Denzel Flynn******I never imagined Naomi’s father to run away like that. When I learned about his fleeing from the receptionist, it was bad enough. But when I overheard Mrs. West telling about their intimate moment from the night before to Naomi, it was a blow to my face.I’d warned myself to not get emotionally involved, but I end up being a part of this big drama, anyway. I guess that’s a package deal that comes with having a family.Mrs. West was not in high spirits after I broke the news to her but she was willing to spend the remaining days in the resort for the sake of our efforts. Even though we decided to stay and have fun, most of her time was invested in Naomi’s and Ben’s health.It was a nightmare to be short. If I exclude the morning picnics near the lake and occasional dinners and outing, we spent the last two days locked in our rooms.Now, it’s the seventh day, and we’re on our way to the court so little rose’s parents can finalize their divorce.The air inside the car
Naomi West******I’m not mad. I’m not second-guessing my life choices at the moment. I’m only fuming with an uncontrollable amount of disappointment, hiding all of my viciousness behind a polite smile.I watch, standing in a corner as my dad empties my mom’s stuff from Denzel’s old room. He wasn’t exactly a cheerful lad when he found out that his wife has been living in a man’s room all this while, but one look at my face and he knows to keep his mouth shut about it.He only has himself to blame for what his wife has been through.But like myself, my mom isn’t one to hold grudges. My mom and dad had been MIA on me for three days since she went away with him and they only arrived this morning, that too, to fetch her things.I haven’t made peace with the fact that she’s so easily forgiven him, but who am I to judge, right? I can only bite my tongue and swallow my words for their happiness.“Did you eat a whole lemon for breakfast? Why do you look so sour?” My mom playfully bumps into m
Unknown POV******Layla Kingsley stares dumbfounded at what she’s just discovered. After spending many weeks in isolation, plotting and planning and fearing for her life, it’s like she just hit a jackpot.But she never entered in the lottery, which is why the sight before her, the crucial piece of information, also gives her chills.This is it. This can change her whole life.She takes out her phone to capture this shocking moment. She continuously taps on the photo icon to take pictures from multiple angles.With a lingering look at the truth she’s just discovered, she walks away before anyone notices her presence. She laughs as she takes the street to her apartment. She’s been in so much pressure for the last few weeks, trying to come up with desperate measures to find something on the Flynn’s. But it’s been a pain in the butt with blondie and Davenport not picking up her calls. After her last meeting with Chloe, she made it clear that she wanted to come clean in front of her dea
"Naomi, I'm leaving." His bluntness astounds me and leaves me speechless. I stand before Denzel, my soon-to-be husband, in my wedding gown. I eye him up and down and my heart sinks."Why aren't you dressed?" My voice comes out sharper than I intend. I feel pathetic inside but it appears as if I'm angry at him."We've to postpone the wedding. I have an important business to tend to." Denzel's words come out in a hurry. It feels as if he just can't wait to leave."What is so important that you're postponing our wedding?" My tone keeps getting harsher.There's a lengthy pause before any of us speaks."I've found her." The tears involuntarily slither down my cheeks. The ache in my chest intensifies and her name clouds in front of my eyes. Layla. I angrily stomp towards him. I put my hand on his shoulder and turn him sideways to bring us eye to eye. My face feels hot from anger but his only shows urgency—urgency to get away from me to get to her."Why? What does she mean to you that you
Naomi West ****** “Naomi West? Please sign here.” The postal delivery officer loans me his pen. I’m still on a call, so I don’t bother asking him questions. Even though I’m not expecting a parcel, I still take it. After all, it’s too small to be a bomb. I shut the door after the man and turn back around into my home. I flip over the parcel in curiosity to see who is the sender. To my utter confusion, there is no return address or the sender’s name on it. An anonymous parcel? Fine, not a bomb, but it definitely has something to do with drugs. “Mommy! Mommy!” Ben’s tantrum draws my focus from the phone call and the parcel. I hurriedly place the parcel at a height where my little demon can’t reach. I search the drawing room to catch him running towards me like a thief escaping cops. Behind him, Marcus jogs into the hall with Ben’s backpack and bottle. I understand at once why the little demon is running away from him. Ben quickly hides behind my legs and holds onto them before I
"Is everything here?" Marcus asks once we get the stuff inside our apartment. Yes, and by ‘our’, I mean we're sharing it. We rented it as soon as we saw the design. It was indeed the best deal we could find on two days' short notice. Besides, it will be only a temporary residence until I save up enough to buy a home. I can't believe I'm going to be living together with him. I remind myself that it's only temporary—but it doesn't change much. "Did you get a response from Myra?" Marcus puts down a box of kitchen utilities he was carrying on the floor and cuts them open. My eyes follow his arms, the way his muscles flex and relax and the sweat that coats them. He's only wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. I'm not attracted to him or anything, but I haven't dated for five years. It doesn't hurt to admire a free show, right? His question comes back to me. "She's invited us to an event. Skylight Novels & Publishing is going to celebrate the opening of its branch in San Francisco tonig
"Five years... Destiny is truly a bitch, right?" Denzel throws his head back and laughs maniacally. I check my surroundings once more, but I can't find the slightest trace of humanity. Denzel continues to laugh but stops when he notices me staring into the distance, not heeding him. The next thing I know, both his arms slam down on either side of me, caging me between him and the wall. His chest aligns with my face. Even with the shirt on, I can imagine his muscles just by their outline. My face feels hot. "Why did you come back, little rose? Aren't you afraid of the consequences I can make you suffer?" He angrily slams his hands on the wall, talking through gritted teeth. He takes my chin in his grip and tips my head up to meet my eyes. My heart is beating frantically. I can't stare off into the distance to ask for help. I can only crane my neck and gaze at his handsome face and let the fragrance of his shaving cream overwhelm me. The scent catches me off guard when I recognize
Denzel Flynn ****** I feel distracted during the entire meeting hour with the executives. The manager of the Application Management Department, Parker, updates me on the current stage of our app and its faults, stretching the meeting unnecessarily longer. I’m not always this impatient. But I have an important file lying on my desk that can change my future forever and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. ‘I want the file I asked for on my desk, Jake.’ I text my secretary for the tenth time. He sends me a yellow face, frowning emoji. Jake doesn’t like to be told twice. I smile inwardly, knowing that the file is waiting for me on my desk. “Sir, to rectify the faults within the app, we’ll need another five months before the launch.” It tips me off. “You said that during the last meeting as well, Mr. Parker.” The meeting hall falls silent and my words echo. I see Parker visibly gulp his spit down his throat. “After going over the data, I estimated that someone working with your sala