me with a nk expression on her face.

    ¡°What was what?¡± She raised her eyebrows, and I scoffed unbelievably because it was so hard to believe that she was doing this.

    ¡°What concert were you talking about? We live here together, and you are going to a concert and didn¡¯t see the need to tell me about it? Are you for real?¡± Ished out at her and was expecting her to feel remorseful for her action, but she just shrugged and started walking away.

    ¡°Janice. What is wrong with you? I¡¯m speaking to you,¡± I held her hand and pulled her back, and as she almost lost her bnce, I was fast enough to hold her from falling. My heart hammered hard against my chest as we locked eyes. At that moment, it felt like we were the only ones on earth, and I couldn¡¯t deny this weird and unusual feeling I was having around her.

    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Her voice brought me back to reality as my imagination was already running wild. She stepped away from me.

    ¡°I am just your secretary, and as far as I¡¯m concerned, we were here on a business trip and I have my own life to live. I¡¯m not going to interfere in your personal life, so don¡¯t interfere with mine¡­¡± She paused and tucked her hair behind her ear.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°If you are not going to allow me to live freely here, then you can tell me to move out, and I will. Don¡¯t interfere in my personal life,¡± She stated sternly and walked out on me. My jaw dropped¡­

 Chapter 50

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°I must¡¯ve gone crazy for a moment. I must¡¯ve really lost it for a minute,¡± I cursed for the umpteenth time as the image from earlier kept popping in my head. The thought of how angry I was earlier made things even moreplicated for me. I mean, why the fuck was I so angry?

    I checked the wall clock and realized that it was past 4pm and the stylist must be on his way now or maybe he was already here, who knows?

    ¡°Forget it, Connor. You have no business with him,¡± I told myself, trying to get my head off the thought of the stylist, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to work, so I found myself leaving my room and strolling down the hallway. Since we no longer sleep in the same room, I checked her supposed room but didn¡¯t find her inside, so I proceeded to the living room knowing she would be there.

    The sound of theughtering from the living room as I descended the staircase made me wonder what the heck was going on there. I didn¡¯t remember having a male maid at home, and even if I did, they wouldn¡¯t be so loud.

    My jaw dropped when I spotted that bastard from earlier sitting on my couchfortably and even crossing his legs. He had the guts to even touch my magazine. The anger that struck me at that moment felt like a thunderstorm, and I was going to unleash my demon on him.

    ¡°Hey! Who asked you to sit on my couch?¡± I asked when I arrived at the living room, and he dared to smile at me.

    ¡°Hi! I didn¡¯t know you were inside,¡± He grinned from ear to ear as he rose to his feet and extended his hand to me for a handshake, and seeing his painted nails made me want to puke. Why on earth would a man act feminine and think that it¡¯s not enough, but still go ahead and paint his nails? Is he mad?

    ¡°I asked you a question. What the hell are you doing here?¡± I snapped at him, furious.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I have an appointment with Ms. Janice. I¡¯m sure you heard that when I came here earlier,¡± He smirked at me and then winked. The way he was acting made me doubt if he was here just as a stylist or maybe if he had another motive. Thetter might be the case.

    I was about to say something when I heard Janice¡¯s footsteps, so I turned and found her walking into the living room with a small tray that had a tall ss filled to the brim with orange juice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Nick,¡± She smiled widely at him like she was in love with him, and even though I didn¡¯t want her action to get to me, I couldn¡¯t deny that it was really getting to me for no reason.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are being jealous?¡± My subconscious mind asked me, but that was thest thing I would think. Me? In love with Janice? That is like asking like poles to attract each other. I don¡¯t do love, and even if I did, Janice would be thest person I would think of falling in love with.

    ¡°Then what is the meaning of this recent attitude of yours? Why do you care if she smiles with a man or not? Why are you so angry?¡± I was patient enough to ask myself that question that I couldn¡¯t evene up with an answer to.

    ¡°It¡¯s my house, so it¡¯s only fine I¡¯m acting like this,¡± Deep inside me I knew that was all lies.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡±

    ¡°Here, I got this for you. You should feel refreshed before we start the makeup,¡± She smiled and spoke in the sexiest voice as she handed him the ss of juice, and when I saw his finger brush her hand, something sparked in me. Slowly, I clenched my fingers into tight fists and clenched my teeth until my mouth hurt, but I still didn¡¯t stop. I tried to hold back the anger that was trying to consume me, knowing that it would be a disaster if I allowed it to have its way. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to be jailed for murdering this bastard.

    ¡°This is so sweet, but not as sweet as you are, Ms. Janice,¡± He spoke to her seductively, and as usual, winked at her, and I couldn¡¯t help but scoff at him.

    ¡°Hey! Do you want to die? Do you have a death wish?¡± I yelled at the top of my voice and both him and Janice flinched, spilling the drink on his body.

    ¡°Gosh! You startled me. What the hell was that, Connor?¡± Janice faced me and frowned.

    ¡°Tell him to leave. Like right now! I want him out of my house,¡± I retorted, pointing toward the door.

    ¡°We have not done what he came here for, so why should he leave?¡± She asked me, and I didn¡¯t know what to say to her, so I just sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Mr. Nick. My housemate is just being nosy,¡± She turned to him and smiled, sitting on the couchfortably, and I scoffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Your housemate? Is that what you told him?¡± I huffed and turned to the bastard.

    ¡°Did she tell you that I¡¯m her housemate?¡± I asked him like the lunatic I¡¯ve be. Well, all thanks to Janice, she has sessfully turned me into a maniac or a psychopath, who knows?

    ¡°I¡¯m done here, Ms. Janice. Shall we proceed to the room for the makeup?¡± He stood up and asked, and my eyes slowly narrowed in shock.

    ¡°Yes, sure,¡± I was still trying to process what in actual fuck he just spilled when she stood up and nodded.

    ¡°Inside the room? He is following you into the room?¡± I asked Janice to be sure I heard her right, and she shrugged.

    ¡°Yes. You weren¡¯t expecting us to do makeup in the living room, were you?¡± She raised her eyebrows, and I scoffed. It felt like I was going crazy.

    ¡°You heard when he said earlier that he was straight, right?¡± I blurted out before I could hold the words back, but she only rolled her eyes and turned to face the Nick guy.

    ¡°This way, Mr. Nick,¡± She gestured for him to follow her as she headed toward the staircase, and the annoying jerk smirked at me before he followed her, and I huffed yet again.

    I watched until they were out of my sight, and it felt like I was going to burst as a result of anger. I slumped on the couch hopelessly and sank my fingers into my hair while burying my face between my palms.

    ¡°Just let her do whatever she likes to do. She¡¯s just your employee. You don¡¯t even love her, so why be disturbed about how she chooses to live her life?¡± I tried to convince myself, but my head was messed up. Having her image popping up in my head every damn time, the thought of the dude being alone inside the room with her, the imagination of the bastard probably touching her and all that was so frustrating and driving me crazy.

    ¡°She¡¯s still in my house, so I can¡¯t possibly allow someone toe in here and do shit to her, right?¡± I mumbled, then stood up and rushed to the staircase. I climbed the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me, and I was soon sprinting toward her room. I pushed the door open and barged in once I got to her doorstep. I found him sitting on the bed when I walked inside. From the sound of the water shower in the bathroom, I knew Janice was in there.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He had the guts to ask me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, so I¡¯m here to keep an eye on you. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± I smirked at him, and he shook his head.

    ¡°Do you love her?¡± He asked me out of the blue moon, and my jaw dropped as I stared down at him.

    ¡°You look so jealous like I¡¯m taking your woman away from you. If you love her, you should tell her before someone else takes her away from you,¡± He further said, but I just rolled my eyes and went to sit on the chair inside the room.

    ¡°Am I in love with her?¡± I asked myself the same question, and even if I wanted to deny it, there was no exnation for the feelings I¡¯ve been having since. Could it be that I¡¯m really in love with her? I was yet to answer the question before the bathroom door opened, and she walked in fully dded in a white robe. She stopped when she saw me inside the room, her eyes dted in shock, but that wasn¡¯t my concern at that moment. I wasn¡¯t just knowing for the first time that she was cute, but I couldn¡¯t deny that my heart fluttered seeing her body dripping wet, and the white towel wrapped around her hair made her even more beautiful.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her voice brought me back to reality¡­

 Chapter 51

    Connor Hughes

    I watched as the feminine man make her up, and although he was annoying, I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he was really good at what he does.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Nick. Hoping to patronize you soon again,¡± She said to him with a warm smile after he was done, and he finally left.

    ¡°I want to get dressed. Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± She turned to face me, and I shrugged.

    ¡°Why should I leave? This is my house and I can stay anywhere,¡± I shrugged, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± She rolled her eyes then went to her closet and picked out a short white flowery gown then left for the dressing room.

    ¡°Is this just for a concert? Is she hanging out with a man?¡± That shouldn¡¯t have been any of my business, but I couldn¡¯t help asking myself endlessly without an answer.

    ¡°She¡¯s just your assistant, Connor. You don¡¯t love her, so stop meddling in her affair,¡± Again, I tried to convince myself, but it wasn¡¯t working because my curiosity was getting the best of me.

    After fighting the urge to stay for a while, I was finally able to pull myself up to my feet, ready to leave the room when the dressing room door opened, and my heart dropped at the sight that weed me when I looked in the direction. As always, Janice was looking super hot. She was the definition of perfection, and she looked like a fallen angel in that dress, if they really existed. For a moment, my heart stopped beating as I scanned her all over for a few seconds, taking in the details of how she looked, and marvelous was the least of thepliments I would give her.

    ¡°Why are you drooling at me like that?¡± Her voice disrupted my thoughts and brought me back to reality, so I turned my face away and bit my lip. How could I have allowed her to catch me?

    ¡°Who said that I was drooling? You must be kidding me,¡± I huffed nervously and swallowed the lump in my throat. My heart was beating so loudly and fast that I feared she would hear the sound of it.

    ¡°Wh¡­ where are you going?¡± I stuttered, looking everywhere else except her face. I was suddenly scared of looking her in the eyes.

    ¡°I told you I had a concert to attend,¡± Her reply was filled with touches of sarcasm, so I looked at her and found her shrugging.

    ¡°Are you going alone? I mean, you can¡¯t go alone¡­ You are only new to Texas and not familiar with ces here. Don¡¯t you think you should go with someone that already knows here very well if you should go to the concert?¡± I found myself saying, trying desperately to convince her even though I didn¡¯t want to do this.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be dangerous there, especially for a woman, so¡­¡±

    ¡°So you have nothing to worry about, Sir. I met my old ssmate on Tinder, and we are hanging out together. We are going to the concert together,¡± My heart dropped when she said that, and I blinked my eyes rapidly.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what! Your ssmate? A guy or a¡­¡±

    ¡°A guy. Now, if you will please excuse me. I think he¡¯s here,¡± She winked at me, then grabbed her phone from the bed and checked her reflection in the mirror one more time.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Janice¡­ You can¡¯t go with him, OK? I don¡¯t even know this person you are talking about. What if he harms you? I mean, you can¡¯t trust him like that just because he was your ssmate, OK? Nobody does that,¡± I tried to convince her as I followed her down the hallway, but she didn¡¯t stop to look at me until we got to the living room and finally outside the house.

    ¡°You cane meet him if you want to know him. He¡¯s right outside the gate,¡± She said to me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Why should I meet him?¡±

    ¡°Then leave me alone and stop bothering me. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± She stated bluntly and headed toward the gate.

    ¡°Ugh! She¡¯s going to make me lose my mind,¡± I mumbled and had to follow her outside the gate for no reason.

    A ck Lambo was already parked outside my gate by the time I got outside, and a young man in histe twenties hopped out of the car. He was dded in a ck leather jacket, ck baggy trousers, and a big sunss sitting on his nose bridge. His thick raven hair was parked up in a ponytail with some strands falling at each side of his face, and finally, some strands curled up on his forehead. It was my first time seeing such a crazy hairstyle.

    ¡°What kind of crazy people has Jamie been meeting, please? Oh, my creator! What is happening?¡± I thought to myself.

    ¡°Ace!¡± She squeaked excitedly, and right under my nose, she fucking went to hug the dude. At that moment, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and my blood boiled in rage. I already had enough anger tost me till eternity, and it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to stop. Not anytime soon.

    ¡°It has been a while, Janice. I¡¯ve missed you so much. I never thought I would see you again,¡± The guy spoke in his deep voice as he kissed her cheek, and I coughed as I choked on my spit.

    ¡°Me too. You are looking really great,¡± She pulled away from him andplimented his look after scanning him with her eyes for seconds, and I scoffed. When has she everplimented me?

    He took off his sses and finally saw his pair of cat-like eyes, just like that feminine man from earlier, but this guy¡¯s didn¡¯t seem like he was wearing lenses or whatever they call it. His own were natural.

    ¡°Look at you,¡± She gushed over him, and I scoffed. It was almost as if I was invisible because she didn¡¯t even nce at me neither did he.

    ¡°Am I a ghost?¡± I had to ask myself because I didn¡¯t understand what was going on here.

    ¡°Wait! Is that your boyfriend?¡± He finally noticed me, so he asked her.

    ¡°Oh, he is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her husband,¡± I cut her off before she could finish her statement, pulling her close to myself, and his face dted in shock.

    ¡°You got married? Howe you never told me about it?¡± He raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at Janice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s my boss, and I¡¯m his assistant. I¡¯m not married to anyone. He¡¯s just messing with you¡­¡± She paused then leaned close to him and whispered to him. ¡°He is delusional. I think he has a crush on me, but he¡¯s not my style,¡± Her whispers were loud enough for me to hear, and I knew she did that intentionally for me to hear. Wait! Me? Delusional? Is she kidding me?

    ¡°Huh? Are you kidding¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. You are super hot, so it¡¯s only fine for men to be crazy about you. Come on, let¡¯s go already. We are wasting too much time,¡± He held her hand and pulled her away from me, while I stood like a log of wood. I couldn¡¯t evene up with anything at that moment because my head wasn¡¯t working right.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, man. See you some other time,¡± The bastard even had the gut to pat my shoulder before he left with her in his car.

    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± My eyes narrowed and my jaw dropped. Waves of anger spurred through me, and I slowly clenched my fingers until my hand started to hurt.

    ¡°Have I really fallen in love with her? What¡¯s this feeling? Am I jealous?¡± I asked myself to be sure of the crazy things happening to metely¡­

 Chapter 52

    Janice POV

    ¡°It has been ages. I was surprised when I saw you on Tinder. Up until moments ago, I still didn¡¯t believe it was you,¡± Ace stated as he drove us down the road. Ace and I used to attend the same high school, and he was my crush then. We used to be close friends, so I had a secret crush on him. You know high school crush and rtionships rarely work, so thatsted up until we graduated, and I was just seeing him for the first time since after we graduated.

    ¡°Yeah, me too. It has really been ages,¡± I agreed to what he said. We had agreed to hang out together. Kind of a friendly date, and after that we could go to the concert together.

    ¡°So, what have you been doing?¡± He asked, so I shrugged.

    ¡°Nothing much. What about you?¡± I was curious, so I asked him.

    ¡°Well, nothing much too. After college, I took over the family business, and I¡¯m now the CEO of my dad¡¯spany¡­¡±

    ¡°Here in Texas?¡± I cut him off, but he shook his head.

    ¡°Not really. I came to Texas for a business meeting and I¡¯m currently just chilling here since it has been a while. I reside in LA. In Davidson estate,¡± He exined to me, and I mouthed an ¡®oh¡¯, because Connor¡¯s penthouse is actually next to the estate. Howe I never ran into him all this while?

    ¡°What about you? What are you doing in Texas? Do you live here?¡± He asked me, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I came here with that guy from earlier. I¡¯m working as his personal assistant, so we actually came here for a business meeting,¡± I replied to him.

    ¡°What a coincidence. That means you¡¯ll be going back soon, yeah?¡± He asked, and I nodded.

    ¡°Where do you live? We could hang out some other time¡­ And maybe catch up on old times, who knows, we can get to know each other more from there,¡± He asked, and I sighed silently. Ace hasn¡¯t changed a bit. Just like the straightforward person he has always been since then, he was still the same. I guess he doesn¡¯t know how to beat around the bush because he always goes straight to the point.

    ¡°I live in LA too. In Hughes¡¯s penthouse,¡± I was expecting his expression when I said that. He raised his eyebrows and his eyes a bit narrowed as he pulled over at the side of the road.

    ¡°Really? We are neighbors? Oh my goodness! Howe I didn¡¯t know about this?¡± He covered his mouth with his hand.

    ¡°Has it been long since you¡¯ve been living there?¡± He asked, and I shook my head.

    ¡°That must be why we never ran into each other. What a coincidence,¡± He blurted out.

    ¡°That means we could hang out together sometimeter even back there then, right?¡± He asked, and I nodded.

    He finally drove us to the restaurant, and all through the journey we kept talking about one thing or the other, especially about old times, and after what seemed like forever, we finally arrived at the restaurant. It was my first timeing out this far since I got to Texas, and I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that here was beautiful.

    ¡°Do you like it here?¡± He asked after he pulled out the chair for me and I sat on it.

    ¡°Yes. I love here. It¡¯s pretty nice,¡± I stated after looking around the fancy restaurant once again.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± He smiled and went to sit on the chair across from me.

    The waiter soon served us our food after we ced our order, and we started eating.

    ¡°Howe you are on Tinder? Don¡¯t you have a boyfriend?¡± He asked out of the blue moon, his voiceced with curiosity, and I almost choked on my food.

    ¡°Sorry about that. You should drink some water,¡± He offered me a ss of water, which I gulped down and left the remaining one on the table.

    ¡°So, I have an answer to listen to,¡± I thought he would give up, but I was mistaken. That should¡¯ve been thest thing I should¡¯ve thought of, because Ace wasn¡¯t someone used to letting go of things just like that.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I replied to him bluntly, and he paused eating, giving me a weird look that made me shrug my shoulders.

    ¡°What? Is there anything wrong with that? I¡¯m still young, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just shocked. I mean, you are pretty, and I know how guys were trying their chances with you back then. So, howe you are still single?¡± He leaned forward and asked, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say my life is crazy. I became a call girl, so I wasn¡¯t ready for any rtionship,¡± I wanted to say to him, but that was thest mistake I would make, so I just shrugged.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is,¡± I said simply, and he slowly nodded.

    ¡°How about you? Why are you on Tinder? Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend?¡± I asked him curiously, and he shrugged too.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say it¡¯s what I do. I¡¯m a Tinder official employee,¡± He replied to me, and I pulled a puzzled look.

    ¡°Tinder official employee? What does that mean?¡± I asked confusingly, and he shrugged.

    ¡°I work there as kind of a call guy. Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I don¡¯t sleep with my clients. I just hang out with them. Kind of dates, just like we are doing now,¡± He exined further, and I slowly nodded.

    ¡°But you said you took over the family business just now. Howe you are¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say that¡¯s a side job for me. I really don¡¯t enjoy working as a CEO, so I spend less time there and just hook up with girls,¡± He shrugged sarcastically as if it was not a big deal.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Although it was quite understandable, I still wanted to know more because I find it crazy for someone to leave a bigpany and want to work on Tinder. I know he could make money on Tinder too, but fuck! He has a wholepany to take care of. Don¡¯t ask me how I knew about it. Ace was my crush, and I knew his family to be wealthy and one of the business tycoons across many countries.

    ¡°It¡¯s more fun working as a call guy than wearing a suit and sitting behind the desk all day, stressing my brain out. Soft life. That¡¯s all I want,¡± He shrugged again then sipped from the juice he was served, but I scoffed because it still didn¡¯t make any sense to me. Well, it¡¯s his life and he could do anything he wanted with it, right?

    ¡°Back to your question. I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. We recently broke up,¡± He uttered, and I slowly nodded.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Oh, alright,¡±

    Silence assumed the atmosphere as we both ate silently.

    ¡°That reminds me. That man from earlier. He is Connor Hughes, yeah?¡± He asked, and with the look on his face, he seemed to be familiar with Connor but just trying to confirm it was him. Who wouldn¡¯t know Connor? He is quite popr.

    ¡°Hmm,¡±

    ¡°Wow! Well, judging from the way he was looking so angry earlier. I think he likes you if not love,¡± he stated, and again, I choked but it wasn¡¯t as bad as the first time.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Connor? Likes me? That¡¯s insane,¡± I mumbled thest part, unsure of what to think. I¡¯ve been giving him the silent treatment after what happened and he has been looking for ways to talk to me, but it never urred to me that there was a motive behind his action.

    ¡°I¡¯m a man, and at least I can say that I know when a fellow man is in love with a woman. So, apparently, Connor loves you. I guess he¡¯s trying to figure out his feelings or whatever. Just know he does,¡± He further said, then reclined on the chair, and I scoffed.

    Now that I thought of it, he has been acting weird and overly protective of me. He was extremely angry when my stylist came, and when Ace came to pick me up earlier, he looked like he would pounce on him. Could it be that he is really in love with me? I asked myself, trying to figure things out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to try so hard to figure it out. It¡¯s going to be stressful,¡± He smirked at me, and I shook my head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not changed,¡± I mumbled as I took a ss of juice and sipped from it, but deep down, I couldn¡¯t get my mind off what he just said. It can¡¯t be possible that Connor is in love with me. He is a yboy that fucks with women around and doesn¡¯t do love, so that¡¯s thest thing I would ever believe.

    ¡°You should tell him if you feel the same way too. Don¡¯t wait for him to confess to you. He might just be scared of confessing, so you should do it first,¡± He further said, and I huffed unbelievably. Me? Confess to Connor? That¡¯s thest thing I would do. Why should I? Do I even have feelings for him? Hell nah!

 Chapter 53

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°How could she hang out with someone she hasn¡¯t met for years? What if the dude ends up hurting her?¡± As much as I tried not to think about it, I couldn¡¯t help it. I checked the time for the fifth time and realized that it was past 6pm.

    I¡¯ve tried to get myself distracted since she left, but I always found myself thinking about her in the end, and it was starting to drive me nuts.

    ¡®You should tell her if you love her¡¯ My subconscious mind said to me, but that was thest thing I would do because, to me, I don¡¯t have feelings for her. Why would I love her of all the women out there? I wish that would be the truth in the end because even I was not understanding this crazy feeling I was having.

    ¡°Are they kissing now?¡± I ran my fingers through my hair frustratingly as the image of them kissing popped up in my head.

    ¡°What do I care if they are kissing? She¡¯s just my assistant and not like we are together, anyway,¡± I shrugged, but deep inside me, I was pissed at the thought of it, and there was only one meaning to this. I was jealous.

    ¡°Ugh! Forget it. Let¡¯s do something else,¡± I groaned, standing up to my feet and dragging myself toward the door. I felt so weak as I dragged myself down the hallway, and I soon got to the kitchen where I got a ss of milk.

    ¡°Yes, this will do the magic,¡± I muttered, leaning against the counter and taking a sip from it.

    ¡°It has been a while, Ace. I¡¯ve missed you so much, you know?¡± My imagination ran wild. I pictured her wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling at him seductively, while he holding her by the waist and probably enjoying every bit of it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you more, you know? I¡¯ve waited so long for this. Do you want to spend the night with me?¡± It felt like they were doing that shit right in front of me. His hand tucking her hair gently behind her ear, and kissing her neck while she moans his name. The thought of it made me want to go crazy.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve lost your mind, Connor. What the fuck are you doing?¡± I shook my head and shut my eyes, trying to shut out all my stupid thoughts, but the more I tried to get rid of it, it only seemed to get even crazier and more intense.

    ¡°No! I can¡¯t take this,¡± I shook my head and dropped the ss on the counter before I dashed out of the room, heading upstairs to my room. I got dressed in a jiffy and dashed out of my room with my car keys, then sauntered to the parking lot where my car was parked, and I drove off.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve not booked a ticket,¡± As the realization dawned on me, I pulled over at the side of the road and went ahead to check which concert was hosting today, but there were so many that I didn¡¯t know which to buy the tickets to.

    ¡°Ugh! Which one did she go?¡± I mumbled and sighed, resting my head on the headrest. I had no idea who her favorite musician was. ck Pink, BTS, Exo, and Ateez were having a concert today, and trust me, I¡¯m not a fan of any of them. Well, I didn¡¯t know which to go to.

    ¡°Just fucking track her cellphone,¡± My subconscious reminded me, and without wasting another second, I started to track her location which I got in less than five minutes, and I was shocked to find out that she was at a restaurant, far from where any of the concert was hosting.

    ¡°Restaurant? Is she having a date with that bastard Tinder guy?¡± I huffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Why should I even go to her? What do I care if they are together? If she thinks she can be fine by herself here, then shouldn¡¯t I leave her to her fate?¡± I asked myself, but it felt like something kept pushing me. Maybe this feeling I could only refer to as jealousy. Well, in the end, I drove to the restaurant which took me about twenty minutes before I arrived there, but it turned out that I waste because they seemed to have left the ce.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath when I checked her live location again and realized that they were driving toward a hotel.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what! A hotel? What the fuck is that pervert up to?¡± I shrieked fearfully, my anger increased at that moment and I didn¡¯t want anything more than to see him and punch him hard in the face.

    ¡°That bastard! Wait until I get my hands on you,¡± I muttered and drove out of the restaurant.

    Following them, I almost got myself into trouble, viting the traffic rules, but I was soon able to locate the car he drove earlier, a few distance away from me.

    ¡°Wait till I catch up with you, bastard!¡± I smirked and matched the elerator, overtaking a few cars and when I finally got to his car, I didn¡¯t think twice before I hit his car from behind, and I could swear that he would panic. Well, I made sure I left a scratch on the back, and as expected, he pulled over and stepped out of the car. I stopped and stepped out of mine too.

    ¡°What the fuck! What is the¡­¡± He paused when he saw that I was the one.

    ¡°Yo! It¡¯s you? Why didn¡¯t you look where you were going?¡± He scoffed, turning to face me as I walked up to him.

    ¡°I looked where I was going. I¡¯m not that daft¡­¡±

    ¡°Then did you do that intention¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was deliberately. This is for stressing me out this much,¡± I grabbed his cor and sent a hot punch across his face that sent him staggering backward.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing, Connor?¡±Janice shrieked when she stepped out of the car, but I ignored her and held Ace¡¯s cor again.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing? You could mess with every other woman out there and go scot-free, but not Janice. Stay the hell away from her!¡± I yelled at the top of my voice, sending another hard punch across his face. I was expecting the bastard to fight me back, but he was just smirking at me and that got me even more annoyed that I wanted to strangle him to death.

    ¡°What are you doing, Connor?¡± Janice held my hand when I tried to punch him again.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think you are doing?¡± She snapped at me, her eyes filled with rage as she red hard at me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I just saved your ass, so you should be grateful. This pervert here was taking you to the hotel to mess with you¡­¡±

    ¡°I know we were going to the hotel. What does that have to do with you?¡± She cut me off, and my jaw dropped as I stared at her in shock. Is she kidding me?

 Chapter 54

    Connor Hughes

    ¡®I know we were going to the hotel¡¯ I scoffed unbelievably and sipped from the ss of wine I¡¯d been drinking for a few minutes now. How could I have made such a big fool of myself going to find her? Why didn¡¯t I just stay back? In my entire life, I¡¯ve never felt so humiliated more than the way I feel now.

    ¡°Is she kidding me? Are they going to start dating now, huh? We are still married for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± I cursed angrily, throwing the ss across the living room and it ended up crashing into pieces. Slowly, I clenched my fingers tightly into a tight fist, ring hard into space. I felt my throat burn hot down to my stomach, I could feel my blood boiling in rage, and my heart pounded so hard that I could swear I heard the sound of it.

    ¡°That bastard!¡± I cursed angrily. Recalling the way he held Janice¡¯s hand and walked away made me so furious. How they both acted like I was some lunatic lurking around where I wasn¡¯t invited. The thought of the humiliation made me want to strangle him until he breathed hisst, but on second thought, I didn¡¯t me him.

    As much as I wanted to stop thinking about her, I couldn¡¯t help myself. It was past 9pm, and here I was, waiting for her and there wasn¡¯t any sign of hering back anytime soon.

    ¡°Just fucking go to bed and stop waiting for her. Why should you wait for her?¡± My subconscious mind scolded me, but I couldn¡¯t move my body. I reached for my phone and scrolled through it, intending to dial her number and ask if she would being home tonight, but I tried to hold myself back.

    ¡°Ugh! At this point, I think I¡¯ve really lost it,¡± I mumbled and tossed the phone beside me on the couch, running my fingers through my hair. I¡¯ve not been crazy before, but the shit mentally deranged people go through was way lesser than the one I was going through now. Do you know that feeling when you know that you are normal but still feel like you are not? That feeling when someone is disturbing your head and makes you think you¡¯ve lost it but deep inside, you know that you are still with your senses? Yes, that¡¯s the worst feeling ever, and the shit I was going through at the moment.

    ¡°Rose! Rose!¡± I yelled out, and her footsteps sounded on the floor as she came running into the living room. Rose is one of my maids here.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Yes, Sir. Do you need anything?¡± Her low voice sounded.

    ¡°Get me a ss,¡± I said to her, burying my face between my palms.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Get me a fucking ss! You are not deaf, are you?¡± I yelled at the top of my voice as I rose to my feet. I¡¯m not the type to scold my employees even the least of them which are my maids, although I¡¯m not also friendly with them, but fuck! I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be questioned at the moment.

    ¡°Alright, Sir. I will go get it,¡± She bowed and rushed out of the living room to get it from the kitchen, but I couldn¡¯t wait for her, so I just picked up the bottle and started to drink directly from it.

    ¡°Here is it, Sir,¡± She soon came to give me the ss.

    ¡°Take it back,¡± I said to her, and without waiting for another second, she hurried off.

    ¡°Is she going to pass the night with him?¡± I scoffed when I checked the time and saw that it was almost 10 p. m.

    ¡°Is this not alcohol? Why am I not drunk?¡± I mumbled and checked out the bottle. I¡¯ve drank half of the bottle but still not drunk, and it was messing with my head even more.

    Seconds slowly ticked into minutes and after waiting for what seemed like forever, my phone beeped and I quickly picked it up.

    ¡®Hey! I just left the concert now and I won¡¯t be able toe home. Ace said he had a meeting with someone so he couldn¡¯t drop me off this night. I Will just crash at his ce for the night ande home tomorrow¡¯ My eyes narrowed as I read through the message.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh? She¡¯s passing the night at his house?¡± I huffed unbelievably and raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Is she out of her mind, huh? Why would she pass the night at a man¡¯s house?¡± I yelled at the top of my voice, and waves of anger sparked through me. It felt like I had a deep painful wound that was just stepped on. My heart wrenched so tightly that I couldn¡¯t breathe for a few seconds.

    ¡°She must¡¯ve lost her mind,¡± I shook my head and dialed her number, but her phone rang and she didn¡¯t answer my call.

    ¡°Is she ignoring my call now?¡± I scoffed unbelievably and stood up, pacing restlessly in the living room.

    Crashing at his ce? He¡¯s a man for fuck¡¯s sake. Is she not scared he might force himself on her or do something crazy to her? Is that how much she trusts strangers? Those questions that weren¡¯t supposed to be my business ran through my mind.

    ¡°You are a man too and she¡¯s been living with you. It¡¯s no different. Besides, you don¡¯t love her,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, but listening to it was thest thing I would do now.

    I grabbed my car keys from the center table and stormed out of the house, heading to the parking lot, and the drive to nowhere started. I had no idea where I was going to look for her, but the only thing on my mind at that moment was to get her ass back here. I couldn¡¯t just allow her to spend the night with another man like that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love her. I just don¡¯t want her to get hurt while around me. She can do whatever she wants when we get a divorce,¡± I mumbled to myself as I drove on the driveway. Deep inside me, my heart was screaming another thing. My heart was yearning for her, I knew this was fucking jealousy, but still, I couldn¡¯t admit it for some reason. For some reason I was scared of.

    About five minutes into driving, I reached for my phone and with one hand on the steering wheel, driving, I used the other hand to check her location which I found on the map to be twenty-five minutes drive from here, but I would get there if I should drive outside the normal speed.

    I sped through the driveway in a bid to get there as fast as I could, but I soon regretted doing that when the cops on patrol hauled me down, and I was forced to stop the car. One of them knocked on the window, so I wined down the ss, and as soon as he saw me, he pulled a funny look, staring at me like I was crazy.

    ¡°Why is he staring at¡­¡± I mumbled, but I stopped when I checked myself out and realized that I was wearing just my robe. Fuck! Howe I didn¡¯t know this before I left the house earlier?

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Good evening, officer,¡± It¡¯s crazy how I still dared to smile at the cop when I knew I was in deep shit.

    ¡°Is that the smell of alcohol? Were you drunk driving?¡± The cop asked me after sniffing for seconds, and that was when the realization dawned on me that I was really in a hot soup.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°You would have toe to the station with us, Mr.¡± The cop cut me off, and my heart dropped. Gosh! What the fuck have I done to myself now?

 Chapter 55

    Janice POV

    I had so much fun today. I wasn¡¯t expecting less when I knew it was Ace I was hanging out with, anyway. He has always been fun back then.

    After we left the concert today, Ace lodged me at the nearest hotel since he had something to take care of and couldn¡¯t drop me off at home. I would¡¯ve gone by myself, but he insisted that it was dangerous so I should spend the night at the hotel and leave first thing tomorrow.

    ¡®You can mess with every other woman and go scot-free, but not Janice. Stay the hell away from her!¡¯ I¡¯ve been trying to get those words off my head, I wanted to at least pretend that it wasn¡¯t bothering me, but the more I tried to, the more I found myself thinking about it. It was fucking literally living rent-free in my head.

    ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t think about it. He was just messing around,¡± I rolled my eyes and dried my hair with the towel. As much as I wanted to deny this feeling, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way his eyes were filled with rage as he punched Ace. The way he was overly protective and possessive earlier, and the pain in his eyes when I told him to leave me the hell alone. Just the thought of it made me go crazy.

    ¡°Does he have feelings for me?¡± I asked myself, but that was thest thing I could expect from him. For a yboy, I didn¡¯t think falling in love would be one of the things he would do.

    ¡°He must be messing around with me. I know Connor will never be in love with me,¡± I mumbled, convincing myself that it was not what I was thinking. I was still drying my hair when my phone beeped, so I paused and reached for it, swiping the unlock button, and a text popped on the screen.

    ¡®I had fun today. I hope to hang out more with you sometime in the future and even back in LA. Have a lovely night¡¯s rest. I¡¯ll be there to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. Just let me know when you¡¯re ready, and I¡¯ll be there¡¯ I smiled when I read Ace¡¯s text. I was about to reply to him, but my phone started to ring with Connor¡¯s name disyed on the screen.

    ¡°What does he want now? I told him I won¡¯t be home tonight,¡± I mumbled and rolled my eyes before swapping the answer button hesitantly.

    ¡°I told you I won¡¯t be home tonight. Why are you still calling me?¡± I asked as soon as I answered the call, and I heard him scoff.

    ¡°Can youe to the police station now? I was arrested,¡± His voice was muffled a bit, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Is that a prank to get me back home?¡±

    ¡°Nobody is pranking you, Janice. Fuckinge to the police station right away. I¡¯m sending you the address¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ste. How can you expect me toe out there at this time of the¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my statement before the call dropped dead, and a message popped on the screen of my phone almost immediately.

    ¡°Is he kidding me? He is really at the police station? What the heck is he doing there?¡± I mumbled and sighed briefly. Even though I didn¡¯t want to go, the only thing I could think of was if he was hurt. Am I worried about that jerk? I asked myself to be sure I hadn¡¯t lost my mind yet, but all I could think of was him being in trouble.

    I didn¡¯t know before now that I was so fast in getting dressed, but I did today, and I was soon on my way out of the hotel. It¡¯s a good thing that the hotel works twenty-four hours. It was past 11 p. m. but the night was still as young as always since Texas is always a busy city. From what I learned, it¡¯s not that dangerous out here as the road is always busy.

    Standing at the side of the road minutester, I was able to get a cab in less than two minutes, and just like that, the journey to the so-called police station began.

    How did he get arrested? Did he do something wrong? I thought he was at home, so howe he was arrested? Is he hurt? I couldn¡¯t believe that I was so worried about him, and even when I wanted to deny that I was, deep inside me, I knew that I was really worried sick about him.

    ¡°We are here, Ms.,¡± The cabby¡¯s voice pulled me back to reality, so I paid him and stepped out of the car immediately, sauntering toward the entrance door of the hospital. I walked in briskly, and there he was in the cop¡¯s office. I stopped when I spotted him. For a moment, I wanted to burst intoughter because he was dressed funny. What the heck was he doing outside with a robe? Who does that? I asked myself, but on second thought, I thought of the possibility of him being arrested from his house which may be the reason he didn¡¯t get to change his dress before he was taken away.

    ¡°Connor would never be that crazy to do that,¡± My subconscious mind objected, but that was not necessary right now.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked when I covered the distance between us, but he just scoffed and turned his face away.

    ¡°Good evening, Ms,¡± The cop who was in histe forties greeted me, and I turned my attention to him.

    ¡°Good evening, Sir,¡± I bowed a little.

    ¡°Who is he to you, please?¡± The cop asked me.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ He is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her husband,¡± He cut the cop off, and I scoffed unbelievably. His wife? In his dreams.

    ¡°Oh. Well, your husband was roaming the street drunk driving not minding the risk in it. He didn¡¯t just drunk drive, but vited the traffic rules. This is a crime that requires punishment ording to thew,¡± The cop said to me, and I heard Connor scoff.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Sir,¡± I apologized on his behalf.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s been tested and the alcohol in his blood is not so much, so he will only be suspended from driving for the next ny days. If before then he drives a car, he would be put behind bars for viting thew,¡± The cop said to me, and I nodded.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Sir. I¡¯m grateful,¡± I said to the cop. After the process of bail, we finally left the station and I had to drive the car.

    ¡°What were you doing outside at that time of the night?¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but when my curiosity kicked in, I was forced to, so I asked him.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± He replied to me bluntly, staring out of the window.

    ¡°I thought you were arrested at home. Had no idea it was outside. Why are you wearing that?¡± I looked at him from the rearview mirror, but he didn¡¯t reply to me.

    ¡°Ugh! Are you going to ignore me like that? You are not even going to thank me foring through for you? You made mee here this night, do you know that?¡± Iined, but he still remained silent, so I had to give up.

    The drive back home took about fifteen minutes before we arrived, and he stepped out of the car before me once I pulled over at the parking lot.

    ¡°Are you not going to say anything to me, Connor? That¡¯s not fair!¡± I held his hand and pulled him back when we got to the living room.

    ¡°What do you want me to say? Thank you foring to save me when I was on the verge of getting arrested?¡± He scoffed as he faced me, his eyes filled with rage, and I couldn¡¯t deny the fear that shed through me.

    ¡°Well, thank you foring through for me. Thank you for driving through the night and risking your life to save me from getting my ass jailed. Are you ok now?¡± He yelled at the top of his voice like he was going crazy, and I flinched fearfully.

    ¡°Are you angry because I didn¡¯t allow you to spend the night with him? Are you angry because I didn¡¯t let you fuck with him through the night the way you wanted to?¡± He scoffed and threw his head back, biting his bottom lip.

    ¡°Connor!¡±

    ¡°Just go back to him. You can take the car and go wherever you want to. Go and fucking spend the night with him. I¡¯m not holding you back, Janice. Just fuck with whoever you wish to. It¡¯s your body, after all. You can do whatever you want with it,¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡± He red hard at me and walked away without sparing me another nce, and I huffed. What the fuck just happened?

 Chapter 56

    Janice POV

    ¡°I risked my life out there to help him and all he could do was say those shit to me?¡± I mumbled as soon as I opened my eyes after a long sleep through the night. I tried not to think about it yesterday, so I was able to get enough sleep.

    ¡°He must be crazy,¡± I mumbled as I forced the duvet off my body and dragged myself from the bed, walking into the bathroom afterward.

    ¡®You can fuck with whoever you want. It¡¯s your body after all¡¯ I huffed when those disgusting words reyed in my head.

    ¡°Who said that I was going to sleep with Ace? He didn¡¯t even lodge at the hotel with me. Why would he say that to me?¡± I mumbled, leaning over the mirror and staring at my reflection daringly. I suddenly wished Connor was standing in front of me so I could p him for talking down on me.

    ¡°Just forget it. He was just messing with you,¡± I mumbled dismissively.

    After my usual morning routine, I left my room and headed downstairs to have breakfast, knowing that the maids must¡¯ve prepared breakfast by now. The sweet aromaing from the kitchen weed me as I descended the staircase, and my mouth salivated. I couldn¡¯t wait to devour the food.

    I stopped and rolled my eyes when I saw Connor already in the dining room.

    ¡°Asshole,¡± I mumbled and finally went to sit on the chair in the dining room, then opened the te where my food was already served, and I began eating. I didn¡¯t bother to say anything to him, and guess what? He didn¡¯t say anything too. Is he not going to apologize for what he did?

    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Janice. Maybe he¡¯s trying to sought what to tell you,¡± I said to myself, getting ready for the time he would finally tell me he was sorry for everything.

    ¡°I have shooting to do in two hours. Get ready. We are going together,¡± His voice was filled with chills as he spoke to me, his gaze glued to his food.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting,¡± He said coldly as he stood up and started to walk away.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± I mumbled unbelievably.

    ¡°You are just going to pretend nothing happened yesterday?¡± I rose to my feet, and he stopped.

    ¡°You are not going to apologize for the shits you said to me yesterday? Is it fair to do that to me? I fucking risked my life toe to the station because you asked me to. I could¡¯ve gotten into trouble like getting raped by bad guys or getting robbed on my way. Are you really going to be like this?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold the anger anymore, so I yelled at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting,¡± He turned and said bluntly to me like what I said wasn¡¯t a big deal. He turned and finally walked away. Slowly, I clenched my fingers into a tight fist and red at him until he was out of sight. Tears brimmed in my eyes and soon found their way down my cheeks. My heart wrenched painfully.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°He¡¯s not worth your tears. Don¡¯t cry because of him,¡± I mumbled and quickly wiped my tears. I didn¡¯t have an appetite for breakfast again, so I left for my room to get dressed for the shoot he told me about.

    I took my time to get dressed since we were going to work. I thought a pencil skirt and shirt would be great, so I settled for it. Leaving my hair falling would¡¯ve been a perfect style, but I would be working there, so I had to pack it up in a ponytail.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Iplimented myself after I checked my reflection out in the mirror. And finally, body sprays toplete my dress.

    It was already an hour left by the time I was done dressing, so I went to join him in the living room. He was still maintaining that annoying frown, and I was forced to ask myself who should be frowning amongst us. He hurt me with his words, so shouldn¡¯t I be the one mad at him?

    ¡°I can¡¯t drive,¡± He uttered as he threw the keys at me, and I caught it in the air.

    He tucked his hands inside his pockets and advanced toward the door while I trailed behind him. We soon got to the parking lot, and just when he wanted to hop inside the car, I held his hand and pulled him back.

    ¡°What is it?¡± His tone was still as hard as before. Is he not remorseful for everything he has been doing to me yesterday?

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I was supposed to ignore him the way he was ignoring me, but I needed to make something clear.

    ¡°We have nothing to talk about. Move away,¡± He said to me coldly, but who said that I was going to budge just because he wanted me to?

    ¡°We need to talk, Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Sir, for you. We don¡¯t have any rtionship for you to call me by my name¡­¡±

    ¡°And until we get a divorce, I will continue to call you that, so fucking listen to me, Connor!¡± I sneered at him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Do you think we are still married?¡± He scoffed again.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem. I just want to make something clear to you, so listen attentively and listen well¡­¡± I paused and sighed briefly.

    ¡°The fact that you go around fucking anything under skirt and not minding who the owner of the pussy is doesn¡¯t mean that every other person is like you¡­¡± He raised his eyebrows, his faceced with shock.

    ¡°Ace is my friend¡­ And he is not like you. He is way better than you. He is not a fuckboy like you, so you should stop getting insecure about me being around him. And even if I choose to hang out with him, you are in no fucking position to say the trash you said yesterday¡­¡±

    ¡°Janice¡­¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t with Acest night. We only hung out at the concert and he lodged me at the hotel alone before he left. Even if I was with him¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± He cuts me off, but if I was right, then the expression on his face said otherwise.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you care or not. Just get this straight. Not everyone is like you. I¡¯m not that much of a uselessdy, and Ace is not a fuckboy like you. So fucking get that straight and watch your tongue the next time you speak to me,¡± I warned him then pulled the door to the driver¡¯s seat and hopped inside, waiting for him to hop in so we could start our journey. Now that I got that off my chest, I felt so much better. I felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

    I was expecting him to hop in the backseat, but my heart skipped for a second when he opened the front door and leaned forward.

    ¡°Get out of my car,¡± His voice was cold and void of emotions, and when I looked at him, his eyes were filled with rage.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. Get the hell out of my car,¡± He uttered then mmed the door close. I watched as he walked over to the driver¡¯s seat then pulled it and grabbed my hand.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± I yanked his hand off after he dragged me out of the car and snatched the keys from me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked as I watched him hop inside the car, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You are going to get yourself arrested,¡± I tried to stop him, but he started the car and almost ran me over if not that I was fast enough to leave his way.

    ¡°Was I too mean with my words?¡± I mumbled¡­

 Chapter 57

    Connor Hughes

    ¡®Not everyone is like you. Ace is not a fuckboy like you¡¯ I scoffed unbelievably as those words reyed in my head and I felt like seeing that bastard and strangling life out of him. How could shepare me to that bastard of all people?

    If not that I already gave my words to Mr. Clement, I wouldn¡¯t have gone for this shooting. Mr. Clement is one of my business partners who justunched a perfumepany and asked me to do an advert for him. Well, he paid a huge amount of money to me and since I love business, I had to take it. Well, coupled with it has been a while since I wasst into shooting because of my busy schedule. Not that I had anything important to do here, so I thought it would be fun to do it.

    My phone rang and when I checked and saw that the call was from Janice, I rolled my eyes and tossed the phone on the seat. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to her.

    After what seemed like forever, I finally got to thepany and soon pulled over at the parking lot where I saw a few cars which I assumed must belong to the workers here.

    ¡°Wee, Sir,¡± Mr. Clement¡¯s bouncers came to wee me as if they were standing at the doorway and waiting for me earlier.

    ¡°This way, please,¡± One of the two bouncers uttered, gesturing toward the entrance door while working, so I trailed behind him.

    As expected, thepany was bigger, but not as big as his otherpany, anyway. We took the elevator to the fifth floor where I assumed his studio would be, and when we arrived, the bouncer opened the door for me, and I walked inside elegantly.

    ¡°Mr. Hughes. I¡¯m d you made it. I was scared you wouldn¡¯te over,¡± Mr. Clement, a man in histe fifties smiled at me as he extended his hand for a handshake, and I took it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t go back on my words,¡± I said to him bluntly, and he nodded with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Is that not Mr. Connor Hughes? The famous model and CEO,¡±

    ¡°Wow! He¡¯s so cute,¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see him here. He¡¯s so cute in person,¡± I heard some of the female staffs whispering, but I didn¡¯t give them attention. I heard a shutter sound, and I turned to find one of them taking a picture of me. She panicked when she saw me, and even though the urge to snatch her phone and smash it spurred through me, I tried to keep calm.

    ¡°Mr. Clem¡­ Can you please tell your staffs to stop taking pictures? I¡¯m notfortable with it,¡± I said to Mr. Clement, and he quickly nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Stop taking pictures, you all,¡± He said to them and turned to me.

    ¡°We should head to the dressing room. It¡¯s over there,¡± He pointed toward a room and asked one of the staffs to take me there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go myself,¡± I said to the youngdy who was asked to send me there, leaving afterward.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Stepping into the dressing room, I stopped on my track when I saw the person sitting in front of the mirror and getting a makeover on his face. It was Ace. What the fuck is going on here?

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± He turned to me and smiled like we were some close friends.

    I scoffed and walked out of the dressing room, heading back to the studio.

    ¡°Is there a problem, Mr. Hughes? Don¡¯t you like the stylist? I can get another one to get you¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that guy doing here?¡± I asked, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Excuse me? Which guy?¡±

    ¡°Is Ace his name? Yeah, I think so. Why¡¯s he here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes. Ace is his name. I invited him to advertise along with you. He is going to partner with you,¡± He even had the guts to smile at me even with the annoying shit he was saying to me.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that I was going to shoot with someone?¡± I asked angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hughes. We had to invite him at thest hour¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not doing this shooting. I¡¯m sending your money back to you immediately. Call your ount details,¡± I stated angrily as I reached for my phone, ready to transfer his money to him because there was no way in hell I was going to shoot with that annoying bastard.

    ¡°Forgive me, Mr. Hughes. You can¡¯t do this, please,¡± He pleaded with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to shoot with him, so it¡¯s either you ask him to leave, or I refund you and leave this damn ce,¡± I said to him tly.

    ¡°Can you do this one favor for me, please? I promise, this won¡¯t happen ever again. I promise,¡± He pleaded with him, and seeing the way his staffs were looking at me as if I was some arrogant jerk, I had to change my mind.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m grateful,¡± He said to me, but I ignored him and went to the dressing room, but I stopped when I walked inside and found the least expected person. That feminine guy that came to my house some days ago. What¡¯s that his name again? Nick, I think. Why do I keep running into jerks today?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you? We meet again,¡± He smiled at me, but I scoffed and went to sit. I didn¡¯t imagine that this disgusting jerk would ever do make-up for me. Gosh! The thought of his painted fingers touching me made me want to puke. It¡¯s giving a gay vibe, and I¡¯m not a gay for fuck¡¯s sake!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine we¡¯d run into each other here. What a small world,¡± He uttered as he applied differentyers of makeup on my face which I didn¡¯t think was necessary. I¡¯m already good-looking, so why the fuck do I need the make-up? Well, I ignored him because I didn¡¯t want anyone to know that I¡¯d run into him before.

    ¡°How is Ms. Janice? I haven¡¯t heard from her. Is she good?¡± He asked, but I stayed mute.

    ¡°I guess you are not going to talk to me,¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Hey! The CEO said we¡¯ll be shooting togetherter. Let¡¯s work hard,¡± I heard Ace¡¯s voice, followed by his footsteps, but I didn¡¯t even open my eyes to see his annoying face.

    ¡°Why are you always so grumpy? It doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± Nick uttered, maybe hoping for a reply from me, but I ignored him. How could I imagine myself speaking to a man who is acting as though he is a woman? Can never be me.

    ¡°It¡¯s done now,¡± I opened my eyes and checked out my reflection in the mirror. Not much changes were made to my face but he took almost forever which had me wondering what he took so much time for. I thought he wanted to transform me into a Korean idol.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way to the fitting room. Call me if you need anything,¡± He winked at me, and I huffed unbelievably. Who the fuck allowed this dude in here?

    I shook my head and went inside the room where I changed into the dress kept for me. A ck leather jacket and ck leather trousers.

    Stepping into the studio minutester, I was weed by another surprise. The person I¡¯ve not seen in years. Liana Patterson. Liana is a famous model and was the face of American Beauty Talent for three years in a row before someone else took it just recently because she left the modeling industry to start a career as an actress. Well, we met back in 2019 which was about four years ago, had fun, and ended up having sex. Well, it was just one time, and although she wanted to start a rtionship with me, I turned her down. I wasn¡¯t ready to bemitted to any woman, and even if I was, she wasn¡¯t my style. I don¡¯t feel a twinge of feelings for her. We were just seeing each other for the first time in three years and six months.

    ¡°Connor! Is that you?¡± She shrieked excitedly and rushed to hug me like we were close or something.

    ¡°People are watching you. Behave,¡± I sounded as cold as always to her, pulling her away from me lightly. I expected to react rashly, but she was cool and it was so annoying.

    ¡°It has been a while. I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± She whined, giving people the impression that we were together or whatever her motive was.

    ¡°Hmm. It has,¡± I stated bluntly and walked away from her. I could swear that she was embarrassed with all the eyes on her.

    ¡°Why is Liana here?¡± I asked Mr. Clement, hoping it was not what I was thinking.

    ¡°She was invited too,¡± Mr. Clement stated, and I sighed. I didn¡¯t bother toin again knowing he would end up getting me to do it, so I just kept quiet and walked away.

    The shooting soon started and I felt ufortable with the way Liana was being so clingy to me.

    It seemed like forever before the shooting ended, so I went to the restroom to clean off the makeup. I couldn¡¯t just leave with it like that.

    I took the backdoor after I left the restroom, but another surprise weed me yet again when I walked out of thepany. Janice was sitting on the floor.

    ¡°Is she crazy?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I called her attention, and she stood up and faced me¡­

 Chapter 58

    Janice POV

    ¡°Why do I even care if he gets arrested or not?¡± I mumbled unbelievably as I leaned against the wall, resting my head on it. Have been here for the past one hour and it didn¡¯t seem like this was going to end anytime soon. Earlier, I was worried he would get into trouble, so I had to track down his location to this studio, but it seemed to be the biggest mistake of my life. I wasn¡¯t even allowed to go inside. How could they be so mean?

    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m not a bodyguard, okay? Are you really not going to allow me inside or better still get me somewhere to sit?¡± I asked the bouncer, hoping he¡¯d change his mind this time, but he only nced at me and turned his face away as if I wasn¡¯t even here.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m Mr. Connor¡¯s assistant. Can you let me in, please?¡± I pleaded with him because my legs were starting to hurt.

    ¡°Where is your ID card?¡± He demanded, and I sighed briefly. How could I have forgotten my ID card at home?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it with me¡­ But trust me, I¡¯m not lying. I have no reason to lie to you, OK? Why would I¡­¡±

    ¡°One more word from you and I won¡¯t hesitate to throw you out of here. Don¡¯t push me,¡± I didn¡¯t expect less from him with his face looking like a Chimpanzee¡¯s. I knew better to just keep calm until that jerk came outside here. This would¡¯ve been avoided if he hadn¡¯t thrown me out of his car earlier.

    Seconds slowly ticked into minutes and it was soon half an hour before the door finally opened and I jerked up to my feet since I¡¯d been sitting at the side of the door. On the freaking floor. I turned and found Connoring outside, his hands were tucked inside his pockets, and a deep frown on his face as if someone got him pissed in there or maybe he was forced to do the shooting. Well, that¡¯s his business to deal with, anyway.

    He stopped when our eyes met, and a shocked expression shed through his face in a split second.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked me when he got to where I was standing.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get called to the police station again toe get you. I¡¯m saving myself the stress. Where¡¯s your car keys?¡± I stretched my palm to him, demanding the keys.

    ¡°Move away. I can drive myself,¡± His cold voice almost sent shivers down my spine, but falling for it was thest thing I would do.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for you for two hours. Hand me the keys and don¡¯t stress me more,¡± I demanded, so he sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to be worried about me¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get it twisted. I¡¯m not worried about you. I¡¯m only saving myself from going to the police station for the second time because of you. I have something to do with my precious time. Are you going to give me the keys now or not?¡± I tried to sound as calm as I could.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± He groaned frustratingly and finally threw the key to me which I caught in the air.

    I was about to head to the car when I heard my nameing from a familiar voice, so I turned and found Ace.

    ¡°Ace?¡± I called to be sure my eyes weren¡¯t deceiving me, and I could swear that I heard Connor hiss loudly.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. What are you doing here?¡± Ace asked me as he came to stand in front of me, and I shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for the past two hours. I came to wait for my boss,¡± I replied to him, referring to Connor, and Ace nced at him.

    ¡°Oh. Why didn¡¯t youe inside then?¡± Ace asked me, tucking his hands inside his pockets now.

    ¡°The bouncers won¡¯t let me in because I didn¡¯t bring my ID card with me,¡± I shrugged, and he pulled a sad look.

    ¡°That¡¯s sad¡­¡±

    ¡°Connor¡­ You¡¯re here? I was looking for you everywhere,¡± I heard a female voice, so I looked up and saw Lianaing out of the building with a smile lingering on her face. Don¡¯t ask how I knew her. I mean, she¡¯s a famous model known almost around the world so it was difficult for me not to know her, right? It was my first time seeing her in person as I¡¯ve always seen her only in magazines and TV screens, and I must confess that she was pretty. Just as they said, a model¡¯s fame and sess depend mostly on his or her looks before talent and skills. Well, I¡¯ll give it to her.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± His eyes piercing at me like they wanted to devour me, he replied to her. His eyes were filled with rage and if look could kill, then maybe I would¡¯ve been six feet under the ground by now.

    The moment was so awkward, and when I saw Liana locked hands with him romantically, I felt a sting in my heart.

    ¡°We should go have lunch together and catch up on old times, don¡¯t you think?¡± She spoke to him softly, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn¡¯t deny the anger that spurred through me seeing them like that, and I found myself praying silently that he turned her down and came home with me.

    ¡°Come on, Connor. You can¡¯t say no, okay? Please,¡± She pouted her lips and even had the guts to act cute in front of him. Does she want to die?

    At that moment, I clenched my fingers tightly around the keys, and even as they were piercing into my palm and hurting it, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop it. My heart wrenched painfully and whatever pain I was feeling in my hand at that moment was nothingpared to the one I felt in my heart.

    ¡°Why the fuck are you angry? You don¡¯t have feelings for him, do you?¡± My subconscious mind asked me, and I bit my inner lip. I knew for sure that I was jealous. It¡¯s not something I could deny, but do I really love him? Do I feel something for him?

    ¡°You must¡¯ve lost your mindpletely, Janice. How can you be jealous if you don¡¯t feel anything for him?¡± Again, I asked myself the question that I couldn¡¯t evene up with an answer to.

    ¡°Are you going to keep ignoring me?¡± She whined and pouted her lips, tugging on his arms, and I huffed angrily, finally turning my face away because I couldn¡¯t stand this disgusting sight anymore. Here I was, thinking Liana would be some responsibledy, but the impression she was giving me now didn¡¯t seem like it. She didn¡¯t look a bit responsible.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with what she¡¯s doing. You are only jealous. If you love him, just tell him and stop being a coward,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°Can you drive me? With my car, actually,¡± I raised my gaze when I heard his voice, and I found him smiling heartily at her. That seductive smile that wouldn¡¯t fail to sweep anydy off their feet. Must he flirt with her?

    ¡°Of course, I can. As long as you wille with me, I will do anything for you,¡± She squeaked excitedly, and I couldn¡¯t help the scoff that tore through my throat.

    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± He paused then turned and faced me, holding out his palm to me.

    ¡°The car keys,¡± He demanded with a smirk dancing at the corner of his lips, and I scoffed unbelievably. Did I take a cab here and waited for hours only to be treated like this?

    ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hang out together, Janice. It¡¯s a good thing someone is going to drive Connor home. We should hang out together,¡± Ace, who has been quiet since all this drama started, finally spoke up, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Here,¡± I threw the keys at Connor, and he caught it in the air.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get home before you, anyway,¡± He issued me a warning before he left with Liana who waved at Ace on their way. I watched as they hopped inside the car and drove off.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be too obvious with your jealousy,¡± I turned to face Ace when he spoke to me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Jealous? Who said that I was?¡± I rolled my eyes at him nervously, but deep inside me I knew that I was.

    ¡°Whatever! You should drive us then. You were going to drive him, after all,¡± He uttered as he threw the keys at me, and I caught it in the air.

    ¡°Unless you want us to end up losing our lives, then you should drive,¡± I threw the keys back at him, and he caught it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to die yet,¡± He winked at me and finally headed toward the parking lot while I trailed behind him.

    ¡°Where are they going now?¡± I mumbled before I hopped inside the car¡­

 Chapter 59

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°You are not even going to look at me?¡± Liana¡¯s voice pierced through my ears, but I ignored her and stared out through the window.

    ¡°Am I your driver? How could you sit in the back seat and ask me to drive you? You are so mean,¡± She muttered thest part, obviously seeking my attention, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for that now. All I could think of was Janice. Is she going to really hang out with that bastard? I asked myself.

    ¡°Was I too mean?¡± I asked subconsciously, and Liana nced at me through the rearview mirror.

    ¡°Of course, you were. How could you allow ady to drive all alone in the driver¡¯s seat?¡± She whined, and scoffed. She must¡¯ve thought that I was talking about her. What do I care about how she feels?

    ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡± She asked me.

    ¡°To my apartment. Take the right route at the junction ahead,¡± I replied to her, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± She huffed as she pulled over at the side of the road, turning to face me with an unbelievable expression on her face.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I replied to her bluntly, and she scoffed.

    ¡°You said we could hang out together,¡±

    ¡°I changed my mind,¡± I replied to her tly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Connor. The only reason I agreed to drive you was because you said you were going to go out with me. For goodness sake, my car is at the studio. I left it there because of you,¡± She retorted, enraged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t force you to drive me. You could¡¯ve said so if you didn¡¯t feel like it¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you for real?¡±

    ¡°If you are not going to drive me home, then you need to take me back to the studio so my assistant can drive me from there. I already have a lot on my mind, so fucking stop disturbing me with more,¡± I tried to sound as calm as I could even though I wasn¡¯t in the mood for shit.

    ¡°You are so mean,¡± She huffed and finally started the car, and the journey to my apartment began.

    I didn¡¯t want to think about her, but it seemed like it had be something natural for me. I think about her all the time even when I don¡¯t want to. Am I really in love with her? I asked myself the question I¡¯ve been trying to find an answer to for the past few weeks and just like every other day, I couldn¡¯te up with anything.

    I picked up my phone and scrolled through it, ready to dial her number, but I changed my mind and dropped the phone again. Why the fuck should I call her?

    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t go out together?¡± Liana spoke again, but I didn¡¯t bother to look at her because I wasn¡¯t in the mood for it.

    After what seemed like forever, she finally drove into my apartment and pulled over at the parking lot.

    ¡°Let me have your phone,¡± I demanded when I stepped out of the car, and she dly handed it to me. I typed in my phone number and gave it back to her.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Send your ount details to that number. I¡¯llpensate you for this. Bye,¡± I said to her and took my keys from her, and she huffed.

    ¡°Are you for real? A ¡®thank you¡¯ would¡¯ve been good of you,¡± I heard her snap behind me as I proceeded toward the entrance door but I didn¡¯t stop to look at her. I already had a lot going on in my mind and wasn¡¯t ready for another round of trouble.

    Arriving at the living room, I sank into the couch and ran my fingers through my hair, groaning silently.

    ¡°Where the hell are they?¡± I muttered, and just then, the sound of the footsteps descending the staircase pulled my attention, followed by the familiar perfume scent that greeted my nostrils. I snapped my head up to find Janice walking down the stairs. Wait! She¡¯s home?

    I felt so thrilled to know that she didn¡¯t go out with Ace. I was going crazy thinking that they were together.

    As expected, she walked past me and headed to the kitchen, and I followed her inside.

    ¡°I thought you were hanging out with that Tinder guy. Howe you are home before me?¡± I asked her as I leaned against the counter and watched her pour milk into a ss cup, but she ignored me like I wasn¡¯t even here.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Janice,¡± Again, she ignored me and I scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you,¡± I held her hand and pulled her back when she intended to leave the kitchen, but she yanked my hand off and red hard at me.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I didn¡¯t know you came by¡­ Besides, it was your fault¡­ You got me pissed. How could you say that Tinder guy is better than me?¡± I stuttered, but she stared back at me nkly like I was pulling up some drama and even I knew that I was being crazy right now. Wait! Did I just apologize to her? Ugh! I must¡¯ve lost it for a second.

    ¡°You are standing in my way,¡± She said bluntly, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m apologizing now instead of you. Let¡¯s stop fighting, okay?¡± I gently pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her waist, and as our bodies pressed hard against each other, I felt a spark sh through my body, causing my heart to flutter. I couldn¡¯t deny this feeling anymore that this was love.

    ¡°Let go of me,¡± She tried to push me away, but I held her firmly.

    ¡°That Tinder guy¡­ I don¡¯t want you to see him anymore¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you together,¡± I pleaded with her, staring into her eyes, and she blinked those sexy eyes, It felt like I was suddenly under her spell.

    ¡°Wh¡­ why should I stay away from him because you are asking me to?¡± She scoffed, her tone was a bit low and although she tried to hide it, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the nervousness in her voice. I felt her heart beating so rapidly, she wouldn¡¯t stop swallowing whatever was in her throat. And for a moment, I asked myself¡­ Is this feeling mutual? Is she feeling the same way I was feeling? Is she crazy about me the way I¡¯ve be crazy about her?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough reason that I don¡¯t want you two to see each other?¡± I whispered, leaning forward until our faces were just inches apart.

    ¡°If you need to speak with anybody, you can do it with me¡­ If you want to hang out with anyone, I¡¯m here for you,¡± I whispered again, and just when I was about to im her lips, I felt a sharp pain down there that made me let go of her immediately. She fucking kicked my groin.

    ¡°You can fucking flirt with your flings, but not me. I won¡¯t ever fall for that, and I won¡¯t stay away from Ace, so stay the hell away from me,¡± She snapped at me and stormed out of the kitchen, mming the door behind her, while I groaned in pain. Fuck! Did she have to hit me so hard? It hurts¡­

 Chapter 60

    Janice POV

    I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and once I stormed into my room, I mmed the door closed and leaned against it, breathing fast.

    ¡°Stop it¡­ Stop it, please¡­ Stop it,¡± I muttered as I hit my chest repeatedly, but all attempts to stop my heart from beating fast proved abortive.

    Slowly, I dragged myself from the door and advanced toward the bed, slumping on it.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat and bit into my lip nervously. For a moment back there, I wanted him to kiss me and do other things to me, I didn¡¯t care back there if he felt something for me or not, but I was d that I was able to resist him.

    I was still trying to get over the shit he put me through when the door burst open and he barged inside. I rose to my feet.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my statement when he covered the distance between us and pulled me close to himself. And as our body collided, I felt it again. The burning sensation in between my legs, the crazy cravings that were messing with my head, the burning desire, and the pleasure from nothing. It was so intense. The feelings were fucking intense that I didn¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be able to control it this time.

    ¡°What have you done to me, Janice? Why are you messing with my head?¡± With his eyes piercing into mine, he whispered those words that made my heart flutter and my abdomen twitch.

    ¡°Why am I suddenly going crazy because of you? Why can¡¯t I bear seeing you with another man?¡± His eyes were filled with sincerity, but why do I still feel like he was messing with me even with that expression on his face?

    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I tried to sound angry and push him off, but my voice betrayed me at that moment as it came out soft and seductive.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want this? Are you sure you want me to leave you alone?¡± His voice was domineering, his eyes stripping me out of my clothes, and as his warm breath caressed my face, I felt the hotness right between my legs. My legs shook, growing weaker.

    ¡°This is what you¡¯ve always wanted, Janice. Why are you hesitating?¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, and I bit my bottom lip and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. Yes, this is what I wanted, but I suddenly didn¡¯t feel like it because, to him, it was just going to be like every fling he¡¯s had with women out there. At first, I didn¡¯t care but just wanted him to do it with me, but right now, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to give my virginity to someone who wasn¡¯t even worth it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± With all the strength in me, I pushed him off and stepped away from him.

    His face wasced with disappointment and sadness as he stared at me.

    ¡°You think you could get whoever you want just by flirting with them? Are you ever serious with anything?¡± I didn¡¯t know why my eyes were suddenly watery, and soon tears dropped down my cheeks.

    ¡°Open my legs for you and allow you to fuck me, and then what? Count me as a new body count?¡± I sneered at him, more tears streamed down my cheeks. I desperately wanted to give him a chance to take my body, but I was scared¡­ Scared of being counted as a new body count to him, I was scared of having just a one-time thing with him. He doesn¡¯t fuck the same pussy twice, so what was the point of it?

    ¡°Janice¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever allow that, Connor¡­ I won¡¯t ever be one of your victims,¡± I shook my head, and he scoffed and sighed.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ I love you¡­ I fucking desperately love you with everything in me¡­ I didn¡¯t know how it happened or when it did. If I knew how and when, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed myself to fall for someone like you¡­¡± I wiped my tears with the back of my palm, but more kepting, so I allowed it.

    ¡°You were thest person I would allow myself to fall for if I had control over my heart¡­ Leave me the hell alone and let me get over this feeling, ok?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to get over it?¡± He took a step close to me, his eyes not leaving mine.

    ¡°Is that even a question?¡± I scoffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not worthy of your love?¡± He asked disappointedly.

    ¡°Because you won¡¯t ever reciprocate the feeling! The only thing you want is sex¡­¡±

    ¡°And you think I won¡¯t get it out there if that¡¯s what I want, huh? Thousands of women out there would go on their knees and fucking worship my cock. I could sleep with any woman out there because they are dying to have me. Do you think that¡¯s what I want?¡± He huffed again, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Are you this fucking clueless or are you pretending not to see how much you¡¯ve driven me crazy? Are you pretending not to see that I¡¯m dying here because I¡¯m desperately in love with you?¡± His voice was a bit high-pitched, filled with sincerity, and his eyes conveyed nothing but the sincerity of how he felt, although I¡¯ve doubted him before, I knew he was telling the truth. I froze on the spot, my jaw dropped as I stared back at him. Slowly, my heartbeat slowed down until I could barely feel it, and when I least expected it, I felt it thumping slowly, but so hard that I thought it was going to explode. Did Connor just confess to me?

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡°I love you, Janice¡­ With every drop of blood in me, with my whole entirety¡­ I didn¡¯t know how or when this feeling started, but I know I don¡¯t ever want to let you go¡­¡± He paused and finally covered the distance between us, his eyes not leaving mine.

    ¡°I was scared, Janice¡­ I was scared you¡¯d be hurt¡­ I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, but I can¡¯t take it anymore. I can¡¯t take the pain of seeing you smiling at another man¡­ I can¡¯t bear to see another man making you smile anymore when I should be the only one behind your smiles¡­¡± He paused and slowly, his warm hand found its way to my cheek and cupped it, slowly caressing my cheek with his thumb.

    ¡°Henceforth¡­ Let me be the only man you would smile with¡­ The only one you would talk to¡­ The only shoulder you would lean on. When you hit your lowest, let¡¯s hit it together, and when you reach your peak, let me by your side, cheering for you,¡± Those words melted my heart, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes made my heart flutter. I didn¡¯t know how to feel. Connor just fucking confessed to me that he loves me, I didn¡¯t know whether I should scream out of excitement, dance, or hug him. I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Will you give me a chance to be with you?¡± He asked, his eyes demanding answers and I knew he was waiting for a positive answer.

    ¡°No¡­ You can¡¯t mess with me, so get the fuck away from me!¡± I snapped and stepped away from him, and his face dropped. The hope he held high seemed to have been smashed with those words I said to him.

    ¡°I really love you, I swear it¡­¡±

    ¡°And you want me to believe that? You are a yboy, Connor. You don¡¯t do love. You are going to keep fucking around with women, so I can¡¯t trust someone like yourself with my heart. I¡¯m going to get over my feelings for you, so you should deal with yours,¡± I stated bluntly, and he bit his bottom lip.

    ¡°I understand how you feel, but I¡¯m never going to give up. I¡¯m going to win your heart and make you mine. I¡¯m going to prove my love to you and make you see reason to not get rid of your feelings for me,¡± His eyes glistened with tears as he said those words, and with that, he turned and started heading to the door.

    ¡°And who said you need to prove anything to me?¡± I spoke up, and he stopped then turned and faced me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I will give us a chance together,¡± His mouth dropped as he stared at me unbelievably.

    ¡°How was that? Sweet, right? Well, that¡¯s my revenge for going out with Liana today,¡± I winked at him, and he scoffed a warm smileced up his lips.

    ¡°Come here,¡± He pulled me into his arms and pecked my lips before pulling me into his arms, hugging me like his life depended on it. I guess we are a couple now, right?

 Chapter 61

    Time: 9:40pm

    Location: Texas, Connor¡¯s mansion, living room

    Connor Hughes

    ¡°So? Are you two married for real now?¡± Khan¡¯s voice sounded over the phone, and I nodded my head, smiling subconsciously. It feels so good now that I know she¡¯s officially mine and nobody else¡¯s. She won¡¯t be hanging out with some other random guy anymore, and I couldn¡¯t be less happy.

    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± my heart danced with joy as I replied to him, but his question became clearer, so I had to make things clear to him.

    ¡°Wait! We¡¯ve always been married, dude!¡± I protested, but he scoffed.

    ¡°We both know that you two weren¡¯t supposed to be married, and that shit is not relevant. You should get married to her for real. Remember Carl¡¯s name is still in the register at the vi,¡± Khan reminded me, and the realization finally dawned on me.

    ¡°Oh, shit! Howe I never thought of this?¡± I mumbled as I reclined on the chair.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been thinking about nonsense. Anyway, I got to go. I need to take care of something here,¡± He uttered, and just then I recalled that my sister was still living with him.

    ¡°I warned you about my sister, so don¡¯t do something stupid,¡± I reminded him and he didn¡¯t even wait for another second before he hissed to my hearing and ended the call.

    ¡°Is he kidding me? Why would he hang up on me?¡± I scoffed, looking at the screen of my phone.

    ¡°Ugh! That annoying bastard,¡± I muttered and tossed the phone on the couch where I was seated.

    ¡°Should we get married for real?¡± I mumbled as I thought of what he just said to me.

    ¡°Maybe we should,¡± I replied to myself then stood up and headed to the staircase, leaving for our room afterward. We had to move into the same room after the confession, but we¡¯ve not had sex, anyway. Not yet.

    She wasn¡¯t inside the room when I walked inside, so I sat on the bed and waited for her since she was inside the bathroom. She probably might be getting ready for bed.

    Seconds slowly ticked into minutes and it was just three minutes to 10pm before she stepped into the room, wearing a white robe. My heart skipped a beat as I took a few seconds to check her out.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Her sweet and sexy voice sounded like a melo to my ears.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m here,¡± I stood up from the bed and walked up to her, pulling her gently close and wrapping my arms around her waist.

    ¡°Come on¡­ My body is wet,¡± She chuckled softly, and I shrugged.

    ¡°I know. I just want to hug you. That¡¯s all,¡± I winked at her and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly like my life depended on it. I had no idea how I fell so madly in love with her, but I didn¡¯t want anything more than to be with her for the rest of my life.

    ¡°You are making me flush,¡± She whispered as she patted my back, and I smiled. Who would¡¯ve ever thought that I would ever fall in love with the samedy who duped me months ago? It¡¯s crazy. Everything is crazy. How we met, how we¡¯ve been living for these past few months, how we fell in love, how we kept denying the truth. Everything is crazy, and I realize now that this is the kind of crazy thing I want in my life.

    ¡°Are you not going to let go?¡± She whispered, but I hugged her even more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay like this until your hair dries,¡± I uttered, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? My legs are going to be stiffened,¡± She chuckled again, and I could swear that she rolled her eyes even though I didn¡¯t see her face.

    ¡°Then should I carry you in my arms until it dries then?¡± I asked her huskily, and she scoffed.

    ¡°Just help me dry my hair instead. That will make it fast, and after that, you could hug me all you want,¡± She uttered, and I pulled away from her.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough,¡± I winked at her, and she shook her head.

    ¡°Come here,¡± I pulled out the dressing chair and helped her sit on it, grabbing the hand drier afterward, but I realized that I¡¯ve never done this before. I could be anything romantic, but drying hair? That¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve never done all my life. I don¡¯t know how to use it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t know how to use it?¡± She asked, her eyebrows raised as she stared at me through the mirror. I guess she must¡¯ve seen me struggling with the hand drier.

    ¡°Of course, I know how to use it. Who doesn¡¯t know how to use a hand drier?¡± I scoffed nervously.

    ¡°It¡¯s too obvious. You can just use the towel if you don¡¯t know how to use the drier,¡± She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You can teach me how to use it, you know?¡± I demanded, but she smirked at me.

    ¡°Not today. I want this done fast,¡± She shook her head, and I finally dropped the drier.

    ¡°You are going to teach me next time, you promise?¡± I asked her, and she nodded.

    I reached for the towel and started to dry her hair with it.

    ¡°Janice¡­ Uhm¡­ I was thinking of something¡­¡± I began, and she raised her eyelids, her eyes piercing at my reflection in the mirror.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, her faceced with curiosity, but I suddenly hesitated, scared of getting rejected. What if she said that she¡¯s not going to marry me? What if she just wants us to date, and not get married for real? What if she said that it¡¯s too early to ask her to marry me?

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± She asked again, and I quickly nodded.

    ¡°Hmm. Never mind. I forgot what I wanted to tell you,¡± I forced a smile at her, and she stared for a few seconds like she didn¡¯t believe me, then shrugged and turned her face away.

    An awkward silence crept into the atmosphere afterward.

    ¡°I was thinking of something too,¡± She began, and my eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I asked curiously, a part of me wondering if she was thinking the same thing as me, but the other part believed that it couldn¡¯t be possible like that. Well, I wouldn¡¯t know what she wanted to talk about if I didn¡¯t wait for her to say it, yeah?

    ¡°I was thinking we should stop calling each other by name. Why still acting so formal to each other when we are together now?¡± She asked boldly, and I found myself smiling. One thing I love about her is her boldness, confidence, and straightforwardness.

    ¡°I was thinking about that too. So, tell me¡­ What would you like us to call each other? For me, I¡¯ll go for Sunshine,¡± I stated, and she chuckled.

    ¡°Sunshine? Why Sunshine?¡± She asked, and I shrugged.

    ¡°Because you are my Sunshine,¡± I replied to her, and she blushed.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I asked her, and she nodded.

    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Papi. I have always loved to call my man that,¡± She covered her face and blushed.

    ¡°I love it. It¡¯s like saying ¡®zaddy¡¯. Well, I¡¯m your zaddy, aren¡¯t I?¡± I leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, and she shuddered.

    ¡°Stop,¡± She chuckled when I kissed her again.

    ¡°Why? Is it turning you on?¡± I whispered against her ear, biting her earlobe, and she shuddered again.

    ¡°Stop it, Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°You said you would call me Papi. Why the Connor?¡± I whispered against her ear flirtatiously, and she giggled.

    ¡°Stop it, please,¡± She cried out yfully.

    ¡°Is it turning you on? Are you sure you want me to stop?¡± I hushed, trailing kisses down her neck and when I got to the sensitive part, I nibbled on it and she moaned.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. Would you like me to hear more of the sweet moans while being awake all night?¡± I hushed but before I could continue, she smacked my head so I pulled away from her.

    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s mean! Why would you hit me?¡± I whined, pouting my lips.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m in my ovtion. You are going to get me pregnant if we sleep together,¡± She mumbled, and my heart dropped disappointedly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to carry my child?¡± I asked her disappointedly, and she bit her bottom lip¡­

 Chapter 62

    Janice POVMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to carry my child?¡± I saw the disappointment in his eyes as he asked me that question. Here I was, thinking he didn¡¯t want to have a child with me, but I guess I was mistaken. The look in his eyes showed that he desperately wanted to.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to have a child¡­¡± I whispered and bit my lip, and he smiled.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t n to, but with you? I will be ever ready to make babies. How about we make them now, hmm?¡± He leaned forward and kissed my shoulder, and my heart fluttered.

    ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s make babies then,¡± I whispered, and that was all the permission he needed to sweep me off the chair.

    ¡°Come on, take it easy,¡± I chuckled softly as he took me to the bed, and he groaned.

    ¡°That¡¯s how desperate I am to have you,¡± His voice was husky and sexy, and my abdomen twitched just at the sound of it. He lowered me gently onto the bed and carefully untied the rope tying my robe together, and the cold air conditioner greeted my chest as my body was left bare. I didn¡¯t have anything underneath the robe.

    I swallowed nothing, suddenly nervous as the thought of losing my virginity now spurred through me. The imagination of how painful it would be made me bite my bottom lip nervously.

    ¡°Are you ok? You don¡¯t want to do it?¡± He leaned forward and whispered after he removed the strands of hair on my forehead with his index finger, cupping my cheek in his palm, his eyes piercing into mine like he wanted to see through me.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± I whispered and pursed my lips, and he sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Sunshine¡­ I will be gentle, I promise,¡± He hushed then slowly leaned forward until our faces were just inches apart, and in split seconds, he imed my lips, and my heart skipped a beat. It wasn¡¯t our first time kissing as he had done it before, but it felt so intense. My heart literally felt like it was going to upload as it kept pounding hard against my chest.

    He kissed me like his life depended on it, nibbling on my lips, and exploring my mouth with his tongue, and I could swear that Connor is the best kisser in the world. I¡¯ve kissed many of my clients in the past, but trust me, nobody is as good as Connor.

    It felt like my body was electrified when he kissed my cheek down to my neck, nibbling on the nape of my neck, and I shuddered under him. My hands found their way to his back as I pressed my head back on the pillow, muffling the hard moan that wanted to escape my lips.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suppress it. Moan for me, Sunshine,¡± His voice was hoarse and insanely arousing.

    ¡°Co¡­ nn¡­ or¡­¡± I gasped as he bit into my neck as though he wanted to leave a mark there. It was supposed to be painful, but I was filled with pleasure that I didn¡¯t know what pain was at that moment.

    He dropped kisses all my shoulders to my chest, making sure to leave hickeys, his warm palm exploring my body. I gasped and curled my toes when I felt a gentle breeze on my nipples, and I guessed he blew it on them. I was yet to recover from the pleasure when he curved his mouth around my nippled, his other hand cupping the second one, grazing it with his thumb while the one in his mouth was being twirled by his tongue as he sucked on it like a newborn baby sucking his mother¡¯s breast hungrily. Everything he did to me was crazy, driving me nuts, and even so, I couldn¡¯t stop asking for more.

    Is this how he pleasures other women too? I asked myself, but tried to dismiss the thought because I didn¡¯t want anything else toe to my mind at that moment let alone something that¡¯d distract the sweet moment. One thing I knew for sure was the fact that Connor loves me. I¡¯m doubting it.

    He did justice to my other boob, then trailed kisses down my stomach to my bellybutton.

    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling, Sunshine?¡± He pulled back and asked huskily, his eyes filled with burning desires, and I nodded my head.

    ¡°Tell me how you feel¡­ Do I make you feel good, hmm?¡± He hushed as he leaned forward and pecked my lips, his body pressed slightly on me on the bed, so I hid my face in his chest shyly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Sunshine,¡± He hushed, his warm palm rubbing my inner thigh gently while crawling its way up, and when he almost got to my vagina, I mmed my thighs together, trapping his hand in between them. He pulled away and raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You want me to stop?¡± His eyes piercing into mine, he asked, but I slowly shook my head. It was my first time doing this and no matter how much I tried not to be scared, I couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, I promise. I will be gentle, and if it hurtster and you want me to stop, I will,¡± His assurance was everything I needed to slowly loosen up, and when his thumb grazed my pussy which was already dripping wet, my heart skipped and waves of pleasure spurred through me.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt a little, Sunshine. Should I continue?¡± The way he asked for permission was so sexy and alluring and I could only give in without thinking twice. He gently rubbed his finger against my opening like he was trying to create friction or whatever they call it, and when I least expected it, he pushed two fingers into me at once, and I yelped painfully.

    ¡°Shhhh! Sorry, Sunshine¡­ I promise, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Again, he assured me, his eyes filled with worries as they pierced into mine. It seemed as though he was scared of hurting me. Maybe he really was.

    When I was used to his fingers being inside me, he slowly thrust in and out of me in the gentlest way he could, and although I felt pain down there, the pleasure I was feeling at the same time didn¡¯t make it hurt that much.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to add another finger. It¡¯s going to hurt more. Should I?¡± He leaned forward and whispered against my ear like he didn¡¯t want someone else to hear, and when I nodded, he gently forced in another finger, I almost screamed out in pain. He imed my lips and kissed me slowly, biting on my lip, and as if the kiss was a remedy, the pain I was feeling down there slowly reduced until I could barely feel it.

    As his fingers moved in and out of me slowly, I grabbed the duvet for support, but it didn¡¯t help, so I dug my fingers into his back and pressed my head back on the pillow, shutting my eyes tightly. My heart hammered hard against my chest like it was going to explode, my body shook fervently, and I felt my wall contracted around his fingers, and I knew that I was about to cum.

    ¡°Fuck! You are so sweet, Sunshine,¡± He said in a muffled breath, his face buried in my neck.

    ¡°Release that juice on my hand and let me feel it,¡± He hushed, and as if it was by hismand, at that moment, I released everything and it felt like a burden had just been lifted off my shoulders, so I breathed out heavily.

    I watched as he pulled away after he pulled his fingers out of me, taking the hand to his mouth.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I gasped as I quickly held his hand even though I was weak, but he smirked at me.

    ¡°Tasting you,¡± He winked at me, and without thinking twice, took his hand to his nose and sniffed it.

    ¡°You smell nice down there,¡± He chuckled and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I would have washed this off. I¡¯ve never tasted sperm before, and I don¡¯t n to ever do it,¡± He winked at me, then rolled off me.

    ¡°Be right back,¡± He winked at me again before he went into the bathroom and I heard the sound of water running in there. I wasn¡¯t going to allow him to lick it, anyway. It¡¯s pretty disgusting to me. Eww!

    He came back almost immediately and that was when I noticed the bulge in his shorts and I panicked. Is he going to insert that into me?

    ¡°You¡¯re good?¡± He asked as he climbed up the bed, but I gulped down nothing, slowly ncing down at the bulge down there, and he scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that huge. Just normal,¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°Just kidding. It¡¯s pretty huge, but we will make it work and it won¡¯t hurt you. I promise,¡± He hushed as he leaned forward and kissed my lips.

    In minutes, we were both naked on the bed and I panicked when I saw his dick. It was really huge. More than huge, and I doubt if it¡¯ll fit inside me. Won¡¯t I lose my legs?

    ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt like hell, but you¡¯ll have to endure it, OK? Once I break the hymen, it¡¯s going to be fine¡­¡± He paused and pecked my lips.

    ¡°The room is soundproofed, so you can scream all you want. Nobody is going to hear you,¡± That was a relief.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t take it, tell me, and I will stop, OK?¡± He hushed, and I slowly nodded.

    My heart pounded hard as he spread my legs with his hands and then positioned himself in between them. He gently rubbed his dick against my wet entrance, pushing it in slightly and removing it every few seconds, trying to make a way for it.

    Slowly, he pushed his dick inside me gently, and I cried out painfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sunshine,¡± He apologized as he leaned forward and hugged me. He waited for me to get used to the length inside me, and when I least expected it, he pushed all his length inside me at once and I let out a loud ear-piercing scream as I felt a sharp pain down there as though I was being cut by a sharp dagger. Tears streamed down the corner of my cheek as I pressed my head back on the bed, shutting my eyes. My vagina felt sore as though it was set on fire or maybe pepper was sprinkled down there. Something tore inside me and I knew that it was my hymen. I was no longer a virgin.

    ¡°Shit!¡± His voice wasced with pain as he hugged me tightly, and I guess he was also hurt. I wasn¡¯t expecting less. He has a huge dick, and to prate such a tight hole would surely hurt him.

    ¡°I love you, Sunshine,¡± He whispered¡­

 Chapter 63

    ire POV

    Being with Khan for thest few days has given me another perspective on him. I thought he was a jerk, but he was actually a sweet soul and someone fun to be with. As much as I wanted to stay away from him, lying to myself that he was not my style, I couldn¡¯t resist the invisible bond that kept drawing me close to him. I couldn¡¯t deny this feeling I was developing for him. This feeling was already getting intense, and I didn¡¯t want anything else more than to stay longer with him here.

    ¡®We are sorry, honey. We¡¯ll be back in a few weeks. There¡¯s something I need to take care of over here¡¯ I was strangely excited when I got that message from Momst two days. I just wanted to stay longer with him and admire him from afar even though I couldn¡¯t have him.

    ¡®He is dangerous, ire. Stay away from him¡¯ As Connor¡¯s words reyed in my head, I asked myself what the fuck did his best friend did to him. Connor is one he crazy jerk and I know once he sets his mind on something, changing it would be difficult.

    ¡°Whatever! Don¡¯t think about it,¡± I mumbled and went ahead to tie a white towel around my chest, leaving the bathroom afterward. It was a Saturday morning, and since Khan wasn¡¯t going anywhere today, I asked that we hang out together.

    I took my time to get dressed, choosing the best dress I couldy my hands on because I needed to look pretty today. Just for no reason.

    dded in a short red gown with a pair of red heels, I smiled at the perfect woman staring back at me from the reflection.

    ¡°Should I let my hair down?¡± I mumbled, leaning forward and getting a better look at myself, and in the end, I felt like letting it down would be perfect, and turned out that I made the right decision.

    ¡°Yes! We are good to go,¡± I couldn¡¯t help the smile thatced up my lips when I saw how beautiful I looked, and after I was done admiring myself, I strode out of the room and closed the door gently behind me.

    ¡°Will he like me this way? Am I overdressed? Should I go change?¡± I stopped in the hallway and checked myself out for the umpteenth time, unable to make a decision. I wanted to look perfect, maybe for him, I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°You are perfect, ire. You should get going already,¡± My subconscious mind said to me, and that was all I needed before I proceeded down the hallway and soon descended the staircase.

    My heart pounded hard in my chest, my palms sweaty as waves of nervousness spurred through me. Many questions ran through my mind as I slowly descended the staircase. What if he thinks that I¡¯m trying to seduce him? What if he thinks that I¡¯m being cheap? What if he doesn¡¯t even look my way? I asked myself nervously, but thetter was my biggest fear. I didn¡¯t want to look this beautiful only to be ignoredter.

    I got to the living room where I met him sitting on the couch, his gaze strictly on his phone, maybe doing something interesting there, who knows? I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as I fondled with my fingers, not knowing how to call his attention since he was so engrossed in his phone and had no idea that I was there.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I was about to say something when he raised his head, and I could swear I saw his jaw drop as he stared at me. If I was not mistaken, then he was staring at me in admiration, and I didn¡¯t fail to notice how super handsome he looked in that pair of ck velvet jeans and a ck sweatshirt. He was the definition of perfection.

    ¡°Yo¡­ you¡¯re here?¡± His voice broke as he stood up to his feet, and I slowly nodded. I was expecting him to at least stare at me longer and maybe say something nice about my dress, but I was mistaken because he quickly turned his face away and tucked his hands inside his pockets.

    ¡°We should get going,¡± He uttered as he bent and took his car keys from the center table, then turned and started off to the door.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Are you this arrogant or you¡¯re just clueless?¡± I sneered at him angrily, and he halted.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the insults now?¡± He turned to face me, his eyes piercing into mine coldly, and I was forced to bite my lip.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn topliment ady when she¡¯s pretty?¡± I huffed, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Ady? Where is she? Pretty? Who is that?¡± His ridiculous question made me clench my fingers into a tight fist. I wanted to throw him a jab, but I held it back.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I really can¡¯t see ady. I only see a girl here¡­ A little girl,¡± He emphasized on ¡®little¡¯ and I scoffed.

    ¡°Me? Little? Connor was right. I should really stay away from you,¡± I muttered then pushed him out of my way and dashed out of the house angrily.

    ¡°Hey! Careful with that. You are going to break it,¡± He rushed to pull me away from his car when I tried to open the door angrily.

    ¡°Do you know how much that costs?¡± He scoffed as he pulled the door open for me, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°My Daddy is wealthy and can afford it too. Stop showing off,¡± I hopped inside the car, expecting him to close the door, but he leaned forward, and my heart skipped.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I stuttered nervously.

    ¡°You look gorgeous. Was just teasing you,¡± He hushed then winked at me, and my heart skipped a beat.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡°I must confess¡­ That dress looks sexy on you,¡± He uttered, and I blushed. He finally pulled away then closed the door and went to hop in the driver¡¯s seat. The drive began.

    I kept stealing nces at him as he drove us down the road minutester, and I blushed when I thought of how heplimented me earlier.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Is there anything on my face?¡± His voice pulled me back to reality, realization dawned on me that I¡¯d been drooling at him. Gosh! I might lose my mind.

    ¡°Who said I was staring?¡± I mumbled and bit my lips, throwing my gaze away, and I heard him scoff¡­

    *****

    How time flies? It was evening and we were out the whole day, having fun. My day was filled with excitement and I didn¡¯t want the day to be over, but it wasn¡¯t something we had control over.

    ¡°Do you want me to get you something to eat before we go home?¡± He asked me as he drove down the road minutester.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just make noodles when I get home,¡± I replied to him, and he nodded.

    My phone beeped and I checked to see that it was a text from Connor.

    ¡®Hey, sis. Sorry, I¡¯ve not called you in a while. I¡¯ve been busy. Remember what I told you. Stay the hell away from Khan. I know he is not your style, and I trust you. He¡¯s not a good guy. Girls easily get swayed by him, so don¡¯t fall victim no matter what he says to you. I¡¯ll be back soon¡¯ I scoffed and shook my head after I read through the text, and Khan nced at me.

    The drive home was finally over, so he pulled over at the parking lot and came to open the door for me before I could reach for it.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± I mumbled, stepping out of the car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make things up in your head. I don¡¯t want you to hurt my precious car,¡± He stated rudely, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± I rolled my eyes.

    He proceeded toward the entrance door, so I trailed behind him until we got to the living room.

    ¡°You know where the noodles are. Help yourself,¡± He stated bluntly when we got to the living room.

    ¡°Khan¡­¡± He paused and turned to face me.

    ¡°Hmm? Is there a problem?¡± He raised his eyebrows as he stared at me, his eyes demanding an answer, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Not really. I just wanted to do something,¡± I paused and took a deep breath while closing my eyes. What I was thinking of doing was crazy, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. I literally heard my heart pounding hard in my chest as I covered the distance between us.

    ¡°Are you ok, ire?¡± His voice wasced with worries as he leaned close to me, but I held the back of his head, then stood on my toes, and imed his lips. He froze¡­

 Chapter 64

    Khan POV

    ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡± Even though he wanted this so badly, he had to push her away for the sake of his friendship with her brother. He had been friends with Connor for so many years to separate from him now because of this. That was thest thing he wanted. Not ever.

    ¡°Khan¡­¡± Disappointed, ire tried to go close to him, but he stepped away from her and shook his head slowly, but deep inside him, he badly wanted to do this. This girl in front of him had stolen his heart and messed with his mental health. Thinking about her every damn time makes him think he was going to lose his mind.

    ¡°Why? Why are you pushing me away? Am I not beautiful enough?¡± ire knew she was being crazy, but still couldn¡¯t help herself as she was already helpless. She was madly in love with this man and it wasn¡¯t something she could deny when it was already messing her up.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± He scoffed and turned his face away, doing everything he could not to get swayed but it didn¡¯t seem like it was working. His heart was getting weak and waves of guilt spurred through him when he saw the pain in her eyes.

    ¡°Yes, I am crazy. I am fucking crazy, so you can think that. Why? Do you already have a girlfriend or maybe you¡¯re in love with someone?¡± Tears brimmed in her eyes as she took a few steps close to him, excited that he didn¡¯t distance himself this time but only stared back at her unbelievably. Here he was, thinking he was the only one having this feeling, but it now urred to him that he was mistaken. The feeling was mutual.

    ¡°Khan¡­ I love you¡­¡± Her lips trembled as he cupped his cheek in her palm, staring into his eyes like he wanted to see through him. His heart melted in his chest when he heard her confession, so he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. The excitement in his heart was something he could never deny, but it saddened him, knowing that this could never work between them. Connor would never allow that, and getting on his bad side was thest thing he wanted.

    ¡°I love you with everything in me. Call me crazy or whatever, but I really love you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, ire. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He scoffed as he held her hand and pushed her away gently, maintaining a distance between them. He tucked his hands inside his pockets and stared at her, his face was void of emotions.

    ¡°What do you think of me? A pedophile? Are you kidding me?¡± He scoffed and threw his head back, biting his bottom lip.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You are eighteen for fuck¡¯s sake. What do you know about love?¡± Those words pierced through her heart like a dagger, and she slowly clenched her fingers into a tight fist and bit her bottom lip.

    ¡°Look at me, ire¡­¡± He paused and then leaned forward, his eyes piercing into hers.

    ¡°You are not my style. You are still a kid¡­ Do you know the age difference? I¡¯m fourteen years older than you¡­ I don¡¯t do girls, so you should focus on your studies for now¡­¡± He paused then straightened his back and flipped his hair behind his ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring this up again, and you need to get rid of whatever shits you are making up in your head,¡± He smiled at her widely, then ruffled her hair and walked away, leaving her standing there, stunned.

    ire turned and stared at him until he was out of her sight. She clenched her teeth tightly until they started to hurt. Tears brimmed in her eyes and slowly found their way down her cheeks. Her chest burned in rage and pain that she could barely breathe. Her legs wobbled until they couldn¡¯t carry her anymore, so she sank into the couch and burst into tears.

    Khan stood on the staircase and slowly clenched his fingers into a tight fist as he watched her from there, broken. He never meant any of those words, she was his fucking style. He was madly in love with her and would¡¯ve loved to embrace that with everything in him, but then betraying his friendship with Connor by getting into a rtionship with his sister was thest thing he wanted.

    He sighed briefly then turned and headed up to his room.

    He threw his phone and car keys on the bed as soon as he got inside, then stripped out of his clothes and threw himself tiredly on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

    ¡°Ugh! Was I too mean?¡± He mumbled and sat up on the bed, recounting the words he said to her earlier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was. I was just trying to make her stay away from me¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± He replied to himself like a lunatic, shaking his head.

    ¡°What the fuck am I doing?¡± He whined, burying his face between his palms while sinking his fingers into his hair.

    ¡°What do I do? She must be hurt. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said those words to her,¡± He mumbled sadly, then raised his head and stared into space.

    ¡°Should I just go and apologize to him for being like that earlier?¡± He mumbled while staring into space.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. You are going to give her hope if you do that. Just have a bath and sleep. You¡¯ll be fine by the time you wake up tomorrow,¡± He mumbled again, then stood up and dragged himself into the bathroom.

    Seconds ticked into minutes and after about twenty-five minutes of being in the bathroom and bathing, he finally grabbed the towel from the rack and tied it around his waist, leaving a small budge between his legs.

    Reaching for the door, he pulled it open and stepped out of the bathroom into the room, but his jaw dropped at the sight that weed him inside. ire was sitting right there on his bed with just a towel wrapped around her chest, revealing her sexy body.

    ¡°Ce¡­ Celine?¡± His voice was so low that he could barely hear himself, and for a second, he scrutinized her body with his eyes. It was the first time he had seen her half-naked with only a towel on, and he couldn¡¯t deny that he was mesmerized by the perfection of her body.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you doing here?¡± He stuttered, his heart pumping hard against his chest, and ire stood up to her feet, revealing her long straight legs, and he couldn¡¯t help but check them out.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up,¡± She shrugged as she bit her bottom lip seductively, and he swallowed nothing, taking a step back.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what do you mean?¡± He stuttered.

    ¡°You said that I was not your style, yeah?¡± She asked, her voice came out huskily. So husky that the sound of it made him think of something crazy for a moment. What if she moans his name with that sexy voice? He thought for a second but quickly dismissed the thought. Having sex with Connor¡¯s sister even though he was madly in love with her, was thest thing he would think of. Not when he wasn¡¯t ready to be dead.

    ¡°What is your ideal woman? Heard birds of the same feathers flock together, and since you are friends with Connor, then I would assume that you two are the same,¡± She stated seductively as she took a slow and steady step toward him until she covered the distance between them. Slowly, she ced her hand on his chest, sending waves of spark through his body, and he couldn¡¯t even push her away. Of course, he was enjoying every bit of it.

    ¡°Cl¡­ aire¡­¡± His heart was beating so fast and loudly to his hearing, he was already under her spell and couldn¡¯t resist her at that moment even if he wanted to, so he just stood there like a log of wood.

    ¡°If you are not going to seduce me, then I¡¯m going to do it. My brother likes crazy women in bed. I could be that crazy girl for you,¡± She winked at him, her voice low, husky, and seductive.

    ¡°Ce¡­ line, you need to¡­¡± His voice trailed off as she grabbed the towel and ripped it off his waist in a second, leaving him standing naked. His heart sank into his stomach knowing that there was no turning back for him at that moment¡­

 Chapter 65

    Khan POV

    I watched ire sleep peacefully beside me on the bed when I woke up, and I couldn¡¯t help the smile thatced up my lips. She looked so cute when sleeping and I couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Recalling everything that happenedst night, I knew that I didn¡¯t have any regret sleeping with her and taking her virginity because I was madly in love with this girl.

    ¡°What about Connor? He is not going to be happy when he finds out about this,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, and I sighed briefly. Well, I was aware of that, and I knew that this was going to be tough for me in the long run, but I was ready to do anything to keep her.

    My phone beeped and I rolled my eyes hesitantly. Who the heck was texting me this early? Izily reached for my phone that was lying on the nightstand then sat up on the bed and unlocked it. A text from Connor popped on the screen.

    ¡®Hey, dude. I¡¯ming back real soon. How is my sister? I told you not to mess with her. We¡¯ll stop being friends if you try shit with my sister. You know what I can do. I won¡¯t spare you¡¯ My heart skipped when I read through the text, and I slowly clenched my fingers tightly around the phone and gritted my teeth. I was excited a moment ago, but after reading the text, my mood changed immediately.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± ire¡¯s sleepy voice sounded behind me, and I turned to face her.

    ¡°Hmm. Good morning. Did you¡­¡± I was going to be all sweet to her, but when I remembered Connor¡¯s text, I couldn¡¯t just do it. I thought I would be able to let go of my friendship with him, but I realized after the text that I was just deceiving myself. Connor is not someone I could pathways with just like that.

    ¡°Morning,¡± I quickly corrected myself as I watched her struggle to sit on the bed, wincing in pain.

    ¡°You should go to your room. I need to get ready for work,¡± Although I felt guilty for saying those words to her, and when I saw the disappointment on her face, I felt broken, but what could I do? Yes, you would say that I¡¯m a pussy, I¡¯m a fucking coward, but you would understand if you were in my shoes. Connor is the only family I have¡­ He is a friend that has been there for me when everyone else abandoned me, the friend that picked me at my lowest. Connor is that friend I wouldy down my life for at once without thinking twice about it.

    I stood up from the bed and started walking toward the bathroom.

    ¡°Khan? Are you ok?¡± Her voice brought me to an abrupt halt, and I turned to face her.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I nodded briefly trying to sound rude and arrogant.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Ok. I can¡¯t get out of bed. My legs hurt,¡± Sheined, and I raised my eyebrow.

    ¡°Want me to carry you?¡± I asked her even though I had no intention of carrying her.

    ¡°Hmm. Please help me up,¡± She demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯mte for work,¡± I said to her then turned and walked into the bathroom, mming the door hard behind me.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath and mmed my hand on the wall angrily. I was so upset, not with anyone but myself. I just took her virginity for fuck¡¯s sake and I should be nice to her, not make her regret her decision.

    ¡°Fuck it!¡± I cursed again as I crashed against the wall and rested my head on it.

    After I finished washing up, I walked back into the bathroom and found that she was gone. The only thing left in the room was the bloodstain on the bed, so I removed the bedspread and took it to the bathroom where I dumped it inside the washing machine. After I changed the bedspread, I got ready and left my room.

    Descending the staircase minutester, the aromaing from the kitchen weed me, and I was stunned at who would be cooking in the kitchen since I didn¡¯t have a cook here.

    I counted my steps toward the kitchen and when I pushed the door open, I was stunned to find ire in the kitchen, cooking.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± She turned to face me with a big smile on her face, and I scoffed silently. She was supposed to be mad at me for treating her that way after taking her virginity, right? I mean, everyone in their right sense would be mad about what I did, so howe she was smiling at me?

    ¡°Hmm. What are you doing?¡± I asked her to be sure even though I saw that she was cooking.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m making breakfast. I thought you should eat before you leave for office. It¡¯s ready. Why don¡¯t you wait in the dining room while I serve the food?¡± Even with the smile on her face, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the pain hidden behind it even as she tried to cover it up.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have breakfast. Will do that when I get to work,¡± I mumbled then turned and was going to leave the kitchen.

    ¡°Come on, Khan¡­ You should eat something. I had to make breakfast even though I was feeling pain down there. Can you be considerate, please?¡± I stopped and bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair. You shouldn¡¯t be like this,¡± I turned and found her pouting her lips.

    ¡°Just trash the food if you can¡¯t finish it all. Excuse me,¡± I said to her coldly and turned to leave again, but this time, she held my hand and stopped me.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? I should throw the food out? Do you know the stress I went through just to make it for you? Do you know the pain I had to endure just so I could make this?¡± She raised her voice this time, and I didn¡¯t fail to notice that her voice was teary and filled with pain. My heart wrenched painfully, I wanted to hold her in my arms and apologize for treating her like that earlier, I wanted to tell her how much I was in love with her and how desperately I wanted her, but knowing that things would never work out between us, I didn¡¯t want to give her such a huge hope.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to make breakfast for me?¡± I yanked her hand off and turned to face her, trying to maintain a straight face even though I was bleeding inside.

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked her eyes disappointedly.

    ¡°What are you thinking? Just because we had sex you think you¡¯re my girlfriend now or you have a ce in my life?¡± I scoffed and turned my face away.

    ¡°Khan¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you that you are not my style, but you went ahead to seduce me. Are you ming me for not putting a crown on your head and treating you like the queen you¡¯re not?¡± I leaned forward and said those words to her that made her eyes glisten with tears.

    ¡°Kh¡­ an?¡± Her lips trembled when she opened her mouth to talk, and I bit my inner bottom lip. I straightened my back and sighed briefly.

    ¡°Your brother said he¡¯ll be back soon. You are going to leave here very soon so you won¡¯t bother me again,¡± I said to her and finally walked out of the kitchen, mming the door behind me. I released the breath I¡¯d been holding unknowingly once I stepped out of the kitchen.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, running my fingers through my hair frustratingly. For how long do I have to keep up with this?

 Chapter 66

    Connor Hughes

    I blushed hard when I saw Janice sleeping next to me on the bed, naked. Recallingst night, my heart pounded hard against my chest. Yeah, I¡¯ve had sex with several women before, but I finally realized what lovemaking is. It¡¯s very much different from sex.

    I watched as her eyelids moved slowly until her eyes were opened, and a smileced up her lips when she saw me staring at her.

    ¡°Good morning, Sunshine. Did you sleep well?¡± I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and she slowly nodded her head.

    ¡°Hmm. Good morning Papi,¡± She groaned and scratched her head, scattering her already disheveled hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± She mumbled, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sore down there,¡± She muttered again when she tried to move her legs.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ As it should be,¡± I winked at her, and she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Do you want to bathe together?¡± I asked her as I tucked the strands of her hair lying on her forehead, behind her ear.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± She slowly nodded her head, and I smiled at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call the maid toe get the water ready then. Rest while I go do it,¡± I leaned forward and kissed her forehead again, then rolled out of the bed and grabbed my robe from the closet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said to her as I slid into my robe and walked out of the room.

    As I descended the staircaseter, I stopped along the stairs when I heard the maids whispering something in the living room.

    ¡°Did you hear that at night?¡± I heard the first one, Rosa muttered, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes, I did. I thought I was dreaming. Mr. Connor is such a fucker,¡± I heard the second one, Alicia whispered, and I crossed my arms on my chest.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything. I guess I¡¯ve missed a lot. How did I sleep so much yesterday,¡± The third one, Ashley whined as she stomped her feet on the floor, and I scoffed amusingly.

    ¡°You needed to hear how Ms. Janice was screaming and moaning. Fuck! I need me a Mr. Connor, please. He¡¯s so fucking good in bed,¡± I heard Rosa whine, and I almost burst intoughter.

    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Ms. Janice. She got herself such a sweet man,¡± Alicia whined as she cupped her cheeks in her palms, and I shook my head.

    I cleared my throat as I finally descended the staircase, and they flinched fearfully.

    ¡°Good morning, Sir,¡± The three of them greeted me randomly, holding their gaze low.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Yeah, morning. Ashley¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± She quickly stepped forward, her body shaking slightly.

    ¡°Can you go to my room and prepare a warm bath water for me and my wife?¡± I asked her, emphasizing on ¡®wife¡¯. Now that I said that, it felt so good calling her that.

    ¡°Oh, yes, Sir. I will do that right away,¡± She replied to me and quickly headed toward the staircase.

    ¡°Rosa, make breakfast for my wife and I. Make egg sauce and pasta,¡± I turned to Rosa and instructed her.

    ¡°Yes, Sir. I will get to work immediately,¡± She stated and finally left for the kitchen, leaving me with Alicia.

    ¡°Do theundryter when my wife leaves the room,¡± I stated.

    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Alicia replied to me enthusiastically.

    After I gave them the instructions, I left for my room and as I strode down the hallway, I saw Ashley leaving my room.

    ¡°I¡¯m done with it, Sir,¡± She bowed respectfully and when I nodded, she walked away.

    I proceeded to my room and found Janice sitting on the bed when I walked inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re ok, sunshine?¡± I asked her as I went to squat in front of her, but she pouted her lips.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m hurt,¡± She whined and nced down at her legs.

    ¡°Aww! I¡¯m sorry, baby. It¡¯s my fault, but I don¡¯t regret it. You are so sweet that I couldn¡¯t get enough of you. I wouldn¡¯t mind another round, anyway,¡± I leaned forward and imed her lips, kissing her slowly and tenderly.

    ¡°Get away from me!¡± She snapped at me yfully and pushed me away lightly.

    ¡°What? Are you trying to deny your husband now, hmm?¡± I hushed as I held the back of her neck and pulled her in for another brief kiss.

    ¡°I¡¯m sore!¡± She reminded me, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. You should be sore. Why would I touch you and you won¡¯t feel it for long? Your husband is a good fucker,¡± I winked at her, and she shook her head unbelievably.

    ¡°You are so unbelievable,¡± She clicked her tongue, and I chuckled briefly.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the bathroom,¡± I stood up and tried to pick her up, but she held the duvet tightly to her body, and I shook my head.

    ¡°What are you hiding? I¡¯ve seen everything already. You were screaming my namest night, remember?¡± I smirked at her, and she covered her face with her palm.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute when you blush,¡± I tickled her, and she chuckled softly.

    ¡°Come on, stop it, Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Papi,¡± I corrected her while still tickling her, and she giggled. I finally picked her up in a bridal style with the duvet wrapped around her body and walked us into the bathroom.

    I lowered her gently to her feet when we got to the bathroom, but her legs shook so I had to hold her in my arms to prevent her from falling.

    ¡°Do you want another round, hmm?¡± I whispered as I gently removed the duvet from her body, revealing her naked and sexy body I couldn¡¯t help but drool at.

    ¡°Damnit sunshine, you are so sexy,¡± I admitted, and her cheeks went flushing.

    I sat her on the bathroom sink just in front of the mirror, then pulled away and feasted on her body for a few seconds, admiring her. Gosh! She was so fucking sexy.

    ¡°My heart is palpitating. You are driving me nuts, sunshine,¡± I said huskily as leaned forward and pecked her lips.

    ¡°You are so fucking sexy that I want to have my dick buried inside you every fucking time¡­ What have you done to me?¡± My breath was thick as I buried my face in her neck and kissed her there. She smelt so good that it drove me nuts.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± When she moaned softly, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grabbing her waist. My blood pumped so fast and stopped down there, pushing forth my manhood until it was left standing aggressively, ready to devour its prey.

    I just wanted to flirt with her and leave her to rest for today since she was sore, but I couldn¡¯t control it. I trailed kisses down her neck to her cleavage, then curved my lips around her nipples and sucked on them slowly while fondling with the other, twirling my thumb around her nipple while grazing the one in my mouth with my teeth, and fuck it! It felt so good.

    Her slow and whispery moans felt like music to my ears. More like a reward for doing a great job, giving me every fucking reason not to stop. I did justice to her other boob, then trailed kisses back to her neck and to her face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control it, sunshine¡­ You are so driving me crazy,¡± I hushed as I rested my forehead on hers, our noses were touching and our thick breaths colliding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but I can¡¯t control it,¡± I said in a muffled breath, trying so hard to tame the stubborn jerk down there that won¡¯t even listen to me.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and threw my head back, shutting my eyes so tightly as I felt more blood rushing down there. Fuck it! It hurts. It hurts so badly.

    ¡°I told you I won¡¯t be able to stop once I start¡­ This is who I am,¡± I hated to admit it, I hated to be like this, but what could I do when those bastards made me into a man I never wanted to be?

    I felt her hand behind my neck, and I looked at her. Our piercing into each other, she leaned forward and imed my lips, and that was all the approval my dick needed to lose it totally.

    She scream and moaned in pleasure and pain as I pushed my dick inside her and thrust in and out of her slowly at first and soon increased my pace, pounding her hard but still careful to not hurt her. I just pray she doesn¡¯t end up hating me. I just pray so¡­

 Chapter 67

    Janice POV

    I felt sore all over my body, especially between my legs. It still felt like his dick was still inside me. Well, it was a memorable one for the first time, and although I felt pain, I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I enjoyed every bit of it and wanted more of him.

    ¡°Are you sure I should note with you?¡± I asked as I watched him get dressed in front of the mirror after he came out of the bathroom minutes ago.

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think you should. Rest at home. It¡¯s not going to take much time,¡± He assured me, and I nodded. It¡¯s not that I would be able to go with him even if he asked me to, anyway. Not with these painful legs that I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to walk straight.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°We should go on a date when Ie back. What do you think?¡± He asked as he turned to face me with a smile on his face, and I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡± I replied to him, and he smiled again.

    ¡°You¡¯re good? You don¡¯t look like you are,¡± He asked and I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I was jealous and angry at the thought of him meeting Liana there.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine,¡± I nodded, and he scoffed.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not. Come on, talk to me. Are you worried about something?¡± He came to sit beside me on the bed and took my hands into his, squeezing them gently, and I sighed.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted, but he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I could bet with my life that you¡¯re not. Come on, talk to me. What is wrong? Are you worried about something?¡± He insisted as he cupped my cheek in his palm and leaned forward. He pecked my lips and pulled away.

    ¡°Come on, tell me,¡± He urged me, and I didn¡¯t have a choice at that moment.

    ¡°Is Liana going there too?¡± I asked, and his face dted in shock.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re sad?¡± He squinted his eyebrows, and I scoffed. For fuck¡¯s sake, is that not enough to be sad?

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯sing, but you can trust me. I¡¯m not going to talk to her. I promise,¡± He assured me but I still didn¡¯t feel like trusting his words. How was I supposed to trust the words of a yboy? What if he changed his mindter and decided to sleep with her? What if¡­ Just what if? Too many thoughts ran through my mind even though I didn¡¯t want to think about them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± He caressed my cheek, but I turned my face away, and he sighed.

    ¡°Come on, Sunshine. I wouldn¡¯t ever do anything to hurt you, OK? I would¡¯ve asked you toe with me, but I can¡¯t have you stress yourself afterst night and this morning. You need to get maximum rest to recover the energy you lost,¡± He assured me, and I tried to trust him. Maybe just this once.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I finally nodded my head and he smiled.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Come here sweetheart,¡± He whined as he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly like his life depended on it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you so much. Don¡¯t worry, Sunshine, I will be back before you know it. The shooting is just going to take a few hours to pull through with,¡± He uttered as he patted my back, and I nodded. He finally pulled away from me then kissed my cheeks and stood up.

    ¡°See ya. Call me if you need anything,¡± He uttered after he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and I nodded.

    ¡°I love you,¡± He blew me a kiss before he finally walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

    Being alone at home was going to be boring, so I decided to call Ace.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± His voice sounded from the other end as soon as he answered the phone.

    ¡°Yeah. Good morning,¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re good?¡± He asked, and I nodded as if he was here with me.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Are you free this morning? I¡¯m bored at home and was thinking of hanging out with you,¡± I demanded, and he groaned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, princess, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work. I have a date with a client now, and I have a shoot after then, so my schedule is a bit tight now,¡± He exined to me, and I guess I would be spending the whole day at home doing nothing.

    ¡°Alright,¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make it some other time. I got a call from home that I need to be back in LA soon, so I¡¯ll be going back first thing tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s hang out when you get back to LA,¡± He said to me and I said it was fine. The call finally disconnected, and I guess I was left alone to myself then.

    ¡°Such a waste of time,¡± I muttered as I tossed my phone on the bed andy down afterward to get some sleep.

    ¡®Carl¡¯ His name strangely yed in my head, the imagination of him being in the room struck me weirdly, and I snapped my eyes open. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I quickly sat up on the bed and looked around the room, frightened.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± I whispered and breathed out when I saw nothing. There¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve seen him, right? I mean he was fucking dead months ago.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just tired from the sex,¡± I concluded as I forced myself from the bed and limped over to the window. The pain was still there, reminding me of everything that happenedst night, and I didn¡¯t have any regret, instead, I felt satisfied and excited that I finally had sex with him.

    I leaned over the window and stared at the beautiful blue sky, a smileced up my lips. Just a few years ago I was living in the street, trying to survive, and from there to the street where I had to work to make ends meet, getting involved in shits I never wanted, and all that, how I stole from Connor thinking we would never meet again like my every other client, how fate brought us back together, how we got married, the challenges we¡¯ve had to face all these months, and here we were today, madly in love with each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy¡­ Really crazy,¡± I muttered and scoffed amusingly.

    My phone beeped and I looked back to find the screen light on with a text on the screen. I limped back to the bed and sat on it, picking up the phone.

    ¡®Hey, Janice. It has been a while. Let¡¯s meet tonight at Baldwin¡¯s Cafe shop. You wouldn¡¯t want to miss this chance of seeing me, trust me¡¯ Was the text from a strange number I had never seen before, and I raised my eyebrows, confused and shocked. Quickly, I dialed the number but it said it wasn¡¯t reachable, and I scoffed.

    ¡°Is that a mistake?¡± I mumbled even though I knew that it was not a mistake. Whoever the person was, mentioned my name at the beginning of the text, which only meant that I was the right recipient. Who sent the text? I asked myself as I read through the text over and over again¡­

 Chapter 68

    ire POV

    My heart wrenched painfully as I hugged my knees to myself, tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn¡¯t know whether I should be regretting giving my virginity to someone who didn¡¯t give a damn about me. It hurts, no matter how much I didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    My phone started to ring, and I reached for it. Dad¡¯s name was disyed on the screen, so I quickly answered the phone.

    ¡°Hey, darling,¡± His deep voice sounded from the other end, and I cleared my throat silently.

    ¡°Yes, Daddy. Good day,¡± I tried as much as not to sound sad or teary so he wouldn¡¯t suspect anything, and I was more than d that he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Yes, darling. How have you been?¡± He asked me, and I nodded as if he was here with me.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine,¡± I wasn¡¯t really fine, but I couldn¡¯t have told him that, right?

    ¡°I and your Mom will be back tonight,¡± He released the news, and my jaw dropped disappointedly. Strangely, even though I hated being here, I didn¡¯t want to leave because of that jerk that doesn¡¯t even give a damn about me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going on a two-week vacation when we get back. With you,¡± I was even more disappointed when he said that.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± My voice came out low and sad.

    ¡°You¡¯re good?¡± He asked, his voiceced with concern and worries.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine. See you around,¡± I said and disconnected the call myself because I didn¡¯t want to keep being on the phone.

    With the little strength left in me, I managed to stand up to my feet, but I winced and grimaced as I felt a sharp pain between my legs. My vagina felt so sore and I could hardly take in the pain. I wasn¡¯t expecting less after getting banged by someone with such a huge dick.

    I dragged myself tiredly into the bathroom and had a long and rxing cold bath, and I couldn¡¯t deny that I felt much better after the bath.

    Since I¡¯ll be leaving soon, I got back into the room and got dressed after which I arranged my things in the backpack I had brought with me earlier.

    As much as I wanted to wait up for Khan and see him one more time before I left, on second thought, I didn¡¯t see any reason why I should wait up for him when he didn¡¯t even want to see me.

    With a heavy heart, I hung my backpack on my shoulders and bade the room goodbye before I left.

    I stood at the roadside for a few minutes before I got a cab that took me back to my Dad¡¯s mansion, and when I arrived, I went straight to my room and threw myself in the arms of my bed and it weed me warmly, giving me the warmth I needed at that moment.

    ¡°Should I message you him?¡± I mumbled, sitting up on the bed, but recalling everything he said to me earlier I didn¡¯t see any reason I should call or text him that I already left. He would call meter if he came back and found out that I left.

    Being in the room suddenly felt suffocating, and my chest kept contracting, making my breath difficult, so I left my room and went to the balcony to get fresh air. I made the right decision to go to the balcony because a cold sweet air weed me outside on the balcony as soon as I stepped out of my room.

    Leaning over the rail and staring up at the sky even though the dull sun was prating my eyes, I was trapped in my thoughts. It was frustrating having to think about so many things. So many things that didn¡¯t have a direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about him, ire. He is not worth it,¡± No matter how much I tried to get my head off that jerk, my thoughts always went back to him in the end, and how I was crazily missing him was annoying. How could I miss someone that had hurt me so badly?

    ¡°I should¡¯ve listened to Connor,¡± I scoffed, a bit mad at myself for being so foolish and opening my legs for him, but realizing that it was all my fault in the first ce, I didn¡¯t have any right to me him for being like that. I threw myself at him, I fucking boldly told him that I would seduce him, and he fell for it, so why should I be hurt that he treated me like a piece of trash?

    ¡°You are such a shameless cheap slut,¡± I cursed under my breath, disgusted by what I did. Gosh! How did Ie up with the guts?Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    My thoughts were disrupted by the sound of my ringing phone which was inside the room, so I had to go back inside to answer the call. Surprisingly, it was from that jerk.

    My heart lit up in excitement when I saw his name disyed on the screen of my phone. I felt like I was on top of the world, but at the time I wanted to answer the phone, those words reyed in my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a desperate bitch, ire. He said those words to you,¡± I reminded myself and tossed the phone back on the bed, running my fingers through my hair. I watched the phone ring, resisting the urge to answer it until it finally stopped ringing.

    ¡°Was I too harsh?¡± I mumbled as I picked up the phone and clicked on the missed call, disying his name.

    ¡°Should I call him back?¡± I mumbled as I held the phone firmly in my hand, contemting what to do. I was still trying to figure things out when the phone beeped and a text from him popped on the screen.

    ¡®I think your parents areing tonight. You should get ready and wait for me. Wille back early from office today and take you home¡¯ Here I was, thinking he wanted to check up on me and maybe apologize for what he did to me earlier, but it was another thing. He was tired of seeing my face and probably wanted to send me off as soon as possible.

    ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m back home already¡¯ I typed the message on my phone and was about to text it to him, but I changed my mind at thest second and wiped the text, tossing my phone on the bed. There was no reason to reply to his text.

    ¡°That¡¯s so annoying,¡± I muttered and rolled my eyes.

    The rest of my day was boring until it was evening, and as promised, my parents came back. I wasn¡¯t excited like I used to be whenever they came back from a trip, and I could channel it to that jerk. It was all his fault.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby girl?¡± Mom asked as she walked into my room. I was lying on the bed, tired.

    ¡°Nothing, Mom,¡± I replied to her as I managed to sit up on the bed, but I winced as a sharp pain shot through my pussy. It was yet to heal from the sex I had with Khan earlier.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look happy since we came back. Are you still mad at us, hmm?¡± She asked as she cupped my cheeks in her palms, her eyes piercing into mine.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I shook my head, and she sighed briefly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you are. We deserve it,¡± She sighed as she dropped her hand.

    ¡°We are going to make it up to you,¡± She assured me, and I nodded. If only she knew what was wrong with me.

    ¡°Where is Dad?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°He went out a few minutes ago. He said he would be back shortly. I think he had something to deal with,¡± She replied to me, and I slowly nodded.

    ¡°You look so tired. You should get some sleep,¡± She uttered as if she read my mind and knew what I needed at that moment.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I just nodded.

    ¡°Good night, baby. See you tomorrow,¡± She leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

    ¡°Good night, Mom,¡± I replied to her and she finally walked out of my room, closing my door behind her. Iy back on the bed and pulled the duvet to cover myself, but my phone started to ring and I was forced to reach for it from the nightstand. I swiped the answer button without bothering to check who the caller was. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to speak with anyone on the phone.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I snapped at whoever was on call.

    ¡°Where the hell are you, ire? I¡¯ve been trying to reach you. You were not replying to my texts or answering my calls. Where are you?¡± Khan¡¯s voice sounded from the other end, and I sighed. I wouldn¡¯t have answered if I had known it was him¡­

 Chapter 69

    Janice POV

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Sunshine,¡± Connor whined as he kissed all over my body while wrapping his arms around my waist, our bodies pressing hard against each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too. How was the shooting?¡± I asked him after he pulled away from me, and he shrugged.

    ¡°It was boring. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you while I was there. I just wanted toe back home and be in your arms again,¡± He pouted his lips, and I chuckled softly.

    ¡°I missed you way more,¡± Honestly, I missed him so much today and wanted nothing but to have him back here.

    ¡°Come here, Sunshine,¡± He pulled me close again and kissed my forehead.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see your gorgeous face again,¡± He said huskily, and my heart fluttered.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to reply to him.

    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± He asked as he tucked the strands of hair on my face away.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± I replied to him, and he nodded.

    ¡°Do you mind if we shower together, hmm?¡± He hushed as he leaned forward and buried his face in my neck, teasing the nape of my neck, and I felt my wall down there twitched excitedly as my thighs mped subconsciously.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡± I chuckled softly, but deep inside me, I didn¡¯t want him to stop. I was already wet down there and if there was anything I wanted at that moment, it was for him to take me to bed and fuck me so hard until I could barely walk. I¡¯m crazy, right? Well, I know that.

    My face dropped disappointedly when he pulled away from me, and I scoffed silently.

    ¡°Should we shower together, hmm?¡± His husky voice made my pussy twitch once again, and my throat became dry. So fucking dry that I thought I needed some water to keep myself hydrated. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I stared at him wordlessly.

    ¡°You want me, hmm?¡± Was it written on my face? How the heck did he know that? I asked myself as I stared at him like a fool. Fuck! I couldn¡¯t even deny the truth.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± My head nodded subconsciously, and a smirkced up his lips as he pulled me close yet again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we y some dirty game before I shower, hmm?¡± He whispered as he took my hand gently and ced it on his chest, his eyes locked with mine.

    ¡°Strip me, Sunshine,¡± His voice was thick and filled withmand which I quickly heeded to as I unbuttoned his shirt and stripped him off the shirt, throwing it on the floor. Slowly, I rubbed my hands on his broad chest down to his toned abs and all I could say was that ¡®he is really gifted¡¯. Like damn! No matter how many times I¡¯ve seen him naked, I could never get used to his perfection. To me, Connor was like a fictional man. A fictional man people would die to be with, but I was lucky to have him all of myself. Isn¡¯t that sweet?

    Again, he held my hand and moved it down to his waist where his belt was tightly locked around, and I loosened it.

    My heart pounded hard against my chest like it was going to explode as I helped him remove his long trousers, leaving him with only shorts on, and my abdomen twitched at the huge bulge down there.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± He groaned tightly and threw his head back when my hand came in contact with his hard veinous dick.

    ¡°Your hand feels crazily so fucking good,¡± He groaned again and I felt good beingplimented. Slowly, I moved my hand up and down his fully erected dick, and it only hardened more.

    ¡°Faster, please, Sunshine¡­ Hmm,¡± He moaned softly as he held the dressing table for support, and as he said, I went faster this time. My hand felt stiffened as a result of stroking him, but I didn¡¯t stop doing it because even I was enjoying every bit of it.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed in a muffled breath as he sank his fingers into my hair and grabbed a handful of it. I guess he forgot for a moment that I was his woman now and not one of his flings he does dirty things with, but still, I enjoyed every bit of it. I wanted him to treat me like his slut for once so I would know what it feels like, but I was shy to tell him what I really wanted.

    His fingers tightened around my hair like he was going to rip them off the scalp, and although it hurt a bit, the pleasure I was feeling had overshadowed the pain. The only thing I could say.

    ¡°Get that fucking dick into your mouth and suck me dry, bitch!¡± Those words slipped out of his mouth before he could hold them back because he gasped and snapped his eyes open, looking down at me with regret written on his face.

    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed and ran his fingers through his hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sunshine¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to say that to you,¡± He quickly apologized to me but the guilt was still written on his face. Well, you could call me crazy or whatever, but I loved it. I loved the way hemanded me to do those dirty things, and yeah, I would definitely do it because I¡¯m all his tomand.

    In response to his apologies, I stroked his dick wordlessly and slid it into my mouth. It was my first time having a man¡¯s dick in my mouth and although I had no idea what it always tasted like with other men, I loved the taste of his. Meaty and hard.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Sun¡­¡±

    ¡°You taste¡­ good,¡± My heart felt like it was going to explode as I managed to say those words to him, and a smileced up his lips. I could swear that I saw him blush. He fucking liked that.

    ¡°Can you treat me like your slut just for today?¡± I asked him the silly question, and his face went nk.

    ¡°I want to be treated the way you would treat those sluts you¡¯ve been with¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t, Sunshine. You are my woman, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s what I want,¡± I insisted even though deep inside me I knew what I was asking for was crazy. He briefly sighed and nodded.

    ¡°Let me know when you want me to stop, okay?¡± He whispered, his faceced with concern. He really didn¡¯t want to hurt me. Only he knows what he had done with those sluts that made him reluctant to treat me the same way. His reluctance rather made me even more curious to know what was up.

    Watching porn a few times on the inte in the past turned out to be helpful although I never imagined I¡¯d be trying those shitty stuff with a man one day. Turned out I did a good job watching it a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to say pretty bad words. Are you sure you¡¯re ok with that?¡± He asked as I stroked his dick, and I nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s really going to be dirty. It¡¯s crazy, disrespectful, and hurtful. I don¡¯t want to say those words to you, Sunshine,¡± He further said and I knew that it must really be bad enough for him to be so reluctant, but still, I wanted it. I wanted to hear those words. I¡¯ve only read about them in books and I fucking desperately wanted to experience it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± I replied to him, and he slowly nodded.

    ¡°Let me know if you want me to stop,¡± Again, he uttered, and I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to start now,¡± He further said as he held my hair lightly, and I nodded for him to go ahead.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± He cleared his throat and breathed in deeply and out.

    ¡°Get that damn dick into your fucking mouth and suck me dry, bitch,¡± He said those dirty words that made me crave him even more. Having him in my mouth felt so good.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed as he held my hair tightly and started thrusting in and out of my mouth slowly, making sure to hit my throat leaving me gagging every damn time he did that.

    ¡°Damnit!¡± He cursed again, his fingers tightened around my hair and I needed not to be told that he was about to cum, so I quickly removed my mouth and pulled away from him. He spilled his seed over the floor. You weren¡¯t expecting to swallow his cum, right? I find it disgusting and there was no way I was ever going to try that shit out. Not ever!

    ¡°That was¡­ great,¡± He breathed heavily as he helped me up to my feet.

    ¡°Come here, Sunshine,¡± He hushed as he flipped me over and bent me over the bed in a way that my ass was shot out. Since I was wearing a short loose gown, he raised it and then ripped my pantie off effortlessly going as rough as he could. I was supposed to find this disturbing and disgusting, but I enjoyed it instead. I¡¯m crazy, I know it.

    I screamed when he plunged into my dripping wet pussy. He waited for a few seconds before he started to m me from behind. I moaned loudly, not minding that we had maids in the house and they could hear me screaming. It felt so good and I didn¡¯t want this feeling to end. Not anytime soon.

    ¡°You are so fucking sweet, Sunshine,¡± He groaned hoarsely as he increased his pace, and I held on tightly to the bed for support.

    He slowed down his pace after about fifteen minutes of mming me from behind, and just when I thought he was done with me, he flipped me over and pushed me to the bed lightly. My pussy itched for his sweet dick and I couldn¡¯t wait for him to prate me once again.

    ¡°I told you I won¡¯t be able to stop once I start with you¡­ This is who I am,¡± He hushed as he got on top of me, but what he didn¡¯t know was the fact that I liked this side of him. I didn¡¯t mind doing this with him every fucking day. I didn¡¯t really mind.

    He helped me out of my shirt, leaving me naked under him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t do this with my then flings¡­ Since you want me to treat you like my slut just for today¡­¡± He paused then leaned forward and whispered against my ear, ¡°Take this as a bonus,¡±.

    He bit the nape of my neck, and I moaned softly. My blood all seemed to have rushed down to my pussy because it became super sensitive that I wanted nothing but for him to stick his damn dick inside me and fuck me so hard while I moan his name.

    My heart fluttered as he imed my lips and kissed me slowly and tenderly like he was taking his time with everything he was doing to me. He was really taking his time. Our tongues fought for dominance, his hand exploring my body while the other was just above my head to support him up.

    He trailed kisses down my neck and getting down to my chest, blew gently on my nipples and they went hard, seeking attention. He didn¡¯t stop there, but curved his lips around one of my nipples, sucking it slowly while grazing it with his teeth subconsciously, sending waves of pleasure through my body. As if my hands developed minds of their own, they found their way to his bare back, and I dug my fingers into it, pressing my head hard against the pillow, my eyes shut, and my toes curled subconsciously. It felt like I was on top of the world.

    He did justice to my other boob, and after then, he positioned himself between my legs and rubbed his dick gently against my wet entrance that had been craving him.

    ¡°Beg me to fuck you, Sunshine,¡± His voice was thick and I could describe it as everything sexy. The sound of it alone was driving me crazy and getting me hornier.

    ¡°Please, Connor¡­¡± I pleaded with him, but he scoffed and teased my entrance again.

    ¡°Not fair enough, Sunshine¡­ Beg me like a desperate bitch¡­ Beg for my c*ck, bitch,¡± I liked the sound of that because I squirt when he uttered those dirty words. Why the fuck does it feel so good when he called me a bitch when I should be angry? Maybe I¡¯vepletely lost my mind, who knows?

    ¡°Please, Connor¡­ I want your c*ck,¡± I cried out, but he shook his head and rubbed the shaft of his c*ck gently against my entrance yet again.

    ¡°That¡¯s not eptable. Who am I, hmm?¡± He leaned forward and nuzzled his face in my neck, biting and licking on the nape of my neck and I felt tripple of the damn pleasure. It felt like I was going to lose my mind if he didn¡¯t prate me at that moment.

    ¡°Please, Papi¡­¡±

    ¡°Still not eptable, Sunshine,¡± He groaned like he was taking all the self-restraint not to prate me. He was really on with messing with me.

    ¡°Beg me for it like you are desperate to have my dick buried in your damn pussy while I fuck you so hard until you forget your name¡­¡± He paused and pushed inside me a little and just when I was filled with hope, he pulled out again and groaned.

    ¡°Tell me how much you need me inside you¡­ Tell me the crazy things you want me to do to you, Sunshine,¡± He demanded in the sexiest voice ever.

    ¡°I need your c*ck, Connor¡­ I fucking want you to make me forget my name,¡± I cried out, and a dry chuckle escaped his lips.

    ¡°Now, tell me¡­ Who is your

    Daddy?¡± He hushed as he rubbed his dick against my entrance again, and I shuddered because that ce was more than sensitive now.

    ¡°You are my Daddy¡­ Please, Daddy,¡± I cried out, and he finally gave me what I¡¯d been craving. He pushed his length inside me freely, making sure I took all his size inside me. Fuck! It felt so freaking good!

 Chapter 70

    Janice POV

    ¡®Hey, Janice. It has been a while. Let¡¯s meet tonight at Baldwin¡¯s Cafe shop. You wouldn¡¯t want to miss this chance of seeing me, trust me¡¯ I read through the text once again as I sat on the edge of the bed. I had just finished getting ready for my date tonight with Connor, but seeing the text somehow gave me this chill. I felt like there was something strange about it. Who the heck sent the text to me?

    ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t meant for me, who knows?¡± I shrugged as I tossed my phone on the bed, forcing myself to ept the fact that it was a mistake even as it was obvious that it really wasn¡¯t.

    I stood up from the bed and walked to stand in front of the mirror, checking myself out. The gorgeous woman who stared back at me from the mirror, dded in a short red gown made me blush. I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I looked pretty in red. Maybe I should wear them often henceforth.

    My phone beeped, and I went to check it to see that it was a text from Connor. He had texted me that he was waiting downstairs for me. It had been over fifteen minutes I asked him to wait downstairs for me.

    I grabbed my red purse on the bed along with my phone and strode out of the room. My jaw dropped when I got to the living room. This had to be the most romantic date ever even though we were yet to leave the house. He was wearing a red suit and trust me, he looked super hot in that.

    ¡°I¡¯m blushing. Look at you,¡± he gushed over my look as he stood from the couch he was seated before, but I was so invested in checking him out that I didn¡¯t have the time to blush when heplimented me.

    ¡°You look damn cute, babe,¡± I had to admit it, and he chuckled softly.

    ¡°That was an arrow aimed at my heart, and it struck it. Thank you, Sunshine. You look gorgeous,¡± heplimented me, and I smiled.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked as he came to stand beside me, and I smiled.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded then locked my arm with his, and he led me out of the building. We soon got to the parking lot and he opened the car door for me.

    ¡°Does the car have to match our dress code?¡± I chuckled as I hopped inside the car. He had picked a red car for us to take to the restaurant where we would be having the date.

    ¡°I just had to,¡± he chuckled as he hopped in the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Do you need help with that?¡± He asked, referring to the seatbelt on my end, but I quickly shook my head.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I fastened the belt, and he nodded. He fastened his own too and finally drove out of the house.

    The drive was supposed to be lively with us talking, but I found myself drifting away every damn time. My mind wouldn¡¯t stop going to the text, and my heart would strangely skip whenever I thought of it. Something just didn¡¯t feel alright. My heart skipped when I felt Connor¡¯s hand on mine, so I looked at him.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± He asked as he nced at me and took his attention back to the road since he was driving.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied to him and faked a smile, but deep inside me, I wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked to be sure, and I nodded.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he nodded and continued to drive.

    We soon arrived at the restaurant and my jaw dropped. It was the most popr restaurant in the whole of Texas. Should I say my dream restaurant? Well, I guess I should. It has been years since I¡¯ve always looked forward to being here.

    ¡°Mydy,¡± he opened the door for me and held out his hand to me which I smiled and took.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Anything for my Sunshine,¡± he whispered, and I smiled.

    He led me into the building, and the sweet aroma that weed us inside made my mouth salivate and my stomach suddenly grumbled hungrily as if I hadn¡¯t eaten for a while now. That¡¯s the power of delicious meal, I guess.

    Normally, a ce like this would always have a few customers even though not many people could afford it, but we were strangely the only people here and it felt weird.

    ¡°Do you like it here?¡± He asked me, breaking into my thoughts, and I quickly nodded.

    ¡°Hmm. I love it,¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± he held my hand and led me to sit on the reserved table which was filled with different kinds of food and drinks, and a bouquet of rose flowers wasn¡¯t exempted from the list of the things present. It was memorable for a first date together as a couple.

    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so pretty,¡± I wowed at the settings and everything, and he smiled proudly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡±

    ¡°No, I love it,¡± I confessed, and he smiled.

    ¡°Waiter,¡± he called out to the waiter, and a young man in histe twenties came walking to us.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Sir, ma¡¯am. Are you ready to ce your order, please?¡± The waiter asked politely, and I had to look at Connor. I mean, if we were still going to order things, what was all this food for? Regardless, I left him to ce the order, and he knew exactly what I wanted. We were soon served, and we started eating.

    ¡°Why are we the only one here?¡± I asked him, and he looked around as if to confirm if we were really the only ones here, and turning to me, he shrugged.

    ¡°I booked it for tonight,¡± he replied to me, and my jaw dropped shockingly.

    ¡°Wait! What! You booked this whole ce? What! That¡¯s going to be a whole lot of money. You didn¡¯t have to waste money like that. We could juste here as a regr customer, you know?¡± Iined, but he just shrugged like it was nothing. No, it was really nothing to him. I know he has so much money, but throwing it around like that is not nice, don¡¯t you think?

    ¡°Wow!¡± I only mouthed and nodded.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he nodded and silence crept into the atmosphere. It felt boring because I was always used to talking whenever eating although not all the time.

    ¡°So, what do you think about remarrying?¡± He asked me out of the blue moon, and I almost choked on the food.

    ¡°Remarrying?¡± I asked, and he nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to remind you about this¡­ But you know you were married to my brother¡­ Even though I showed up that day as your groom, his name is still in the marriage register as your legal husband,¡± his face was gloomy as he uttered, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was excited. Excited that he was thinking of marrying me for real. That was something that hadn¡¯t crossed my mind all this while. I thought we were married for real, but now I felt even more excited that he really wanted to make me his wife.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes! We should remarry¡­ We should get married again,¡± I nodded excitedly, and he smiled. A smile that exined his excitement.

    ¡°Thank you for giving us a chance,¡± he said to me, and I blushed.

    ¡°Come here,¡± he stood up then leaned across the table and pecked my lips.

    ¡°I love you,¡± he said after he kissed my forehead, and I blushed hard.

    ¡°Thank you. I love you too,¡± I replied to him as I watched him sit back on the chair.

    ¡°I think we should make it snappy. We should do that as soon as we get back to LA,¡± he suggested, and I thought it was a nice idea, so I nodded.

    My phone buzzed inside my purse and I excused myself. Bringing it out of my pocket, a text popped on the screen.

    ¡®You must really be having fun, aren¡¯t you? Kissing andughing in a fancy restaurant must really feel good, I guess. Anyway, watch your back¡¯ My heart sank into my stomach as I read through the text from the same number that had texted me earlier today. I quickly looked around the restaurant to be sure that we were the only ones around, but I was stunned when I confirmed that it was just us alone.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Connor asked, and I turned to face him.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine,¡± I nodded even though my heart was hammering in my chest. It felt weird. Everything didn¡¯t feel right.

    ¡°Are you sure you are? You don¡¯t look like it,¡± he held my hand and asked with concern.

    ¡°Hmm? Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± I nodded nervously.

    ¡°Babe¡­ Where is the way to the restroom? I feel pressed,¡± I dropped my purse but still holding my phone.

    ¡°Are you sure you are ok?¡± He asked as he gave me a weird look, and I nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I just feel pressed. I guess I drank too much water,¡± I lied to him, and he stared at me for a few seconds with a suspicious expression on his face.

    ¡°I will take you there. Come on,¡± he stood up.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. You can stay back and eat your food. I¡¯ll be fine alone,¡± I stopped him, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Are you sure you are fine?¡± He asked again and I kept giving him the same answer.

    ¡°Alright. That way. When you take that route, you¡¯ll find a hallway down there. The female restroom is the fifth door. It¡¯s indicated on it,¡± I barely waited for him to finish describing before I rushed off toward the direction he had given me. Locating the restroom didn¡¯t take much time before I found it, and I barged inside, locking the door behind me. I tried to catch my breath as I rested on the wall, and when I was able to calm down a little, I read through the message again.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I muttered then dialed the number and waited impatiently for whoever the person was to answer the call, but my heart left my chest and my soul left my body for a second when I heard a phone ringing just outside the door of the female restroom.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what is this?¡± I stuttered and swallowed nothing. My heartbeat increased and it felt like it was going to explode, beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and my palms became sweaty like I had dipped them inside oily water.

    Thinking that it must be a coincidence, I ended the call but fear gripped me when the ringing phone stopped. Slowly, I moved away from the door even with my weak legs. I was frightened. Scared to the bone marrow that someone was following me. I searched for Connor¡¯s number, but just when I was about to dial it, my phone started to ring with the number disyed on the screen.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    My hand trembled as I swiped the answer button and held the phone to my ear, waiting for hell to break loose.

    ¡°Open the door, Janice,¡± the voice sounded so familiar that I was sure I couldn¡¯t have been mistaken.

    At that moment, I became curious. Curious to know who was really at the door. I wanted to confirm, or maybe it was just a coincidence because it couldn¡¯t be true.

    My body trembled as I dragged my feet toward the door. My hands shook as I held the doorknob and twisted it after about two minutes of hesitating, but the sight that weed me made me stagger back.

    ¡°Long time no see, Janice. It has really been a while. Did you miss me?¡± My heart dropped as I stared at him. This is not true! This must be me hallucinating¡­

 Chapter 71

    ¡°Babe, you¡¯re done?¡± Connor asked with a smile on her face when Janice walked back inside, but he was stunned when she quickly grabbed her purse.

    ¡°We need to leave, Connor. I don¡¯t want to stay here again,¡± Janice said with a trace of fear in her as she looked around the restaurant like she was being chased by someone.

    ¡°Are you OK, Sunshine? What happened? Why are you sweating?¡± Connor stood with confusion written all over his face as he looked around too.

    ¡°Did you cry? What¡¯s wrong, babe?¡± He became even more worried and tried to touch her, but she stepped away from him and he raised his eyebrows in shock. She was fine just now before she left, so what the heck happened in the restroom that made her like this? Connor wondered confusingly.

    ¡°I will just take a cab home if you¡¯re not ready to leave yet,¡± she said hurriedly then hurried off to the door and stormed out of the restaurant before Connor could process everything that was happening.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Connor mumbled then grabbed his phone and went after her.

    ¡°Wait up for me, Janice,¡± he called after her as he followed her down the road and held her hand. He turned her to face him and his jaw dropped when he saw the trace of tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Babe? Are you crying?¡± As if those tears had been waiting to be triggered, they fell freely down her cheeks after he asked her. She yanked his hand off and quickly wiped her tears not minding she was ruining her make-up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying,¡± she quickly defended herself even with the ring evidence.

    ¡°Calm down, please¡­ Come on, let¡¯s go back to the car. I will take you home,¡± he held her hand and spoke to her gently, and she followed him to the car wordlessly. Connor opened the door to the front seat when they got to the car, but she went to the back and hopped inside instead, leaving Connor holding the door open for her.

    Connor sighed and went to hop in the driver¡¯s seat. The ride home began.

    For the umpteenth time, Connor nced at her through the rearview mirror, and just as before, she was looking outside the window, her face was nk so it was hard to tell what was actually wrong with her. What did she see in the restroom? What happened to her? Did she get a call? Connor wouldn¡¯t stop trying toe up with any possible reason she was being like that, but in the end, nothing worked out, so he gave up.

    Connor soon drove into thepound of his mansion after about thirty minutes of driving, and Janice stepped out of the car as soon as he pulled over at the parking lot.

    ¡°Babe¡­ Can you tell me what happened, please? Why are you doing this?¡± Connor asked as he trailed behind her since she was hurriedly walking toward the entrance door, but she didn¡¯t stop to look at him until they got inside the living room.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby? Please talk to me,¡± he held her hand and she stopped walking.

    ¡°What happened, babe? Can you please talk to me?¡± He tried to convince her but she just turned her face away, doing all she could to force back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I just want to be alone,¡± she gently retracted her hand from his grasp, and he sighed briefly.

    ¡°Babe¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Connor was left dumbfounded as he watched her walk away without even sparing him another nce. Did he do something wrong? He didn¡¯t cheat on her, he had stopped seeing other women ever since they started dating, so what the fuck was wrong with her? He asked himself but when he couldn¡¯te up with anything, he just sighed and threw himself tiredly on the couch. There was no way he was going to go inside the room at that moment. Maybe giving her some time alone would make here around.

    Connor reached for his phone and checked to see a missed call from Khan but he just tossed the phone beside him on the couch, concluding that he would call him backter. For now, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to¡­

    *****

    Janice stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and stared at her reflection which was looking disorganized. She had been messed up in just a few hours, but that would¡¯ve been great if it were just physical and her mental health wasn¡¯t affected. She wiped her tears but more only kept streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, Janice¡­ There is always a way out,¡± she whispered to herself and was finally able to pull herself together. After she showered, she walked back into the room, but stopped on her track when she saw Connor sitting on the bed. She sighed briefly.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Babe¡­ I made your juice,¡± he uttered gently as he stood to his feet.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she just muttered then walked past him and went over to the closet where she got her robe from and slid into it. She didn¡¯t have enough stamina to do anything not even for her skincare routine, so she justy on the bed and pulled the duvet to cover herself.

    ¡°Babe, don¡¯t you want the juice? What should I get for you?¡± Connor asked as he ced his hand on her arm.

    ¡°Nothing. I want to be alone,¡± were the only words she said to him and it broke his heart.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Sunshine¡­ You can¡¯t tell me to stay away just like that. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, and I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m the reason you are angry¡­ We can talk about it some¡­¡±

    ¡°What part of I want to be alone do you not understand?¡± She snapped at him out of the blue moon as she sat up on the bed, and he flinched shockingly.

    ¡°I just fucking spoke English, Connor. Leave me the hell alone! I want to be left alone! Is that too hard to do?¡± She raised her voice at him and his face dted in shock and confusion.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll leave you to sleep. Good night, Sunshine. Sleep tight,¡± just when she thought he would lose it and get mad at her for yelling at him, he instead whispered then kissed her hair, andy beside her on the bed.

    Janice stared into space as her tears soaked her pillow while she was trapped in this nightmare she didn¡¯t seem like she was ever going to get out of. She hated the fact that she was treating Connor like this but what was she supposed to do when she couldn¡¯t even think straight? This was all her fault in the first ce, she brought all of this upon herself and she was going to bear the consequence alone.

    The night was long and boring with Janice awake, and not that Connor could get enough good sleep too, anyway. How was he supposed to sleep peacefully when his woman was right beside him being troubled and didn¡¯t even want to talk to him?

    Janice felt her eyes heavy as a result of theck of sleep from the previous night, and her body felt stiffened when she tried to get out of bed, but she still did, regardless.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± She mumbled when she sat on the bed and looked to her side but didn¡¯t find Connor there.

    ¡°Where did he go this early?¡± She could only care more and worried. He was supposed to be beside her and smiling at her while she was asleep.

    Janice hurried out of bed and dashed out of her room immediately, heading downstairs, and as she descended the staircase as fast as her legs could carry her, a sweet aroma from the kitchen weed her.

    She dashed into the kitchen but paused when she found Connor wearing an apron and cooking.

    ¡°Connor?¡± She called surprisingly, and he turned to face her. His face wasced with a sweet smile immediately.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Good morning,¡± she mumbled, and he smiled at her.

    ¡°Good morning, Sunshine. You should shower ande back for breakfast. It¡¯s your favorite,¡± even though Connor was smiling like nothing happened, she didn¡¯t fail to notice the pain hidden behind the smile.

    ¡°Hmm. I will,¡± she nodded then turned to leave the kitchen but she stopped and turned to him.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± He asked her, but she shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. I was a bit under the weather,¡± she said to him and he stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on. I¡¯ll set the table before you get back,¡± he smiled at her and finally turned to resume what he was doing. Janice walked out of the kitchen afterward¡­

 Chapter 72

    ¡®Let¡¯s meet tomorrow evening¡¯ As evening slowly approached, I couldn¡¯t help the fear that was living in me and didn¡¯t want to go no matter how much I tried to chase it off. I was scared of what that man had in store for me, I was scared when I saw him and going to see him again was like a nightmare and as much as I didn¡¯t want to go see him, I didn¡¯t have a choice.

    It was finally about thirty minutes to the time that he asked us to meet, so I got dressed and left my room. Connor was seated on one of the couches in the living room when I arrived downstairs.

    ¡°Babe¡­¡± He paused and gave me a long confusing stare.

    ¡°Are you going out?¡± He asked and I nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I need to step out for a moment. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± I said to him, hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask me questions because that was thest thing I needed at this point. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for it.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Where to? It¡¯s past 6pm, and you don¡¯t even know anyone here. Where are you going, babe?¡± He finally put hisptop away and stood up.

    ¡°I just need to see someone. I¡¯ll be back,¡± I replied to him and hurriedly left the living room before he could ask me another question. It¡¯ll only get worse if I stay back.

    After taking a brief walk to the side of the road, I hauled down a cab and boarded it. Of course, there were many cars in the parking lot and I could¡¯ve taken any, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to drive. My head was so messed up that I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate if I had to drive, so taking a cab would do me good.

    ¡°St. Louis bar,¡± I said to the cabby that had just pulled over in front of me, and the man who was in histe forties gave me a long weird stare before he gestured for me to hop in. Why is he staring at me like that? I asked myself, but hopped in the cab regardless, and the drive to the ce began immediately.

    Many thoughts lingered on my mind, but sadly, I couldn¡¯t gather my thoughts together because they kept falling apart and driving me crazy. How the heck did all of these start to happen? What the fuck happened that day? I asked myself but in the end, I was left like a fool because I couldn¡¯t figure out not even the tiniest thing that made sense.

    ¡°We are here,¡± the cabby¡¯s voice jolted me out of my deep thoughts and I had to look out of the window and that was when Iprehended the weird stare he gave me earlier. The bar was in a remote earlier and I could swear that things may happen here without the knowledge of the outside world because it looked like another city here, if not a ghetto.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I forced him a smile after I hopped out of the car and paid him.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You should be careful here, miss. It¡¯s dangerous,¡± His words made my heart skip a beat and for a moment I thought of going back from here but I had to brace myself up and just nodded at him.

    ¡°Thank you. I will,¡± I smiled at him. A smile that was nothing, but fake because my fear had already taken over me.

    After the cabby drove off, I turned to face the old bar that was behind me and I could tell that this ce was abandoned. Why did he ask us to meet here of all ces? What are his ns? Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been here in the first ce.

    ¡°Brace yourself up, Janice. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said to myself, and with my heart pounding hard against my chest, I proceeded toward the entrance door. My hand trembled as I reached for the doorknob and twisted it then pushed the door open, and there was a man in a suit, sitting with his back facing me. My heart dropped immediately, and again, I thought of going back from there because I wasn¡¯t sure if it was safe for me here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting ande over here,¡± my soul left my body for a second when I heard the cold chilly unfamiliar voice and I had to knot my eyebrows together to put together where I¡¯d heard the voice before, but it was so unfamiliar that I was sure it was my first time hearing that. It didn¡¯t sound like his voice.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what is going on here?¡± I mumbled, but my legs subconsciously moved toward the man, my body felt weak and trembled, and my heart wouldn¡¯t stop hitting hard against my chest like it was trying to force its way out. I finally arrived at the table.

    ¡°Sit!¡± He ordered and I walked over to sit in front of him. Now that I saw his face, I was sure that it was my first time seeing him. He was a man in histe thirties. t and shiny forehead like he rubbed groundnut oil on it, long ears, a long nose, full lips, and a horrible hairline. He was the definition of being ugly and I felt like bursting intoughter but held it back when I recalled that we were all created by the same creator and also I was in the middle of trouble.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Hello¡­ Where is Mr¡­¡± My voice trailed off at the sound of my phone that had just beeped. I stared at the man for a few seconds then checked my phone for the text that had just popped on the screen.

    ¡®Had something to deal with. My assistant will attend to you¡¯ I bit my bottom lip and sighed briefly after I read the text. How could he choose someone like this to be his assistant when there are other handsome-looking men out there? I asked myself as I looked at the man again, forgetting that I was not in a safe ce. Well, that¡¯s his choice.

    ¡°I will go straight to the point¡­ Mr. Jason asked me to give you this,¡± he uttered as he handed me a piece of white paper, and I stared at him confusingly. Who the heck is Jason? Did he change his name?

    I would¡¯ve asked him who the person was, but it was obvious that the young man must¡¯ve changed his name so there was no reason to ask him, so I just took the paper from him and unfolded it, but my jaw dropped when I saw what was written inside.

    ¡°But¡­¡± I raised my gaze from the paper but gasped when an empty space weed me. The man was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Wh¡­ where did he go?¡± I mumbled and looked around the ce but he was really gone. At that moment, fear gripped me as the realization dawned on me that I was all alone here in a dangerous ce.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed under my breath as I rose to my feet and dashed out of the bar at once, but I collided with someone and my soul left my body immediately.

    ¡°Babe?¡± My heart and soul returned to my body immediately when I heard the familiar voice, so I looked up and it was Connor staring down at me.

    ¡°Connor?¡± I called surprisingly.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I wasn¡¯t supposed to be asking that kind of question now but I couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Who was that man?¡± He asked, his face filled with rage.

    ¡°Huh? Which man?¡±

    ¡°Are you cheating on me, Janice?¡± He asked, his voiceced with pain and anger as his eyes pierced into mine, and I huffed unbelievably. How could he even ask me that kind of a question? Do I look like a cheat to him?

    ¡°What are you talking¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you seeing another man, Janice?¡± He cut me off, and my jaw dropped as I stared back at him, unable to believe that he was asking me that. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer him so I walked past him, but he held my hand and, me back angrily.

    ¡°You don¡¯t walk out on me when I¡¯m talking, babe. Are you fucking seeing another man?¡± I flinched fearfully when he yelled at me, and tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at him wordlessly¡­

 Chapter 73

    ¡°Ugh! You know you¡¯re driving me nuts right now, babe¡­ You need to talk to me, OK? Who was that man?¡± Connor asked, rubbing his fingers gently on his forehead while trying to be cool. He was burning inside, his blood felt as though it was set on fire, and he was finding it difficult to wrap his head around the shit that was happening, but still, he wanted to believe that Janice wasn¡¯t cheating on him. That was thest thing he would believe, but how sure was he?

    ¡°Babe, talk to me,¡± he held her shoulders and shook slightly as if trying to force words out of her mouth, but his jaw dropped when she yanked his hands off and stepped away from him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Why are you following me? Why the heck are you here?¡± She snapped at him even though she knew she was wrong.

    ¡°What!¡± He eximed, his faceced with shock and confusion. Of course, that was not what he was expecting to hear from her.

    ¡°Yes! Why the fuck were you following me? The fact that we are together doesn¡¯t give you the right to stalk me, Connor. What the heck hase over you?¡± She snapped at him, and he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Babe? Are you kidding me? You left home and said you wanted to go somewhere, were you expecting to stay back at home knowing that it¡¯ste already?¡±

    ¡°I would¡¯ve asked you to follow me if I needed you here. So next time, try to mind your business. Yes, you are my boyfriend, but you don¡¯t have any right to stalk me,¡± and with that, she pushed him slightly out of her way and walked away, leaving Connor stunned as he froze on the spot.

    ¡°What the heck just happened?¡± He mumbled and scoffed unbelievably.

    ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± He mumbled again and when he finally turned, he was stunned Janice was nowhere around the vicinity.

    ¡°Where did she go?¡± He muttered and hurriedly went in the direction he assumed she would take, but there was no sign of her, so he walked back to his car and drove off¡­

    *****

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Janice said to the cabby who had just dropped her in front of the hotel and proceeded toward the entrance door after she paid him off. Tears welled up in her eyes as she walked into the hotel, but she held them back.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said to the receptionist when she got to the reception, and the young slimdy in her early thirties smiled at her.

    ¡°Hello, Ms. You are wee to Harry¡¯s five-star hotel. How may I be of help, please?¡± The receptionist asked her, and she sighed briefly.

    ¡°I want to lodge a room,¡± she replied to the youngdy whose face dropped immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms, but the hotel is filled up and there is no room avable at the moment. I¡¯m really sorry for the inconvenience,¡± Janice knew that she would eventually have to go back home at this point because it was already gettingte.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to the receptionist, then left the hotel and boarded a cab.

    The tears she had been holding back for the past few minutes finally flooded her cheeks as she rested her head on the window of the cab she boarded while staring out through the window.

    ¡®I give you three days to be back in LA, Janice. You wouldn¡¯t want to see the demon in me, I promise¡¯ she shrieked recalling his scary words, the expression on his face. He looked like a totally different person from the him she used to know. He looked like a demon earlier when she saw him and she was sure that he would kill someone if she didn¡¯t do what he asked of her. How did her life end here? How did she get herself involved in this mess? She asked herself, more tears streamed down her cheeks.

    ¡°Are you ok, Miss?¡± The cabby asked her as he nced at her through the rearview mirror, and she quickly wiped her tears.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Thank you,¡± she forced a smile and the man stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded and took his attention back to driving.

    The cabby finally pulled over in front of Connor¡¯s mansion, and Janice stepped out of it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± the elderly cab driver refused to collect money from her when she handed him some money.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± she forced a smile that disappeared almost immediately.

    ¡°You should try to deal with whatever problem you have. You don¡¯t need to cry about it. Maybe talking to someone about it will be best,¡± he said to her and finally drove off, leaving Janice to sort herself out.

    Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she walked into thepound, and finding Connor¡¯s car in the parking lot made it even worse. She didn¡¯t want to see him for some time but what could she do when the only avable hotel she could lodge at was upied? It wasn¡¯t her lucky day, who knows?

    Her hand trembled when she finally got to the entrance door and held the doorknob.

    ¡°Just pretend nothing happened,¡± her subconscious mind said to her, and she was foolish to have fallen for that because every ounce of braveness left in her crashed when she walked into the living room and found Connor pacing restlessly.

    ¡°Oh, goodness! You are finally here,¡± Connor breathed out in relief, and without holding back, he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly like his life depended on it, leaving Janice shocked. Here she was, thinking he was going to scold her when she got back, but she was mistaken.

    ¡°I was so worried about you. Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone? I¡¯ve been calling you,¡± Connor uttered as he hugged her tighter, his right hand at the back of her head while the other one was wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

    ¡°Con¡­ nor¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, babe¡­ Don¡¯t say anything, please,¡± he whispered and a drop of fresh tears streamed down Janice¡¯s cheek as she stared into space. Her heart bled and waves of guilt spurred through her.

    ¡°We need to go back to LA, Connor,¡± she said out of the blue moon after thinking about it for a while and saw that she didn¡¯t have a choice at that point.

    ¡°We should go back to LA?¡± Connor asked surprisingly as he pulled away from her, his hands on her shoulders, and she nodded her head.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asked, and she shrugged.

    ¡°Nothing. I want to be back there,¡± she replied to him bluntly like it was not a big deal, and Connor scoffed.

    ¡°What do you mean nothing? You must have a reason, babe¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to go back there,¡± she cuts him off, and he sighed briefly.

    ¡°Alright, babe. We are going to talk about that tomorrow, OK? For now, let¡¯s eat something and go to bed. Ashley already made dinner and the table is set,¡± he cupped her cheek in his palm, his eyes piercing into hers. He leaned forward to kiss her but she pulled back and stepped away from him.

    ¡°Babe? Is everything alright?¡± He asked and tried to touch her again, but she shook her head and stepped away from him again.

    ¡°You need to work on us returning to LA tomorrow so we can leave by the first flight the next day. I don¡¯t want to spend more than forty-eight hours here,¡± she stated bluntly and walked away from him.

    ¡°Babe¡­ Babe¡­ You can¡¯t ask us to leave just like that, OK? We need to sit and talk about it, OK?¡± He uttered but she was long gone so it turned out that he had just been bbing to the air.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± He muttered as he slumped on the couch and rubbed his fingers on his forehead frustratingly¡­

 Chapter 74

    Janice POV

    ¡®Let¡¯s get back together when you get to LA¡¯ I read the text with a heavy heart and tears brimmed in my eyes. We had just gotten to the airport, ready to go back to LA and Connor had excused himself to go to the dining room.

    ¡®What if I don¡¯t want to?¡¯ I had texted him back, and his reply broke every ounce of confidence in me. If I refused to do what he wanted from me, then Connor would have to pay with his life, and that was thest thing I wanted.

    I heard Connor¡¯s footsteps, so I quickly deleted the text and held the phone firmly in my hand after I wiped my tears. I had to pretend everything was fine because I didn¡¯t want him to suspect anything.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± He asked as he say beside me on the waiting bench and held my hand. Even though I¡¯ve been treating him badlytely, distancing myself from him and hurting him emotionally, he still cared about me and never got mad at me. More reason I¡¯ve been dying slowly in guilt.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied to him casually, looking everywhere else except his face. How could I look him in the eyes when this guilt was consuming me?

    ¡°Are you hungry? Should I get you something to eat?¡± He asked, but I shook my head. I haven¡¯t been eating welltely not because I didn¡¯t want to but because my appetite had been messed up.

    It was finally time for our ne to take off, so we went to take our seats, and a few minutester, we were on our way back to LA. We were finally going back after months of traveling. This was supposed to be the best vacation of my life, but I didn¡¯t think I should still feel that way knowing what the future had in store for me at this point.

    An hour into the journey, Connor fell asleep and rested her head on my shoulder as he slept peacefully, and I sighed, wishing that I was peaceful enough to be able to nap.

    The four hours spent in the air felt like forever and I could only look forward to getting off. My dream finally came true when it was announced that we would bending in a few minutes.

    The ne finallynded and Chase, Connor¡¯s brother came to wee us as soon as we stepped out of the ne. I guess Connor must¡¯ve told him we wereing back today.

    ¡°Wee home, brother. It¡¯s nice to have you here,¡± Chase weed Connor with a wide smile and a warm hug.

    ¡°Thank you, brother,¡± After Chase pulled away, he turned and smiled at me.

    ¡°Wee back home, sister-inw,¡± He smiled at me widely, and I just forced a smile. Furthermore, he drove us home from the airport and I couldn¡¯t deny that it felt so good to be back into this penthouse.

    I slumped on the bed tiredly as soon as I walked into our room, but just then, my phone beeped and I checked to see that it was a text from that bastard.

    ¡®It¡¯s good to have you back in LA. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a sweet memory together here. Let¡¯s meet and talk tomorrow. I¡¯ll send you the address tomorrow¡¯ my heart skipped when I read through the text. Meeting him again was something I didn¡¯t want to happen, but it turned out that it wasn¡¯t something I had control over.

    I heard Connor¡¯s footsteps from outside so I quickly wiped the message and dropped my phone on the bed.

    ¡°Babe¡­ Are you ok?¡± He asked me when he walked into the room.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Do I look not?¡± I asked him in return because I tried to act like nothing happened.

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to be left alone, Connor,¡± I cut him off and his face dropped disappointedly. I didn¡¯t give him an audience to say anything before I stood up and strode into the bathroom, mming the door hard behind me.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed under my breath and ran my fingers through my hair as I paced inside the bathroom. I needed to find a solution to this as soon as possible because I couldn¡¯t continue to treat Connor in that manner when he did nothing to me.

    ¡°Be a woman and face him. Tell him you are not interested in this emotional ckmail. You can¡¯t continue to do what he wants while hurting your man,¡± I said to myself, making up my mind to own up to this and do the right thing¡­

    ****

    My heartbeat increased rapidly as the time to meet up with him approached. Connor had left home earlier to go see his friend so I had all the time in the world to myself.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It was finally time to leave the house, so I got dressed and left my room and as I descended the staircase, I saw Chase in the living room.

    ¡°Are you going out, Janice?¡± He asked after he gave me a long confusing stare which I was expecting. It was already past 8pm.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± I replied to him, and he scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯ste, I hope you know that?¡± He reminded me as if I didn¡¯t see that it was.

    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± I replied to him and strode out of the house even though he tried to stop me. I drove one of the cars at the parking lot and after what seemed like forever, I arrived at the bar where he had asked us to meet.

    ¡°Calm down and do the right thing, Janice,¡± I said to myself after I stepped out of the car once I was parked at the parking lot of the bar. I sauntered toward the entrance door and the security guard allowed me in as soon as they saw me but stopped the person that was going to walk in after me. It seemed odd to me because I was supposed to be questioned before I walked in, but regardless, I proceeded into the bar. I was stunned when I saw that the bar was empty with no single soul around here, just the horrible smell of alcohol and cigarettes, and the slow intense music I could barely hear if not that I was sure that it wasing from the bar.

    ¡°Are you here to see Mr. Jason?¡± My soul almost jumped out of my body when a deep voice spoke behind me, and I turned swiftly, but I collided with a hard surface which turned out to be the chest of the huge man that was towering over me. It was then I realized that the entrance door of the bar was already closed and I was trapped in here. Did I make a mistakeing here in the first ce? I asked myself even though I was sure that this was a bad idea.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡­¡± I paused and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat while I thought of what to say to this man I couldn¡¯t even see his face. I was still trying to figure out what to say to him when I heard his familiar voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scare her, viper¡­¡± I turned sharply to find him walking toward me with a smirk dancing at the corner of his lip. He had a ck patch covering his left eye just like the day I saw him. He hasn¡¯t changed a bit from the way he was when Ist saw him before he popped out of nowhere days ago. He was still the same person, but there was a dark aura surrounding him. For some reason, I felt like something had changed within him even though his physical self was intact.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have you back here, wife. Did you miss me?¡± He widened his arms, ready to wee me with a warm hug, but I stepped away from him fearfully.

    ¡°Ca¡­ rl¡­¡± His name escaped my mouth but in a whisper that I could barely hear myself talk, but his eyes darkened and a deep frown settled on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that again. I¡¯m Jason now,¡± His voice was so cold and the murderous re he gave me made my heart leave my chest for a moment. I know you are thinking the same thing, and yes, it¡¯s what you are thinking. The person standing in front of me was Carl Hughes, Connor¡¯s dead brother, and the person that had been tormenting me for the past few days. He was supposed to be dead, right? Well, that¡¯s what I thought too. I was terrified too when I saw him that day thinking I¡¯d seen a ghost, but it seemed like we were all fooled. Carl was never dead. He was alive, hale, and hearty¡­

 Chapter 75

    Janice POV

    ¡°What would you like to have? You can order anything. Bills on me,¡± I watched as he puffed smoke from his mouth. The Carl I used to know was not a smoker, but now he was. He reclined on the chair, his eyes not leaving me as though he was monitoring me with his gaze.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m not here to eat. What do you want from me, Carl?¡± I asked him even though he already warned me to stop calling him that. Well, you weren¡¯t expecting me to start calling him the name I didn¡¯t know him by, right?

    ¡°I told you to stop calling me that, wife¡­¡±

    ¡°Point of correction, Carl. We were never married, so you can¡¯t call me that,¡± I cut him off, and he took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Silence assumed the atmosphere for the next few minutes and I wondered what he was thinking. I had many questions to ask him. What happened that day? Howe he was alive? Where he had been all this while, and how he turned out like this. I was curious to know the answers to my questions, but now wasn¡¯t the time to start questioning him.

    ¡°What do you want from me, Carl?¡± I asked again, and he finally opened his eyes. He puts out the light of the cigarette as he drops it on the ashtray on the small table demarcating us.

    ¡°I want us to get married. We need to start from where we stopped. We were going to get married if not for that bastard that messed everything up. I¡¯m here now¡­ Let¡¯s get back together,¡± He stated with a look on his face that showed he was dead serious about this.

    ¡°Ma¡­ married? Are you for real?¡± I scoffed unbelievably because this was thest thing he should think would ever be possible. No way I was ever going to allow that. Not while I was still breathing, anyway.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep threatening me, Carl. This is not right. You disappeared all of a sudden, made everyone think you were dead and all you could think of was pop out of nowhere and ask us to get married? Who does that?¡± I was forced to speak up because this didn¡¯t make any sense to me. I knew being here was dangerous, he could harm me, especially with the way I was talking to him, but still, I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Do you know how broken your family was? You were alive all this while and you think it was fine to hide and¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about family, Janice. Don¡¯t you dare!¡± He yelled at the top of his voice as he mmed his hands on the table and leaned forward as though he was going to pounce on me, and I couldn¡¯t deny that fear gripped me at that moment, but I tried to be strong. I needed to stand up for myself, I needed to stop being weak and falling for his trick because I was sure it was never going to end well.

    ¡°They did this to me! Those people I called family did this to me. Do you still think they are worthy of being called my family?¡±

    ¡°At least your parents cared about you¡­¡±

    ¡°And you think I care about that? They couldn¡¯t protect me. They failed as parents, do you still want me to think of them as a family? To me, they are all dead. They died the day I lost my sight! They were all dead to me when my so-called parents couldn¡¯t protect me!¡± He yelled at me with pain resounding in his voice and written all over him.

    ¡°They made me lose everything¡­ And because of that bastard, I lost you too, but that is going to be reversed because I¡¯m back now, and we are getting back together,¡± He said with finality in his voice, and I scoffed unbelievably. Yes, he had been through a lot, his story was enough to pity him, but not to the point of getting married to him.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°I love you, Janice¡­ I love you with everything in me. I swear I really do, and you knew it. I was going to fight for us, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I never loved you, Carl¡­ You were thest person on earth I was ever going to have feelings for¡­¡± I shook my head, and his face dropped disappointedly.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what do you mean?¡± He stuttered, his eyes piercing into mine, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°The only reason I agreed to marry you then was because of your money and not that I ever loved you. I only wanted your money, and¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We were still going to work out even at that. We were still going to be the best couples ever if he had not messed things up,¡± He held my hand and squeezed it gently.

    ¡°No, Carl. You need to stop this, OK? We really can¡¯t work out together. I¡¯m with your brother now,¡± His eyes darkened and he scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I love him. I love Connor, and¡­¡± My words were cut in my mouth and my eyes sparked with the hot p that justnded across my cheek, sending me from the chair I was seated on.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Say that again, and I¡¯m going to blow off your skull this minute, Janice,¡± He pulled out a pistol from the coat he was wearing then walked over to where I was lying helplessly on the floor and squatted in front of me.

    ¡°Ca¡­ Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°How dare you say those crappy words to me. You can¡¯t call that bastard¡¯s name where I am, how dare you tell me that you love him? You really want to die, don¡¯t you?¡± He barked at me, and I flinched fearfully. Tears brimmed in my eyes and trickled down my cheeks immediately. With the gun pointing directly at me, my heart thumped hard against my chest as fear gripped me. I wasn¡¯t ready to die. I still have family to take care of. My parents and brother are depending on me for survival, I didn¡¯t have a child yet so I can¡¯t die, please.

    ¡°Yo¡­ you have to put the gun away, please¡­¡± I pleaded with him as more tears streamed down my cheeks, but he grabbed my hair and pulled it aggressively, forcing a wince off my lips.

    ¡°You are hurting me, Carl¡­ Please let go of me,¡±ing here was the biggest mistake I ever made, but begging him when it didn¡¯t seem like he was ever going to listen to me was the most stupid decision I ever made.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to hurt you, but you are going to leave me with no choice if you dare speak about loving him again, Janice. I¡¯m going to really kill you if you dare mention that bastard¡¯s name ever again!¡± His ear-piercing yell made me almost lose my eardrum.

    ¡°Now, listen to me, Janice. You are going to do as I said henceforth,¡± With the gun held to my head, he ordered me and I could only nod my head affirmatively because I wasn¡¯t ready to die.

    ¡°Now, you are going to go home, get your things, and move out of that house first thing tomorrow morning,¡± He said between gritted teeth, his fingers tightening around my hair every single second. It felt like he was trying to pull it off my scalp and I didn¡¯t even dare scream for fear of being shot dead.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell him or anyone about me, and if you do, I¡¯m going to kill you, I promise. Do you understand?¡± I quickly nodded and he finally let go of my hair and stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sending one of my men toe and pick you up tomorrow to your new apartment. Don¡¯t mess things up if you don¡¯t want to swim in your own blood tomorrow,¡± He stated sternly and finally walked away, leaving me on the ground.

    My hand trembled as I touched my broken lip, tears streamed down my cheeks. How did I get into this mess? How did all this start in the first ce? I asked myself, but I guess it wasn¡¯t the time to be worried about that now. If I wanted to live, then I needed to do whatever he asked me to do¡­

 Chapter 76

    Janice POV

    My vision was blurry, my eyes were covered with tears that wouldn¡¯t stoping no matter how much I tried to stop them. My legs felt so weak that they could barely carry me, but still, I managed to walk to the spot where I parked earlier. I helped myself into the car and drove off the premises.

    My heart was burdened, it felt like the weight of the whole world was being ced on my shoulders, but one thing I knew was that I needed to get home no matter what. My life was already messed up yet I couldn¡¯t die. My parents and brother were going to live the rest of their lives in pain if anything should happen to me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    It¡¯s as if Mom knew that I was in pain because my phone started to ring at that moment and when I checked it, I saw Mom¡¯s name disyed on the screen. I pulled over at the side of the road then reached for the phone and slid the answer button.

    ¡°Janice, dear,¡± Her sweet and ever-calming voice sounded from the other end, and as if it triggered my pain, more tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted to be in her arms while she embraced me and gave me thefort and warmth I needed at that moment, I needed to lean on her shoulder and cry on her, but I couldn¡¯t do it. I needed to be strong because I didn¡¯t want to break my family. I didn¡¯t want the poor woman to be worried about me.

    ¡°Mom,¡± I tried to sound normal like nothing happened.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much. How have you been?¡± She asked, and I shut my eyes as I rested my head on the headrest.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fine, Mom. I want to disappear. I just want to get out of here. He is going to kill me, Mom,¡± I needed to say those words to feel better, yet I had to take all the pain alone and pretend everything was fine while I was dying and bleeding inside.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± I managed to reply to her.

    ¡°How is Dad? What about Jeff?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°They are all fine. When are youing over to say hi to us? It has been a while,¡± Mom sounded like she was really missing me.

    ¡°Soon, Mom¡­ I¡¯ming there soon,¡± I replied to her although I wasn¡¯t sure when would the ¡®soon¡¯ be. Who knows, maybe I may never get to see them again because I might not make it out of Carl¡¯s den alive.

    ¡°Let me know when you areing, dear. I¡¯m going to make your favorite food,¡± Those words made my heart wrenched painfully, and more tears streamed down my cheeks. The call finally ended after a few minutes and I tossed my phone on the seat beside me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Janice. You can take it all¡­ Everything is going to be fine,¡± I tried to assure myself even though I was sure that it was just a fake assurance that held no potential or power, rather. Everything was never going to be fine. Not with the monster Carl had turned into now.

    My phone started to ring but I ignored the call when I saw that it was from Connor. He must be really worried about me, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to him.

    My phone beeped after the call ended and I picked it up.

    ¡®Where are you, babe? Why are you not answering my calls?¡¯ I read the text but dropped the phone back on the seat. Going home was thest thing on my mind, so I just drove to the hotel and checked in for the night. I needed some time alone to process everything and figure out what to do about this.

    I slumped on the as soon as I walked into therge room that was assigned to me by the receptionist at the hotel. Staring up at the white ceiling, the only thing I could wish for was for everything to turn out to be a dream.

    ¡°Should I run away?¡± I mumbled as I sat up on the bed, but my phone beeped and I hesitantly checked it, but I gasped when I saw the text from Carl.

    ¡®Don¡¯t think something stupid. You¡¯ll be doing yourself and Connor a big harm if you ever think of escaping from me¡¯ I dismissed the thoughts immediately after I read through the text.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away¡­ I won¡¯t try to escape,¡± I muttered as I threw my phone on the bed and sank my fingers into my hair. It suddenly felt like I was losing my mind.

    Brushing my thoughts off, I stood up from the bed and dragged myself into the bathroom where I had a long and rxing bath in a bid to help me feel better, but in the end, it turned out that I only wasted my time. It didn¡¯t help.

    My phone¡¯s screen light was on when I walked back into the room and I checked to see five missed calls and eight texts from Connor, and four missed calls and three texts from his brother, Chase. I felt guilty knowing that they were going to be worried about me, but there was also no point calling them back since I would be ending things with him tomorrow. I didn¡¯t want this to happen, but Carl left me with no choice. He meant business. He would not only kill me, but Connor too if I was going to be stubborn.

    I grabbed my phone then switched it off and dropped it back on the bed.

    Iy on the bed, trying to force myself to sleep but it didn¡¯t work, so I ended up staying up almost all night. It was almost 4am before I finally fell asleep.

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been asleep, but the sound of my ringing phone pulled me out of my deep sleep and the bright sun prated my eyes when I forced my eyes open.

    Izily reached for the phone and swiped the answer button without bothering to check who the caller was.

    ¡°Have you packed up your things? One of my men ising over to pick you up in two hours,¡± I snapped my eyes open when I heard Carl¡¯s cold voice. I quickly sat up on the bed and checked the time. It was past 10am. Wait! Didn¡¯t I switch off my phone before I went to sleep yesterday?

    ¡°Maybe I thought I did,¡± My subconscious reminded me, and I sighed, rubbing my fingers gently on my forehead frustratingly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep him waiting,¡± I was still silent, but he said again and the call disconnected immediately.

    I hurried out of bed immediately, put on my clothes, and dashed out of the room. I left the hotel after I dropped the pass card at the reception. The ride back home began¡­

 Chapter 77

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when she was leaving? This would¡¯ve been avoided if you had called me. What if something happened to her over there?¡± Connor yelled at Chase angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to stop her, but¡­¡±

    ¡°That is why you have a car. You should¡¯ve followed her or called me immediately. How could you allow her to leave just like that?¡± Connor tried to lower his voice this time because it was partially not Chase¡¯s fault. Janice was an adult too and Chase couldn¡¯t have treated her like a kid by questioning her whereabouts.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you. I¡¯m just¡­ confused,¡± Connor apologized to Chase as he crashed against the couch in the living room and ran his fingers through his hair frustratingly. He hasn¡¯t gotten a good sleep since the previous day that Janice has been missing. How was he supposed to be at rest when his woman was missing?

    ¡°We should report to the police. I think they¡¯ll be able to help,¡± Chase suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s not yet twenty-four hours, so that won¡¯t work. I¡¯ve tried to look for her everywhere, but to no avail. I¡¯ve checked to be sure there wasn¡¯t any case of ident she was probably involved in, but there was nothing,¡± Connor further uttered frustratingly.

    ¡°What do we do? Have you tried to track her location?¡± Chase asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s turned off. I can¡¯t ess her location,¡± Connor uttered amid sighs. Why was Janice being like this? She had been acting weird, but this was out of it. What exactly was going on? Connor tried to figure things out, but his thoughts kept falling apart and in the end, he wasn¡¯t able toe up with anything.

    ¡°What do you think we should¡­¡± Chase¡¯s voice trailed off when they heard the sound of a car driving in from outside.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s her,¡± Connor didn¡¯t wait for him to finish his statement before he rose to his feet and advanced toward the door. He dashed out of the house and stopped when he saw Janice step out of the car. A part of him felt relieved to finally see her, but there was another part of him that was burning in rage when he recalled what she made him pass through for the past few hours since she had been missing. Regardless, he walked up to her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly like she was going to run away again if he went easy on her.

    Janice just stared into space nkly, too weak to even hug him back. How could he still be like this when he was supposed to be mad at her for everything she had been doing? Why was he so cool with everything she did? She asked herself but couldn¡¯t find answers to her questions.

    ¡°Are you ok? Did something happen? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Her thoughts were disrupted when he pulled away from her and asked worriedly while holding her shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She replied to him bluntly, and he sighed in relief. He wasn¡¯t a fool not to be mad at her, but her safety mattered more to him than his anger. He needed to make sure she was fine first before venting out. That is what a real man would do, and he wasn¡¯t an exception.

    ¡°What happened, babe? Where have you been? Wait! Is that a bruise on your lip? What happened to you?¡± He cupped her cheeks in his palms and examined her face, but she stepped away from him and yanked his hand off.

    ¡°Wh¡­ What are you doing?¡± He scoffed confusingly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break up, Connor,¡± She looked him dead in the eyes and uttered.

    For the next two minutes, Connor stared back at her confusingly, trying to process what she just said. He was sure he heard her right but still, he tried to convince himself that he must¡¯ve misheard her. No way she actually said that, right?

    He was still trying to process everything, but she walked past him and proceeded into the building.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Babe¡­ Wait¡­¡± He called after her as he followed her into the living room.

    ¡°What do you mean we should break up?¡± He held her hand and pulled her back when they got into the living room.

    ¡°What part of it do you not understand? I told you to let¡¯s break up. I¡¯m sure I spoke in thenguage you understand very well, right?¡± It took her so much courage to look him in the eyes and say those words to him when she was burning deep inside her.

    ¡°Why?¡± Was the only question Connor could ask, or the only thing he coulde up with.

    ¡°Do I need to exin to you why I want to break up? Well, I¡¯m no more interested in this rtionship. I¡¯m done,¡± Just like that, she ended things with him and he scoffed.

    ¡°This has to be the craziest shit I¡¯ve ever¡­ You left the house yesterday, kept me awake all night, worried about you, and all you can say as soon as youe back is that you want to break up?¡± He scoffed again and bit his bottom lip.

    ¡°You think you don¡¯t have to exin to me what happened, why you left the house, where you went to, how you got that bruise on your mouth, where you passed the night, and why you are justing home?¡± He hated the fact that he still cared so much about her bruise even in this situation, but he loved her so much that he couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°You are just going to tell me you want to break up?¡± He huffed and then ran his fingers through his hair. It felt like he was losing his mind. Janice was obviously making him lose his mind and it was hard to bear.

    ¡°I¡¯m in love with someone else, Connor. I don¡¯t want to be with you anymore¡­ I¡­ I thought I loved you, but I was mistaken¡­ I found the one¡­ I¡¯ve found him,¡± Even she was wondering how she managed to maintain a straight face while saying those words boldly to him like she meant all of it, but somehow, she saw where the courage wasing from. She needed to fight to survive, she needed to save her life, and that was enough courage for her.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± Connor¡¯s voice broke as he called her name. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out of it as his lips only trembled and closed back. His chest contracted so tight that he could barely breathe and started to hyperventte. His throat suddenly started to burn like a hot burning coal was kept in his lungs. He felt his blood heat until it started to boil in both rage and pain.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± The only thing he could do at that moment was calling her name without any other wordsing from him. He knew she loved him, he could swear on his life that she really did, but what was going on? What came over her?

    ¡°Yo¡­ you are lying to me, right?¡± He finally managed to say something, pushing his legs toward her, but she stepped away from him and shook her head, her face was void of emotions.

    ¡°I love you, and you know it¡­ You are lying to me, Janice¡­ It¡¯s written all over you. What is this about? We can talk about it¡­ We can sort things out. We really don¡¯t have to break up. We can sort everything out,¡± He held her hand firmly in a way that she couldn¡¯t retract her hand even though she was trying hard to.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore, Connor. I don¡¯t want to be with you anymore. I¡¯m in love with someone else,¡± She felt her heart wrenched painfully, her eyes glistened with tears, but shedding a drop of tears in front of him was thest thing she would ever do. She needed to be strong.

    ¡°We can really sort everything out¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop making things harder than it is already. Don¡¯t try to stop me. My mind is already made up,¡± She finally yanked his hand off and walked away.

    Janice rushed into their room, mmed the door close then crashed against it and burst into tears. She whimpered silently, crying her eyes out, but the banging sound on the door made her stop.

    ¡°Open the door, babe¡­ Let¡¯s talk things out. I don¡¯t want to lose you,¡± Connor pleaded with her from outside, but she ignored him and proceeded to pack her things.

    Done packing everything that belonged to her inside the room, she pulled the door open to leave but Connor was right outside the room waiting for her.

    ¡°Babe¡­ We can talk about this,¡± Connor went on his knees and pleaded with her with tears in his eyes, but she ignored all of it and walked away, not even sparing him another nce, breaking him just the way Carl wanted it.

    She dragged her suitcase down the stairs but she stopped when she got to the living room and saw Chase.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, sister-inw?¡± Chase asked, pained, but Janice walked out on him wordlessly.

    Her phone beeped just before she got to the exit door, and a text from Carl popped on the screen.

    ¡®He is waiting for you. Don¡¯t keep him waiting¡¯ Her heart sank into her stomach as she read through the text. She nced back at Chase one more time before she finally walked out of the house, closing the door behind her. She said herst goodbye to the house and walked out of thepound. She hopped inside the ck jeep parked outside the gate, and the ride began. She had just broken the man she ever loved all her life, the man who loved her with everything in him, but if it was to save his life and hers, then she didn¡¯t have any regret although it was painful¡­

 Chapter 78

    ire POV

    It¡¯s been over one week since I left Khan¡¯s house that day, and guess what? He hasn¡¯t called me since then after he was sure that I moved back in with my parents. It¡¯s been killing me slowly, especially whenever I thought about the sex I had with him, but then, it was all my fault. I mean, I seduced him, so I shouldn¡¯t have expected less from him.

    It was a Friday night and myst day of being in this house for a while because I would be starting college on Monday, so I needed to leave tomorrow for my school which was in California.

    ¡°Are you done packing your things?¡± Mom walked into my room and asked, but I shook my head.

    ¡°Not yet, Mom,¡± I replied to her as she say beside me on the bed, and she rolled he eyes.

    ¡°What am I going to do with you? You are such azy ass. You were waiting for me toe help you do it, right?¡± She scoffed as she reached for my clothes which were on the bed, and started to fold them one after the other.

    ¡°Are you ok? You don¡¯t look fine,¡± Her voice brought me out of my trance, and I nced at her at her.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied to her, but deep inside me, I wasn¡¯t fine. I wanted to see Khan even though he might not want to see me. I needed to be sure of his feelings for me. Who knows, maybe he had a little bit of feelings for me. I had no idea why I was thinking that, but a part of me believed he would.

    ¡°Are you sure? You know you can talk to me, right?¡± Mom held my hand and spoke to me calmly, but talking to her about it was thest thing I would do. Yes, I was already an adult, old enough to handle a rtionship or be in love, but with my brother¡¯s best friend? Mom won¡¯t be in support of it, and I didn¡¯t want anyone that would jinx things for me.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, Mom¡­¡± I forced a smile and she gave me a long unconvinced stare before she shrugged and continued to fold my clothes for me.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Mom¡­ Can I go out for a moment? I want to take a walk in the garden and get fresh air,¡± I asked after a long silence, and she nodded.

    ¡°Of course, you can do that. I will help you fold your clothes and arrange your things too,¡± I could barely wait for her to finish her words before I dashed out of the room after I picked up my phone.

    I walked briskly down the walkway and when I got to the staircase, I descended it as fast as my legs could carry me. I was d my Dad wasn¡¯t in the living room, so leaving the house was easier than I thought.

    ¡°Is it worth it?¡± I stopped once I stepped out of the house, and asked myself. Going out thiste to see the person that probably doesn¡¯t give a damn about me. Is it worth it? I asked myself, but regardless, I needed to ask him this question on my mind and also say myst goodbye to him before I left for school tomorrow.

    Taking my car was thest thing on my mind, so I just dashed out of the house and ordered an Uber which arrived in less than five minutes, and the ride to his apartment began.

    ¡°We are here,¡± The Uber driver announced as he pulled over in front of Khan¡¯s mansion about twenty-five minutester, and I quickly stepped out of the car.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said to the Uber driver since he would be taking me back home, and I proceeded into Khan¡¯spound. Strangely, his gate wasn¡¯t locked, but it was luck for me. My heart skipped when I got into hispound and found his car parked at the garage.

    My heart thumped heavily with every step I took and when I finally got to the entrance door, I pressed the doorbell but got no answer.

    ¡°Is he not home yet?¡± I mumbled, but his car being in the parking lot was the answer I needed. He was around probably inside.

    His passcode was his birthday and since I already knew it during the time I was here, I just inputted it and the door unlocked. I pushed it open and walked inside subconsciously, but I regretted evering here immediately because of the horrible sight that weed me when I walked inside. Khan was right there in his living room, making out with a woman.

    My jaw dropped to the ground and my heart wrenched painfully as I stared in shock, not knowing how to react to this. Whether I should scream or burst into tears.

    They were so engrossed in the shit they were doing that none of them noticed that I¡¯d been standing.

    ¡°Khan!¡± Tears streamed down my cheeks as I yelled his name, and he flinched, pulling away from the woman almost immediately.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I could swear that I heard him curse under his breath as he adjusted his trousers and stood up to his feet. The budge in his trousers was something I didn¡¯t fail to notice.

    ¡°ire¡­ Wh¡­ what are you doing here?¡± He stuttered as he turned to face me with shock and guilt written on his face.

    ¡°Fuck! Who is this?¡± Thedy she was making out with, asked as she red at me.

    ¡°Get out of my house this minute. I don¡¯t want toe back here and meet you,¡± I heard him say to thedy as I walked out of his house and mmed the door behind me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    More tears streamed down my cheeks as I scurried toward the gate. Now I understood why my brother had warned me severally to stay away from him, now it urred to me that Connor had just been trying to protect me from his friend who was going to break my heart. Why the fuck did I fall for someone like him of all people? Why did it have to be him?

    ¡°ire, wait up, please¡­ Listen to me,¡± He called my name as his footsteps drew close behind me, but I didn¡¯t stop to look at him. However, he held my hand and pulled me back just before I reached the gate.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I yanked his hand off and looked at him with disgust.

    ¡°Why are you here thiste? Are your parents not home again?¡± Here I was, thinking he was going to apologize to me for what he did, but I was mistaken. I guess I expected too much. Why should I even expect an apology from him when there was nothing special between us? For fuck¡¯s sake, he never asked me out, he told me that I was still a kid and not his kind of woman, I was the one that seduced him and he had sex with me, so what fucking right do I have to be mad at him and expect an apology from him? I guess I was just being delusional.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Nothing¡­ I¡¯m sorry for barging into you like that. I just came to¡­ Uhm¡­ I forgot something here, so I came to get it,¡± I lied to him, and he stared at me for a few seconds.

    ¡°Oh, alright. You shoulde in and get it then. You don¡¯t have to leave,¡± He said to me, but I quickly shook my head.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle back for it tomorrow,¡± I said to him and without waiting for another second, I dashed out of his house and went to hop in the backseat of the cab that was still waiting for me.

    ¡°Are you ok, miss?¡± The driver asked me as I broke down in tears.

    ¡°Get me out of here, please,¡± I snapped at him, and he quickly started the car. There was still a little hope left in me before I got here, but it seemed like I¡¯d been delusional. I was only holding on to nothing and making things in my head. I meant nothing to him. To him, I was just his best friend¡¯s sister and who knows, maybe a seductress too¡­

 Chapter 79

    Janice POV

    Locked inside the room for hours, my phone taken away from me, I could only cry my eyes out as I sat on the bed in therge room assigned to me, hugging my knees to myself. I felt like my life was a ticking-timed bomb waiting to explode.

    As the thought of Connor shed through my mind, I shut my eyes and allowed my tears to fall freely down my cheeks. He must be broken after what I did to him, but if only he knew it was never my fault and I never meant for that to happen.

    My heart skipped a beat when I heard keys clicking from outside, and in the next few seconds, the doorknob twisted and the door opened. My heart almost left my chest when I saw that the person was Carl.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for not being here since. I had something to deal with,¡± He apologized to me as he walked inside the room and sat on the bed with a smile lingering on his face.

    ¡°Are you crying?¡± He asked then rolled his eyes and reached out his hand to touch me, but I flinched, so he took his hand away and sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scary, Janice. Can you stop making me feel like I am? I won¡¯t hurt you unless you push me to,¡± He smiled at me, but his smile onlysted for a few seconds and it disappeared after.

    He looked over to the center table where the food I was served earlier was still left untouched.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you touch your food? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± He turned to me and asked, but I turned my face away, and he sighed again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself. I don¡¯t tolerate that here,¡± His face went cold and fear gripped me.

    He snickered as he stared at me.

    ¡°You needed to see the look on your face just now. You looked so scared. I was only ying with you. I¡¯m not going to harm you,¡± He rolled his eyes. He then reached for the strands of hair on my forehead and tucked it behind my ear.

    ¡°You look pretty, my love. How much I¡¯ve missed this face so much. Just how much I¡¯ve waited long for this day¡­ To look at that pretty face again and have you in my arms again. I¡¯m d my dream came true,¡± He hushed as he cupped my cheek in his palm, and even though his hand was making my skin crawl, I was scared of pulling away from him.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We can finally be together now, don¡¯t you think so, hmm?¡± He hushed again, smiling like he¡¯d just won a lottery.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I feed you, hmm?¡± He asked, then stood up and went to get the food that was brought for me earlier.

    ¡°Oops! The food is cold. I will go warm it and bring it back for you. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± He stroked my hair, then leaned forward and kissed my forehead and all I could do was stare in disgust. You weren¡¯t expecting me to try to resist knowing he could kill me, right?

    He left the room, and I released the breath I¡¯d been holding unknowingly.

    I stared into space, my body trembled nervously. If only I could escape this torture, if only I could get away from this monster from the pit of hell, but I didn¡¯t think it was ever going to be possible.

    I thought he was going to send his maid to deliver the food to me, but I was stunned when he came back himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting. Come on, it¡¯s time to eat,¡± He sat in front of me on the bed and dropped the tray of food on the bed.

    ¡°I can ask the maid to make something else if you don¡¯t like it,¡± He uttered as he took the spoon then scooped some pasta and took it to my mouth. I quickly opened up and took the food.

    ¡°I know you never loved me, but did you ever at least feel pity for me?¡± He asked out of the blue moon, pain resounding in his voice as he avoided my gaze.

    ¡°Did you ever feel like I was treated unfairly even though I was wrong? Or did you think I deserved everything that was done to me?¡± He further asked and scoffed.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve been confused¡­ Or maybe curious to know what happened, right? How it all started, what caused it, and why we couldn¡¯t sort things out even after eight years¡­¡± He huffed and I could swear that a drop of tears just slid down his cheek and down to his hand.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°I hate everyone¡­ My parents¡­ Connor, Chase, ire¡­ I hate all of them. I hate them for not settling things between me and Connor. Maybe that would¡¯ve been avoided if they had done their best¡­¡± He paused and looked at me, his eye was red and glistening with tears.

    ¡°You are the only one I have now, Janice¡­¡± He paused then dropped the spoon he was holding, and cupped my cheeks in his palms.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you love me or not. You mustn¡¯t leave me. You are the only one I have now, so you must not leave, okay?¡± He stared into my eyes desperately and all I saw was pain. How much pain was he hiding behind his eye? Just how much pain has he embedded within him while pretending everything was fine?

    ¡°I really don¡¯t care how you feel about me. You need to stay by my side no matter what, ok?¡± He stated inly with finality in his voice, and I swallowed nothing.

    He finally let go of me and I had the space to breathe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get married, Janice,¡± He said after a long silence, and my eyes slowly narrowed in shock.

    ¡°Wh¡­ What!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce you to my family next week. Let¡¯s get married after that,¡± He stated, and I slowly shook my head.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that, Carl¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Tears streamed down my cheeks as I shook my head.

    ¡°We should invite the Hughes¡¯ family. It¡¯s really going to be fun, don¡¯t you think?¡± The corner of his lips slowly twitched into a smirk. A smirk thatsted for a few seconds before a deadly grin crept up his face¡­

 Chapter 80

    ¡°Are you going to keep being like this, Connor?¡± Chase asked as he walked into Connor¡¯s room and snatched the pack of cigarettes he was about to take out from. Connor¡¯s room was in a mess and littered with five cigarette butt. He was about to go for the sixth stick when his brother walked inside just now.

    ¡°Give that back to me, Chase,¡± He rose up and reached for the pack of cigarettes, but Chase squeezed it and threw it on the floor.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Connor asked angrily.

    ¡°You are hurting yourself, Connor. I know you are pained, but trust me, this is not the best way to go about it. You are not doing the right thing¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do? I can¡¯t even reach her. I can¡¯t fucking reach her, so what do you want me to do?¡± Connor yelled at the top of his voice then ran his fingers through his hair frustratingly. He had been like this ever since Janice left him, and it only got worse with each day that passed by.

    ¡°You are not hurting just yourself, but¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you care, huh?¡±

    ¡°I fucking care, Connor. You are going to give yourself lung cancer at this point, and you think it¡¯s only you it¡¯s going to affect? Can you fucking pull yourself together and think of a solution instead of being like this?¡± Chase couldn¡¯t hold his anger anymore, so he burst.

    ¡°And you think I haven¡¯t fucking tried to? What do you want me to do? Her number is not going through. Her location is turned off, and I¡¯ve been trying to find her to no avail, what the fuck do you want me to do?¡± Connor yelled at his brother again, and Chase sighed briefly.

    ¡°Connor, I know you¡­¡± Chase was still talking when Connor walked out of the room and mmed it behind him.

    Connor walked inside the elevator which took him to the first floor of his penthouse, and when he stepped out of the elevator, he headed into the living room, but he stopped on his track at the sight that weed him. It was ire.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡± Tears streamed down ire¡¯s cheeks as she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly like her life depended on it.

    ¡°ire?¡± He called surprisingly as he returned the hug. It waste in the night, so what was she doing at his house by this time of the night?

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Connor. I¡¯ve missed you like crazy,¡± Tears streamed down ire¡¯s cheeks as she tightened her arms around his neck like she¡¯d never want to let go.

    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Connor stroked her hair and finally pulled away from her.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you ok? What are you doing here at this time of the night?¡± He held her shoulders and asked her as he looked at her keenly. It was past 9pm for fuck¡¯s sake.

    ¡°I just came to say hi to you. Where is Chase?¡± She replied to him, holding back herself from bursting into tears. She hade here from Khan¡¯s house since she didn¡¯t want to go cry at home so her parents wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.

    ¡°Are you ok? Did something happen? You don¡¯t look fine,¡± He cupped her cheeks in his palms and tried to convince her to talk, but she just forced a smile and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where is Chase and Janice?¡± She asked again, and his face dropped sadly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ire asked worriedly.

    ¡°Not really. Chase is inside. Janice left yesterday to see her family. She¡¯ll be back in a couple of days,¡± He replied to her, and she nodded.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Have you been smoking? Your mouth is a bit¡­¡± She paused then pulled stepped away from him and looked at him suspiciously.

    ¡°Are you sure nothing really happened?¡± She asked, pushing her problems aside.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m really fine¡­ Let¡¯s stop talking about me. Are you sleeping over?¡± He asked as he tucked his hands inside his pockets, doing his best to pretend everything was fine even though he was bleeding inside.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll be¡­¡± Her voice trailed off when her phone started to ring, and she sighed when she checked the caller.

    ¡°Mom is calling. I didn¡¯t tell anyone before I left the house. They must be looking for me,¡± She stated.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here. You shouldn¡¯t havee out at this time of the night. You are so clumsy,¡± He rolled his eyes, and she forced a smile.

    ¡°Connor¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving for college tomorrow. That¡¯s why I came here. I didn¡¯t want to leave without saying goodbye to you,¡± She said to him, and he smiled.

    ¡°Congrattions, baby girl. I¡¯m happy for you. Come here,¡± He held her hand and pulled her in for a warm embrace, his eyes glistening with tears as he hugged her tightly. This was the time he needed his family the most, but sadly, his parents had abandoned him and he was left all alone if not for his siblings.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m going to miss you,¡± She whispered.

    He disengaged from the hug then held her shoulders and smiled at him.

    ¡°Be a good girl, and don¡¯t do something stupid over there, okay?¡± He stated, and she nodded.

    ¡°Your school is nearby, so I will alwayse over to say hi, ok?¡± She nodded with an excited smile.

    ¡°I love you,¡± He kissed her hair and hugged her again.

    ire finally said goodbye to Chase too, and Connor followed her out of the penthouse.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home,¡± He offered as they walked out of the house.

    ¡°It¡¯ste. Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll just book Uber,¡± She quickly declined.

    ¡°Come on, get in the car. I¡¯ll drop you off. It¡¯s dangerous trusting you with some stranger Uber driver,¡± He insisted as he held her hand and led her to the parking lot.

    ¡°Thank you, and sorry for bothering you this night,¡± She apologized as she hopped inside the car, and he just forced a smile. He was going to step out of the house for fresh air if not that she came, anyway.

    Silence assumed the atmosphere as Connor drove down the driveway. It waste in the night, but the street light and vehicles passing made the night still young.

    ire rested her head on the window and stared outside, feeding her eyes with nothing while a lot of things were going on in her mind. Her eyes glistened with tears that she couldn¡¯t hold back and they ended up falling down her cheeks.

    ¡°You are a fool, ire. You are a shameless cheap slut,¡± She said to herself, disgusted by her actions and everything. Now she regretted everything. She shouldn¡¯t have seduced him in the first ce, but she did, anyway.

    Her phone beeped and she checked to see that it was a text from Khan.

    ¡®Did you get home safely?¡¯ she was expecting at least a call from him to make sure she got home safely. Well, that was fair enough. Maybe it would¡¯ve felt more horrible if he had not texted her.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Connor nced at her and asked, and she quickly nodded.

    ¡®Where the hell are you, ire? We¡¯ve been looking for you¡¯ A text from her Mom popped on the screen, and she sighed after she checked it.

    ¡°I think you should just find somewhere and drop me when we are close to the house. I don¡¯t want Mom and Dad to be mad at you,¡± She uttered after a few minutes of silence, and he nodded.

    Connor finally approached their house, and just when he was about to pull over, the street light went off, leaving the area in a state of darkness.

    ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed silently and sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it,¡± He assured her and drove toward theirpound, and when he arrived at the front of their gate, he stopped the car.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able toe to the airport tomorrow, but not to worry, I¡¯lle to check up on you soon, I promise,¡± He hugged her again before she alighted from the car.

    ¡°Where the hell are youing from?¡± She flinched when she stepped out of the car and saw her Mom standing in front of the gate.

    ¡°Mom?¡± She called surprisingly.

    ¡°Who the heck did you go to see? Who is that bastard?¡± Her Mom snapped at her angrily, and she bit her bottom lip.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worried about me, Mom. Come on, let¡¯s go inside¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving here until I see the bastard you went to see,¡± Her Mom insisted, raising her voice.

    ¡°I am the bastard she came to see, Mom,¡± Connor spoke up as he stepped out of the car, and Mrs. Hughes¡¯ jaw dropped to the ground, shocked¡­

 Chapter 81

    ¡®I told you to never show your face to me ever again! You are nothing but a disgrace to my family¡¯ Tears streamed down Connor¡¯s cheeks as he sped down the driveway recklessly without the fear of getting involved in an ident. Maybe dying would do him more good. Besides, he already lost everything. His family¡¯s love and his woman, so what was the point of living?

    The sound of his ringing phone caught his attention, so he pulled over at the side of the road and reached for the phone. He swiped the answer button when he saw that the caller was his best friend.

    ¡°Hey, man! How could you stand me up at thepany today? I told you I had things to deal with and yet you never showed up?¡± His friend¡¯s angry voice thundered from the other end.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°It hurts, Khan¡­ It hurts,¡± Those were the only words Connor could utter as he rested his head on the steering wheel and more tears streamed down his cheeks. He whimpered like a newborn abandoned by his parents, but the only difference was that he was an adult. He was abandoned by the people he loved the most.

    ¡°Connor? What the hell is wrong with you? Are you crying? Where are you?¡± Khan¡¯s voice sounded from the other end,ced with worries and concern, but Connor could only whimper. Words failed him.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Khan¡¯s voice sounded one more time before the call disconnected, and the phone slipped from Connor¡¯s hand. Why was all this happening to him? Why did this have to happen to him just when he thought he was getting his life back together?

    He wiped the tears in his eyes, clearing his vision before he started the car and drove off. He had no idea where he was headed, he had nowhere in mind, but he just wanted to leave. Stay alone in a ce or maybe lock himself up inside a room and cry his eyes out until there are no tears left in his eyes.

    He drove aimlessly down the road until he spotted a bar down the street, and without thinking straight, he slowed down and drove into the bar. He parked at the parking lot, stepped out of the car, and headed toward the entrance door, and the smell of alcohol and cigarettes weed him as he walked inside. The sound of buzzing music and the crowd of people cheering and dancing wasn¡¯t an exception.

    He schemed his way through the crowd and soon managed to get to the counter where the waiters were.

    ¡°One bottle of vodka,¡± He uttered subconsciously as he ced his card on the counter and pushed it forward to the waiter.

    ¡°One minute, Sir,¡± The waiter who was in his twenties, excused himself and left to get his order, and soon came back and served him.

    ¡°If I fall asleep here, just take me to your VIP room. Don¡¯t call anyone,¡± Connor said to the young man who stared at him for a few seconds before he nodded.

    ¡°Get me a pack of cigarettes and a lighter,¡± He said to the waiter and he went to get it for him immediately.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± He muttered and took the card from the waiter after he paid for the things he got. He slid his card back into his pocket. He took a stick of the cigarette then lit it, and began smoking it.

    Connor sat, feeding his eyes with the people dancing and he wished he was that lively. He was hoping watching them would make him feel better, but instead, he felt bitter. It felt like the whole world was against him.

    ¡®Have you gotten home now, brother? I¡¯m sorry about what happened. It was all my fault. Don¡¯t be sad about it¡¯ he read the text from ire that just popped on the screen of his phone, but he just scoffed and slid the phone back into his pocket.

    He felt his fingers hurting, so he looked down at his hand and realized that the cigarette he was holding had burned to the butt. He dropped it on the ashtray and lit another one.

    ¡°Excuse me, Sir. Do you need me to get you anything?¡± The waiter from earlier spoke to him, and of course, he understood what the young man was talking about, but was he in the mood for that? His mind was messed up and fucking any bitch now was thest thing he wanted.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± He replied to the waiter casually then turned his gaze away and gulped down the fifth ss of vodka.

    Barely five minutes after Connor took the sixth shot, he felt his head banging, his eyes spinning and everything started to spin. He rubbed his fingers on his eyes and winced silently. He wanted to get rid of his thoughts for some time with the vodka, and it worked because the only thing he could think of at that moment was alcohol and cigarettes.

    Even with the pain in his eyes and head, he still went ahead to pour himself another ss, and just when he was about to drink from it, someone snatched it from him and dropped the cup on the table.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing to yourself, man? Do you fucking want to die?¡± Even though he was drunk and was barely conscious of the things happening around him, he still recognized the voice as his best friend¡¯s, so he managed to raise his head to look at Khan, and a drop of tears slid down the corner of his cheek.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Khan cursed under his breath then ran his fingers through his head and sighed briefly.

    ¡°I want to die¡­ Yes, I fucking want to die,¡± He whispered and gagged as he tried to stand up from the chair, but he staggered and almost slumped on the ground if not that Khan was fast to get him¡­

    *****

    Connor woke up with his head banging hard, so he winced and held his forehead as he squeezed his face.

    He sat up on the bedzily and when he managed to look around, he realized that he was inside his room.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± He mumbled even though a part of him was sure he was in his room.

    Just then, the door opened and Khan walked inside.

    ¡°You are awake?¡±

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing here?¡± He groaned as he rubbed his fingers on his forehead, but Khan only rolled his eyes and dropped the teacup he was holding, on the center table in his room.

    ¡°Well, all thanks to you, I spent the night here. Anyway, I got you this. You should drink the tea to help you sober up,¡± Khan said to him as he went to sit on the sofa.

    ¡°How did I get here? Thest time I remember, I was at a¡­¡± He paused and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to remember what happened, but his head hurt so he gave up.

    ¡°You were at the bar. You drank a whole bottle of vodka and on the second one before I came to your rescue. Did you really desperately want to die?¡± Khan leaned forward and asked.

    ¡°I want to be left alone,¡± He said as he managed to stand up from the bed and staggered into the bathroom. He leaned over the WC after he dragged himself inside, and threw up inside. This time, he felt a bit relieved. He proceeded to wash his face, and when he was done, he went back into the room, only to still find Khan seated on the sofa. Not that he had expected less, anyway.

    ¡°I told you I wanted to be left alone,¡± He uttered as he reached for the teacup and drank the content to thest drop.

    ¡°Thanks for this,¡± He said to Khan casually as he walked over to his nightstand and pulled out the drawer. He took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing, Connor?¡± Khan shrieked.

    ¡°I told you I want to be left alone, Khan,¡± He replied to Khan casually as he took out a stick and lit it. He puffed smoke from his mouth as he held the cigarette in between his index and middle fingers.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing¡­¡±

    ¡°Out of my room, Khan,¡± He said calmly as he ran his fingers through his hair, and Khan knew best to leave him by himself for now.

    ¡°Damnit!¡± Connor cursed angrily once it was only him inside the room¡­

 Chapter 82

    ire POV

    I arrived in Californiate in the night, so I checked in at a hotel to spend the night and leave for my apartment tomorrow. My Dad told me that I¡¯ll be living with his friend¡¯s child for the next five years I¡¯ll be spending in school. I just hoped I would be able to cope with her.

    I had just stepped out of the bathroom after a long bath, and I met my phone screen switched on. I reached for it and s smileced up my lips when I saw a text from Chase.

    ¡®Hey, little sis. I hope you arrived in California early. Get as much rest as you can, and I¡¯m really missing you already. I love you, and I¡¯m rooting for you here¡¯ I rolled my eyes after I read through the text.

    ¡®Thank you¡¯ I replied to his text then tossed my phone on the bedside table and finally went to bed.

    Seconds ticked into minutes and soon an hour and although I was tired, I was finding it difficult to sleep. My mind was clouded with many thoughts, and when I said many thoughts, I guess you know who it¡¯s about. It¡¯s Khan.

    Subconsciously, I reached for my phone and scrolled through it, torn between calling him and holding myself back. Eventually, I dialed his number stupidly but it went through and he didn¡¯t answer my call. Shortly after the call disconnected, a text from him popped on the screen.

    ¡®Hey! I missed your call. I¡¯m busy and can¡¯t answer your call now¡¯ I sighed briefly, mad at myself for calling him in the first ce. Why the fuck couldn¡¯t I hold myself back? Why did I have to call him? Who knows, maybe he was in the arms of a woman and probably fucking her like his life depended on it. Who knows?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, ire. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Even though I tried to brace myself and pretend everything was fine, even though I tried hard to not be hurt, I couldn¡¯t still help it. It hurts no matter how much I try to avoid it.

    I tossed my phone on the nightstand after I turned the silent mode on, and I forced myself to go to bed.

    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been asleep, but the sound of the knock on the door pulled me out of my deep sleep, and I tossed on the bed tiredly. I quickly sat up on the bed when I opened my eyes and realized that it was morning already. No, it was actuallyte in the morning.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed as I threw the duvet off my body and reached for my phone and when I checked the time, it was past 10am and I was supposed to check out of the hotel by 10am.

    ¡°How did I sleep for so long?¡± I whined as I dropped my phone on the nightstand and hurried to get the door, knowing that it was the room attendant that hade to tell me it was time to leave. Just my assumption, anyway.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss,¡± The sweet smile of a youngdy in her twenties weed me as soon as I opened the door. She was actually the room attendant from the way she was dressed.

    ¡°Good morning. Uhm¡­ How may I help?¡± I askedzily and yawned as I scratched the back of my head.

    ¡°Someone is here to see you,¡± I raised my eyebrows and pulled a puzzled look because thest time I checked, I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone neither did I ask anyone toe check on me at the hotel.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked her confusingly, getting eaten by curiosity, and just then, a guy who seemed to have been waiting along the hallway showed up. 6¡¯0 tall, slim body like a model, blonde hair, oval-shaped face with a sharp jawline, full pink lips, brown eyes, long eyshes, thick eyebrows, and when he smiled, I realized he had two-sided dimples.

    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Christian,¡± He smiled at me, showing his set of white teeth as he extended his hand for a handshake, but I just stared at him confusingly because I couldn¡¯t recollect meeting him ever in my lifetime if I was not mistaken.

    ¡°Sorry, do I know you?¡± My question was a bit rude, I know, but I couldn¡¯t just shake hands with him like that when I barely knew who he was, right?

    ¡°My bad. I¡¯m Mr. Maxwell¡¯s son. My Dad told me that your Dad already let you know that we¡¯ll be housemates,¡± He introduced himself, and my jaw dropped. My Dad didn¡¯t tell me that I was going to be living with a guy. He only said his friend¡¯s child and I assumed it was ady. What the fuck!

    ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± I said to him, and he smiled at me again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry foring here. I¡¯ve been trying to reach you for hours but you weren¡¯t answering your calls, so the receptionist asked the room attendant to bring me here,¡± He exined to me, and I slowly nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up. Your Dad asked me toe pick you up,¡± He said to me politely, and I sighed. I didn¡¯t tell Dad that I couldn¡¯t get a cab here to take me to my apartment, right? And besides, why the heck do I have to live with this guy?

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Miss, it¡¯s time for your checkout. You are going to pay extra money if you spend extra time here,¡± The room attendant said to me politely.

    ¡°I¡¯ll settle that on our way out,¡± The Christian guy turned to thedy and said to her. She finally left and I sighed.

    ¡°You are going to have to wait for me at the parking lot of the hotel or just anywhere. I¡¯ll bathe and join you soon,¡± I said to him and without waiting for his reply, I closed the door on him and went back inside the room.

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± I shrieked and ran my fingers through my hair. Reaching for my phone, I woke the screen light and I almost cringed when I saw the tons of missed calls and text messages I had. Mom and Dad had called and texted me severally, Connor and Chase did too. I was expecting to see a call or text from Khan, but I ended up getting my face smashed in the mud with disappointment because I didn¡¯t get shit from him.

    I dialed Dad¡¯s number, and thankfully, he answered on the first ring.

    ¡°Goodness! I¡¯ve been calling you but you didn¡¯t answer. What the hell happened, dear?¡± Dad¡¯s worried voice sounded from the other end.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nothing, Dad. I just woke up. I had to put my phone on silent mode before I went to bed yesterday,¡± I exined to him as I slumped on the bed, rubbing my fingers gently on my forehead.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Your Mom has been worried sick about you and was about to go crazy. I should give her the phone,¡± He uttered.

    ¡°Not yet, Dad. I¡¯ll call herter. I¡¯m getting ready to leave the hotel I lodged. Dad, why didn¡¯t you tell me your friend¡¯s child was a guy and not ady?¡± I asked him, and I heard him scoff.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, dear. I knew you were not going to agree if I had told you¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly my point, Dad. I was never going to agree to something like that, because why should I? I mean, why would you do something like that?¡± I scoffed angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear. Let¡¯s talkter. We¡¯ll talk about it some other time,¡± He said and the call disconnected immediately even though I wasn¡¯t done talking.

    ¡°Ugh! So annoying,¡± I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone on the bed.

    After I was done bathing and getting ready, I left the room to join Christian outside the gate.

    ¡°I paid for the extra bill already. I¡¯ll help you with that,¡± He took my suitcases from me and kept them in the trunk of the car which I guess he owned.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± He smiled at me again, but I stared at him wordlessly. I was getting ufortable with the way he was smiling at me and it was making me think negative things. It better not be what I was thinking, anyway¡­

 83

    ire POV

    I sat in the backseat of Christian¡¯s car as he drove us to wherever our apartment was.

    ¡°How was the trip?¡± He asked, breaking the silence that had taken over the atmosphere, and I nodded.

    ¡°It was fine,¡± I replied to him bluntly, and I could bet he nced at me through the rearview mirror.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I heard him hum, but I didn¡¯t bother to look at him as I looked out through the window. I had so many things going on in my mind and getting distracted by him was thest thing I wanted.

    I had no idea how long we¡¯d been on the road, but the car stopped moving and I was forced toe back to reality, and I realized that we were in thepound of a beautiful bungalow mansion. My jaw dropped to the ground because there was no way this was a student house. I mean, it was too beautiful for students.

    ¡°We are here,¡± I was already out of the car before he said those words. He stepped out of the car too.

    ¡°It¡¯s my Dad¡¯s house here where hees for vacation. He rarelyes here, and since the house is kind of close to our school, he asked to stay here instead of the dormitory,¡± He exined to me like he read my mind.

    ¡°I got your bags. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± I was still checking the house out when he spoke behind me, and I turned to see him holding my suitcases. Of course, our house is bigger and prettier than this, I was just shocked because I wasn¡¯t expecting something like this.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± He muttered and led the way to the entrance door, and I was even more awed by the beauty and the setting of the living room.

    ¡°Have you been here for long?¡± I had to ask him because of how neat the house was.

    ¡°Hmm. Like four years now. I started my first year here,¡± He replied to me, and my eyes narrowed in shock.

    ¡°That¡¯s confusing. Are you in your finals now?¡± I had to ask him for rification.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m in my fourth year in school, and will be in my finals in the next two years,¡± He exined to me with a smile on his face, and I wondered how old he was to have been in that ss. Earlier before now, he looked like he was twenty-two or thereabout, but it seemed like I was missing something here.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked him, and he shrugged.

    ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± I blinked my eyes a few times confusingly when he told me his age, finding it hard to believe him. To start with, he didn¡¯t look like he was that old, and secondly, how could he still be in school at that age? He was supposed to have graduated.

    ¡°Twenty-seven?¡± I asked him to be sure I heard him right, and he shrugged.

    ¡°Yes. I already graduated with a first-ss degree in nursing, and came here for a five years course in medicine,¡± He exined to me, and I slowly nodded. Now it was making sense.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± I had to admit andmend him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°This way to your room,¡± He said and led the way to my supposed room while I followed him. He stopped in front of one of the rooms, pushed the door open, and we both walked inside. The room wasrge and designed to my taste. The theme of the room was pink, my favorite color, and I loved it so damn much.

    ¡°You are wee here,¡± He said to me for the first time, and I nodded.

    ¡°Do you need help unpacking your things?¡± He asked me, but I quickly shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied to him.

    ¡°Alright. Call me if you need anything,¡± He said and I nodded before he finally walked out of the room and left me to sort myself out.

    I took another admiring look around the beautiful room and I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I was in love with the room. I breathed out as I dragged my feet toward the queen-sized bed and slumped on it, then reached for my phone and scrolled through it. I had expected at least a text from Khan, but I was disappointed when I checked my phone and saw nothing. Maybe I should really let him be. Maybe I should just pretend nothing ever happened and just start a new life here while learning to get over him.

    I was about to drop my phone on the bed when it started to ring and I checked to see a strange number disyed on the screen.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± I mumbled as I tried to recall if I¡¯d seen the phone number before, but it didn¡¯t seem like I had, so I tossed my phone on the bed and went ahead to unpack my things.

    ¡°Who owned that number? Could it be him?¡± I stopped halfway into unpacking my things and asked myself, weighing every possibility that it was Khan, but why would he call me with a strange number? I asked myself.

    ¡°Should I call him back?¡± I mumbled as I reached for my phone, but I changed my mind almost immediately. He would call me back if he wanted to speak with me. With that conclusion, I tossed my phone on the bed and continued to unpack my things, and when I was finally done, I arranged them in the closet in my room and went to the bathroom to have a long and rxing bath.

    I paused when I walked back into my room minutester and found my phone screen on.

    ¡°What is wrong with it?¡± I muttered, almost inaudibly as I walked over to the bed while holding the towel wrapped around my chest tightly so it wouldn¡¯t fall off. When I checked the phone, I saw that it was a text from the number that had called me earlier. Anxiously, I sat on the bed and quickly opened the message, but I was confused when I read through the content of the text.

    ¡®You have still not changed. I thought you were going to answer the call when you barely knew who the caller was. I¡¯ll be in California in a few days. Let¡¯s meet and talk. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be d to meet me again¡¯

    ¡°Wh¡­ who is this?¡± I mumbled confusingly as I read through the text over and over again, trying to get a clue about who it might be from, but I couldn¡¯t think of anyone because there was no way this could be from Khan, so who the heck sent the text?

    I immediately dialed the number, but my mouth dropped open in shock when the number that texted me barely two minutes ago didn¡¯t go through again.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± I mumbled, staring at the screen of my phone¡­

 84

    Janice POV

    ¡°Are you going to keep me here forever, Carl? This is not fair!¡± I yelled at him angrily as soon as he stepped into the pit of hell that was supposed to be my room. I¡¯ve been here for five days and haven¡¯t stepped out of this room since then. I was only allowed to go to the living room and back to my room. I wasn¡¯t even allowed to see the light of the world, and guess what? My windows were fucking locked maybe because he didn¡¯t want me to escape through there.

    ¡°Why are you keeping me hostage, Carl?¡± Tears trickled down my cheeks as I yelled again, but he just leaned against the wall and stared at me with his one eye like I was ranting.

    ¡°You are going to hurt yourself if you keep yelling like that,¡± He said calmly as he brought out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. He then took out a stick, lit it, and started to smoke it.

    ¡°You are hurting me, Carl¡­ You are driving me crazy, and¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I love you, Janice¡­ Can¡¯t you fucking read the bold handwriting? I fucking love you. I want you, and I¡¯m going to do whatever it takes to have you all to myself!¡± He yelled at me then puffed some smoke from his mouth, and I scoffed.

    ¡°And you think it¡¯s going to work by doing this to me?¡± I huffed and ran my fingers through my hair frustratingly. It almost felt like I was about to lose my mind.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± He just shrugged, and I sighed.

    ¡°You had a call from¡­ What was the name again? Jeff, I think. Sorry, Jeff kiddo,¡± He uttered as he brought my phone out of his pocket and scrolled through it. Did I forget to add that he seized my phone and I never had ess to anyone since I¡¯ve been here?

    My eyes narrowed in shock as I rushed toward him to get the phone, but he shoved me off with his hand, sending me roughly to the ground.

    ¡°Are you ok? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you,¡± He rushed over to me and helped me up even when I tried to push him off.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean that,¡± He apologized as he sat me on the bed, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Can I have my phone now, Carl? You¡¯ve seized my phone for five fucking days. Are you not nning to give it back to me?¡± I demanded, but he shrugged.

    ¡°You never told me you had a brother or even parents. Howe you never mentioned it?¡± He stood up from the bed and went to sit on the sofa in the room, swinging his leg over the other while reclining on the sofa.

    ¡°He sounded nice, and your parents too,¡± My heart skipped a beat when he said that, and fear gripped me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Carl. Don¡¯t you dare touch my family,¡± I snapped at him like I could do anything to him if he ever decided to hurt them. I was just offering him empty threats and could never harm him.

    ¡°Why would I harm my soon-to-be inws?¡± He shrugged as he puffed smoke from his mouth, and I huffed.

    ¡°You are being delusional if you really think we are going to get married, Carl. I¡¯m never going to marry you. Never!¡± I yelled at him even though I knew that I was making a mistake being like that to him.

    ¡°Does it look like you have a choice?¡± He raised his eyebrows as he looked at me, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°We are getting married, and that is final. The decision is mine to make, and you don¡¯t get to tell me you are not going to marry me,¡± His eye darkened as he leaned forward, and I swallowed nothing. It felt like he could kill me anytime soon.

    ¡°Come on, baby¡­ You don¡¯t need to be so scared¡­ I¡¯m not going to harm you,¡± He rolled his eyes as he stood from the sofa and walked over to me, and I flinched.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be scared. We are going to get married, so stop being like this,¡± He finally came to sit beside me on the bed. My heart pounded hard against my chest as he reached for my face and cupped my cheek in his palm, and I held my breath. I felt my skin crawling disgustingly, the urge to p his hand off spurred through me, but I changed my mind when I saw the pistol in the holster attached to his ck trousers. I swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Come here,¡± He said huskily as his hand snaked its way around my neck, and he pulled me in.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you¡­¡± My voice trailed off when his lips crashed against mine.

    ¡°Let me go¡­¡± I struggled to break from the kiss, but he was way too strong so he forced his tongue inside my mouth, kissing me roughly like he¡¯d gone crazy.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I finally was able to push him off, and breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath, but a hot pnded across my cheek, and I yelped in pain as I help my cheek.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What was that? Do you want to die?¡± He rose to his feet pulled out his pistol and pointed it at me, and I flinched fearfully.

    ¡°If it¡¯s that bastard, will you push him away? How dare you do that?¡± He roared, still pointing the gun at me, and I could swear that my soul left my body. It felt like I was already in another world. In the world of the dead. My heart struggled to escape before he pulled the trigger, but there was no way for it.

    ¡°Ca¡­ rl¡­ Please¡­ don¡¯t¡­ do this¡­¡± Slowly, I shook my head as I drew back on the bed. My body trembled fearfully, my body suddenly became hot and sweaty.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± I pleaded with him, and he sighed.

    ¡°Get dressed. You are going shopping for the arrival of your family,¡± He uttered, and I froze on the bed.

    ¡°Hu¡­ huh?¡± I blinked my eyes a few times and itched my ear to make sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming or that I didn¡¯t hear him wrong, but I[ didn¡¯t seem like that. He really said that.

    ¡°My family?¡± I asked, and he shrugged.

    ¡°Yes, baby¡­¡± His lips slowly widened in a grin and like that, he crawled up the bed and leaned over me while I was pressing my back hard against the wall, hoping I could disappear inside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want your family here? I learned that it has been a while since you all have been together in the same ce. You should be grateful to me, don¡¯t you think? This is one of the best things I thought of doing for you,¡± He hushed as he tucked the strands of hair on my face behind my ear, and I swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Ca¡­ Carl¡­ Wh¡­ what are you up to?¡± I stuttered because I could sense a bad omen.

    ¡°Nothing. Just trying to get to know my soon-to-be wife¡¯s family. Is that a crime?¡± He shrugged as he put back the pistol into his holster. I sighed briefly in relief. I have been wondering what he does, how he was able to afford this kind of house, the guards here, everything. What work does he do now? Why did he have a gun? I¡¯ve been trying to figure all those out, but nothing was adding up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep Royce waiting,¡± He stated then stood up and walked out of my room, mming the door behind him. Royce was the ugly guy I saw back in Texas, and he turned out to be Carl¡¯s personal assistant.

    Tears trickled down my cheeks as I hugged my knees to my chest, my body trembling. For how long was this going tost for?

 85

    ¡°Are you going to continue like this, Connor? You are really not going to stop?¡± Chase¡¯s voice resonated in the room, filled with anger as he red down at Connor who didn¡¯t seem like he gave a damn. The ground was littered with cigarette ash and butts and he didn¡¯t seem like he was going to stop even though he was on the eighth stick.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Connor. You are driving me nuts and I can¡¯t take this shit anymore. Are you seriously going to be like this? You are going to get yourself killed at this rate,¡± Chase spoke again as he snatched the cigarette from him and threw it on the ground. He further matched on it, putting out the fire.

    ¡°Say something to me, Connor. You can¡¯t keep being like this,¡± Chase went to sit on the bed with him, but he stood wordlessly and walked out of the room without sparing Chase another nce, and he sighed.

    ¡°Where the hell do you think you are going, Connor?¡± He sighed when he stepped out of the house and found Khan standing in front of his room like a guard.

    ¡°Get out of my way, Khan. I need to go out¡­¡±

    ¡°Go out to do what? Smoke your life away or drink your fucking self to stupor all in the name of clearing your head? Are you for real, Connor?¡± Khan blocked his way and spoke angrily.

    ¡°That¡¯s not your business¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is my business. You are my friend for fuck¡¯s sake. My best friend, the only family I have. At least if you don¡¯t give a damn about your life, you should think about the people around me¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody around me! Everyone abandoned me. My parents, my girl¡­¡±

    ¡°What about us? What about me and your brother? What about ire that¡¯s going to go crazy if something should happen to you?¡± Khan yelled at him, and he breathed in deeply and out.

    ¡°Out of my way, Khan¡­¡±

    ¡°You would have to force me away, young man. No way I¡¯m letting you out of this house to go mess yourself up. It¡¯s not going to work,¡± Khan said to him, and he sighed.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± He groaned frustratingly as he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I just want to leave this ce¡­ I just want to get the fuck out of this house and breath¡­¡±

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel suffocated here. I need a breathing space¡­ I need a ce to clear my head,¡± He uttered with a sense of frustration in his voice as he crashed against the wall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mall, and from there, we could go to the park together, and maybe to the cinema. You can clear your head by visiting those ces,¡± Khan suggested, and he sighed. At this point, he didn¡¯t have a choice but to agree with what he said.

    Khan dragged him out of the house and to the parking lot where they hopped inside the car and Khan drove them out in his car. Allowing Connor to drive the car was thest thing he would do. Not now that he wasn¡¯t in his right state of mind.

    ¡°Do you have your credit card with you? I didn¡¯t bring mine,¡± He asked Khan.

    ¡°Yeah. I brought it,¡± Khan replied to him, and he nodded.

    The ride to the mall took pretty much time before they arrived, and they pulled over at the parking lot of the biggest and most popr mall in LA, The Venice Boulevard Mall.

    ¡°Should we go to the bookstore after we leave here? Reading books especially novels can help one clear his or her head. I¡¯ve tried it before, and it helped me,¡± Khan suggested as they advanced toward the entrance door, but Connor just scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wasn¡¯t a fan of reading regardless of the type of book. It just doesn¡¯t flow for him, and he was never nning to force it. Well, that was not a good idea for someone like himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± He replied to Khan bluntly as they walked inside the mall after the door rolled open.

    The sweet fragrance and the scent of different things weed them.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to that section and check it out,¡± Khan held his hand, but he yanked Khan¡¯s hand off and stepped away from him.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing? Holding hands with me in public, are you crazy?¡± Connor freaked as he red at Khan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    ¡°You know this generation. They are going to think we are fucking gays. That¡¯s thest thing I would want anyone to think of me,¡± Connor replied to him as he tucked his hands inside his pockets, and Khan scoffed.

    ¡°Whatever! Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± They proceeded to take a walk around the mall, picking a few things on their way even the ones they didn¡¯t need.

    Connor¡¯s ringing phone pulled his attention, and he checked the screen to find that it was ire calling him.

    ¡°Excuse me. I need to take this call,¡± He excused himself and walked away from Khan.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s up?¡± He said on the phone as soon as he answered the phone.

    ¡°Good morning, bro. Did you sleep well?¡± ire¡¯s voice sounded from the other end, and he sighed briefly.

    ¡°Good morning, princess. Yes, I did. You?¡± He forced a smile. No way he could tell her he didn¡¯t sleep well, right? That was the right thing he¡¯d ever do.

    ¡°My night was messed up. You won¡¯t believe Dad made me stay in the same house with some guy. He said the dude is his friend¡¯s son. Ugh! It¡¯s so annoying,¡± She ranted, and Connor¡¯s eyes darkened.

    ¡°What! He did what? Why would he do something like that?¡± He huffed angrily as he tightened his fingers around his phone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t look harmful, and if he tries shit with me, you trust that I can always handle things,¡± She stated.

    ¡°Call me if anything happens,¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will. I just called to say hi to you. I¡¯ll be resuming school tomorrow,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I went to the mall with Khan. We came to get something. I¡¯ll call you back when I get home,¡± He uttered, and silence reigned on the other end.

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    ¡°Ye¡­ yes, I¡¯m here. Alright. Let¡¯s talkter then,¡± The call disconnected immediately, and he sighed. He bit his lip as he stared into space.

    ¡®Janice¡¯ her name rang in his head, and without thinking twice, he dialed her number but just like before, it didn¡¯t go through.

    ¡°Did he have to cut me off just like that? I never did anything wrong to her, did I?¡± He mumbled and scoffed. Turning to go back to Khan, he collided with someone and the things the person was holding came crashing on the floor.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He just mumbled and started to walk away when he heard the angry familiar voice.

    ¡°You should look where you are going. You just messed these up for me,¡± He stopped on his track and raised one eyebrow when he heard the familiar voice he¡¯d recognize even if he was ever in aa.

    ¡°Janice?¡± He whispered. So low that he barely heard what he said. Slowly, he turned around and his jaw dropped to the ground when he saw the youngdy squatting on the ground and picking the things that were littering the floor. Her face wasn¡¯t visible as she was busy picking the things up, but he could swear on his life that the person was really Janice.

    Connor found himself walking back to her. His legs were weak and could barely carry him, but he managed to walk over to her. Slowly, he squatted in front of her, his hand trembled as he reached for her face and touched her cheek.

    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Janice¡¯s voice trailed off and her heart sank into her stomach when she raised her head angrily and her eyes met with Connor¡¯s.

    ¡°Janice?¡± He managed to call her name, and his mouth dropped open¡­

 86

    ¡°Co¡­ nnor?¡± Janice called his name surprisingly, her voice so low that she could barely hear herself speak. For a moment, she froze and couldn¡¯t think straight. Her heart wavered in excitement, but her body shook with fear, confused about how she was supposed to feel. Happy, or sad? She forgot what to feel.

    She quickly rose to her feet and swallowed nothing. Her heart hammered hard against her chest as she stared back at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± He couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore, so he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, tightening his arms around her as if preventing her from leaving again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you like crazy,¡± He whispered, his voiceced with excitement.

    Janice¡¯s eyes glistened with tears as he stared into space. Her teeth found their way to her bottom lip as they bit into it, and her tears finally streamed freely down her cheeks.

    Connor finally pulled away from her and held her cheeks in his palms. He wiped her tears with his thumbs while looking into her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home together¡­ You don¡¯t need to exin anything to me here. Let¡¯s go home and sort things out together, babe,¡± His lips trembled and his voice quivered as he spoke to her, but his face dropped disappointedly when she shook her head and stepped away from him.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± He tried to touch her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. You were here?¡± Royce¡¯s deep voice resonated behind Janice, and her heart skipped a beat. She turned to find Royce holding three shopping bags.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Yeah¡­ I came to grab something from here¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you gotten it?¡± Royce cut her off, his voice was void of emotions and apanied with chills that made her frightened for a moment.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ye¡­ yes¡­ I got it,¡± She tried not to stutter, but it didn¡¯t work for her.

    ¡°And who are you?¡± Connor stepped forward and asked, but Royce just stared back at him wordlessly.

    ¡°Is he your new boyfriend?¡± He turned to her and asked unbelievably. No way he was ever going to believe that this ugly man was Janice¡¯s boyfriend. That was thest thing he would ever believe even if she ended up confirming it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Royce spoke to Janice coldly then turned to leave.

    ¡°And who are you to order her like that?¡± He held her hand and pulled her behind him, then stood in between her and Royce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble here, Connor. Let me go,¡± She yanked his hand off and walked over to Royce.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± She said to Royce.

    ¡°Are you going to walk out on me like that and pretend nothing happened? Are you seriously going to be like this?¡± Connor yelled at the top of his voice just when she turned to leave with Royce, his voice demanding the attention of a few people present, and they didn¡¯t fail to turn to look at him wondering what could¡¯vee over him to have made him yell like that. Who knows, maybe they were about to witness a sweet drama. Just who knows?

    ¡°I told you it was over between us, Connor. Stop making a scene here and move on already¡­¡±

    ¡°What right do you have to tell me it¡¯s over? I told you that the only person that could end the rtionship was me¡­ You are mine¡­ We were going to be together forever, so what hase over you?¡± This wasn¡¯t a good idea, especially in this kind of ce, but he could only care less.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Royce threw him a murderous re then turned to Janice and said to her.

    She nced at him one more time before she started to leave with Royce.

    ¡°If you leave now without talking to me, then forget evering into my life, ever again,¡± He never meant any of those words, but he said it regardless, hoping it would make her stop and at least look at him, and yes! It did work. She paused, and for the next few minutes, she just stared into space and closed her eyes. Tears trickled down the corner of her cheeks, and slowly, she clenched her fingers into a tight fist.

    ¡°Look at me and tell me that it¡¯s really over¡­ Look me in the eyes and tell me you really hate me,¡± He said as he took slow and steady steps toward her, but just before he got to where she was standing, Royce came to stand in front of her.

    ¡°We need to get out of here, ma¡¯am. Boss is going to be pissed if he finds out about this,¡± Royce said to her, and she breathed in deeply.

    ¡°Who is that bastard isting you? Is he the one making you do this to me? Talk to me, is he?¡± He scoffed in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious Madam already moved on. You too should,¡± Royce said to him, and without waiting for another second, he grabbed Janice with his free hand and dragged her out of the ce and she couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°Get in the car,¡± Royce said to her when they got to the parking lot where the car he drove to the Mall was parked. He was holding the door to the backseat opened for her.

    She nced back at the mall one more time and finally hopped inside the car, and the ride back to Carl¡¯s house began.

    Barely three minutes after the car left, Connor came running out of the mall with Khan running behind him.

    ¡°Where the hell are you going, bro? You can¡¯t drive!¡± Khan yelled after Connor.

    ¡°Your head is still messed up. Why are you acting this way?¡± Khan didn¡¯t stop running after him until he got to the car.

    ¡°Take a cab home. I need to take care of something,¡± He said to Khan as he pulled the car door open and hopped inside. He drove out of the premises without another second.

    Minutester, Connor sped down the road in a bid to follow the car Janice and Royce left in, but after five minutes of trying to get the car and he couldn¡¯t, he pulled over at the side of the road frustratingly and hit his hands on the steering wheel as he cursed angrily.

    He rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes¡­

 87

    Janice POV

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears, so I let them all out. Recalling the pain in Connor¡¯s eyes earlier only made me feel guilty. He must have thought that everything was my fault, but I deserved all the me, anyway.

    ¡°Boss ising,¡± I heard the stupid guard that was assigned to my doorpost speak from outside, and I scoffed angrily. Seeing Carl was only going to make things worse for me, but it seemed like as long as I stayed under this roof, then I was bound to see him every damn day.

    A few secondster, the door opened and he walked inside without even knocking. He looked earthly handsome as usual. If there was one thing I would never deny, then it was the fact that good looks seem to run in the family of Hughes.

    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± He smiled as he counted his steps to the bed and sat with me, a lovely smile disyed on his face.

    ¡°I heard what happened at the mall. I¡¯m proud of you, sweetheart,¡± He smiled, revealing his teeth. I just sat and stared back at him wordlessly as he leaned forward and imed my lips. All I felt was bitterness and disgust as he kissed me tenderly, his hand groping and fondling with my boob like his life depended on it.

    ¡°You are so sweet that I want to take you right away¡­ But not yet,¡± He hushed after he pulled away from me. What was I supposed to say? Resist him and get myself killed? Fuck it! That¡¯s thest thing I was ever going to do. I needed to fight for my life and get the hell out of this ce alive.

    ¡°Guess what baby?¡± He smiled softly as he cupped my cheek in his palm and caressed it.

    ¡°I have a surprise for you,¡± He whispered, then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. At that moment, I didn¡¯t need to be told that the surprise would be my family he told me would be moving in, but what he did next made me freeze on the spot. He removed the ck patch that was covering his one eye, and my jaw dropped to the ground when I saw his perfectly fine eye.

    For the next fifteen seconds, I stared at him with my mouth agape, trying to process what the fuck was happening. I was too shocked to react.

    ¡°Are you so shocked to see me like this or are you disappointed that my eye is fine?¡± He asked as he raised one of his eyebrows, and I gulped down nothing.

    I tried to figure out something to say to him, but the only thing I coulde up with, was ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for this day, babe¡­ Aren¡¯t you happy that your soon-to-be husband is not blind, hmm?¡± The corner of his lips twitched up into a smirk as he stared at me, but I only swallowed nothing and blinked my eyes a few times. What the hell is happening here?

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± My voice trailed off, not knowing what to say because this was reality crazy.

    ¡°How?¡± I muttered, my lips barely moving, and he shrugged.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t expecting me to meet my inws with one eye, were you? I wanted this to be a surprise, and I¡¯m d that you are,¡± His smirk widened into a grin.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Are you happy?¡± He asked, but I just stared back at him wordlessly, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°Come on, babe¡­ You should get dressed. I sent Royce to get your family at the airport, and they¡¯ll be here soon¡­¡± He paused then stood up and tucked his hands inside his pockets.

    ¡°I will send the maid to bring you a dress to wear. You should look beautiful for your man,¡± He said huskily as he bit his lip seductively probably to seduce me, but the only thing I felt was disgust, and nothing else.

    ¡°I¡¯lle and get you in thirty minutes. Take your time, darling,¡± And with that, he strode elegantly out of my room, leaving me stunned. How on earth was his eye fine? He was supposed to be blind after the incident that day. The doctor confirmed that he could never see with his eye ever again, so howe he was perfectly fine and the eye looked like nothing had ever happened to it? I asked myself as I stared at the closed door, but it felt like I was crazy.

    My heart wavered in excitement when I realized that I would be meeting my family soon after so many years, but on second thought, I felt there was no need to be happy. Besides, I didn¡¯t know what this monster was up to this time.

    With all the strength left in me, I dragged myself from the bed and made my way into the bathroom where I had a quick bath, walking back inside the room minutester, I found a neat short purple gown lying beautifully on the bed, and a pair of purple heels beside the bed. Without being told, I knew the clothes were for me and I was supposed to get ready and wait for my family.

    I proceeded to do my thing, and barely five minutes after I finished wearing my clothes, the door opened and Carl walked in yet again without knocking. My heart skipped.

    ¡°Wow! You look gorgeous,¡± He stared at me hungrily with desire written on his face. It felt like he was already stripping me or fucking me rather with that hungry look on his face, but I tried to pretend I saw nothing as I stood up and sighed.

    ¡°Come here,¡± He didn¡¯t wait for my consent before he pulled me close and hugged me tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are mine,¡± He hushed against my neck as if I already agreed to marry him.

    ¡°You disgust me,¡± I wanted to say to him, but I changed my mind when I saw the pistol in the holster at the back of his trousers. I was sure I wasn¡¯t ready to die.

    He pulled away from me and smiled.

    ¡°You look stiff. You wouldn¡¯t want your family to think that you are not happy with me, do you?¡± He cupped my cheek and pouted his lips like a baby. I was supposed to find it cute, but fuck cuteness! To me, he was everything disgusting.

    ¡°I¡¯m not happy with you and you know it,¡± I managed to pour out my mind to him, and a deep frown that scared me settled on his face, but it onlysted for about five seconds before a smileced up his lips.

    ¡°You will learn to love me with time, and by then, you¡¯ll be happy with me,¡± He stated hopefully, and I scoffed. That was thest thing that would ever happen, anyway.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go wee your family. They should be here now,¡± He smiled then held my hand and led me out of the room. He led me down the walkway and we soon descended down the staircase.

    ¡°Sis!¡± Jack, my eighteen-year-old brother squeaked excitedly as soon as we walked inside the living room. He rushed to me and threw himself in my arms, hugging me tightly. It has been years since Ist saw him, and I couldn¡¯t be happier that I finally got to meet them. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I hugged him tightly. I felt like holding him in my arms forever and never letting go.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± He whispered, and I smiled. I finally pulled away from him and walked up to Mom and Dad who were already standing with tears in their eyes, and without thinking twice, I embraced them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Mom, Dad¡­ I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± I whispered as I hugged them tightly. I was excited to have them around even though I had to worryter about what Carl was up to.

    ¡°Good day, Mom, Dad¡­¡± Carl¡¯s voice made me pull away from them, and I turned to find him smiling like the gentleman he was not.

    ¡°My name is Carl Hughes. I¡¯m Janice¡¯s fiance. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± My jaw dropped to the ground when he introduced himself to my parents. Fiance? Not even a boyfriend¡­

 88

    ¡°Which station?¡± Chase asked whoever he was speaking with on the phone, and after the person replied to him, he disconnected the call and ran his fingers through his hair. He had just gotten a call that Connor was drunk driving and had been arrested.

    He grabbed his car keys from the bed where he left them earlier, and stormed out of the room, heading to the parking lot where he hopped inside his car and drove out of the house.

    Minutester, Chase pulled over at the front of the station and sauntered toward the entrance door as soon as he stepped out of the car.

    ¡°Are you not going to get this out of me, huh?¡± Connor¡¯s voice weed him as soon as he walked inside therge office where some cops were seated. Connor was handcuffed, and he reeked of alcohol. Chase sighed briefly then shook his head and walked over to him.

    ¡°Good thing you are here. Tell them to get this shit off my hands, Chase! I only had a few sses of alcohol and not that I was so drunk. Why would they fucking treat me like this?¡± It was obvious in Connor¡¯s voice that he was drunk.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened, Sir. Please pardon my brother,¡± Chase ignored him and turned to talk to the cops.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous driving while drunk. How could a reputable person like Mr. Hughes do something like this when he is aware of thew guiding¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck thew and everyone here! Fuck you all! Give me my damn car keys and let me get the hell out of here!¡± Connor yelled again as he mmed his cuffed hands on the table, and the old cop shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the inconvenience caused my brother. I promise you that this won¡¯t happen ever again,¡± Chase went ahead to talk to the cop.

    ¡°Are you supporting them now, Chase? I¡¯m your brother for fuck¡¯s sake, how could you support them and not me?¡± Connor asked disappointedly as a deep frown settled on his face, but Chase never spared him a nce as he continued to talk to the cop.

    ¡°Because of this, his car will be kept here for some time, and he will be restricted from driving for ny days. He would really be arrested and imprisoned if found driving in that period of ny days,¡± The cop stated, and Connor scoffed.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir. I¡¯ll make sure of that,¡± Chase assured the man.

    ¡°Please sign here,¡± The cop gave Chase a document to sign, which he quickly did.

    ¡°You should talk to him if he is your brother. He needs to deal with his drinking habit,¡± The cop advised as he unlocked the cuff.

    ¡°You have no right to fucking tell me what to do, so fuck you, man!¡± Connor cursed at the man, but he ignored him and went ahead to remove the cuff.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir. I will do that,¡± Chase said to the man then turned to Connor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave here,¡± Chase helped him up to his feet.

    ¡°What about my car keys?¡±

    ¡°We wille back for your car. Let¡¯s go for now,¡± With all the stress, Chase finally managed to get Connor to the car, and he breathed out after he closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Why would those bastards seize my car when I did nothing wrong?¡± Connor ranted drunkenly as Chase drove down the road minutester.

    ¡°You are seriously not going to do anything about it, Chase? You are going to allow them to do that to your brother just like that?¡± Connor spoke again, and this time, Chase pulled over at the side of the road and mmed his hands on the steering wheel frustratingly. He took a deep breath, trying to hold back his anger as he was about to burst at that moment.

    ¡°He is your elder brother, Chase. You can¡¯t disrespect him,¡± Chase reminded himself as he closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

    ¡°I will get your car from there tomorrow,¡± Chase assured him even though he had a lot of things to say to him.

    ¡°What about the restriction? You can¡¯t possibly allow them to do that to me, right? I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve that¡­¡±

    ¡°Do I need to remind you that you were drunk driving?¡± Chase finally spoke up angrily as he looked back at Connor who was seated in the backseat.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to yourself? If you don¡¯t care about your life, then you should think about me that¡¯ll be left all alone if something should happen to you!¡± Chase yelled out frustratingly as a drop of tears slid down the corner of his cheek, and this time, Connor burst into tears. He sank his fingers into his hair and grabbed a handful of it, pulling it aggressively as he cried out, but the pain he felt in his scalp, was nothingpared to the one in his heart. Earlier, he thought getting drunk would help get rid of the pain, but he was mistaken. Even after the amount of alcohol he had, everything was still in his head.

    ¡°I saw her¡­ She doesn¡¯t want me anymore, Chase¡­ What should I do? I love her¡­ I love her so much,¡± He cried out, and Chase breathed out as he reclined on the chair.

    ¡°I love her, Chase¡­¡± Again, he cried out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home first. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow,¡± Chase muttered then started the car and drove off.

    The drive to his Dad¡¯s mansion took pretty much time, and by the time they arrived, the gate was already locked since it waste in the night. Chase pulled the car over in front of the gate, then reached for his phone and dialed his Mom¡¯s number even though he wasn¡¯t sure she was going to answer the call since they hadn¡¯t spoken to each other in a while.

    Luckily, she picked up on the first ring, and her surprised voice rang through the phone.

    ¡°Chase?¡± She called, her voice a bit dull and Chase quickly concluded that she must be asleep before his call disrupted her. He knew Connor wouldn¡¯t like that he brought him to their parent¡¯s house knowing fully well that he wouldn¡¯t want to be here, but it was the only thing he could do at this point. Connor needed to be surrounded by people at this trying time in his life so he could get over everything.

    ¡°I¡¯m outside, Mom. Please open the gate,¡± Chase spoke on the phone and disconnected the call quickly before she could ask another question. He did that intentionally so she woulde out and get the gate opened.

    He nced at Connor through the rearview mirror only to find him already asleep.

    About seven minutester, the gate rolled open, revealing Mrs. Hughes standing inside thepound. Chase drove the car inside and parked at the parking lot.

    ¡°What are you doing here at this time of the night, Chase?¡± Mrs. Hughes asked worriedly as she hurried over to him once he stepped out of the car.

    Chase went to open the car door, revealing the sleeping Connor, and a deep frown settled on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± She asked angrily, and Chase scoffed unbelievably.

    ¡°You are really going to be like this, Mom? Aren¡¯t you worried about what happened to Connor?¡± Chase spoke angrily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­¡±

    ¡°He is your son, Mom¡­ We are all your fucking children. How could you not care about him?¡± Chase¡¯s eyes burnt with rage as he stared at his Mom.

    ¡°If you have nothing important to do here, then get yourselves out of here, and don¡¯t you dare disturb my precious sleep, ever again,¡± She snapped at Chase, her voice void of emotions, but deep inside her, she was worried. Seeing Connor in that state even though she was still mad at him because of what happened in the past, a part of her was worried about him. A part of her wanted to know what happened to him, but her pride wasn¡¯t letting her.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and kill the rest of us just because your precious son, Carl died? Why don¡¯t you go ahead and kill every one of us?¡± Chase snarled when she turned to leave, and she paused.

    ¡°The only one you ever cared about is that bastard, anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Chase!¡± She turned to face him, her eyes filled with rage.

    ¡°What? Do you ever give a damn about Connor? Even when he is hurt, the one you were always supporting is that bastard, and you know what? You are making me feel happy about his death¡­¡±

    ¡°Your action is making me excited that he died! If you are so pained, why don¡¯t you kill us? You and Dad already disowned us because of that jerk, why don¡¯t you two go ahead and kill us?¡± Tears streamed down Chase¡¯s face and his heart wrenched painfully. Talking to his Mom in that manner and tone was something he¡¯d never do, but it was hard to help himself. Not after everything.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Bring him in. Just for tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, you two need to get the hell out of my house and find your way back to wherever you areing from,¡± She stated bluntly then turned and walked away without sparing him another nce¡­

 89

    Janice POV

    ¡°Your fiancee is really nice, sis,¡± Jeff uttered, and I scoffed silently. Nice, indeed.

    We couldn¡¯t talk yesterday because Carl was all over them acting like the gentleman he never was. It was supposed to be a beautiful morning, but no day would ever be beautiful for as long as I remained under this roof.

    ¡°Where is Mom and Dad?¡± I ignored him and asked instead.

    ¡°In their room,¡± He replied to me, and I left him in his room and left to go meet my parents. Carl was generous enough to have given them a room each and made sure that they felt at home.

    I walked down the walkway that led to my parents¡¯ supposed room, and when I arrived, I knocked on the door and the door opened almost immediately, revealing Mom in her ever-cheerful smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, darling? Come in,¡± She left the door open for me, and I walked inside.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I walked inside and met Dad seated on the bed. He smiled as soon as he saw me. It has really been long since west saw each other, and I have been looking forward to meeting them again, but not this way.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you, darling. Come have a seat,¡± She held my hand and went to sit me on the bed.

    ¡°Where did you meet such a nice handsome man?¡± Mom asked and cupped her cheeks in her palms dramatically, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you found someone as sweet, responsible, and humble as Carl. He is such a nice man,¡± Dad chipped in, and I nced at him. If only these knew the kind of person Carl was, then I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t even think of calling him nice.

    ¡°How did you meet Carl, Mom, Dad?¡± I asked curiously, the question I¡¯ve been asking myself since they got here yesterday.

    ¡°Last week, Jeff said he tried to call you, but someone answered the call and said he was your fiance. He spoke with uster and asked if we would like to meet you. That¡¯s how he brought us here,¡± Mom exined to me, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I thought it was that ugly guy. I was disappointed when he came to pick us up at the airport,¡± Mom further said, and I almostughed. Well, Royce would be thest man on earth I would ever have anything to do with. I love cute men, and Royce is far from my kind of man.

    ¡°Mom¡­ You all can¡¯t stay here, OK? You can¡¯t live here with me,¡± I held her shoulders and said to her.

    ¡°What do you mean? Is something wrong?¡± She asked as she blinked her eyes a few times, and I sighed briefly.

    ¡°Carl said we could stay here. Is something wrong?¡± Dad chipped in, and I sighed.

    ¡°Carl is a bad person. He is just pretending,¡± You weren¡¯t expecting me to say that to them when I barely had any evidence against him, yeah? They are probably going to think that I made that up and I might end up looking like the bad guy here.

    ¡°Nothing happened. I just don¡¯t feelfortable having you all around here with me¡­¡± Mom¡¯s face dropped disappointedly.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean, Mom¡­ What I mean is that Carl and I are not married yet, and you know it won¡¯t be nice for me to bring¡­¡±

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with that,¡± My heart skipped when Carl walked inside and I looked over at him. He was smiling sweetly, and I scoffed. Was he eavesdropping on our conversation?

    ¡°Were you listening to my conversation with my Mom?¡± I asked him, and he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Oh,e on, babe. You know I won¡¯t ever be as petty as that. I wasing to say hi to Mom and Dad and I happened to hear what you said,¡± He shrugged, and Mom smiled.

    ¡°Aww! That¡¯s so sweet. Do you want to sit?¡± Mom quickly stood up for him, and he smiled at her.

    ¡°No, Mom. I just came to say hi to you and Dad. Are youfortable? Don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you need anything, and I will have it delivered to you immediately¡­¡± He paused and smiled again.

    ¡°You are my family now since Janice and I will be getting married soon. And about what she said, don¡¯t listen to her. You can stay here forever with us. I¡¯mfortable with it,¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, dear. I¡¯m happy to have you as a part of my family,¡± Mom squeaked excitedly.

    ¡°I am happier, Mom,¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Can I borrow my baby for a while, please? I want to spend some time with her,¡±

    ¡°Sure, you can. Go with your husband, Janice,¡± Mom turned to me and said, and I bit my bottom lip.

    Left with no choice because I didn¡¯t want Mom or Dad to suggest anything, I stood up from the bed and left the room with him, and as soon as we stepped into the walkway, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to his room. He threw me inside roughly and I almost fell to the ground. He then walked inside and mmed the door hard behind him.

    ¡°Why do you want them to leave?¡± His eyes were filled with rage as he red down at me, and my soul left my body for a moment.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, listen to me¡­¡± He paused then walked over to me and pulled me close, our bodies pressing hard against each other, and his eyes piercing into mine.

    ¡°You are going to shut your mouth and do whatever I ask you to do in this house. You are not allowed to do anything stupid which includes telling your family to leave¡­¡± He paused then grabbed my hair and pulled it back.

    ¡°You are hurting me¡­¡± I cried out as I struggled to loosen his grip around my hair, but he tightened it more.

    ¡°If you give your family a bad impression of me, then trust me, you won¡¯t like what I¡¯ll do to you. You are not going to jeopardize only your life, but theirs as well, so don¡¯t fucking mess with me!¡± He stated coldly, and I managed to nod my head as tears streamed down my cheeks.

    He finally let go of me and sighed.

    ¡°Did I hurt you, baby? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± His tone softened as he arranged my hair for me, and I dared not even flinch.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± He said huskily as he pulled me into his arms and embraced me like he cared so much about me.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t cry,¡± He patted my back, and even though I felt disgusted, I couldn¡¯t push him off, scared he¡¯d do worse than what he did to me earlier.

    He pulled away from me and smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, baby. Smile for me,¡± He pouted his lips and whined, and I forced a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl. I¡¯ll be away with Royce for three days. Let¡¯s start nning our wedding when I get back, OK?¡± He stated coldly, and I bit my bottom lip.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of doing something stupid. My eyes are on you,¡± He threatened and hugged me one more time before he left the room, and I slumped on the ground and burst into tears. When will all these be over?

 90

    Connor groaned tiredly as he rolled on the bed a few seconds before he finally forced his eyes open, and the sharp sunlight that prated the window shone directly on his face. He closed his eyes as he sat on the bed, then rubbed his aching forehead gently and finally opened his eyes to the somewhat familiar room, but different from his room back at the penthouse.

    ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± He groaned and rubbed his forehead again, trying to make the pain go away, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to work. At least, not after the amount of alcohol he had drank yesterday.

    ¡°You are awake?¡± He snapped his eyes open when he heard the feminine voice, and there was his Mom, holding a teacup and looking at him worriedly.

    Connor blinked his eyes a few times then looked around the room again to confirm what was happening.

    ¡°Chase brought you here yesterday. Is that how you¡¯ve been drinkingtely?¡± Mrs. Hughes asked disappointedly as he walked over to the center table in his room and dropped the teacup on top of it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to be a drunkard, Connor,¡± She further said as she turned to face him, but Connor scoffed and turned his face away.

    ¡°What hase over you? Chase told me that you¡¯ve been smoking and drinkingtely. You fucking got drunk and was arrested yesterday. What the heck hase over you?¡± Mrs. Hughes went further to express her disappointment.

    ¡°What do you care, Mom?¡± Connor finally looked at her, and she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Why are you acting like you care about whatever happens to me and whichever way I choose to live my life? What do you care?¡± He tried not to raise his voice at the poor woman even though he was burning with rage inside. He tried to control it.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°Where are my car keys? I need to get out of here,¡± he asked as he hurried out of the bed and went to grab his shirt from the sofa where Chase left it the previous night.

    ¡°I am still talking, Connor? Where the hell are you going?¡± Mrs. Hughes snapped at him angrily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do something stupid, Mom. Where are my car keys? I need to leave this ce right away,¡± He turned to her and demanded. He had so many things to say to this woman, but he was trying to hold himself back because he loved her so much and didn¡¯t want to say something that¡¯d hurt her. That was the only reason why he was holding himself back.

    ¡°You are going to walk out on me, Connor?¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly acting like you care when we both know that you don¡¯t give a damn about whatever shit happens to me?¡± He finally turned to her and scoffed in disbelief.

    ¡°You and Dad want me to leave your life forever. You don¡¯t want to see me, so why are you acting like a mother worried about her son when you don¡¯t feel any atom of worry for me?¡± He looked her in the eyes and his voice resonated with nothing, but anger, and she scoffed.

    ¡°And you dare get mad at me? Are you thinking that I¡¯m the bad person here, Connor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always the bad guy in the family. I¡¯m the viin everyone should avoid, so don¡¯t remind me of how horrible I am!¡± He stated, and she sighed.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve forgiven him after everything that happened. He is my brother. I shouldn¡¯t have done that to him, but what about my life that he ruined? Do you know the pain I¡¯ve been through all these years, trying to heal myself but nothing ever worked out for me?¡± Tears finally streamed down his cheeks as he looked his Mom in the eyes and spoke painfully.

    ¡°Do you know what I¡¯ve been suffering from being like this, and what did you ever say? He is your brother, Connor. You are the elder, so you should learn to forgive him. And when he died, what did you say? ¡®It was all your fault that he died, Connor. You destroyed our family¡¯¡­¡± He paused and scoffed amusingly even though nothing was funny about all he said.

    ¡°I am the bad person¡­ I¡¯ve always been the viin. You want me out of your life, and I was going to stay away from you for as far as I can, so get me my car keys and let me get out of here, just the way you want it,¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared back at him wordlessly. How did her once-perfect family turn into something else? How did her once united children turn against each other? Was it really her fault? Should she have done better?

    Maybe she should¡¯ve talked to her husband not to treat him in that manner. Maybe she should¡¯ve tried to stop him when he was leaving because this wasn¡¯t her son. Her son would never get drunk to the extent of getting arrested. The Connor she brought up would never have turned herself into a smoker right under her watch. Has she really failed as a mother?

    ¡°Chase told me about what happened¡­ No way I¡¯m going to allow you do more harm to yourself than you already did, so I¡¯m never letting you out of my sight, ever again, Connor,¡± She said, and his jaw dropped to the ground.

    She walked up to him and then held his hands as tears streamed down her cheeks.

    ¡°How much pain have you had to endure, son?¡± She cupped his cheeks in her palms as she stared into his eyes. Seeing the pain in those eyes made her feel even worse. She shouldn¡¯t have ever abandoned him. She should¡¯ve fought for him.

    ¡°I have already lost a son, and I¡¯m not going to sit back and lose another child again, Connor¡­ I won¡¯t ever let you leave, ever again,¡± Her cheeks were wet with tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not being there¡­ I¡¯m sorry for not fighting for you¡­ I¡¯m sorry for always ming you for everything. Please stay with me and let me protect you this time,¡± She pleaded with him as she hugged him tightly as if he would disappear if she ever let go of him.

    A drop of tears slid down Connor¡¯s cheek as he held her in his arms and reciprocated the hug. A part of him was happy that he¡¯d finally gotten his Mother back, but something was still missing. He didn¡¯t want anything else more than to have Janice back into his life.

    They were still in that position when the door burst open and Mr. Hughes walked inside, his eyes burning in rage.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± His angry voice resonated in the room, demanding the attention of Connor and his Mom, which they quickly gave to him as they both split apart and turned to face the angry-looking man.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing in my house?¡± He looked at Connor and asked angrily, waiting for an answer¡­

 91

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Dad¡¯s angry voice resonated in the room, demanding our attention which we gave him as me and Mom turned to face him. If a look could kill, then maybe I would¡¯ve been dead by now. He red murderously at me, and if I was a scared cat, I could swear that I would¡¯ve lost confidence.

    ¡°I told you not to ever show up in my house. What are you doing here?¡± Dad seemed to hate me to the core. It was written on his face, and in his voice too. He didn¡¯t fail to show me how much he hated me with the chance he got.

    ¡°Honey, you are home?¡± Mom stepped forward.

    ¡°I asked a question. What is he doing here?¡± Dad yelled for the third time, and Mom flinched.

    ¡°Darling, we can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I will leave,¡± I cut her off, but she held my hand and pulled me back. Furthermore, she shook her head and stated, ¡°I won¡¯t ever allow you to leave again. I was mistaken for not fighting for you before, and I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice,¡±

    She then turned to Dad, and right before my very eyes, Mom went on her knees even though I tried to stop her.

    ¡°Stay out of this. This is between me and my husband,¡± Was the only words she said to me when I tried to say something, and as she had instructed, I had to stay out of it even though it hurt to see her knee in front of me.

    ¡°Honey¡­ I have already lost a son, and I¡¯m not ready to lose another one again¡­ You can¡¯t keep treating Connor and Chase like this. They are still our¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t consider them my children. For a person that caused the death of his sibling, how is he supposed to be considered my son?¡± Dad chipped in, and I slowly clenched my fingers into tight fists. I had a lot of things to say to him, but I tried to hold them all back not because I was scared of him, but because Mom had already asked me to stay out of it. I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be able to hold it in, anyway.

    ¡°Are you going to neglect them because of what happened? What if we lose another child again?¡± Mom cried as she crawled to him and held his leg.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this, honey,¡± Dad¡¯s face softened, something I had expected. Although Dad was a tough one, but he did the right thing by marrying a woman that could always tame him even in his worst mood.

    He breathed in and threw his head back.

    ¡°Come on, Connor¡­ Apologize to your Dad,¡± Mom turned to me and whispered.

    ¡°Go on your knees and apologize,¡± She further said, and I went on my knees.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°That is not how to apologize. Say it like it¡¯sing from your heart,¡± Mom insisted, and I sighed. I didn¡¯t sign up for this, not now that my head was still messed up, but it was for the good that I could sort this out for now.

    ¡°Forgive me, Dad,¡± I apologized to him, and shockingly, he walked over to me, held my hand, and pulled me up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, son¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± He whispered as he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly like his life depended on it. It was literally the first time I was ever going to see Dad being so emotional.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, son,¡± He patted my back.

    Mom went ahead to narrate everything that happened to Dad, and they both insisted that I stay back in the mansion for now and heal from my pain which I wasn¡¯t sure I could ever heal from.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    It felt good being back in the mansion, and having Mom around me made me feel much better.

    It was finally evening, and here I was, seated on the bed and just staring at nothing while wallowing in pain, trapped in my thoughts. My thoughts were diversified with no destination. Was she really seeing someone else? What came over her? I asked myself, still finding it difficult to believe even though she made it clear to me that she was.

    I was still lost in thoughts when my phone beeped, and I checked to see a text from Khan.

    ¡®You shoulde to the office tomorrow. We have a meeting¡¯ I read through his text, but ignored it. I was going through shit right now and just wanted to stay indoors for some time and think straight. I wouldn¡¯t want to be surrounded by many people who call themselves my staff. I would feel suffocated.

    Barely five minutes after I dropped the phone, it beeped again and I hesitated, thinking it was a text from Khan again concerning the meeting or whatsoever. I finally decided to check the text again, but my eyes narrowed when I saw that it was a text from Chase.

    ¡®Bro, I just saw Janice leaving the mall with a man. I¡¯m following her to where she lives. Will send you the address when I find her. We may not see tonight. I have something to take care of back at the penthouse¡¯ I was only interested in the part where he mentioned Janice, and wanted to call him, but I resisted the urge to. I didn¡¯t want anything that would distract him from getting the address to the house. That was thest thing I wanted.

    I anticipated his message, checking my phone every damn time even though I never got any text, and just when I thought I was about to lose my mind, my phone beeped and I quickly picked it up. I anxiously unlocked it, but my face dropped disappointedly when I checked the text and found that it was not from Chase, but one of those spam texts. I felt like smashing my phone against the wall, but I held myself back knowing that I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the text again if I did.

    Seconds slowly ticked into minutes, and just when I was about to dial Chase¡¯s number about twenty minutester, my phone beeped and a text from him finally popped on the screen. Anxious, I quickly unlocked the phone and opened the text. It was the address of the ce.

    I felt myself filled with new hope which I¡¯d lost before, and without thinking twice, I stood up from the bed and stormed out of my room.

    I sauntered down the walkway as fast as my legs could carry me, and as I descended the staircase minutester, I heard Mom talking to someone inside the living room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you back,¡± She said to whoever she was on the phone with when she saw me. She then turned to me with a questioning expression on her face.

    ¡°Connor? Are you ok?¡± She asked me with a worried and demanding expression on her face.

    ¡°Yes. I need to step out for a moment. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± I said to her, and she checked her wristwatch.

    ¡°It¡¯s past 9pm. Where are you going by this time of the night? And besides, you were asked not to drive,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m boarding a taxi. I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± And without waiting for another word from her, I advanced toward the door and stormed out of the house.

    Although it waste, getting a cab wasn¡¯t something difficult since the night was still early, and the ride to the ce soon began.

    The ride to the ce took over thirty minutes before the cab finally pulled over in front of the tall building.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the cab man after I paid him, and he zoomed off. The gate was just a barred one, so I could literally see thepound from outside. It was a big house, but not as big as Dad¡¯s mansion, and was nothing close to my penthouse.

    Since knocking on the gate wasn¡¯t a good idea as it was difficult for anyone to hear me, I took out my phone and dialed Janice¡¯s number. The call rang for a few minutes before someone answered it and a masculine voice sounded from the other end.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Came the voice that sounded so familiar. I could¡¯ve sworn that the voice was Carl¡¯s if not that he was dead, so no way it could be him.

    ¡°Give the phone to the owner!¡± I said to whoever the person was¡­

 92

    ¡®I¡¯m Janice¡¯s fiancee¡¯ I could¡¯ve sworn that the voice was Carl¡¯s if at all he was still alive. I held the phone tightly in my hand and stared at the house. I couldn¡¯t get through to Janice on the phone, and since it waste, maybeing back tomorrow morning wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea after all.

    Just when I was about to leave, my phone started to ring and I picked up on the first ring when I found that it was Chase on the phone.

    ¡°Where the hell did you rush off to? Mom just called me now. Don¡¯t tell me you went to see Janice this night,¡± Chase¡¯s voice resonated from the other end, but I disconnected the call wordlessly. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to say anything to him. Not now.

    I was going to leave, but I quickly changed my mind. Maybe seeing her this night was really the best thing to do. I didn¡¯t have enough patience tost me for the night.

    I walked over to the tel and pressed it. Who knows, maybe they¡¯ll allow me inside if I use it.

    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m here to see the owner of the house,¡± I spoke in the tel, hoping it¡¯d work. I waited for another three minutes, and just when I was about to give up, the door opened and a huge bouncer dded in ck clothes came walking toward the gate.

    ¡°Why do you want to see Mr. Jason?¡± He didn¡¯t say a word of greetings to me but just asked coldly.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Can you let me in, please? It¡¯s personal,¡± I said to the bouncer confidently, and he red hard at me from my head to my toe with an unreadable expression on his face as if he was trying to decide whether to let me in or not.

    ¡°What is your name? I need to confirm with Mr. Jason first,¡± He asked me, and I raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Huh?¡± No way I was going to give him my name. I didn¡¯t even know who the owner was. I just wanted to see Janice. The only reason I came here.

    I was still thinking of what to say to him when his phone beeped, and he checked it.

    ¡°Boss asked to let you in,¡± My eyes almost narrowed in shock when he said that to me. Why would his boss ask him to let me in just like that?This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are youing in or not?¡± He asked coldly, demanding my attention and I realized he was holding the gate open for me.

    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± I quickly walked inside and waited for him to close the gate before he led me to the house.

    The living room was beautiful andrge enough, but couldn¡¯te anywhere close to Dad¡¯s own.

    My phone beeped, and I checked to see a text from Janice. I quickly opened it.

    ¡®She will join you shortly. I guess you want to talk with her. Don¡¯t forget that you are her past now, and I¡¯m her present and her future¡¯ I read the message, and I was at least relieved that I could get to see Janice even though I had no idea why her newly acimed boyfriend was doing this.

    The dude from earlier checked his phone after it beeped, then nced at me and finally left the living room. Shortly after he left, I heard light footsteps descending the staircase and a familiar scent I could never fail to recognize even amid a million scents. It was Janice¡¯s. I quickly looked in that direction and found her standing along the staircase, her mouth hanging open with a shocked expression on her face.

    ¡°Babe¡­¡± I whispered as I rose to my feet, and she finally walked over to me.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± She shrieked as she came to stand in front of me. She had this fear in her eyes which I couldn¡¯tprehend where it wasing from, but I concluded that it could be because of that dude.

    ¡°Babe¡­ I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± I couldn¡¯t hold myself back anymore, so I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly. I felt like holding her in my arms forever and never letting go, but that thought soon faded when she pushed me off roughly and I almost fell to the ground if not that I was fast enough to maintain my bnce.

    ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing? Why are you here?¡± She yelled at me like she was disgusted by my presence.

    ¡°I told you to never show your face in front of me, so what the fuck are you doing here?¡± She snarled at me, her eyes glistening with tears, and I swallowed nothing. For goodness sake! What the heck is going on?

    ¡°Janice?¡± I called surprisingly, but she scoffed and turned her face away.

    ¡°Have you been stalking me? How did you know where I live? I told you it was over between us¡­ I told you that I already moved on, so why are you still lurking around me?¡± She yelled at me again, and I bit my lip.

    ¡°We need to talk, babe¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me babe, Connor. We broke up! We fucking broke up! I am no longer your girlfriend, so stop bothering me! Is that so difficult to get?¡± She yelled at me as tears finally streamed down her cheeks, but I just stared back at her wordlessly. I opened my mouth to say something, but my heart only ached as words failed me. It felt like a dagger was pierced into my heart.

    ¡°Babe¡­ You know I love you, right? I know you love me too¡­ It¡¯s written all over you. This is not you talking. What did that guy do to you? What did he do to you, babe?¡± I tried to touch her, but she stepped away from me and shook her head.

    ¡°I should be asking you that, Connor¡­ What did you do to me? How did a murderer like you keep me by your side for so long? Why was I with a pathetic loser like yourself all this while?¡± She looked me in the eyes and spelled those words to me like they meant nothing. My jaw dropped to the ground, my heart wrenched painfully, and my lips quivered. I felt my eyes glistening with tears which I tried to hold back, but in the end, they ended up dropping down my cheeks.

    ¡°Ja¡­ nice? Me? Murder¡­ er?¡± I could barely put my words together. I was too hot to do that.

    ¡°Get out of my sight now and never show your face to me, ever again!¡± She pointed her index finger at me and stated bluntly, that her voice and eyes were void of emotion.

    ¡°Janice¡­¡± She didn¡¯t spare me another nce before she turned and walked away, leaving me to my fate. My chest tightened and my breath hitched momentarily. Who was this new boyfriend of hers? What did he do to her? No way she could¡¯ve been under a spell, right? I asked myself, but thest thing I would ever believe in was ck magic and spell. I didn¡¯t think that shit really exists, so what the fuck was going on?

 93

    Janice POV

    Even though the cold floor was piercing through my bones, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stand up because I was too weak to. Connor never deserved everything I said to him, he didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like that, but if only he knew that I was doing all that to protect him. Carl had be a monster that would kill Connor without thinking twice, and losing him was thest thing on my mind.

    The sound of my ringing phone pulled my attention, and I looked at it hesitantly. Carl took my old phone and got me a new one and a new number in a way that Connor wouldn¡¯t be able to reach me again. Even though I knew Connor¡¯s number offhand, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call him. Who knows, maybe Carl linked the phone to his.

    I reached for the phonezily, and when I checked who the caller was, I scoffed angrily upon realizing that it was Carl. Not that I was ever expecting a call from any other person, anyway. I hesitated before I swiped the answer button.

    ¡°Darling¡­¡± His voice was surprisingly calm and not apanied by the coldness it usually had.

    ¡°Are you crying?¡± He asked when I sniffed, but more tears only streamed down my cheeks, and I heard him sigh.

    ¡°Why are you crying, babe? Did I do something wrong? Did something happen?¡± He asked as if he wasn¡¯t aware Connor was here today.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied to him and wiped my tears.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be home tomorrow. Let¡¯s spend some time together this time when Ie,¡± My heart sank into my stomach when he said that, and I swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in my throat. I was excited he was going to stay for three days over there. At least, I would have peace of mind for that period, but it seemed like it was not going to work now.

    ¡°Are you there?¡± He asked, and I nodded my head as I hummed.

    ¡°Take care of yourself for me. Eat something, and sleep early. Don¡¯t stress yourself, OK?¡± I was stunned to hear those sweet words from Carl, and what surprised me the most was the sincerity and care in his voice. For a moment, I asked myself if this was the Carl I¡¯d knowntely or if someone else was impersonating him. Regardless, I hummed and nodded as if he could see me.

    ¡°Good night. I love you,¡± He said before the call ended, and I checked my phone screen to see that he was really the one.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± I mumbled but shrugged and tossed my phone on the bed.

    The sound of the knock on my door pulled my attention, and even though my body felt weak, I managed to stand up to my feet and reached for the door after I made sure I wiped my tears until there were barely any trails of tears.

    I pulled the door open, and Jeff weed me.

    ¡°Jeff?¡± I called surprisingly because he was supposed to be sleeping by now.

    ¡°Sis¡­ Are you not sleeping yet?¡± He asked as he scrutinized me with his eyes.

    ¡°Not yet. I was¡­ dealing with something inside. Why are you not sleeping yet? What about Mom and Dad? Are they asleep yet?¡± I asked him, and he nodded.

    ¡°Can Ie in?¡± He asked as he blinked his brown eyes, and I left the door wide open for him. He walked inside, and I closed the door behind me before joining him.

    ¡°Are you ok? You don¡¯t look fine,¡± I asked him as I sat beside him on my bed.

    ¡°I should be asking you that, sis. Are you not happy that we are here? We¡¯ve been apart for so many years and now that we are finally here, you don¡¯t seem so happy about it. What is going on?¡± He asked, and my jaw dropped to the ground.

    ¡°What are you saying, Jeff?¡± I huffed even though I knew what he was trying to say. I¡¯ve been so distracted since they came here that I barely had time for them as I was always trapped in my thoughts and wallowing in my pain. I haven¡¯t been fair to them.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, sis¡­ Brother-inw came to get us and promised to sponsor my education. He promised to take care of our parents and make sure that they are fine¡­ He is even working on giving Mom and Dad the best medical attention, but you don¡¯t seem happy about it. Is there anything you are hiding from me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Jeff¡­¡±

    ¡°Then tell me what it is, sis. This is driving me crazy, and I can¡¯t pretend everything is fine anymore. Everything is not fine,¡± He shook his head as he rose to his feet, and I sighed. How was I supposed to exin everything to him?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Come on, Jeff. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not happy you are here. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I paused, unable toe up with anything reasonable to say. I just bit my lip and sighed briefly.

    ¡°Do you not love Brother-inw? He seems to be a nice person, and I¡¯m sure every woman would want to be with him. He is nice to you too. You don¡¯t love him?¡± He asked me as he raised his eyebrows, and I bit my lip.

    ¡°Do you not like brother-inw?¡± He asked again, and I huffed.

    ¡°How is that possible? Of course, I do. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m trying to figure something out. Jeff¡­¡± I paused then cupped his cheeks in my palms and forced a smile.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, and one thing I don¡¯t want you to ever think is that I don¡¯t want you here. I really do. Whatever is happening has nothing to do with you or Mom and Dad. I promise to figure things out soon,¡± I assured him, and he stared at me for a few seconds before he nodded.

    ¡°Good boy. You should go to bed now, darling. Let¡¯s have breakfast together tomorrow, ok?¡± I stroked his hair and patted his head.

    ¡°Good night, sis,¡± He smiled at me, and I nodded. He finally walked out of my room, and I breathed out in relief¡­

 94

    ¡°Open the door, Connor,¡± Mrs. Hughes¡¯ voice resonated from outside the room as she banged on the door hard, but Connor was just seated on his bed and puffing smoke from his mouth. The ground was littered with cigarette ash and five cigarette butt. On the nightstand were two packs of cigarettes with one opened and six sticks missing from it.

    ¡®How did a murderer like you keep me by your side for so long?¡¯ he huffed and threw his head back as tears streamed down his cheeks. His heart wrenched painfully and his breath hitched. No matter how much he tried to get those words off his head, it proved abortive.

    Slowly, Connor gritted his teeth until they started to hurt, but even with the pain, it was still nothingpared to the pain in his heart. How did she say those words to him? What did he do so wrong that she couldn¡¯t forgive him? What the heck came over her? He asked himself, and even though he tried hard to hate her for hurting him so badly, he ended up falling for her and thinking about her even more.

    ¡°Open the door, please, son,¡± His Mom banged on the door again, but he didn¡¯t flinch. He just sat on the bed like a log of a tree, not moving.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Mom¡­ Where is Connor?¡± Chase¡¯s voice sounded from outside apanied by his thick footsteps.

    ¡°Thank goodness you are here. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with your brother. He came hometest night and just went straight into his room. He has refused toe outside or open the door¡­ What if something happened to him?¡± Mrs. Hughes¡¯s worried voice panicked from outside, and Connor sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I just want to be left alone,¡± Connor finally spoke up to ease the woman¡¯s worry.

    ¡°Goodness! Open the door now, Connor. I need to speak with you,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the spare keys,¡± He heard Chase say from outside, and he sighed. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t hide from his Mom now, he stood up sluggishly from the bed and dragged his feet toward the door. He twisted the key then the doorknob and finally pulled the door open.

    ¡°Goodness! What is that smell? Have you been smoking, Connor?¡± Mrs. Hughes shrieked as the horrible smell of alcohol greeted her as soon as Connor opened the door.

    ¡°Mom, my room is in a mess now. I¡¯lle outside when I¡¯m done here¡­¡± He was still saying when she forced her way into the room, and her jaw dropped to the ground when she walked inside and saw the mess.

    ¡°Connor!¡± She shrieked as her eyes slowly narrowed.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± He called almost in a whisper and burst into tears. Being like this in front of this poor woman was thest thing he¡¯d ever wanted, but he was rendered helpless at this point. No matter how much he tried to hold the pain in if not for anything but for his Mom, nothing was still working.

    ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts so much,¡± He cried out as he hugged the woman and cried on her shoulder.

    ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡± He cried out painfully, and tears streamed down Mrs. Hughes¡¯s eyes. It hurt that she couldn¡¯t take his pain away even when she wanted to. He had been through shits in the past and he really didn¡¯t deserve this now that he¡¯d finally learn to give love another chance. He never deserved this.

    ¡°Shhhh! Don¡¯t cry, son¡­ Please don¡¯t cry,¡± She patted his back, trying tofort him.

    ¡°I want her, Mom¡­ I want Janice,¡± He cried out, but she closed her eyes and sighed.

    ¡°We will sort things out. Everything will be fine, I promise you, Connor. Just calm down,¡± She assured him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to live like this. You are going to get lung cancer if you keep being like this. I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to you. Your siblings won¡¯t forgive you if anything happens to you,¡± She pulled away from him then cupped his cheeks and said to him.

    Chase who was standing outside all this while finally walked inside.

    ¡°I will go talk to Janice. I will make sure I bring her here. I promise,¡± Chase uttered as he patted Connor¡¯s back.

    ¡°Everything is going to be fine,¡± Again, his Mom assured him¡­

    *****

    ¡°Everything is ready now, Boss,¡± Royce said to Carl as he walked into therge living room with a small suitcase.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Carl uttered and advanced toward the exit door. When they arrived at the parking lot, Royce kept the suitcase in the trunk of the car and went to hop in the driver¡¯s seat after he opened the door for Carl.

    ¡°Boss, your seatbelt,¡± Royce reminded him, and he nodded. Furthermore, he fastened his seatbelt and the ride to the airport began.

    Carl rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes.

    ¡®You don¡¯t force love, Boss. You need to earn it instead. Janice will never have a soft spot for you if you keep treating her like this. You might lose her in the end¡¯ At first, he thought those words from Roycest night meant nothing, but after giving it a thought, he knew Royce was right. His hatred for Connor had clouded his mind that he didn¡¯t realize he had spread it to Janice, the woman after his heart.

    ¡°What do you think I should get for Janice?¡± He asked out of the blue moon after he opened his eyes, Royce nced at him through the rearview mirror, and a smileced up his lips.

    ¡°Are you finally taking what I said into action, boss?¡± Royce asked excitedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe giving it a try won¡¯t be a bad thing. I must confess that you were right. I should really win her heart like a normal person would do,¡± For the first time in the few months they¡¯d known each other, Royce was seeing him smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are doing this,¡±

    ¡°So, what should I get for her?¡± Carl asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t had a girlfriend in a while. Also, I think you should apologize to her for the way you¡¯ve treated her before now. Just make sure she sees your sincerity¡­¡±

    ¡°What if she sees Connor in the future?¡± He cuts Royce off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have that much patient to not do anything,¡± He further said.

    ¡°I understand. You should make her not have a reason to go back to him instead,¡± Royce replied to him, and he slowly nodded. This was going to definitely be a love triangle, and restraining himself from using his power was going to be difficult, but he needed to do it to prove his love to Janice¡­

 95

    Janice POV

    Carl called me about an hour ago to inform me that he was on his way, and I didn¡¯t wish for anything more than for him to not make it here. Of course, I knew this was extreme, but what was I supposed to wish for when he had made my life into a living hell?

    After breakfast with my parents and Jeff, I returned to my room since I couldn¡¯t go anywhere else aside from being here.

    Sitting on my bed and just staring into space while wallowing in my own thoughts, a knock sounded on my door, and when I ushered whoever was at the door inside as I was toozy to go open it myself, the door opened and Jeff walked inside.

    ¡°Jeff?¡± I called surprisingly.

    ¡°Someone is here to see you, sis,¡± My heart skipped when he said that, and immediately, many thoughts came parading my mind. Who could that be? Could it be that it was Connor that came back again? I asked myself and swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked curiously as I stood from the bed.

    ¡°He is outside the gate. I was on my way out when he asked after you and pleaded that he wanted to see you. He mentioned that it¡¯s really important,¡± I rushed to my window and pushed it open in a bid to check who the person was, but I recalled that I couldn¡¯t see him from there.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be out shortly,¡± I replied to him, and he nodded and walked out of my room.

    Did Connore back again? I couldn¡¯t help but ask myself as I walked out of my room and sauntered down the walkway.

    As I descended the staircase minutes after I left my room, I saw two guards in the living room along with my parents.

    ¡°Where are you headed, Janice?¡± Mom asked me when I walked inside the living room.

    ¡°Nowhere, Mom. Jeff told me someone is outside the gate and wants to see me,¡± I replied to Mom, and one of the guards stepped forward, forcing me to look at him. He looked like he was ready to stop me from going outside.

    ¡°Were you expecting someone?¡± Mom asked me with a curious expression on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Mom,¡± I said to her instead, and just when I was about to leave, the guard came to stand in my way.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. But you can¡¯t go outside. Our boss made it strict that you can leave the house for your safety,¡± The guard said to me, and I scoffed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t remember saying that I wanted to leave the house, did I? Someone is outside to see me, so leave my way,¡± I said to him coldly even though he was holding a gun. None of the guards here could harm me unless Carl gave them the order, so at least I had the upper hand in that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want my parents to think your boss is holding us hostage here, right? He won¡¯t spare anyone that makes him get on the bad side of my family,¡± I whispered to the guard, and he sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss,¡± He bowed to me slightly and stepped away from my way. I red hard at him and finally made my way out of the house. I didn¡¯t think it was going to work so easily.

    My heart sank into my stomach when I stepped out of the house and saw Chase waiting outside the gate. Immediately, I regretteding out to meet him in the first ce. I wouldn¡¯t havee outside if I had known he was the one here to see me.

    Taking a deep breath, I dragged my feet down thepound to the gate.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you came, Janice. There is an emergency,¡± He stated as soon as I stopped behind the gate. The gate was locked, so I couldn¡¯t go out to meet him.

    ¡°What happened, Chase? Is Connor okay?¡± Fear gripped me, and my heart hammered against my chest.

    ¡°You need toe with me, please,¡± He pleaded with me, and my eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked even though I knew this had something to do with Connor.

    ¡°You really need toe with me to see Connor right away, please. I¡¯m not asking you to get back together with him, but please, for the sake of the pain everyone would be through if something should happen to him, pleasee with me,¡± He pleaded with me, and I swallowed nothing. Even though he hadn¡¯t mentioned anything to me yet, I was scared. Losing Connor was thest thing I could take.

    ¡°I can¡¯te with you, Chase. You need to¡­¡± My voice trailed off when I saw the familiar car driving toward the gate, and I froze on the spot. It was Carl¡¯s car. I didn¡¯t expect him to be back so early.

    ¡°You need to leave, Chase. You need to get out of here,¡± I panicked as I pleaded with Chase because I didn¡¯t want Carl to harm him. He could kill Chase if he found him here.

    ¡°Why should I leave? Is your boyfriend here?¡± Chase asked stubbornly after he nced at the car that had just pulled over.

    ¡°You really need to leave, Chase. Please leave immediately,¡± I pleaded with him as tears brimmed in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t afford Connor to lose his brother that he loves the most.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave here until you agree toe with me to go see Connor,¡± He insisted.

    ¡°And why should my fiancee with you to see¡­ What was the name you called again? Connor?¡± I saw the shock on Chase¡¯s face when he heard Carl¡¯s voice. The same expression I had that day when I first found out that he was alive. For the next few seconds, Chase stared at me as if he was waiting for my approval to look in the direction of the voice.

    Slowly, he turned to face Carl who was standing behind him, and I could swear that Chase¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground as his eyes narrowed in shock.

    ¡°Long time no see, brother. Did you miss me?¡± I could swear that the look on Carl¡¯s face could kill as he smirked at Chase. Even I was scared of what was going to happen next. Will he shoot Chase? Will he abuse me again for seeing Chase? Will he me me foring outside to meet him? My heart pounded hard against my chest as I stared in shock, waiting for hell to break loose¡­

 96

    Janice POV

    ¡°Sweetheart, let¡¯s go inside,¡± Carl faced me and smiled at me, but that smile meant something else and if I could do anything, I would start running right away from here.

    Chase was too shocked to talk, so he just stared wordlessly. I had expected that reaction, anyway. I mean, this dude was believed to have been dead, and popping out of nowhere now was really shocking.

    ¡°Come on,¡± My heart missed a beat when he ced his hand gently around my shoulder like the gentleman he never was, and I was left with only one choice, and it was to follow him.

    I wished I could disappear at that moment as he led me back into the house. My heart pounded hard against my chest, my breath hitched momentarily and I felt suffocated as the thought of the hell that awaited me behind those closed doors hit me hard.

    Nobody was in the living room when we got there, so he led me to the room, and as soon as we got inside his room, he mmed the door close and locked it.

    ¡°Ca¡­ Carl¡­ I didn¡¯t do it. I swear I didn¡¯t invite Chase over¡­ I wasn¡¯t trying to escape, I promise you,¡± My voice quivered as I stepped away from him even though he wasn¡¯t moving from the spot where he was standing. I stepped back until my back crashed against the wall, and when there was nowhere left for me to go, I just stood there, scared of the shit that was probably about to happen to me.

    ¡°I will ask you one question, and you wouldn¡¯t want to lie to me, trust me¡­¡± He paused, then tucked his hands inside his pockets, his eyes boring invisible holes in my body as they red at me. Even though I only nced at his eyes briefly, the anger in them was so real and frightening enough for me not to have noticed it.

    ¡°Carl¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything, I promise,¡± Tears brimmed in my eyes as I pressed my back hard against the wall, shaking my head and praying silently that he listened to me. I wasn¡¯t ready for another set of abuse.

    ¡°What was Chase doing here?¡± He asked me coldly, his scary voice breaking every ounce of confidence and strength in me, and my legs weakened. I swallowed nothing and ground my teeth a few times. My body trembled, my hands sweaty, and beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite him¡­ I really didn¡¯t,¡± I shook my head as my tears finally dropped, and he sighed.

    ¡°What was he telling you?¡± He asked again, his eyes darkened like he could kill me at that moment, and I felt my soul leave my body briefly.

    I nced at the door and thought of running out of the room or screaming for help, but I recalled none of it would work. The door was locked, and even if it wasn¡¯t, I knew I wouldn¡¯t make it out of the room. Screaming for help? Well, in a room that was soundproofed, then I wondered how possible it would be to get help from outside.

    When I didn¡¯t say anything to him, he started walking toward me, and with every step he took, I felt like my life was being drained from me. Every step he took was apanied by doom which I could see clearly as I anticipated either another torture and abuse or worse still, my death.

    He finally stopped in front of me, and I held my breath unknowingly as I closed my eyes and waited for hell to break loose. Shortly, I felt his hand under my chin, so I slowly opened my eyes to meet those ring and frightening of his that almost made me lose bnce.

    ¡°Look at the way you are sweating, babe¡­ I was just asking you a question but you were so scared,¡± He uttered calmly as he wiped my forehead with a ck handkerchief.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± He spoke to me softly, his face filled with emotions and I had to ask myself if this was the same Carl that looked so angry just two minutes ago.

    ¡°I¡¯ve really missed you so much¡­ So much that I thought I was going to die if I didn¡¯t see you,¡± He said huskily as he stared into my eyes, and I swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have family dinner together with Mom, Dad, and Jake tonight,¡± He uttered as he removed the strands of hair on my forehead and tucked them behind my ear.

    ¡°Should we go out on a date tomorrow, hmm?¡± He further asked as he stroked my hair, but I couldn¡¯t say anything to him, instead, I just stared back at him, my heart filled with fear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out on a date tomorrow. Shopping date. Consider that our first date together as couples,¡± He said again, and I was left with the only choice of nodding my head since there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly like he¡¯d never want to let go. I was left in confusion trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Was he on drugs or something? I¡¯ve only seen people on drugs having mood swings or people who had their mental health tampered with, so I didn¡¯t know what to conclude was his problem.

    ¡°I got you a gift,¡± He pulled away from me, held my hands, and gave them a light squeeze as he smiled at me.

    ¡°I will have Royce bring it for you. I still have some things to deal with. Let¡¯s eat together when I¡¯m done,¡± He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. He pulled away from me, smiled, and finally walked out of the room, and I breathed out as I slumped to the ground helplessly. That was so close and frightening.

    Now that I thought about it, I was scared to the bone thinking about what Chase said to me earlier about Connor. Is he safe?

 97

    ¡°What are you saying, Chase?¡± Mrs. Hughes¡¯ eyes narrowed in shock after Chase told her about what happened back at Carl¡¯s house.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I saw Carl¡­ I saw Carl¡­ I really saw him,¡± Chase stuttered, his heart pounding hard against his chest, his lips quivered fearfully.

    ¡°Stop joking around with me, son¡­ How is that possible? Your brother is dead¡­ Carl is fucking dead!¡± Mrs. Hughes felt like she was losing her mind, this was hard to believe because thest time she checked, her son was dead. He had died months ago and it couldn¡¯t be possible that he was the one Chase saw, but Chase was sure of what he saw. He was sure that person was his brother whom they thought was dead.

    ¡°Mom, why are you not believing me?¡± Chase ran his fingers through his hair crazily like he was about to lose his mind. Apparently, he had already lost his mind and thought he was going crazy that moment that he saw Carl.

    ¡°How am I supposed to believe you, Chase? How am I supposed to believe you that you came out of nowhere and told me that Carl is alive¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Chase called and held her shoulders.

    ¡°We should go there¡­ You should go see for yourself, Mom. You should go see Carl for yourself,¡± Chase uttered, and Mrs. Hughes¡¯s heart sank into her stomach as tears streamed down her cheeks. She had managed to put the past behind her, she had managed to be fine even though it was hard to get rid of the thought of losing his loving son months ago, and this was happening?

    ¡°Are you sure about this, Chase? I would be so mad at you if it turns out that you¡¯ve been lying to me,¡± She stated, and he assured her that he wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°What about Connor? Where is he?¡± Chase asked.

    ¡°I gave him sleeping pills. He is sleeping,¡± She replied to him, and he nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He said and they both left the house to the parking lot where they hopped inside the car, and the ride to Carl¡¯s house began.

    Mrs. Hughes¡¯ heart kept hammering against her chest on their way as many thoughts lingered on her mind. What if Carl was really alive? That was one of the questions she kept asking herself.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Maybe he saw someone else,¡± She quickly dismissed the thoughts. If he was alive, he could¡¯vee home to her a long time ago, right?

    ¡°We are not there yet?¡± She asked Chase impatiently.

    ¡°We¡¯ll soon be there. Calm down, Mom,¡± Chase replied to her, and she managed to calm down.

    They finally arrived at the front of the mansion, and Mrs. Hughes quickly alighted from the car.

    ¡°Is this the house?¡± She asked Chase, and when he nodded, she scurried to the gate and started to shake it to get the attention of the people inside.

    ¡°Calm down, Mom. I will find a way to get them to open it,¡± Chase held her and pulled her away from the gate, but she yanked his hand off.

    ¡°I need to see my son if he is really alive. Let me bang the gate until they open it for me,¡± She said and continued to shake the gate, making a loud noise until one of Carl¡¯s bouncers came outside.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The bouncer asked when he finally got to where they were standing. The gate was demarcating them.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Where is Carl? Call him out here¡­ Tell him his mother is here to see him,¡± She said to the bouncer restlessly, and the bouncer pulled a surprised expression like this young woman was losing her mind or something.

    ¡°Sorry, who is Carl?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Can we see Mr. Jason, please?¡± Mrs. Hughes turned to face Chase with a surprised expression when she heard him say that.

    ¡°Who is¡­¡± She was going to ask Chase when she heard someone¡¯s voice from inside the gate. It was a familiar voice she could never forget even though she was in a deep sleep. It was his beloved son¡¯s voice.

    She didn¡¯t hesitate before she snapped her head in the direction of the voice, and there he was, standing frozen on the spot.

    Her jaw dropped to the ground as she stared at Carl who was shocked to see her too.

    ¡°Mo¡­ m¡­¡± Carl¡¯s voice came out weakly and low that he could barely hear himself. His heart wrenched painfully and slowly, he clenched his fingers tightly beside him as he stared at her.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± Her jaw dropped to the ground as she stared at him, the realization dawned on her that it was really her Carl.

    ¡°Carl!¡± Her voice was loud this time as she tightened her fingers around one of the rods of the bar gate as if intending to force her way in.

    ¡°Boss, these people are here to see you. Do you want me to let them in?¡± The bouncer turned to Carl and asked, and as much as he wanted to turn his back on this woman, he felt weak. He couldn¡¯t hurt her even though he hated her so much.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let them in,¡± He nodded as he tucked his hands inside his pockets. He tried to hide his emotions with a straight face, but deep inside him, he was bleeding inside. He had missed her so much that he wanted to run into her arms and embrace her, but it was taking him all his self-restraint to do that.

    The gate was finally opened, and Mrs. Hughes ran as fast as her legs could carry her, and when she finally got to where Carl was standing, she pulled him into her arms and embraced him. She tightened her arms around him as tears streamed down her cheeks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, son¡­ I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± she whimpered, but Carl just stood there like a log of wood as he stared into space wordlessly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, Mom,¡± He desperately wanted to hug her back and tell her how much he had missed her, but he tried to hold himself back, reminding himself that he wasn¡¯t the old Carl they used to know.

    She finally pulled away from him and cupped his cheeks in her palms. She noticed his eyes were fine, and although she wanted to question him about that, she changed her mind. It wasn¡¯t yet time to do that.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­ Who are you?¡± Carl asked, his voice void of emotions as he held her hand and pushed her away slightly but carefully in a way she wouldn¡¯t hurt herself.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± He looked her in the eyes and asked, his eyebrows raised, demanding an answer.

    ¡°Wh¡­ What do you mean?¡± Mrs. Hughes stuttered and swallowed nothing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember I¡¯ve seen this face anywhere before. Who are you?¡± Mrs. Hughes¡¯ heart sank into her stomach, and her jaw dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Carl¡­ It¡¯s me¡­ Your Mom,¡± She reminded him as she held his hand, but he yanked her hand off and stepped away from her.

    ¡°My Mom is dead¡­ She died years ago. Who are you?¡± Carl asked with an even more serious expression on his face.

    ¡°Carl¡­ Did you have amnesia? It¡¯s me, your Mom¡­ That¡¯s Chase, your little brother¡­ You have an elder brother, Connor, and your little sister, ire¡­ You have a Dad too. We are your family,¡± Mrs. Hughes¡¯s lips quivered as she exined to him, but he stared back at her nkly like she was speaking in a foreignnguage he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Talk to me, Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°My name is not Carl¡­ My name is Jason. Maybe you mistook me for someone else, ma¡¯am,¡± He did his best to hold himself together as he said those hurtful words to her. Waves of guilt spurred through him because even though he could hurt anyone else, this woman was one person he could never hurt. Yes, he hated them. He hated all his family and could kill them all, but seeing the tears in her eyes had made him weak. Maybe he had just been deceiving himself that he could harm her.

    ¡°What are you saying, son? That¡¯s not possible¡­ You are¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my bouncer would have to escort you out. I was going somewhere before you interrupted me,¡± He said to her, then bowed slightly and turned to leave when Chase finally spoke up for the first time.

    ¡°Are you going to be like this even to your own Mom, Carl? Don¡¯t you think you are being heartless?¡± Carl stopped on his track and slowly clenched his fingers.

    ¡°Even when you were wrong, she was always supporting you and never left your side¡­ She always protected you. Are you going to pretend not to know her?¡± Chase stepped forward and snarled at him, and he sighed.

    ¡°Escort them out,¡± He said to the bouncer and finally went to hop inside his car. Right before Mrs. Hughes¡¯ eyes, he drove out of the house without sparing them a nce¡­

 98

    Janice POV

    Mrs. Hughes didn¡¯t deserve any of the pain she was being through, and seeing her earlier broke my heart. She was a nice woman who never deserved the treatment she was given. I could understand how eager she must¡¯ve been upon realizing that her son whom she had been mourning for months was alive, and the heartbreak she must¡¯ve suffered when he pretended not to know her.

    The sound of the knock on the door pulled my attention.

    ¡°Who is there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Can Ie in?¡± My heart missed a beat and I rose to my feet when I heard Carl¡¯s voice from outside. I swallowed nothing, my heart hammered hard against my chest and I fondled with my fingers. I couldn¡¯t stop him froming inside the room and I couldn¡¯t also send him away.

    ¡°Can Ie in?¡± He asked again, and this time, I was left with the only choice of letting him in. The door opened, and he walked inside. As usual, he was wearing a pair of ck short trousers and a ck casual shirt.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been home over thirty minutes and you didn¡¯te out of your room. Are you ok?¡± He asked in the calmest voice that left me stunned because the Carl I knew these days would go ahead to re up and even hurt me.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I was¡­ resting,¡± I stuttered, and he nodded his head as he tucked his hands inside his pockets.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Have you had something to eat yet?¡± He asked me.

    ¡°Hmm. I had dinner already,¡± I replied to him, and he sighed.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I nned to have dinner with you tonight. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t make it home. Something happened out there and I needed to take care of it,¡± He apologized to me, giving me another shock that left my mouth hanging open. Is that Carl really talking?

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,¡±

    ¡°I just came to check on you. I¡¯ll be in my room until tomorrow. I have something to take care of,¡± He said to me. I noticed he was a bit dull this evening, so I decided to ask him what was wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯re good?¡± I asked him, and he shrugged.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± He replied to me, but the expression on his face wasn¡¯t convincing enough as it was saying something else.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you are. Do you want to maybe talk about it?¡± I asked him hesitantly.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine. Sleep tight. Good night,¡± He patted my shoulder then forced a smile and turned to leave.

    ¡°Is it about your Mom?¡± I asked out of the blue moon, and he stopped abruptly. Silence crept into the atmosphere, and even though he hadn¡¯t said anything, I knew it had something to do with what happened earlier.

    ¡°Do you think she deserved the way you treated her today?¡± I asked him, and he clenched his fingers into tight fists.

    ¡°Look, Carl¡­ I had no idea about what happened in the past between you and Connor, but from my knowledge and what happened after you were gone, your Mom was heartbroken¡­¡± I paused for him to digest it, and when I was sure he was calmed, I spoke further.

    ¡°She was devastated. She was crying her eyes out every night, and do you know how they treated Connor? He was disowned by his parents¡­ Your Dad went as far as stopping him from using the family name¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this, Janice¡­¡±

    ¡°For how long are you nning to avoid this? You can go ahead and shoot me, but I need to tell you the truth. Your suicide was nobody¡¯s fault¡­ It wasn¡¯t Connor¡¯s fault yet he took the me and was cast away from the family¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what happened? Are you going to me me for everything that happened without hearing what happened? It was them¡­ It was their fault¡­ They pushed me to this¡­ They made this monster!¡± He turned to face me, his eyes glistened with tears as he looked at me.

    ¡°He took everything away from me¡­ He took you away from me¡­ He ruined my life¡­ Yes, I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have ever hurt Connor like that, but all I asked for was another chance to make things work¡­ All I wanted was the love he used to have for me. I was ready to make things work,¡± Tears streamed down his cheeks as he spoke. At that moment, I knew that there was still some good left in this young man. He wasn¡¯t aplete monster, at least not yet.

    ¡°All I asked for was another chance to make everything right,¡± He broke down in tears as he grabbed his hair and pulled it aggressively. I could imagine the pain he was going through. I was starting to realize that he didn¡¯t want to live like this either.

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t miss Mom? You think I didn¡¯t want to tell her how much I¡¯ve missed her? I love her so much more than my own life¡­ Do you know how hard it is for me?¡± He cried painfully, and I took a few steps toward him until the distance between us was covered.

    ¡°Shhhh! Don¡¯t cry¡­ We can make things work,¡± I pulled him into my arms and embraced him asfort was the only thing he needed at that moment.

    Carl hugged me back tightly like he¡¯d never want to let go as he whimpered. Maybe this was what he needed. To let everything out and feel better.

    ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts so much,¡± He sobbed on my shoulders.

    ¡°Just let it all out¡­ Let everything out, and you¡¯ll feel better,¡± I whispered as I patted his back.

    We stayed in that position for a few minutes, and he finally pulled away.

    ¡°You should rest tonight. Don¡¯t do anything. Just sleep and you¡¯ll be fine by the time you wake up tomorrow,¡± I said to him, and he nodded.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded as I stepped away from him.

    ¡°Good night,¡± He uttered and finally walked out of my room, and I breathed out as I slumped on the bed. Carl was going through shit and I think the only thing he needed right now was someone to help calm him¡­

 99

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir¡­ It was a mistake,¡± The video editor, a young slimdy quickly apologized to Connor as a different image from the presentation they were having that day at the office, popped up.

    It was on a Monday morning, and Connor¡¯spany was doing a presentation for the new product he was about to release, but the video editor who was in charge of the presentation seemed to have messed things up.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Connor lost it, so he mmed his hands on the table and rose to his feet.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this nonsense?¡± He yelled at thedy, not minding his business partners around. This was something he could¡¯ve handled carefully and calmly, but fuck it! He had a lot on his mind already and had no patience left in him to do this carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    ¡°Were you blind or something? You were fucking paid for this, so what happened?¡± He thundered at thedy again, and she panicked.

    ¡°Sir, you need to calm down, please. I will find a way around this,¡± Khan tried to calm him down.

    ¡°Stay out of this!¡± He snapped at Khan, then turned to thedy.

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t like your job anymore. Get the hell out of here, and as you are leaving, I don¡¯t want to ever see you anywhere around mypany, ever again,¡± He stated, and thedy¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Sir¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°One more word from you, and I will make sure you never get a job anywhere else, ever again,¡± He threatened her, and she bowed quickly. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she packed up herputer and shamefully left the meeting hall while the other employees and business partners of Connor stared at him unbelievably.

    ¡°What are you all looking at?¡± He yelled at the other employees, and they quickly turned their faces away, none could utter a word unless he or she wanted to be fired.

    ¡°Mr. Connor¡­ I think this is a little mistake that could be rectified. In my opinion, you didn¡¯t have to be like that to the youngdy. I guess she has worked her ass off for this day,¡± One of his business partners, a man in histe forties, suggested, and he scoffed.

    ¡°Do you have a problem with what happened, Mr. Gilbert?¡± Connor leaned over the table, his eyes piercing into the man¡¯s, and he asked.

    ¡°This is mypany, and whatever happens here, the rules and regtions are made by me. I see no reason why you should meddle in our business,¡± Connor stated rudely.

    ¡°Connor¡­ What are you doing? You are going to mess things up,¡± Khan whispered to him.

    ¡°If you have a problem with that, you can use the door and nevere to mypany, ever again,¡± He stated then straightened his back and picked up his phone from the table.

    ¡°This meeting hase to an end. I will inform you all when I¡¯m convenient to host the meeting again. You are all dismissed,¡± And with that, Connor left the meeting hall.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about what happened, please. I¡¯m going to talk to my boss and make sure he calls and apologizes to you. He is not in his right state of mind,¡± Khan apologized to Mr. Gilbert and finally left to go meet Connor.

    The smell of cigarettes weed him as soon as he barged into Connor¡¯s office.

    ¡°You are smoking in your office when you made the rules that no smoking around here? Have you lost it, Connor?¡± Khan snapped at him angrily.

    ¡°What do you want, Khan?¡± Connor asked as he puffed smoke from his mouth. He was seated behind his desk and reclining on the chair as he stared at nothing.

    ¡°What I want is for you toe back to your senses. What you did back there was not fair¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have a problem with that? If you do, then you can turn in your resignation letter and leave mypany. I don¡¯t fucking need you here, so just leave me the hell alone,¡± He said calmly as he dropped the cigarette butt on the ashtray and resumed work on hisputer.

    ¡°What hase over you, Connor? You are slowly losing your mind and you are not even doing anything about it?¡±

    ¡°Close the door on your way out. I have work to do,¡± He said calmly without sparing Khan a nce.

    ¡°You are unbelievable,¡± Khan muttered and finally stepped out of his office, and he breathed out as he reclined on the chair again.

    ¡®How did a monster like you get to keep me by your side for so long?¡¯ he breathed out again and closed his eyes as those words reyed in his head. He has been trying to get them off, but it hasn¡¯t been working out for him.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it,¡± He waved the thought off, and just when he was about to resume work, his phone beeped and a text from Chase popped on the screen.

    ¡®Are you free? I¡¯m waiting for you outside. Let¡¯s have lunch together¡¯ he read through the message.

    ¡®I still have work to do. Let¡¯s have dinner together when I get back home¡¯ he replied to Chase and tossed his phone on the table, but his text came in again and he hesitantly picked up the phone for the second time.

    ¡®I have something to discuss with you. It¡¯s about Janice¡¯ He rose to his feet at the mention of Janice, and without wasting another second, he grabbed his car keys from the desk and dashed out of the office.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Khan asked him as he stepped out of the office.

    ¡°I need to attend to something. I might note back to the office. I¡¯ll call youter,¡± He said hurriedly and dashed out of the office.

    Stepping out of thepany, he saw Chase leaning against his car outside the gate. He hurried over to him.

    ¡°I knew you woulde at the mention of Janice. You don¡¯t even care about your brother anymore but¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it about Janice you want to tell me, please?¡± He cut Chase off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. Let¡¯s go to the restaurant first,¡± Chase said as he pulled the car door open and hopped inside. Connor hesitated before he went to hop on the other side¡­

 100

    ¡°What did you say you wanted to talk to me about Janice?¡± Connor asked desperately as soon as Chase pulled the car over in front of the restaurant.

    ¡°Why are you being so desperate, Connor? I¡¯m not going to tell you, not until we have lunch together,¡± Chase replied to him as he removed his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

    ¡°If you tricked me intoing here, then I¡¯m going to be so mad at you, Chase,¡± He reminded Chase as they both walked toward the entrance door of the restaurant.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to y you, trust me,¡± Chase assured him, but deep inside him, he knew there was nothing to talk about. He only wanted to get him out of the office so he could eat good food even if it was just for the day. He hadn¡¯t been eating well, and he was just being like this as a concerned brother.

    Chase ordered food for both of them, but Connor could barely eat his food as he was being eaten up by his curiosity, dying to know what his brother brought him out here to discuss.

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m not going to tell you anything if you keep being like this. Eat your food, and we¡¯ll talk when you are done,¡± Chase uttered, and he rolled his eyes.

    A smileced up Chase¡¯s face as he watched his brother eat slowly. His heart hurt to see him in this situation and he wished there was something he could do about it, but this wasn¡¯t something he could do anything about. As the thought of Carl hit his mind, he wondered how Connor would feel if he eventually found out that the man his woman was with, was his brother whom he thought was dead.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you forget about her?¡± Chase asked out of the blue moon, and Connor paused with his hand in the air while holding on to a spoon filled with the fried rice he was eating. Slowly, he dropped the spoon and turned his full attention to Chase.

    ¡°Who?¡± He asked even though he knew for sure who Chase was talking about.

    ¡°You know, it really hurts¡­ It hurts seeing you like this. It¡¯s killing me every damn time whenever I see you in pain¡­¡± Chase paused and briefly sighed.

    ¡°It all started because of a woman, Connor¡­ If it weren¡¯t for her, we would have still been this loving family we were right from time¡­ We were the sweetest and most harmonized siblings¡­ You were the best big brother that couldy down his life on a spot to protect his sibling¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you bring me here to preach to me, Chase?¡± Connor was already losing it, his face burning with fury.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± He stood up.

    ¡°For once, can you please listen to this helpless brother of yours? For once can you sit and listen to the gibberish I have to say?¡± He paused and clenched his fingers into a tight fist as he stared into space.

    ¡°I want my brother back, Connor¡­ I want my lively brother that cared so much about me. I want my brother who always puts my happiness and feelings forward before anything else¡­ Where is that Connor? Where are you?¡± Chase couldn¡¯t hold back his tears anymore as he let them fall freely down his cheeks.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Connor¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m very scared. It¡¯s only me and you now. I¡¯m scared of getting married. I¡¯m scared of having a girlfriend. I¡¯m scared of us splitting again because of a woman,¡± Chase uttered, and he finally sat back on the chair.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t because of a woman, Chase¡­ Get your facts right. I didn¡¯t turn out like this because of a woman. I am like this because of that bastard! He turned me into this. It was all his fault. If he hadn¡¯t done that to me years ago, my life wouldn¡¯t have been a mess like this,¡± Connor reminded him. This was the kind of incident he¡¯d always try to avoid so he could avoid thinking about the past, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was ever going to happen.

    ¡°Connor¡­¡±

    ¡°He killed me¡­ He killed the human in me¡­ Carl killed the human in me. He fucking ruined my life, and that was because of his selfishness and greediness,¡± Tears streamed down Connor¡¯s cheeks as he spoke.

    Silence assumed the atmosphere as they both cried.

    ¡°Are you going to let her go? Janice¡­ Are you going to let her go?¡± Chase asked him, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to shake his head almost immediately.

    ¡°She is the only woman I¡¯ve loved after her¡­ You have no idea how much I love her, Chase. My life is nothing without Janice,¡±

    ¡°You should fight for her. You should fight for the woman you love if you truly love her like you imed,¡± Chase suggested, and he sighed. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to, but she didn¡¯t even want to see him, so what was he supposed to do? He didn¡¯t want to force things on her.

    ¡°I know her new boyfriend,¡± Chase uttered, and his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You know him? Who is he? Where does he work? Where can I find him?¡± He asked eagerly, and Chase scoffed as he wiped his tears.

    ¡°What do you want to do? Fight him? He is not someone you can fight, Connor. Even if you want to, Mom and Dad won¡¯t allow it this time,¡± Chase shook his head, and he pulled a puzzled look.

    ¡°What do you mean? What has that gotten to do with Mom and Dad?¡± He asked confusingly, trying to wrap his head around what Chase said since he had yet to exin to him, but he couldn¡¯te up with something.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me? Tell me, Chase. What has it gotten to do with Mom and¡­¡±

    ¡°Because they won¡¯t allow themselves to lose Carl once again,¡± Chase cut him off, and his face went nk. For the next few minutes, he stared back at Chase, trying to sum everything up to make sense to him, but it wasn¡¯t working, so he finally resorted to asking him for an exnation.

    ¡°What do you mean, Chase? You are confusing me. What about Carl? What do you mean about Mom and Dad¡­¡± He paused and used his hand to demonstrate.

    ¡°What was that you said again? I don¡¯t know¡­ What do you mean?¡± He further asked.

    ¡°Janice is with Carl,¡± Chase finally dropped the bombshell, and his face went nk.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you saying? I mean, which Carl are you talking about?¡± He stuttered, his lips quivered for a few seconds before it stopped, and he swallowed nothing.

    ¡°Carl is alive, and Janice is currently living with him. Carl is the same Jason she is living with,¡± Connor¡¯s heart sank into his stomach and his jaw dropped to the ground as he stared at Chase nkly. What the heck did he just hear?

 101

    Connor POV

    ¡®Carl is alive¡¯ Those words kept reying in my head as I drove restlessly down the road. I had to confirm this myself because no way I was going to believe it without doing confirmation.

    ¡°Can you calm down, please? You are going to get the two of us killed,¡± Chase uttered as he held on tightly to the seatbelt, but the only thing on my mind was to get to that house and confirm this.

    Thirty minutester, I finally pulled over in front of the gate and stepped out of the car. I banged the bar gate impatiently while waiting for whoever was around toe and get the door, and after a few minutes, I saw a guy of about the same age as ire, stepped out of the house.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked as he strode down toward the gate where we were waiting.

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± He asked as he finally got to the gate.

    ¡°Where is Janice?¡± I asked him restlessly, and he gave me a long confusing stare.

    ¡°Why do you want to see my sister?¡± He asked me, and my jaw dropped to the ground. Janice has never mentioned anything about her family, so howe this boy was iming she was his sister?

    ¡°You are her brother?¡± I wanted to ask, but that was not important at that moment, so I dismissed the question.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°She went out with my brother-inw. Who are you? Why do you want to see her? Is there a problem?¡± He bombarded with so many questions, but the only thing that sank in my head was the part he mentioned brother-inw. It wasn¡¯t what I was thinking, right?

    ¡°Brother-inw? What do you¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Chase, and we are Janice¡¯s friends. Can wee inside and wait for her, please?¡± Chase chipped in, sounding as polite as he could ever be, and I scoffed.

    ¡°You need to calm down, Connor. You can¡¯t be this agitated here,¡± Chase whispered, and I tried to at least stay calm.

    ¡°Oh, I remember you now. You were here to find my sister the other day, right?¡± He faced Chase and uttered.

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know you still remember me. Can wee in, please?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ You cane in,¡± He smiled and pressed a few buttons at the side wall, and the gate rolled open. We made our way inside. It wasn¡¯t my first time here, so I was fast to find my way to the living room even without the guy¡¯s help.

    ¡°Make yourself feel at home. Do you need me to get you something to drink?¡± He asked politely, but I shook my head.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± He turned to Chase and asked.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine,¡± Chase replied to him, and he nodded.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Who are you talking with, Jake?¡± I heard a feminine voice as light footsteps descended the staircase, and I looked in the direction where I saw a woman in herte fifties. She was everything beautiful even with her slightly rough skin that was just starting to look smooth. She had short brown hair, and a striking resemnce with Janice. She must be rted to Janice. That was the first thing that came to my mind, but I couldn¡¯t just conclude like that, yeah?

    ¡°Mom, these people are here to see my sister,¡± The guy replied to her when she finally got to the living room, and this time, I finally confirmed that she was not only rted to Janice, but was her Mom.

    My heart wrenched painfully at the thought of not knowing her family all this while but they were here with her now. What was I doing wrong all along? Why didn¡¯t I ever ask her about her family? I felt bad thinking about it.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important for now,¡± My subconscious mind reminded me, and I tried to limit my thoughts.

    ¡°Greetings, ma¡¯am,¡± I quickly stood up and greeted her.

    ¡°Good day, Mr. Who are you, please?¡± She asked me, and I looked at Chase. What was I going to tell her? That I¡¯m her daughter¡¯s boyfriend when they already knew someone else as her boyfriend?

    ¡°We are Janice¡¯s friends, ma¡¯am,¡± Chase bailed me out and quickly spoke up before I could say anything, and her smile widened even more.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My daughter never told me she had such adorable friends,¡± Her smile was heartwarming and rxing.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, ma¡¯am,¡± I said to her at the same time as Chase.

    ¡°Make yourself rxed. Janice will be back soon. She went out with her fiance,¡± Those words struck my heart, and I slowly clenched my fingers tightly as I stared into space. What the heck happened?

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Regardless, I nodded and sat back on the couch.

    I waited desperately for Carl to be back if truly he was really alive as Chase had said. Even though I was curious to know the truth, I still didn¡¯t want to believe that it was true. I looked for him in the water. We had the cops arrange for people to go to the depths of theke to check him. We were sure that he was dead, so how was this possible?

    ¡°You are going to find out soon. Just stay calm,¡± I said to myself and tried to rx.

    Seconds slowly ticked into minutes and after about an hour of waiting, I heard a car honk from outside.

    ¡°That must be them,¡± Chase turned to me and said in a low tone.

    Five minutester, I heard the entrance door open followed by multiple footsteps down the walkway that led to the living room. I was left in anticipation to see for myself what was really happening.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this more often henceforth,¡± That was the voice I would always recognize even though I was in aa. It was Carl¡¯s voice.

    Without wasting another second, I rose to my feet and turned in the direction of the voice, but my heart sank into my stomach and my jaw dropped to the ground at the sight that weed me. Chase wasn¡¯t lying. It was really Carl. He was alive.

    ¡°Carl?¡± I called, announcing my presence, and he looked at me along with Janice.

    ¡°Connor?¡± Janice called surprisingly.

    ¡°You are finally here. Long time, no see, brother,¡± A few seconds passed before Carl finally faced me and uttered with his faceced with a mischievous smirk.

    ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± I muttered as my lips quivered¡­

 102

    Connor¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground as he stared back at Carl. For a moment, this felt like a dream to him. This couldn¡¯t be true, right? This person wasn¡¯t his brother who passed away months ago, right?

    ¡°Why do you look so shocked to see me? You probably thought I was dead, didn¡¯t you? Are you disappointed?¡± Carl asked as he walked over to stand in front of Connor, but he was still too shocked to say anything.

    Connor opened his mouth to talk, but words failed him as the only thing he could do was stare at Carl from his head to his toes. When their eyes met, he took his time to check out his eyes which was said to have been destroyed the other time. It almost seemed like nothing happened to the eye. Was this really Carl or was someone impersonating him?

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. Are you as happy as I am?¡± The corner of Carl¡¯s lips twitched up into a smirk as he stared back at Connor. Although he wasn¡¯t prepared for them to meet now, he needed some more time to prepare himself to meet Connor, but it was still good. It was good that they had finally met now.

    ¡°Do you care for anything, brother?¡± Carl turned to Chase and asked.

    ¡°Look, Connor¡­¡± Janice finally spoke up, but she paused and walked over to stand between Connor and Carl.

    ¡°You need to leave, ok? I¡¯m noting with you if you are here because of me¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡±

    ¡°Did he threaten you? Did he say he was going to kill you if you don¡¯t stay with him?¡± Connor finally looked her in the eyes and asked her as he clenched his fingers into tight fists.

    ¡°Connor, you need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Answer me, Janice. Did he threaten you? Did he say he was going to kill you? Did he force you to leave me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me it was him? Why didn¡¯t you tell me he came back?¡± Connor felt like he was going to lose his mind at this point. Feelings of anger, betrayal, and pain spurred through him. She could¡¯ve told him and he would¡¯ve protected her, but why did she keep it away from him for so long? Why didn¡¯t she ever mention it to him?

    ¡°Connor¡­¡± Janice¡¯s lips quivered as tears brimmed in her eyes. Slowly, she bit her bottom lip and turned her face away.

    ¡°Did you think so lowly of me? You thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect you from him, right? Why did you do that?¡± Connor was no longer concerned about the fact that Carl was alive, but he was broken now that he found out that she knew about it all along but decided to hide it from him.

    ¡°He was never yours, Connor¡­ He was never¡­¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you die?¡± Connor cut him off as he turned to face him, and Carl¡¯s smirk slowly faded. He knew this was going to happen, but still, he wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Even though he knew it was never going to be possible, he wanted Connor to at least be remorseful about the way he treated him in the past, but it was starting to turn out that he didn¡¯t give a damn about everything that happened.

    ¡°Connor, you need to leave¡­¡±

    ¡°Stay out of this, Janice,¡± He shoved Janice out of his way and took a step closer to Carl.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What were you expecting? That I should go on my knees and beg you? Shed tears and tell you how much I regret everything? Sorry to disappoint you, Carl, but I would do that over and over again. If I had the chance to kill you with my hands, then I would do it¡­¡±

    ¡°Just stop this, Connor! Fucking stop this!¡± Janice chipped in again as tears streamed down his cheeks.

    ¡°Why do you hate each other so much? Why do you not like the presence of each other? I thought siblings were supposed to be by each other¡¯s side?¡± Her voice broke as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

    ¡°You dragged me into your mess and now I have to suffer all the pain. Do you ever think of anything else aside from how you feel? Do you ever think of how others feel¡­¡±

    ¡°Why should I think of that when my humanity and emotions died with me months ago in theke? Why the fuck should I care about anyone when I don¡¯t even know what caring itself feels like?¡± Carl scoffed and threw his head back as he bit his bottom lip.

    ¡°You took everything away from me. Janice was supposed to be mine. We were supposed to be married happily. She was my everything¡­¡±

    ¡°And that was why I took her away. You were expecting me to have left you to be happy with your life when you already ruined mine?¡± Connor scoffed.

    ¡°Never! You¡¯ve ruined me¡­ You ruined my life. You turned me into a miserable man and you think I was going to allow you to have a peaceful life?¡± Connor shook his head.

    ¡°Because of you, my whole entirety was ruined!¡± Connor yelled at the top of his voice. His heart wrenched painfully as memories of that night reyed in his head. He was determined to bury his past behind him, he wanted to forget that night and the pain that apanied it, but seeing his face now had ruined everything yet again.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have ever med me for everything that happened but that loose bitch you got married to!¡± Carl retorted.

    ¡°You knew she was a fucking sex addict but you still went ahead and married her, so what the fuck were you expecting from her? That miracle was going to happen?¡± Carl scoffed and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°It could¡¯ve been another person, not my own brother! It shouldn¡¯t have been you!¡±

    ¡°Does it make any difference, hmm? What if it were another person? Would it have made a difference that your beloved wife cheated on you?¡± Carl scoffed sarcastically, and Janice covered her mouth as her jaw dropped to the ground. Even though this was still confusing, she was connecting the dots already.

    ¡°I slept with your wife, but I told you I was sorry! I told you I never meant for that to happen, and¡­¡± Chase grabbed him by the cor before Carl could finish his statement.

    ¡°Are you proud of yourself, Carl? You never felt sorry for what you did!¡± Chase was so enraged that he was ready to punch Carl in the face, but that was until five hefty men rushed in with guns pointing at Chase and Connor.

    ¡°Lay a finger on me, and you¡¯ll be kissing your life goodbye, Chase. Remember I mentioned that my emotions and humanity died with me at theke that day? I don¡¯t consider you my brother, so don¡¯t mess around with me,¡± Carl stated coldly, but Chase was not ready to bring his hand down.

    Connor stared at Carl wordlessly. Thinking about everything that happened that night made him so weak that he couldn¡¯t open his mouth to say anything. That horrible memory left a scar in his heart after so many years.

    It all started nine years ago when he married his ex-wife. It was supposed to be a sweet marriage filled with love and happiness even though he knew she wasn¡¯t worthy enough to be called a wife.

    ¡®I love her. She¡¯s going to change¡¯ Even though Connor knew that it was something almost impossible, a part of him still believed that his wife was going to change.

    ¡®It¡¯s just an addiction. I can deal with it¡¯ Those words were his motivation for marrying her even though he knew she was sexually addicted. He was ready to stick by her side, he was ready to go to therapy with her and make things better, little did he know that it was the biggest mistake of his life.

    ¡®You can¡¯t satisfy me well enough, Connor. How can you be tired after just four rounds? You should be happy, some men are out there ready to sacrifice anything for their woman to be like this¡¯ she would always say to her every time while he tried to catch his breath after almost passing out as a result of sex. It was almost bing an addiction for him, he knew she was not good for him, but still, he was ready to make things work.

    ¡®I love her¡¯ he would always say each time anyone tried to advise him, but slowly, he was killing himself and ruining his life.

    That night, he hade home earlier than usual with a smile on his face, hoping to be weed by the beautiful smile on his wife¡¯s face, only to find her naked on top of a man on their matrimonial bed as she twerked on his dick with their moans dominating the room.

    ¡®Melissa!¡¯ he called in shock as his heart wrenched painfully that night, but that was nothingpared to the horror he experienced when he saw the man his wife was copting with. It was his brother, Carl.

    The pain he felt that night was a lifetime pain for him, something he had not been able to get rid of even after so many years.

    ¡®I did you a favor, Connor. You couldn¡¯t satisfy your wife, and I helped you¡¯ Those words from Carl were all needed to break him for years. Having the image living rent-free in his head for so many years, the hatred he harbored for him for years, he couldn¡¯t wish for anything more than to stop seeing his face.

    ¡°I hate you, Carl¡­ I hate you with everything in me,¡± Recalling everything, Connor couldn¡¯t hold those words back, so he spilled them with so much hatred.

    ¡°I hate you with every drop of blood in me, and I wish you nothing but death,¡± Connor further said, picking his words one after the other as he stared into Carl¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I will make sure you spend the rest of your life hating yourself. You would wish you didn¡¯t make it out of thatke that day. You would wish to have died there, and that is a promise,¡± Connor stated, then nced at Janice before he finally left with Chase.

    Janice slumped on the couch and sank her fingers into her hair. How could Carl have done such a thing to his brother? Why his brother¡¯s wife of all women out there? Those were the questions that kept ringing in her mind as she buried her face between her palms, but couldn¡¯t find any answer..

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!