《Ruin The Billionaire》


 The article

    ¡°Billionaire CEO by day, yboy by night. The secret life of Jake Rynd.


    By day, Jake Rynd is a serious Billionaire CEO who cares about nothing but making profits. He runs his Billion dorpany with a tight iron fist and makes sure his capitalist greed is satisfied. You may think all he cares about is making money but there¡¯s a dark and yful side of Jake Rynd he doesn¡¯t want you to know¡­¡±


    Furious, I crumpled the newspaper page into a ball and tossed it to the bin before remembering I had not yet read the reporter¡¯s name.


    ¡°Jenny,¡± I said to the inte and my assistant came running into the room.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Rynd.¡±


    ¡°Bring me an untouched copy of the newspaper.¡±


    Jenny nced at the copy on the table and bit her tongue to stop herself from asking questions that would get her fired.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said and hurried out. Barely a minuteter, she was back.


    ¡°Here, it is.¡±


    I quickly skimmed through to find the page with the article about me.


    Lilith Hellman. That was the damned reporter¡¯s name. No one had ever heard of her until the article came out and blew up. Now every blogger, talk show host, and social media influencer was discussing my life as painted by the devil herself. I thought the name was appropriate for whoever decided to ruin my name.


    However, I was going to ruin her before she ruined me.


    Standing up, I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going back to hell where you belong, Lilith Hellman.¡±


    Stepping out of my office, I strode into the executive elevator and pressed the button for the basement floor, from where I marched to my sleek rolls Royce and got in. Cory, my head of security was already in the car waiting. The driver revved up the engine and set off.


    Back in my house, I briefed Cory and Jared, a private investigator on my n for Lillith Hellman.


    ¡°You will tail her and make sure you get every detail about her especially her routine,¡± I told Jared. ¡°When that¡¯s established, Rushy will move in and take her to the safe house. If it¡¯s possible to get her before the end of the day, even better.¡±


    Yes, I had a safe house. I was a freaking Billionaire not a saint. My safe house was where I did things I did not want to get associated with my name. If it ever got discovered, one of my security guards would take the fall and admit he had been using it for illegal business without my knowledge.


    When I had disseminated that information, I went to my study, grabbed a book and sat by the window that overlooked the city. Within a short time, my coffee was ready and as I drank it, I thought about the tragedy that was Lilith Hellman.


    My reputation was of utmost importance to me. Although I didn¡¯t have a big problem being exposed as a yboy, I didn¡¯t like the feeling of being followed by a journalist. If I let her be, the next time she¡¯d discover some of the illegal things I did and ster them all over the media.


    Suddenly, the door burst open.


    ¡°I told her weren¡¯t seeing any visitors but she wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± Seline, my very loyal maid said with an apologetic look.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, staring at the blonde beauty that had just stepped into my study. ¡°You can go, Seline.¡±


    ¡°And I can stay,¡± Heather said, smiling at me. Her sparkling green eyes became smaller when she smiled. She flipped her hair, hitting Seline¡¯s face before strutting towards me.


    She wrapped her thin arms around me and started wriggling her body around. ¡°Missed you,¡± she whispered.


    Even with her beautiful face, lush breast imnts and long legs, she wasn¡¯t able to turn me on as much as before which was why I¡¯d been avoiding her. As she gyrated against my precious jewels, I realized it was time for me to do the inevitable. I had broken up with lots of girls before but had never got used to it. It always gave me mild feelings of guilt.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said. Heather¡¯s body stiffened against mine and rxed after some seconds.


    She let go and stood in front of me. ¡°Jake, I have a feeling I know what you¡¯re going to say because of the way you¡¯ve been actingtely, but please don¡¯t say anything. We can work on this and make it work. I understand you¡¯re stressed out, especially after that trending article. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯m here to make you feel better, as I have always done.¡±


    Seeing her face and tears made me feel like changing my mind which would not be a good idea so I walked to the window. Heather and I had been together for a only three months so I didn¡¯t understand why she was even crying.


    ¡°You need to go,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re done, Heather.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Heather came and hugged me from behind. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this to me. I have devoted all my time to you. You can¡¯t kick me to the curb when we have such great chemistry. I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do, just let me stay. You can even be with other women but let me remain your official girlfriend.¡±


    And so the truthes out. The most important part about dating me was not me or my love. It was the prestige of being a Billionaire¡¯s girlfriend. Titles and money was all most women I had been with wanted.


    ¡°Leave, Heather.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    I turned. ¡°Lets not make thisplicated. I don¡¯t love you anymore so I can¡¯t stay in a rtionship with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a teenager, Jake. Stop saying nonsense. You know love is the least important thing at our age. Compatibility is the more important.¡±


    ¡°You and I are notpatible.¡±


    A creepy smile curved her lips. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. We are more alike than you think. I¡¯m not just some blonde airhead. We¡¯re both evil andpetitive people which is why I will not go down without a fight.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    Heatherughed. ¡°If you don¡¯t stay with me, I will tell the world all your dirty secrets. Lillith Hellman barely scratched the surface of who you really are.¡±


    Iughed so loud my body shook. ¡°Trying to ckmail me? You¡¯re even more pathetic than I thought. Do whatever you want but be ready for the consequences.¡± I said, walking out of the room.


    After listening to what she had to say, my guilt was gone. There was no reason to feel sorry for someone like Heather.

 Kidnapped

    One of the best moments of a journalist is their big break, when our names finally get known by the whole world. Every young journalist is always seeking to write a breaking story that will blow up and catch everyone¡¯s attention. When that happens, your career is cemented. All that¡¯s left is to live up to the name.


    I had written a number of stories on the rich but they had never trended or caught a lot of attention. That¡¯s why I was the happiest woman in the world when my story on Jake Rynd blew up.


    The day had started normally, me beingte at work and starting off with my new article immediately. It was an hourter, when my editor came screaming to my office and told me that everyone was talking about my article. The physical copy of the paper had been brought, and the e-copy was doing exceptionally well because everyone was talking about my story on Jake Rynd.


    I opened a browser and all the newest articles popping up were about my article. Leah even said she¡¯d been receiving calls from people who wanted me to work for them.


    Before that day, I was just a poor girl with a very unfortunate and cursed name given to me by a mother who never wanted a child but was forced to go through with the pregnancy. As soon as she had me, she disappeared to go live her life the way she wanted, single, rich and child-free. No one had seen her since then.


    I could have changed the name as I grew up but it was the only thing that I reminded me that I had a mother. It remained my legal name but I went by Lilly.


    Getting out of my car, I smoothed by new beautiful shiny green dress, took a deep breath and walked to Leah¡¯s house where party music wasing from. Leah had bought me the dress and thrown a party to celebrate my sess.


    The party was already in full swing when I arrived. All my friends cheered when I made an entrance, making me feel shy and mushy at the same time. Tears welled in my eyes as the most important people in my life enveloped me in a group hug.


    My crazy father was out somewhere vacationing with his sixth wife. I had grown up mostly alone and only found family when I started working at The Daily Paper.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    After a lot of congrattions, I settled and downed my first drink as I danced. First with Leah, and then Den who couldn¡¯t keep his hands off me. We cut a cake, had a feast and continued to dance. Three hourster, the party was over and I was still sober.


    ¡°You can stay over and leave tomorrow,¡± Leah told me.


    I shook my head, ncing at the bodies sprawled over on her couch. I would be much better at my home.


    Leah escorted me to my car. ¡°Call me when you get home.¡±


    Getting into my car, I drove off. The city suburbs were still and quiet save from the asional car passing by.


    Soon, my apartment building came into view and I warmed up in anticipation of a good night¡¯s sleep after the best day of my life.


    After parking my car, I started to walk towards the stairs before something hit me on the head and the world morphed intoplete darkness.


    When I came to, I was in an empty room with white walls. The only thing in it was the wooden chair I was tied to. When I tried to shake myself free from the restraints, they got tighter.


    A minuteter, someone walked into the room and stood in front of me. I blinked to make sure I was seeing correctly. It was Jake Rynd.


    He smiled before ripping off the duct tape that had sealed my mouth shut.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you that question? What do you want from me, Hellman? Money, love, sex. Just say the word and you¡¯ll get it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from a disgusting man like you,¡± I said. ¡°All I wanted was to expose your hidden facade to the world. Because you seem to live a calm hidden life, the world has always wanted to know more about you. I gave them what I wanted, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Calling me disgusting in my own house. You¡¯re a brave one. But then again, you have been following me around. I don¡¯t like that at all.¡±


    ¡°So what? Did you kidnap me so you could threaten me? Didn¡¯t think you were this pathetic?¡±


    He chuckled, and took a few steps to where I was. Reaching out, he grabbed my chin forcefully and made me look up. ¡°I can do more than threaten you if you don¡¯t do as I say. You¡¯re going to refute that whole story you write and say it was a little girl¡¯s fantasy with no truth at all. TV stations will be lining up to interview you about me but you will tell them that you¡¯ve never met me. You just made up everything.¡±


    ¡°Will you let me go if i promise to do that?¡± I asked.


    He nodded then removed his hand from my chin.


    ¡°Okay, I will try to write an article saying that maybe I threw in some exegerations to make it sensational. I can¡¯t refute the whole story because that would ruin my career. My job is all I have.¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°That will do. Rushy.¡±


    The door opened and a burly man walked in. He wore a vest, exposing all the muscles lining up his arms and chest.


    I watched as he moved closer and ced a handkerchief over my nose and mouth. I had no choice but to inhale whatever it had beenced with.


    The next time I came to, it was night time and I was inside my car.

 Defiance

    If Jake Rynd thought his threats would faze me, he waspletely wrong. The world finally wanted to listen to me, and I was going to give it what it wanted. Moments like that did notst forever so I had to make the most of it before people moved on and focused on something else.


    I spent the weekend studying all the reactions to my article. I watched video clips, read articles andmentaries, and went through the hrious memes on social media.


    By the end of the weekend, I knew that people wanted more gossip about Jake. I was sure that even if I made up something, people would eat it up.


    But I was not that kind of journalist. I had integrity and would never cook up lies about anyone for money and fame. That was a low I swore not to reach in my life. I wanted to do my work right, only publishing nothing but the truth. asionally, I would spice things up a bit but nothing significant.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    On Sunday evening, I took a big risk and wrote an article that I knew would blow up and drive Jake crazy.


    Jerk Rynd? Jake Rynd Threatens Reporter for Writing About Him.


    ¡°Nice, I love it especially the title.¡± Leah sent in reply to my email.


    I slept with a big smile on my face. Jake was going to be really angry. All I had to do was use the taxi so I didn¡¯t have to go the basement alone. The basement parking of our rundown apartment didn¡¯t have any cameras so I was on my own.


    I couldn¡¯t prove my ims that someone kidnapped me there. In any case, I knew that the person had probably paid off our dodgy security guard in order to get away with the crime.


    Back then when I walked into thepany building, no one seemed to notice. Even the security personnel barely nced at me. I was a no body.


    But things were different on that Monday morning. It was like a movie. I walked in and every eye turned to me, making me feel shy and confident at the same time. I wearing a blue suit and ck heels, my ck hair in a tight ponytail.


    Despite the intense gaze, I managed to make it to my desk without falling over, a miracle considering that I rarely wore heels. Being the current star reporter did feel quite good. I¡¯d admired others for way too long but finally my time to shine had reached. It would soon end if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    I was called to Leah¡¯s office immediately.


    ¡°Today¡¯s article was even better,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re blowing up. Even Athena wants to meet you. There are so many people still calling to interview you to get more info on Jake. We¡¯ll be having a meeting in an hour to decide who¡¯ll go with.¡±


    I barely heard the rest after Athena¡¯s intentions. Athena Morgan was the head of our newspaper generically named The Daily Paper. Getting a private meeting with her was one of the most desired things. It was a dreame true.


    An hourter, I entered Athena¡¯s office. It was..


    Athena was wearing a crisp blue suit and ck heels. A smile lit up her face when she saw me.


    ¡°My favorite reporter,¡± Athena said, making me blush. I had spent my entire career trying to get noticed by her and thanks to Jake Rynd, I finally got what I wanted.


    ¡°Good morning, miss Morgan.¡± I greeted, staring in awe at one of the most influential women in the publishing business. Athena has got to the top through hard-work and grit. I had read every interview of hers and tried each day to be more like her which was very hard because Athena breathed publishing.


    ¡°Good morning, Lilly.¡± She said. ¡°Please take a seat. I love your follow up article on Jake Rynd. While I know he¡¯s capable of making threats, all money hungry men are, I just want to know from the horse¡¯s mouth if it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s true, why did you not provide more details like where the incident urred, how and many others. Although the tabloids are swallowing it up, details could have given your story more credibility.¡±


    ¡°If I divulged details, Jake and I would face off in court because hemitted a crime. I didn¡¯t talk about it because when ites to an actual crime, the system is rigged. Jake has contacts on the legal system and instead him ending up in jail, it would be me instead. Besides, I have no proof other than my word. Some people will think I¡¯m just trying to ruin his name and I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡±


    ¡°As long as whatever happened didn¡¯t hurt or traumatize you, we can move past it. Things happen, terrible things too. Moving on, Leah gave me a list of tforms that wish to interview you and I want us to use this opportunities to promote our paper so I¡¯m going to help you choose the best one.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. I knew Athena cared more about herpany than me but that didn¡¯t matter. It was herpany that had seen potential in me when I was a lowly graduate with zero experience. It was thatpany that gave me the family I never had. I would fight for it.


    Athena and I went through several options before settling for five of them. She asked Lena to contact them while I was released to focus on my other stories.


    At the end of the day, Leah and I went to our favorite bar to rx.


    ¡°Cool car,¡± Athena said. We both stared at the rolls Royce that was looking out of ce among old cheap cars that the regrs drove.


    ¡°I wonder what rich dude decided to pop in today,¡± I said.


    ¡°Probably some celeb looking for nomalcy.¡±


    I froze when I spotted Jake Rynd in the club. He standing by the bar scrolling through his phone. A few regrs were scattered allover the barminding their business. They were middle aged local folk who didn¡¯t care about celebrity gossip.


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± I told Leah.


    Jake was casually leaning against the counter, staring at us. His stare was hot, sexy and intoxicating. If he wasn¡¯t such a yboy, I might have thought he was one of the most eligible bachelors in New York. He was top notch attractive.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave because of him,¡± my best friend, the voice of reason said.


    Jake started walking towards us and I quickly turned to leave before bumping into a rock hard chest that smelled so good.


    Looking up, I saw a handsome man with a perfect stern face.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said.


    For a moment, I forgot that Jake existed.

 Traps

    ¡°There¡¯s a new article about you by Lilith Hellman,¡± my sister said.


    Furious, I crushed the water bottle in my hands and reached out for that day¡¯s papers.


    I went through the pile until I found The Daily Paper whose headlining story was about me threatening Lilith Hellman.


    ¡°Will call youter,¡± I told Carrie before hanging up.


    Quickly, I skimmed the summary and then turned the page to the second one which had the full story.


    I sighed in relief when I finished and there was no mention of kidnapping. The girl had some sense, it seemed. However, she was still taking too many liberties as if she had no idea I could ruin her life with a snap of my finger.


    The door opened and Jenny entered. ¡°The staff meeting is about to start, Mr. Rynd. ¡±


    The meeting was short and precise, just the way I liked them. As soon as it was over, I walked out of the room, immediately turning my thoughts from work stuff and returning into social mode. Lilith was something I needed to get rid of, before she consumed my thoughts and eventually me. Lilith was actually beautiful in a cute sort of way, not my kind of woman but I wouldn¡¯t have minded if she wasn¡¯t so annoying. Her character was a total turn off for me. I had never liked people who worked in the media because of their sly ways.


    My next n was going to be an indirect hit. It was clear that Lilith was not scared of my direct threats so I needed to be smart about bringing her down. I had to do it in a way that she wouldn¡¯t suspect anything until her world was shattered. I grinned, thinking of Lilith¡¯s impending destruction. She was going to regret messing up with me.


    When I was in my car, I dialled the number of a friend of mine. Johnny Knightley. He was the perfect guy for the job I had in mind. Johnny, who was bored out of his mind, working for his father in some small town, was excited for a change.


    All I had to do was call his father and convince him that I needed Johnny for something urgent. His father reluctantly said it was okay, but for only a week since he had a lot of work toplete in thepany branch.


    A week was enough for what I had in mind because I didn¡¯t want to focus on her for that long. If that didn¡¯t work, I would set another n in motion.


    Back home, I busied myself with reading a business book while I waited impatiently for my friend to arrive after a two hour flight journey. When he finally did, I went to the airport to pick him up.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± he said as we hugged shortly.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Journey was good?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Sat near some hot chick from Arizona. We¡¯ll be meeting up tomorrow night. Hope I¡¯ll get some. From what you¡¯ve said, this Lilith Hellman might be some man hating prude otherwise she would be writing fan fiction about you not hate fiction.¡±


    ¡°Shes a journalist. She doesn¡¯t write fiction.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Johnny only carried a backpack so we had no luggage dy issues. His penthouse had enough personal effects and clothes for him to change to. Driving through the busy streets of New York, he told me about his work in the country.


    ¡°That ce is hell,¡± he said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for all the pretty girl next door chicks that are always fawning over me, I would have run off a long time ago. You should visit sometime. You¡¯ll have the best time. You can pick whatever kind of woman you want. They¡¯re not like these New York chicks that are all the same, hoes looking for sugar daddies. Those country girls are the real deal, man. Love still exists for them.¡±


    The way he talked about them made me quite curious. Of course I knew women everywhere were different from each other but here in New York, I was surrounded by mostly simr ones, who had lost their naivety and innocence a long time ago. A sweet county girl sounded really tempting.


    ¡°You¡¯re right man,¡± I said. ¡°I think I need one of those women. Howe you are not yet hitched?¡±


    ¡°How can I? The moment I settle on one, I¡¯ll lose my yboy charm and a lot of them wont be interested anymore. I have no ns of settling with any one of them.¡±


    I nced at him, only to see a wistful look on his face. I startedughing. ¡°You may be able to fool those silly girls but you cant fool me. I can tell that one of them is living rent free in your mind. Do you have pictures?¡±


    Johnny chuckled. ¡°You damn bastard. You know me too well. She¡¯s this hot smart chic that challenges me a lot. She was running things before I went and is really unhappy with me being there, stealing her thunder as CEO when I barely do anything. To be fair, she does the lions share of the work.¡±


    ¡°You like her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not interested,¡± Johnny said. ¡°I think that woman is made of ice itself.¡±


    ¡°Then melt the ice.¡±


    ¡°If I could, I would have. I¡¯m not going to make a fool of myself in front of some tough woman. Here¡¯s a picture.¡±


    The woman had been photographed in a ck background. She was wearing a dark blue suit and ck blouse. Her sandy blonde hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, causing tension on her forehead. Her eyes were wide and sharp looking, staring straight into the camera.


    ¡°She does look tough.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Told you.¡±


    ¡°I would unfreeze her within minutes.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wanna bet?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s out of bounds to you. Dont even think about it.¡±


    Of course. Johnny was my bro, and I had no intention of snatching his girl even though I could.


    As we ate the meal his maid had prepared beforehand, I gave him all the details my Jared, my PI had given me. It included her favourite bar, which we were nning to head to as soon as we finalized the n details. When we had finished everything, we went to the bar, hoping she would turn up after work. If not, we would pick up some random chicks and leave. it was a win-win for us, either way. Well, maybe not for Johnny who was staring to fall for some boss chick.


    When Jared called to tell us that Lilith had left the media office and was headed to the bar with a friend, Johnny went and sat outside while I waited inside. I had no idea how Jared got the information but hoped it was urate.


    All I knew was that Lilith was going to fall into the trapid out for her.

 Fighting

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said as I took a step back from the mysterious handsome stranger. His blue eyes held mine, never leaving for a moment. A familiar warmth spread all over my body.


    ¡°Were you running away from something?¡± he asked. His voice was deep and smooth.


    I nced back at Jake who was clutching a wine ss tightly. His jaw was taut, eyes fixed on us. Smiling, I turned back to the handsome stranger.


    ¡°Not particrly,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry for bumping into you.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m d you did, because I was doomed to spend the evening alone. Would you like to join me? Your friend can join too.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s find a table.¡±


    We made our way back into the bar. I could feel Jake¡¯s eyes on me the whole time. He had probably wanted to threaten me, but now I was out of reach. When I turned to nce at him, I saw him walking towards us with a furious and determined look on his face. He was out for war, it seemed. Just as I was about to nudge Leah, a camera woman burst through the door and started taking pictures of Jake immediately. Within seconds, security had grabbed the woman.


    Jake whispered something to another security personnel before disappearing. I blushed when I realised I had been standing in the middle of the rows of tables, staring at Jake. Everything was now staring at me including Leah and the handsome stranger who had already sat at a booth in the corner. Picking up what was left of my dignity, I went towards him.


    ¡°Jake Rynd, right.¡± The man said. ¡°All the girls in this city are crazy about him. I get that he¡¯s one of the most eligible bachelors, but try to put into consideration the feelings of the rest of us regr guys. You were so obvious but it¡¯s alright. I understand.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head. He thought I was head over heels in love with Jake, a totally ridiculous idea. Like I would fall for arrogant and entitled men like Jake who thought they owned the whole world.


    ¡°I actually hate him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where you running away from him when you bumped into him?¡± handsome stranger asked. ¡°Is he pursuing you?¡±


    Leah and I bothughed. ¡°Youe up with the craziest ideas. I¡¯m a journalist. I recently wrote an expose¡¯ on Jake and it went viral. Since I exposed his secrets, he threatened me. I wrote about that too and it came out to day. I alwayse to this bar and he has never been here. I knew he was here for only one thing, me. That¡¯s why I was running out, to avoid confrontation. When ites to writing, things are easy for me but when ites to speaking, not so much. I¡¯m not very articte and I didn¡¯t want a verbal altercation with the man who hates me. He could even p me and get away with it.¡±


    ¡°He did seem to be holding in a lot of anger,¡± Leah said. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, the man will kill you, Lilly. You can¡¯t die because of a mere news story.¡±


    ¡°Wow, being a journalist does seem really interesting,¡± the stranger said as a server ced our drinks on the table.


    ¡°It can be very dangerous, especially when you mess with the wrong people.¡± Leah said before taking the first sip of her white wine.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who are the wrong people?¡±


    ¡°Criminals and the very rich.¡±


    ¡°Wow, oh I¡¯m Ian, by the way. What are your names?¡±


    ¡°Leah.¡±


    ¡°Lilith,¡± I said


    ¡°Like the she-devil?¡±


    I chuckled. We never talk about how some parents ruin their children¡¯s lives with the names they give.


    ¡°I can see why Jake is wary of you,¡± Ianmented.


    ¡°You speak like you know him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him, definitely. But I don¡¯t know much about him. You guys have told me enough to make that conclusion. I work at a constructionpany and we work all day. There¡¯s no time for celebrity gossip. When we sit down at break time, we talk about sports, politics and women. Some billionairese up, but mostly the older ones not these spoiled young ones who inherited all their wealth and soft life.¡±


    Ian seemed really interesting. He stared at me in a way that made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. We continued to converse about everyday issues. At some point, Leah left the table and went to sit somewhere else giving us some privacy. I became so much morefortable with him when she was gone. At first, I had been worried over which of us he actually wanted to get to know more. When I realised it was me, I made myself much more interesting.


    I learned that Ian did not live in the city but came asionally to visit his family. He was an only child so had a huge responsibility with the emotional needs of his parents. Seeing a guy talk so passionately about his family made me instantly like him. He also had a great sense of humour, and we had a great time making fun of the people around us and billionaires like Jake.


    Three hourster, I was ready to go home and rest.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a really great evening,¡± Ian said. ¡°Thank God for Jake who led you to me.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I have had so much fun too. I thought it would be regr evening, but it has been spectacr. I wish you weren¡¯t leaving in a week¡¯s time. We would have so much fun together.¡±


    I looked around but did not see Leah. She hadst been seen at the counter. Fishing out my phone from the purse, I dialled her number. After a few rings, she picked up.


    ¡°Heyyy¡± she slurred.


    ¡°Where are you, Leah?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh? Where am I? Where am I, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Jake?¡± I stood up and hurried to the counter. ¡°Tell me where you are and I¡¯lle immediately.¡± I turned to the bartender. ¡°Where is my friend, she has short dark hair and was here a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Stop shouting,¡± Leah said. ¡°I¡¯m outside in Jake¡¯s car. I might end puke on it but he says he¡¯ll kill me if I do.¡±


    I ran out while Ian followed. We hurried to the parking lot where I found Jake casually leaning on his car.


    ¡°You bastard. Where is my friend?¡±


    ¡°Inside the car,¡± Jake said, calmly.


    ¡°Open the door.¡±


    ¡°She entered willingly¡±


    ¡°She is drunk,¡± I countered. ¡°I swear if you have taken advantage of her in any way, I will ruin you, Jake Rynd.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal with me,¡± Ian stepped forward. ¡°Open the door now.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Suddenly, Ian punched him, missing the nose, but delivering punch to cheek. Jake titled his head. Grinning evilly, he charged at Ian.

 A promise

    Jake¡¯s POV


    ¡°You think that was great?¡± I asked Johnny before hitting the ball with my golf club. It went right into the hole and Iughed. ¡°Now, that¡¯s what we call great.¡±


    Johnny sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist yed. You know what, I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go sit over there.¡±


    He pointed to a group of umbre trees that had created a great and secluded shaded spot.


    ¡°You boys arezy.¡± Mr. Ark, an older friend of ours said while rubbing his bald head. He owned a small bank in George but lived in New York with his children. Golf was one of his favourite hobbies. It was a miracle toe to the golf course and not find it. ¡°What will happen when you¡¯re my age?¡±


    ¡°Look, James is here,¡± Johnny said. James Hacker was heading our way wearing a blue polo shirt, white cap and white pants. Johnny stepped down from the cart and I followed suit ¡°You can y with him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to him,¡± I said, and practically dragged Johnny out of there. James was quite a gossip and I knew he was going to talk about the articles and ask for my opinion so he could tell it to everyone willing to listen. He also worked in another advertisingpany, a rival to mine.


    ¡°Hi Johnny, Jake.¡±


    We turned and waved at him, while walking away fast. Soon we had reached our destination, under a row of beautiful trees. Jake noticed a ball a few metres away and went to retrieve it, leaving me with my thoughts. I end up thinking about Lilith even though I didn¡¯t want to.


    Considering that fooling Lilith Hellman had been a piece of cake, she had not lived up to her name. But then again, our n was quite fool proof so it was going to be quite hard for the she-devil to discover it was a trap. She had already fallen and thought Johnny was a hero, her knight in shining armour who had saved the two damsels in distress. I smiled when I imagined how furious she would be when she found out it was a wellid trap.


    In most cases, I would leave underhanded work like this to Cory but I was actually enjoying driving Lilith down the rabbit hole. She had too much audacity, wings which needed to be clipped. By the end of everything, one of us was going to be ruined forever and I was not about to let it be.


    Johnny returned with the ball a minuteter and slumped onto the ground, tired after ying only a few rounds of golf. Before he left the city, Johnny could y for hours on end. He had be totally unfit.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t stop thinking about how easy it was to fool that woman,¡± Johnny said. He looked quite pleased with himself and I was pretty sure it was not all about fooling Lilith. ¡°She¡¯s amazing. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re obsessed with destroying such a sweet chick. She¡¯s really nice and fun to be with. You¡¯d like her if you gave her a chance.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Are we talking about the same person here?¡±


    Johnny chuckled. ¡°I think you should give her what she wants. What if she just wants your attention? I¡¯ve seen the enemies-to-lovers trope in movies. Maybe she opted for that strategy because she is not hot enough toe on to you.¡±


    Having interacted with Lilith, I knew that was not the case. Not anywhere close to the real thing. If there was a hidden agenda behind exposing, it was wanting fame. Journalists are always looking for attention, wanting to be the next big thing and get paid higher. I was pretty sure that was why Lilith was not willing to let go of the story even after hearing my threats. She wanted to milk the situation for all it was worth.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Do you ever listen to the nonsense you spew?¡± I asked my friend. ¡°Lilith wants money and fame. She wants to be known by the world and as long as this is still trending, she will not stop writing about me. That¡¯s why I have to stop her before she goes too far and starts releasing information that would actually destroy me.¡±


    ¡°You might bring down this girl and regret. I don¡¯t know what she has against you but she¡¯s really nice not the type to hold grudges. Besides, she only said the truth in her articles. She even spared you from the kidnapping mess. If she had mentioned that, you would be in trouble. I tell you, she likes you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, will you attend the basketball match today?¡± I attempted to change the subject.


    ¡°Changing the subject huh? Did I hit a soft nerve?¡±


    I chuckled. Talking about Lilith liking me made me a tad ufortable for some reason. I couldn¡¯t even imagine dating that woman even if she was the only woman left in the world. ¡°I just want to know. If you¡¯re not attending I could give my ticket to someone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m meeting the Arizona chic tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡±


    ¡°So tell me more, why did you break up with Heather? She seemed nice. It does seem like you don¡¯t like the nice ones anymore. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll link you up with the craziest one of them all. You just need to show up in that dingy town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for anything serious right now. Once I sort out this Lilith sh! t, I will go on to Illistra. Illistra was an ind owned by an oil billionaire. It was where the richest of the rich went for vacations. The best thing about that ind was that vast variety of beauties roaming around. Bill had even built a mansion that housed a number of them. And with all the daily parties, it was hard to get bored on that ind.


    ¡°Whatever you say man,¡± my friend said. ¡°Let¡¯s go get some drinks. I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    We rose and made our way to the clubhouse.


    Lilith reminded me of one person, one that I didn¡¯t want to ever see again. She had hurt me so much that at one point, I thought it would have been better if she was dead. She was probably travelling around the world enjoying her life and partying like she was twenty. The fact that Lilith reminded me of her when all I wanted was to forget made me hate her even more.


    She was one of the reasons I couldn¡¯t stand fame hungry Lilith, using people¡¯s lives to make money.


    My mother was dead to me, and I preferred it that way.


    If I had to drive Lilith away like I did her, I would.

 Determined

    Lilith¡¯s Pov


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Ian. No man had ever done for me what he had done for Leah and I. Although we were technically strangers, he stood up for us. The fight had almost got bloody but security came just in time and separated the two men, all exuding alpha male energy. Later, Ian had dropped us safely, first Leah and then me. Moreover he had not demanded anything in return except my number which I happily gave him.


    Being a junior reporter meant my life was full of work that the higher ups didn¡¯t want to do. It was always piled on us. While we worked as ves, doing everything handed to us, the bosses chose only what was convenient for them.


    Ian lived in my mind rent free the whole of the next day and night. On the day after that, I had an assignment to travel to New Jersey where I had an interview with a producer of a small budget reality show. He was an entric man so Leah and I were both going to see him.


    Sexual harassment and assault was a big problem for us, women in the media. Everywhere we went, men looked at as like pieces of meat that were waiting for the right man to devour us. While some women had intentionally booked interview fithy rich and famous in order to lobby for a chance, not all of us were like that. They had ruined the reputation. Not wanting to get groped by the aging man who was known for it, we decided to go with an only male camera team. If anything happened, they would defend us.


    The man was currently in his vi which was situated near ake. We were ushered to the backyard. He was lying in a hammock wearing nothing but shorts. He didn¡¯t even bother to get up when we arrived but we didn¡¯t mind because we were used to the disrespect. As long as he ended up giving us the answers we wanted, we were good.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Parker.¡± Leah said after we had been introduced by the butler.


    ¡°Hello, my beautiful peaches.¡± He said. I cringed inwardly but maintained my polite smile. If I got a better paying offer outside journalism, I would dly take it. Not having to deal with fvckers like Parker would be great.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    He got up and stood up. Picking up a robe, he wrapped it around his body. I sighed in relief. He was old, and didn¡¯t not have the kind of body that was very aesthetic to stare at. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He started walking towards a flower garden. Leah and I nced at each other, raised our brows, shrugged and followed. It was supposed to be an indoor interview so our guys were setting up their equipment in the living room. Leah had a small camera meant for random photos that may prove usefulter.


    Hoping he did not have dirty ns, we followed. His flower garden was actually impressive. The air had a sweet floral smell, the kind that made you want to stay there forever. ¡°Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡±


    We nodded and smiled politely, standing near him.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± Leah said.


    ¡°It smells heavenly here,¡± Imented.


    ¡°Not more beautiful than the two of you,¡± he added.


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. ttery didn¡¯t work for me. People who like using ttery are usually very maniptive, which makes them quite dangerous. They know what people want to hear and use it against them.


    After telling us about his flower garden and describing almost everything we could see, he led us further away. We came to a small enclosed fish pond. There was a fenced around it.


    ¡°Why is there a over the pond?¡± I asked. I had never seen a pond before, having grown up in the streets of New York.


    ¡°That¡¯s too keep the birds away. As the smaller fish swim up and down, they may attract bigger birds to grab them. Also in case of animals like squirrels that may be tempted. Have you never seen one before?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Where do you live, under a rock?¡±


    Leahughed as well. I nudged her when Patrick turned away. He continued to tell us all about the breeds of fish growing in his precious pond. When we had finished the tour of his vi, we went back to the house and started the inteview.


    Few minutes into the interview, the sound of a gunshot froze us all. Leah and I immediately ducked under the table while Patrick left the room. One of his guards entered the house. Wounded on the leg, he limped in while I covered Leah¡¯s mouth to prevent her from screaming. Behind the guard, a masked gunman followed.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± he asked.


    Leah and I were shaking so much afraid we would be discovered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the guard said before another shot rang out. Small lumps of dry concrete fell down near our hiding spot. He had shot the roof, thankfully.


    ¡°Where is the safe?¡± the gunman asked.


    ¡°In the master bedroom,¡± the guard said.


    ¡°Take me there.¡±


    The limping guard led the way to a short hallway on the lower side of the house. A few secondster, we heard another shot. Leah and I scooted closer and hugged each other, our bodies shaking so hard I was afraid we would fall over and overturn the table.


    ¡°You cane out now,¡± a voice said. Patrick. Sighing, we let go of each other.


    When we got of our hiding ce, we saw a dead man on the floor. It was the robber. He was quite skinny. Even though I couldn¡¯t see his all of his face, I could tell by the soft features and clothing that he was just a kid. The way he had done things was a sure sign that he was an amateur.


    Leah and I were so shaken that we couldn¡¯t continue the interview anymore. We instead used the chance to take pictures and get the first story as we waited for the police. Before long, we had already sent the information to our social media team to provide updates. Patrick said he was not going to keep the news of the break in private so it was okay for ourpany to write about it. After our interviews with the police, we were finally able to get back to New York. It had been quite a day.


    It improved greatly when I saw the message from Ian. He was honestly the only person I wanted to be around at the time.

 The alternative Ritz

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    Ian and I met at The Alternative Ritz, a bar on the outskirts of the city with a daily live band. I was wearing a hot red figure hugging dress and red heels. My hair was styled, and fell in waves on the sides of my shoulders. That was all thanks to Leah who lectured me on putting effort to my appearance for dates.


    If it was up tom, I would just wear a clean shirt and jeans plus sneakers. Maybe that was I was still single. I literally didn¡¯t try to look sensual or romantic. Only one guy in the office had expressed interest in dating me but then again, there was only a handful of men there. The ce was overflowing with estrogenic and progesterone energy which was not a bad thing but it killed all my office romance dreams.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have survived that mess,¡± he said. ¡°I have never been in a shooting before but it sounds quite scary to be involve in one. I¡¯m so sorry you had to experience something like that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for being here. I¡¯m d you called because I really needed someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°You could have called me. The man doesn¡¯t always have to call you know.¡±


    ¡°I know but we have only known each other for a few days. I¡¯m still quite shy you know.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Yeah not really. Besides, there is nothing for you to be shy about. I¡¯m just some regr guy looking for a good woman to spend time with.¡±


    I smiled. For me, he was no regr guy. He was special and I was going to treat him as such. For a long time, no one, except my friends from work had treated me the way he had, despite us knowing each other for such a short time. Maybe fate had brought us together.


    He came into my life just when I needed someone to hold my hand, someone whose shoulder I could lean on. Someone I could celebrate my joys with, and face suffering with. For a long time, I had dreamed of my knight in shining armour. Looking at Ian¡¯s smiley face, my smile even grew. I hoped he was the one I had been waiting for all along.


    ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful, Lilly.¡± He said. His blue eyes were shinning. ¡°What am I gonna do when I return to my dingy old town. I haven¡¯t known you for a long time but I think I will miss you a lot. I wish we could spend all our days together.¡±


    You know those moments when everything just feels right? This was one of them for me. Ian and I were connecting effortlessly. We didn¡¯t have to force or try to create chemistry because it was flowing on its own. It was like I had known him forever.


    I had to pinch myself every now and then to remind myself that it was real, and I was not dreaming. A totally handsome man with a kind heart was talking to me, confessing how much he would miss when he was gone.


    ¡°Are you real?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re way too perfect. Handsome guys are usually jerks.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I know. Some of them have spoilt the reputation for the good ones. But wait you think I¡¯m handsome.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of those ¡®you don¡¯t know you¡¯re beautiful¡¯ types.¡±


    We bothughed. ¡°This is why I will miss you so much. How do you always say the right things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t but some people just make you say the right things.¡±


    I was not such a smooth talker around everyone. There were people who actually thought I didn¡¯t talk at all because I had nothing to say around them. And then there were those who thought I couldn¡¯t shut up because I said too much when I was with them.


    People bring out different parts of us. Ian was bringing out the best part of me and I was loving it.


    Ian nodded. ¡°Wow.¡±


    For a moment there, I saw a bit of difort. It disappeared as soon as it came so I inwardly scolded myself and decided I would keep my tongue in check. If I spoke too much too soon, there was a possibility that it would send him packing.


    ¡°Would you like to get out of here?¡± he asked. ¡°I know much cooler ce. It¡¯s a club called Rave. Good music and lively crowd. People here are old and boring. We have talked, now it¡¯s time to have fun.¡±


    He was right. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    When I stood up, I realised i was feeling a bit tipsy already. Normally that was my cue to go home, but that evening I wanted to have fun with Ian. Besides, he would be leaving soon and I wanted to enjoy the moments while theysted.


    His car had a hint of strawberry scent. It was not what I expected in a man¡¯s car but it was great. I loved it. It made him even more perfect. A man who was not trying hard to be seen as a masculine was great. It was clear he wasfortable with himself and his masculinity.


    I paid no attention to the road as he drove, because I was deep in thought about how the night would end. Were we going to go our separate ways or was there a possibility of us ending in bed. To be honest, it had been a while since I had been with someone and the alcohol had not made things better when it came to my urges. Deep inside was a small fire that I knew would explode if Ian touched me. There would be no going back as that would bring all my defences down.


    The car stopped.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked Ian, rolling down the window. Peering outside, I didn¡¯t see anything I recognized. The panic button in my brain became activated and I turned to face Ian who was texting someone.


    ¡°Not very sure if I¡¯m on the right track. Just texted my sister for directions.¡±


    ¡°Yep, right ce.¡± He said after his phone lit up with a text. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Is it a secret club or something?¡±


    ¡°No, the club is not here but my sister is. She¡¯s at the reception of this building.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get your door.¡±


    I smiled and waited.


    ¡°Had no idea you were such a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Now you know.¡±


    We walked into the building. It was only when I reached that I realised it was a bit deste but there was noiseing out from one of the rooms. It seemed there was a party going on.


    ¡°Most people use the back door to enter this building,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    I may have imagined it but I felt a light on my face, as if someone had just taken a picture. Ian called his sister and went to towards the window, leaving me there, standing alone. The receptionist was staring at me so I raised eyebrows at her. She just shrugged.


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs.¡± Ian said


    By now, I was getting a bit suspicious. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± As soon as he left, I walked out of the building. Suddenly, I felt someone pressing a cool cloth to my nose. I inhaled and soon felt my body getting limp. Before long I was out cold.

 Waking up

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar room. Sitting up, I looked around. There was a bed with blue sheets, and a table next to it. My bag was on that table. Grabbing it, I opened and saw all the contents inside. Everything was intact. I sat back and tried to rack my memory.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Ian. Where the hell was he? Most importantly, where was I? I pulled out my phone and unlocked it. 10missed calls from Leah. What the hell. I dialled her number immediately. She didn¡¯t answer which made me panic even more. My clothes! They were nowhere to be seen and I was wearing a blue nightdress I had never seen before.


    My heart was pounding as I tried to remember how I got there. All I could remember was leaving that white building. Shit. How did I be so stupid to trust a man whose surname I didn¡¯t know. I had finally done it, gone crazy and made a mess of my life.


    It was already ten am and I had no idea where to get clothes. I dialled the phone on the table but no one was answering. What the hell was this ce? Standing up, I went to try the door. Surprisingly, it opened. I sighed. At least I had not been kidnapped.


    I decided to be brave. Grabbing my bag, I walked out of the room, only wearing the nightdress and flip flops I found there. The hallways were silent. Descending the stairs, I went to the reception. It was the same woman from the day before.


    ¡°Where are my clothes, miss?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°How am I supposed to know? I¡¯m not the one who slept with you.¡±


    ¡°Who did I sleep with?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You came here when you were drunk and asked to get paired with someone.¡±


    ¡°We both know I did no such thing. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re all up to but I¡¯m going to the cops.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job here. I don¡¯t know who took your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, can you help me find some? I¡¯ll bring them back, I swear. I can¡¯t leave like this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°Please just help me, I beg you. I will get to the mall and buy you new ones to rece if you want.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Okay, fine. Jeez, you¡¯re so persistent.¡±


    She disappeared and retuned a minuteter with a flowered dress. She handed it to me. ¡°It¡¯s old. You don¡¯t have to return it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡±  grabbing it, I headed up the stairs back to the room I had been in. stripping off the nightdress, I checked myself for bruises or rape signs before putting on the receptionist dress. We were the same size so I was not surprised it fit well. I was almost sure noting had been done to me.


    After that, I flew out of the building. I was shocked when on seeing the neighbourhood I was in. I was near the ghetto. It was a bit better than the ghetto but it was definitely the kind of neighbourhood I couldn¡¯t have expected someone like Ian to bring me to.


    Speaking of Ian, I dialled his number. The number was non-existent.


    What?¡± I said, trying again. My fingers were shaking as I dialled again. Same answer. My heart had picked up speed again.


    When an empty taxi came around, I quickly gave him the address. ¡°Drive fast.¡±


    ¡°Was that what you sayingst night?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What?¡± I said.


    ¡°My bad. You just came out of the whore building. Surprised you stood in front of it proudly. Most of them stand a few blocks away.¡±


    ¡°I woke up in a room I don¡¯t remember going to. I have never been in this neighbourhood before. What is about that house?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know. Or are you also pretending. You are all the same, you call yourselves escorts when you¡¯re just a bunch of whores.¡±


    I rolled my eyes.


    My phone started ringing.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Leah. You have no idea what happened to me.¡±


    ¡°Actually I do. Where the hell are you? I called a thousand times. What¡¯s going on? I know you¡¯re not in your house. I called Jan and he checked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in¡­¡± I turned to the driver. ¡°Hey, where is this again?¡±


    He ignored me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. What the hell did you do? How did you end up in brothel?¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°How do I know? The whole freaking world knows about it. We are just from a meeting about you. I don¡¯t know where you are but you bettere here asap. No one is happy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean the whole world?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen The Blue Paper? Today¡¯s copy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the paper?¡±


    ¡°Get here right now.¡±


    The blue paper was one of the most notorious tabloids around. It published the most scious and notorious storied. Being featured on it could never be a good thing. It was always something bad. I wanted to open the inte and find out but decided not to.


    If there was bad news, I wanted to hear it from Leah when I was seated. Even if I fainted in the office, I would be safe. Fainting in a taxi, on the other hand was way too risky.


    ¡°Change of ns. I told the cab driver we are going to my work ce.¡± I gave him the address. He grumbled a bit but continued anyway. My work ce was not far away from home anyway.


    The atmosphere at the office was different that day. Where there had been admiration for me during the past few days, there was cold indifference and weird stares. Everyone in the office watched as I headed to my workstation. Leah was waiting for me.


    ¡°My office,¡± she said. I followed her inside.


    ¡°What the hell Lilly. What happened to you? How did you end up in that ce?¡±


    ¡°Ian tricked me. Now I¡¯m not even sure that is his name. I¡¯m going to try and search online. Where¡¯s the article about me?¡±


    ¡°It says you¡¯re an escort, a prostitute.¡±


    She handed the paper to me and I quickly perused through the scandalous article written by someone named Kiera May. The words were not the worst. It was the pictures. When I saw them, I felt air leaving my body. I tried to breath and my chest started moving up and down.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t panic,¡± I could hear Leah saying as she came closer to me.

 Tabloid girl

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    I stabilized a few minutester. There were pictures of me on a full page, all kinds. Me entering the so called whore house, me kissing two men, dancing with men and women. There was one of me in bed with a man but thankfully I was still wearing my clothes. That was the only saving grace.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± I asked. An ache had developed in my head. I could process what I was seeing. This was no doubt the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I thought of my rtives, who were probably d they kept their distance from me.


    I ripped the paper into pieces.


    ¡°That will not solve anything.¡±


    Why, why me?


    I think it¡¯s Jake Rynd,¡± Leah said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why some random guy would do this to you and hire a reporter to document it.¡±


    ¡°That sly bastard. I only reported what was true about him. I should have reported the kidnapping. If I do now, they will say I¡¯m trying to ruin his name because mine is ruined.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the worst.¡±


    ¡°What could be worse than that?¡±


    ¡°I think you might get a suspension from work. The paper may have to distance itself from you for a while until this isn¡¯t fresh in public minds anymore. People on social media have branded you a liar. They done believe you anymore because they think you¡¯re a prostitute. That you have nothing to lose so made up stuff about Jake. You¡¯re the bully in public eyes now.¡±


    I could believe how things had suddenly gone downhill. My life went from seeming perfect to one big disaster in a few hours. I missed the days when I was not famous and could report on anything in peace, then get my payment. Life was so much better.


    Famous people always say that fame is not what it¡¯s cracked up to be. Fame is not some amazing, beautiful thing that instantly makes your life better. We never listen to those people. We still crave fame. We do whatever possible to get it. It¡¯s not until we are famous and unhappy that we see fame in its real capacity, the good and the bad side.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe all this happened. Like I was having such a great time yesterday, I was shining but now my career is suddenly over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not yet over. We shall find a way to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Unless Jake admits what he has done, there¡¯s no other way. I¡¯m pretty sure that s. o. b will not do it. He wants to discredit me as much as possible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s so mad against you,¡± Leah said. ¡°It¡¯s beginning to seem like the golden boy image was really important to him. How this managed to stay a secret is what I don¡¯t understand. We all know billionaire secret parties exist where they¡¯ll do all sorts of things. How did no one fail to slip that Jake was wild as the rest.¡±


    ¡°You and me both. I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s so worked up over things that are normal for young billionaires. It¡¯s not like my expose made everyone start hating him. Instead it won him poprity among women who like the bad boy clich¨¦.¡±


    Right then the door opened and Athena Morgan walked in. The anxiety which had gone returned in full swing. I could handle reproaches from Leah but things were different with Athena. Having finally got her to notice me, I had screwed up and ruined everything.


    ¡°Lilly, I can¡¯t express just how disappointed I am in you. How on earth could you let something like this happen? Leah told me you were running around with a man you barely even knew. Didn¡¯t you learn anything from your stalking and final expose of Jake Rynd? It doesn¡¯t matter who you are. As long as you are a bit famous, there¡¯s always a chance that someone will stalk you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I had no idea that something like this would happened. I should have known that Ian or whoever his name might be was too good to be true. I didn¡¯t see any connection between him and Jake, but it was right there in my face. It was my first time to see both of them at the bar. And that fight. It was all fake.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t want to listen to anyone crying right now. Reserve your tears for when I¡¯m gone. I just came to inform you that you¡¯re suspended for a month, after which we will see if we should reinstate you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. You know I was framed.¡±


    ¡°But the public doesn¡¯t. Public opinion is more important than my personal opinion. Don¡¯t worry, you can work on your non urgent programs while at it. This is not that harsh. I could fire you but I will not do that because you are a very valuable member of our team. When you get back, we can take over the world together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thank you for not firing me.¡±


    ¡°You stay strong, and avoid the wrong parts of town. Now, Leah please send me that draft about Melon Hays. I need to look through it before one. I have a meeting thereafter.¡± She strode towards the door.


    ¡°Will do,¡± Leah said, immediately rebooting herputer.


    Standing up, I went and stood behind her. ¡°Please hurry and send her. I need a favour.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I want to look up Ian and my phone is nearly dead. I also don¡¯t want to go to my workstation. I will pick up my stuff when everyone is gone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Leah attached the document, wrote a short email body and sent it to Athena. ¡°Done. Now let¡¯s find out who the hell this Ian is. I have a feeling it¡¯s going to be hard.¡±


    ¡°Look up Ian and Jake.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Nothing came up except photos of some random people called Ian and Jake. We scrolled through a number of pages. Jake Rynd and Ian did not give any results either. We looked and looked but didn¡¯t see the Ian we were looking for.


    ¡°Look up Jake Rynd¡¯s friends.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d actually use his friends for a job like that?¡±


    We looked through his friends pictures and nothing came up so we gave up.


    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna go home and sleep. This sucks. I¡¯lle back for my thingster.¡±


    ¡°No need. I will bring them to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡±

 Doses of bad luck

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    It was like I was floating out of the building. It felt as if I was not really there and my mind seemed to be lost in some unknown dimension. There was a bit of dizziness disturbing me, but I felt stable enough to reach home without copsing on the way.  A taxi passed by and I did not bother to stop it because I wanted to walk. Home was over two kilometres away. I decided to walk until my legs gave out.


    My mind was shut out from almost everything around me. Everything that had happened to me was a mess in my blurred mind. Vehicles cruised past, people passed by, I bumped into some of them because of my disorientation. Life was going on normally for most people, except me and probably a few others with disturbed minds.


    At some point, I was just staggering along the pavement, pushing myself. I got weird looks from people who probably thought I was homeless and hungry or crazy but didn¡¯t care. The good thing about my job as a newspaper and magazine reporter was that most people did not know how I looked like. In most of my articles, my photos did not have to be published. Had I been a news reader or talk show host, things would have been a lot harder.


    My heart leapt in joy when I saw my neighbourhood McDonalds. My stomach growled and I felt some saliva pooling in my mouth. Swallowing, I headed straight for it. To hell with dieting and staying fit.


    The sweet smell reached my nose even before I got to the door. Entering, I made my order and carried it with me. I don¡¯t know where the energy came from but it did, and motivated me to start hurrying. The food smelt so good I wanted to dig in immediately but decided to save the remaining parts of my dignity.


    After opening the door, I stumbled in and ced the burger and chips on the table. Not bothering to fetch a te, I slumped onto the couch and grabbed the packet of fries, immediately started stuffing them into my waiting mouth. After having a reasonable amount, I looked for the ranch. Dipping in, I ate to my fill. I ate the burger more slowly because by that time my stomach was no longer screaming to have contents in it.


    I was just about to take a nap when I heard a knock on the door. At first, I wanted to pretend I was not home. I did try, but the person at my door was stubborn and unwilling to stop banging it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, you little cheat. Open the damn door or ill break it down and you will have to pay for it too.¡±


    It was Miles, a money lender I had turned to when my sister ran into some trouble with thew and needed quick money. Miles wouldn¡¯t give her the loan because she didn¡¯t have security and was also a criminal ording to him. I decided to get the loan on her behalf since her daughter needed her mother badly, and was driving me crazy. She had also been expecting.


    Hailey had promised to pay me, but it had been almost six months and she¡¯d not yet paid. She had not returned even a cent, despite having got a good job thanks to one of the women she met in prison. Mike had asked me twice for the payment and I hadn¡¯t been able to finish it, considering that nearly all my money went to food and rent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have money yet,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get paid forst night?¡±


    I gasped. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°We all know what your side hustle is. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m a progressive guy and won¡¯t bully you for it. All I need is money and I will be on my way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it, okay.¡±


    He hit the door so hard I was afraid it had fallen off his hinges. Rising, I went and opened the door. Miles was not alone, but with two other men.


    ¡°Someone tried to frame me. The only ce I earn money from is my job at the paper. I have tried but Hailey has refused to pay my money.¡±


    I was furious at Hailey for putting me in such a situation and abandoning me to face the consequences alone. I didn¡¯t like debts so I always tried to avoid them. Hailey¡¯s case had been extreme so I had made the sacrifice. The fact that she wasn¡¯t worried about me reminded me of what a selfish bitch she was. I should have left her and her unborn child to rot in jail.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The men entered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not our problem.¡±


    ¡°Just give me my money and we will be gone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll take the security. Guys, carry theputer and TV.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t take theputer, I need it.¡±


    ¡°It was in our agreement. If you manage to raise the money within a week, you will get back everything of yours intact. If not, we shall sell it and get our money. It¡¯s that simple. Now where¡¯s that diamond ring.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom.¡±


    ¡°That you listed as security.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    As I watched them carry my things out of the house, I felt despair. Bank loans are so much better, only they require a waiting time period and it¡¯s a long process. My living room looked deste. The things that would have provided a good disruption were gone, leaving me in more misery than before.


    Closing my door, I retreated to the bedroom and turned on my oldptop which had seen a lot of days. It was a mess which only worked when it wanted to. Sometimes it would freeze and crash while I was in the middle of something then I would lose all the work. It was why I had bought an expensiveputer.


    cing it on top of the table, I pulled open a drawer and got its charger. When it came to the battery, thatptop had turned into a desktop. You couldn¡¯t use it unless it was plugged in to a power source.


    It came on, slowly. Whirring as the screen lit up. I didn¡¯t even know why I was trying to revive it yet my mind was in no mood for work, especially the kind of work that could potentially disappear as soon as I was done because of faulty machinery.


    When it was on, I turned on a si I had watched over a hundred times and went to my bed. I unlocked my phone and started looking for Ian. Half an hourter, I had not found him. Was this guy even a real person? It had never been hard for me to find anyone before, even when all I had was a first name.


    It seemed Ian was a professional who had done these kind of things before. I gave up and started watching random videos on YouTube.


    While I was watching one of the videos which was about writing, a ¡®how to create a blog¡¯ video showed up among the rmendations.


    I knew how to create a blog, and all the necessities, but I clicked on it.


    An idea had popped up in my head.


    Standing up, I went to the bathroom and washed my face.


    As I dried it with a cloth, I smiled.


    If Jake Rynd thought he would shut me up forever with his evil doings, he better think again.


    I was not going down without a fight.


    I wasn¡¯t named Lillith Hellman for nothing. I was supposed to bring hell upon my enemies and Jake Rynd had just turned himself into one.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± I said to myself with new found confidence.


    By the time I returned to the room, I had already brainstormed about five names for my blog.


    My brain had started working quickly, as it often did when I got a new idea. That was my favourite and most inspiring part of the creative process. When I sat down, I meant business. Opening domain ., a domain seller website, I started typing in the names off my mind, checking for the avability. Unfortunately, most of them were taking except thest one.


    Expose`Queen.


    By now you must have figured out that I wanted to open a blog. A blog is a regrly updated website about different topics. You can pick one niche/theme to focus on, or write a general blog. I chose to create a personal blog where I exposed secrets famous people didn¡¯t want to let out.


    Before long, I had already chosen a web hostingpany and bought the domain expose`queen. This was my ce, where I could talk about whatever I wanted without getting fired. I had censored some things for the paper but here I was the boss.


    Jake Rynd had created a monster, a monster that was going to bite him in the ass.


    ¡°Hahhhahhha,¡± Iughed hysterically, like an evil viin in the movie. This was going to be so much fun.

 Suspension

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    I stayed home the first two days after my suspension. I could have stayed for longer if not for the loan I needed to repay. Although it was possible to buy a new TV andputer at some point, I didn¡¯t want to let go of the ones Miles had taken. He had even gone with my hard drive which was really inconveniencing but motivated me to look for the money.


    Leah offered me what she had, only a quarter of what I needed. The money I paid was a lot considering how serious the crime was.


    Hailey had kidnapped her daughter from her ex-boyfriend¡¯s ce, after stabbing his current girlfriend who had refused to let go of the girl. Hailey was in the wrong because she and the father had shared custody. She was supposed to be with the child during the weekdays.


    That Saturday, the father had picked up the child a usual. They were together but he ended up being called for an emergency meeting at the school he taught at. He left the child with Carly who actually had no problem with de and always treated her well. A nosy neighbour had called Hailey, and I don¡¯t know what possessed her but she drove there like a mad man and demanded she take back her child since the father was not around.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Carly tried to convince her that he would be back in thirty minutes but she didn¡¯t listen. Hailey grabbed a knife and rammed it into the other woman¡¯s shoulder. Leaving her on the floor, she ran off with the child. Neighbours called emergency services. Thankfully the wound wasn¡¯t so bad. Otherwise, Hailey might have killed her.


    Hailey managed to survive long jail term because of a cutthroatwyer who was a friend of our father. Rudy Arnold was a despicable man that would go low and use all underhanded tactics to defend his clients. He had also tried to touch me when I was a child but I never told anyone. Instead, I tried to avoid him as much as possible. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t do more. Hailey was also saved by her pregnancy, and got onlymunity service for a month and a fine. Unfortunately, she lost the baby.


    When I called Hailey about my property being taken away, she just said she had no money, which meant she wasn¡¯t interested in doing anything to rescue me from a situation her stupid actions hadnded me in.


    The tennis court came into view. Tired of locking myself up, I was ready to unleash some of that pain and hurt into a game. My heart sank when I recognised the people who were using the tennis court. My own cousins. I couldn¡¯t have chosen a worse day.


    I was about to turn back when Cherry shouted.


    ¡°Lilith.¡±


    I groaned. I had told everyone in my family that I wanted to be called Lilly but some of them chose to continue using my full name just to annoy me. With drooped shoulders, I went through the gate and entered the court.


    My four cousins; Cherry, Tilly, Elizabeth and Lois watched me with amused looks as I approached them.


    ¡°Hi guys.¡±


    ¡°You know Lilly, you could have just told me if you wanted to join the business,¡± Tilly said, wrapping an arm around me. She was an escort and unashamed about it. She even advertised her work online. ¡°I can hook you up with the richest clients and you won¡¯t have to go to dingy whorehouses in the ghetto. They must be disgusting.¡±


    I sighed. Not again. Everyone just believe that reporter, even those who knew better. I was not really escort material. ¡°I didn¡¯t go there by choice. Was practically kidnapped because someone wants to frame me.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Lilly.¡± Cherry said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to lie to us. We are your cousins. Who would want to frame you? I know you became semi famous after that expose on Jake but really, you¡¯re not that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°Jake Rynd. And yes, I don¡¯t understand why he is after me even though I didn¡¯t write lies about him. I could have exposed his darker secrets but I did not.¡±


    Elisabethughed. ¡°Come on. You really expect us to believe that Jake Rynd is after you. Like, you¡¯re so insignificant to him. I mean there¡¯s bigger fish to fry.¡±


    ¡°Believe or not, I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°So how did he frame you?¡± Tilly asked, flipping her bright red hair which had got so much darker than thest time I¡¯d seen her.


    ¡°He hired some guy to seduce me and I fell for it.¡±


    All the girlsughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Can we just y? I don¡¯t want to talk about this. The reason I left the house was because I didn¡¯t want to think about it. This is not helping.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked in months,¡± Tilly said. ¡°Don¡¯t be a wet nket.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stressed out,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Because of something that small,¡± Elizabeth scoffed. ¡°Try being me for a day. You might kill yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Hailey. She has refused to pay back the money I used for a bail. Now the loan shark has given me a week to pay up or he sells my stuff.¡±


    ¡°Only you would do such a thing, get a loan for your selfish sister. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t. Now it hase back to bite me and she is unwilling to help.¡±


    ¡°She has refused to pay up?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I came out to think. Maybe I¡¯ll get another loan to pay off this one. Now that I¡¯ve suspended that may be a very bad idea in case I don¡¯t get reinstated within a month.¡±


    ¡°Hailey is one of the meanest people around. She¡¯s living well, having a good job and dating some big moneyed guy. I hear he¡¯s married. She lives in a luxury apartment but she can¡¯t help her struggling sister. I thought it was only cousins she didn¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s always been like that.¡±


    ¡°You have to do something.¡±


    ¡°Like what.¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Tilly said, liking her arm with mine. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a good n but I don¡¯t want any witnesses. If it back fires, you will have no proof that I was the one who suggested it.¡±


    Tilly and I walked about fifty meters away before stopping.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what you can do¡­¡±


    I listened to the n. It was risky but interesting. It was not going to be too difficult to pull off if I yed my cards right.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told my pretty cousin. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. In fact, I¡¯ll leave now. Will let you know how it goes.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tilly said, patting my back. ¡°Good luck. I know you¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s this secret n?¡± Elizabeth asked when we returned to where they were seated. They had sat down when we moved away.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know about it when we get results.¡±


    None of them were great fans of Hailey since she had done at least one bad thing to each family member so I was pretty sure that they would not warn her. I said goodbye to my cousins and jumped into a cab to take me back home. I was d that I had met up with them.


    After changing my clothes, I went back to the cab. I had told the driver to wait for me. Giving him my sister¡¯s address, I leaned back and stared at the road. If things went well, Hailey was going to get what she deserved. I knew she would be mad but by then, I would be far away from her. Hailey had never been physically violent towards me but knowing her, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she tried to stab me.


    Soon the luxurious building came into view. My cousins were right. To live like this and not help your sister pay up your dues was extreme selfishness. I had tried my entire life to understand Hailey but she had driven me to the edge. I was going to do what was good for me.


    I rang the bell.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Amy, her five year old daughter asked.


    ¡°Aunt Lilly,¡± I said and the door was opened almost immediately. The girl wrapped her arms around me.


    ¡°I missed you so much, auntie.¡±


    ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± I heard a voice and looked up.


    ¡°Hi Hailey.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to visit,¡± I said, letting Amy go. She ran to the couch. ¡°I¡¯m hiding from the loan sharks. You better let me stay.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°This is my house and I get to decide who stays or doesn¡¯t. Besides Rob will be flying back this evening so I don¡¯t really need rtives around.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave in the evening. When Leah returns from work, I¡¯ll go to her ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sister. I love you.¡±


    She rolled her eyes.


    Now more than ever I thought she deserved what I was about to do.

 The evil sister

    ¡°If you want a drink or anything to eat, find it in the kitchen. You should have called me before you came because this is a wrong time. I have to get to spa. My man is arriving today so I guess you know why I have to go there.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to go there, mommy?¡± Amy asked.


    ¡°Yes, why? Hailey.¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    My sister rolled her eyes and walked into the bedroom.


    ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t like to answer my questions,¡± Amy said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. Do you think she hates me?¡±


    I pulled her closer. ¡°Oh no, of course not. Some questions require answers that children may not understand so it bes hard to answer.¡±


    ¡°My teacher exins something when I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Well darling, teachers are trained on how to deal with children. They know better that the rest of us. Don¡¯t worry about it. What are you watching?¡±


    I could not tell the child that her mother was a b! tch who only cared about herself. It seemed losing one child had not taught her to treasure life with the living one. Amy was going through what I had gone through growing up with a narcissistic sister. As a child it¡¯s hard to understand and ept the realities of people¡¯s characters.


    The more my sister brushed me off, the more I had tried to please her. It had never worked but I never gave up until I grew up and realised she was never going to change. Her narcissism benefited her so she kept it up. She would not suddenly love me the way I wanted. It was why there had been distance between us until shended in jail and remembered she had a sister.


    There was a knock on the door. Amy leapt off the couch and went to it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± she asked and put her little ear against the door as if that would help her hear well. I smiled. She was so cute.


    ¡°Joan.¡± An unfamiliar voice said from outside the door.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amy said excitedly and opened the door. Whoever this Joan was, Amy truly loved her.


    A young woman wearing green jeans and a yellow jumper closed the door and walked in. a cross bag was slung over her shoulder. I figured she was a college student trying to earn some extra money


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, her lips curved into a sweet smile.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Joan, this is my super aunt Lilly. Aunt Lilly, meet my baby sister, Joan.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Joan said.


    ¡°Likewise.¡± I said


    Hailey came out of her bedroom. ¡°Good you¡¯re here, Joan. Could you please go to the grocery store for me? I¡¯ve written a list. It¡¯s on the kitchen table. Lilly will take stay with Amy while you go.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Joan said. She immediately went to the kitchen then returned to leave.


    I focused on my phone while I waited for Hailey to leave. Joan being gone leaving me alone with Amy was going to make things easier for me. Amy was fixated on the animated movie on TV so I didn¡¯t have to worry about her following me around.


    After Joan had left, I waited for Hailey to follow suit. She took so long I was going from impatient to ¡®frustrated¡¯. Just when I was about to break, she came out of the bedroom and closed the door. Her strong perfume filled the whole room with its essence.


    Hailey kissed her child before leaving. ¡°Take good care of this one. Make sure she doesn¡¯t go to the kitchen alone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, nearly telling her to get out already.


    When she was gone, I waited for seven minutes before getting into action. Telling Amy I was going to the restroom, I got up and went into the short hallway. I passed by Lilly¡¯s bedroom and the bathroom next to it. Opposite was Hailey¡¯s home office where she did website design for clients. At the end of the short hallway was the door to the master bedroom. Opening it, I entered. It seemed she had a lot of trust for this Joan girl or she¡¯d have locked it.


    I headed for the closet and tried opening drawers but they wouldn¡¯t budge. I looked around, hoping Hailey had not gone with the key or I¡¯d end up having to take something other than jewellery.


    ¡°Where would Hailey keep a key?¡± I asked myself as I remembered the bedroom we shared growing up.


    I stared at the clothes on her side of the closet. Within a minute, I had seen it. The ugliest pyjamas were at the bottom of one of thepartments. They were green with red flowers. Weirdbination but my sister loved them more than anything. Mother had bought them for her.


    I lifted the clothes above it and removed the pyjama top. Sure enough there was a key in the chest pocket. So predictable. Removing it, I opened the middle drawer. There were ck and red boxes housing jewellery. I needed something that would give me enough money after selling.


    I took a pair of ear rings and one ne. I had seen her wearing them at a party and asked for the price. She¡¯d told me. Adding the two would be enough to pay my debt. I wouldn¡¯t even have to look for buyers myself. Miles could do that. Tilly had informed me that Miles had contacts in the ck market so it would be very easy to sell through him.


    After getting what I wanted, I closed the boxes and returned them as they had been. I locked the drawers and put the key back in its original location. Folding the PJs, I ced the clothes back on top of it.


    Slipping the jewellery into my pocket, I stepped out of the room and closed the door. I passed by the bathroom before returning to Amy who was so engrossed in her movie she didn¡¯t seem to notice I was back.


    I went to the kitchen to pick up some snacks to eat while I waited for Joan. My work there was done.


    I went straight to get my jewellery priced. The shop owner even offered to take them so I sold them off. The prices were a little bit below what Hailey had told me but that was okay because they were second hand. I went straight to Miles and gave him all his money, then he gave me my property which I happily took back home. When all was said and done, I finally rxed. Calling Tilly, I told her that everything had gone well and she was happy for me.


    As soon as I was done, I packed up a few of my clothes plus my stupidptop and got a taxi to take me out of the city. When I arrived, I dialled Hailey¡¯s number.


    ¡°Heard you left early,¡± she said. ¡°What do you want now? Did that loan guy catch you or something?¡±


    Iughed out loud. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not stupid. I have paid up the loan. Thank you so much my dear sister for helping me out.¡±


    She groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic. It doesn¡¯t look good on you.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°I¡¯m not being sarcastic. You really helped.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. My man is almost here and I don¡¯t want to ruin my mood.¡±


    Iughed, and she hang up.


    I called again.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Are you at home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just about to leave for the airport. Lilly, please grow up and stop disturbing me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what I want. I want you to check your jewellery drawer.¡±


    ¡°What the fvck did you do Lilly? Did you rob me?¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn to hang up now.¡±


    ¡°Lilly, if I find one thing missing, I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the city right now. Byeee¡­¡±


    I hang up and switched off my phone. Tossing the phone to the bed, I went to stand on the window and stared at the starry sky. The moon was shining over the beautiful beach behind the hotel. Thanks to the remainder from my sale, I could afford a bit of luxury for a night.


    I deserved it, after everything I had been through.

 Someone new

    ¡°Lilith Hellman.¡±


    I turned to see the owner of the voice that had just said my name. He was a ck man of average height and great looks. He was smiling heartily while holding a margarita on his hand.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Kyle Munther,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you since morning. Okay, that came out wrong. I¡¯m not a stalker. I work as a lifeguard here and just finished my shift. Been seeing you move from one activity to another, as if you can¡¯t find one that matches your mood.¡±


    Well, he was right about that. My mind was all over the ce, and I couldn¡¯t find anything to make me happy.


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think lifeguards are provided with the names of every person whoes to this beach.¡±


    ¡°I got to know you from twitter. You¡¯re that reporter who wrote about Jake Rynd. I worked part time in one of his hotels so I kind of keep up. I liked the man.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. So why are you talking to me? I know you must have read what The Blue Paper said about me, that I¡¯m a hoe. If you want to pay me for sex, you¡¯re barking up the wrong tree.¡±


    ¡°If you had a secret life like that, I doubt you would be keen on exposing other people¡¯s secrets. Also, you wouldn¡¯t have entered a ce like that using the main door because no one ever does. It shows how na?ve you were. I believe the statement yourpany released that you may have been framed but they¡¯re investigating the issue nevertheless.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that The Daily Paper had released any statement about me. I developed goose bumps, realising I was not as alone as I thought. I knew that Leah and a few of my other friends were fighting for me and my reputation.


    I had not yet spoken about the incident, but had been nning to do it in my first blog post which I was yet to write even though the blog was already live.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. However, it doesn¡¯t mean I believe it. You could be saying it just to get on my good side. What do you really want?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m looking forpany, and thought you could use some. Maybe I might be able to put a smile on that beautiful face.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Thest handsome man I dated turned out to be a fraudster who led me to ruin. He was hired to take me to that awful ce, a ce I had no idea existed before that day. Still trying to track him but keep hitting dead end after dead end. So, don¡¯t me me when I decide to stay away from people I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I understand the dilemma you¡¯re in but trust me, I mean no harm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what a psycho would say.¡±


    We bothughed. It was the first time I hadughed that day. That was a good sign, I hoped.


    Meeting Kyle showed me that the whole world was not against me as I had thought after reading negativements on social media. It had seemed like my world was crushing down. Checking social media first thing in the morning is one of the worst things a person can do to themselves. Leah had always warned me about it but I had never epted the reality of the statement until that morning when all I could find where negative posts and reactions about me.


    I was able to cut myself from the phone but it had ruined everything already. I became extra miserable and couldn¡¯t enjoy anything because of that until Kyle came along and made me feel so much better.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    This time I was not about to open my heart to a stranger, after the lessons my involvement with Ian had taught me.


    At the end of the day, we parted ways and I travelled back to my apartment. I was d to see that my sister hadn¡¯te and tried to break it down. I had read all her threatening messages and instead of being filled with fear, I justughed. I was pretty sure she could livefortably without one ne and a pair of earrings.


    I lived without any, except the ones Leah forced me to buy. I never wore them of course. When it came to beauty, I was not patient enough to spend time applying makeup or essories. As long as I was dressed, I was good to go.


    I spent the next four hours writing away, the delicate buttons on myptop¡¯s keyboard nearly popped out from the extra strain they had not experienced in a while. That was very insignificantpared to the satisfaction I got when I saw my finished work. Five good posts introducing myself, why I started the blog, and disputing the nonsense the blue paper had published about me. I was dying to publish the posts but they needed editing so I decided to sleep and do it the next day.


    I could barely sleep as I thought about the stir I was about to cause. Jake was probably somewhere celebrating my downfall, and he was going to be totally surprised by my return and defiance. I smiled as I wondered what he would do next to keep my mouth shut. If it wasn¡¯t for the risk it gave my source of ie, I would have been enjoying the game we were nning. Who was going to be the one man left standing? Jake or me? time would tell.


    I was up by six. Without wasting time, I  turned myptop on and started editing. Within an hour, I was sure the articles were presentable enough for non professional blog like mine. Publishing them felt like dering war against jake Rynd, exhilirating.


    After publishing them, I shared the post to all my social media pages. I was sure that some gossip hungry reporters and writers were lurking around waiting for my words. I gave them what they wanted and sat back to wait for the reaction.


    Jake was going to be extra mad, and I was all in for it. I had to admit it was bing fun.

 Everyone has a price

    Jake¡¯s POV


    ¡°Why are you so inefficient?¡± I yelled at Jenny throwing the files she had just submitted at her. She backed away and let them fall to the ground, enraging me. ¡°Pick them up.¡±


    She knelt down and started gathering the papers that had scattered all over the room. ¡°Why are you so fvcking slow?¡±


    Annoyed, I stood up and strode out of the room. The employees at the outer offices quickly turned away but I could tell they had been staring at my office with alert ears trying to capture what was said.


    ¡°Get back to work,¡± I yelled at them. The room immediately fell silent which annoyed me more so I decided to leave and go home where there were no annoying people. I could be alone.


    That stupid woman was at it again.


    I thought I had managed to shut her up for good, but she was like an annoying fly, kepting back even though it was clear it wasn¡¯t wanted. This woman was making me feel so ipetent I felt like going to kill her with my two hands. Not many had been able to resist my orders in the past after I showed them what I was capable of but this stubborn woman was proving to be the worst I had met.


    Cory was already with me when I got to the parking lot. We both got in the car and the driver started the engine. He tried to talk to me but I shut him down. I was not interested in talking about that Hellman chick. I thought being suspended by her boss would work but no, she went ahead and created an uncensored blog where she was boss and could write about whatever she wanted. I could try and get it shut down but knew Lilith would create another one.


    This was not a woman to be underestimated, but feared. It seemed that was the point she was trying to make with unending attacks on me. She was not going down without a fight.


    A certain part of me was filled with admiration for her. I could see certain traits of me in her. Just like me, she wouldn¡¯t let anyone put her down, she wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight and would defend herself to death.


    I was captivated. She was different from all the other females that had been close to me, except one of the most evil woman in the universe. Only my evil mother could ¡®outevil¡¯ Lilith Hellman.


    A part of me wanted to know more about Lilith. Was she born that way or did something turn her into what she was. Or was she just a woman passionate about her job as Johnny said.


    Johnny hadn¡¯t stopped feeling guilty about what he had done nearly went to look for Lilith and confess. I had to force him to leave the city so he would do no such thing. He had left reluctantly and I knew it was only a matter of time before he changed his mind.


    Johnny had been worse than me before so I wondered why he was suddenly caring about a strange woman. It was probably that country woman softening his formerly stone cold heart. He was supposed to be my wingman not some loved up frail guy.


    I thought I would feel at peace at home because of the quiet, but it was the opposite. It was too quiet hence making me dwell on my noisy mind. Thoughts were messing up my mind as I paced about the backyard. I needed a solution but it was noting to mind. I was beginning to get obsessed with Lilith and I didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°Jake.¡±


    I heard a familiar voice. Surprisingly, I was d to hear it. Heather.


    I turned. She was wearing a blue pantsuit and ck heels. She hade straight from work. Heather looked perfect in almost anything she wore.


    ¡°Heather,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said giving me a short hug. I pulled her back to me because I needed more of her touch. At this point, anyone would do as long as they willing to give me the emotional support I needed.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she said when we finally broke apart. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re normally not that bothered with what people say about you. What¡¯s different with this random girl?¡±


    I shook my head. She was wrong. While I didn¡¯t care much about what people of my ss said about me, It sometimes bothered me especially when it portrayed me inurately. It was different when it came to some nobody who thought they could say whatever they wanted about me with no consequences.


    The thing about Lilith was that she was quite smart, and if I left her to it, she would unearth certain things about me that needed to remain in the closet. The other reason was she didn¡¯t care much about money. It was easy to buy off other people but not Lilith, or she would have asked for it already. I was willing to give her whatever she wanted if it meant she would leave me alone.


    ¡°She could find out a lot of things if I leave her to it,¡± I told Heather.


    ¡°Everyone has a price,¡± Heather said.


    ¡°Not Lilith Hellman apparently,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me deal with her?¡± Heather suggested.


    I stared at her, her lips seemed to have grown bigger and her cheeks were looking less full, and higher. Was she undergoing stic surgery? I remembered the size of her lips. When she noticed me staring, she chuckled.


    ¡°I just had lip fillers,¡± she confessed. ¡°Do you love them?¡±


    Her lips looked better, but her original lips had looked great with her original face. I had no problem with them. Did she think I broke up with her because she didn¡¯t look good enough? If that was the case, I was d that I had done it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about them. Don¡¯t your lips hurt?¡±


    ¡°A bit but they will be okay. So about Lilith, can I go ahead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you can do to stop her,¡± I informed her. As if Heather could be smarter than me.


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman, she is a woman. I can understand her motivations better than you, and use them to take her down.¡±


    That was a good point. A woman could be better for the job, but not just any woman.


    I knew a woman who would be perfect for it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given me a great idea,¡± I said, pulling her and kissing her lips.


    ¡°Oops, sorry.¡± I said, pulling away after remembering her post filler situation and our break up situation.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Heather stepped forward and cupped my face. ¡°I know we are not together anymore but I think both of us need to let off some steam here.¡±


    I smiled. She was right.


    Within a minute, we were in my bedroom rolling under the sheets. After our rendezvous, I was surprised to feel worse than before Heather hade in.


    Now I had lead her on, and it was going to be hard to get rid of her. It was hard enough in the ce.


    ¡°Who told you that I wasn¡¯t feeling well?¡±


    ¡°Cory.¡±


    Dam Cory. I knew his intentions were good because Heather was the closest person to metely but he should¡¯ve known better.


    ¡°I need to call someone,¡± I said and got off the bed. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I picked up my phone and left the room. There was a bad woman I needed to call.


    In my study, I dialled the number. The call was answered almost immediately.


    I had rehearsed what I wanted to say but got tongue tied.


    ¡°Son?¡± it was my mother¡¯s voice when she sounded really happy on the verge of joyful tears. But with her, you could never be sure if she was faking it, which was what she did 99 percent of the time.


    ¡°Mother,¡± I said, surprising myself. I had sworn to call her by name but the son inside betrayed me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯ve finally called me. I have missed you so much. How are you doing baby?¡±


    I knew she had been reading the papers and knew nearly everything happening in my life. She probably knew that I had framed that reporter. My mother had created monsters, and who better than the creator knew how the creations functioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay but I need you toe here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness son, this is the best news I¡¯ve heard in such a long time. I¡¯ll leave immediately. I¡¯m going to buy a flight ticket right now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if the mushiness was real or not, so I decided not to react to it.


    ¡°Okay, see you.¡±


    I hang up.


    On turning I bumped into someone.


    ¡°What the fvck are you doing here?¡± I asked the woman whose body was wrapped in arge sheet. ¡°I was having a private call.¡±


    ¡°Is your mother reallying back?¡± she asked.


    I wanted to p her. I really wanted to, but I didn¡¯t.


    I left her in the room and mmed the door.

 Once bitten

    Things were going better than I thought. My blog had blown up within a few hours of uploading the first post.


    People have be extremely greedy for drama and gossip on social media. A lot of people talk about how much they hate drama but when it happens, they eat it all up. For a lot of people, their most regr source of drama is social media and television. Everything concerning the rich and famous is fascinating and everyone is interested in having their opinions of them seen. Everyone judges the rich and famous, even people who are doing worse things.


    My case was no different because it involved a man who was rich and famous. There were those who believed me, and more who thought I was a loser trying to profit off Jake¡¯s name. At that point, I was almost inclined to believe them as I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore.


    It was like I was bing obsessed with Jake Rynd. I thought of him when I woke up, during all my waking hours, and when I went to sleep. The only thing left was for me to start dreaming about him, which was about to happen if I didn¡¯t close this chapter soon.


    ***


    I was readingments on my blog when a strange number called. After staring at it for some seconds, I decided to pick. What if it was Ian calling to exin himself?


    ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Meet me at The Alternative Ritz at 8, private room 5.¡±


    I knew the voice. Jake Rynd.


    ¡°Why would I do something like that when I know you could be nning to kill me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not having a secret meeting with you.¡±


    Jakeughed. ¡°If I wanted to kill you, you¡¯d be six feet under by now. You underestimate me too much, Lillith Hellman.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve underestimated me too,¡± I said with a smile, wishing he could see it. ¡°You thought you could shut me down with what you did but here I am, still rising. You¡¯re really pathetic, the most pathetic billionaire I have ever met. Even your worst won¡¯t work on me.¡±


    Jake chuckled. ¡°You talk way too much for your own good. If you don¡¯t want a secret meeting, we can talk in the main lounge around other people. You can evene along with a friend who will have to sit on another table while we talk. I¡¯d advise you to choose better friends, not ones who get drunk and are willing to sleep with their best friend¡¯s enemy.¡±


    Leah. That¡¯s who he was talking about.


    ¡°I sounds as if you care about me, Jake.¡±


    Jakeughed. This time it was loud and prolonged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such aedian. Now I¡¯m eagerly looking forward to this meeting.¡±


    ¡°So you care about me? You haven¡¯t denied.¡±


    ¡°I have np idea what¡¯s making you so delusional but no, Lilith. I don¡¯t care about you. All I want is for you to leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Whatever makes you sleep better at night,¡± I said with a wide smile.


    It was when he abruptly hung up that I realised I had been smiling the whole time I was talking to him. What was wrong with me? Flirting with the man I was supposed to hate more than anything, the man who would probably end up murdering me if I didn¡¯t stop writing about. Surely, something was wrong with me.


    After the call, I went straight to the bathroom and started grooming myself before taking a shower. It was already six so I didn¡¯t have a lot of time. Getting ready for me included a lot of things that took time for example sitting on my bed in a towel and having an existential crisis. I had mild social anxiety so the prospect of going out usually stressed me out for a bit. Once outside, everything would be better.


    This time it was worse, since I was going to meet my nemesis. Thest time I had talked to him hadn¡¯t been very pleasant. I wondered if he was going to bring up Ian, despite knowing he was the one who had set me up. I had to admit that had been a really clever n.


    After having my existential crisis and finally getting dressed up in a ck knee length dress, I left my apartment.


    Entering the Alternative Ritz reminded me of Ian, the man I had almost given my whole heart on a tter. It was a good thing that he left when he did, because who knows how broken I would have felt if he had stayed and made me fall harder.


    Jake was seated on the same seat I had shared with Ian. The man clearly knew how to rub it in. taking a deep breath, I walked towards him. There was something different about the vibe in the bar, the way those people looked at me, as if they all knew me. I scanned the room to see if there was a poster of me or something. There was none.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, sitting far away from him on the booth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t bite,¡± he said.


    ¡°Once bitten, twice shy.¡±


    ¡°Cory,¡± he said.


    A burly man stood up from the next booth and came to where we were. He pulled out a metal scanner. It was smaller than most I had seen.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to run it through your body. It¡¯s a new technology that detects recording devices.¡±


    ¡°Good to know that we both don¡¯t trust each other. Hope he¡¯ll run it through you too, or I won¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a very stubborn young woman.¡±


    Cory ran it through both of us, and the machine did not make a noise. Satisfied, he went back to his seat. A waitress came and took my order, not before shing Jake Rynd a killer smile. ¡°She¡¯s hot,¡± hemented, watching her waltz to the counter.


    I maintained a poker face. ¡°She is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Do you ever wonder what I think of you?¡±


    ¡°No, you have made your opinion of me clear. I know that you hired Ian to trick me and take me to that ce. You don¡¯t like me, and I don¡¯t like you so why don¡¯t we just talk about why you called me.¡±


    ¡°I want to know why you¡¯re so obsessed with me,¡± he said after a while. ¡°Why can¡¯t you leave me alone?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Obsessed with you? You¡¯re too full of yourself. Listen Jake, I have been writing expose` style of articles since I joined the daily paper. I have written about so many people. Last month I saw you in a Forbes list. Top 30¡¯s. You seemed to be the calmest billionaire on that list which captured my interest.


    People who seem to be too good to be true always capture my attention. In most cases, there are secrets in the closet. I wanted to find out if you had any and expose them. That¡¯s what I did. I dug up the things you had been trying to hide and showed them to the public. The public liked it, and it trended. My name was out there for the first time. I had to create follow up articles and you gave me content for that when you threatened me. Thank you. You have continued to give me what to write about and it captures attention so I¡¯ll continue.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop even though I told you so? Weren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t liked being ordered around. When someone tells me to stop doing something, it inspires me to do it. There¡¯s nothing I like more than disobeying orders and doing whatever I want, exercising my rights. If you had ignored the first article, I would have forgotten about you and moved on to someone else. You¡¯re not that special. I¡¯m a journalist, and we are always hungry for a good story.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What, did you think I was secretly in love with you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re such a narcissist. The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you. Maybe Heather¡¯s does but not mine.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Heather?¡±


    ¡°I was stalking you for a while. How could I not know her? Besides, someone had written a story about her in our paper and mentioned you as her boyfriend. I think the whole of New York knows that.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all I wanted to know. I thought you had some secret vendetta against me.¡±


    I sighed, my body visibly rxing. ¡°Can I leave now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to leave anytime.¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯ll call someone to pick me up. One of your men might kidnap me from outside.¡±


    Jakeughed. ¡°I hired all these people you see. They¡¯re actors. I couldn¡¯t let the press know of a secret meeting. Since you refused a private room, I brought privacy to you.¡±


    What the hell?


    ¡°So I¡¯m surrounded by your goons,¡± I said feeling panic rising.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these are regr people just looking for some extra money.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Have a goodnight, Hellman.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Rynd.¡±

 Good idea

    Jake¡¯s POV


    I watched with a smile as Lilith walked out of the bar. Johnny had been right. She wasn¡¯t half as bad as I thought. She was actually really greatpany. If I had enjoyed herpany when she hated me, how it be if she liked me. I realised that bastard Johnny had enjoyed his time with her. It was probably why he felt so guilty for betraying her.


    ¡°You¡¯re smiling.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Cory.¡±


    After Lilith was gone, Cory reminded the actors to honour the agreement they had signed and released them.


    ¡°You seemed to enjoy your time with that woman,¡± Cory said when everyone was gone. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you¡¯re in love.¡±


    What was with everybody making meugh by saying the most ridiculous things that day? First Lilith, and now my own head of security.


    ¡°Why would you think so?¡± I was curious.


    ¡°You seemed really happy around her. In fact, now you are in the best mood you¡¯ve been in since the week began. You say you hate her, but I didn¡¯t see any sign of hate when you two were conversing. Besides, no one smiles like that after a conversation with their nemesis.¡±


    ¡°She just said some ridiculous things I found funny, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°If Michael Strong did the same, would you beughing happily?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Anyway I¡¯ve had enough of this crazy day. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure my crazy mother has already arrived. On second thought, why don¡¯t we stay so we can find her asleep? I don¡¯t feel like dealing with her pretentiousness today.¡±


    Cory decided to sit down next to me. ¡°Do you think it was a good idea, calling her back? After what I saw tonight, I don¡¯t think you really want to destroy this young woman¡¯s life. Your mother knows destruction more than anyone. Miss Hellman won¡¯t be able to show her face in society once Mrs. Rynd is done with her.¡±


    One thing I liked about Cory was his intellect and intuition. It was why he was no longer just my head of security and right hand man. He had be my best friend. When I had no idea what to do, it was him I went to because he always knew the best of course of action.


    When I invited my mother, I had been extremely furious. Now that I had got to know Lilith better, my anger had reduced. She didn¡¯t seem like an evil viin anymore, but a woman trying to survive and make a name in a harsh world. She didn¡¯t have the connections or resources I did to pave way for her. She was creating her future by herself.


    My mother was known for doing the worst things to destroy people. It was why I had called her, because she would know how to take down anyone. A part of me didn¡¯t want my mother to go after Lilith anymore.


    But I couldn¡¯t send her away easily again. I was going to bear with her for a while. Deep down, she had a heart. One had to look thoroughly to find it but I was sure it existed. She would be hurt if I just disposed of her because I didn¡¯t need her anymore. If not, she¡¯d be angry, and her anger was worse than pain.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll sleep on it. By tomorrow, I¡¯d have figured out whether to allow my mother to interfere or not.¡±


    Cory and I stayed in the bar for one more hour before leaving. When I got to my house, I entered, dreading the sight of my mother.


    ¡°Is my mother sleeping?¡± I asked the maid.


    She shook her head. ¡°Mrs. Rynd said she¡¯s going out with her friends. Told me to wait up because she might returnte.¡±


    I sighed. Typical of her. Why did I even think she would be waiting impatiently for her son? She still cared only about herself. I realised she was never going to change and maybe it was high time I got used to it.


    What bothers me is why narcissists even have children. You know you¡¯re not going to love them the way they deserve. Why have them at all?


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said.


    Just then I heard a care in. it was her. It had to be.


    ¡°Tell her that I¡¯m already asleep,¡± I said, quickly heading to the stairs. I hurried to my room and locked it. A drunk Carrie Rynd was worse than a sober one. I didn¡¯t want to deal with that considering I was already regretting my decision to call her back. What was I going to do?


    Quickly undressing, I let water fill up in my tub then stepped. A few minutester, I heard a knock on my door.


    ¡°Jake, dear. Are you already asleep?¡±


    I stayed silent as a graveyard.


    ¡°Baby, I missed you so much. Oh, what am I saying, he¡¯s probably asleep already.¡±


    I heard her heels hitting the floor as she moved away. Then suddenly, she shouted. ¡°Maid.¡±


    I sighed. What had I done?


    That night I could barely sleep. I thought about Lilith. I thought about my mother, my reputation and also Heather.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I had brought back two woman I didn¡¯t want around me. How could one day go so wrong. I remembered that my mother liked Heather.


    Having them both around me was a recipe for disaster. How could I sleep, knowing that?


    The smell of pancakes hit me as soon as I opened the door. Mother. she used to make those a lot when I was younger but eventually stopped when she joined a group of ¡®cool¡¯ mothers,  a group of women with older kids who spent their time spending their rich husbands¡¯ money shopping, going on cruises and all that.


    The husbands did not seem to mind as their attention turned to numerous mistresses that apanied them on business trips, vacations, to clubs. Basically everyone was happy, and the marriage remained intact for society¡¯s sake. It was the children that suffered, as I had.


    ¡°Darling,¡± my mother said cheerfully when I entered the kitchen. She was wearing a light blue apron over her dark blue dress. She came and hugged me. ¡°There¡¯s my handsome boy. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said. ¡°Good to see you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t lying. I hated my mother but a part of me was d to see her. There was a warmness developing in my heart towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you called me. We¡¯re going to have breakfast and then we will talk about why you asked me toe.¡±


    I had resolved not to tell her that I wanted revenge on Lilith. I would just imed to have missed her so much. It was possible that she would not buy it but it would protect Lilith from her wrath.


    My phone rang. It was Cory.


    ¡°Cory.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the article?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What article?¡±


    ¡°She wrote about you again.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s wrong that woman?¡± I said. Lilith really made it impossible to like her. ¡°Send me the link.¡±


    ¡°Done. Check your WhatsApp.¡±


    I turned and walked out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Where are you going? Breakfast is ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here. I just want to check something.¡±


    I opened the blog article. Is Jake Rynd Obsessed With Being The Golden Boy?


    The article was not very long, and wasn¡¯t as negative as earlier posts but it was still irritating.


    ¡°A lot of you have been saying I¡¯m obsessed with Jake Rynd. But, could he be the one with a secret obsession? Some of you have told me to stop writing about but Jake Rynd keeps giving me reasons to write about him. So, tell me, how can I stop.


    Yesterday I met Jake¡­¡± she proceeded to write about how I rented a bar and actors to make it seem like any usual night. How I imed she was obsessed with me. By the end of the article, the anger that had vanished the night before was back, this time even stronger than before. I was angry at myself for ever trusting her, and thinking she was a good person. She was still the greedy reporter willing to write about anything as long as it brought her fame and money. Lilith Hellman did not deserve mercy from me. She deserved to be destroyed.


    ¡°Jake,¡± my mother called. ¡°Are you done, now?¡±


    I stood up and went to the dining room where my mother had set up everything. ¡°Smells good,¡± I said, inhaling the delicious scents from everything she had prepared.


    ¡°Only the best for my son,¡± she said.


    I hadn¡¯t realised I was starving until I sat down and started downing everything on the table. My mother watched me with a big smile of her face. She seemed truly happy, and I decided not to read too much into it because I would end up concluding it was fake, even though it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You asked me why I reached out to you,¡± I said when the dishes had been cleared away. ¡°Do you know Lilith Hellman?¡±


    ¡°The woman who has been gossiping about you? Of course I do, and I don¡¯t like what¡¯s she¡¯s doing to you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the reason I called you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I want you to shut her up. Cory will give you all the information you need about her.¡±


    My mother smiled. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, mother.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you for trusting me, and calling me in a time of need. I¡¯m happy to know that I still matter in your life.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave now, before this gets awkward.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±

 Kidnapping an innocent soul

    ¡°Amy has been kidnapped,¡± my sister said.


    I chuckled. ¡°Is that yourtest trick to get mee so you can beat me up?¡± I asked, switching the phone to another ear then stirring the soup I was preparing. It was smelling so good I couldn¡¯t wait to finally sit down and eat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t joke about something like this,¡± she said. I paused. Maybe she was serious.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d just left the mall, and I was putting stuff in the trunk of the car. When I turned she was gone. We even saw the CCTV footage, and it showed a young woman cing her hand on Amy¡¯s mouth and carrying her to a ck car. I have never seen her before. I hope you¡¯re not the one who has her.¡±


    ¡°Come on. That¡¯s ridiculous and you know it.¡±


    ¡°I never thought you could ever rob me but you did. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you were trying to get revenge on me for making you go through all that. What more money do you want?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ming over.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said and hang up.


    Quickly serving my food to the te, I sat down to eat but could barely eat anything. I was still hungry but my appetite waspletely gone after the news sinking in.


    I was now convinced that someone had really taken Amy. My sister was evil and all but she had a very demanding job. She didn¡¯t have time to sit at home and create drama because I stole her jewellery to pay off money I used to save her ass.


    Who could have taken Amy? Could it be Jake Rynd? Would he have gone that low, to involving innocent people? I didn¡¯t want to believe it but there was a high possibility. I knew a lot of people didn¡¯t like Hailey but no one had kidnapped her daughter to date. Why would they suddenly do it? It had to be Jake.


    I knew posting that recent article was a mistake, but I desperately wanted relevance and Jake Rynd was the only thing keeping my blog relevant. If I didn¡¯t write about him, no one would visit.


    Hubert Maslow was a handsome middle aged man. He was of average height and had a great sculptured body. He seemed like a good person, and I had a feeling he was. Hailey always got the good ones, but sadly didn¡¯t treat them as well as they deserved.


    She was seated on hisp on the couch, checking her phone every now and then, hoping someone would make a ransom call. Hailey¡¯s was a mess, physically and emotionally, tangled hair and a make-up stained face. She couldn¡¯t stop crying and sobbing, talking about Amy.


    I stared at her boyfriend, trying to decipher if I could consider him a suspect or not. I had known and read about people who seemed really nice, but turned out to be mean freaks on the inside. Could he have kidnapped Amy to somehow manipte my sister? Could my sister have messed up, finallynding on someone as bad as she was?


    I didn¡¯t know what to think as we sat there, staring at the TV humming in the background. I focused my eyes on the TV, hoping something could happen before we all went crazy. I was more worried about Hailey than anyone else for that matter.


    Suddenly, my phone started ringing.  I frowned when I saw the new number. Looking around, I saw that the couple was not paying attention to me. After a short deliberation, I swiped to answer the call and listened for the caller to speak first


    ¡°Am I speaking to Lilith Hellman?¡± The person on the other end of the line asked.


    The voice was feminine and refined. I immediately suspected it was someone who read my blog and contacted mypany for partnership. How else would they have got my number?


    ¡°Yes, this is she.  Who am I speaking to, please?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out,¡± she said. ¡°If you want to save someone you love, make sure no one hears of this. I¡¯m going to give you an address you cane to. Involve the police at your own risk.¡±


    I stood up and walked out of the living room. What I feared most seemed to have happened. In the bathroom, I closed the door and spoke. ¡°Who is this? Do you have my niece?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to send you the address, and if I don¡¯t see you alone within thirty minutes, something terrible will happen.¡±


    My heart sank, and I went to sit on top of the toilet seat, and tried to regte my breathing which had suddenly gone up.


    When she hang up, a message arrived immediately. Putting my phone in my jacket pocket, I went back to the living room, acting like I wasn¡¯tpletely shaken up. ¡°I have to go now, Hailey but I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°You go. You don¡¯t care anyway. My own sister is leaving me alone when I need her most. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to being the ck sheep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to leave you but it¡¯s really urgent. Will return as soon as I¡¯m done.¡±


    Hailey said nothing. I could see she was really tired and worn out. Sighing, I walked out of the apartment, closing the door softly.


    My heart was heavy as the realisation that I had put my innocent niece in danger sunk in. The decisions we make in life always have consequences, not only on ourselves but also other people. I had made a reckless decision and now a little child was suffering.


    Pulling out my phone, I logged in to my blog and deleted it without second thought. I couldn¡¯t risk it anymore. Jake¡¯stest action showed me it was time for me to leave him alone and focus on other things. I didn¡¯t care about the money anymore. All I wanted was my life before that article went viral. I may have been a ¡®nobody¡¯, but I was a happy nobody which was so much better than living like this, always in fear.


    Within a few minutes, I was at the address the woman had given me. It was outside the city, at an abandoned church house. Looking around, I decided to walk towards it. The wind slightly blew strands of my hair over my face as I walked. The smell of rotting wood wafted into my nostrills as I got closer to the building.


    Seeing the door open, I paused before walking in. suddenly, I was hit by something and fell on the floor.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    When I came to, I was somewhere else. It was familiar, and I realised it was the same ce Jake¡¯s men had taken me to before. I had soft sounds and looked back where they came from.


    Amy was seated on the floor, her hands tied up. She was crying uncontrobly. I wanted to speak to her but there was duct tape over my mouth. I just stared helplessly at my poor niece.


    I someone pping their hands in front of me. I turned and my eyes met with a beautiful olderdy. She was wearing makeup and bright red lipstick. The woman wore a blood red pantsuit and ck suit. She seemed vaguely familiar but I could tell where I had seen her.


    ¡°Lilith Hellman, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡±


    She stepped forward and ripped off the duct tape from my lips in one move.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, ignoring the sharp pain on my mouth and cheeks.


    ¡°Your worst nightmare,¡± she said.


    I rolled my eyes. Clich¨¦.

 The woman

    How much did Jake Rynd pay you to do his dirty work?¡±


    The womanughed, leaned down and pped me. Sharp pain assaulted me and I was almost certain the marks of her long fingers were visible on my face. My eyes narrowed as I stared up at her. She was smiling and shaking her head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful.¡±


    The woman walked to the end of the room, picked up a chair and came to sit in front of me. ¡°We can now talk.¡±


    Amy was still crying so I turned to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amy. We shall get out of here soon.¡±


    ¡°Thatdy-.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, little girl.¡± The woman yelled at her.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl. Why did you have to involve her in this? I¡¯m the only person you should be punishing.¡±


    ¡°My son has tried to punish you, but that hasn¡¯t worked so far.¡±


    I knew I¡¯d seen her before. I remembered scrolling through Jake¡¯s family photos and seeing her face. ¡°So he called you toe and help. Had no idea he was such a mama¡¯s boy. Where have you been through? I stalked him for a while but never saw you in the picture.¡±


    ¡°None of your business, girlie. I¡¯m here to help my son and I don¡¯t n on disappointing him. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m very efficient in these kinds of things.¡±


    ¡°Which kind of things?¡± I asked, panic rising. ¡°Kidnapping people?¡±


    Murder? I couldn¡¯t say that out loud in fear of scaring Amy.


    ¡°Worse,¡± she said. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t want any of that, you have to do just one small thing for me. Stop writing about my son and stay away from him. If you can do that, I won¡¯t bother you and your family. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll do more than just kidnapping and issuing threats.


    When I let you go, you¡¯ll have time to research about me, even talk to the people whose lives and careers I have destroyed because they¡¯re many. It¡¯s why my son entrusted me to this. I have destroyed him before so he knows just what I¡¯m capable of. Doesn¡¯t matter who you are, I¡¯ll ruin you if I have to.¡±


    ¡°I can do that. In fact when I was on my way I deleted my new blog. If this is going to hurt the people I love, I think it isn¡¯t worth it. I¡¯d rather have my old ordinary life back. Just let me go and you¡¯ll never hear about me ever again. Your son can live his life however he likes and I will remain unbothered.¡±


    Mrs. Rynd smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d to see that we are on the same page.¡±


    She stood up and went to a table pushed against the wall. Picking up a clip board, she opened and pulled out some papers, attaching them to it. Picking up a pen from the table, she walked towards me. She hands the papers to me and I grab them. ¡°You¡¯re going to sign those papers. Feel free to read through them for as long as you like.¡±


    At that moment, the door opened and in walked a man wearing a ck suit and pointy ck shoes.


    ¡°That¡¯s ourwyer.¡±


    I read through the papers stating that I would never write about Jake, ore anywhere close to him. If I did, I would be sued for breaching the contract. I didn¡¯t see any shady uses but had to read through thrice because I didn¡¯t trust the woman.


    ¡°What if I need awyer,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in position to ask for one? I could kill someone,¡± she nced at a whimpering Amy. ¡°In exchange for awyer. What would you like Miss Hellman?¡±


    ¡°Give me the pen,¡± I said, proffering my hand. She put it on my palm and quickly started signing everywhere. ¡°Done. Can I go now?¡±


    ¡°Take the girl out of the room,¡± she said to the man who went and grabbed Amy¡¯s waist. She struggled and screamed as he forcefully pulled her out of the room. Pain filled my heart as I watched her suffer, crying about wanting her mother.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    The woman pped me. ¡°That¡¯s for stressing my son out. I could do worse but I¡¯m going to give you a chance and spare you because you helped me a great deal. Thanks to you, I¡¯m back to my son¡¯s life and I want to stay. If you dare try anything, I wille for you.¡±


    ¡°Look, I have no interest in this anymore. I just want to return my niece to my sister and go on with my life. I have suffered enough since I got involved in this. I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Wyre,¡± the woman shouted and a man walked in.


    ¡°Untie her,¡± he said and strutted out of the room.


    The man untied me from the chair but left my hands bound. ¡°Where is my niece?¡±


    ¡°Just go. You¡¯ll find her.¡±


    Running out of the room, I quickly climbed up the stairs. A man was waiting for me at the top, Amy sitting near him. He ced a stic bag on my head and led me out of the room. There was no point of blindfolding me since I was no longer interested in going up against the Rynd family.


    When the car stopped, i was untied and the two of us were thrown out of the car before it sped away from the house. I tried to hug Amy but she turned away from me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong baby?¡±


    ¡°That man said you told them to kidnap me.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing.¡±


    ¡°I want my mommy.¡±


    Escorting her to the door, I watched as she walked in. When I heard Hailey¡¯s exmation, I started running away. I ran down the stairs, not scared of falling over. I rxed when I was outside the building and pulled out my phone to turn it off. I was sure Amy had told her mother everything and wasn¡¯t ready to face the wrath of my sister.


    I knew I was wrong. I should have stayed there and faced whatever punishment Hailey had for me. I was supposed to stay and listen as she unpacked her anger and loaded her unto me. I should have waited for her to attack me for everything I had done.


    Because of me, the person she loved most had almost died. Although she turned up fine, it was not a small matter. It had not affected me so much but Hailey had nearly lost her mind because of the disappearance of Amy. I had felt sad and scared but I didn¡¯t think that was anywhere close to how Hailey had felt. She must have felt her world crushing down, especially because the incident happened only four months after losing a new-born, whose trauma she was not yet over.


    When I was near my ce, I entered a diner and ordered some food. When my food arrived, I dug in, stuffing food in my mouth like I hadn¡¯t eaten in months yet it had only been a few hours.


    I was about to leave when I saw a familiar face walking in. Kyle Munther, the man I had met at the beach. His eyes met mine and he walked to my table.


    ¡°What are the chances?¡± I said, happy to see him.


    ¡°Hey, you live around here?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡±


    He had told me he lived in New Jersey. I began to feel suspicious. Was he stalking me? Having been involved in several bad incidents, I was starting to be paranoid, suspicious of everything and everyone around me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Came to see a friend of mine. He¡¯s in the hospital after getting involved in a car ident.¡±


    Sounded reasonable. I felt relieved.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°How is he doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be alright. You don¡¯t look too well.¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I just got released by my kidnapper?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do actually. After everything you told mest time, I think I can believe anything. Besides I¡¯ve worked for so long around the rich and famous. Anything is expected when you¡¯re around them. I¡¯m kind of lucky I haven¡¯t been murdered ornded in jail. You wouldn¡¯t believe the things I¡¯ve gone through while serving those people.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°We have something inmon, I guess. Being haunted by rich and famous people.¡±


    ¡°Was it Jake?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No but I¡¯d rather not talk about it. Honestly I¡¯m done with all this mess. I just want to rx and enjoy myself as I wait to resume work. If I don¡¯t stop to smell the roses right now, I might never get the chance to do it.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me? I¡¯m nning a vacation for myself. Might travel to long ind. Will even pay for you if you want.¡±


    I shook my head. Yeah right. That was not about to happen, not if I had learnt anything from recent events in my life.


    ¡°I hope that one day you¡¯ll be able to trust again.¡±


    ¡°I hope not,¡± I said.

 The return

    After my unexpected meeting with Kyle, I gathered the courage to return home, lock the doors and turned on my phone. It had not been a minute when it started ringing.


    Hailey.


    My finger hovered on the phone before I answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Hailey.¡± I began before she could say anything.


    ¡°How dare you not face me after everything you did? I swear if you don¡¯te here right now and exin yourself, I¡¯m going to call the police. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re my sister. You nearly got my daughter killed.¡±


    Not the police. If I involved the police, it would be me going to jail, and not Jake and his mother who truly deserved to be there.


    ¡°Please Hailey, do not call the police. I will do whatever you want me to do, just don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Welle here right now and tell me why the hell you had my little girl kidnapped and pretended to care about me. I don¡¯t understand how and when you became such a psycho.¡±


    Grabbing my purse, I headed to the door and opened it. My eyes went wide when my sister barged in and started hitting me. She grabbed my hair, trying to pull it out, sending pain throughout my entire head. I didn¡¯t try to fight her back but tried to push her away from me but she was not budging.


    Her boyfriend was leaning against the wall, his hands crossed on his chest, watching as fight. Hailey punched me near the eye, and I screamed. She started screaming obscenities at me, ming me for everything. She kept hitting me so much that I had no choice but to hit her back. Then we found ourselves on the floor, trying to rip each other¡¯s hair out.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    The voice made us freeze. I looked up to see myndlord staring down at us.


    ¡°If you want to kill each other, I don¡¯t care.¡± He said. ¡°Just go and do it elsewhere.¡±


    I noticed that a number of neighbours hade to see what was going on. I disentangle myself from Hailey¡¯s arms and stood up slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. This won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he said before turning and walking off.


    ¡°Show¡¯s over,¡± Hailey¡¯s boyfriend said, and shoed everyone away before closing the door. ¡°Can you two please stop trying to kill each other and talk? There¡¯s no point in fighting right now. Lilly, we need you to tell us everything. That was quite a scare and you shouldn¡¯t have walked away without exnation. Do you have any idea how Amy felt when you just disappeared? Have you even considered what she might think about you?¡±


    Hailey stood up and went to sit in the couch next to him. I pulled out a chair from my dinning sat and turned to them.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    The couple leaned forward and listened as I told them everything about the kidnapping. I didn¡¯t tell them about most of the events that had urred before that day because I wasn¡¯t sure whether to trust my sister. It was easier to trust the man because he seemed put together but my sister was way too vtile. Who knew if she wasn¡¯t already nning revenge against me in her mind?


    Hailey did not interrupt like I had expected. She waited until I was done before speaking. ¡°Is that really true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t really mean for Amy to be harmed. That¡¯s why I have deleted the blog and I¡¯m not going to write about Jake ever again. I just want to get my old life together.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you and this man anyway?¡± Hailey asked.


    ¡°I just wanted to write a breaking story, and it got out of hand. I loved the reaction I was getting so continued to milk the situation. I never thought he would go that far.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hailey told her man. I wasn¡¯t sure if she believed me or not, whether she would forgive me but decided not to prod. At least she was not going to kill me.


    After that, I called Leah. I needed someone I could unburden my heart to, someone I could honestly share everything with. It had been a long time since we talked but now I needed her more than ever.


    Leah was thrilled to hear from me. Apparently she had been just about to call and invite me for the friends dinner she was hosting.


    Leah was obsessed about cooking and having people over at her house. She said it was probably because she had grown up in a big family. Things were hard for her when she moved out and came to live in New York alone. She needed people around her so she always had friends over. She didn¡¯t care about all the work it included. I, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t imagine having to host so many people for free asionally.


    Even before I entered the house, I could smell the delicious food. My stomach growled in response and I made my way into the house. Since I was her best friend, I never had to ring the bell.


    Most of our friends were already there. ¡°Where¡¯s Cali?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s runningte. Some cousin of hers visited her but they¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said before disappearing into the kitchen where Leah was heating up some milk.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said and went to hug her.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± she said, ¡°We might end up falling in the fire.¡±


    I offered to help, and we got to work while I narrated everything to her. Leah said she thought everything was like a movie and even said she was jealous of my life.


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous of your life,¡± I told her.


    She opened the oven and removed some meat pies from it. She ced the tray on the table.


    ¡°All I want now is a bit of normalcy. I¡¯m going to stay so far away from Jake that he will wonder if I¡¯m dead.¡±


    While everything else seemed sorted, I was a bit scared of what my sister would do. Hailey had not forgiven me, I knew that. Her reaction after hearing everything had not been drastic. It could either mean she understood everything or she was nning revenge. Now I was not going to have a minute without anxiety over what she could possibly do to me.


    After sometime, Leah and I were joined by Cali and Jenna. Cali hugged me. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while. What have you been up to?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°Is your cousin with you?¡± Leah asked.


    ¡°He is, and he¡¯s quite hot.¡± Jenny said.


    Cali rolled her eyes. ¡°Nuh, he¡¯s just normal.¡±


    ¡°Come on. I like him although he doesn¡¯t seem to talk much.¡±


    ¡°Oh he just has a lot in his head right now.¡±


    After a while, we all went to the living room with tea and pastries. I froze when I saw Kyle Munther siting on the couch next to Mary.


    ¡°Kyle?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Lilly?¡±


    ¡°You have a bit of exining to do?¡± Leah said after cing the pastries on the table. ¡°Is this the Kyle you were talking about?¡±


    I blushed, hoping she would not continue to tell everyone that I had a little crush on him.


    ¡°Kyle and I met at the beach,¡± I said, and proceeded to tell my friends about our two meetings. Everyone was surprised but I was sure not more than me.


    I was getting more and more suspicious of Kyle. Surely, these were too many coincidences. It was hard to believe there wasn¡¯t more to it.


    When we finally had alone time, I voiced my fears to him and weughed about them. I hadn¡¯t heard from Ian, or gotten any closure from that chapter of my life so my fears were still quite strong.


    But we ended up enjoining each other¡¯spany amidst the weird stares from my friends. The red gs in my head kept lighting up and reminding me not to be too happy, or let myself fall. Despite all that, I enjoyed the evening.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I enjoyed it so much that I found myself in Leah¡¯s guest room with him. I could hear my hazy drunken brain screaming no but my body lit up as our lips battled each other for dominance. By that point, I had lost all control and knew there was no going back.


    In the morning, I woke up next to him. Nude. I sighed as everything came back to mind. Well, whatever happened had happened. Sitting up, I  ced one leg on the floor. I was just about to do the same for the other when I felt him move.


    Shit. I was not ready for the awkwardness.

 The effective strategy

    I had no idea what my mother told Lilith Hellman, but it worked very well, better than I liked. Two weeks had passed and Lilith had not so much as breathed my name. Her blog had disappeared and she was silent. One would think she had been wiped off the face of the earth. In fact, for a moment there, I thought my mother had killed her so asked Jared to investigate. Lilith was alive and well, enjoying the little time she had left before returning to work.


    I never expected to ever say this but I actually missed her. I missed her articles about me, somehow, they made me feel important. Now I was back to the background, just like any other billionaire who wasn¡¯t making any moves. Heron Mask, a tech billionaire was the one appearing on the headlines every now and then after he bought some popr app. I had faded into oblivion, just like Lilith Hellman.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    My curiosity was growing each passing day. I knew my mother had perfected her people breaking skills but didn¡¯t think Lilith would go down that fast. Heather¡¯s words about sending a woman to catch a woman rang in my ears. Women were indeed something else. My mother didn¡¯t need to study Lilith for days to figure out her weakness.


    The car pulled in to the front of the house and stopped. The driver got out and opened my car. Getting my phone and wallet, I stepped out.


    My eyes narrowed for a moment when I heard loud musicing from the back of the house. I sighed, remembering that my mother was still around. She was probably hosting a party for other members of the cool mothers, scratch that, cool wives club.


    The door was opened by Heather adorned in a swim suit. When I stepped inside, she wrapped her longs arms around me and I frowned. Then I saw a couple of young women standing near the kitchen door. I forced smile upon realising what she was up to. She was showing me off, acting as though we were still dating.


    ¡°How was your day, darling?¡± she asked, pulling away.


    ¡°It was great, baby.¡± I said. I was only acting nice out of gratitude because she had been quite useful during the past few days. I kissed her lips. ¡°Will youe with me baby?¡±


    The two girls wandered back into the kitchen while Heather linked her arm around mine and we went up the stairs.


    ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡± I asked once we were in thending, walking towards my bedroom. Opening it, I went inside and she followed.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± she asked, giving me an innocent look. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would fall for her emotional ckmail. Under that fa?ade, Heather was tough as nails. She just knew how to make her femininity work for her but I was not going to fall for it.  ¡°What have I don¡¯t wrong? Is weing you back home bad? Or wait, are you mad about the party I¡¯m holding?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s you. I thought it was my mother.¡±


    ¡°She gave me permission.¡±


    ¡°This is my house, not hers. But I don¡¯t really care about that. As long as your friends don¡¯te to this floor, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad that I hugged you? That¡¯s even worse, Jake.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re no longer in a rtionship, Heather. I¡¯m not mad but don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for us to act like a lovey-dovey couple. I¡¯m not a tool you can use anytime you want to make your friends jealous.¡±


    ¡°So what have we been doing, Jake. I thought we were back together. Have you been leading me on all this time? You know that I love desperately, and you just did that. When did you be so heartless?¡±


    I shook my head and went to sit on the bed. cing my head on my palm, I sighed. ¡°Stop acting like a love sick teenager, Heather. You¡¯re a twenty seven year old woman for Pete¡¯s sake. I did not say anything about getting back together. We were only having sex. Emotionally ckmailing me will not work and you know that.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you want, Jake?¡± she asked, turning on the waterworks. I watched, not bothering to give her a handkerchief. There was a box of tissues on my bedside table so she could figure out how to get rid of her crocodile tears by herself. ¡°What kind of woman do you want that is so perfect? I have tried everything but you don¡¯t appreciate me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of woman but when I meet her, I¡¯ll know. Isn¡¯t that how it works? For now, I¡¯d rather we part ways because this will never end well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it won¡¯t you bastard.¡± She said and stormed out of the room, mming the door. The sound irritated my ears but I took a deep breath to keep myself from doing something bad to her.


    Bringing her back was a terrible, terrible idea. At that point even my mother was more preferable, which was not a good thing. That woman deserved my hate more than anyone else in the world.


    My life was on a downward spiral, bad decision after bad decision.


    Suddenly the music became louder. Standing up, I walked to the window and saw about twenty young women in bikinis, dancing and drinking. Some were in the pool shouting and singing along to the songs like there was no tomorrow.


    I saw Heather grab a microphone, and the music stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s parttyyy.¡±


    She threw the microphone into the water amid cheers and the music restarted again. I shook my head, having realised that she was now trying to get a rise out of me.


    Too bad for her that I was not interested in being baited to immature fights. Undressing, I went to the bathroom and showered. The party was still in full swing when I returned to dress up. I blocked my mind from it and focused on getting ready. When I was done, I sent a message to my driver and went downstairs.


    There was a party at the house of a friend. James Milner, a ship owner was celebrating a partnership with anotherpany in the business. They had partnered to increase the size of their operations in hope of making more profits. Initially I had not been in the mood for partying but it was either that or have to deal with Heather¡¯s antics.


    James and I had lived in the same apartment while studying at NYU. We had been through a couple of questionable adventures together and buried them in the past where we hoped they would stay. That was one of the reasons I did not want to go to his party, being in the same vicinity with him brought back memories of an extremely evil part of my life.


    When we met, we acted like it didn¡¯t exist. As we had a short chat, I wondered if his mind was also reying all the bad things we had done together. As if that was true, James quickly moved on to another guest relieving me of the unwee thoughts. I figured I was going to permanently avoid him at one point.


    Most of the big names of New York were there, with their wives. It was a pretty chill party, so much better than the juvenile get together at my house. I chatted with a few people but quickly got bored. There were a number of single women but all the single men were hoping to grab one.


    My thoughts shifted to a certain woman who I suddenly wanted to have drinks with. I remembered how great thest time had been and decided to check out her favourite bar. I was probably wasting my time but considering that I had nothing better to do, that meant no harm.


    Entering the small bar, I scanned the room. My heart leapt when my eyes found hers. She was in a corner table with two other women. They had beenughing but Lilith stopped when she saw me. Confidently, I walked to their table.


    ¡°Good eveningdies.¡±


    The otherdies eyes widened as their jaws dropped to the floor. Can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t expecting that.


    ¡°Good evening, Jake.¡± Lilith said, her eyes sharp and defiant as ever.


    ¡°May I talk to you, miss Hellman?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Please leave us alone.¡±


    Her friends seemed shocked by her answer but stayed silent.


    ¡°If you change your mind, find me in room 5.¡± I said, walking away. A woman who had been standing a few tables away from me quickly snapped a photo and ran out.


    The manager of the establishment was soon by my side escorting me to the private room. I hoped Lilith woulde. My only hope was on those friends convincing her.

 The unexpected

    Lilly.


    ¡°You can pretend in front of Jake,¡± Leah said with a wide smile on her face. ¡°But we can see right through you. You want to go talk to that man.¡±


    I chuckled, shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. I don¡¯t want to be anywhere close to that man.¡±


    I was lying, and the three of us knew it. I wanted to drop everything and go and have some drinks with Jake Rynd. His perfume was still lingering in the air and the image of that handsome face and hot body was stuck in my mind. Who, in their right mind, could refuse such a sexy man?


    Mary and Leah narrowed their eyes at me in a way that showed just how they did not believe my lies.


    ¡°Okay, but I can¡¯t be near him. His mother threatened me, remember? I don¡¯t want trouble.¡±


    Leah looked around the bar. ¡°I don¡¯t see Carrie Rynd around here. Mary, do you?¡±


    Mary shook her head. ¡°Nope. No sign of her, and I doubt she would expect her son toe here anyway. Someone already took a picture of him. Whether you meet up with him or not, you¡¯ll probably get used of it. You might as well do it.¡±


    The temptation was strong and I was only using that excuse because I was scared. I was very sure that I was attracted to Jake. Being in close proximity would make me feel things and he might notice which wouldn¡¯t be good for me.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please go,¡± Mary said. ¡°This might be your real chance of love.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°As if Jake Rynd could ever be interested in me. Have you seen his exes?¡±


    ¡°Well, he didn¡¯te to the bar with any of them. Billionaires don¡¯t hang out here. He came only to see you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. If I listened to them, I would end up believing that Jake Rynd was actually in love with me yet the truth was that men like him had nothing to do with average women like us. They only yed us and moved on.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to him,¡± I said, standing up.


    ¡°Yay! That¡¯s my girl. Go and get that man.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of getting anything. I just want to know what he wants.¡±


    ¡°He wants you, obviously.¡±


    Shaking my head, I grabbed my purse and walked towards the inner door like I was heading to the restroom. When I was in the hallway, I took the stairs and went looking for private room 5. When I reached it, I took a deep breath and stood for a while before knocking. I was debating whether to go in or retreat.


    Suddenly, the door opened by itself, nearly giving me a heart attack. My eyes met those of Jake. He was seated on a ck leather couch facing the door. There were two bottles of wine on the table in front of him and four sses. Three were empty and one had wine it.


    Jake lifted a remote, the one he had used to open the door, it seemed. ¡°There¡¯s a screen by the door that shows who¡¯s outside.¡±


    Embarrassed, I walked in and the door closed itself. I looked back. He was right. There was a small screen that showed who was outside the door.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Jake said.


    I sat on the couch furthest from him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Jake smiled. ¡°So direct, so firm. I like that. Would you like me to pour you a drink or you can do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remind you that if you try anything, my friends are downstairs waiting for a signal from me. You will not get away with it.¡±


    Jake smiled and picked up his phone. He swiped and dialled a number. ¡°Come here.¡±


    A few secondster, Cory walked in.


    ¡°Give him your phone,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t trust me,¡± I said and removed the phone from my pocket before handing it to Cory who walked away. I promised your mother that I wouldn¡¯t write about you anymore. ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that,¡± Jake said. ¡°How did she do it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you. You have to ask her.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, do you want a drink or not. One of these bottles has never been opened. I knew you would trust me so I got it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take from the bottle.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said and poured some in an empty ss. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and sit closer. It¡¯ll be awkward, us talking when you¡¯re so far away.¡±


    He was right about that. I stood up and went and sat on the couch he was seated on, making sure I was far enough that our bodies wouldn¡¯t touch even by ident. My whole body was suddenly feeling warm and my throat dry. I grabbed the ss of wine and sipped. The wine was warm and fruity with a slight bitter taste.


    ¡°Nice,¡± I said, ncing at the bottle. ¡°Never taken this before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡±


    ¡°I believe that. I¡¯m too poor to afford such things so I may as well enjoy this.¡±


    ¡°Do you want I like most about you?¡±


    I gasped, exaggerating it for dramatic effect. ¡°You like me.¡±


    ¡°What if I do? Is that a bad thing?¡±


    Jake was not making this easy for me. I could feel butterflies running amok in my stomach and my entire face warming up. I was pretty sure my cheeks were tinged with a blush.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t like you, why would I be here chatting with you when I can have a lot of other people around me?¡±


    ¡°I could think of many reasons. You may be wanting to y me like that Ian guy you hired.¡±


    ¡°Why do you believe I was the one who hired him?¡±


    ¡°Who else would do something like that to me other than you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. I like you, Lilly and I was us to spend more time together. What I like most is your directness and honesty, and the fact that you won¡¯t back down from getting what you want easily.¡±


    ¡°I backed down from writing about you.¡±


    ¡°Because my mother did something to you. I know how Carrie Rynd operates and only a few can dare go against her once she is done with them. I¡¯m sure she warned you to stay away from me, and yet here you are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here because you¡¯re falling for me.¡±


    I nearly spit my drink out as I startedughing. cing the ss on the table, I leaned back and stared at the door. ¡°You¡¯re too full of yourself, Jake.¡±


    Jake didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel him staring at me. I turned my head and looked at him. Our eyes met. His intense gaze held mine. I wanted to turn away but I couldn¡¯t, I was trapped by his maic eyes.


    Even as I saw Jake moving closer, I didn¡¯t move. His head leaned down and his lips met mine. My body caught fire, and I could feel it spreading all over, dissolving all the shocks. The fruity taste of the wine on his lips was intoxicating. I kissed him back. Our lips started moving in sync while his hand went to caress the exposed sides of my face and neck.  I found myself moving closer so I could feel more of him.


    A sudden knock on the door had me pulling away at the speed of lighting.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jake inquired while staring at me. My heart was beating very fast as I regained my senses.


    ¡°Cory. There¡¯s an important call for you. It¡¯s about Michael Strong.¡±


    Jake¡¯s face changed when he heard them. He sat up straight. ¡°Come in.¡±


    When Cory opened the door, I grabbed my purse and ran out of there.


    ¡°Miss Hellman,¡± Jake said, but I paid no mind.


    Cory ran after me. ¡°Your phone, please.¡±


    I waited for him near the stairs, grabbed my phone before descending.


    What. Just. Happened?

 The perfect distraction

    Jake.


    I was left confused when Lilly ran away from me after us kissing. Damn, it had been the best kiss I¡¯d had in a while and wished it hadsted longer. Sadly, I was interrupted because of my nemesis, Michael Strong. Michael was a forty year old man who ran a brewery and hated me because his fianc¨¦ had left him at the altar because of me. He made it his life¡¯s mission to ruin my life.


    If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think he was the one who hired Lilith to write about me. The coincidence made me quite suspicious. That I had been called about him when I was with Lilith actually raised my brows. Why did she run away when she heard his name? Was I falling into a trap? Had Lilith decided to partner with my nemesis to destroy me?


    The call was from one of my business partners Jamal Hansen who wanted to inform me that Michael Strong had just tried to buy off shares one of our partners. The man actually wanted to be part of mypany. If he thought I was going to ept such nonsense, he was mistaken. I was going to retaliate in a way he would never seeing. The good thing my mother was back. I could do it alone, but with her by my side, the results would be much better.


    By the time Cory and I got downstairs, Lilith and her friend were nowhere to be seen. I had expected it but I still felt let down. I remembered the steamy passion filled kiss we had shared and my body came alive. Sighing, I followed Cory to the car.


    The next day was a drag. I was too busy in the morning sorting out certain issues at the office. I was in the insurance industry and because of that I dealt a lot with people. Managing people and their money is not as easy as people think. They think CEO¡¯s just exist to give orders and go on vacations. I¡¯m not denying that it¡¯s true. All I¡¯m saying is we do more than just that. And if you¡¯re the owner as well as CEO, it¡¯s more stressful. You bear the whole business risk.


    I was returning from the board room after a meeting with the senior partners including the one Michael Strong had approached. It was good to see that everyone was interested in resisting that evil man¡¯s advances. I was not to me for his fianc¨¦e¡¯s love for me. She was the one who wanted me. I just wanted to have fun and had made it clear to her. Now she had made him my lifetime enemy, I would spend the rest of my life fighting him off.


    My phone vibrated as I pushed the door to my office open. It was William Brooks, a friend of mine who lived in California.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey Willy, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Me and the guys are going to Illistra this weekend. You up for it?¡±


    I thought about it. Unless, Lilith called me by some miracle, I had no ns.


    ¡°Sign me up,¡± I said. It had been a while since I had been on that billionaire ind. One thing I knew about it was that having a good time was guaranteed. Booze, parties, prettydies and sports. What more could a guy want?


    ¡°Do you think Johnny wille too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. His dad is driving him crazy. I doubt he¡¯ll go unless he wants to lose his inheritance and be poor.¡±


    William chuckled. ¡°That old geezer is still alive?¡±


    ¡°Hey, have some respect. You¡¯re talking about my best bud¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry. We shall arrive in New York tomorrow night and get you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A weekend getaway was going to be the perfect distraction from my thoughts about Lilith. I didn¡¯t understand why I thought so much about her. There were many prettydies around me that woulde to me with no hesitation but for some reason my mind was stuck on Lilith.


    I was not a fan of love because it always led to heartache. No matter what you did, if there was love, there would be pain. I didn¡¯t want to fall deeply in love at that point in my life. Given the chance that it would be unrequited, I knew I had to avoid it by all means. Going away and partying with other women was the perfect way to forget all the drama in my life.


    By Friday evening, I was more than ready to leave. My mother and heather seemed to have developed a strong mother ¨C daughter like connection that was making me extremely ufortable. My mother let her stay in the house and they did almost everything together. That was one more reason why I shouldn¡¯t marry heather. Who wants a wife who is best friends with their mother? That was a recipe for disaster.


    I was relieved when the jet carrying William, Joshua, Ted and Rafael arrived and picked me up. I had met all of them at a business summit at LA in my first year as a college graduate. Our fathers were preparing all of us to be managers of their business and we were all sent there to learn about business. We had be fast friends and always linked up whenever we wanted to getaway.


    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here, my mother and Heather were driving me crazy.¡±  I said after getting into the jet.


    ¡°Heather Martins?¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°That one,¡± I replied as I threw my bag down and settled down on the couch.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I thought you broke up with her,¡± he said.


    ¡°I did, but she won¡¯t leave me alone. She has resorted to be friending my mother.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know she was like that,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Oh, I remember you had a crush on her,¡± Ted quipped in. ¡°you nearly snatched her away from our boy here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said. I had noticed Rafael giving heather weird looks but had no idea it was that deep. I thought he was just appreciative of her beauty.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°We can stop the jet and leave you here as my guest.¡±


    Rafaelughed. ¡°Nuh, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m not a lovesick teenager that will pine for a woman.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were losing it,¡± William said. ¡°You have to admit. You considered the option.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m human.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to have her,¡± I said.


    ¡°What about Lilith Hellman?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    Did they know anything?


    ¡°She seems obsessed with you. And she¡¯s beautiful, in that next door girl kind of way. Don¡¯t you want her?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Of course not, she¡¯s not my type.¡±

 The supermodel

    Jake.


    The ind was as exquisite as I remembered it, but there were a few improvements here and there. The ind was fairly small. A fairlyrge percentage of it was covered in vegetation. There were a few small houses scattered all over it, but at the centre was the most important part of it. There was arge two story building with white walls and a bright green roof. It was surrounded by other small houses of the same colour. The resort had all the necessary amenities and was where most of the action took ce.


    From above, I could see that the weekend party had started. It was dark but there were bright lights everywhere. There were many people in the square behind the main building dancing to loud music, drinking, swimming, gambling and indulging in many other times of fun. My colleagues shouted as the jet started going down tond. Almost everyone inside was tipsy. As soon as the jetnded, we all tumbled out and left the steward to take care of everything.


    We were already in party mood so we went straight to the party.


    ¡°We have new arrivals!¡± the DJ yelled after reducing the music volume. The crowd screamed and yelled while we got sucked in and started dancing immediately. Everyone in the crowd was rich, except some of the women. Women got transported to provide the fun whether they had money or not. As long as they were beautiful, it was a done deal.


    Three women surrounded me as soon as I hit the dance floor. They were all so beautiful and I couldn¡¯t make a choice so I decided to dance with all of them. Hopefully two of them would leave me alone.


    These types of girls were only good for one night stands and nothing more. A lot of them were looking for a rich husband to marry them and give them a good life. Some were prostitutes willing to do anything for money.


    These women could fake anything and knew how men wanted to be treated. If you were not using your brain, you¡¯d end up as one of those men who fell in love and married them forgetting that you cannot turn a hoe into a proper wife. The biggest blunder a man could make was to end up getting married to someone who only wanted your money.


    A few minutester, a woman came to where we were.


    ¡°Get lost,¡± she told the other girls who immediately scampered away. My brows furrowed. Who was this woman? She looked very familiar but I wasn¡¯t sure where I¡¯d seen her. She was very tall, had brown hair, and a pretty face. She was skinny but had slight curves in all the right ce. The bright red gown she was wearing fitted her like second skin.


    ¡°Jake Rynd,¡± she said. My name sounded very gooding from her lips. ¡°I¡¯m Ashley Kendall, a KM supermodel. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Rynd.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it. I was wondering where I¡¯d seen you. I must have seen you on TV or a magazine.¡±


    She smiled further. ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m one of the people in charge of getting the girls here. When I heard that you had arrived, I had toe and personally wee you. You do not deserve trashypany, but the best. I hope you¡¯ll have a better time now that I¡¯m here.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Definitely. I think I¡¯ll have a better time, now that a real beautiful woman has joined me.¡±


    ¡°Come with me, let¡¯s get some good drinks.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as I followed her away from the dancehall. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her well-shaped behind. The way she swayed her hips signalled that she was enjoying the attention and wanted more of it. I could feel a certain part of me rising.


    The inside bar was fairly empty since most people were partying outside. There were bout fifteen people inside therge bar. Some tables were empty. We choose one near the corner. Our drinks were served almost immediately after ordering them.


    ¡°When I heard that you wereing, I thought Heather would be with you.¡±


    ¡°Heather and I are no longer together.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, so you¡¯re a free bird now?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You could say so.¡±


    ¡°How did you deal with that pesky woman Lilith Hellman. She stopped writing trash about you. I¡¯m not yet sure if I¡¯m happy that she stopped. I actually loved seeing you on the news every day.¡±


    When I thought about Lilith, my hard on weakened. I came to have fun. This weekend was supposed to get Lilith out of my mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s not talk about her. I want to know more about you.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t really want to get to know her as such. All I wanted was for her not to leave me alone. I was not in the mood of getting thrown back into the sea of strangers again, and really needed someone¡¯s arms around me that night.


    For about an hour, Ashley and I talked about ourselves. For the most part, I was listening. I realised that she was quite intelligent despite the field she was in. models were stereotyped to be blonde bimbos but when you actually spend time with some of them, you realised that they were just like regr people. Some were bright and others were airheads.


    Eventually, we had too much to drink and left the bar. Ashley, who knew everything around the resort led us to where my stuff had been ced. We were both a bit tipsy. Weughed around as we headed there. As soon as we got inside, I pulled her close and started kissing her. It was nothing like kissing Lilly but it had to do. I needed to forget about Lilly and be with a woman who wanted me.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t pick up protection.¡±


    ¡°We can do without it,¡± she said.


    Not a chance in hell. I had no interest in having babies with supermodels or treating infections from the kinds of women in Illistra Ind.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get the condoms.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±

 To hell with Jake

    Lilly.


    ¡°Kyle¡¯s here?¡± I asked, my heart starting to beat faster.


    Leah ced her phone on the couch and stood up. ¡°They¡¯ve just sent me a message that they¡¯ve reached. I can hear them.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I leapt from the couch and started grabbing my phone and purse. ¡°Don¡¯t let them know I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I already told them.¡±


    ¡°Tell them I¡¯ve left,¡± I said, hurrying off. ¡°Will be in your room.¡±


    A few secondster, I heard the door opening and new voices.


    I hoped they would not realise that I was still around. Ever since my drunken one night stand with Kyle, I¡¯d been avoiding him. I had neither picked his calls nor answered the messages he¡¯d sent me countless times. I had never done something like that and I didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Could we really go back to being friends like nothing had happened?


    A few minutester, I heard a knock and my heart leapt to my throat. I stayed silent, pretending that I had not heard anything.


    ¡°Lilly, I know you¡¯re in there.¡± it was Kyle¡¯s smooth voice. I rose from the bed and paced around, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run away from me forever,¡± he said. ¡°Sooner orter, we will have to talk about this.¡±


    ¡°What if we just avoid it and go on with our lives.¡±


    ¡°Open the door, and we¡¯ll talk about all that.¡±


    Sighing, I ambled towards the door. Taking a deep breathe, I pulled it open.


    Kyle was standing there with a beautiful smile on his face. I smiled after seeing it.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said and stood aside to let him in. when he was inside, I closed the door. Then I realised the dilemma I was in. there was only one couch in Leah¡¯s bedroom and it was clothes, papers and pens. The only suitable ce for siting was the bed. It would be really awkward for us to sit on it given our history.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and talk,¡± I suggested. There was already tension in the air and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Are you scared of repeating history?¡± he asked.


    I chuckled. ¡°Not really. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We went outside, passing by my friends who couldn¡¯t help throwing all kinds of suggestivements our way. I just ignored them while Kyle encourages them. We passed through the back door and went to sit on a metallic bench under a small tree in the backyard.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite cool over here,¡± Kyle said.


    I nodded. It was cool.


    ¡°So why have you been avoiding me?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°Is it because we had sex? People have sex all the time. I¡¯m pretty sure you were not a virgin so I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re taking this too seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking it seriously.¡±


    ¡°So why were you ufortable with seeing me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never had a one night stand before. I don¡¯t do casual sex so I had no idea how to act in this situation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just sex,¡± he said. ¡°Besides, why would you call it a one night stand? I don¡¯t know about you but I want more. I really like you, Lilly. I want us to try and see if this can work out. You¡¯re amazing, and the kind of woman I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°That was one of the reasons I didn¡¯t want us to talk about this,¡± I said. ¡°I was afraid there would be feelings involved.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you were scared that I liked you yet you feel nothing for me. Was it really that bad?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, the sex was great, nothing bad about it. This is not about sex. I¡¯m just not attracted to you that way. I prefer us being friends.¡±


    ¡°Here ites. The friend zone.¡±


    ¡°You say it like it¡¯s a bad thing. Friendship is good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling disappointed. I wanted more from you. How am I ever going to get over you after that amazing night we had together. I know that you can start to fall in love with me as time goes on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you have someone? Cali had told me you were single.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m single, but not really searching at the moment. I mean, if I meet a guy and fall in love, it¡¯s okay. If I don¡¯t, it¡¯s also okay. Having a boyfriend is not really important.¡±


    After that, we both stayed silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts. I did feel bad for Kyle because I knew how much unrequited love hurt.


    I had seen on the papers that Jake Rynd had gone off to some billionaire ind for a weekend getaway. When I thought of billionaire parties, the first things that came into mind was alcohol, sex, drugs and music. I had seen so many documentaries and exposes about them. They were nothing short of wild.


    Jake had kissed me and immediately run off to party with beautiful supermodels and his friends. It was a very clear reminder to me that I meant nothing. We were worlds apart and it would always be that way.


    I felt angry at how I had let him use me. I had consented to everything that happened and even enjoyed it. That was the worst part. I would always crave his lips and never get to have them again. It was really painful.


    I could rte to what I believed Kyle was feeling. Wanting something but being unable to get it real hurts.


    ¡°Do you really hate Jake Rynd?¡± Kyle asked after a while.


    I turned to him sharply. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    I chuckled and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t follow orders from just anyone. You can¡¯t talk to me like that while I sit here and listen. Listen here, Kyle. I don¡¯t think the two of us will work. I hope that one day I¡¯ll find someone and wish you the same. What happened between us was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right,¡± he stood up. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you saying that when I was inches deep in you.¡±


    I gasped. ¡°I thought you were night guy, but it seems you know how to hide that very well.¡±


    ¡°And I thought you were a nicedy, but you are cold and un-empathetic. How can you call what we shared a mistake?¡±


    Without saying another word, I left him there and went back to the house. I ignored Leah and Cali¡¯s question and went straight to Leah¡¯s bedroom to collect my things. When I had everything, I returned to the living room.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Leah asked. ¡°You look like a bat flying out of hell.¡±


    ¡°Too much drama¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡±


    I had just stepped into the apartment building when my phone started ringing. I dug into purse and pulled out my phone. My body stiffened when I saw the caller ID. Jake.


    I stopped walking and leant against the railings to support myself and figure out if I was seeing things or it was actually happening. My finger hovered over the phone. In the end, I decided to end the call.


    Now that he was done partying, he probably wanted to find out if that hurt me but I was not about to show him anything.


    To hell with Jake Rynd.

 Stay away

    Jake.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Now that I was back from the getaway, my life felt empty. It was Sunday evening. My mother and heather had gone to the country club and the house was very quiet. It was what I always liked but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel quite right that day. It was like I did not want to feel along anymore.


    Going away from the city had not removed the issue that weighed heavy on my mind. It had merely distracted me from it. When I was there, I forgot all about home and Lilith Hellman. I busied myself with my friends and Ashley Kendall, who had been greatpany.


    Unfortunately, all we had was sex and I did not feel like seeing her anymore. The fact that she lived in New York was not very pleasant for me. There was a chance that we would run into each other. Now that we had formally met, I could not just ignore her if we found ourselves in the same location.


    Eventually, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I dialled Lilly¡¯s number. The call went through but she did not pick. What was going on her mind? I wondered. I was pretty sure she had heard about my weekend trip. I could only hope she didn¡¯t know that a woman had monopolised me during most of the stay.


    The good thing about our trips was that taking photos and recording videos were not allowed. Most people knew the rules and obeyed them. All the models that were shipped there got their phones confiscated before entering the ind. They were returned when they were leaving. The rest of us had little desire to take photos. Given that there were a lot of illegal things that happened, we didn¡¯t record anything for our own safety.


    However, some people managed to sneak cameras and asionally photos and videos would leak. In that case, that person ended up getting sued for invasion of privacy. I opened the top entertainment news and saw that there was nothing about Ashley and I. the only news there was of me going away to Illistra with my friends from LA.


    Not wanting end up getting depressed with thoughts, I called up some friends and went to meet up with them at a new exclusive club that had been opened two weeks back. There, I drowned in alcohol and music in order to forget the things that were bothering me. It worked. By the time I got back, my brain was too fogged to think about anything. I drifted off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.


    The next day I was at work very early. I had a number of important meetings to officiate. I first met with some of my employees at the insurancepany. After that, I went to check on one of my hotels which I was co-managing. After that, I returned to my office at the insurancepany to do paperwork which took me about two hours. By time I finished, it was already five, time for me to leave office.


    I decided to call Lilith again, hoping she might have a change of heart and answer. I wasn¡¯t expecting it so I was taken aback when she answered.


    ¡°Miss Hellman, you¡¯ve been pretty quiet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been a quiet and reserved person.¡±


    ¡°Really? I called you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I noticed.¡±


    ¡°You never called back,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Is this the way to speak to an old friend?¡±


    Lilith startedughing hard. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Mr. Rynd. You and I have never been friends. Old friends? That¡¯s a good one.¡±


    ¡°I get you, but we can be friends now, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I said as my smile grew. ¡°We even have history together.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°Whatever happened meant nothing. Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. Just because we kissed doesn¡¯t mean that there is ever going to be anything between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to hear you say that to my face,¡± Imented. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s what¡¯s on your mind. Wouldn¡¯t you want me to be yours, Lilly?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sure you don¡¯t mean that. Let¡¯s not resist this. You want me, I want you. Let¡¯s be together.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Jake. If you called to y on my mind, I¡¯m going to end this call. I thought it was something serious. I mean, you¡¯ve called me two days in a row.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re surprised but I called because I wanted to talk to you. We need to meet up.¡±


    ¡°Why? I would think you picked up a new girlfriend from one of those supermodels at the ind.¡±


    ¡°Haaa, what do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°I know enough to tell me that I shouldn¡¯t be messing with anyone who attends those parties.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bad person, Lilly.¡±


    ¡°Said every bad person ever. ¡±


    I sighed. I knew her refusal to answer my calls had something to do with my getaway.


    ¡°You were the one who ran out on me. Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this right now.¡±


    ¡°When do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make thingsplicated. Let¡¯s meet up today. I¡¯ll answer all the questions you have.¡±


    I just hoped she would not ask me if I had been with a woman over the weekend because I did not want to lie to her. Telling the truth would shatter any hopes of us ever creating anything together. Lilith Hellman was a good girl, very unlike Heather who wouldn¡¯t mind if I slept with the whole world as long as I came to. Good girls do not tolerate that nonsense. And for good reason. In my defence, she had drove me to it when she ran off. Had we been on talking terms when I left, I would never have felt like hanging out with Ashley Kendall.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Chose a location.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I want us to talk. We¡¯re too old to be ying games. Let¡¯s sort this out like two grown adults.¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever. Where should we meet up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± I told her.


    As soon as I sent the address to her, I called my driver and left the office. When I was in the car, I instructed him to take me straight home so that I would be ready to meet Lilith Hellman in an hours¡¯ time. I had arranged for us to meet at a very exclusive restaurant in Manhattan.


    After showering, I wore a ck suit and waited for some minutes before setting off. My mother was nowhere to be seen, which was a good thing. There was no one to ruin my evening ns. Twenty minutester, I had reached the ssy restaurant.


    Stepping out of the car, I looked around before starting to walk towards the restaurant entrance. Just then, a small red car parked behind mine. For some reason, I looked back. I was shocked to see Ashley Kendall getting out of it.


    ¡°Hey Jake!¡± she yelled, waving at me. I stood and waited for her just to be courteous. She was thest person I wanted to see at that.


    ¡°Hey Ashley.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so quiet.¡±


    ¡°I had a lot of work to do today at the office but we shall talk soon,¡± I said and started to walk away.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re not strangers.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, i¡­¡±


    Before I couldplete my sentence, she had kissed me. I quickly pushed her away, but it was toote. I saw a dark haired head disappearing into a taxi I had seen stop.


    My lips parted and I started to move towards it but it quickly drove off. That was Lilith Hellman. She had seen the kiss. Disappointment washed over me as I realised that I may have lost the only chance I had to actually get.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I asked Ashley who was smiling.


    ¡°What? I missed you.¡±


    ¡°And so? You and I are not a couple. We¡¯re not dating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that you were expecting someone. What can I do to make up for this?¡±


    ¡°Stay the hell away from me,¡± I said, before returning to the car. This was not how I wanted my evening to go.

 Kyle

    Lilly.


    I was fool, the biggest fool in the world. I had fallen for Jake¡¯s trap all over again. This time it had been so well yed that I actually believed he was saying the truth. When was I going to understand that Jake could never be the one for me? When would I get into my stupid mind that I was too average for an aplished man like him? His world and mine was so different.


    With all the beautiful women he could have, why would I think that I, a mere reporter with nothing to her name, could capture his heart or one of any man like him? The foolishness had to stop. The taxi driver seemed to sympathise me even without saying anything. I was pretty sure he was wondering why I had even dreamed something like being with a man like that.


    I refused to get out when we reached my apartment building.


    ¡°Hey, I have to work. Get out,dy.¡±


    ¡°Please wait,¡± I said and pulled out my phone. I dialled Kyle¡¯s number.


    Thankfully, he answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I said,¡± I told him.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound good. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can youe to my ce right now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    I ended the call, paid the driver and tumbled out. When I remembered the situation I had left my apartment in, I broke started running. I needed to organise the ce as fast as possible. I was not sure I could handle rejection from another man that evening. I had got enough heartache from what Jake had done to me.


    No sooner had I ced my phone on the table than it started raining. I ran to see who it was.


    ¡°The nerve!¡± I said when I saw Jake¡¯s name on the screen. How dare he, after what he had done to me. If he thought I was going to listen to his gloating, he better think again. I started running around, putting everything in order. Ten minutester, my house had totally changed. It looked like a very neat person lived there as everything was where it should be.


    The good thing it was clean. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known where to start from. I went to my bathroom and started removing my makeup and clothes. I didn¡¯t want Kyle to know that I had gone for a date that ended up flopping. Thankfully, I had not told any of my friends about. I just needed to find a good excuse as to why I was such a mess.


    Kyle arrived twenty minutester which was a good thing. I had enough time to change my clothing and look a mess. I was trying to cook some pasta when he rang the bell. I went and opened it.


    ¡°Pleasee in,¡± I said.


    He was holding a paper bag that brought in a delicious smell of food. Now this was the kind of man I needed in my life.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he stepped in and hugged me, putting his hand around me. A good feeling ran through my body and I smiled. I felt happy.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you needed but I got some burgers, soda, fries and pizza.¡± He said as he set the bag on the table. They say the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach. I was not a man but I was beginning to feel that was the way to my heart. It felt good having someone to be there for me during a hard time. It had been so long since I had that.


    ¡°A man after my own heart,¡± I joked.


    ¡°When I want something, I don¡¯t leave anything to chance.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Please have a seat. I¡¯ll serve this on tes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I carried everything to my kitchte.


    ¡°Thank you so much foring,¡± I said as I removed tes from the rack. ¡°I really needed somepany, and I didn¡¯t want to call my friends. They would ask for too many details that I¡¯m not willing to divulge. I hope you¡¯re not thinking of asking me about what happened. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell. It¡¯s just something very embarrassing. Just hope I don¡¯t appear on the news. Shit.¡±


    The te I was holding fell to the floor and shattered. I had just realised that someone might have taken photos of me and the kissing couple. If someone had seen me arriving looking so smart, they would think I was interested in him. They would put two and two together. Shit. What if they spoke to the taxi driver and he told them how I was hopelessly in love with Jake. Panic gripped me. Kyle was by my side in no time. He helped me up and took me to the couch. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lilly?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just remembered something.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re behaving like you murdered someone and just realised you forgot some evidence at the crime scene.¡±


    I started tough. ¡°Oh my God! You¡¯re so dramatic. It¡¯s nothing like that. If I had murdered someone, I wouldn¡¯t have called you here.¡±


    ¡°I know, but this seems serious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± I said, standing up.


    ¡°Just stay here, I will serve the food. Clearly you¡¯re not okay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± is said and sat down. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for being such a mess and making you work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m happy to help.¡±


    Kyle was really nice to me. He served the food and we ate together. As I ate and conversed with him, I became less stressed and decided not to check my phone until the next day. If there was any news about me online, I did not want to see it. After eating, Kyle helped me clean up the mess from the broken te while I washed the dishes we had used. We were like a married couple that loved and helped each other out.


    After that, we returned to the couch to watch TV. We were watching an old science fiction movie. After a while, I realised I had no interest in following the movie. My hand found itself on Kyle¡¯s thigh. I knew that this was a very bad decision that I was sure idter regret but decided to go along with it.


    Kyle turned and his dark eyes met mine. We looked gazes for a few seconds before moving closer to each other. He tilted his head and connected his lips to mine. I could feel my bodying alive, sensations whirring up. Kyle got up and then lifted my legs on the couch, gently lowering my upper body as he came on top of me. His lips found my hungry ones again while he lowered his body to meet mine.


    He used one elbow to keep himself in position while the other caressed the side of my face. Kyle¡¯s lips left mine and travelled to my neck, finding my most sensitive spots.  I ached my body, wanting to feel each and every part of him as the sensations drove me crazy. Before he could go any further, I pushed him away.


    ¡°We need protection,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bedroom.¡±


    Kyle smiled like he had just heard life changing good news. He stood up and before I could do the same, lifted me up. I giggled as he carried me towards the bedroom.


    Kyle ced me on the bed. ¡°Where are they are?¡±


    ¡°The lowest drawer,¡± I said as I sat up and knelt down to get rid of my ck figure hugging dress. I threw it down and turned to see Kyle staring at me appreciatively. I stuck out my tongue before getting of the bed to help him remove his clothes. When he was fully naked, it was my turn to appreciate what I had not really noticed thest time.


    His cock was quite average but it looked good enough. I smiled as I pushed him to bed. I took my time getting rid of my underwear while he watched impatiently. When I was finally ready, I went on top of him and used his dick to rub my very wet pvssy. It felt so good I couldn¡¯t wait anymore. From the look of his face, the teasing was bing too much.


    I straddled him and sunk my honeypot onto his d*ck in one swift move. Since my opening was wet enough, it slid in very well and felt so good. When I started moving, the moans left my mouth involuntarily. I heard Kyle groaning and knew he was enjoying it too. As I rode him, sweet sensations ruled me and I forgot all about the outside world.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to cum. As soon as I climaxed, Kyle pushed me off him and went on top. A few thrusts and the man had finished.


    ¡°That was so amazing,¡± I said when he had got off me.


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I wanted more. I will never let you go, Lilly.¡±


    At that time, I had no idea just what he meant by that. If I had known, I would have never slept so peacefully next to him that night.

 Surprised

    Jake.


    It had been a week and I had not heard from Lilly. She had blocked me so I couldn¡¯t call or send message her. Before I met Lilith Hellman, I had never been that bothered about a woman not wanting me. It had always been so easy for me. There were so many beautiful women who wanted me. All I had to do was just pick my ir of the month. They were still there, always on standby, wiling to satisfy each and every need of mine.


    Now, for the first time in my life, I wanted one specific woman and thought I couldn¡¯t be happy without her in my life. I was pvssy whipped, as Johnny would say. I had always made fun of my friends who fell in love with certain girls and acted like those were the only girls in the universe. I had no idea how it felt like.


    Now, I was beginning to understand them. There is a way your soul can just pine for this one person. When everything about this one person makes you smile. You could just think of their name and find yourself smiling happily. At first, I thought I was crazy. I tried to do everything possible to get Lilith out of my mind but it was proving to be an impossible mission.


    I always thought of her, wondered how she was doing. What did she think about me? The picture of me and Ashley kissing had made it to the media and spections started. When I was asked toment, I declined. Ashley went on TV and neither confirmed nor denied anything. It was clear she wanted people to think we were together. I despised her. She was worse than Heather.


    Heather was not around that week, and my mother was quite busy running some campaign with her friends. I tried my best to avoid her when she was at home.


    Eventually, I had enough. It was a Sunday evening when I decided to pay Lilly a visit. I dressed up in the most inconspicuous way possible so as not to be recognise. I wore blue jeans and a ck t-shirt. On top of that, I wore a ck jacket and a cape. I then found a pair of shades and wore them.


    My driver almost didn¡¯t recognize which was a good thing. Thest thig I needed was the attention of paparazzi. We drove to a car dealership, left my car there and got into a cheaper looking one which to us to her apartment building.


    As I walked inside, my heart beat with anticipation. Finally, I was going to see the face of the woman who wouldn¡¯t let my heart rest. I had missed her a lot. A nce at her would be good for my soul.


    When I reached the door, I stood for a minute before ringing the bell. A few secondster, the door opened. Lilith¡¯s eyes widened when she saw me. I smiled. She looked very soft and beautiful. I wanted to pull her body close to mine.


    ¡°What do you want, Jake Rynd?¡± Lilith asked. She looked at me like I was the most disgusting thing in the world and it hurt. I did not like it at all. She needed to know the truth as soon as possible.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to ever want to talk to you again after all the games you have yed? You never give up, do you? You want to see me totally broken and crushed. But, I will not give you that chance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Lilly. What you saw did not mean anything to me. That woman kissed me. If you want, I can get the security footage to prove.¡±


    Shit! How had I not thought of that? Getting the footage would have solved it already. She would believe me.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m really stupid, don¡¯t you? You hurt me enough already. Yes, I was hurt. You must be satisfied. Now leave me alone and nevere back here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°Babe, who¡¯s that?¡± A male voice called out.


    Babe? Who the hell was in my woman¡¯s house?


    ¡°It¡¯s just some salesman,¡± she said. ¡°Go now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    She attempted to close the door but I blocked that. She sighed and withdrew her hand.


    ¡°My love, this man won¡¯t go away.¡±


    I wanted to see this person who wanted to take Lilly from me. I saw a small guy walking out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted to barge in and beat him to a pulp but restrained myself. It wouldn¡¯t do both of us any good. It would worsen things for me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The man looked surprised to see me.


    ¡°Mr. Rynd,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry toe out like this. I had no idea it was you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, have we met? I was just leaving.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I worked in one of your hotels. Riverside.¡±


    A former employee? I hoped Lilith had not told him everything about us. He seemed to be a good chap, though. Or maybe he was just being respectful.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. It was nice meeting you. Enjoy your evening, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t youe in for a cup of coffee?¡± he asked with confidence.


    Lilith red at him and he cowered. Not wanting to cause trouble for him, I decided to leave. I would deal with himter. There was no way I was going to let him continue to love up the woman I wanted.


    If they were in a rtionship, I was going to make sure it shattered as soon as possible. Whether Lilith believed me or not, I was not okay with knowing she was in the arms of another man when she could have been in mine, had it not been for that stupid woman.

 Apologies

    Lilly.


    Things did not remain the same after Jake left. As soon as he was gone, Kyle changed from sweet to monster in seconds.


    ¡°What the hell was that man doing here?¡± he yelled.


    I was confused because I didn¡¯t expect him to react like that. From the time we had started dating, he had been sweet and nice to me, never yelling or making a badment.


    ¡°He wanted to talk,¡± I said.


    Kyle tilted his head and took two steps forward. ¡°Since when are you and Jake Rynd on talking terms?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not. He¡¯s the one who wanted to talk to me. Why are you overreacting?¡±


    ¡°I want to know everything that happened between you two,¡± he said. ¡°When I asked you if you hated him, you got so defensive. That means there¡¯s more than meets the eye. I¡¯m your boyfriend now so I deserve to know everything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you anything about Jake. If anything happened between me and him, it was way before you were in the picture. There¡¯s no reason why I should tell you each and everything I have ever done in my life.¡±


    Kyle started pacing back and forth while seething. I just stood there and observed him, feeling confused. ¡°You know what, it doesn¡¯t even matter. Jake Rynd would never date someone like you. I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m worried yet you¡¯re not his type. He will never love you. All he wants to do is use you and when he is done, he¡¯ll drop you like a sack of potatoes.¡±


    I tilted my head. ¡°Why do you think Jake can never love me? Am I too ugly?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Heughed hard. ¡°You¡¯re not ugly, but you¡¯re no supermodel and we both know that.¡±


    I gasped. ¡°So you don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t be worth it to him?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the women he dates? You¡¯re amazing, Lilly but just not Jake¡¯s type.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my house.¡±


    He hurried to me and pulled me into his arms. ¡°Now baby, don¡¯t get like this. I love you, and I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t like America¡¯s top supermodel. I love you just the way you are.¡±


    I pushed him away. ¡°You¡¯ve said enough. Just leave me alone.¡±


    I knew I was not the most beautiful girl in the world. I knew that I was not perfect. For him to rub it in like that was totally insensitive. For him to say I was never going to be good enough for a man like Jake spoke volumes. Quickly, I began to evaluate things. What did this man think of me? Was Kyle really in love with me? Did he spend his nights wishing he was in some supermodels bed only to wake up and realise he was with id old Lilith Hellman.


    ¡°Just go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth about Jake.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already told you I won¡¯t say a thing. If you don¡¯t want to leave, I¡¯ll call the police.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that very much. You love me.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. If he only knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll leave anyway. I had decided to forego a work party just to be with you but I guess I¡¯ll go back to it. Do you wannae?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Okay, see you soon, baby.¡±


    He went to the bedroom and put on his clothes. A few minutester, he exited, gave me a kiss and went out of my apartment. I went and closed the door before returning to the couch. Surprisingly, I was feeling relived that Kyle was gone. Lately, he had beening around too much and hovering over me all the time. I rarely got time for myself which was pretty exhausting. I needed some alone time. I was d that Jake hade and caused an argument which had sent him away.


    However, I was not happy about Jake¡¯sing because it had made me want him more than ever. I hated that I wanted something that was very unattainable. Jake could never be mine. Even Kyle had said it. Jake was interested in hotter women. Why did he have toe and remind me that I couldn¡¯t have him whenever he got the chance?


    I was frustrated and I didn¡¯t know what to do. I liked to avoid drinking when I was stressed because I didn¡¯t want to get addicted to it as a coping mechanism. I decided to scroll through social media and stalk Ashley Kendall, again.


    Ashley Kendall was the model who had been pictured kissing with Jake. Jake had said she kissed him and I was beginning to wonder if it was true or he was just ying with my mind again.


    I stared at her beautiful and perfect Instagram pictures, taken from various locations in the world. It was clear that the woman was enjoying life to the fullest while I spent mine locked up in either a dreary office or apartment.


    She was very beautiful and sexy. Every part of her body was symmetrical. She was tall and had a very t stomach and a rounded small butt. Surely, who wouldn¡¯t want that? I was sure even Kyle wished he could have her over me.


    Was she capable of kissing a man who didn¡¯t want to be kissed by her? I couldn¡¯t believe it. No, she must have been having hundreds, if not, thousands of men after her. Why would she force herself on anyone?


    Jake must have done something to make her believe that he wanted to kiss her. When I read that she had also been in Illistra thest weekend, everything made sense. She and Jake must have been together. There was nothing to exin and id be stupid to believe any excuses Jake was nning to give.


    I closed the browser and went to my call log. I dialled Kyle¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said after picking up.


    ¡°Kyle, I¡¯m sorry for being so rude to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. I¡¯ve already forgiven you. I¡¯m sorry for being rude and unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Are you still going to the party? Can we catch up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get ready now.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±

 The punk

    Jake.


    Kyle Munther. That was the name of the punk who was trying to take Lilly away from me. It did not take me long to find the information. I had money, and very efficient staff. I could dig up things within minutes. Information is one of the most powerful tools in this world. With it, you can do almost anything.


    Within a day, I knew almost everything about Kyle Munther. The information I had showed me that he was very dangerous and it was best for him to stay away from Lilly. Kyle Munther definitely knew how to pretend to be good and cover his dirty tracks. But, he could not hide these things from expert investigators, the kind I had hired.


    As I studied all the information I had, I began to think of the best n to break him and Lilly apart. It was possible that Lilly thought he was a saint and I had to put a stop to that.


    Recently, Kyle had been suspended from his work ce because of sexual harassmentints made by customers. He was now on probation. Years back, he had been arrested for assault but somehow documents imed there was no clear evidence against him.


    Some people from his hometown had a number of things to say about him as well. All these thigs were kept under wraps which showed just how far he would go. I thought of sending an anonymous tip to the media but realised it would not work. The media did not care much for unknown people. If it were a celebrity, they would eat that up. It would be a waste of time.


    I decided I¡¯d just tell Lilly directly. I attached some of the information in an email and sent it to her using a newly created anonymous email. Maybe she would not believe it, or maybe she would. At least, a seed would have been sown. She would be more careful around that man who was clearly up to no good.


    After that, I decided to go and have a look at Riverside hotel where Kyle used to work. I needed to speak to one of the employees who had worked in the same department to find out how he behaved while there.


    After speaking to the general manager about the operations, I asked about Kyle Munther.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember the name,¡± Mr. Martinez said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office and I will check if I can find something.¡±


    We left the penthouse suite and went to his office. He offered me a seat before walking around his table and sitting behind hisputer. He started typing and within a few seconds, he had found some information.


    ¡°He left five months before I came. He worked as a pool boy.¡±


    ¡°It seems he likes working in ces with naked people. What are his qualifications?¡±


    ¡°He has a diploma in counselling,¡± Martinez said. ¡°I wonder why he would choose to do odd jobs that are so different from the field of study.¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡±


    I was sure but I wasn¡¯t about to tell Martinez my theory. It was clear as day to me that Kyle Munther liked to stare at naked women. He refused to do what he studied and worked as a pool boy before going to work at the beach. The harassment ims just solidified that. His work history while in high school also involved pools and beaches. I didn¡¯t think this had something to do with passion for swimming and rted activities like he imed in his resume.


    ¡°Is it possible that there is someone who worked with him during that time?¡±


    ¡°Let me check.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is. Deandre Johnson is still with us. He works at the pool.¡±


    ¡°Can I speak to him?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said.


    Martinez led me out of the office and we went into the elevator. We rode down in silence. The reception was fairly busy. Some heads turned when I emerged and walked towards one of the doors.


    ¡°Mr. Rynd,¡± a tall blonde woman interrupted my walk. I did not recognize her.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you remember me? I¡¯m Mia Thompson. We met at the hotelier¡¯s symposiumst year in London.¡±


    I had met a lot of people there. I met a lot of people at events and it was difficult to remember all their names and faces. I had no clue who the woman was. ¡°Oh yes, I remember. ¡°I lied. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great,¡± she said. ¡°I came to new York and new that I must stay at your hotels. The service has been wonderful. It¡¯s so unfortunate that we met when I¡¯m just about to leave.¡±


    Not really.


    ¡°Surely, I hope that we will meet again sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°Can I get your personal contacts?¡±


    People knew how to take too much liberties. I inwardly sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have cards with my personal number right now. But, you can call my office line and they¡¯ll put you through.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks so much. I¡¯ll definitely do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, have a great trip.¡± I said while walking away.


    We went to the pool. It was clean and looking immacte. The pool fence that had been installed was looking quite good. We did not have one for long but recently a child had died in apetitor¡¯s pool after wandering there and we did not want that to happen at our hotel. Although the me was mostly attributed to the pool staff who were supposed to be there 24/7, the hotel owners were also med for not taking steps to protect children and pets in case no one was around. People were not perfect, and you couldn¡¯t rely on them to make perfect decisions.


    DeAndre Johnson was a tall dark young man with an innocent looking face. He sitting by the pool watching the people swimming when we got there. He quickly stood up and came to meet us.


    ¡°Good evening sir,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you.¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Johnson. Mr. Rynd would like to talk to you about something. Is there someone who can take over while you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Caroline was just leaving.¡± He said, pulling out his cell. ¡°Let me call her¡­ hey Caroline. Pleasee back for a few minutes. My Rynd would like to speak to me and we need someone to sit in¡­pleasee back, I don¡¯t think it will be long¡­okay.¡±


    He turned to us. ¡°She said she¡¯ll be here. Oh look, there she is.¡±


    I turned and saw a petite young woman with a shock of red hair hurrying towards us.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Rynd and Mr. Martinez.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I going to talk to your colleague for a while. Please step in. let¡¯s go, DeAndre.¡±


    Deandre and I left the two at the pool and went towards the garden.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about Kyle Munther. You worked with him some time back.¡±


    ¡°I did. What would you like to know about him.¡±


    ¡°His character.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to badmouth a brother but Kyle was not a very good character. He was very good at his job. He went overboard sometimes, especially with the women. Even the female staff were wary about him. I¡¯m only saying the truth.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever report him?¡±


    ¡°I did, but he was close to the manager, Miss Atkins. Nothing was ever done. He got a job at some beach and decided to leave on his own after sometime.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so he sexually harassed customers.¡±


    ¡°He did so, unfortunately. I warned him a lot of times but he told me to mind my business. When I reported and nothing was done, I decided to mind my business.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you for the information. I don¡¯t think I have to tell you that this should be only between us.¡±


    ¡°No need, sir. I understand clearly.¡±


    ¡°Great. You can return to your work now. I have everything I need.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir. d to have been of service.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy the rest of your evening, sir.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    I hoped Lilith had read the email I¡¯d sent her, and that she would make a good decision concerning Kyle Munther.

 Dancing

    Lilly.


    The party was already in full swing when we got there at 8 am. There was loud music, alcohol, drugs, and a fairlyrge crowd of people. The beach was full and some people were in the water. Kyle led me to the bar so we could grab some drinks.


    ¡°Kyle, my man.¡± A young man with green hair yelled when we approached the bar.


    ¡°Hey, Jonah.¡± Kyle said and gave him a short hug. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Lilly.¡±


    ¡°Man, I thought you were joking when you said you¡¯re dating Lilith Hellman. Wow, hi Lilith. You look so much better than your photos.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Happy to meet you to. Gotta go now,¡± he said and ran off with a red cup with whisky.


    I turned to Kyle. He was staring intently at something behind me. I turned and followed his gaze and saw that there were two women standing there and talking. One¡¯s back was facing us. She had a very short dress covering her butt leaving her big thighs out in the open. I turned back and spoke to the barman, pretending not to care that my boyfriend was tantly staring at other women when I was there.


    ¡°Kyle,¡± the barman said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kyle said. When I nced at him, I noticed he seemed ufortable.


    ¡°What would you like?¡±


    After getting drinks, we went to the dancefloor and joined in the frenzy. The music was loud and upbeat. Dancing outside in a bad group was great since we didn¡¯t have to worry about sweat and the stuffiness that wasmon in rooms. I forgot all about my problems as I drank to my content and danced.


    As I danced, I noticed something weird with Kyle. He kept staring at other women when he thought I was not looking. Sometimes he stared so much that he stopped dancing, as if he was totally entranced. It was normal for a man to stare at other beautiful women when he had a girlfriend but I found that to be a little bit extra.


    Was he trying to make me insecure, or was I just not enough for him. Eventually, I decided to join a group of girls and dance with them, tired of dancing with someone whose attention was elsewhere. Kyle started dancing with another woman but I was beyond caring. Eventually, I found myself dancing with another man only to be ripped away by Kyle.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What? You were dancing with another woman.¡±


    ¡°Only because you left me.¡±


    ¡°Okay whatever. I¡¯m tired anyway. I¡¯m gonna go home.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The whole thing was bing exhausting. Kyle¡¯s behaviour was proving to be very negative for me. I realised that I had made a huge mistake. I had started a rtionship with someone I did not know very well, just because I was lonely.


    Kyle seemed way too possessive for me to be with. That also meant it was going to be very hard for me to get rid of him. Shit, I may have just ruined my life by epting to be his girlfriend.


    The ride was quiet. He drove into the garage, packed the car and we went upstairs. I was not in the mood of being with anyone but I knew that saying that to him would drive him crazy. I didn¡¯t know what would happen if he went full on crazy on me.


    He was very quiet that whole time. I wondered what was going on in his mind. I wanted to call Cali and find out what kind of man her cousin was. I had trusted him easily because I knew a rtive of his. I rarely trusted and got close to people that easily.


    When we got to the apartment, I went straight to the bathroom to be away from him. I turned on the shower and undressed very slowly. I took my time cleaning myself because I needed some alone time. As I took my time, I was pretty sure he was getting really impatient but I decided not to worry. Even after showering, I sat on the toilet sit and thought.


    What was I going to do with him? I did not like that I was feeling ufortable with a person I had brought to my house. I realised that I knew nothing solid about the man and it would have been best to keep a distance from the beginning. He was a total psycho.


    ¡°Lilly, are you there?¡± the voice nearly made me jump.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t worry about me. Just go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I need to pee,¡± he said.


    I sighed. He probably just wanted me to get out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get out.¡± I was not happy about hiding in the bathroom in my own house. This was not supposed to happen. After drying myself, I stepped out.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked when he saw me.


    I nodded and he went into the bathroom. I went to my bedroom and quickly changed into pyjamas that were in form of a shirt and short. I hoped that would be enough to keep his hands off me.


    It was not.


    As soon as he returned, he started touching me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very well,¡± I said.


    ¡°You just said you were fine.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s do this in the morning.¡±


    ¡°But I want you now.¡±


    ¡°Please understand.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, gently leading me towards the bed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said.


    Judging by the way he was looking at me, I decided it was safer to ept than to say no. I was already scared of him. I let him do whatever he wanted. The good thing he did not take long. When he came, he got off me and rolled to other side of the bed. I sighed in relief. Finally, it was over.


    I had to get rid of this man, but couldn¡¯t do it at night. If I had to stay somewhere else until he left me, I would. That sex had been terrible and there was no way I was going to put up with that again.


    I was the most important person in my life. I couldn¡¯t prioritize anyone else over me anymore. Kyle Munther had to go. I had no idea how to do it but it was time to get rid of that obsessive man.


    I barely slept that night as I spent the night trying toe up with ways of sending Kyle away. The biggest problem was that I was the one who had called him back after rejecting him. He was not going to like that.


    When morning came, I managed to get out of bed before him and went to the bathroom with my clothes. By the time I came out, I was dressed and ready to go. He tried to touch me but i showed him that he was not going to get anything that morning.


    Eventually, we left my apartment. In my head, I swore that I would not let him back again.

 The cousin

    Lilly.


    When I got to work, I went straight to the meeting room. Almost everyone was there. A minuteter, Athena the CEO walked in. She was wearing a ck pencil skirt with a white blouse covered by a ck zer. Her sharp ck heels clicked against the floor as she walked to the front. Athena¡¯s beauty and elegance was effortless. She went and sat behind her throne-like chair.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all early today. All of you have been cking offtely and you know I do not like that. We need news, breaking sensational news. Something that can shake the show business. There are a lot of things you can find when you dig deep enough.


    Lilith Hellman, you brought us a lot of publicity with the Jake Rynd expose but now that¡¯s fading. We need more drama. Try trailing another billionaire again. It is clear people like to read dirt on the very rich. There¡¯s an angle I can suggest. Find out what¡¯s going on between Jake Rynd, Ashley and Heather. There has to be a juicy story that links the three of them. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as in as was reported. Did that up and give us something or find another billionaire or millionaire to troll.


    Candice, you used to be the best at finding out things and now you¡¯ve dropped to writing about things that have already been covered by otherpanies like Leah, Lilith and the others. You need to make yourself great again, or we might have to steal one of those reporters from The Blue Paper. They may be writing for a tabloid but they sure know how to find the good stuff. Leleti, Peter, Janice, and the rest of you. Wake up. I need something. We need to trend or we will end up making losses.¡±


    We all kept quiet as our boss went on, talking about how ipetent we were. When she was done, she paused before continuing. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to business. The president ising to this city next week. It was confirmed to me this morning. We need to get on that and create great news around that. Go to government agencies and find out everything that¡¯s going well, and that which is going badly. Whether you want to undercover or not, we have all the resources. What we need is for you to get news that people will want to read.¡±


    The meeting went on for another hour. After Athena had exhausted her words, she let us contribute the ideas that we had. After some harmonization, we broke off. Everyone had something assigned to them.


    ¡°That was a lot,¡± I said to Leah as we walked out.


    ¡°I know. But she¡¯s right. We need to do better.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    When I was at my desk, I logged into my work email ount. One message caught my eye. It was from someone called Joshua Bend. Curious, I opened it. It read;


    ¡°Dear Lilith Hellman, I hope you¡¯re doing well. It hase to my knowledge that you are dating Kyle Munther, a man I have known for a while. It seems that you do not know what kind of person he is. To save you, I have attached some information about him in this email. Do not share this with anyone because it might get me into trouble. I sent it to you so you can take steps to protect yourself from a very dangerous man.¡±


    The email was not far-fetched. I downloaded the attached documents and started reading through them. I was shocked to see what Kyle had been used of. Assault and sexual harassment. I remembered how he had stared at almost every woman¡¯s body and realised I couldn¡¯t dismiss the email. My hands were shaking as I typed a rey to Joshua bend.


    ¡°Mr. Bend, thank you so much for the email warning me about this person. I promise not to share this with anyone. Can we meet and you tell me more about Kyle?¡±


    I sent the email and closed the browser. I went back to the documents and looked through them again. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. Was Kyle really as bad as these things painted him out to be? What if they were false usations?


    I remembered that he had not listened to me when i didn¡¯t want to have sex the previous night. That and the difort I was feeling made me believe there was no smoke without fear. I couldn¡¯t doubt that those stories were true. Kyle Munther was not the nice guy he had made himself out to be when we first met.


    I decided not to go home that evening. Instead, I went to Leah¡¯s house.


    ¡°Are you really sure that you can trust this email guy?¡± Leah asked when we were watching TV in her living room.


    ¡°Even before that email, I was already scared of Kyle. The way he behaved yesterday sent off rm bells in my head. There¡¯s something fishy about him.¡±


    ¡°He does seem alright to me but if you don¡¯t trust him, I believe you. You¡¯re the one who has had personal dealings with him. Besides, most sociopaths hide the bad parts of them so well you¡¯d never believe it until they do something to you.¡±


    ¡°Right. I wish I had taken more time to get to know this guy before jumping into bed with him. I thought I could trust him because he was Cali¡¯s cousin and she brought him to us. I thought she wouldn¡¯t bring him along if he was bad news.¡±


    My phone started ringing. I checked it and saw Kyle¡¯s name. Turning down the volume, I ced it back on the table. As soon as it stopped ringing, it started again. It was Kyle again. He called five more times.


    ¡°Wow, this guy is a real psycho. He doesn¡¯t give up.¡±


    Message notifications started sounding, eaching seconds after the other.


    ¡°Wow, this one is a mad man, Lilly. You fell on a wrong one this time around.¡±


    ¡°I now right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call Cali toe over. She needs to tell us more about this man she brought into our lives.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Leah called Cali who said she woulde. We ignored the calls and messages as we waited for Cali to arrive. When she arrived, Leah opened the door after making sure she was alone. We weren¡¯t taking any risks.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on you guys?¡±


    ¡°Your cousin is crazy. Why didn¡¯t you tell us about him?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Which cousin?¡±


    ¡°Kyle, of course.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys dating? Kyle is very happy that he found a good woman. He won¡¯t stop thanking me even though you guys had met before I brought him here.¡±


    ¡°Tell us the truth. Did you know that he has been used of sexual harassment and assault several times?¡±


    Cali shook her head. ¡°No. where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you knew nothing of his shady-ness?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, he¡¯s not very well liked in our hometown. Most women imed he looks at them funny. Some said he has tried to touch them even when they didn¡¯t want. He¡¯s a bit infamous to be honest. But that was a long time ago, when he was young and full of raging hormones. He is no longer a perverted teenager. He has grown and left that behaviour behind him. Who told you about usations?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us this so we could be careful around him?¡± I asked. ¡°You let me be with him despite knowing that he was like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing he is not like that anymore. We all made mistakes when we were young. I don¡¯t think you two were perfect either. People deserve to move on and start afresh. He is a better man now.¡±


    ¡°The usations are from his workce. He was actually suspended for two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I didn¡¯t know that. I swear.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not lying Cali, because I don¡¯t want to lose you as a friend,¡± Leah said.


    ¡°Come on. I love you guys. I would never let you get in harm¡¯s way if I could prevent it.¡±


    I sighed. I was finding it hard to believe her. She did not seem that surprised by the revtion.   ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Suddenly, the doorbell started ringing.


    I jumped in my seat.


    ¡°Lilly, I know you¡¯re in there.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door.¡±


    ¡°Come on, guys, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Leah told Cali.


    Now that was an action of a real friend.

 Forget him

    Lilly.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t wanna talk to you!¡± Leah yelled. ¡°Please leave my house or I¡¯ll call the cops.¡±


    Cali gasped. ¡°What the hell? He¡¯s not going to harm anyone.¡± She jumped off the couch and ran to open the door. Leah went after her but she was toote. Kyle was already barging in like he owned the whole building.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Cali? This is my house and you should respect my decisions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but everyone deserves a fair trial. At least, listen to him. I don¡¯t think he will try anything when I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I have no intentions of harming anyone,¡± Kyle said. ¡°Lilly, I¡¯m very sorry for not listening to youst night. I noticed that you were ufortable but I went ahead to do what I did.¡±


    Leah gasped. ¡°He raped you? You didn¡¯t tell me about that.¡±


    ¡°Kyle, I don¡¯t want to see you anymore. Just go away. I don¡¯t think I can forgive you after what you did.¡±


    Kyle went down on his knees before me. I felt disgusted as he ced his hands on mine on myp. ¡°Please, dear forgive me. I will never try anything like that ever again, I promise you. There¡¯s nothing I regret more than that moment. I need you so much and I can¡¯t let you go when I¡¯ve just got you. Please, Lilly, rethink this. You know we all make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°How many mistakes do you have to make before you realise that something is wrong? What about the women you sexually harassed at your workce?¡±


    He clearly didn¡¯t expect that because the shocked expression that appeared on his face was heavy. He looked like someone had stabbed him in the back.


    ¡°How did you know about that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. However, it speaks volumes about you.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re willing to believe everything a random person said. Should I also believe that you¡¯re a prostitute as the Blue Paper alleged? I mean, if we¡¯re all believing whatever we heard, that may as well be true.¡±


    ¡°You know very well that it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Do I? I only believe it is not because I trust you. On the other hand, it seems you do not trust me at all. You¡¯re willing to believe whatever people say about me. Those women used me. There is a reason why no one dered me guilty. There is no evidence to prove I did it, because I didn¡¯t do it. And now that I have a girlfriend, I wouldn¡¯t even think of other women. Lilly, you understand this more than I do. People can make up a lot of things to spoil another¡¯s name. You can¡¯t just believe what they say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but please give me time to think about this,¡± I told him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can just bounce back and act like nothing has happened. This is a lot to take in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°I will give you as much time as you need. I¡¯m going to leave now. Please call me when you have thought this through. Please don¡¯t let other people¡¯s opinions influence you. Goodnight.¡±


    The three of us watched him leave without saying a word.


    ¡°I knew there was a reasonable exnation for all this mess. Kyle is a really nice guy.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Cali.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think you should go,¡± Leah told her.


    ¡°I see now. So, this is how it¡¯s gonna be. You chase the rest of us away whoever Lilly feels a bit ufortable. Whatever Kyle did to Lilly is between them. I was not part of it but I¡¯ll leave for you to be happy. Everyone has to adjust for poor Lilly¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Leah told her. ¡°Go speak to your errant cousin. We shall talk when you¡¯re back to normal reasoning. I don¡¯t have time for bitchy fits.¡±


    Cali chuckled before walking away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have ruin your friendship with others because of me,¡± I told Leah.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that Cali. She has been a big bitchtely and I¡¯m tired of her rudeness. She doesn¡¯t care about anyone except herself. If she leaves me, it will be good riddance. She¡¯s toxic. Since she came here, she has been supporting that cousin of hers. There may not be tangible evidence that he harassed those women but he may have done it. After hearing what he did to you, I¡¯m convinced he is guilty of the harassment. People don¡¯t change easily so I hope you¡¯re not thinking about going back to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not yet sure,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lilly, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being single. It is better to be alone than to be with someone who doesn¡¯t care about you. That shit hurts.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I guess. What if he is telling the truth? The person who sent me the email did not even reply and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s their real name. It may be a new email created just for this purpose. What if it¡¯s an ex-girlfriend or nemesis?¡±


    ¡°Did that ex-girlfriend also make him rape you?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. I consented.¡±


    ¡°Did you want to consent form the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Dear, forced consent is not consent. If you consent to protect yourself, it is not consent. We need to go and report this guy before he does something terrible to you.¡±


    ¡°You talk about him like he is a dangerous criminal.¡±


    ¡°We both know that he is not a good person. You¡¯re scared of him, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. We women have strong intuition. If you get bad vibes about someone, it¡¯s better to stay away from them. Your brain is telling you to run, but you¡¯re trying to rationalise because you¡¯re scared of being alone. My dear, there are so many amazing men out there. You shouldn¡¯t risk your life for some good-for-nothing man like Kyle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll think about it. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s stressing me a lot.¡±


    ¡°Okay, babe. Let¡¯s go and cook. Food makes everything feel better.¡±

 The man I wanted

    Ashley¡¯s POV.


    I did not n on letting anyone or anything stop me from getting the man I wanted. Jake Rynd. For the longest time, I had wanted him, and hoped that one day we would run into each other. The handsome billionaire was hot cake, almost everyone wanted him. It was not only those in New York. There were women all over America that would kill for a taste of him.


    Having finally achieved that goal, there was no going back. I had tasted what I¡¯d craved for so long, and it did not disappoint. The man was sweet. Sex with him was the best I ever had. I wanted more, and more. He had to be mine forever and always.


    I didn¡¯t care if he had only wanted me for the weekend. I was going to make him want me forever. The goal was the king, money, fame a mansion and beautiful babies with the surname Rynd. Anything else wasn¡¯t going to cut it.


    If Jake Rynd thought he would get rid of me after one weekend, he was totally wrong. He had no idea how smart and wicked I was and I had to make sure he never came to find out, at least not before our wedding.


    On my second night with Jake Rynd, I waited for him to sleep first. Since he had been drinking, quite heavily, might I add, he slept like a log. My drinks were diluted with water the whole time so I was not even close to being tipsy. I had parted with a lot of money for that to happen. To make sure that he did not suddenly wake up, I ced my chloroformed hanky near his nose. As he breathed in the fumes, his sleep became stronger.


    When that was done, I grabbed his phone and took it to the next room. I had nned everything to thest detail. The person who took that room was an IT specialist that had travelled in the jet Bill gave me as I was the one in charge of nning the weekend getaway and making sure everything went well. It had only taken one night with the owner of the ind to get the rights to n everything. I had him wrapped around my finger. If I wanted, I could marry him and inherit his wealth but he was too old for me. I wanted a man I could be proud of, and the only one I could see was Jake Rynd.


    It did not take Chet Branson, the specialist long to get into the phone and install the spyware. Luckily, Jake was either not very smart or he trusted people too easily. He didn¡¯t even have software that could detect malware. But then again, Chet got some of his software from certified sources and could not be detected easily. When all was done, I returned the phone to where it had been, stripped and got into the bed.


    I was now able to monitor every activity coordinated by that phone. As I spooned him, I smiled. The man was mine. Watch out, Heather.


    It was because of that software that I got to know where he was going to meet Lilith Hellman. To be honest, I was extremely shocked when I found out he was interested in that in Jane. At first, I had thought it was heather I needed to get rid of, which would have been too easy because I was better than her when it came to looks and personality. The girl was an airheadpared to me.


    I was shocked about Lilith but I knew she was a good girl. Good girls give up easily. That was her weak point. They want too much. They want things that men can¡¯t easily offer i. e. love and exclusivity. It is not easy for a man to resist other women. The rest of us understand that, so we date men for other benefits like money, fame etc. I don¡¯t care if a man cheats on me while I¡¯m on a vacation, enjoying my life somewhere. That¡¯s why we¡¯re easy to please. All I needed was a ring and the status that came with me. The body didn¡¯t matter that much tome. The sex was great but could get it from elsewhere if I had to. Love did not matter much to me.


    All I had to do was make Lilith distrust Jake. It was almost too easy. Luckily for me, I found the right moment. We all arrived almost at the same time. I had a person trailing her and informing me to make sure all went ording to n. I kissed Jake right before she got out. It couldn¡¯t have gone any better. By the time Jake pushed me away, my work was done. Lilith was gone and I could bet she was not going to listen to him. If she did, I would send her some photos from that weekend. Those would definitely send her packing.


    Lilith Hellman? That was nopetition for me.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Ash?¡±


    I rolled my eyes when I remembered that there was a man behind me. Nelson Sanders, a young handsome male model. For some reason, he had refused to leave me alone even when I treated him like trash. He was like glue. In the end, I had decided to keep him around. He was good for one thing, pleasing me when I needed it.


    Although I was hunting Jake, I could not let myself starve. I needed to have sex asionally.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I told my boy toy.


    ¡°Are you thinking about Jake Rynd again? When will you realise that he doesn¡¯t love you? You deserve someone who loves and cares for you.¡±


    ¡°Like you?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Give me a break. I¡¯m not going settle for some spineless dude who doesn¡¯t know what he wants. I imagine you deserve love as well. Why are you still here where you¡¯re not loved?¡±


    ¡°I love you so much, ash. You have no idea.¡±


    ¡°And you have no idea how much I love Jake.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t love you.¡±


    ¡°Just shut up, will you. I need to think of a n that will finally bring Jake and I together now that Lilith Hellman is gone from his life.¡±

 She鈥檚 back

    Jake.


    The sky was getting darker and the air colder. The streets of New York were full of people scurrying back to their homes as others went to start their work shifts. Traffic had be heavier on the main roads. It was getting to six pm. I watched as Lilly and Kyle got into his car aftering from a restaurant.


    My fingers balled into fists and my jaw clenched as I saw them being lovey-dovey. He opened for her the door and she got in happily. I was furious. Despite the evidence i had sent to her, she had continued to be with him. Did she not care about herself? Was she willing to risk it all for that guy? What did he have that other men didn¡¯t? Why would she trust him yet she couldn¡¯t even listen to my exnation.


    I was done staying on the side-lines and waiting, hoping that she would have a change of heart and hear me out. I had to take action in order to achieve the results I wanted. I left that ce and drove home. When I got home, I dialled her number using my home phone whose number she did not have.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said softly. Her voice was so sweet I could listen to it all day. Hearing it gave me a boner instantly. My anger increased when I remembered that the undeserving bastard called Kyle Munther was listening to it whenever he wanted. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°We need to talk, Lilly.¡±


    ¡°Not you again,¡± she said before ending the call. Had I been holding a cell phone, I would have thrown it across the room out of anger. I took a deep breath and ced the receiver down.


    What the hell did Kyle have that I didn¡¯t?


    If Lilith wasn¡¯t going to listen to me, I was going to have to get Kyle away from her by all means. She may not have cared about her safety, but I did. I was going to ensure that Kyle stayed far away from the woman I wanted.


    However, knowing that I could defeat that man did not give me enough reassurance. It irritated me that she was busy enjoying hispany. So, I turned to my best friend. Beer.


    The house was quiet and all I could hear was conversation between the maids in the kitchen.


    ¡°Carrie,¡± I called out after descending the stairs.


    Carrie ran into the living room. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Please get me some clean sses. I¡¯ll be in the Ent room.


    ¡°Will do, sir.¡± She said and scurried back to where she came from.


    I went to my luxurious entertainment room which had almost all the gadgets imaginable. There was arge screen television set, big audio speakers, gaming consoles, a high tech desktopputer among other things. I even had a bar with several types of drinks and a snacks section that had a popcorn machine. The chairs were veryfortable. I had made it so good that I could stay there all day if I wanted.


    At first, everything seemed so great, especially after getting independent from my parents. My friends usually came over to have a good time with me. With time, it didn¡¯t interest me as much as before. It was just that.


    My house was big and had all the necessary amenities, but that didn¡¯t make it special. It needed people. Day by day, I was beginning to crave a little family of my own. I wanted a wife and children to add life to the big mansion. Bachelor life had stopped making me happy a long time ago. I was tired and wanted to settle down. Even though I was only 28, the ups and downs of bachelorhood were wearing me down. Casual sex which had thrilled me back then had be boring.


    Carrie brought the sses and served beer. Three years back, I would have tried to seduce her but now even with her pretty face and banging body, I did not feel any desire to have her. I wanted more. And I wanted to explore that possibility with Lilith Hellman. Hopefully, we would work out and be on our way to the altar.


    Carrie turned the TV on as I had requested. She handed me the remote and I looked for the channel I wanted while she left, looking slightly disappointed. What was it with some women, thinking every man wanted to jump their bones?


    I had just started enjoying a basketball match when I heard the door open. The perfume indicated it was heather. I could hear her heels clicking against the floor as she approached. She came and sat on the couch next to me.


    ¡°Wee back,¡± I told her. my mother had informed me that she had gone on a vacation in Africa. I had no idea she had already returned. She was looking great with a bnced tan.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°How was the trip?¡±


    ¡°It was great. I had a good time. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Quite alright, I guess. It hasn¡¯t really been a good week for me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought you had a great one. Saw you and Ashley Kendall¡¯s photograph.¡±


    I sighed. That was probably why heather had returned so fast. She didn¡¯t want to lose me to Ashley.


    ¡°She kissed me. I don¡¯t even like her.¡±


    ¡°But you spent the whole weekend with her,¡± she used.


    ¡°Are you here to interrogate me or what?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends. You can tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve told you the truth. Ashley Kendall is not the woman I want.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Does that mean you have your eyes set on a certain woman?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Who could that be?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. This is supposed to be top secret until I win her heart. She¡¯s not the easy type.¡±


    ¡°She likes to y to get, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she ys hard to get. She is just hard to get.¡±


    ¡°Lucky woman. Anyway, I came here to give you somepany in case you need. I can leave you if you won¡¯t to be alone.¡±


    ¡°No, darling. I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± I ced my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. ¡°Stay with me. You might be the only friend I can lean on right now. I feel so lonely.¡±

 A terrible fortnight

    Lilly.


    Two weeks had passed since I decided to get back with Kyle. To say the truth, I had not really enjoyed a moment with him during that time. He was obsessive and a little too controlling for my taste. Sometimes when I was alone, I had to always look over my shoulder to make sure he was not following me. He was like a shadow that followed me everywhere. Even when we were not physically together, I could feel the shadow. He never pped me or assaulted me in any way, but the looks he gave me were enough to make me cower.


    Eventually, I got tired of the rtionship. It was like a prison. A rtionship was supposed to be safe and sweet. The person you dated was supposed to be someone you feltfortable and safe with. Two days after epting to get back with him, I regretted it. I decided to give it some time, hoping things would change. Unfortunately, things only became worse.


    Kyle tried to be nice to me, but the problem was that he was fighting against his mean personality. Somehow, it always managed toe out however much he tried to hide. When he asked me to go to his ce and I refused, he lost it. I turned down the offer because of safety concerns but I didn¡¯t tell him that. I just told him I was morefortable at my ce. He used me of all kinds of things but I remained silent. I had made up my mind and was not about to go and sleep over there. The only time I would go was if he organised a party or something that involved many people.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me,¡± he said. ¡°What is the real reason you won¡¯t go to my ce?¡±


    I nced at the door then back at him. Should I say it, or should I not? I asked myself inwardly.


    ¡°Can we just drop this?¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with youing over here so there¡¯s no need.¡±


    Kyle walked to where I was and raised his hand. He nearly pped me but pulled it back. ¡°Lilly, I¡¯m not an idiot and I don¡¯t appreciate you treating me like one. What is the real reason behind all of this?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m scared.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Scared of what?¡± his brows furrowed as he looked directly into my eyes.


    ¡°You,¡± I said.


    Kyle took two steps back. ¡°What? I thought we had put all that shit behind us. You still think I assaulted and harassed people, right. I can¡¯t believe you, Lilith Hellman. Who do you think you are, walking around like some saint, judging everyone else as if you¡¯re perfect? Wow, let the whole world here. Lilith Hellman has never done anything wrong and she has never been used of anything she didn¡¯t do.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that. Just now you almost pped me. You have been very passive aggressivetely. If I¡¯m scared of anything, it is because your actions have driven me to anything. You have shown me that I should fear you. Stop acting like a victim. It does not suit you, Kyle Munther.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°You¡¯re one hell of bitch, Lilith Hellman. You surprise me each passing day, but I¡¯ll always forgive your little sins because I love so damn much.¡±


    ¡°Then stop loving me. If this is love, I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°You want me to hate you?¡± he said and startedughing maniacally, causing me to walk closer to the door where I could easily run if he lost it. ¡°Do you know what would happen to you if I did that? Let me tell you one thing. You are mine, and I will not let anyone have you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Good, because you need to be scared. You need to be very scared of disappointing me. Don¡¯t try it because it won¡¯t end well for you.¡±


    I went to the bedroom door and opened it, then stepped into the living room. I heard Kyle following me so I ran to the front door, opened it and went outside. i stood by the door. A middle aged couple from the floor above mine where talking at thending which made me feel safer.


    ¡°What is going on with you?¡± Kyle asked me.


    ¡°You need to leave, Kyle. We can¡¯t go on like this anymore. This is over.¡±


    Kyle nced at the couple. The woman stared hard at him and he turned back to me. I guess she could sense that something was wrong.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Today you want me, tomorrow you don¡¯t. Why do you keep bouncing me around like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I make bad decisions sometimes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t break up with me right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. Please leave right now.¡±


    Kyle nced at the couple again. He went back inside and returned with his backpack.


    ¡°Is this really what you want? Once I leave, I won¡¯t return.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, this is what I want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Lilith Hellman. I know that we¡¯ll see each other again. You and I have a connection that will never break whether you like it or not. We shall always be connected.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything to that. This time I was sure that I did not need him in my life anymore. I had been sure for over two weeks.


    When Kyle was gone, the woman turned to me.


    ¡°Are you okay, dear?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to like very much when you told him to leave.¡±


    ¡°He scares me,¡± I confessed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t spend one more minute with him.¡±


    ¡°You did the right thing. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°And enjoy your evening.¡±


    ¡°You too, dear. By the way, in case he returns or you need some help,e to our apartment. Number 64. I¡¯m Maria and this is my fianc¨¦ Jose.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Thank you very much.¡±

 Rest

    Lilly.


    I walked back into my apartment feeling lonely and sad. Although Kyle was gone and my main door was secured, I did not feel happy. Instead, I felt empty and mentally exhausted. I regretted the time I had wasted trying to make a doomed rtionship work. From the beginning, it had been clear that Kyle was not the one for me. I had tried to force things because I was afraid of loneliness and that backfired. In the end, it only made my life worse. Now I was going to be scared of Kyle forever. Hisst words to me had not been very reassuring. Had it not been for the presence of that amazing couple, Kyle may have done some unspeakable things to me.


    I slumped onto the couch and leaned against the headrest. Immediately, tears started rolling down my eyes. I did not even bother to wipe them because I was too weak. I just stared forward and let them role. They made me feel somehow better. I felt like my heart was being cleansed as I cried.


    For about thirty minutes, I was lost in thought while tears continued to cascade down my cheeks. I was a mess and somehow I found certain peace in that. But eventually, I decided I was tired of crying andmenting. I could feel better, and that only depended on me choosing that.


    When I thought of having a good time, I thought of Jake Rynd. There was a part of me that wanted to believe his story. That part of me desperately wanted to listen to him and then make judgementster.


    Maybe it was time to hear him out. I needed to meet him. Even if he wanted to use me, I was ready to be used, as long as I got something in return. I had let Kyle, a self-centred moron use me, how bad could it be this time.


    Although I did not trust Jake, I had never felt any real fear near him. He didn¡¯t look or speak like someone who would force themselves on a woman. He didn¡¯t scare me. That was what I needed. A sweet, hot man to kiss me the way Jake had done.


    I craved a kiss with him. It had felt so goodst time. That was all I needed. A good feeling. After preparing myself for the possibility of disappointment, I decided to unblock and dial his number. He picked up promptly.


    ¡°Lilly,¡± he said.


    I was lost for words. At the sound of his raspy voice, my heart beat ran wild and butterflies filled my stomach.


    ¡°Are you there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hi Jake,¡± I began. ¡°I hope you¡¯re well.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t but now that you¡¯ve called me, I think I¡¯m the happiest man in the world.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re so good at ttery,¡± Imented.


    ¡°No, no, my dear. I had almost given up on ever hearing from you again. I¡¯m very d that you called me. I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    ¡°Such a liar,¡± I said although a part of me was inclined to believe him. Inner me desperately hoped it was true.


    ¡°You will never trust me, will you?¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you when you¡¯re always lying?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t know why you view yourself like you don¡¯t deserve anything good.¡±


    I knew I deserved good things, but I knew that over expectation is the mother of disappointment.


    ¡°Why would you think that you¡¯re a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Because I know I am, or you wouldn¡¯t be calling me right now.¡±


    ¡°I can end this call and block you.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t because you want me so bad.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re way too arrogant for your own good.¡±


    ¡°So, do you believe me now? About Ashley Kendall.¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯d like to hear your excuse, that¡¯s¡¯ why I called.¡±


    ¡°Let me take you to dinner.¡±


    ¡°And experience a repeat ofst time? No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Come to my house,¡± I said, scanning my disorganised living room. There were things strewn all over the ce. Kyle Munther was an even messier person than I was.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, your mother lives there.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, I forgot. She did something to you and you never want to see her again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more than that.¡±


    ¡°You refused to tell me anything so I¡¯m basing on suspicions.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her?¡±


    ¡°She will not tell me. If she wanted me to know, she would have told me by now.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Come to my ce, but with food.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your boyfriend there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Huh? So I¡¯m your rebound guy. I should have known something was up. This sounded too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I tried to use you to make myself feel better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be used. I¡¯ll be there in thirty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He hang up.


    I started organising thins in the living area and kitchte as fast as I could. When I was done, I went to the bedroom put everything in ce before running to the shower. I showered in two minutes then returned, dried myself and applied sweet smelling lotion. I wore a pink tank top with no bra underneath, pairing it with light blue mid-thigh shorts. I grabbed some lipstick and applied it to my lips. Since I had not washed my hair, I just sprayed it and let it fall down the sides of my face.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    When I looked in the mirror, I saw a sexy vixen. The seduction of Jake Rynd had be. Whether I¡¯d seed or not was a story for another day. Instead of sitting around crying about loneliness, it was better to take a risk which could possibly end with good returns.


    When I was looking and smelling my best, I returned to the living room, turned the TV on and started scrolling through my social media feed as I waited for Jake.


    What if he yed me again and didn¡¯t turn up? I ignored that negative thought and smiled to wee positive thoughts.

 Scared

    Lilly.


    My phone nearly fell down when I heard a knock on the door. My heart literally stopped beating for some seconds. I stood up, ran into the bedroom to have onest look at myself before going to open the door. I stood in front of the door for some seconds to regain my breath.


    I reached out and turned the key in the lock. Twisting the knob, I pulled the door opened. I nearly fainted when I saw that he was actually there.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± I said, staring at the smart man. That day, Jake was dressed casually. He looked good in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. His ck zerpleted the lock, making him look like a delicious snack. My body was going wild just looking at him.


    He was holding a bag of goodies with a logo of Jines, an upscale restaurant I¡¯d never been to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± I said, and he handed everything to me. ¡°Be careful. Can Ie in now?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said,ughing nervously. The boldness I had while making the call had vanished. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    As he walked in while looking around, I locked the door.  Jake chuckled.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, wondering if there was something wrong with my tiny apartment. To Jake, it probably appeared as a tiny box.


    ¡°You¡¯ve locked the door. Do you n to kidnap me or something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I joked. ¡°Please take a seat. I¡¯m d you decided toe. I would like to hear all about that fake story of yours.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I went and ced the bag on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very fake,¡± Jake said, walking closer to me. My body stiffened when he stood right behind my back. Although our bodies were not close enough to touch, I could almost feel his. I could feel the closeness, the heat making its way to my body.


    ¡°I just hope I¡¯ll be able to understand¡­¡±


    The words died in my throat when Jake hugged me from behind. I let out a breathe I didn¡¯t I was holding. His muscled hands wound themselves around my waist causing the butterflies in my stomach to run amok. Every part of my body charged up. I found myself tilting my head backwards while letting out a moan. Jake ced his lips on the exposed part of my neck and started kissing and nibbling. My knees became weak as I moved my hips and butt against his rock hard member that was straining against his jeans. I had to have that, by all means.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this for so long,¡± Jake whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Do whatever you want to me, Jake. I really need you.¡±


    Jake gently helped me turn and took over my lips while holding me against his body. I could feel every part of his body and it was making me weak, sending shots of pleasure everywhere. Jake¡¯s hands found themselves on my shorts. I moved a bit to give him ess. He managed to undo the top button while kissing me, but that took too long. I pulled away and quickly stripped out of my shorts and tank top.


    Jake reached out to remove my panty but I held his hand. I needed him to first undress. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted him to see my whole body yet. I wasn¡¯t sure he would like it. I considered Jake way beyond my league so it was normal for me to feel very insecure around him.


    He stripped out of everything and stood there. I gasped when I saw the length and girth of his cock. I had never been with a guy as big as he was before. Not only that, but his was the best looking cock I had ever seen. I felt the urge to lick it. Stepping forward, I went and knelt before Jake. Jake¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise but he didn¡¯t say anything as my lips swallowed his rock hard member. I gave it a few licks and then stood up. Jake pulled me close and started kissing me again as his hand went into my knicker and started rubbing my cl! t in circles. My moans became louder as the pleasure increased. Right before I could climax, Jake pulled his hand away.


    ¡°Not now, baby.¡±


    Jake carried me and took me to the bedroom where he ced me on the bed. He knelt down near my legs and pulled my panty down my legs. When the panties were out of the way, he stared at what he had uncovered like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He lowered his head and started licking. His tongue was that of an expert, making my core ache andpping up my juices.


    He rose and came on top. He positioned his cock at my wet entrance and tried to push it in. it went in but not deep enough. He tried again, no sess. The third push had my pvssy swallowing the whole of it. I had never felt so good, so full. As he moved, my pvssy walls felt like they were on fire, a delicious sweet fire. After a few thrusts, I came, unable to hold it in anymore. Jake continued, going deeper and deeper, driving me over the edge. When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he let loose and his fluid shot into my vagina, leaving it feeling quite warm. He wanted to move off from me but I held him back. I needed to feel him inside longer.


    Eventually, I had to let him go.


    ¡°That was so amazing,¡± I said, as he fell to the other side of the bed.


    ¡°I knew you would be great,¡± he said. ¡°After that kiss, I knew that I needed more.¡±


    Jake turned to lie on his side and ced his left hand over my stomach. I was facing the ceiling, unable to believe that I had just had mind-blowing sex with one of the richest men in the United States.

 Remembering mother

    Jake


    ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean by that? Why would you sign a contract to stay away from me?¡±


    Lilly sat up straight. ¡°By then I did not have any reason to get close to you. And there was a lot at stake.¡±


    ¡°By a lot, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your mother kidnapped my sister¡¯s five year old daughter.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I stood up. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. I had to sign a contract that forbade me from going near you or writing about you so that little Amy would be released. It was why I backed down. I¡¯m already scared of what your mother might do if she finds out that I have already broken the contract. It would be best for us to stay away from each other but sometimes I listen to my body instead of my mind.¡±


    I went and sat back down. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry that my mother did that to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡±


    ¡°I was the one who called her back and asked her to take care of my problem. I knew how evil she could be but I didn¡¯t care. My mother does not control me and I¡¯m not going to let her dictate what you and I can do. She has no right to keep us apart. I¡¯m going to talk to her as soon as I get home.¡±


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t do that. We¡¯re not yet even sure if we can tolerate each other. I rushed into a rtionship with Kyle and it didn¡¯t end well after I got to know what kind of person he is. I don¡¯t want a repeat of that. Besides, if your mother finds out, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll find another way of ruining my life. I don¡¯t want trouble with her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, an agreement is a binding document. I can¡¯t juts break it willy-nilly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do something about this. If you don¡¯t want me to confront her, I won¡¯t but something has to be done. I won¡¯t let you live in fear because of her.¡±


    ¡°All I need to do is make sure she does not get to know about us. You need to learn to disguise yourself better.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand me. I don¡¯t want a secret rtionship. I want to explore something good, beyond closed doors. This will not make me fully happy. I want to be in a rtionship where I can go ces with the person I love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jake but this can¡¯t happen right now. Let¡¯s try it like this for some time and if realize that we need more, we go for more.¡±


    My mother had disappointed me a lot when I was growing up. I never got used to the kind of hurt I felt whenever she did it. But for some reason, I always turned to her when life got inconvenient for me. She had always known how to sort out my problems and I had never really care how she did until that time. I had finally found someone I wanted to be with and it was my mother blocking me.


    I reached and pulled Lilly close before kissing her. It had started raining outside and it was getting cold, the perfect weather for a good make out session and sex. As soon as her body touched mine, all the blood rushed to a certain part and I wanted her more than ever. The kiss made me forget all my stress and cleared my mind. All I could think about was burying myself deep into her. Apparently, she had been having the same kind of thoughts because her hands located my member and started rubbing slowly. If felt so good, so hot. I kissed her, unable to get enough of her delicious taste.


    Lily took charge and made me lie down before removing my boxers. She looked like apletely different person as she did it, a sexy freak. She slid into my cock expertly and started riding. It felt so good I could cum anytime. As she moved up and down, her inner walls rubbing against me, Iy back and enjoyed the sweet feelings.


    My hands found themselves on her butt helping her achieve maximum pleasure as she road. Her moans sounded so sweet, so real and I could tell she was having the time of her life. When she increased the speed, she moaned louder and then cam. She copsed on top of me. There was no time to waste. I gently moved up and down beneath her and she had no choice but follow my rhythm. Not long after, I reached an earth shattering climax.


    Lilly smiled as she slid off me andy on top.  Since the couch was not very wide, she had to remain on top of me or go away which wasn¡¯t convenient. She stayed there for a while before siting up. As she stood up, I saw or mixed juices rolling down her inner thighs. She grabbed a small cloth from the floor and cleaned herself before heading to the bathroom.


    ¡°That was so good, Jake.¡± She said when she got up. She gave me a clean cloth and I cleaned myself up.


    ¡°You¡¯re something else, Lilith Hellman. And here I was thinking you were a good, shy girl.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I love how you keep surprising me, though. I don¡¯t n on letting you go.¡±


    ¡°Everybody says that when the rtionship is new. After sometime, all that is thrown to wind.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope things go well for us this time then. It is clear that we have both been disappointed by life at some point. I really like you, and I want this tost long.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Lilly said, ¡°Although the odds are stacked against me. Let¡¯s face it. You are rich, famous and handsome. And I¡¯m just a in old Jane with nothing to her name. With time, that won¡¯t interested you anymore and you may discard me which is okay, but it will hurt.¡±


    ¡°Your level of distrust is too high. I hope that I¡¯ll be able to change that.


    ¡°Ha ha I highly doubt that but we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±

 Fear

    Lilly


    I had never been as happy with someone as I was with Jake. Although our rtionship came with a lot of limitations, it greatly improved on the quality of my life. i felt alive once again. I had not realised that I had been missing out on a lot for a long time. Having someone that makes you feel safe is underrated. It is the best thing in the world. To know that someone out there is looking out for you because he loves you is one of the best things ever.


    My fear of Kyle reduced when I was with Jake. The good thing Kyle kept a low profile during that time so I was able to rx. When I saw a photograph of him posing intimately with another woman, I felt relived. At least his focus would be away from me. If he thought those photos would make me jealous, he was barking up the wrong tree. My feelings for him had not been that strong, and had ended long before I ended the rtionship.


    Jake was always there for me. He spent a lot of his free time at my ce and I wasn¡¯tining. I was more than happy to host him. Being with him was very different from Kyle whom I always wanted out of my ce. Jake stocked my kitchen with food and lots of nice things. He never listened to my lies that I could take care of myself. I lived hand to mouth and the pay check from The Daily Paper was the only thing standing between me and homelessness.


    Eventually, I stopped protesting and let him buy me whenever he wanted. Life can be so easy when you ept that you deserve good things and let them into your life. When I epted that it was okay for me to be taken care of by the man I loved, I started living a happier life.


    As expected, everyone around me started noticing the changes in my disposition. I was happier and jolly, always excited for events. My work became easier. I enjoyed researching and writing articles. I became more open to all the possibilities life had to offer. When I talked with people, I showed genuine interest in what they were saying. I was no longer overburdened with stress that had made everything a drag. I loved life.


    When people asked me why I was so different, I just told them my life had improved. Some people suspected there was a man behind the constant smile on my face, but I refrained from confirming or denying their allegations. Even Leah did not know who was behind my sudden change. She decided to be patient for a while until she couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore,¡± she said to me a few minutes after lunch one day. We were still sitting at a restaurant waiting for the food to settle in our stomachs before walking back to the office. ¡°I have been waiting for you to fess up but it has taken too long. You have to tell me who this man is. I know it¡¯s not Kyle because you hate him and he¡¯s dating someone else. Who is it, Lilly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the time is right.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I think my suspicion is true. You have left me no choice but to believe it. Why else would you hide this man from everyone?¡±


    ¡°What suspicion?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re dating a married man,¡± she said.


    My lips parted. I¡¯d not expected that.


    ¡°It is why you don¡¯t want anyone to know. Is that true?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Of course not. Why would I date a married man? That¡¯s disgusting. Imagine sharing fluids with another woman. Ee, Leah. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that desperate. I¡¯d rather date an old divorced man than a married man of any age.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re dating an old divorced man?¡± Leah said whileughing. ¡°Is it too bad out there? Being single is not a crime, but if he¡¯s giving you money, maybe it¡¯s okay. Anyone would appreciate financial help if they were earning your sry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m dating someone I¡¯m not supposed to be dating. If a certain third party finds out, I¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    ¡°That third party can be a wife.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. In that moment, I decided to confess to my best friend. She was the one person I knew I could trust. ¡°It¡¯s his mother.¡±


    Leah gasped. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it. The only mother that wants you out of her son¡¯s way is Mrs. Rynd.¡± Leah¡¯s mouth opened wide before she brought her lips together. ¡°You¡¯re dating¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± I said. ¡°No one needs to hear this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I knew something was up the day he called you up to a private room. You are the worst friend ever. How can you be dating Jake and I don¡¯t know about it. What else have you been keeping from me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, that¡¯s all. Now that you know, can we not talk about this? If his mother finds out, I¡¯ll be skinned alive.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will let that happen¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. The bond between a mother and son is strong. Jake knows how evil she is but he keeps letting her back into his life. That says a lot.¡±


    ¡°Your trust issues won¡¯t let you enjoy anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Leah. I forbade him from confronting his mother. I know that she will just find a way of manipting him to taking her side. I¡¯m happier that she knows nothing.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep the secret forever. At one point in time, you have to let the world know about your rtionship.¡±


    ¡°When that timees, I¡¯ll do it. But for now, let¡¯s keep the secret.¡±


    ¡°So, tell me all about Jake. I need all the details. Don¡¯t leave anything out. How it started, how you fell in love with him, how you make love, everything.¡±


    Iughed hard. ¡°You¡¯re too much.¡±

 Karma

    Ashley.


    Billionaire Mark Humphries did not like to be kept waiting. He would blow up a fuse if anyone did not promptly follow his orders. This was how I ended up forgetting the tracking phone liked to Jake¡¯s at home, right before a two week vacation in the Nethends. I only realised it when the ne was already in the air.


    ¡°Fvck,¡± I said, immediately getting agitated.


    ¡°Are you okay, darling?¡± the old man asked, ncing at me over the newspaper he was reading.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said and rolled my eyes when he turned back to his paper.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I realised I forgot something.¡±


    He ced the paper on the couch and smiled at me. ¡°You do not need to worry about anything when you¡¯re with me, sweetheart. You have my unlimited card. When wend, you can by whatever you wish. You can rece everything that you¡¯ve forgotten with new ones.¡±


    What an idiot. Did he think anything could just be reced with money? The man had lost touch with reality because of having too much money. The fact that he could give a high maintenance model like myself an unlimited card said a lot about the crazy money he had. He had more than Jake Rynd. Unfortunately for him, age, looks and time were not on his side. And I was not about to marry an old rich man for money when I could marry a young rich one.


    ¡°Come here, baby.¡±


    I felt disgusted but I had to smile, get up and go to him. For the money, I reminded myself. For money, I would do almost anything. I set for myself very high standards that could not be maintained without a lot of money.


    I sat next on hisp. He was so weak I worried I would crush his legs. Thankfully, I was quite skinny and knew he could handle it. Mark brought his old wrinkled lips to mine and kissed me sloppily. I hated it so much but had to pretend I was enjoying it, throwing in a moan for maximum effect.


    After some minutes, he told me to leave which was a relief. Clearly, he had not yet taken his blue pill. The man had such a low sex drive he could barely get it on without Viagra. But he was always looking for the next top model to date. Instead of retiring and living peaceful in a country house, he was trying to hold on to youthful activities. All I hoped for was that he did not end up dying while we were together. I loved publicity but that was too extreme and shameful.


    Nethends is beautiful and has many gifts of nature. I enjoyed the trip there but was so angry that I couldn¡¯t keep track of Jake¡¯s activities. I didn¡¯t even know what he was up to. No one was reporting on him so I could tell he wasying low. I had no idea whether that was a good thing or not.


    It was when I returned that I found out that there was nothing good about it. He was secretly dating that boring newspaper chick. I felt insulted. Had it been heather, I would have understood. For him to choose some chick who probably knew nothing about ss over me was so discouraging. Clearly, Jake was not as intelligent as I had assumed. I mean, most men are not but this was disappointing.


    Before it could go far, I had to break them up. I took time to think and collect information before attacking. I found out that Jake¡¯s mother did not know and they were trying to keep her from finding out. From Jake and Lilith¡¯s chats, I wasn¡¯t able to tell why but I had got my card. I had to y it well to achieve great results.


    I found out that Carrie Rynd was attending a fundraising dinner in Brooklyn. Using my connections, I was able to secure myself an invite within minutes. When the day came, I dolled myself up and went to meet my future mother inw. Carrie was known to be snarky and a bit evil. I was happy, because that was the type of mother inw I wanted. We wouldpete for the affection of her son, I would win and show her her ce. I didn¡¯t think that old woman was a match for me when it came to wickedness.


    It was unfortunate that I wasn¡¯t able to secure a seat close to her. When the dinner was over, I found her at the parking lot and introduced myself.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re of the women who has been fvcked and dumped by my son.¡±


    My lips parted. For a ssy lookingdy, she was very crass. One day, I hoped to put her in her ce.


    ¡°Not really. I have never been dumped. Your son is a bit confused, that¡¯s all. Anyway, I have some information that I think you¡¯d like. I wanted to tell you, but now I think it¡¯s better to go to the press. They might appreciate it more and put it to good use.¡±


    Carrie smiled. ¡°Sorry for the confusion, darling. I was thinking about someone else when I made thatment. You look amazing.¡±


    I smiled. How was this woman even rted to Jake? They were so different.


    ¡°What is it you¡¯d like to tell me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about who your son is secretly dating, but first I need money.¡±


    Carrie Ryndughed hard. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid, little girl. You¡¯ve just told me everything I need to know, that my son is secretly dating someone. It¡¯ll be so easy for me to find out who. Trust me, by the end of today, I¡¯ll be having that information. Thank you so much for letting me know. Now, get out of my face, little girl.¡±


    I was left in total shock as she passed by, knocking my shoulder for more effect. I turned and watched her as she waltzed towards a range rover with her head held high.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Clearly, I had underestimated Carrie Rynd.

 Wishes

    Lilly.


    ¡°Kyle is here,¡± Leah whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± I said, immediately starting to feel scared.


    ¡°He¡¯s two rows behind us,¡± she said.


    I waited for a minute before turning. My eyes met his. Instead of looking at the stand-upedian on stage, he was staring at me. The familiar woman behind him wasughing hard at something theedian had said.


    Leah¡¯s held and squeezed my hand, giving me some reassurance. Kyle smiled at me and I turned back to face the front. My evening was already ruined. Even the funny lines theedian kept dropping were no longer funny to me. I couldn¡¯t wait for the show to be over so I could go far away from that jerk. Had he nned it? Did he find out that we wereing?C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    I remembered telling him that I liked thatedian. He probably knew that if Justin Hayes was performing nearby, I wouldn¡¯t miss. When the show finally got done, Leah and I were out within seconds.


    Most of the taxis had been taken by people who hade out first, those that had been seated at the back near the exit. Since I couldn¡¯t bear to be there, I suggested that we walk until we found a taxi. It was 4pm on a Saturday so there was no need to rush. We walked down the street talking about our experience at the event. For me it had been great at first but Kyle had ruined.


    Suddenly, a car screeching down the street. When I looked back, I saw that it was heading to the side walk. I screamed as I felt the impact before I could run. The car hit me and I fell down, hitting my head pretty hard. The car went off immediately. A jolt of pain spread itself all over my head. Leah had been knocked to the grass and she was yelling for help. A group of people quickly surrounded us.


    ¡°I have called 911,¡± a woman said and she crouched in front of me. ¡°Are you okay, darling?¡±


    ¡°I feel a lot of pain,¡± I said, holding my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry there¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Lilly, are you okay?¡± I heard Kyle¡¯s voice. He was standing behind me.


    By that time, I did not have the strength to say anything. When I heard the sirens, I rxed. The ambnce stopped and the paramedics instructed everyone to move away while I was quickly lifted and ced on a stretcher.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± I heard Leah saying. I thought I would lose conscious but I didn¡¯t. I was very weak but I could hear and feel everything. The paramedic asked me questions but I couldn¡¯t answer.


    Eventually, they decided to inject something in me and I drifted off to sleep. When I came to, I was in a hospital room with white walls. It was already night time and the lights were on. I looked around and saw Leah on the bed next to mine.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t raise your head.¡± She said softly. I ced my head back on the pillow. It was not aching anymore, but it felt really heavy. My sight was hazy.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I hit the grass so wasn¡¯t affected much.¡±


    ¡°Did they arrest Kyle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I told the police about your history. They took him to the station but you don¡¯t need to worry about that now. Focus on getting enough rest so you can get well soon.¡±


    ¡°He tried to kill us,¡± I said.


    ¡°For all we know, it may not have been him. He wasn¡¯t in that car.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°How could he get back that fast to the scene? Stop this. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Is my injury serious?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t think so,¡± Leah said. ¡°A concussion, but not a mild one. I called your mother and Hailey.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to call Hailey.¡±


    ¡°I had to. Your injuries are nothing to be joked around with. She¡¯s the nearest.¡±


    The door flew open immediately and Amy ran in, followed by Hailey who looked like she was dressed for a runway show.


    ¡°Auntie, are you okay?¡± Amy asked, bringing a smile to my face.


    ¡°No, baby but I think I¡¯ll be alright soon.¡±


    ¡°Here are some flowers, I hope you¡¯ll feel better soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, baby.¡±


    ¡°Hello Leah,¡± Hailey said before turning to me. ¡°What did you do now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I heard that it was a hit and run. Someone clearly has a grudge on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That was what I was trying to figure out right before you barged in.¡±


    ¡°Barged? Are we not wee here? You know I have a party to go to. This is really inconveniencing.¡±


    ¡°You can go to your party,¡± I said. ¡°No one¡¯s stopping you. I was telling Leah that she shouldn¡¯t have called you.¡±


    ¡°She did what was right. What, you didn¡¯t want me to see you? Have you forgotten that I¡¯m the one who is supposed to hate you for getting my child kidnapped?¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve seen you now. I know you¡¯re okay. I¡¯m going to call mama and let her know. She¡¯s already on the way so you¡¯ll have enoughpany. I can leave Amy if you want. Wil pick her up at 9.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, leave her here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m basically aright so don¡¯t worry about a thing,¡± Leah chipped in.


    ¡°Okay, wish you both a quick recovery. Make sure you tell the police everything so they can catch this person. Maybe it was the same person who kidnaped Amy. You refused to give details to the police so face the music. If my mother wasn¡¯t about to arrive, I wouldn¡¯t leave my daughter with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, sis. Amy will be fine.¡±


    I felt relieved when Hailey left. Amy started telling me everything she had been up to since thest time we met. Kids let go of grudges easily unlike adults who find it so hardtop forgive. Hell, I was one of those adults.


    When someone knocked on the door ten minutester, I thought it was my mother.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Leah said.


    The door opened and a figure stepped in. he had not even bothered with a disguise this time. Jake Rynd strode in a mannerly fashion like the gentleman he was.


    Leah gasped.

 Questioning

    Lilly.


    ¡°Good evening, miss.¡± Jake said to Leah who looked like she was about to faint.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Rynd.¡± She managed to croak out.


    ¡°Hello little miss,¡± Jake said, crouching down to Amy¡¯s level.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Amy said. ¡°Are you my auntie¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    My face heated up when Amy asked the question.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jake Rynd, and I love your aunt very much. What is your name, little princess?¡±


    ¡°Amy Whitmore,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lovely child,¡± he said while cing the flowers and a package on the table. I was smiling while watching him. Jake leaned over and kissed me although I probably smelt like medicine. ¡°So sorry this happened to you, babe. How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°My head feels a bit heavy but I¡¯m lucky to be alive,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who might have tried to this to you?¡± he asked.


    After what Hailey had said, I was now also suspicious of his mother. What if she had somehow found out that I was seeing her son? It was only a matter of time until she found out. As evil as she was, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she had someone following her son at all times. Maybe she had wondered where Jake spent all his evenings and most nights. How could I tell him that his mother was one of those I suspected?


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, but I suspect some people. Leah spoke to the police while I was out and one of them has been taken for questioning. My ex was there but he was around after that car had left so I don¡¯t know if it was really him.¡±


    ¡°And other suspects?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, I feel a headacheing on.¡± I lied and pretended to be in pain. ¡°This topic is stressing me out.¡±


    Thankfully, there was another knock. Leah invited the person in. my mother hurried in. her eyes widened when she noticed Jake but she came directly to me and hugged me tight. ¡°Oh my baby, I was so devastated when I heard this. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling better,¡± I smiled. ¡°It has been long, mummy. I¡¯m really d you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Me too, baby,¡± mother said before turning to Amy and hugging her. ¡°My little grandbaby. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Fine, grandma.¡±


    Mother stood up and looked at Jake.


    ¡°Jake Rynd,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Jake is auntie¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    My mum gasped and went to sit on Leah¡¯s bed. Leah sat up and folded her legs. She was clearly enjoying the drama as it unfolded. ¡°What is going on here? Wasn¡¯t she writing terrible articles about you just a few weeks ago?¡±


    ¡°She was, but as you may have noticed she hasn¡¯t been writing any of those. She has only good things to say about me now.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. Anyway, mother. Jake was just leaving.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s disappointing. I want to know more about this rtionship between you two. Turns out I might have to stay in New York longer than I thought. Your father will have to take care of everything by himself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it was nice meeting you are. Wish you a quick recovery, sweetheart. Good evening, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Have a good evening, son.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°What, he¡¯s going to be my son inw.¡±


    Jake who was about to close the door behind him, winked at me before leaving.


    ¡°That was embarrassing,¡± Iined. ¡°How could you say that? He¡¯s probably going to think you¡¯re desperate to have a rich son inw?¡±


    ¡°Which is good because I¡¯m getting desperate for an actual son inw. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s poor or rich. You and your sister seem not to want to settle down, running around like a pair of teens when you¡¯re grown women.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only 24.¡±


    ¡°I was married before I was 20. You¡¯re old enough to be more responsible. Your sister I almost thirty.¡±


    ¡°Okay, mother. We shall talk about thister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to drill these things into their minds right away,¡± Leah said.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Even you?¡±


    ¡°Your mother is right.¡±


    ¡°Leah is 25 and isn¡¯t even dating right now,¡± I said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pressure to get married too, mother?¡±


    ¡°Her career is going well, isn¡¯t it? Meanwhile all you write is gossip. You should start writing proper content like your friend.¡±


    Oh, heree theparisons.


    ¡°Yay! Chocte!¡± Amy yelled. She had been busy opening the package that Jake had ced on the table.


    ¡°I want some,¡± Leah said. ¡°My mouth tastes funny after taking that medicine.¡±


    ¡°Wow, these are some really expensive stuff,¡± Leah said as she undid the cover of one chocte sweets. ¡°Lilly, you need to keep this man for as long as possible because I could get used to nice things like this.¡± She bit it and started chewing. Ooooh, these have a very rich taste. You should all try them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so sweet,¡± Amy said. She was already on her second one.


    ¡°On a serious note,¡± my mother said. ¡°Do you know who tried to kill you?¡±


    ¡°No, mother. I have no idea. My ex was taken for questioning but I don¡¯t know how it went. He attended theedy special as well.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a nasty breakup?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°He was not very happy but he moved on quickly. Or at least I think so. I thought everything was okay until that car tried to hit me.¡±


    I did not want to tell mother about Mrs. Rynd because the first things she would do was tell the police, and then order me to stay away from Jake.


    We had a great evening. Hailey shocked all of us when she returned with food for everyone. It was nice to know that my sister still had a heart under that cold demeanour. We enjoyed the food and she left with her daughter. My mother chose to stay with Leah and I through the night. She was not convinced that Leah was okay enough to take care of herself and me.

 In control

    Jake.


    Lilly¡¯s near death experience changed everything for me. It reminded me of how short life is. I decided that the secrecy was over. I couldn¡¯t keep my love under wraps anymore. It was time to let the world know I loved Lilith Hellman. To hell with my mother, the time hade for her to face the truth. I was not a child anymore, and I no longer needed her to fight my battles. i had grown and needed to stop calling her back to my side at every minor inconvenience.


    Lilly was in the hospital for two days. I visited her and it was reported to the media. I did not care. The media went into a frenzy, everyone trying to guess why I was visiting the woman who had been a thorn on my side a short while ago. Thankfully everyone who knew what the truth was did not reveal it.


    When she was discharged, she chose to go and recuperate from Leah¡¯s house. I figured she chose to go there because she needed someone to take care of her. When I heard she was home, I immediately drove there. She seemed very moody which was unlike her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked for the nth time tired of seeing her like that. I was willing to solve all her problems so that she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    ¡°We need to break up,¡± she said.


    My heart skipped a beat. What the hell was going on with her? Had the hit messed with her brain? ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to have to tell you this but you leave me no option.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Your mother ordered the hit on me.¡±


    ¡°Lilly, my mother is wicked and I know that but I don¡¯t think she is the one who did this to you. That Kyle Munther had a criminal history. I think it was him.¡±


    ¡°Your mother has a criminal history too, only that her crimes are not registered. Kidnapping my niece was a crime. Your mother came here and confirmed everything though she warned me against going to the police. She found out that we were secretly dating and decided to put a stop to it. I don¡¯t have the strength to fight her so I¡¯ve decided to give up. I nearly died because of this rtionship. Sure, she just wanted to give me a scare but it could have killed me. I¡¯m not going to take any more chances.¡±


    I stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to confront her. This rtionship is not going to end because you¡¯re the only woman I love.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will make me feel any safer.¡±


    I did not say anything. I strode to the door and walked out before gently closing it. I was very anger but I didn¡¯t want to go off in front of Lilly. I had to face my mother and kick her back to wherever she hade from. I did not call her back to ruin my life the way she was doing.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Mother!¡± I yelled as soon as I got home.


    I heard the shuffle of sandals from the kitchen. My mother walked to the living room wearing arge African print dress. ¡°Hey son. Heather gifted me this. She brought it from her trip in Africa. Don¡¯t you just love it?¡±


    ¡°I have no time for silly things. Why did you do to Lilly?¡±


    Mother walked closer. ¡°I¡¯m guessing by Lilly, you mean Lilith Hellman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    ¡°I put her in her ce,¡± she said,ughing. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you were actually thinking of having a long term rtionship with that peasant. Son, you¡¯re better than this. Frankly, I¡¯m quite disappointed in you.¡±


    ¡°That peasant as you call her is the woman I love,¡± I said. ¡°How could you try to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Wow, the girl is quite good at making up stories. Oh, I forgot. She¡¯s a gossip section journalist. I didn¡¯t try to kill anyone. I just needed to scare her off.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to tell you that I love her and you should stop harassing her. That is the woman I¡¯m going to marry.¡±


    ¡°No, boy. That will never happen as long as I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°So, you want to be dead?¡±


    ¡°Boy, I¡¯m your mother. Don¡¯t speak to me like that. Have some respect.¡±


    ¡°I would if you actually deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Look here, Lilith Hellman signed an agreement to stay away from you. She has to honour that or face grim consequences. Even if I don¡¯t do anything, she is bound byw.¡±


    ¡°Not if she was coerced to sign it. A report was made to the police on that day about the kidnapping. The child was returned by the aunt. She can rat you out. She may not have evidence but you called her. Call records can be checked. That agreement is useless and you know it. That¡¯s why you decided to use something actually scary. Isn¡¯t it mother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you got me. It doesn¡¯t matter though. That woman will never be my daughter inw when there are so many great women out there.¡±


    ¡°Try to touch her again and I¡¯ll have you arrested, mother.¡± I said. ¡°If you do anything to her, you will never be able to recognize me because I will do things that you can¡¯t imagine. You will rot in jail for the rest of your life and ill forget about you as a mother.¡±


    ¡°Son, I know that you¡¯re capable of doing some very despicable things. I have solid evidence of everything you did in your first year of college.¡±


    It was like the air had been knocked out of me. I sat on the couch and started at my mother in shock. No, it couldn¡¯t be. I had done terrible things, and they needed to stay buried in the past where no one could find them.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯re just saying that.¡±


    My mother unlocked her phone and started scrolling. She walked towards me and held the skin towards my eyes. I wanted to throw up. I grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. It shattered to pieces but my mother just chuckled manically.


    ¡°So now you see who is in control,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m done ying nice. From today, you¡¯re going to do just as I say.¡±

 Disgraceful

    Jake.


    ¡°What is wrong with you, mother? How can you stoop so low as to ckmail your own son to do your bidding? What kind of mother are you?¡±


    ¡°The kind that loves her son and wishes the best for him,¡± she said, taking her phone away. ¡°From the start, Lilith Hellman¡¯s motive was to destroy you. Even you knew it and that¡¯s why you asked me to return home and help you. Because I loved you, I decided toe back and help. I did what I thought you wanted. You were happy that I got rid of that woman. I don¡¯t know what happened, or how managed to fool you. Now you believe she is the good one and I¡¯m the evil one.


    She wrote terrible articles about you, things that could lead you to being exposed to the whole world. I came and stopped that. I¡¯m trying to separate you from someone who wants to destroy you. How sure are you that Hellman is actually in love with you and not trying to get close so she can get more information to publish? I have dealt with journalists longer than you, and I know that most of them would do almost anything to get their hands on a good story.¡±


    ¡°I know she¡¯s not like that,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s a good woman. If she wanted to write about me, she would have done. She has information that no one else in the media has. She has not even used our rtionship for fame. Do you know that she¡¯s the one who stopped me from confronting you the moment I found out what you did?¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, she only stopped you because she was scared of what I would do to her. She doesn¡¯t care about you, but herself. You¡¯re just confused. Deep down you know that this is not the woman for you. You can¡¯t find a girlfriend in the gutter when there are so many ssy women around. You can have fun with her all you want, but you¡¯re not going to have a public rtionship with such a woman. I will not allow you to disgrace our name like this.¡±


    I stood up to leave because I was tired of listening to her nonsense. Calling her back was the worst mistake I had done.


    ¡°Mother, you have disgraced this family¡¯s name more than anyone else. You have no right to tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m friends with an editor for The Blue Paper. I can call her right now and give her the pictures. Although you im to have changed, I don¡¯t think Lilith Hellman will let it slide. You im to have been influenced and forced but I don¡¯t think she will believe that. I don¡¯t think anyone will. The whole world will turn against you and you¡¯ll lose everything. Are you really ready for that?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said and started walking away.


    ¡°Wait, son.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± I stopped walking.


    ¡°Go and pack your things because you¡¯re going on vacation. Have your deputy at the insurancepany take over your duties while you¡¯re gone. You¡¯ll leave in an hours¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Take mypany or ruin it?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°None of that. I want you to have a good time with a good woman so you can forget about that damned journalist. She¡¯ll be here in a minute but the good thing is that you know her very well.¡±


    ¡°Heather,¡± I guessed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a condition. You cannot tell Lilith Hellman that you¡¯re being forced to go for this vacation. For it work, she has to think it was your choice. You¡¯ve seen a sample of what I can do to her. You know very well that I¡¯m willing to do some bad things in order to further my interests.¡±


    I turned and walked away without another word. I wondered if the things I¡¯d done were that bad. What if I opened up and asked for forgiveness in a tell-all interview? I hated that my mother was controlling using things I had hoped to take to my grave.


    I started to develop headache as I thought of it. This was too much. I couldn¡¯t just lose Lilly so easily like that. How could I ept defeat?


    After a while, I realised that it was best to y my mother¡¯s games until I found a way of dealing with her. Lilly didn¡¯t want to be with me anymore, so it didn¡¯t matter whether I went for the vacation or not.


    I called for Carrie and ordered her to pack a few things for me. I needed to be away from there to strategize anyway. Heather was not hard to deal with. I wondered if she was actually happy with the arrangement.


    I could hear voices downstairs which signalled that Heather had arrived. I tried to call Lilly but she did note back. Why was she so stubborn? I just wanted to hear her voice on more time before I embarked on the stupid journey.


    Eventually, I left the room. The main had already taken everything to the jet where I could hear buzzing outside. When I was at the top of the stairs, I saw Heather chatting happily with my mother in the living room. She was dressed to the nines and had full make up on. When she saw me, she smiled and stood up. I descended the stairs.


    ¡°That¡¯s my handsome son,¡± my mother said. ¡°I hope you two have a really good time.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but passed by them and headed to the door.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Is this how you treat your girlfriend? Don¡¯t worry Heather, he¡¯s just angry. He¡¯ll calm down soon. You just have to do your duties well as a woman. Have fun.¡±


    Heather followed me like a puppy. Yeah, I would never be happy if I married such a woman. That was a sure thing.


    ¡°Does this make you happy?¡± I ask her when we were alone. A woman was standing in the front yard. When she saw us, she started taking photographs.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy just to be by your side. You know that I love you so much.¡±


    Oh hell.

 Stubborn

    Jake.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The birds were chirping and little rays of sunlight seeped through the curtains. I sat up and felt a mild ache on my back. It had been very long since I had slept that badly. After sacrificing the bed for Heather, I had no choice but to lie on the couch. I resented her so much I couldn¡¯t be that close to her. It would lead to temptations that would have terrible effects. I had to let Heather know that I had moved on and had zero interest in her. If she thought we would end up getting back together, she was wrong. I stood up and went to the bedroom of the suite we were staying in because that was where the bathroom was.


    Clearly, she heard meing because when I opened the door, she was seated on the bed, nude, and her big fake breasts showing. I didn¡¯t feel anything so I just continued to the bathroom.


    ¡°Good morning to you, too, grumpy.¡±


    I showered as fast as I could and left the bathroom. Heather watched me as I crossed the room and opened my suitcase. I searched through and found the perfect t-shirt and shorts for my day at the beach. I picked out some lotion and applied it to my skin, before letting the towel fall. Heather let out a low gasp after sighting my cock. I went on to put on underwear and the three quarter length shorts.


    She jumped out of bed. For a moment, I was worried she woulde and try to seduce me but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she picked up her toothbrush and went to the bathroom. I removed everything I needed from my suitcase that day and locked it. When I was in the living room, I called my deputy and other people who I wanted to delegate some work to.


    When I was done with the calls, I turned off my phone and ced it on the table before getting up to leave.


    ¡°Wait up,¡± Heather said, opening the door. She was dressed up in a short blue figure hugging dress. Her hair fell down the sides of her face and she had minimal makeup. She looked beautiful. Her beautiful legs were adorned by cute blue flip flops. ¡°Let¡¯s go have breakfast together.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said. She followed me out of the room and locked the door. We went to the elevator which took us to the resort¡¯s restaurant. To get to the restaurant, we had to pass by the lobby.


    When we reached the lobby, a well-dressed woman walked in with two body guards at her sides. I recognised her immediately. It was Ashley Kendall, the supermodel


    I had never thought I would be happy to see her, but that time I was. When I saw her, I saw the perfect chance to annoy Heather. How dare she ept to be part of the trip when she knew I wouldn¡¯t be happy? Anyone who allied with my mom was my foe at the time.


    Ashley smiled wide when she saw. I stopped walking, and so did Heather. Ashley came to us.


    ¡°Jake Rynd,¡± she said. ¡°What a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Pleasant, I could believe. But, I was very sure it was not a surprise for her to find me there. Ashley looked like the kind of woman who never left anything to chance. When she saw something, she hunted and killed it. The news of my vacation had been stered all over entertainment media. The fact she arrived that morning was not by chance.


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m very happy to see you here. How have you been??¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been alright,¡± Ashley said, tantly ignoring Heather. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much. We had a lot of fun at Illistra. We should get back together again like that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll now that we¡¯re both here in Catalina, that is a possibility I cannot wait to explore. You look amazing.¡±


    Heather looked like she was about to kill Ashley. I could tell that she was holding a lot of rage inside herself.


    Ashley smiled. ¡°I like that, sweetheart. Where are you off to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have breakfast,¡± I said. ¡°Would you like to join us, or you¡¯ll check in first.¡±


    She shook her little head. ¡°Check in? That¡¯s why I came with my assistant.¡± She turned. I followed her gaze to a young woman standing around several suitcases. ¡°Jenny will work on that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    If looks could kill, Ashley and I would be dead by now. Heather was shooting daggers at us as we headed to the restaurant. I ignored her and acted as if I was very happy to have Ashley¡¯spany. Actually, both of them were not that interesting. My vacation would have been a hundred times better if I was with Lilith Hellman. She had more depth than the two of thembined.


    We were in one of the best resorts in Catalina Ind. Our table was in the balcony and we had a perfect view of the sea nearby. The cool breeze felt very refreshing. Ashley¡¯s smile was the icing to the cake.


    To keep appearances, Heather stubbornly refused to move to another table so she could have peace. She was quiet for some time, until she lost it.


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± she asked Ashley. ¡°I don¡¯t believe your littlement. I doubt this was a surprise. How desperate can you be following a man around when he doesn¡¯t want you?¡±


    Ashleyughed at loud. ¡°Are you talking about yourself or what? As far as I can see, Jake is very happy that I¡¯m here. It looks like you¡¯re the one who is not wanted. How about you just leave so we can have fun?¡±


    Heather turned to me. ¡°Are you really going to just sit there and watch her talk to me like this?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I do not want to get involved in your issues. I¡¯m sorry but you two should act adults and stop bickering.¡±


    Heather stood up. ¡°You know what, I¡¯m not hungry anymore. Enjoy your time with her.¡±


    Ashley smiled.

 Friends

    LillyC0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    After breaking up with Jake, I decided to focus on work. As soon as he left Leah¡¯s house, I called our assistant editor to find out if there was any undercover job that needed to be done. Her answer was positive. Someone was needed to investigate a construction project for a government house. There were allegations of corruption and the people responsible were trying their hardest to squash the reports. I told her I would take the job and start as soon as possible. As soon as she confirmed that I could take it, is started doing my research.


    I was busy digging up and reading articles and reports when an entertainment news article notification popped up on my phone.


    ¡°Jake Rynd and Heather Martins Reportedly Back Together.¡±


    The news hit me like a tonne of bricks. It was like someone had inserted a de right through my heart. At first, I convinced myself that it was a clickbait article so I clicked on it to read what the article contained.


    The first thing I saw was a picture of Jake and Heather boarding a private jet. I thought it was an old picture. I read on.


    I nearly dropped the phone when I read that they had gone off to Catalina Ind.


    ¡°You¡¯re the most stupid girl in the world,¡± I told myself. It was my fault. I kept believing Jake¡¯s lies even when he continuously showed me that he was a man who couldn¡¯t be trusted. Now I was more than sure that Jake had been using me.


    It had been hours since we broke up and he had already moved on to another woman. I had begun to think I knew Jake but clearly I was clueless about him. I couldn¡¯t figure out what he wanted.


    Now I was beginning to understand that Jake was still in his yboy phase as I had reported in my articles. He just knew how to hide it. I had been right all along. Jake was nothing but a rich arrogant yboy, just like all the other rich men of his age. I had been so stupid to think that he would change for me. It is amon mistake that we women make a lot. We think that we¡¯re the one special girl who will finally change the bad boy. Someone once said you may think you can change the devil, but the devil changes you.


    I was so disappointed with myself. I tears welled in my eyes as I read the article that celebrated what they termed as Jake and Heather¡¯s love. I pitied Heather and all the other women who loved Jake. They were just like me, meant to be used by Jake as long as it was convenient for him, and dumped when he was done.


    I threw my phone across the room because I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I heard Leah running along the hallway and opening the door. She nced at me then at the corner where my phone had fallen. It was still intact.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That bustard, I fvcking hate him.¡±


    ¡°Who? Kyle?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Kyle is a hundred times better. He showed me his true colours from the state, and I made a choice to be with him despite knowing that. I had a choice, Leah. But Jake, he lied to me over and over again. I¡¯m so foolish that I believed it all. I bet he¡¯s there sipping wine with Heather Martins whileughing at me. I hate him.¡±


    On realising how serious the matter was, Leah came and sat with me, cing an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Why are you feeling so bad? You were the one who broke up with him? Do you regret it? I can call him for you if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want him. Why would I want a man who has lied to me about everything? He acts like a saint, yet he is the devil. I¡¯m so tired of dating, Leah. I don¡¯t think I can do this again. Maybe I was meant to be alone forever.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying nonsense. What happened anyway? I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°Check the news. That bastard went on a vacation with Heather right after I broke up with him.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s such a d! ck move. Honestly I¡¯m really surprised. Jake seemed to be into you. To be honest, I had stopped thinking he was as bad as you painted him in your articles. He¡¯s actually worse. Couldn¡¯t he even wait a day? Wow, I¡¯m so disappointed in that man.¡±


    ¡°Not more than me. I hate myself. I keep choosing all the wrong men. I¡¯m beginning to doubt whether good men actually exist in this world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, we have to get back at him for this. You have to go back to digging dirt on him. He did everything possible to make sure that you did not continue writing about him. That means that there¡¯s something he really wants to keep hidden. There is some information out there that can ruin that man. We just have to find it and we will get our revenge.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do that. Besides, Carrie Rynd maye after me if I do that. I¡¯m tired of that family, and I¡¯ll only find peace if I forget all about them. I¡¯m going to focus on my work now. My career will never leave me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go out tonight. Maybe you¡¯ll feel better with some alcohol and music.¡±


    I shook my head. I dint want to be in crowded ces with lots of people. ¡°I want to be alone. I¡¯d rather just stay here and wallow in my misery. I don¡¯t feel like being in a club right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be in my room if you need anything. I¡¯m trying to finish up some work that is due tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡±

 Facing mother

    Jake.


    I spent most of the day with Ashley while Heather sulked off and joined some group ofds. I knew she had called my mother who was most likely was angry at me for abandon her dream daughter inw. She was probably trying to call and threaten me every minute but unfortunately for her, my phone was switched off. She had no power over me without her threats.


    Ashley and I yed several games and toured the ind. Several paparazzi took pictures of us. I didn¡¯t even want to know what was going out there. Media houses were probably wondering which of the two women I wanted. I had been photographed with Heather at some point and then with Ashley. I didn¡¯t mind the attention, having gone numb.


    After losing Lilly, my heart had be numb and most of my emotions were off. That was why I was able to act callously to the two women around me. I did not care about them and their emotions. They were both adults who had chosen toe even though they knew I was not in love with any of them. They were free to up and leave.


    In the evening, I returned back to Heather and I¡¯s suite. She was seating on the couch looking like a tomato.


    ¡°When did you be so heartless?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My mother is the reason I cannot be with the woman I love. She is ckmailing me to be here with you. How do you think I feel?¡±


    Heather stood up. ¡°The woman you love? What do you mean by that? Are you in love with Ashley Kendall? What do you even see in her that I do not have?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I have no interest in Ashley. I just needed to be away from you since you have allied with my mother to ruin my life.¡±


    ¡°So, who is this woman that you love?¡±


    ¡°Lilith Hellman.¡±


    To my utter surprise, Heather broke intoughter. ¡°Jake, you¡¯re really funny. But thanks for that, I haven¡¯tughed all day.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, that¡¯s who I want.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Lilith Hellman is some in and annoying journalist. Her articles show just how much she despises you. She hates you. You hate her as well. I know that you asked your mother toe and deal with her. Jake, dot insult my intelligence. I don¡¯t think you can want a woman like Lilith. She is not even close to your type.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re my type?¡± I said, and chuckled. ¡°Please, you¡¯re the one I don¡¯t want. I can¡¯t see why I would date someone as shallow as you are. I only wanted to have fun with you, and I got bored in such a short time. That¡¯s real sad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not really, because I know you will get bored of Hellman fast as well. You still want to y around so no woman will ever be enough for you. You have not yet matured enough to settle down. I don¡¯t me you. You¡¯re a man and most of you mature after 35.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m immature. Now leave me alone.¡± I said and started walking to the bedroom. I needed my things. During the day, I had checked out the suit next to ours. The person who had been staying there and checked out so I booked it. The best thing about it was that it had an adjoining door. Only the staff would know that Heather and I were staying in different rooms and they were sworn to secrecy. I had to do it to keep my mother off my back.


    ¡°Your mother called,¡± Heather said after following me to the bedroom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°You¡¯ll care when you find out what she has to say,¡± Heather said before tapping on her phone. A voice recording started ying.


    ¡°You thought you could disobey me because you are faraway, but now I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t do anything stupid, son. I¡¯ll be watching.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of my mother. Sorry, Heather. I can¡¯t stay here with you anymore.¡±


    She watched as I carried my suitcase and carried it out. Picking up my phone, I went and opened the adjoining door. I winked at her as I closed the door. As soon as I got in, I removed myptop from my suitcase and turned it on. I had work to do and this silly vacation was not going to stop me. I managed to make an order for something I needed. A few minutester, there was a knock at the door. I received what I needed and closed it then went to take a shower.


    About two hourster, I heard someone knocking the adjoining door. I had showered and was enjoying a meal I had ordered. I ignored the knock, hoping the person would go away. They didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Jake Rynd, open this door.¡±


    It was my mother. This time, I did not feel scared, because I had a n. I stood up and went to unlock the door. She was standing there looking very angry.


    ¡°Oh hi, mother. I didn¡¯t know that you were here as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, I had toe and restore some sanity to your mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Come in.¡±


    As soon as my mother stepped in, I locked the door.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you hate her that much?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her,¡± I said. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being nice to me?¡± she asked with a frown before sitting down.


    ¡°Does a son need reasons to be nice to his mother?¡± I asked, going to sit next to her. ¡°I have been thinking about things, and I realised that you¡¯ve only been trying to help.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you got some sense.¡±


    Suddenly, I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and pressed it against her nose and mouth. She tried to resist me but I was stronger than her. Almost a minuteter, she started weakening and losing consciousness. She fell back on the couch.


    ¡°My work here is almost done,¡± I went to the dining table and removed a syringe and liquid from the bad that had been given to me. I siphoned some liquid and injected it to one of the veins on her hand. I had read the instructions and knew that it was safe. It would keep her out for a while.


    Time for me to have fun!

 Faded smile

    Lilly.


    The break up with Jake really messed me up. I had ced so much hope in the rtionship so I was shattered when it suddenly ended. I had not realised just how much I had grown to love him. I was so used to having him around that life seemed very bleak without him. I could barely sleep that night. By morning, I was feeling better but not good enough. I called in sick at work but the assistant editor threatened to take me off the undercover investigation team.


    I was, therefore, forced to get up and go to work. Iter realised that it was better that way. Distracting myself with work was better than dealing with all the pain while locked in a room. I wore a disguise and went to look for a job at the construction site. The manager imed there were no empty positions avable. They were probably careful because they knew they were being investigated.


    However, that did not stop me. I went to a nearby restaurant and waited for lunch time while I worked suing myptop. When lunch time reached, I went to the mobile food truck that had been stationed outside the site. I looked for a table with only males. I saw two on a table that was at the extreme end. I went there and sat with them. They started a conversation and by the end of lunch, the three of us wereughing like long lost friends. They gave me their numbers. As I left the ce, I knew that my work was as good as done. If I could get closer to them, I would surely find out some information about what went on at the site. The good thing I had given them my number as well.


    One of them called me that evening and we talked for a while. He was the cuter one. I was almost swayed by his charms but I reminded myself that dating was a no-go. I needed to stay single for a while to reconnect with my inner self.


    The next day we met up again. I found out that the other guy was married. The one who had called me was single and searching. We met in a barter that day and chatted about a lot of things. After a few drinks, he started blurting out things about the construction project that were not supposed to be known by outsiders. I felt bad for him but I recorder the whole conversation. I would delete it after converting the audio to text. And of course I would make sure that nobody found out that it was him who had spilled the beans.


    Towards the end of the night, he kissed me. I felt bad that I would be breaking his heart when I went MIA. He seemed like a nice bloke. He begged to go home with me, but I said no. I told him we needed to get to know each other first which he did not seem to like very much.


    It was when we were heading out that I got a surprise I had not been expecting.


    ¡°George!¡± a woman who was just arriving said cheerfully.


    George¡¯s face paled, like he had seen a ghost. ¡°Who are you?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The woman who was wearing a very short blue dress and long ck heelsughed. ¡°How dare you ask me that? Wait, is this the wife you say so many bad things about? Look here, wifey, this man and I have been having an affair for three months. He told me he had to take care of you tonight because you were ill. But as I see, he lied to me. I bet he lies to you as well, but then again, what¡¯s it to me, all I wanted was the money.¡±


    She danced her way into the bar while singing along to the song that was ying.


    ¡°You¡¯re married!¡± I turned to George.


    ¡°I can exin,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your exnations,¡± I said and stormed out. When I was out of his sight, I smiled. What a lucky escape. Now I didn¡¯t feel bad about recording him anymore. The man was already cheating on his wife with one woman, and he wanted to add me to the list. What a bastard.


    I went back home and started the transcription. I worked untilte at night. When I was about to sleep, my phone rang. It was Jake. I wanted to reach out and answer but I remembered what he had done to me. If he thought he could do whatever he wanted and I would always take him back, he was dead wrong. I no longer wanted anything to do with him. In fact, his call was inconveniencing. I had been trying to forget him and it had been going well until he called to remind me of the heartache.


    I took the phone in my hands and turned it off. That chapter of my life was done. I had to move on and start loving myself instead of giving too much power over me to other people.


    The next morning, Kyle called me. After a short inner debate, I decided to answer.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said.


    ¡°How are you doing, Lilly?¡± he said. ¡°It has been a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aright, thanks for asking. I hope you¡¯re okay, too.¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t. Have a nice day, Kyle.¡±


    I was not going to fall for the ex-trap again. I had experienced how terrible Kyle could get and I did not want that in my life again. I assumed he called me because the other woman had run off. Yeah, I was not going to be the one girl desperate enough to put up with that bad attitude.


    As I got myself ready, I decided to embrace singlehood for a while. It was time to forget about men and focus on myself and my career. As I headed to the door, I shook my head to a nice song that was ying on the Bluetooth device attached to my ear. I was smiling because the lyrics were making me happy.


    I unlocked the door and pulled it open. The smile on my face quickly faded when I saw who was standing there. I tried to close the door but it was toote. I resorted to screaming out loud.

 Playing them

    Lilly¡¯s POV


    Because of my loud scream, some doors opened. Kyle quickly entered and pushed us in before closing the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. My scream froze in my throat.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Hey,dy. What¡¯s going on in there?¡± one of the neighbours asked from outside my door.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell them that everything is alright,¡± Kyle told me. He went and leaned against the wall while pointing the gun at me. He chose to stand on the part that would be behind the door if someone opened it.


    I was going to open the door and run for my dear life when he held up a photo. I gasped. It was a photo of Amy. That implied that I had to everything he wanted or he would harm her. I faked a smile and threw the door open.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I began. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for disturbing you. It¡¯s just that my boyfriend surprised me. I¡¯m so sorry for inconveniencing you this morning.¡±


    ¡°That scream was not one of surprise,¡± a dark skinned woman said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Kyle said, appearing behind me. He was holding a beautiful ring I had never seen before. ¡°This is what made her scream. I proposed and she was so excited.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that all is good, miss?¡± a man asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said and put my hand around Kyle¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Okay,¡± thedy said. ¡°Please don¡¯t scream again like that unless it¡¯s a matter of life and death. Don¡¯t be like the boy who cried wolf. People maye to your rescue in case something is really wrong because of things like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I wish you a great day.¡±


    When they were gone, Kyle closed the door before turning the key to lock it.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Kyle?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to get you back,¡± he said casually. ¡°I still love you. I have tried but I can¡¯t forget you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend? What do you need me for?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I thought I could move, love another but in the end, I realised you are the only woman I want.¡±


    ¡°Kyle, you have a gun and my niece¡¯s picture. What are you nning?¡±


    He shook his head and came close to me. I took some steps backward, feeling disgusted and scared at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just told you I love you. If I love, I can¡¯t harm you. I know that you still love me but you were a bit scared because of some rumours. Darling, if you just forget about that nonsense, we can go back to how we are.¡±


    ¡°So you thought that bringing a gun was the best way to show me how much of a good guy you are?¡± I asked. ¡°Things can never be the same between us, especially after today. You held a real gun to my face. That¡¯s not something I can just forget. I don¡¯t think anyone can forget that.¡±


    Kyle dug into his pocket and pulled out the photo of Amy. ¡°I knew you would be like this. That¡¯s why I opted for n B. I did research on your family, and found out that you have a beautiful little niece. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if she died?¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes and I began to feel helpless. ¡°Please Kyle, if you have issues with me, let them be with me alone. I will be with you if you want. Just leave my family out of this. You don¡¯t have to involve them because they have yed no part in this. Do whatever you want to me but leave them alone. Promise me that you will not touch them and I¡¯ll be yours for as long as you want.¡±


    Kyle smiled and took two steps forward. He grabbed my left hand, lifted it and kissed the back of it. I felt disgusted but I tried not to show it. ¡°Now we¡¯re getting somewhere. I knew that you were a sensible woman. You know what¡¯s good for you. That makes you even sexier.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise to leave them alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lilly. As long as you do what is right, there¡¯s no problem. Now let¡¯s go have breakfast before you go to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bete if I start making breakfast now.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about making it?¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a coffee shop at the end of the corner. We can go there and I¡¯ll drive you to work.¡±


    Kyle followed me out of the room and waited as I closed the door. I thought of running but I remembered the photo and gun he had concealed. I did not want to put Amy in danger. This was very unfair to her. She was an innocent girl who had done no wrong but kept getting dragged into messes by her silly aunt who had no knowledge in discerning people¡¯s true colours until it was toote.


    I blinked when we exited the building. There were about five paparazzi. As soon as we exited the building, they started taking photos of us. Is there a sex tape of me online, I wondered? When did I be a celebrity?


    ¡°Hey Lilith,¡± a woman with a microphone said while holding it towards my face. ¡°Do you think Jake Rynd loves Heather or Ashley?¡±


    I continued to walk. Kyle took my hand in his annoying me more than the paparazzi.


    ¡°Hey Miss Hellman, are you dating this man?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hellman, why haven¡¯t you reported on Jake Rynd.¡±


    ¡°Miss Hellman, you¡¯re not a celebrity so stop acting like one. So freaking arrogant. Why are we even here going after this loser?¡±


    I was a bit relieved when we got to Kyle¡¯s car. He opened my door before going to his side and then driving off.


    ¡°That idiot has brought you so many problems,¡± Kyle said.


    ¡°Idiot? Since when did you start seeing him as one? Last I checked, you were worshipping the ground he walked on.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing.¡±


    ¡°You said he was a great guy.¡±


    ¡°See, this is why I like you. You actually listen.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I wondered why the media people hade to my apartment building. Why would they start asking me about Jake now? I was pretty sure someone had sent them but couldn¡¯t tell who it was. I could not fathom what the goal might be. Was it Mrs. Rynd? The media had reported that she had gone to Catalina to join Jake and his two women.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe how Jake had fooled me into believing he was a good man. A man who would take two men on vacation right after breaking up with another was the most despicable one. The fact that he was able to hide his nature so well spoke volumes about his wickedness. I was relieved to have got rid of him, although that brought back a monster that deserved to be behind prison bars.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± Kyle suddenly said. ¡°You said there was nothing going on between you and Jake Rynd, and yet you slept with the man right after chasing me away from your apartment.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s true. I only knew that he came to your apartment. I was not sure of what went down. You disappoint me so much, Lilly. You are so intelligent yet you keep choosing the worst kind of men.¡±


    ¡°You mean like you.¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d watch my tone. Jake was the worst mistake you ever made. I¡¯m a man, Lilly. I told you that a man like that wouldn¡¯t settle with someone like you. I know how men¡¯s brains work because I¡¯m one. But, you chose to be stubborn. I guess you did what they mean by following your heart. You did not think about what you were doing and that was a very big mistake.


    Jake Rynd is not the kind of man that you can settle with. All he wants to do is have fun, just like the way he is doing with those two women. He is ying them against themselves, using them to make himself interesting. That¡¯s why the press will eat up anything about Jake. That¡¯s why they came to you. You brought Jake to the limelight and put focus on him. Everyone is wondering why you¡¯re not writing about him. They have no idea that you fell in love with him and that¡¯s why you can¡¯t say anything bad about him.¡±


    I was relieved that was what he assumed. At least, he did not know the truth. We arrived at the coffee shop and I couldn¡¯t have opened the door faster.


    I thought breaking up with Jake would bring back stability to my life. Instead, my life was starting to get rocky again. When would I ever get peace?

 Ruining the vacation

    Jake.


    My mother thought she could ruin my vacation, but instead got hers ruined. She hade to threaten me but got silenced in the best way possible. After she tried to ckmail me with something she knew would destroy me, I did not feel an ounce of love for her. i epted that there was no point in trying to change her. No amount of love and niceness would lighten her dark heart. I realised that she only cared about herself. I was not going to let her continue to use me to get what she wanted. This was my life and I was in charge of it.


    Ashley and I were from swimming when we found Heather standing outside her hotel room, scrolling through her face.


    ¡°Where is Mrs. Rynd?¡± she asked me. ¡°What did you do to her?¡±


    Iughed so hard, throwing my head back. ¡°How pathetic can you get? Better pack your things and return home because I can tell that you will not enjoy this vacation. It¡¯s too bad that the person you called to help you in your evil ns bailed on you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mrs. Rynd would leave just like that. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°You amuse me so much, heather martins. The person you¡¯re talking about is my mother, not yours. What I do with my mother is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to the authorities,¡± she said.


    ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯teining when everyone starts to think you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s not actually crazy?¡± Ashley said and we both bellowed loud. I wound an arm around Ashley, pulled her close and kissed her beautiful pink lips. ¡°You¡¯re so amazing.¡±


    ¡°So are you,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Now you¡¯ve got me all hot and bothered. You gotta finish what you started.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± I said. I had no intentions of sleeping with Ashley or any other woman apart from Lilith Hellman but I enjoyed the games Ashley and I were ying on heather and my mother. What I loved most were the expressions on their faces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad, Jake. I¡¯m starting to wonder why I even like you. You¡¯re a miserable jerk.¡±


    Ashley and Iughed out loud again.


    ¡°Does a miserable personugh like this?¡± Ashley asked.


    Heather opened the door and went into her suite. We went to the next door and opened it. Stepping inside, I was relieved that my mother was where we had left her, tied to a chair and looking like she wanted to murder someone. She had tried to move the heavy chair but seemed to have had little sess. That metallic chair seemed to be mad of the heaviest metal. Her lips were taped with duct tape.


    ¡°Oh my God, your mother is here!¡± Ashley said as I went to the bedroom to change my clothing. I had not yet told her mother was in the room.


    I hated having to do that to my own mother, but a mother who had done all the things my mother had done to me did not deserve any respect. Every time I tried to put her past evil behind, she found more bad things to do. She had disappointed me so many times but I had not got used to the hurt that disappointment always inflicted on me.


    When I returned, Ashley was looking very uneasy. Since she did not have a phone, I was sure she had not told anyone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re feeling bad for a woman you don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll tell you one thing. She is very wicked. What she is going through is nothingpared to what she had put my father and me through. She has ruined other people¡¯s lives too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stay here, Jake.¡±


    I walked to where she was. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t want to go out there and report this. She¡¯s my mother and I¡¯ll not do anything bad to her. If I wanted, I would have done it already. She knows that too. That¡¯s why she¡¯s very calm. You have nothing to worry about. But if you tell this to anyone, your expensive lifestyle Amy not be the only thing you have to worry about.¡±


    I turned to mother. She looked like she was trying tomunicate something.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Ashley said.


    I grabbed her wrist. ¡°What is wrong? Did something happen between you and this woman?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ashley said.


    I turned to my mother. She was nodding vigorously.


    ¡°I need to get to the bottom of this,¡± I said and went to lock the door.


    ¡°Please, Jake. I have something to do right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you will have to wait,¡± I said. I went and ripped the duct tape of my mother¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Huh, son. You think your mother is evil but you¡¯re with the devil incarnate.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who told me about you and Lilith. I wonder how she knew but she revealed it. Wanted money in exchange for the information but wasn¡¯t too smart.¡±


    I turned to Ashley in stupefied silence. I had thought my mother found out about my rtionship from a person she had sent to tail me. To hear that it was Ashley really shocked me.


    ¡°It was you,¡± I said.


    No answer. That meant she was guilty.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Jake, don¡¯t do this.¡± She said.


    ¡°That girl has been tailing you all along,¡± my mother said. ¡°What do you expect from a desperate woman like that? That¡¯s why I need to choose a woman for you, Jake. I know women very well and can tell when one is not good for you. All these supermodels are nothing but wh0res.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I¡¯m still waiting for an exnation. How did you know that Lilly and I were secretly dating?¡±


    ¡°Okay, your mother is right. I had someone follow you. I¡¯m sorry. I know it was a big mistake but I did it because I loved you so much and couldn¡¯t stop myself.¡±


    ¡°You know what? Get out. I can¡¯t deal with all this now.¡±


    Suddenly, we heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s the police, please open this door right now.¡±


    What?


    ¡°Jake Rynd, we know you¡¯re in there. So, is Mrs. Rynd.¡±


    I turned to Ashley. ¡°Help me. Let¡¯s untie her.¡±


    Ashley and I quickly untied my mother from the chair. I grabbed all the ropes and duct tape strips, went to the bedroom and threw them under the bed before returning. By the time I got back to the room, my mother had opened door.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, officers?¡± she asked the fat woman and her tall male colleague.


    ¡°We were informed that you were being held here without your consent,¡± the woman said. ¡°But it looks like everything here is okay.¡±


    My mother left. ¡°Did you know that this is my son¡¯s suite?¡±


    ¡°We heard that your son was the one holding you?¡± the man said.


    Carrie Rynd chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. My son loves me very much. He would never do something like that to his own mother.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Looks like it was a false rm. We shall leave now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, officers.¡± I said. ¡°Who raised the rm, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t give you that information,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Let me guess, Heather Martins next door. Never mind her, she¡¯s jealous that I started dating someone else.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the woman said.


    The officers left immediately. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of that girl,¡± my mother said, going to unlock the adjoin door. We heard a shuffle of footsteps running away. When the door was opened, heather was seated on the couch pretending to be reading a magazine.


    ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± She said, standing up.


    My mother went to the room, giving me the chance to lock the door and copse on the couch. Now that she was on her feet again, my ns were crushed.


    ¡°You need to leave,¡± I told Ashley.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My mother is very dangerous,¡± I told her. ¡°If you¡¯re wise, you better go and pack up your things and leave the ind. I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you because of me.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself, Jake. I have been in terrible situations so many times and managed to get out of them.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Well, do as you please. Don¡¯t me me if anything goes wrong.¡±


    Ashley came and sat next to me. She moved really close and kissed me. I let her kiss me for a while before pushing her away.


    ¡°You¡¯re still in love with her, huh?¡± she said, giving me a sad look.


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So were you just ying around me?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I sighed. ¡°Ashley, stop acting like a little girl. You were the one who caused all this when you told my mother about my rtionship. You¡¯re not a victim so shut up and leave me alone.¡±


    She stood up. ¡°I love you, Jake. Never forget that.¡±


    Had I been in a better mood, I would haveughed. What a naked lie. My phone began to ring and I went to pick it up.


    ¡°Jake!¡± my mother¡¯s sharp voice permeated through the walls.

 The other family

    Lilly.


    The house was located near the road, a regr suburban house with a white picket fence and a flower garden in the front.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Mum is waiting.¡±


    I opened the door and stepped out. I was feeling weary, tired of Kyle¡¯s constant abuse with no way out. He had to go as far as making me meet his parents yet he knew that I was not in love with him.


    He locked the car and we walked up the pathway leading to the porch. When we got to the door, he opened it and ushered me inside.


    ¡°Mum,¡± he called out.


    A woman came from the kitchen, wearing a blue apron. She was a woman of small stature, and had brown skin. Her hair was short and cropped. She looked to be in her forties.


    ¡°Lilly, right.¡± She said with a weing smile. I faked one. ¡°Wee home. Kyle has told me so much about you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you and put a face to the name that my son loves so much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Munther. Kyle has only said good things about you.¡±


    Lie. Kyle had never told me anything about his father. He always talked more about his father. He seemed to hate his father. Apparently the father always insisted he should have a proper career instead of doing blue cor jobs.


    ¡°How are you son?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, happy to be here.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you offer your woman a seat? Are you going to let her stand the whole time?¡±


    Kyle chuckled. ¡°Lilly, please take a seat. Where¡¯s dad?¡±


    ¡°He was called for ast minute meeting.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Or he didn¡¯t want to see me.¡±


    ¡°No, your father wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± The woman said as she went to the kitchen. Kyle followed her and I was left around. I used the chance to look around and observe the area around me. The living room was mainly in. It had brown couches and a ck centre table. There were some pictures of Kyle, his mother and the man I assumed to be his father. They looked like a normal family. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint what might have turned Kyle into the psycho he was.


    We had a good lunch and conversation with Mrs. Munther. She seemed like a really nice woman and Kyle was veryfortable around her. She did not seem like the secretly abusive person like her son. I wondered if she knew what kind of person her son had grown up to be or she had no clue and thought I loved him.


    After lunch, Kyle drove me back to my apartment. As soon as he left, I went out and got into a taxi that took me to a suburban town. I kept looking behind to make sure no vehicle was following me. When I reached, I look for a tech shop. I was able to find the things I wanted in the first shop. After spending nearly all of my pay check, I returned home and installed the cameras and microphones in ces where Kyle wouldn¡¯t notice. I knew that I was doing something really dangerous. If he found out, he would probably kill me. But, I was fed up and needed to try something to get out of the mess I was in.


    When everything was in order, I went and started watching TV, waiting for Kyle toe. Kyle arrived an hourter. I was lounging on the couch when he opened the door and walked in.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. I had given up pretending to be happy and he seemed not to care if I was happy or sad. Since I wanted to seem natural, I acted the way I¡¯d been acting all week.


    He ced a bag of food on the table, and came and kissed my cheek. I twisted my face. When he was done, he sat down and ced his hand on myp. He had not tried to touch me since we got back together so I was shocked by it. He had been keeping his distance for most part.


    ¡°Kyle, I¡¯m not feeling well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of waiting for you toe around. I decided to leave you alone for some time hoping you¡¯d change your mind but it seems I¡¯ll have to take charge.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t force me to do anything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just let me do what I want. Besides, it¡¯s not force if I¡¯m your boyfriend. You left the door open for me toe in, which means you don¡¯t really mind.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that you threatened me?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like this. I promise not to take long. If you want, I¡¯ll take only a minute.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± I said.


    Suddenly, he pulled me to him by force. I tried to fight him but he was too strong. Eventually, I gave up and started crying while he removed my torn top. Suddenly, I lost it and started screaming out loud. I had already felt his pockets and knew he had note with the gun.


    ¡°Shut up¡± he yelled. ¡°Or I¡¯ll kill that beautiful niece of yours.¡±


    I screamed louder until the door opened and three neighbours rushed in. Kyle saw that he was outnumbered and tried to run to the balcony. One of the men rushed forward and grabbed him by the cor. The man was very big and strong. Compared to him, Kyle was an ant.


    I broke down and went to sit on the couch. The woman who hade to my rescue the other time came and held me. She grabbed a scarf from the other couch and covered me. I looked at the man who captured Kyle. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already called the police,¡± another man walked in with a phone in hand. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°This man tried to assault the young woman.¡±


    I heard sirens and felt better knowing that they were going to take Kyle where he belonged. A few minutester, the police were in my apartment putting handcuffs on Kyle¡¯s hands and taking statements from the neighbours and me. They asked to go with me and Kyle to the station.


    ¡°I have something we can go with,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°I knew that he was going to try something sooner orter. We got back because he threatened to kill my niece and I¡¯ve been scared since the.¡±


    ¡°I knew something was up the day you screamed,¡± my neighbour said.


    ¡°I knew you wanted to help but I was so scared of him. Could you please get up?¡± I told her before running to my bedroom where I got myptop from under the bed. I saved the recording ad brought it along.


    As everyone watched, I overturned the couch and pulled out an audio recording device.


    ¡°Step back,¡± a policeman said, quickly putting on gloves. ¡°I¡¯ll get it. Johnny take the photographs first.¡±


    We held the couch in ce as the policeman called Johnny took photographs. When it was done, the other one removed the microphone and threw it into an evidence bag. ¡°You have the audio file?¡±


    I nodded then walked to my reading table in the corner. I dipped my hand in one of my vases and pulled out a tiny camera. The camera had a video saving feature so the footage was already saved. It needed to be plugged to aputer to be viewed. It was also put in the evidence bag.


    As the police car drove us to the station, I felt much relived. My risky move had yielded great results. I was proud of myself and hoped Kyle would be locked up for as long as possible. He did not deserved to be free.


    I dialled Leah¡¯s number and informed her. She said she¡¯d set off for the station immediately. When we got to the station, i was taken to an interrogation room alone to give my statement. The officers first needed to hear what I was using Kyle of before interrogating him. They had collected the testimonies from the witnesses at the apartment.


    I told the police everything, all that had happened since I had met Kyle. The kind hearted cop did not seem to judge me though I feared he was thinking I was the most foolish woman in the world.


    After my interrogation, I was released. I met Leah in the waiting room.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that you were going after Kyle. You know I¡¯d have helped you without second thought.¡±


    ¡°I knew I just wanted to do it on my own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you got him. Congrattions, girl.¡±

 The wrong man

    Lilly.


    Kyle got what he deserved, a long sentence. The evidence I presented and the testimonies from my neighbours were the final lead to the coffin. His past was dug up and more women came up to testify against him. They had been so afraid of what he¡¯d do to them. There was even case in which he almost murdered a woman and was seen by witnesses. Some people who testified came from his town. When the judge announced that he had been found guilty, we all rejoiced. The 40 years of jail time he was given were sufficient. By the time he came out, he¡¯d be 66 and people would know what kind of person he was so they could stay away from him.


    I was too relived that the psycho was finally out of my life. Now I could live a normal life. Kyle was out. Jake was out. It was just me, alone. The best part about it was that I was not scared. Being alone seemed so good, my life would be so much better without all drama rtionships had caused me. Had I just focused on my career, none of that would have happened. Since I didn¡¯t want any moreplications, I decided singlehood was the best option.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The bus was fairly quiet. Some people were chatting andughing but most of us were lost in our thoughts. Had Athena not been in the bus, it would have been a very different story. But, with the boss around, everyone was on their best behaviour.


    The resort soon came into view. It was a beautiful ce with well cut grass, big rocks, homely little houses and a very clear view of theke. We all grabbed our backpacks and stumbled out of the bus.


    We had gone there for a team building exercise, which is more like an excuse for employees to hang out and have fun. Team building was supposed to bring together people who worked together and help them know more about each other. This helps in bringing them closer, strengthening work rtionships and thereby increasing productivity. If you work with people you don¡¯t know well, you¡¯re more likely to be wary around them. There will be little trust and you will not feel very safe, and that can affect work.


    ¡°Wee to Alpine¡¯s resort,¡± Kady said. She was the human resources manager at The Daily Paper. ¡°This is an amazing ce but remember we havee for a team building exercise and not to have fun willy-nilly. There will be no wandering off without permission. Until weplete the necessary sessions, we will all be together. This will end at 4pm. After that, you¡¯re free to go wherever you want. The bus will return with those who wanna go back to the city. Those who want to continue their weekend over here are so free to do so. Now, we shall all move to the tent for the introductory session. Once that is over, you will be told where to go next. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    We went into the tent and sat on the arranged seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cool here,¡± Leahmented.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Before you settle down, we shall pick out some folded papers. These papers have been ced in this bowl randomly. Inside each of these papers is either letter A or O. Those who will A will sit on the column on the eastern side of the tent. Those who get O will sit on the other side. We can¡¯t have people from the same departments seated next to each.  We definitely can¡¯t have friends seated together. You¡¯re supposed to get to know other people in thepany, not fraternize with those you already know.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°That sucks.¡±


    ¡°I know right,¡± Leah said. ¡°This is so annoying. I came to have fun, not to sit next to people I don¡¯t know.¡±


    A woman who was seated in front of us turned to face us. ¡°Well, you came for the wrong reasons, darling.¡±


    Leah just rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± I told her right before the woman turned away.


    Kady started moving around with her bowl. When she had passed us, we unfolded our papers.


    ¡°I got an O,¡± Leah said. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s an A.¡±


    The woman at the frontughed out loud. We were pretty sure it had something to do with us getting separated.


    When the papers had all been distributed, we all went to our designated positions. Each of the columns had four rows, and each of the rows had four chairs. Luckily for me, I didn¡¯t have to go anywhere since I was already seated on the eastern side and at the edge of the tent. I could only have a neighbour on one side.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    I looked to my right where the voice hade from. A very handsome young man was taking the chair next to mine. He also smelled perfect.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice to hear.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Your career has been very interesting. Ever since you wrote about Jake Rynd, you¡¯ve always found yourself on the news one way or another. Yet, the rest of us have remained unknown despite writing for years. You¡¯re lucky. I wonder why you stay and work for thispany yet you allegedly get offers trickling in all the time.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I wish you knew the whole story. My life has been a mess since I started writing about that men. Sometimes I wish I had never started the whole thing. It was fun at first but it hasn¡¯t been too goodtely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to feel about that.¡±


    ¡°I can see that some of you have already started getting along with each other,¡± Kady said. ¡°While some are acting like they¡¯re with people they¡¯ve never seen in their whole lives. Leah, why do you look so gloomy? Is Lilith Hellman the only person you can talk to?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leah replied. I raised my head to look at her and nearly burst intoughter when I saw who she was seated with. She was with thedy who had just been mocking us. I could see why Leah looked like she was about to murder somebody.¡±


    ¡°I admire you and your friend,¡± the guy next to me said. ¡°You people seem so close. Too bad she had to be moved away, but good for me because I would never have got the chance to talk with you if that had not happened.¡±


    ¡°You never told me your name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Matt Jenkins, from the finance news department.¡±


    The session soon got serious, but fun at the same time. Even Athena joined in. I had never seen the fun side of Athena before. I thought it didn¡¯t exist, but was pleasantly surprised that day. As we all interacted, I got to know more about the people I worked with. Theyers people did not show in the office showed up and it was nice.


    To be honest, I enjoyed the session more because of the person next to me. Matt was not only good lucking but had a great sense of humour. He cracked jokes that made meugh a lot, sometimes excessively. During those times, Athena would give me an evil eye that shut me up immediately.


    Overall, it was great. When we went for a tea break, Matt and I sat at the same table. After getting a cup of tea and a piece of cake, Leah joined us.


    ¡°Hey, you looked so moody,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hate that woman,¡± Leah said. ¡°Can you imagine, she followed me and insisted she wanted to sit next to me? I even moved away and she followed me again. She¡¯s so annoying. I wonder what she wants from me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s a sadist. When you show those kinds of people that their behaviour is affecting you negatively, they continue so as to infuriate you. Pretend that her actions have no power over you. She¡¯ll get bored soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Leah smiled at matt. ¡°Not only are you hot and handsome, you¡¯re also wise.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t read too much into it. When I see a man with Lilly, I get scared of them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, why don¡¯t you tell us the reason?¡± I added.


    ¡°Because, most of the guys you date are nice at first, but turn into psychos. Look at Jake Rynd, Kyle¡­¡± Leah gasped and her palm flew to her mouth.


    My heart skipped a beat. No one was supposed to know that Jake and I had dated, not especially a person who wrote for the paper.


    Leahughed nervously. ¡°What did I say? Jake? Oh no, she only had a huge crush on him but look, he turned out to be such a womanizer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I always crush on the wrong men,¡± I said, ncing at Matt, hoping that would fool him.

 Too many men

    Jake.


    Usually arriving home was a good thing for me, but that that day it gave me a feeling of dread. There was a party going on so I went in through the back. My mother and her annoying friends were having the time of their lives in my house. It was infuriating but unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it.


    I managed to get upstairs without being noticed by anyone, or so I thought. I was reaching out to open my door, d that no one had seen me when I heard my name. My face fell as I turned to face the familiar voice.


    ¡°What do you want now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in your house,¡± she stated. ¡°It would be so rude for you not to say anything to the guests. Could you please freshen up ande downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I feel tired. Besides, you did not tell me about this party. You can¡¯t just ambush me and expect me to roll with the flow.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do.¡± She said. ¡°And you know better than to disobey me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said, opening the door and walking in. I heard the click of her red heels against the floor as she walked away. A feeling of dread consumed me as I undressed and went to the shower. I decided to use the coldest temperature because I needed something to focus on other than the annoying predicament I was in.


    After showering and dressing up, I sat on bed for a while before deciding to and get over with it. It seemed my mother wasn¡¯t going to rest until she made my life a living hell.


    The living room was full of women. Some were drinking, others talking and dancing. When they saw me at the top of the stairs, there was a hush as the room quietened down. The murmuring died. Had it not been for the music ying, it would have been dead silent.


    There were older rich women of my mother¡¯s age and a few younger ones, friends of Heather. She was standing at one end of the living room. When she saw me, she hurried towards the stairs. When I got at the foot of the staircase, she hugged me. ¡°Baby, I didn¡¯t know you were back.¡±


    I faked a smile because everyone was staring at us. Heather pulled away and looked into my eyes with a sweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. Should I get you a drink, or something to eat?¡±


    ¡°A drink would be nice,¡± I said. She turned on her heels and headed to the makeshift bar area. I looked around to see which group of people I could go and chat with while I waited for heather.


    ¡°Jake, sweetie,¡± my mother said.  She was standing with three women. ¡°Come over here. I¡¯d like to introduce you to my friends.¡±


    I walked over to where she was and she started introducing me to them. Just as the introductions were ending, heather arrived with my drink. A wide smile was stered on her face. I tried to force smiles while talking to thedies because I knew it was not their fault that my mother was a neurotic b! tch.


    ¡°When are you two tying the knot?¡± Mrs. Coslow, a frail woman of about sixty said. She was wearing a pant suit and had her grey hair tied up in a loose ponytail.


    Heather¡¯s smile shone brighter when she heard that. She dropped a peck on my lips before stepping back and handing me a ss of wine. ¡°Here¡¯s your drink, darling. I hope you like it.¡±


    ¡°Look at that,¡± my mother said, smiling widely. ¡°What a fine young woman. My son, you¡¯re indeed lucky to have her. I hope that you two will consider making things official soon. You look great together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence,¡± Miss Anders said. ¡°Herees Annie Presley, the newsdy.¡±


    Annie Presley lifted her camera and started taking photos of everyone. I didn¡¯t even bother faking a smile. My mother smiled like she was having the best time ever. ¡°Thank youdies and gentlemen.¡± Annie said when she was done. ¡°I hope you¡¯re having a great time.¡±


    ¡°Annie,¡± my mother said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be taking photos of this event. This is just family and friends enjoying the evening together. There¡¯s no need for it to be all over the news.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I knew she had invited Anne Presley. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Rynd but please let me use the photos. My editor has been on my neck for a while now and I really need to produce something good.¡±


    ¡°Okay dear, if you insist. Try not to paint us in bad light.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°You know I won¡¯t,¡± Annie said. ¡°Besides, I admire you very much, Mrs. Rynd. You¡¯re an amazingdy and it would be hard to find something bad to say against you and everyone here.¡±


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. She was such an a** licker. The type of friends you have says a lot about you. Anyone with an evil friend like mother couldn¡¯t possibly be a very good person. Even if you started off as one, she would corrupt you until you began to see evil as good.


    After Annie was gone, I decided to leave as well. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to go now. Thank you all foring to my house and I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.¡±


    The women wished me the same.


    Heather followed me up the stairs. ¡°Do you really think my mother will always control me like this?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°Because once she no longer has control over me, you will never be anywhere next to me.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I know, but that won¡¯t be happening any time soon.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You have no idea, but please, enjoy while itsts because when it¡¯s over, you¡¯ll be history to me.¡±


    We had reached the door to my room. I stopped and faced her. ¡°You can go now. Everyone will think I¡¯m tired and your fake reputation as my girlfriend remains intact.¡±


    She stepped forward, getting closer to me. ¡°Do you seriously hate me that much? Come on, Jake. We always had such a good time together. Why don¡¯t we try again? If you don¡¯t want me anymore, let¡¯s have goodbye sex.¡±


    ¡°When I say I don¡¯t want you, it means I also don¡¯t want to have sex with you. If you hadn¡¯t teamed up with my mother to make me miserable, I wouldn¡¯t mind. I¡¯d still jump in bed with you but after getting me entangled in all this drama, nothing like that will ever happen again.¡±


    Heather sighed. ¡°I love you, Jake. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. I¡¯m also scared of your mother. What would she do if I said no? You know how she is.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with her and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say I say no and she doesn¡¯t do anything to me. What will she do? Won¡¯t she get another girl to y the part I¡¯m ying? Would you rather it be a stranger? You know I¡¯m doing you a big favour. You better start being fvcking grateful.¡±


    After speaking, she turned and started walking away. I stared after her, mulling over her words. Come to think of it, some of what she said was true. She was so much better than a random stranger. I wondered if there was something my mother was holding against her. That woman did not have to work hard to turn people against each other. Deciding to ignore their antics, I decided to go inside. I opened my door and went into my room.


    I frowned when I saw a woman standing by my bedside drawer. She was wearing a long ck dress, hugging her curves in all the right ces. She was tall and skinny. I stood at the door for a few seconds, wondering which of Heather¡¯s friends had wandered into my room.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    She turned.


    ¡°Ashley? How did you get here?¡±

 The beautiful woman

    Jake.


    Ashley¡¯s smile was wide and beautiful. Her lips were painted bright red and her dress showed a very generous amount of cleavage.


    ¡°My mother hates you,¡± I said. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    She turned and picked up a face mask and showed it to me with an evil grin on her face. She looked like aplete sociopath doing that.


    ¡°You went through all that trouble just to get into my room? I have not forgotten what you did to me so you better get out before my mood changes.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been picking up my calls,¡± she said. ¡°I had to do something to get your attention.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in you,¡± I told her. ¡°The truth is I was only using you to annoy Heather and my mother while we were on that trip. Now, I don¡¯t care. And after knowing what you did to me and Ci, I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near you. I hate you because you ruined the one good thing in my life.¡±


    ¡°I know you feel that way, and I wanted to stay away as well, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m pregnant and I know the child is yours.¡±


    I have neverughed so much in my entire life. Iughed so hard that I had to go and sit on the bed. ¡°You must think I¡¯m a real fool, don¡¯t you? During the trip at Catalina Ind, you and I never had sex. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re pregnant but that¡¯s not my responsibility. Look for the father or pin it on some foolish guy. It¡¯s not going to be me. Just get out, I want to rest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that time, fool. It would be too soon to tell anyway. I think I conceived when we were at Illistra.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You seemed like an intelligent woman but I can see that you¡¯re the average fool. We used protection during our time there. You see, I have dealt with a lot of women of your type.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what happened but I got pregnant. I haven¡¯t been with anyone since then.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Iughed harder. ¡°Judging by the way you threw yourself at me on the day we met, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been keeping your legs closed. You know who the father of your child is, that¡¯s if you¡¯re actually pregnant. I can¡¯t believe I returned home for this kind of nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been with anyone ever since that day.¡±


    ¡°What about before?¡±


    ¡°I had been alone for a while.¡±


    I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door before throwing her out of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this stupid drama.¡±


    I went and picked up her purse, opened the door and tossed it outside. This was my house and I was tired of letting people walk all over me. I sat on the bed and realised that I was not going to have any peace. I stood up, picked up my wallet and went out before closing door. I did not even bother using the back staircase. I went through the main one and marched through the living room. Several eyes turned my way. Understandable considering that I was the only man in a sea of women.


    When I was outside, I jumped into my car and started driving. I drove around the city before I decided to go to the one ce I wanted to be at. After parking my car by the street so that my driver could pick it up if things went well, I went into the apartment building. As I climbed up the stairs, I thought about leaving countless times but kept blocking it. I needed to see her, even if it would only be for a second, before she threw me out.


    I knocked on the door a few times but received no answer. After sometime, I heard the sound of footsteps. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Jake.¡±


    There was silence on the other side for a few seconds. And then the door opened. There she was, my soft beauty. She was wearing a red nightie that ended mid-thigh. It was silk material and I could see her nipples straining against the material. A warm, sexy feeling spread through my entire body, my blood running to one part. I wanted to pull her close and kiss those fresh pouty lips.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here, Jake.¡± She said. ¡°It is too dangerous and you know it. Please, leave.¡±


    I could see that she was fighting a lot of emotion but trying to appear strong. She neededfort and I wanted to give it to her. I needed her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. I want to be with you.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t. You have to leave.¡±


    She attempted to close the door but I put my foot there.


    ¡°Stop making this harder than it is already, Jake.¡± She said. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°I need you so much, baby. I can¡¯t sleep. Please let me in even for a few minutes. I can¡¯t go anymore without talking to you.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Okay, two minutes and you¡¯re out.¡±


    She released the door and stood aside for me to enter. I stepped in and locked the door. As soon as that was done, I grabbed her hand and pulled her close, before kissing her like my life depended on it.


    The moans that came from her as we kissed was a clear sign that she wanted it as much as I did. There was nothing slow about the kiss. It was fast and steamy. We kissed like we were going to bite each other¡¯s lips off. Before long, I was taking off my clothes while she pulled her nightie over her head.


    She had a let a cute little bush grow. Although, I usually preferred bare to bushy when I came to other women, I did not care during that moment. It was Lilly. I wouldn¡¯t have cared even if it was a big overgrown bush. There was no time for forey. We were both sufficiently aroused. Shey on the couch and I ced myself on top of her. She was so wet that my penis slid in effortlessly. She moaned as I as I filled her up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed this so much,¡± she said. I started to move a bit faster. Her moans started to get louder. Right when I was about to cum, I slid out.


    ¡°Please,¡± she begged. I got up and sat on the couch. She smiled and came and straddled me, before lowering herself onto my cock. A smile wormed its way to my face as I watched her ride me. Her tits bounced up and down ever so perfectly. Her moans of pleasure were giving me the time of my life. I stared at my beautiful woman who had given into lust and the hunger from deep within. She started moving faster and I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasure spreading through my body. We came at the same time. She fell back on to my chest and I held her close, not wanting to let go of the woman who had just rocked my world.

 Peaceful

    Lilly.


    He looked so peaceful as he slept. He was perfect even in the morning when I looked like a ghost with a birds nest for hair. Jake, on the other hand, looked like an angel. But, he was far from it, and I had been full to let him in despite knowing that. He was the second worst male devil I knew, first being Kyle.


    I kept making the same stupid mistakes. But, I was done. No more. Reaching out, I shook Jake awake. He opened his eyes, and smiled when he saw me.


    ¡°Good morning, baby.¡±


    ¡°You need to leave now, Jake.¡±


    He frowned, sitting up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Just go. I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t pretend that everything is okay after what you did.¡±


    A few minutes after we broke up, he had gone off to Catalina Ind with a woman that wasn¡¯t me. If Jake thought I could act like that never happened, it meant he thought I was a total idiot. I was tired of being a fool for a man.


    ¡°There are so many things I need to tell you. I can exin everything.¡±


    I shook my head, not wanting to hear it. ¡°Jake, if you still have any respect or affection for me, you have to leave. Last night was a mistake that should never happen again. Let¡¯s call it goodbye sex. It¡¯s done, it¡¯s over. Now leave my house or ill eave you here.¡±


    ¡°You need to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± I yelled, in frustration.


    It seemed like running off with women was a pattern to him. The first time we kissed, he had gone off to Illistra where rich men went to party and sleep with hot models. Because we had not been an item then, I had understood. But this time, I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to listen to his excuses because I knew there was a possibility of me forgiving him. That was not a risk I wanted to take.


    Jake quickly realised that I was not in the mood for exnations. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. After seeing his erect member, I was hot and bothered. I wanted to jump his bones for a quickie but took some deep breaths, trying to calm myself. It didn¡¯t work. When he returned and started putting on his clothes which I had ced on the lower part of the bed, it took all my will power not to rip off my clothes and do him. I turned and faced a different side because the temptation was strong. When I saw a ss of water on the bedside table, I grabbed it and drunk all of it. It didn¡¯t take the edge off but I tried to think it help.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Jake began.


    ¡°If you try to talk to me one more time, I¡¯ll call your mother to pick you up.¡±


    Last night, he had called his chauffeur to pick his car and pack elsewhere. I didn¡¯t ask but I knew it was because of his mother. He didn¡¯t want her to know that he was with me. The fact the he couldn¡¯t even stand up to her for the sake of our rtionship made me angrier. All he could do was run away with the kind of women his mother approved off. I wanted to hate him so much it hurt.


    ¡°Oka, I¡¯m leaving.¡± He said when he was fully dressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said, standing up.


    I watched in pain, as he walked out of my bedroom. It hurt so much to see him go. Love sucks. Why did I have to fall in love with the biggest jerk that ever lived? I waited until I heard the main door close before sobbing. The pain was real. It felt like a stab to the heart.


    Sleeping with him again had been a huge mistake. It cut open the wounds that had been healing. Now the heartache was fresh again and it sucked. I wanted to call in sick but decided against it. It was better for me to go and ve away at work instead of spending the whole day crying for some silly man who was not worth it.


    It took about an hour for me to get my act together; the first forty five minutes were spend sobbing, crying and regretting all my life choices. By the time, I was done, I had to go and rewash my face and change clothes because everything I had on was tear stained. That day, I decided to apply more makeup, hoping it would hide the depression eating me from the inside. When I was satisfied that I looked normal, I left the house.


    Although I tried to hide my sadness, Leah noticed. She had to. We knew each other like the backs of our palms. She pulled me aside and asked what was wrong.


    ¡°I made a terrible mistake,¡± I confessed. I needed to let it out to someone or it would drive me crazy. ¡°I slept with Jake.¡±


    ¡°Oh sh! t,¡± Leah said, her eyes going widened. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking, but I kicked him out in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, letting him into your apartment was a terrible mistake. You should have called me. I would have told you to stop. No wonder you¡¯re such a mess. You know what? You can go and stay home. I¡¯ll handle things for you.¡±


    ¡°But I need to be here. It¡¯s better than being alone at home.¡±


    Leah stepped forward and hugged me. I wrapped my hands around her, hugging her tight because I really needed it. ¡°Thank you for understanding me,¡± I told her.


    She pulled away. ¡°You should stop thanking me for things because I¡¯m your best friend. Just doing my job. Anyway, I have an idea. You wanted to be single for a while, but it seems that won¡¯t work with you. It¡¯s like you always need someone else to focus on. You need to start therapy so you can learn to love yourself enough to befortable alone.¡±


    I stared at her for a few seconds without saying anything. ¡°That might be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s either that or you can try things with that dude you couldn¡¯t stop talking to at the resort.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Leah, how do you give me good advice one minute and bad advice the next?¡±


    Leah chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work before Athena kills us.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±

 The lies of a woman

    Ashley¡¯s POV


    Of course I was not pregnant. I had made some stupid decisions in my life, but I was not that stupid. I only lied to Jake out of boredom, to see what he would say. I needed an excuse to see him and possibly seduce him. Since I had slept with almost everyone in my circle, I needed fresh meat.


    The door opened and Richard Eyck walked in. He was a 60 year old real estate billionaire I had been in and off and on rtionship with for some time. What I liked most about him was that he never cared how much of his money I spent, as long as I gave him what he wanted. The best thing was that he always finished so fast.


    ¡°Hey baby,¡± he said.


    I faked a smile. In the past, age had never really mattered to me but after being with young and energetic Jake Rynd, older men did not seem fun anymore. I wanted someone like Jake. I wanted Jake.


    There were a lot of men who looked like Jake, and had the kind of money he did. Most of them were total jerks. But Jake was different. Sure, he could be a jerk sometimes. But, I could tell that he was not a bad person. He was also fairly bnced in the head. During the time at Illistra, I never saw him smoke or even take drugs. He just drunk alcohol, and that was all. The man had self-control and there were few men of his age like that.


    I had never thought I could be so obsessed with a person but Jake was driving me crazy. I thought of him all the time. It was like I was a teenager all over again. After screwing up his secret rtionship with that girl, I knew it was going to be hard to get on his good side but I was not about to stop trying.


    Richard climbed on bed and started touching me. I locked my phone and ced it under the pillow before pulling out the condoms. Richard started sucking my breasts. I stared at the ceiling, not feeling anything. I couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over so I could leave his luxurious house with a fat wallet.


    I made some movements and pretended to moan as his lips moved down my belly, going lower. Even as he licked me up, I pretended it was the hottest thing that had ever happened to me. I felt aroused enough for him to enter. He got off the bed and started removing his shirt while I faked a smile.


    When he got back to bed, I held up the condom. He shook his head. I brought the condom to my mouth and tore the wrapper.


    ¡°Should I help you put it on?¡± I asked.


    Richard shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    He positioned himself at my entrance but I brought my legs together holding them tight. ¡°I¡¯m not on birth control right now.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I want a child with you Ashley. You¡¯re very beautiful and I know our baby will inherit that. It¡¯s been years and I¡¯ve invested a lot in you. I¡¯m always there for you. Why don¡¯t you do this one thing for me?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, pushing him aside and getting up. ¡°I¡¯m not ready for a child.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to have my child. When we first met, you said you¡¯d give me a child at some point if I wanted. Now is the time.¡±


    ¡°That was four years ago.¡± I had made the promise to him just to get his money. In reality, I had no interest in having his baby. ¡°I¡¯m still not yet ready for a child.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°But I want one. Can you repay all the money I¡¯ve spent on you? You can¡¯t even pay me a quarter of it. I need that baby. You promised me something and was always there for you because I knew I would get it. But, nothing has happened. Come here.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, old man. What? Do you think you can force me to have unprotected sex with you? I work out every day and I know damn well that I¡¯m stronger than you.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The door opened and Mr. Eyck¡¯s trusted bodyguard walked in. he was a huge man with bulging muscles and strong legs built like tree trunks.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of condoms,¡± Richard said. ¡°I spend too much on you to keep having bad sex. I know that it won¡¯t guarantee having a child because you may go and take emergency pills immediately. Since you have refused to give me what I want, let me have what I have been craving for all this time. I¡¯m tired of that rubber. I want to feel you without any barrier.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What has gotten into you, Richard? You¡¯ve always been a sweet man.¡±


    ¡°No, I have been foolish. I heard about your little tryst with Jake Rynd. I won¡¯t let you make me look like a fool. We had a deal, Ashley. That you would be with me in public, and whoever you wanted in private. You broke the rules.¡±


    ¡°Well, just let me go and find someone else to spend all your money on. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°You will spending this entire week in this house. Good thing you know that this is a vacation house and it is surrounded by mostly empty cabins and houses. I can¡¯t wait to have the time of my life with you.¡±


    No, no, no. this couldn¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t carry any birth control.¡±


    Richard smirked. ¡°Good. You might actually end up pregnant. I guess I¡¯m not a stupid old man anymore, am I?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. This is a crime.¡±


    ¡°I havemitted many crimes and gotten away with them. Bring it on.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± I screamed.


    Richard and his bodyguardughed.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you. Every room in this house is sound proofed. Wee home, my love. You know if we have a child, she¡¯ll enjoy staying in this house. I will take very good care of you and her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a mad man.¡±


    ¡°All thanks to you. You¡¯ve driven me mad.¡± He said, advancing towards me. I stood rooted to the ground, feeling hopeless. What I had I gotten myself into?

 Viral footage

    Lilly.


    ¡°I think someone is stalking me,¡± I told Leah a weekter. I had just sat down at the diner where she had been waiting for me after leaving work early. Walking from the office to the diner, I had felt that someone was watching me. Even in the morning when I arrived at work, I had felt it. I called the officer in charge of Kyle¡¯s case and he confirmed that Kyle was still behind bars.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± She asked before closing the book she had been reading and cing it on top of the table. I nced at it before turning back to her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not worrying too much about Kyle?¡± she inquired. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the stress making you hear things.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m very sure that someone is following me.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think it could be? Kyle¡¯s still in jail, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Mrs. Rynd is having you followed. Maybe she found out about your little tryst with Jake.¡±


    I looked around the diner. None of the people inside it looked suspicious. A woman with two children at either side was entering the diner while talking on phone.


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s highly unlikely. Mrs. Rynd is not like that. She¡¯s not a patient woman. If she had found out about Jake and I, she would have attacked by now. That woman doesn¡¯t waste time. I wonder about Kyle¡¯s mother. She didn¡¯t seem crazy when we met but who knows how far the apple fell from the tree. Maybe she¡¯s angry that I¡¯m the reason her son is in jail.¡±


    ¡°Her son is the reason he¡¯s in jail.¡±


    ¡°Well, people think differently. If she¡¯s anything like him, she¡¯ll me me for everything.¡±


    The waitress ced our food on the table.


    ¡°Eat fast before it gets dark,¡± Leah told me as she pulled her te closer. ¡°We have to get back home before it gets dark and some psycho murders us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make jokes like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    We dug into our food and finished within thirty minutes. There was no conversation during the meal like we always had. Leah who was supposed to reduce my fears increased them. She was way more paranoid than I was.


    When we finished our food, we paid and left the diner. The feeling of being watched still lingered on, following me everywhere I went. We were a few blocks away from the diner when someone grabbed my hair out of nowhere.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± I screamed as the person pulled it. I stopped walking and turned. She let go of my hair.


    ¡°You b1tch!¡± Leah yelled at Ashley. ¡°You¡¯re Ashley Kendall. What the hell!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t take him away from me,¡± Ashley said before charging at me. I grabbed her hair and pulled her head away from me. Shetched on to my ears with her ws. I screamed before scratching her hands until she let me go. A man came and pulled her away from me. As a crowd formed and people started taking photographs, he pulled her towards a waiting car. She was bundled in and it drove away.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked Leah as I stared at the car disappearing around the corner. It had never urred to me that I would ever be attacked by a supermodel, not in my wildest dreams.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it too. Ashley Kendall is totally jealous of you. I thought she was one of the smart ones.¡±


    ¡°That woman is crazy. Jake was right. She kissed him.¡±


    ¡°But he was with her willingly in Catalina Ind. Don¡¯t forget that part.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°How can i? This means Jake doesn¡¯t want her. Why didn¡¯t she go after heather then?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an easy target. You¡¯re a regr girl with no security, no money. If you went against her in court, she¡¯d win. But heather is from old money. Those kinds of families can destroy a person within seconds. No one touches them.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that woman was following me.¡±


    ¡°Stranger things have happened.¡±


    After what happened, we decided to get a taxi to take us home. Leah decided to sleep over at my house. Since the next day was a weekend, we didn¡¯t have to worry about getting up early and all that annoying stuff.


    We were going to watch a movie but decided to catch up with the current news first. Right after turning the TV, a footage of me fighting with Ashley showed up. But that was not the most shocking thing. It was the headline. Lilith Hellman and Ashley Kendall fight for Jake Rynd.


    ¡°What the hell, I was just defending myself.¡±


    ¡°A viral footage shows Lilith Hellman and Ashley Kendall fighting at a street in Manhattan this evening,¡± Chrissy Rainer, an entertainment news anchor reported. ¡°ording to several eyewitnesses, they were fighting because of Jake Rynd. Ashley Kendall was heard saying ¡°You won¡¯t take him away from me¡±. By him, she meant Jake Rynd who she has recently fallen in love with. Ashley Kendall did not look her usual prim and proper self and we¡¯re not sure if she¡¯s okay. What do you think about this, Kelly?¡±


    Her co-anchor Kelly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m really surprised. I had no idea that Lilith Hellman was interested in Jake Rynd at all. This is a woman who constantly wrote negative articles about Jake. Ashley did not look too good, either. Maybe she got all this misconstrued.¡±


    ¡°But haven¡¯t you noticed that Lilith Hellman has stopped writing negative articles about Jake. Why would she suddenly stop? Could it be possible that she fell for him?¡±


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It¡¯s possible. I mean, look at Jake.¡±


    A picture of Jake was shown on the side of the screen. He was wearing a blue suit while walking out of hispany building. He looked perfect as usual.


    Kelly continued. ¡°The man is hot, and half of New York women would want him. It¡¯s possible that Lilith Hellman fell in love.¡±


    Chrissy chuckled. ¡°That would be too bad. I¡¯ve seen Lilith Hellman. She¡¯s a beauty, can¡¯t deny that but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s Jake¡¯s type. Ashley is more like it.¡±


    I turned off the television. ¡°Stupid, judgemental women.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Sorry, dear. Don¡¯t worry about them. They¡¯re just stuck up b! tches with miserable lives.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure their lives are miserable or you¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better.¡± I asked, raising my brows.


    ¡°What do you want to hear?¡±  Leah asked. ¡°The truth?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ve already been hurt enough today.¡±


    Immediately, my phone started ringing. I grabbed it and checked the caller ID. The caller was not in my contact list.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said after picking up.


    ¡°Lilith Hellman.¡±


    When I heard the voice, I dropped my phone on the couch like hot coals.


    ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± Leah asked.


    ¡°Jake¡¯s mother,¡± I said hysterically. ¡°Help me turn it off.¡±


    Leah grabbed the phone. ¡°Go fvck yourself.¡± she told the older woman before hanging up.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say that.¡±


    ¡°Someone has to defend you,¡± she said before switching off the phone. A few minutester, I began to think that switching off the phone had been a bad idea. I knew Mrs. Rynd wasn¡¯t going to rest easy.


    I picked up the phone and turned it back on.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a big mistake,¡± Leah said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± I told her.

 Bad history

    Jake


    Some years back, I arrived at my first ever apartment, not far from the University of New York where I was to study. A lot of my high school friends had joined the same university and I had lived in New York my whole life so it was not a big change. It was like being home away from home. The only difference was that I was neen and had a kind of freedom that my parents had never allowed me before. I could do whatever I wanted.


    At Castle apartment building, I met James Milner. James Milner was your typical jock. He looked like those thirty something year old men who y teens in movies and series. He had a muscled body, pretty face and was the quarterback of the football team. My family was rich, but James¡¯ family was crazy rich. While we were of new money, he came from old money. The riches had been in his family for generations and generations. James did not have to work for anything.


    James was in hisst year of college, older than me but he took me under his wing. We quickly became friends because of our shared obsession with Multiversal blood, a horror science fiction TV series. We bonded together more than I did with the other guys, his friends. Being friends with James came with a lot of advantages, and also disadvantages.


    At first, I did not see the bad side of James clearly. The way he looked at women and how he talked about them should have been a red g for me. But, I was young and stupid. We all were. Weughed at his sexist jokes and encouraged his sick humour, not knowing that behind that humour was a dark reality. James spoke like a pro on women and all of us who were younger than him looked up to him as we learned the ropes of navigating romantic and sexual rtionships.


    Beneath the cool boy fa?ade, James Milner was a toxic monster searching for other people who could encourage his deviancy and also participate in it. I remember that day clearly, the day I realised that staying away from James was for my own good.


    That night, we had a party at his father¡¯s vacation house in New Jersey. It was a bit out of the way. There were five of us guys.  James Milner said he had invited three girls. Having girls at these parties was normal, nothing out of the ordinary. What we didn¡¯t know was that James had something else nned.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There was alcohol, drugs, loud music and a whole lot of other things. An hour into the party, our neighbours dog started barking furiously. I was making out with some chic when we heard it. We pulled away from each other and listened because it was too distractive. Some secondster, Dave Hill came to the kitchen.


    ¡°Jake,e with me.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked. ¡°What is wrong with that dog?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s going down.¡±


    Frowning, I stood up and followed Dave to the backyard where shouting wasing from. When I got there, I saw a dog in a cage barking loudly while the guys stood there talking andughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to end this stupid dog,¡± James said.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hey, Jake. Was wondering where you were. Wee to the party. In fact, I suggest you do the honours.¡±


    James started walking towards me. He handed me the gun but I refused to take it. I was not going to do something like that. James turned to his friend. ¡°Our little friend here thinks he¡¯s too good. What should we do for him?¡±


    ¡°Make him, make him¡­¡± the others chanted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry guys, I have a better idea. Jake will bring the two puppies here.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving this party.¡±


    I started to move away but James grabbed me. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving.¡±


    ¡°Here are the pups!¡±


    I turned to see Darren Dutch jumping over the fence, followed by Mathew Smallman. Both were carrying a puppy each.


    Dave Hill grabbed the gun from James and pointed at me. ¡°Give him both puppies.¡±


    I was a bit afraid of dogs and never liked them. Having to carry two puppies was scary. My hands were shaky as I held them close. The puppies were very young and small. They must have been a few weeks old.


    Darren Dutch turned away from me and aimed at the dog in the cage which was now barking harder. The gun went off. I turned away as the dog fell to the floor.


    Darren turned to me with the gun. I thought he was going to shoot me. ¡°Put the pups down.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to shoot them.¡±


    ¡°I can shoot you boy.¡±


    Reluctantly, I ced the puppies down and turned to run away but a strong burly man grabbed me. It was James¡¯ bodyguard. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    James and Darren killed the puppies as well and we all went back inside as the two maids cleaned up the mess. James made us all swear not to say anything. Apparently, the neighbour had travelled to the city and wouldn¡¯t be back for a few days. The person who took care of the dogs had been invited to the party and drugged. By the time, he woke up, there wouldn¡¯t be a trace of the dogs. James threatened me. He imed to have pictures of everyone at the party so if anyone reported, we would all be implicated.


    The owner of the dog eventually returned and reported his dogs missing, but nothing was done. What James did was never discovered. All of us who had been there were sworn to secrecy and we intended to take the secrets to our grave.


    How my mother came to have pictures of me at that scene was what I did not know but if they came out, my reputation would be ruined. I had to find a way of getting rid of the photos. Being my mother¡¯s ve was making me miserable each passing day. In addition to that, I had other pressing matters to deal with.


    Ashley Kendall was not picking my calls and I was furious. That stunt she had pulled off had annoyed me. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had once thought she was intelligent. She had fooled me really well. Regardless of what news reporters said, I knew that Ashley had started the whole thing. Lilly wouldn¡¯t do something stupid like starting a fight on the street.


    I looked up Ashley¡¯s address and decided to go and confront her. When I got to the stairs, mothers was ascending.


    ¡°I wasing to find you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, removing something from her shopping bag. She handed me a box. ¡°You have to propose to Heather tonight. I have already made dinner reservations at The Pearl and I need you both to be there by 8. Everything has been organised. This is the ring that you will be putting on her finger.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said and continued walking down the stairs.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t think I can do it, son but don¡¯t try me. I have tried to be patient with you but I¡¯m getting tired. You haven¡¯t even thought of giving me a grandchild, at lease get married and settle down. Those two women fighting for you was thest straw. I can¡¯t take any more humiliation from you.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°They were not fighting for me. Ashley Kendall attacked Lilly who decided to fight back. Did you want her to cower and do nothing?¡±


    ¡°The fact is that they fought on the streets and I can¡¯t have you dating trash. Both of them are not good for you. I can¡¯t have a daughter inw that goes around fighting on the streets. I need someone with dignity. You have failed to find one by yourself so it will have to be heather.¡±


    Without saying a word, I went and opened the door before stepping out. If she did not have that damning evidence on me, I would have sent her out of my house because I was fed up.


    I got in my car and drove off, not wanting to think about my mother. I dialled Jared¡¯s number and ced it on speaker phone.


    ¡°Have you found out anything?¡± I asked him. ¡°I really need any information I can get. My mother has reached dangerous lows and I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m following a very good lead that might have great results,¡± Jared said. ¡°Give me two days and I¡¯ll give you info that will stop your mother from whatever she is doing. I know there¡¯s something but I haven¡¯t been able to find the main source. By the way, I was going to call you. I need more money. This involves bribing about a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you the money.¡±


    I hoped that lead would get us good results because it was all I had. Confessing that horrific truth to the world would do me no favours.

 Anger

    Jake.


    Johnny had been right. The sandy haired woman with wide and sharp eyes was quite the looker. The photo I had seen before did not do justice to her in a way. She was way more beautiful and warm in person, especially when wearing a casual red dress and heels. Her hair fell down the sides of her face in beautiful curls and her smile could melt the coldest heart. Had I met her first, I would have totally taken her.


    But Katarina Hayes belonged to my friend Johnny Knightley. Johnny and his beautiful girlfriend had decided toe to New York for a vacation. He also wanted to show her everything the big apple had to offer. As his best friend, I was one of those things.


    I was happy because they hade at a right time when I really needed a friend. Everything was driving me up the wall. Now that my best friend was back, I was starting to feel better.


    ¡°So Katarina, do you see yourself living her or do you like your town better?¡± I asked.


    Katarina smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a hard one. I like my town, it¡¯s quite and very peaceful. But, after seeing everything in this city, I¡¯ve began to think I¡¯ve not lived at all. It¡¯s like I have been locked up in some big tower and I¡¯m outside for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Darling, don¡¯t let the beauty in this city corrupt you, it can get ugly.¡± Johnny said.


    I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. I think he¡¯s just scared that we the handsome gentlemen of New York might steal you away.¡±


    Johnny just shook his head. Katarina rubbed his upper arm. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have to worry at all. My heart belongs to him alone.¡±


    The sun was shining bright that afternoon and we were having lunch at an upscale outdoor restaurant in the central business district. We were conversing happily until Johnny chocked on his drink. An expression of absolute terror appeared on his face before he went into a fit coughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Johnny?¡±


    He stood up but before he could go any further, a familiar voice called him.


    ¡°Ian?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to turn to know that it was Lilith Hellman. I turned to Katarina. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we get out of here? I¡¯ll take you to Broadway.¡±


    ¡°And while you take her, spin one more lie, Jake Rynd.¡± Lilith said. I nced at Katarina and saw that she was not about to get up.


    ¡°Who is Ian?¡± She asked.


    Johnny sighed and sat back down, defeated.


    ¡°Is this scheming liar your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Are you Lilith Hellman?¡±


    ¡°Ian, or whatever your name is, thank you for ruining my life. You made everyone think I was a whore. I hope you¡¯re happy now.¡±


    A man in a suit came to the table. He must have been the manager of the establishment.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m asking you to leave.¡± He said to Lilith.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilith said. ¡°I have lost my appetite anyway.¡±


    She marched towards the door and froze after some seconds. Athena Morgan, the managing director of the paper she worked for was walking in. Lilith turned and walked back to where we were.


    ¡°I need a table for my boss,¡± she told the manager.


    ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t start anymore drama or we¡¯ll have to ban you from here.¡±


    Lilith gave us a death re before following the manager. Athena Morgan stopped at our table.


    ¡°Jake Rynd and Johnny Knightley. What a pleasure to see you two. Enjoy your lunch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and she went away.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Katarina asked.


    Oh sh! t. This was not going to end well.


    I gave Johnny a questioning look. He nodded. That meant it was okay for me to tell the truth.


    ¡°Sorry, that was my fault. When Lilith wrote bad articles about me, I asked her to stop. Because she couldn¡¯t stop, I had to find another way. I asked Johnny to fake an identity, and woo Lilith. He was able to do it and we messed up and it ended with her being seen as something she¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Katarina said, standing up. ¡°You two are monsters.¡±


    ¡°She was in the wrong as well.¡±


    ¡°The worst thing a woman can be called is a whore. How sure can I be that you¡¯re not ying me as well?¡±


    ¡°Kat, I¡¯m not that kind of guy anymore. I have been feeling guilty ever since that happened. In fact I wanted to confess to Lilith but Jake¡­¡±


    ¡°Jake, yes, Jake Rynd, the one who decides everything for you. You did something bad. Trying to pin it on someone else is pathetic.¡±


    She pushed her chair back loudly and stormed out of the restaurant while everyone stared. Someone even took a picture. Johnny got up and went after her. I spotted Lilith and noticed a smirk on her face. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Calling for our server, I made my payment before getting out of there.


    I found Johnny and Katarina having an argument outside. I decided to go and see if I could help patch things but Johnny red at me. ¡°Leave us alone, man.¡±


    I nodded before getting into my car. I hoped he would be able to get her trust back. Now the two people who had been giving me somefort were having a bad time because of me. My stress had just multiplied itself.


    Since I had a tonne of work to do, I decided to go to the office. I did paperwork for about an hour before feeling tired. I turned on my iPad and decided to watch the news on a businesswork to see how things were going in the financial world. After a while, I started to get bored and switched to a general news outlet since it was the top of the hour. I didn¡¯t expect my name to pop up in the headlines.


    ¡°Lilith Hellman may have caused a rift between Johnny Knightley and his new mystery girlfriend. This afternoon, Lilith Hellman verbally attacked Johnny Knightley and Jake Rynd while they were having lunch in a restaurant. After the attack, Johnny Knightley¡¯s girlfriend was seen leaving the restaurant before he went running after her. The two lovebirds argued outside the restaurant before getting into his car. When Jake Rynd tried to intervene, Johnny did not have kind words for him. It¡¯s unknown what exactly Lilith Hellman said but we¡¯re trying to find out as fast as we can.


    A source has also confirmed to thiswork that there is a wild story about Jake Rynd that¡¯s about toe out. It is alleged that there are secrets about Jake Rynd that Lilith was unable to uncover.¡±


    I turned off the Ipad and quickly stood up. I was angry but not at Lilith Hellman. Thatst part of that story about my secret had left me unsettled. That source could only be one person. My mother.


    Or not. Could it be one of the other people who had been present that night? Could James Milner or the other guys really sell me out? No, if it was not my mother, it had to be one of the girls.


    Before making a move, I had to find out if it was mother. She had threatened me two nights back when I refused to propose to Heather like she wanted. Was she really going to expose her own son?


    I grabbed my phone and wallet and left the office. I passed by Jenny without saying a word and hurried into the elevator. I came out of the elevator still feeling angry. I stormed out while everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I had never been that mad at work. When I found my mother at the parking lot, I lost it.


    ¡°Was it you, mother?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you the source that has a hot secret you want to reveal about me?¡±


    My mother smiled, and I knew she was the one. To show how evil she was, she didn¡¯t even bother to deny it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an issue. What was that with Johnny and Lilith Hellman? Not only can¡¯t you find a suitable woman for yourself, now you have to and ruin other people¡¯s rtionships. I told you to stay far away from trashy woman. If you had listened to me, this wouldn¡¯t be happening.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Mother stop it right now. You can¡¯t talk to me like this, especially at work.¡± I looked around and saw that a few employees were listening to us. Some hade out of thepany to see what was going on.


    ¡°What are you staring at? Get back to work.¡±


    They all scattered back where they came from.


    ¡°You¡¯re my son and I will admonish you from wherever I want.¡± She said.


    ¡°You know what.¡± I said, before raising my voice. ¡°I hate you, Carrie Rynd.¡±


    My mother gasped as I marched towards my car.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this, Jake.¡± She said. ¡°Cory, don¡¯t move that car.¡±


    ¡°Move it, Cory.¡±


    Cory decided to listen to me and drove off. I knew this was the final straw.


    Carrie Rynd was going to do her worst. Tired of all the ckmail, I was no longer scared. I was ready for whatever her twisted mind was cooking up.

 Beyond shocked

    Jake.


    Although my father and I lived in the same city, we never spent a lot of time together. We did not have a lot inmon. He was not very business savvy and had little interest in running the family business which was why he couldn¡¯t wait for me to be old enough to handle everything. As soon as I took over, he decided to move to a quiet area in New Jersey and continue with his scientific research. I liked to think of him as a mad scientist. One of the reasons I didn¡¯t like being around him was that he was always talking about science.


    After separating from my mother, he met some science teacher of his age and they started living together. They were both crazy about science since they even had ab at home.


    Since my mother was driving me crazy, I had decided to go and see him because he was the only one who could understand what I was going through. He was the man who had married the devil, so he had idea what being a son of the devil was like.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you would even bring her back. You could have called for me for advice. You know that every action has equal but opposite reaction. You¡¯re smart, son. You could have avoided this.¡±


    ¡°I know, dad. But now I¡¯m stuck.¡±


    ¡°What is it you did that you¡¯re scared of? Did you kill someone, son?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so worried. Nothing is worse than murder. People will forgive you with time. And I don¡¯t think your mother will release that stuff anyway. She knows that when ites out, she will have nothing over you. She won¡¯t be able to control you. Let it be.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that when you know her? You¡¯ve seen all the things she has done to me. She nearly drove you crazy. She has no boundaries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you. Your mother craves control. Without secrets, she will not be able to manipte you. Show her that you¡¯re not scared.¡±


    My phone started ringing. It was Jared.


    ¡°I have to get this,¡± I said and stood up. When I was outside the library, I took a deep breath enjoying the fresh air. Thatb reeked of chemicals. I didn¡¯t understand how he did not have chest problems.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, J?¡±


    ¡°I found something,¡± he said. ¡°You will not believe what your mother. I¡¯m a hundred percent sure this will shut her up for good. Trust me on this one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are finally free, my friend. Where are you? The matter is very sensitive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in NJ but ill drive back right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, get here as soon as possible.¡±


    I returned to theboratory and said goodbye to my father before getting back into the car. ¡°Drive as fast as you can,¡± I told Cory.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Cory said.


    When I got to my office, I called Jared and he arrived thirty minutester.


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡±


    Jared pulled out pictures from an envelope, ced them on the table and pushed them towards me. I picked them and looked through. Most of them were from CCTV footage in ck and white. It was my mother and a younger man.


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°John Miller.¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°Your mother killed him?¡±


    I believed it instantly. ¡°Is there evidence that proves so? I don¡¯t think these pictures give way too much.¡±


    ¡°John Miller went missing on 12th Septemberst year. Those photos are from footage that has never been seen by the police. They were taken an hour before John¡¯s phone went dead. Your mother was one of thest people to see but the police don¡¯t know that because someone deleted the footage.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a flowerbed in your mother¡¯s backyard that was started just around that time as well. Your mother didn¡¯t like flowers until then. John miller and your mother used to date secretly, but he started ckmailing her for money after meeting a woman of his age. I believe your mother may have killed him because of that.


    Now most of that is circumstantial evidence, but I spoke to your mother¡¯s housekeeper, there¡¯s a locked room inside there that no one ever goes into. She also said your mother was a bit disturbed during the time that John Miller disappeared, she sent the day workers away for a while. Upon return, they found that she had developed a new passion gardening, apparently to help her relieve stress. That¡¯s not all we have. I have proof of money paid to John at certain points. I think he was in it for the money and your mother didn¡¯t mind until he started to get too greedy.¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is a lot. This can actually shut her up.¡±


    ¡°If we can pay the housekeeper enough money run away to another country, she can actually let someone check under that flowerbed. She has sworn not to tell your mother. We have to find out if there¡¯s something before we go all out on this one. What you have to do is keep your mother distracted here in New York.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do that,¡± I said. ¡°I just have to agree to her crazy engagement and wedding ns. She loves organising parties. She would do anything to make her son¡¯s wedding the most talked about in New York. Jared, this is wonderful. You¡¯ve done a really good job. At this point, I¡¯m willing to give you whatever you ask for.¡±


    ¡°Even thispany?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s not get greedy. We were just talking about someone whose greed led to his downfall. Wouldn¡¯t want that to happen to you, you know.¡±


    Jaredughed. ¡°Right.¡±


    Jared collected the evidence, cing everything back in the envelope. ¡°Do you want to keep this or I should?¡±


    There was a knock on the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Jenny said.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Sir, the police are here to see you.¡±


    Wide eyed, I stared at Jared.


    ¡°I know nothing about that. I think it¡¯s best for me to keep the papers.¡± He stood up after putting them into his briefcase. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡°Tell them toe in,¡± I told Jenny.


    A few secondster, two gentlemen in police attire walked in.


    ¡°How may I help you, officers?¡±


    The taller one stepped forwards. ¡°Mr. Rynd, you¡¯re under arrest for the murder of Mrs. Carrie Rynd.¡±


    ¡°What? Is this a joke?¡±


    ¡°You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court ofw. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it with the speech. My mother is dead?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The man stepped forward. ¡°Yes, nowe with us before we do this with force.¡±


    I was beyond shocked.

 No going back

    Lilly.


    ¡°Johnny Knightley,¡± I said. Leah was watching me in silence as she ate an apple. ¡°That¡¯s the man who fooled me. He made me fall in love with him and ruined my life.¡±


    ¡°Are you surprised? He¡¯s Jake¡¯s best friends. Birds of the same feather h h h.¡±


    ¡°How did I not know about him all that time I was doing my research? I get that he was away in some small town but I¡¯m really surprised that his name dide up.¡±


    ¡°He has a nice name, actually, better than Ian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not helping.¡±


    ¡°I pity that beautiful girl. Imagine falling in love with such a person.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe she¡¯s as stupid as I am. I mean, I fell in love with the one who started the plot. Johnny was just helping his friend out, but Jake created the idea.¡±


    Seeing Jake and Johnny so happy had opened the wounds that had been just about to heal. When I saw them, I felt so much pain that I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromshing out even though I knew my boss was right outside. I had thought Athena would be mad when she found out but she had been surprisingly happy. The paper had not getting much publicity but now #thedailypaper was trending alongside #jakerynd #lilithhellman and #johnnyknightley.


    I, on the other hand was not happy about being on the news. The reason I had failed to go to my apartment after work was there had been a lot of paparazzi lurking around. After seeing four people with cameras and one with a microphone, I had told the taxi driver to continue. That was why I was in Leah¡¯s living room.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to shower,¡± I told Leah while getting up.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.


    I went to the guest bedroom and started undressing. I was about to step in the shower when I heard Leah screaming my name. Grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around my body and went to the living room.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Jake,¡± she said.


    I sighed and started walking back to the bedroom. I was tired of talking about Jake, thinking about Jake and hearing his stupid name.


    ¡°He has been arrested for killing his mother.¡±


    I gasped and ran back to the living room.


    A breaking news sash was at the left corner of the screen. Jake Rynd arrested for the murder of his mother. Guilty or innocent.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± I said, while sitting down. All the energy had been drained out of me. I may have said all sorts of things about Jake but a part me had tried to understand him and believed there was good in him. Now all hope was crushed.


    His mother was a terrible person, but murdering her would make Jake a worse person. I didn¡¯t know what to believe in that moment. ording to the news anchors, there was no evidence pointing to Jake but he had an altercation with his mother outside hispany headquarters earlier that day.


    There was footage showing Jake yelling he hated his mother after that argument and it had gone viral on the inte. That was the thing that made him a suspect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think honestly,¡± Leah said.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, because I was too shocked for words. I just stared at the television in a trance like state, hoping what I was seeing was not true.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep that night. I spent all night turning and tossing in bed. When morning came, I didn¡¯t want to get out of bed. I forced myself to do so because I wanted to watch the news and see the recent developments. Not much progress had been done. Jake was still in jail and his mother¡¯s corpse was in the mortuary. I hated the woman but hearing of her death still made me sad.


    At around ten am, George Rynd was interviewed about his son. He was sure his son was innocent.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Although Jake and his mother were having some issues, he would never have killed her. My ex-wife did not get along with very many people so there are very many enemies she has out there. Jake was the one who called his mother back into his life because he found it hard to live without her. Why would he call her back and kill her?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rynd, what about the argument they had at hispany,¡± the reporter said. ¡°Jake was very angry after that argument.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was. He even came to my house because he was very upset. Just because one is upset with a family member does not mean they will kill them. Families always have arguments. That¡¯s normal. Jake and his mother have had a lot arguments before yesterday. She and I didn¡¯t like each other very much after many years of marriage. I have had misunderstandings and quarrels with Jake. These things happen all the time. We don¡¯t go around killing each other. I know my son, and he would nevermit murder. Now I have to go.¡±


    Jake¡¯s father stood up and started walking out of the set.


    ¡°We¡¯re not yet done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± he said.


    The journalist forced a smile. I turned off the television.


    ¡°Why are you stressing yourself with this?¡± Leah asked me. She ced a te of freshly baked cookies on the table.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking about it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then go and see him,¡± she said. ¡°Talk to him. You won¡¯t rest until you do.¡±


    ¡°You really think that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. I¡¯ve been thinking about it but thought it would make things worse.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    I stood up and went to the bedroom. Going to the bathroom, I took a quick shower. Half an hourter, I was fully dressed and ready to go. Leah drove me to the station in her new car.


    It took me a while before I could get the courage to get out of the car. When I finally did and got inside the station, I was given bad news.


    ¡°Mr. Rynd doesn¡¯t want to see anyone, except his attorney.¡±


    ¡°Please, I need to see him.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you that girl who ruined his lunch time yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Please officer, just ask him if I cane in. there¡¯s something I need to talk to him about.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said and went to the back.


    The officer returned two minutester. ¡°Follow me. You alone.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± Leah encouraged me.


    My heart was beating fast as I walked down the hallway. I could almost hear it. I knew I wasn¡¯t ready to face Jake but there was no going back

 Blackmail

    Lilly.


    I nervously clutched my bag as I walked through the white corridors of the station. I was led to a small, windowless room. I sat down at a table and waited, my heart pounding in my chest. After a few minutes, Jake was escorted in by a guard. He looked tired and pale but still fairly good.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, trying to sound casual.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.


    We sat in silence for a while.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it,¡± he finally said. ¡°I could never do that to my own mother. She was driving me crazy but not once did I think of killing her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I find it hard to believe most of the things you say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never lied to you.¡±


    ¡°You said you loved me.¡±


    ¡°I love you. I never stopped.¡±


    ¡°But when we broke up, you ran off with another woman. Anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter. I just wanted to¡­ I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here. Whether you killed your mother or not is not my business.¡±


    ¡°I did not kill her. I¡¯m many things but not a murderer. And when we broke my mother forced me to go on that rip with heather so as to get rid of you.¡±


    I chuckled, and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    ¡°She was ckmailing me.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    He looked around. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything when I get out. This room might be bagged.¡±


    ¡°You have said too much already,¡± I said while sitting down. ¡°What if they think you killed her because she was ckmailing you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m desperate for you to believe me, and that¡¯s why I took that risk. I need you to believe me. I¡¯m happy that you decided toe. We have a lot of things to talk about. My attorney will be back in an hour and I think bail will be granted to me. Let¡¯s meet up once I¡¯m outside, okay. I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    I reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, my voice breaking. ¡°I hope everything will turn out well¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    He looked up at me, tears in his own eyes. ¡°I hope so too,¡±


    We sat in silence for a few more minutes, holding hands across the table, before the guard came to take him back to his cell. I wiped away my tears and gathered my things, feeing a small glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while.


    I believed Jake did not kill his mother and hoped for his release soon.


    Jake was releasedter that day. I invited him to my house. He came and told me the whole truth, everything that had happened. He told me about his college misdemeanours that his mother used to ckmail him, his trip to Catalina Ind and also the investigation he was doing on his mother.


    After processing all the information in two days, I forgave him. I was there by his side on the day of his mother¡¯s funeral. A few people shed tears at the funeral but I wasn¡¯t sure whether those were real or fake. It was mostly Carrie¡¯s friends. Jake didn¡¯t cry, neither did his father. In a way, they were better off without her and I think they saw no point in pretending otherwise. They looked understandably sad, though.


    At some points in their lives, they had loved the woman. Eventually, the charges against Jake were dropped because ofck of sufficient evidence. There was nothing that pointed directly to Jake. The police continued to investigate.


    Jared the private investigator surrendered the evidence connecting Carrie to thete John Miller to the police. This helped a lot. John Miller¡¯s body was found in her backyard.


    The investigation was so thorough that they eventually found the culprit. Apparently, her son was not the only person Carrie Rynd had been ckmailing. She had been ckmailing her son¡¯s college friend for money.


    Apparently, Carrie Rynd only dated younger men after leaving her husband and that included James. Somehow she found his private files and discovered what he had been up to while in college. When she saw her son in them, she realised she could kill two birds with one stone.


    James Milner quickly became the main suspect in the case and eventually confessed to have killed her. He had not only killed her but also two of the girls that had been present that night. The girls, whose names Jake had not known had been missing for over two years. It was only after James confessed that he checked the missing person lists and saw the pictures that he remembered them. Apparently, they had tried to ckmail James as well.


    Jake had to confess his part in the murder of the innocent pets. It brought a lot of bad publicity for him and his businesses especially the hotels that were boycotted by animal rights groups and other people.


    But then a video of the night surfaced online. Apparently, the girl who survived had always kept a copy. She lived in Europe but used tomunicate with the others. When they disappeared after telling her they were nning to ckmail James, she changed her identity and moved from Russia to France.


    The video shone light on that night¡¯s events and proved that Jake was not a willing participant in the night¡¯s activities. All the others were rounded up and arrested.


    The world felt bad for Jake for everything he had to go through because he found himself in a sticky situation, and fell in love with him again. He could now start on a clean te.


    Amidst all the bad, I was with Jake. We did not even have to announce that we were dating because the world could see it. I was there for him and he was there for me.


    We forgave each other for past mistakes and started living a beautiful life together. It was not easy to navigate through everything but love made it possible.


    Johnny and I were able to talk and I forgave him. I was able to convince Katarina to forgive him as well and they got back together.

 A beautiful day

    Lilly


    It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon in the pack. The birds were chirping, the flowers were blooming and we were was strolling along the winding path. Jake and I were enjoying the serene ambience and talking about the future. We approached a fountain and I stopped walking to observe it.


    Suddenly, Jake dropped to one knee.


    I gasped.


    ¡°Lilly,¡± he said, looking up at me, ¡°You¡¯re the most amazing woman I¡¯ve ever known. You make me happier than I ever thought possible and I can¡¯t imagine spending the rest of my life without you. Will you do me the honour of bing my wife?¡±


    My eyes welled up in tears and I took his hand, helping him to his feet.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I will marry you.¡±


    He slipped the exquisite ring on my finger.


    ¡°I promise to always love and cherish you, and to make you the happiest woman in the world,¡± he said, kissing me softly on the lips. We then embraced before devouring each other¡¯s lips. It was only after we pulled apart for air that I saw a photographer and my friends and family pping their hands and beaming with happiness.


    ¡°You guys, where did youe from.¡±


    I rushed to them and hugged everyone. It was a moment I would never forget.


    Jake had called everyone who mattered to me. Heck, even my very deadbeat father had showed up. I had not seen him in so many years. Both my parents were deadbeats but at least my mother had started trying moretely. Having my father back made me very happy, and I felt very lucky to have a man like Jake.


    After the proposal, we spent some more time in the part and then all of us went to Jake¡¯s house for the engagement party. Jake¡¯s friends and family members were also invited to the party and we had a lot of fun. Heather, who had epted that Jake would never be has was also there. Her presence made me feel a bit ufortable but I couldn¡¯t send her away, even after Jake said it¡¯d be okay if I wanted to do so.


    By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Most of the people left but my mother and sister remained.


    ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re going to be thedy of this house,¡± my sister said in disbelief. ¡°My own apartment seems very cramped now. I might think of moving here.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Nope. Not gonna happen.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± mother asked.


    ¡°Mother, you ran off after giving birth to me and were away for so many years. I may act like I forgave you but I¡¯m not very sure I did. I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±


    ¡°I will never stop apologizing for it. Your father is actually worse.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said. She was right about that but I did not need her or my sister in Jake¡¯s house. I knew they woulde with drama and interference in my personal affairs, and those were thest things I needed.


    ¡°This house is too big for only two people,¡± my sister said.


    ¡°No, no. now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to go and see my husband to be.¡±


    My mother smiled. ¡°Go and make me some grandbabies, dear. Amy needs a cousin.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± I said before leaving them in the kitchen.


    I found Jake lying on the bed. He sat up and ced his legs on the floor when he saw me. Standing up, he came to meet me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, wifey.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Wifey?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. We can get married as soon as you want. Set the date and it shall be done. I¡¯m so ready for this.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little bit too fast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited to make you mine for so long,¡± he said, grabbing my hands and pulling me to him. ¡°You¡¯re all I want. I never thought I was ready for marriage until you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to be your wife although it seems like a big responsibility. It¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Try being me. Don¡¯t worry baby. I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way. Now take off this dress. I love it but I¡¯ve been wanting to rip it off you all day. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    It was all I needed. I stepped back and pulled the dress over my head. Jake helped me with my bra. As soon as my tits were out, he sucked on one before kissing me on the lips. He gently led me to the bed where Iy on my back.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I moaned softly as he kissed my neck, his hands wandering over my curves. He moved down, his mouth and tongue exploring every inch of my body. I arched my back, my hips thrusting towards him as he pleasured me.


    He kissed me deeply, our tongues tangling together as I moaned in a dance of lust. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him closer as he entered me. We moved together, our bodies in perfect sync. I cried out in ecstasy, while my body trembled with desire. Jake increased his pace, his movements bing more urgent as he drove himself deeper into me. I gasped, my body tensing as I reached the peak of pleasure. We both feel back, panting and exhausted.


    Jake and Iy in bed, tangled in each other¡¯s arms. The sheets were a mess, twisted around our legs as we struggled to catch our breath. My head was nestled on Jake¡¯s chest, my hair spread out like a fan. I could hear his heartbeat, strong and steady. I sighed contentedly, feeling his fingers tracing patterns on my back.


    My eyes were closed but I could feel his warmth. I smiled, feeling a sense of peace and happiness wash over me. I felt Jake tighten his grip on me, pulling me closer.


    Wey there for a few minutes, enjoying the silence of his presence. I lifted my head and smiled at Jake.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered, my voice soft and gentle.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± he replied, his voice rough with emotion.


    We kissed, our lips moving together in a slow, tender dance. We were lost in each other,pletely consumed by the moment. In that moment, I waspletely at peace. Jake and I were together, and that was all that mattered.


    *Five monthster*


    I walked slowly down the aisle, my eyes fixed on Jake at the altar. My long hair was swept up in elegant up do, with a few wispy strands framing my face. My hands clutched the bouquet of lilies tight. I made my way towards my husband-to-be in steady and sure steps. I smiled at him, and he smiled back with a look of pure love and adoration.


    At the altar, I took his hand and we exchanged vows, promising to love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. The priest pronounced us man and wife and we shared our first kiss as a newlywed couple. Our guests erupted in cheers and apuse, as we turned to face them and made our way back down the aisle. We were surrounded by those who loved us, and they showered us with congrattions and well wishes.


    Jake and I were beaming with pure joy, as we walked hand in hand into the future, ready to begin our new life together.


    THE END.


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